Fletch69z

iTrader: (50)

It depends on whether just gaining more HP on the dyno is more important or if performance is more important. I personally did all of my own mod installation and I have a lot of friends who are connected. So, I got a lot of my parts at cost and then put them on myself. I've spent less than a thousand dollars for all of my mods (not including tires and the new brakes I just got the other day-which aren't power adders). The difference I have noticed is in how usable the power is. Basically, the combinations of mods that I have has moved my powerband from the lower part of the RPM range up higher. So, now my acceleration is more linear, rather than peaky and then drops off after about 5500 RPMs. It pulls harder and harder the higher the RPMs go. So, again, it depends on what you want to accomplish. For me, taking it to the track it is a monster with the mods I've done, but if I dynoed it it may not be the most powerful NA Z on the road. It's all what you want to gain from your mods that matters.

ROGUELITE

iTrader: (1)

+1

This is the point he can't seem to understand.

ROGUELITE

iTrader: (1)

Just because you stand by your original statement doesn't make it more true or right. It has nothing to do with who has the best engineers. It has to do with the target market and basic economics. Nissan may have the talent to build the best vehicle on the planet but it doesn't matter. At the end of the day Nissan has to compromise quality and performance to meet it's target market as well EPA and other federal restrictions. And when it comes down to the bottom line, it's cost that is the driving factor. So if you are saying Nissan oem parts cannot be matched or exceeded by the aftermarket you are living on a different planet.

The advantage that Porsche, Ferrari, Masserati, etc. have is that they target a completely different market. A market generally less driven by cost and more driven by performance. So they can afford to put higher quality oem parts on a car since their target price is much higher. I can't believe you don't understand this.

The problem with your statement above is that I never said Nissan engineers don't have the ability to build a better car. I'm going back to engineering 101. You build the best vehicle for the price. Period. Just look back at the old generation Z's, Supras and RX-7s. They priced out of the market and sales dropped.

And as far as the comment regarding upgraded exhausts and intakes being rice that's simply ignorant. Not trying to start a flame war, but that is one of the dumbest comments I have read in these forums. And that's saying something given some of the stuff that goes flying around here at times.

NaNa-Papa-J

iTrader: (3)

Whew! I think it just got a couple of degrees warmer in this thread! :-)
I agree with ROGUELITE and a few of the others who state that aftermarket can be much higher quality and/or performance gainers than OEM. One very simple example...the 350's intake. It is a hi-flow box design. Most people can look at this and immediately tell you that you are going to have much more air-flow restriction with this versus a pop-charger/cold-air intake design.

Also, car enthusiasts have been modifying their rides long before the "ricer" generation was born...where do you think all the "American Muscle" came from??? I guarantee you that Dodge, Chevy, Ford, Pontiac back in the good old days didn't manufacture their vehicles with the big blowers and bored out blocks. Modifications can come as cheap pieces of crap or as high-priced high quality manufactured examples of engineering genius.

I love my Z. I love to mod my Z. If you are against modding, well then, my advice is to just not login to this forum any more. But if you want advice, good or bad, about making your Z one of a kind, there is plety of it on this awesome forum.

Peace out Z-modders!!!

Cannysage

iTrader: (29)

I'm kinda in the middle here. Quality is a subjective matter. Aftermarket parts can be that of a great quality, but it doesn't neccessairly mean it overshadows factory parts, in terms of longevity. In simple terms, a stock z will be safter and will be more problem free, in comparison.. generally speaking.

Alberto

iTrader: (14)

Wow, I appreciate responses like this, many people on these boards dont like to hear the truth-or take my posts as being a d!ck, because they are the guys I speak of. I am only to the point so that if any newbs or people on the fence between figuring out to mod or not are reading this, they understand bolt-ons can make good power, and you can have great times @ the track. Ive been down the NA road, I dyno'd my car after almost every NA mod (5 seperate times) I know what Im talking about here guys, Ive hit decent dyno #'s, but most importantly put up #'s @ the track

My bolt-ons that gave me the NA dyno #'s in my sig were:

