SO..I have been practicing rev matching (both to quickly increase speed, and slow down coming into turns) and i think i am improving.

...BUT, I am really concerned about wear on the car. I just don't trust the damn thing. The clutch, the engine, the tranny, everything. I feel like I am putting added wear on the parts on the whole engine and drivetrain every time i rev match to increase or decrease speed (with a little jerk, or even when I do it correctly), down shift going into a turn...anything.

Quite honestly, this is the first new car I have owned, as my daily driver is a 1994 bmw 318is 5mt with 172,000 miles. I know what that car can handle and I feel no guilt in revving it or running it to redline every now and again.

I bought the Z (obviously) because it was a sports car, but after hearing about the transmission and clutch problems, I am always very hesitant to drive it like one. How much can our car take? It doesn't seem like it likes to rev or shift hard. I didn't buy it to granny it, nor did i drive it to beat the living hell out of it all the time, but a combination of normal and spirited driving.

Any thoughts, experiences, or constructive driving technique criticism would be greatly appreciated so I can put my mind at ease and FINALLY enjoy my car. I want [all of] the car to last for a very long time!


p.s. my clutch feels normal and the car shifts the same as it always has and i have been practicing rev matching in it for a few weeks now...there's never a burning clutch smell either. I know wear and tear sometimes isn't always that obvious though.

 

beat it up it can take it..i have brought my car to the track more times than i can count and now im boosted and the only thing i have replaced is my clutch. it holds up fine from launching at 6000 rpms on slicks at the track to doing burnouts in a burnout comp..dont be scared.

 

Not looking forward to getting a new clutch anytime soon, cuz if i do, i want a good one and that's $$$. But thanks for the feedback aj_350z. Looks like my occassional rough shift or rev match is no big deal.

Anyone else have an opinion?

 

The booming noise this car makes at high rpms always makes my hairs curl like I am hurting it, so I see where you're coming from.

Just wait til you have the kinda mods in my sig and the thing vibrates like crazy at weird times or makes noises that you'd expect from a lawn tractor coming from under your ***... then you're realize how much this car can really take.

 

Our cars are tougher than you think, lol. Just don't drive it like a retard and you should be fine. The tranny problems you heard about are primarily on the 2003 z's. I own a 2003 and haven't had a single problem with anything, so it really depends on the car you get I guess, lol. You'll be fine with spirited driving, just don't deliberately abuse it, lol.

 

Lighten up on yourself. As long as you stay below redline and are not grinding your tranny the Z will be fine. Even an occassional spurt north of redline or grind in gears ain't any biggy.

I neither baby or beat my Z but I do drive aggressively at times and downshift frequently because I like to.

Do perform maintenace per manual and keep a good coat of wax on your baby.

Go have fun.

 

 

online forums always make out cars to have all these catastrophic problems and that if you put the key in the ignition the whole damn thing will fall apart. Drive it, enjoy it, after all thats why we all bought it!

 

I am hard on my car, and it has not had one problem. Drive it like it's supposed to be driven.

 

dude... i feel for you.. this is my first manual car and i stalled a bunch of times until about 2,500 miles....i feel bad for my car, but from what i read, i think out cars can and will take it.

 

After three years of autocrossing, several track events and being a daily driver, I can definitely state that NO, the Z is not fragile at all. As long as you keep it properly maintained and use some common sense, you won't have any problems.

 

Yes common sense is the key. Drive your Z the way it was meant to be but at the same time don't be a moron and do a 200ft burnout or silly things like that.

 

blackfairlady
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: CT
Posts: 4
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Based on your profile above, I assume you have a brand new '06 or '07 Z. Just make sure you do the break-in period properly and don't abuse your Z during this time. The Z can take a lot of abuse but must never be neglected. Give it some TLC and it'll perform like a charm.

 

Welcome. The 350Z is a performance sports car. Drag racing, autocross, open road racing. The Z can do it all. I am one of the slowest drivers on public highways. But get me to an event where it is safe to push the car, and I get crazy. So consider the percentage of miles that I am pushing the 350Z hard. Maybe one percent of the time.

 

haha...okay

 

thanks for the response Brickyard...I'll slip up and grind like once a month and hardly ever hit redline.

 

I bet if I drove my car every day instead of once a week and took it to the track every now and then I wouldn't have these concerns haha

 

I actually have an 04 w/ 17k. Bought it new. Didn't know a damn thing about a break in period at the time....i'm an idiot, i know. I honestly don't remember how I drove when I first got it. I am pretty sure I was conservative though. Runs like a new car should after 17k.

 

Well, you should be fine then with 17K miles. Most of us will never reach the 100% potential of our Zs so enjoy it while you can.

 

well just don't downshift, but its fun. or use just break!