After lots of time trying to figure out if I should buy a car for track use (like a spec miata or something affordable) and keep my '05 Z for daily use, I'm starting to think I may actually keep my Z a very long time and track it as well as use it as a frequent driver on the street. I won't be installing a turbo or supercharger for longevity/reliability issues, but I am looking to do whatever else gives me some improved track performance. In looking thru the Stillen parts catalog I'm thinking exhaust/hi-flo cats/oil cooler/oil pan spacer/engine damper/master cyl brace as my own "stage one" package. To date, I've put a Stillen intake, Nismo sways and Eibach springs on the car. So I'm curious about people's experiences on the track with their Z's. Am I going in a reasonable direction here with trying to protect the car while still using it harder than a daily driver? Do you have suggestions about what to do first/last/never to make the car good on the track but still acceptable on the street?
Thanks,
John

 

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Honestly I wouldn't do much more than that until you get a few track days under your belt if you haven't done many yet.

 

This thread belongs in the Motorsports forum but...

Any dual-use vehicle (say street and track ) is a compromise. You want stuff for the street like air conditioning and radio which has no purpose at the track. Consider the alignment set up. A good alignment set-up for the track will eat street tires. Stiff springs are uncomfortable for the street.

The 350Z stock is a suitable car for the track and street. Best track mods for the money? Wheels and competition tires. About $1,600.

 

I'm assuming you're talking about a road course versus a drag strip so I'll chime in. My Z is strictly a weekend car and occassional track car. Here are my recommendations if you are looking at taking your Z to a road course:

1. Attend a local HPDE (High Performance Driver's Education) course. By far, it is the best investment I've done. For the most part, it is the driver that determines how well you do on a track.

2. Shed weight from your Z i.e. spare tire, jack, floor mats, etc. This is a "no cost" mod and highly recommended during track days.

3. Upgrade your suspension i.e. sway bars & springs. I've done this and it makes a big difference on the handling. I've also installed the GT Spec braces that tightens my Z a lot more -- it feels like you're running on rails.

4. Another handling aspect that you may consider are getting lightweight after-market rims & high performance tires. I have not replaced my '06 stock rims & tires since they're sufficient for now.

Adding more hp/tq does not always equate to better performance on road courses since the Z already has good hp/tq for the track. Supplementing these with my recommendations will be give you a good start for your initial track experience.

 

Just keep going. You are on the right track. Keep researching. It is very hard to improve the Z's performance, so don't buy the first thing you see, which might actually upset the balance of your car.
From your mods list, you should be ok.