a grand? ive seen a decent set go for a couple hundred.. there is one going for about $300 right now if u look.. its called "enthusiast model"

 

OK, here's the deal. I'm running on wasted and almost flat Khumo Ecsta Supra 712 on the back and new Falken up front. With these tires, when is raining you can feel the car tail happy EVEN if youre going straight. Obviously winter tires will help in this situation, but the Potenzas the car comes with don't help much. When I'm in the freeway, there is always the sensation above 60mph that the car is going tail happy. And it always seems to be from the back were he lifts. I think it is because the car is lighter in the back. It can also be my tires in the fron are new. So again, my take on it is that I loose my confidence in the car above speed limit in the rain. It almost always gets to a point were a drive slower that everybody else.

But hey, if you want something that drives in the rain, get an AWD car. There are a few nice ones out there.

 

WOW. Get a good set of tires and quit blaming the car! You're scaring everybody. I guarantee half the people that read what you just said will hear "the Z can't drive in the rain." Stop feeding into the paranoia. This reminds me of the guy that posted something a couple of months ago that started out " I was driving about 75mph in a BLIZZARD and then all of a sudden ..." Jeez, if you have no tread you have very little wet traction. Doesn't matter what vehicle it is. A FWD car would start to skate around in the front - not a very much more comforting feeling at highway speeds. Learn to recognize the cause of everything. [End rant ]

 

And people died a LOT on the roads in thoses days !

But you're right, the Z is not undrivable without electronics. Just use your head and plan your maneuvers according to the road conditions.

VDC or not, it's pretty much helpless in very slippery conditions. Good tires are a must.

 

I think thats just the point. The Z can't drive in the rain. If you think it can't, be my guest. Try the Sport Compact Car project car comparison issue and see what the guy had to say about the 350z in the were it was tested; and I quote:

"Driving the 350z in the rain is like trying to find traction in a sea of WD40."

By the way, its not paranoia, its a warning to be careful.

 

Base is the lightest model and the cheapest I make 7 hr trips on occasion and I do miss cruise control but not that much. spend $300 and get an OEM HID kit, install is not difficult at all. Off the line when you peel out, you do fish tail slightly from lack of LSD but I don't mind it, kind of fun. For the college kid, the base is the way to go.

 

I just think it doesn't make sense to by a car with 300hp without a way to put it to the ground.

 

I'll just say this as an 04 BASE owner...

If Nissan offered a carbon copy GT version, similar to my modded base Z, I would have NO problem paying 36.5k or STICKER TRACK PRICE... LOL!

Decent NA Power with "air" mods...
Sweet wheels + drop...
Decent sound system...
Decent braking...
SS exhaust system from the Motor back...

If you have the money to spare and don't mind a used car, pick up a newer TRACK model. Otherwise, the 06 base is a nice start and it's ready to mod with the $pare change.

Zquicksilver

 

some ppl are making it sound like the Z doesnt belong in rain.. haha =/

u think dealerships do test drives on rainy days? looks like its gona rain today..

 

You are exactly right. I hope that all of the unexperienced are reading these similar posts and taking that away from it. And a good reminder to all of how quickly things can go wrong - be it a lack of experience, a stupid moment, poor car maintenance (including bald tires) or an unavoidable situation like undetected ice or the like. Everyone be careful out there and if you need to enroll yourself in a winter driving class if needed for your area if you can do it. ( I wish I could go to that Blizzak school someday in Colorado - it sounds like fun and could save your life someday) Or find where the local autocross may be around you and participate. You will learn so much more about car control and physics than you can learn from ignorant mistakes on the street or by going by what you think you know. I know everyone doesn't have an opportunity to do this but try looking into it - you will have fun and meet other car enthusiasts at the same time.

 

I'll agree w/that quote. but at the same time i'm pretty sure they were talking about tracking it in the rain. So unless your going 80+ on a winding road i think it's alright. and btw, i had an integra n civic b4 (not that it's a better car but FF) and i can say the Z drives better than both of them in the rain as long as i'm not driving like a maniac. i haven't hydroplaned yet... even those small lil ones. i live in so cal too and i go about 75 in the rain w/no problem so going 50 would be way too slow. my gf the other day said "wow, at first i was scared of your car in the rain but i actually feel really safe"

 

I drive mine as a daily driver and drive it in the snow and rain, I have an 03 Base, and it's never been a problem. Hell, I stil have my ADVAN AO32R's on and drove it home in light snow and several times in the rain. What's everyone freaking out about? You think BMW and Lexus have always had traction control, or Mercedes but people have been driving them around in the snow for years. It has more to do with ability than the car. I for one have never felt the Z to be unstable, but have always found it to be very forgiving, and a lot of fun, without any electronic ninnery. As far as the quote from SCC, that is what happens when you decide to run the same size tires front and rear with a stiffer rear bar in place. They built that car to specifically, and I quote, "POWERSLIDE EASIER". And as Kojima wrote, a car that is taill happy in the dry is going to suck in the wet. It wasn't indicative of what will happen on most modifed cars, and certainly not a stock one.
Will

 

Well, Resolute, I guess thats exactly my point. You need abiliy to drive the car in the wet beyond the speed limit. You cannot throw the left hander in the wheel and the right hand in the girlfrien'd lap relaxing on your way to the movies. It will require focus. But hey, its just my opinion. Maybe its just me. Whatever!

 

wait so.. ur more likely to loose control with same size tires all around..right?

but wut if u put 245s all around..

 

It a question of balance front and rear.

The car was designed to run on staggered tires.

 

245...235...275.. same principle. SCC wanted to make the car as nuetral as possible in a turn, so that when throttle was applied, the rear tires -already at the limit of adhesion- would break loose. They further aided this by using a stiffer rear bar to increase load transfer to the outside and decrease the contact patch on the inside tire. Everything they did was to make the car slide easier. So it was no surprise that in the rain it became a "slow, oversteering hellbeast" as Kojima put it. It was designed to oversteer in the dry for crying out loud, of course it's going to suck in the wet. Using the same size tires all around will net you a similiar result. The weight transfer will already put the rear tires close to the limit, similiar to the fronts, so it will be very nuetral in mid corner, but will have no traction left to apply power either. That was why they used equal sized tires, to make the rear break loose easier in a turn.
Will

 

Lol !!! He's so right !!! You just keep your foot out of it.

 

Damn, that's cherry man, thanks for the pics. Top notch. Makes me want to go drive my dad's Chevelle SS.
Will

 

05 base here, LOVE it. like somebody said "ball of clay". exactly! adding only the parts I want! Rims, tires, complete clear bra, nice JL sound system with Zenclosure and exhaust done, suspension possibly next check. who know, maybe an APS TT in the fall. Damn, that means a LSD. Oh well. no worries as I have a 2001 volvo s70 for my daily

 

yup, the base is def a good bargin if you plan on modding. and lets be realistic, who doesn't want to mod with this car. plus the amuse Z in this vid, which is a base model Z, put up the best lap times **cough**with 50hp more**cough**

http://www.dpccars.com/car-movies/03...Nissan350Z.htm