Starting my Z Build thread early.
08-04-2013, 12:55 PM
#22
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Please be open minded and listen to those more knowledgable than yourself. I haven't been in the Z community long but I've been in the enthusiast community for a long time, and this happens all the time. You get excited and you get pipe dreams. We all do it, it happens. When it really gets scary is when someone has the pipe dreams and miraculously happens to have some money to follow through with it. Read my last post...honestly, can you answer the question of why you want to do this with something other than "because I want to"? Are you going to strip the car? Track it? Street racer wannabe? Show car? Or is it a daily driver? Winter car? Be honest so we can give you equally honest and helpful advice. I hate seeing people get their hopes up but even more I hate seeing people throw their money down a wishing well only to learn the hard way a few months or years later.
08-04-2013, 01:21 PM
#23
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I haven't been in the Z community long but I've been in the enthusiast community for a long time, and this happens all the time. You get excited and you get pipe dreams. We all do it, it happens. When it really gets scary is when someone has the pipe dreams and miraculously happens to have some money to follow through with it. Read my last post...honestly, can you answer the question of why you want to do this with something other than "because I want to"? Are you going to strip the car? Track it? Street racer wannabe? Show car? Or is it a daily driver? Winter car? Be honest so we can give you equally honest and helpful advice. I hate seeing people get their hopes up but even more I hate seeing people throw their money down a wishing well only to learn the hard way a few months or years later.
My plans are to eventually track it but first I want it to be fast in a drag race. Not really a show car, I just like the GTR style personally. This is also not be my daily driver.
I wouldn'tve made this thread if I was blowing hot smoke. When I first got my license it's what I wanted to do, with a Z, but only when I had the money to do it. Even when I was driving the civic I wanted to do it.
Last edited by kolkim; 08-04-2013 at 01:22 PM.
08-04-2013, 01:40 PM
#24
Wanting to do it and doing it are two different things. I'm going out on a limb here and guessing you aren't that old, and you're salary doesn't match up with all the parts you'd need to buy. I make a good chunk of money but paying bills and etc, I still can't throw THAT much money at mine.
Unless you live at home with parents and in that case, move out if you have the money
Unless you live at home with parents and in that case, move out if you have the money
08-04-2013, 01:48 PM
#25
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Well I can understand wanting to do it, but it sounds like you don't have much mechanical knowledge or experience. Driving and maintaining a car with mods like this requires you to at least be able to get under the hood and tinker when things start to go funny, because they will, and a lot more often than they would on a stock motor. If you have to take it to a shop every time it dies at idle or runs rough or makes some strange noises, you're going to go broke very fast and you're increasing your chances of grenading the motor tenfold. Building a VQ to 400+ horses is something you should aim for after having a little experience. Do some smaller mods and live with that for a while. A while meaning a year or two. Don't go from having never changed your air filter to dropping $25,000 worth of FI and supporting mods without any baby steps in between. You're setting yourself up for a lot of heartache if you do.
Do you know what's involved in tracking your car? Have you ever driven a stock car around a track before at a competitive level, let alone a highly modified rear wheel drive car? You're going to need to completely replace your brake setup from top to bottom if you're going to be doing nothing but tracking it hard. Coilovers will be a must and the majority of your suspension setup is going to need improved and upgraded if you're taking it to the track a lot.
And I'd say that's just the very basics, and that's not even touching your drivetrain yet. Before you get gung ho about building a track monster under the good, it needs an overhaul underneath that. What's carrying the car means a lot more on the track than what the car is carrying.
And ask anyone who has tried it, tracking this car with a stock brake setup is fun until about the third turn and your brakes take vacation.
Do you know what's involved in tracking your car? Have you ever driven a stock car around a track before at a competitive level, let alone a highly modified rear wheel drive car? You're going to need to completely replace your brake setup from top to bottom if you're going to be doing nothing but tracking it hard. Coilovers will be a must and the majority of your suspension setup is going to need improved and upgraded if you're taking it to the track a lot.
And I'd say that's just the very basics, and that's not even touching your drivetrain yet. Before you get gung ho about building a track monster under the good, it needs an overhaul underneath that. What's carrying the car means a lot more on the track than what the car is carrying.
And ask anyone who has tried it, tracking this car with a stock brake setup is fun until about the third turn and your brakes take vacation.
08-04-2013, 01:57 PM
#26
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*Not a knowledgeable post*
Thanks for the good advice
My plans are to eventually track it but first I want it to be fast in a drag race. Not really a show car, I just like the GTR style personally. This is also not be my daily driver.
I wouldn'tve made this thread if I was blowing hot smoke. When I first got my license it's what I wanted to do, with a Z, but only when I had the money to do it. Even when I was driving the civic I wanted to do it.
Thanks for the good advice
My plans are to eventually track it but first I want it to be fast in a drag race. Not really a show car, I just like the GTR style personally. This is also not be my daily driver.
