Rizzness

iTrader: (2)

Just wondering--
Does anyone have problems driving into driveways or lots with short quick ramps or slopes? Does the underside of the front scrape?? Is it long from the wheels to the tip of the nose? Has anyone tried driving the Z up ramps like for changing oil or anything? Any problems? Just thinking-
Rizz

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

I had a big concern about my driveway, because my other car (Pontiac GTP) would drag the tail pipes if I didn't angle pretty sharply backing out. I have one of those driveways with a curb step up onto a probably medium slope.

No problems with the Z.

The Z has all the wheels pretty close to the corners, so you have better angles of attack.

I'm still very cautious about curbs and turn ins, but one of the dealerships here in town has a pretty rough turn in, and again, the Z seems to do better than my GTP due to angles.

I've not had the car long enough to change the oil. I've always used a floor jack, anyway. Some I think have posted that they've had to make step up boards to use ramps, though, so it is doable. Probably just a 1X board would work if long enough.

Throbber

Hey mannishboy,

Not to get this thread off the topic, but I was wondering if you could make some comparisions between the Z and the GTP. I have a lightly modded GTP and was hoping the Z was gonna be faster. I know the Z handles much better, whats your take? Do you miss the HUD and the plush ride of the GTP or is the Z everything you dreamed it would be?

Thanks.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

I miss the HUD badly, although I'm running the speed most of the time on the adjustable display gauge, so that isn't that bad. I also miss my steering wheel controls on the radio. Nissan cheaped out here. It would be nice if we could make the controls work from one of the other Nissan family cars, since some use the same steering wheels, but I haven't heard of anybody trying yet.

Ride wise, it is definitely much tighter. The only place that it bothers me, though, is on old concrete roads with expansion joints. The car tends to porpoise quite a bit. It is almost a harmonic thing. It isn't the stiff ride, per se, but the fact that it seems the suspension gets in some kind of a frequency based bounce. The concrete interstates in Nashville aren't that bad, but my trip home after buying it Sunday through IL, IN, and KY had me wondering if I shouldn't have gone G35C. Once I hit the asphault of TN, I was grinning again.

As for power, my GTP wasn't modded (had high expectations when I got the car, but then never really had time to mess with it until I'd had the car several years). I still haven't really got into the Z throttle too much yet, as I'm trying to follow break in for at least a few hundred miles. The biggest difference there is is actually having to shift . Power wise, I'm sure the Z will be fine. I've also got a Syclone, so if I really want to push my head back, I can always drive that

I think in the end, I'm going to be very happy. I might eventually see if I can do something about the bouncing on the interstate when people have tried some of the various suspension upgrades coming out. It might be as easy as changing only the shocks.

ares

iTrader: (2)

hey, I have access to 2 GTPs(dad and sister) and the Z blows them away. the GTP to me, has a VERY loose suspension, and really squats down under acceleration that makes it feel faster, but in the end, your at 60 way faster in the Z.

as for scraping, I scrape on curbs, and one parking lot, but I took the parking lot too fast. normally its ok.

jeffa

I traded a 01 GTP for my Z.
The GTP had a CAI, swmaller supercharger pully, and a reprogrammed computer. The Z is faster than the modded GTP, and no comparison in the handleing department. The GTP's ride was kind of soft, and the shock rates were not well thought out. i think that the ride quality of the Z is great...firm but not too harsh, even with the crappy roads in Los Angeles...

Brad4rdHay

I scaped the front OEM spoiler on a parking curb late at night at a 7-11 when I was REALLY tired. Thankfully all that happened was the $2 peice of plastic spoiler got scraped a little.

WayneTN

Others please take note that Brad4rdHay does NOT have the aero package. For those of us that do, the front lip hangs down a little lower and is about 6-1/2 inches off of the ground. Plus, to replace that part would be about $40 - 50. Brad4rdHay was making reference to the existing front lip that all Z's have. The aero lip covers that original lip.

WayneTN

Brad4rdHay

No, I HAVE the front peice. I ordered it from Courtesy Parts and insalled it myself. Again, I was tired and stuped, and wasnt paying attention, but thankfully its just a replacable peice of black plastic noone sees. Now, had it been my Top Secret front lip, id be crying now.

WayneTN

My bad. I got confused when your sig said you didn't get the aero option. Sorry.

Wayne

Brad4rdHay

Nothing to be sory about.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

I'm probably going to order that deflector for the front as an early warning device

Tubbs SF

The only thing I have noticed is since we sit so low in the car, its hard to see where curbs begin or end. I have scraped a couple of times due to that fact, but like someone mentioned earlier, its the small plastic underneath the car an unnoticable with common viewing.


Cheers,
Tubbs

ares

iTrader: (2)

be warned now then. if you hit the bumper hard and high enough, the pole peice on the bottom will bend, and it will crease. and it is VERY noticable. only way to repair that is to replace, no touchup will help.

yeah I did it, it sucks, not I gotta buy the power enterprises lip, or a body kit. thats all that will cover it completely.

Rizzness

iTrader: (2)

So I take it that there is a plastic skid plate of some sort under the OEM nose to protect it from scrapes?? Sounds good-- This does not apply to the Aero kit, tho- it will scrape?!? How bout the Nismo or other aftermarket kits?? Thanks tons!
Rizz

rahilio

i have a base model no aero mods on it just the plain base
it has a black ledge i hot a put hole on the right side of the car and it scraped big time the black piece and the paint on the bottom of the car just a tad not noticible unless you get under the car the black ledge is noticible but its easily replaced and not noticible

ares

iTrader: (2)

to me it looks identical to the "aero kit" front maybe slightly smaller, not really a skid pad, just a vertical peice of black plastic a few inches behind the front of the lip. in most cases, if your gonna rub, youll rub anyway, the black thing will just rub worse if you continue to pull foward.

WayneTN

Correct as usual, ares. The car comes with a small, black plastic, vertical piece under the nose and it sticks down only about 1/2". The car is shipped with a clear vinyl covering over the lip for protection. The lip sets back from the nose about 1-1/2" at the middle of the car and about 1" from the nose at it goes closer to the sides of the car.

When I installed the aero package front "spoiler" on my Performance last Sunday, it slid right over the existing lip and attached with 6 bolts and 7 clips. Now, instead of a 1/2" vertical projection, it extends downward about 1". That's all the difference there is! That new lip is about 6-1/4" off of the street whereas the old lip would have been 6-3/4" off of the street.

HTH,
WayneNT

SHO-TIME

iTrader: (9)

Z has such a short overhang.... it's pretty hard to scrape the nose if you are carefull enough. But if you go straight in.. then you'd scrape it since it's pretty low at stock height. If you're concerened, just angle your approach and drive sloooowly.

I have not yet scraped my nose.

ares

iTrader: (2)

right, easy to avoid the scraping on slopes, I did it once, but I was stupid and went quickly down a hill and onto a street.

the problem lies in curbs, where angle doesnt matter, only clearance. I scraped twice, ever since I park about 1.5feet from the curb. and still Im about 2 feet from the end of the spot. the Z is 14feet long. while your average pickup truck is about 18feet or longer. that means you could park 4 feet from the curb(you could look over your hood and see the curb 4 feet away) and still have your tail end even with the truck next to you.

once I realized this, I havent scraped at all.