JWT pop-charger, Crawford Plenum, Kinetix (nonresonated) test pipes, Injen TD exhaust, UR crank pulley, and a technosquare ECU.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

i'm also in the > 5,000 n/a mods club. I could definately of gotten force fed by now if I had chose a different path. But now that I'm slowly going FI, i'm kinda glad I did n/a mods. the car is definately MUCH funner than stock and I also dont have to bite my nails wondering if the engine will go. I still am going to do a JWT clutch/fly, central 20 r&p gear, LSD, and most likely a UTEC N/A. The FI route is so expensive for the way I wanna do it (right the 1st time - IE engine build etc. *IMO) that while I save up the dough I'll still enjoy n/a modding the car and also learn to better effectively drive the car to it's potential. Sure i'll get beat on the street by a lot of souped up evo's sti's, what-not's but my time will come . I'm also still paying off the car so doing N/A mods seems a little wiser rather than really risking the motor going FI. Once it's payed off all hell will break loose

ROGUELITE

iTrader: (1)

Let me post up by first saying I hope I didn't offend anyone with my last post. I just have a hard time understanding why someone would say anyone with an upgraded exhaust or intake is a ricer. I think that is one term, myself included, that gets thrown out there so easily. And being that probably 90% of the people up here have, or plan to purchase, at least a pop charger, cai or upgraded exhaust... it would imply 90% of the folks up here in the forums are ricers. And that's just not true.

That said, i agree with Cannysage. There are good and bad aftermarket parts. In my opinion the aftermarket vendors and oem manufacturers drive one another. Each one keeps the other striving to achieve better and more efficient solutions to our cravings for performance and power. competition is a good thing. it's like that Lending Tree commercial... when manufacturers compete... we win.

Nexx

iTrader: (41)

well ricer on the aftermarket exhaust and intake if they are only for show/sound with no performance gains.

PoWeRtRiP

do you have a link to those gains? i have never, ever seen an n/a z without cams gain anywhere near that amount. with mods the principle of diminishing returns applies. even though the utec can gain 10 whp on a stock car, the more parts you add the less each part contributes.

just show me 2 dynoes of a z. one baseline, and another showing it gaining 40-60 whp without cams. i highly doubt there are any.

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (4)

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (4)

Your numbers are a little off for most FI setups...$6-8K is right in the range of my APS kit and with that bolted on a tuned I gained over 200whp...

03zsmith25

iTrader: (5)

so are you related to that singer guy

Ender

I personally don't like Boltons. Bolton, Lancashire, England has terrible food, Bolton University doesn't have a robust curriculum, and Michael Bolton the singer is a no-talent as$clown. Michael Bolton from Office Space was pretty kickas$ though.

Oh, you meant "bolt-ons". Woops!

:P

Armitage

iTrader: (15)

I'm keeping the Z N/A for the more linear powerband and responsive throttle. Plus, I auto-cross and road race and for me, pushing 400-500whp is just too much for a daily driver/weekend warrior.

I do believe the new Rev-Ups motors will be able to break into 300whp territory N/A. I'd be happy getting to around 320whp and running mid-12's.

EM-EFER

iTrader: (6)

Base HP-232whp
Stillen supercharger, Amuse exhaust, Stillen test pipes, JWT intake= 349whp -On a dynapak 3000 so about 330whp on a dynojet (SOLD)
All my mods now- 278whp

Thats 46whp without a new tune for all the boltons in my sig.

Robert_K

iTrader: (25)

You forgot Stillen Hood cowl. Mean cheapest route cutting stock hood adding Fiberglass cowl $230 w/o shipping. Plus losing the sleeper look. Too each, thier own.

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (4)

Why would the "rev-up" motors make any higher power fully modded than the 287s??? They have the same compression and the same heads. Your going to change everything else with an N/A build. The only advantage they have fully modded is the VTC on the exhaust cams...and that's not going to make a major difference with a built N/A car.

twinship

iTrader: (3)

From what I've seen of Z owners' dyno results, the above is basically true.

I've been looking for a compelling **performance** reason to begin modding my NA engine, and so far haven't seen one.

Of course, modding isn't just about increasing hp/torque. People mod their engines for the same reasons they add body kits... to put their personal stamp on their ride. And that's cool!

But -- trying to be totally rational -- the only way I see to gain significant useable power is to go right to FI.

Prove me wrong...?

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (4)

The highest stock Z trap speed in the 1/4 mile is 103mph. The highest N/A that I know of is 108mph (and there are probably some cars like the crawford cars that can trap higher than that)...that extra 5mph doesn't come from nothing. That's a pretty significant power difference. Dyno numbers are nearly useless as a true measure of performance...