I wouldn'tve made this thread if I was blowing hot smoke. When I first got my license it's what I wanted to do, with a Z, but only when I had the money to do it. Even when I was driving the civic I wanted to do it.
Last edited by samsniss350z; 08-04-2013 at 02:07 PM.
08-04-2013, 02:01 PM
#27
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Well I can understand wanting to do it, but it sounds like you don't have much mechanical knowledge or experience. Driving and maintaining a car with mods like this requires you to at least be able to get under the hood and tinker when things start to go funny, because they will, and a lot more often than they would on a stock motor. If you have to take it to a shop every time it dies at idle or runs rough or makes some strange noises, you're going to go broke very fast and you're increasing your chances of grenading the motor tenfold. Building a VQ to 400+ horses is something you should aim for after having a little experience. Do some smaller mods and live with that for a while. A while meaning a year or two. Don't go from having never changed your air filter to dropping $25,000 worth of FI and supporting mods without any baby steps in between. You're setting yourself up for a lot of heartache if you do.
Do you know what's involved in tracking your car? Have you ever driven a stock car around a track before at a competitive level, let alone a highly modified rear wheel drive car? You're going to need to completely replace your brake setup from top to bottom if you're going to be doing nothing but tracking it hard. Coilovers will be a must and the majority of your suspension setup is going to need improved and upgraded if you're taking it to the track a lot.
And I'd say that's just the very basics, and that's not even touching your drivetrain yet. Before you get gung ho about building a track monster under the good, it needs an overhaul underneath that. What's carrying the car means a lot more on the track than what the car is carrying.
And ask anyone who has tried it, tracking this car with a stock brake setup is fun until about the third turn and your brakes take vacation.
Do you know what's involved in tracking your car? Have you ever driven a stock car around a track before at a competitive level, let alone a highly modified rear wheel drive car? You're going to need to completely replace your brake setup from top to bottom if you're going to be doing nothing but tracking it hard. Coilovers will be a must and the majority of your suspension setup is going to need improved and upgraded if you're taking it to the track a lot.
And I'd say that's just the very basics, and that's not even touching your drivetrain yet. Before you get gung ho about building a track monster under the good, it needs an overhaul underneath that. What's carrying the car means a lot more on the track than what the car is carrying.
And ask anyone who has tried it, tracking this car with a stock brake setup is fun until about the third turn and your brakes take vacation.
I'm not going for a track monster to win races. More like go on the track and legally go really fast around corners and actually have fun with the car without endangering anyone but myself. I don't plan on taking the car to the track with just TT and Nos. Track would be later on, after it's 'finished'.
Moneywise, I'm going from 20k a year now to 130k a year starting December so I could probably afford to move out and pay for the car.
Last edited by kolkim; 08-04-2013 at 02:05 PM.
08-04-2013, 02:05 PM
#28
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Yes. I understand that buying a car, is 99% of the time. A bad investment. They depreciate. I'm not trying to flip the car.
08-04-2013, 02:10 PM
#29
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I agree I need to learn alot but I assumed this is how youre supposed to learn. Maybe youre right about going 'expert' mode when I should learn on
beginner. Maybe I could take a mechanical course and learn the basics.
I'm not going for a track monster to win races. More like go on the track and legally go really fast around corners and actually have fun with the car without endangering anyone but myself. I don't plan on taking the car to the track with just TT and Nos. Track would be later on, after it's 'finished'.
Moneywise, I'm going from 20k a year now to 130k a year starting December so I could probably afford to move out and pay for the car.
beginner. Maybe I could take a mechanical course and learn the basics.
I'm not going for a track monster to win races. More like go on the track and legally go really fast around corners and actually have fun with the car without endangering anyone but myself. I don't plan on taking the car to the track with just TT and Nos. Track would be later on, after it's 'finished'.
Moneywise, I'm going from 20k a year now to 130k a year starting December so I could probably afford to move out and pay for the car.
You want something different? Wait a few years, get your finances in order, and buy a GTR. ****, if you are smart with investments, you might even pay cash for it. Then you'll have a bad *** car, the fastest accelerating production car in the world if you buy a new Nismo model, and you'll still be able to drop money into that and make it your own if you wish.
The unanimous advice from this board is going to be to not pursue this. Add a few bolt ons and some suspension mods if you want to track the car, and call it there. Use this car as your learning experience. Tinker with small things and teach yourself. Then you can build something worth being proud of down the road.
Look up the AMS Alpha GTR. Think building a Z sounds cool? Imagine driving that. Extreme case, but same concept. You can spend $60,000 on a Z and mods for it and it will never, ever come anywhere close to what a GTR is capable of overall from the factory floor with a manufacturers warranty. And you can drive it every day, it will be comfortable, and you'll turn heads like no other.
Last edited by kaze06; 08-04-2013 at 02:13 PM.
