Is it a big deal to not have the traction control for a daily driven 350z?

Does it really make a big difference for a car like this?
Just asking because I saw this and it made me scratch my head...
I normally didn't want to get the base model, but since this one is base model its pretty close to my price range. If I decide not to get the base model, than I would be looking at 2003 or 2004 models. But there is a 3 year difference between an 03 and an 06 so I started considering the base model.


http://www.lafcars.com/newandusedcar...ssan-350Z.aspx

 

I personally think there's a huge difference in open diffs and LSDs. Especially if you plan on tracking the car. My friend has a base and says it is awful in the rain. Mine with an LSD is bad in the rain, so I can only imagine. But people deal with it and you could always upgrade it down the road.

 

Why don't you just save up a couple of months, and get yourself the 06? Think of it this way. You probably be driving the car for a couple of years. What's a few more months of work / savings?

 

It is NOT going to be track.

@ Deteria, I could get that 06 with a little bit of hassling, but I am just trying to see if I really need the Traction control.

 

I didnt want to deal with Traction control having to be on the car so i got a base and just swapped out the open dif with a VLSD out of another Z. Now i have VLSD with no stupid traction control lights blinking at me untill i turn it off haha...

If you have problems driving in the rain in either open or VLSD you need to either slow down or get a FWD car...and thats the truth

The main luxury that may bother most on a base model is that there is no cruise control. So that is another thing you may want to think about

 

Cruise control aint that big of a deal for me... I have it on my current car and I almost never ever use it.

I can just throw on some burnt orange seats if I decide to go with the base model
Ill just wait on some more opinions before I decide though. Would be great to get an opinion from someone who has owned base and other models.

Thanks to everyone so far

 

He just told you he got a base model and swapped out the diffs. He probably knows what he's talking about. Although I do disagree with one of his statements... Driving the Z in the rain can be difficult in some situations even if you are going slow.

 

I was mostly just giving them a hard time, but in all reality its a RWD car and it should be driven as such in the rain. With a little bit of care you really shouldnt have much of an issue at all unless your on bald or crappy rubber....or you just need moar practice

 

Tire condition/selection also has a great deal of influence traction. At the end of the day, the Base 350Z can be a safe DD as long as you drive it within the constraints of the car and conditions.

If you have someone that likes to drive like an @$$, then they will surely end up going off-road or worse...

 

Or pitch some wicked angle and hit mad dorifto manji JDM action brah! lmao <3

[youtube]-r-1l0C-GYA[/youtube]

 

I have a base model and daily drive over 100 miles a day,five days a week.

The base will do fine...

 

Cruise control was my factor , but now you can get cruise with a reflash and a couple switches

 

I love my base, put an VLSD in it, and never had problems either way...when tracking the diff certainly makes a big difference, but in normal driving w rain, etc I never had problems even before.

 

Just currious.....how much is a VLSD swap?


And as already mentioned....there was other reasons I chose my Touring over a Base beside just the tracktion, lol.

 

^this! totally forgot about this I was debating this for a while but i want to get QR and aftermarket steering wheel so it would be kinda pointless lol

I agree, however if you were planning on tracking the car and had the funds it would be better to spend money and get a quality clutch type LSD unit or a quafe gear type LSD. Which at that point a base model would be perfect since your gona swap it out anyways.

I found my VLSD for really cheap picked up down in the bay area for about 200 or 250, but you can expect to pay about 300-400 from what i got used to seeing.

If i would have had to pay more i would have just saved up for a OS Giken LSD but since i got mine for so cheap and i am just starting to get into drifting i figured a VLSD would suite my needs until i got better. After all i wasnt really sure how seriously i was going to want to get into sliding either so that was my own personal decision and im glad i did it. Open dif is GARBAGE when your trying to drift lol. It used to frustrate the crap out of me

 

But as a side note i did notice cornering at speed imrpoved quite a bit as well, it felt much more controled. so for a quick "cheap-ish" upgrade going from open dif to VLSD is a good move in my book. But as for safety or daily driving i doubt your average "joe" would even be able to tell the difference...

 

My 2003 Base model will be 9 years old on July 1. I still have the open differential and have never had any problems driving in the rain. You just need to drive within the vehicles and your capabilities and you will be golden.

 

I have a base and have not once lost control at any point, dry or wet.

I think the people that tend to slide all over the place are driving the car more aggressively than a mature adult would. I'm 33, so I'm no old man, but I am certainly more responsible than I was even 10 years ago... and again, never even had a slight spin.

 

I have base, perfect for me.

 

I think the open diff is actually better for stability than an LSD.

When you turn with an open diff in low traction conditions and give it too much throttle, the inside tire will spin but the outside tire will effectively "coast" and maintain more traction then if it were spinning with the throttle. And since the outside tire is "loaded-up" more than the inside tire, it's good that it's not spinning (breaking traction) while you try to turn the vehicle.

With an LSD throttle+turn+low traction surface = both tires spinning and thus diminishing lateral grip from the spinning tires. (this is in the absence of electronic nannies)

Open diffs are your enemy on the track, but otherwise friendly for DD duty.

Also, if you get stuck in some mud, snow, or the like, the open diff will not be much help getting you underway as the tire with the most resistance (grip) will get no power.

Upgrading from an open diff to a Quaife probably cut more time off my runs than any other part I put on my car. -Not because the Quaife is so much better than the stock VLSD (it is better, just not by a wide margin time-wise) but because the open diff is so bad for digging out of turns in anger.