hooked

I am new to the boards and have been lurking for a few weeks. I wanted to do some research before posting stupid questions. I also have never been really interested in cars but this 350 has me obsessed. I want to purchase one in 04' sometime and have some questions. I think I want to go with the nismo body kit, and some 19" wheels- not sure which ones yet. Also want to possibly get the supercharger that stillen is pushing for the Z. Now for the Questions: Will the dealership install the bodykit, and the supercharger? Or any components I feel are not within my skill? Should I go to a performance shop instead for the supercharger or any other engine items. I hear a lot about flywheels and camshafts? Are these necessary to max performance while maintaining driveability? This car will be mostly a weekend car and hobby but I want to have the ability to do roadtrips as well as tear it up. Am I asking too much for the car? Also is there any other hood for the supercharger besides the stillen, I am not sure I will like it with the nismo bodykit..hmmm any photo choppers out there. Anyway, sorry for the long post and ignorance- in advance..

ares

iTrader: (2)

you will want to find a good shop in your area to do your work, not the dealer, IMO dealer mechanics are subpar, and dont really care about there work. you gotta find a mechanic that enjoys what he does, even if you pay a few bucks more for it.

flywheels and camshafts will actually reduce the "drivability" of the car... flywheels make the engine have no mass to it. meaning when you engage the clutch, you gotta use engine power to do it, not just the inertia of it. also during shifts, the RPMs will drop, not hover for you to complete the shift, forcing you to rev match. camshafts ussually make the idle a little rough, and can actually reduce low end hp, but you get high end HP in return. these are by no means required for maximum performance, but they arent bad things to have.

Id look into the pro charger vs stillin, not sure how performance compares, but the procharger takes the stock hood, or any other hood. stillin requires extra room, and I believe they have the only hood with the hump.

overall if you want a daily driver, weekend racer, supercharger is the way to go.

have fun.

hooked

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like I am sorta doing my homework right. I will look into the procharger, but I havent heard much about it, like hp gained and performance. I pretty much just want a great looking and pretty fast car- thinking the supercharger will be enough. But I also want it to be as good as it looks. Is there anything else I can do to push the performance envelope without sacrificing the driveability? What about shocks and sway bars, are they really only for track or will they help on the highway too?
Another question- I want the Nav system, but may want to put in a system, and I dont mean something that is crazy, just a good quality stereo. Is there any problem doing this with the NAV in place? BUMP for anymore answers......... Thanks guys!

350zdanny

You can put in a system and use the nav.

Also, flywheels and camshafts, don't reduce the drivability of the car, they increase the skillfulness of the driver

Flywheel will be tough to adapt to if this is your first car, but the Nismo one is not a bad idea. The Z has a dual mass flywheel which kills alot of feedback to the driver. While this is fine for your mom, you want to have the most solid feel you can get.

What camshafts do is basically shift the torque curve a little, so you lose a little down low, but it only ends up being a fraction of what you gain up high (because hp = torque*rpm/5252). So you can see it is very beneficial to lose a little under 2k rpm and gain alot over 4k rpm.

I also would look into other options besides the Stillen supercharger. It isn't the most reliable option for your needs.

Ideally, you shouldn't do any work like that at the dealer, however, any Nismo distributor/dealer will install their own products for you. And they will charge you handily! Best thing to do is find a reputable performance shop in your area and build a relationship with them.

I don't really think you need coilovers or sway bars for the car you're describing. However, if you do get coilovers, I would recommend Tein Flex with EDFC, so you can adjust the dampening from in the car (for those road trips you're talking about). None of that will help on the highway.

There is so much you can do to push performance. You have to do your homework and find what is best for you. Keep in mind you are talking about a hell of a lot of money here, so make sure you know what you're buying. Take care.

Dan

hooked

Thanks Danny, Great info. I really do understand the investment so thats why I am craming as much information into my head as possible. Before I test drove this car I was never really excited about working on or even having a high performance car. This is my first adventure into this territory, so a LOT of this is very new and some is intimidating, but I think I am getting a handle on what I want and need. Also thanks for excusing my ignorance of the subject, I am trying. BUMP for more info... THANKS

PrototypeRacer

Is this your first high performance car? While upgrading suspension is always good, you might want to wait and improve your driving skills before making your Z any faster. With out any previous experience(?) this car is probably going to be more than you can handle but its your money, just don't outdrive your capabilities.
How much boost do these SC's run at?

350zdanny

ATI boosts 7psi. I think the Stillen comes at 5psi stock. Last I heard the Greddy turbo was at .7 bar.

Dan