08-04-2013, 02:18 PM
#31
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If you want to go fast around the track, get a BBK, a great set of track wheels and tires, new SSteel brake lines, a nice helmet, and maybe even a set of quality coilovers and go to your local track and run the **** out of it. If you've never even driven a track before, just taking a stock Z with some good suspension mods around for a few hot laps is going to have you giddy like a schoolgirl. And if you're making 130,000 a year, start saving your money for a nice fat down payment on a GTR. Don't start throwing away your money into something you know little about and that will yield little return. It sounds like you still live with your parents, so focus on getting an apartment or a nice house with that kind of money, and THEN aim for a sweet ride. A stock Z is a very nice car to have and will turn plenty of heads. It will make your Civic feel like a sled and will keep you entertained for years to come. I personally think it sounds like you have no business getting into these kinds of mods yet. The guys doing this kind of stuff have many years of experience under their belt blowing **** up and putting it back together. Don't treat your new job or raise or whatever it may be as free disposable income to throw away on teenage dreams. Invest it in something.
You want something different? Wait a few years, get your finances in order, and buy a GTR. ****, if you are smart with investments, you might even pay cash for it. Then you'll have a bad *** car, the fastest accelerating production car in the world if you buy a new Nismo model, and you'll still be able to drop money into that and make it your own if you wish.
The unanimous advice from this board is going to be to not pursue this. Add a few bolt ons and some suspension mods if you want to track the car, and call it there. Use this car as your learning experience. Tinker with small things and teach yourself. Then you can build something worth being proud of down the road.
Look up the AMS Alpha GTR. Think building a Z sounds cool? Imagine driving that. Extreme case, but same concept. You can spend $60,000 on a Z and mods for it and it will never, ever come anywhere close to what a GTR is capable of overall from the factory floor with a manufacturers warranty. And you can drive it every day, it will be comfortable, and you'll turn heads like no other.
You want something different? Wait a few years, get your finances in order, and buy a GTR. ****, if you are smart with investments, you might even pay cash for it. Then you'll have a bad *** car, the fastest accelerating production car in the world if you buy a new Nismo model, and you'll still be able to drop money into that and make it your own if you wish.
The unanimous advice from this board is going to be to not pursue this. Add a few bolt ons and some suspension mods if you want to track the car, and call it there. Use this car as your learning experience. Tinker with small things and teach yourself. Then you can build something worth being proud of down the road.
Look up the AMS Alpha GTR. Think building a Z sounds cool? Imagine driving that. Extreme case, but same concept. You can spend $60,000 on a Z and mods for it and it will never, ever come anywhere close to what a GTR is capable of overall from the factory floor with a manufacturers warranty. And you can drive it every day, it will be comfortable, and you'll turn heads like no other.
08-04-2013, 02:21 PM
#32
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My first post was asking how much people who have done what I want have paid, so this is the first step in figuring out prices for me. Also, nobody mentioned this isn't a civic I'm rebuilding. I don't see how that pertains to anything
This pertains to the fact that you know F**k all about a civic. Just saying that the 350Z is just a little bit more technical than a civic. So you need an education is what I'm saying.
Yes. I understand that buying a car, is 99% of the time. A bad investment. They depreciate. I'm not trying to flip the car.
This pertains to the fact that you know F**k all about a civic. Just saying that the 350Z is just a little bit more technical than a civic. So you need an education is what I'm saying.
Yes. I understand that buying a car, is 99% of the time. A bad investment. They depreciate. I'm not trying to flip the car.
08-04-2013, 03:07 PM
#33
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There's going to come a time when you're fed up with It coz you can't get it to run properly and you've thrown way more than your $130,000p.a. at it and you'll struggle to give it away because its not just the time but the premium money you paid for parts. As in my previous edit; read about the guy who threw $250,000 at a GTR wanting something special and its never run properly since he bought it new.
08-04-2013, 06:37 PM
#37
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I will bet he will never get an FI Z
08-04-2013, 07:56 PM
#39
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I didnt mention this up top, but plan on $12k for a decent Z to start on and another $15k for a reliable second vehicle…the Z will not be your daily driver and you will need something to get you to and from work/school/life…no way you are cramming this work into a weekend!!
There are glimmers of 'fun' and 'stress relief' during the build, but with my experience it's can be stressful as hell...
+1 and be sure to remove the word 'daily' from 'daily driver' because this will last 8 days and something WILL break and it will turn into garage art.
I hope (said loosely) after my built block, twins, gutted interior and whatever comes I can pull on a OEM GTR…
Track Z car and drag strip Z car are 3 different things…If you are serious about tracking the car read the rules and regulations before you start touching the engine…
this will be my last post on this thread…good luck OP...
this will be my last post on this thread…good luck OP...
Last edited by bealljk; 08-04-2013 at 08:02 PM.
