It’s been 15 years since I first took delivery of my pre-order Redline track model back in 2002. What a wonderful experience it’s been! While I’m old enough to remember when the 240Z was first introduced to the world, it was never my fate to own one of the legendary Z cars until that auspicious day. Look back at some of the earliest pages of this site and you’ll find fuzzy, grainy pictures of the Z33 going through final trials in Torrance, as Nissan tried to keep it out of the public eye until deliveries began.



Today, I still find the styling and handling holds up well. There’s simply not that many eye-arresting cars like the 350Z on the road today! And while I live in sunny, snowy Colorado, my Z remains a daily driver unless the white stuff is flying. The original paint and bodywork have held up well, although the addition of an Aerosync nose/splitter, V1 sideskirts and rear canards give it a somewhat updated look. Together with a 1” drop (Eibach prokit spring on Koni 8241 SA shocks and S-Tune swaybars), it satisfies my desire for what a proper sportscar brings to the table. And with almost 30 years of racing experience, I know the advantages of using coilover shocks, but also how much work it takes to set, adapt and reset those components for each track and the conditions encountered. Having a suspension that is dialed into what I like (slight understeer to feel the limits on corner entry, neutral to corner apex and progressive oversteer on exit) is better than a multitude of adjustments.

Which brings us to powertrain mods after all these years? Beyond a slightly ported and polished throttle body and the smaller Motordyne spacer, there’s simply not much. Of course, a mild UpRev Osiris tune has helped, but I’ve resisted any FI applications on the theory that I want to see how long this VQ35DE will last. Baseline dynos pegged this particular engine at 244 HP and 234 lb/ft TQ after break-in and my bet is it won’t be far off from that as it nears the 100K mark. For a performance engine, MPG has been very good, and it regularly gets 33 MPG on the highway. UOAs with Mobil 1 0-40W and filters seem unremarkable, so beyond standard maintenance, it’s been very trouble-free. Ah, one note on flywheel/clutch combos, which seem to come up all the time here. Several years ago, I purchased a Tilton lightweight flywheel/ twin disc unit that was the lightest on the market. Yes, it allowed the engine to easily rev, but the VQ seems well dialed in to the inertia a heavier flywheel provides at the top end. Lap times did not show any appreciable improvement and I ended up selling the Tilton setup and going back to the OEM flywheel with a new clutch disc. Way cheaper and much easier to drive on the street- ‘nuff said!

One more area to cover in this retrospective is the interior. When Nissan refreshed the Z33 in the late ‘06-08 timeframe, I took note of the interior upgrades. Since two ’06 Z33s were being converted to racecars, we swapped one of the interiors to my ’03 model and it’s been an upgrade to relish. In another past thread I also gushed about how the addition of MB Quart separates and US amp provided so much sonic enjoyment. While we all hear differently, to my uneducated ear, the clarity and highs of my music come alive on the road. My wife still chuckles when I sit in the garage listening to some of my favorite tunes. Beyond this--and in an age when electronic info and entertainment options abound-- I continue to relish the fact that Nissan built the 350Z as a driver’s car and the Spartan-like interior highlights this. The only other bit of entertainment to revel in is the bolt-action feel of the superb six-speed tranny. Despite not being the latest CD09 version, it’s held up well with only occasional Redline MT85 changes and heel-toe downshifts.

That’s about it- for now. It's no exaggeration that owning a 350Z has truly changed the course of my life. Beyond being a contributor to SportZ magazine and serving as the Editor-in-Chief for Nissan Sport , there's been so many great people I've met along the way. Beyond those wonderful early track days at places like Big Willow, Buttonwillow, Cal Speedway, Pueblo Motorsports Park, LaJunta Raceway and Mid-America Raceway, it's been a pleasure to race and win using the Z33. It's even led me to being first a member, and now a moderator on My350Z and who knows what kind of adventures in the future?

 

Thank you, David!

Your marked fanaticism and dedication to both the Z and the marque in general are always fun and refreshing to read! Your background and contributions to this and all of the other Z-related media are also greatly appreciated!

Interestingly, your sentiments loudly echo my own feelings for the Z-car and not just the 33. Everything from your mechanical component choices to the overall way the car drives and how you drive them.

As you know, I've been a Z fanatic since near its introduction - yes, before I was legally able to drive, I'm not THAT old, laff - as I recall my older sister, of all people, getting all in a lather about how she couldn't get one in 1970 (when I was a wee tot...er, toddler, oh hell, OK, a pre-pube car freak).

I'm late to the Z33 party, having purchased our Z34N new before the 33, already 9.5 years old. But through the last 6 years, and having been through nine Nissans/Datsuns (and a couple of Euro cars - yeah, I just had to count 'em and was amused and shaking my head at that figure), the one car that has withstood my incessant Z-car giveaways and sales of so many others has been "Ol' Reliable", my silver '03.

While it does need a paint job (or at least some parts of it that have silver faded on the plastic parts and my own hack bumper paint job), it is the one car that still grips my soul tightly; from its visceral appeal as well as it's mechanical prowess, high reliability, and "never-lets-me-down-while-pushing-it-hard" standpoint.

So I totally get where you're coming from!

To steal Rob Fuller's (ZCG) shop tagline:

LONG LIVE THE Z!!


Fanboy Mic steps off the soapbox. Back to you, Chet!

 

The point in starting this thread is to point out how fun and reliable the Z33 is if you don't screw it up too much! No turbo or supercharger needed!

 

I've only had mine for a few years, it is fun, and has been reliable. It has more power than I have ever needed, and im doing my best not screwing it up too much. (Some might argue that I have failed at that)

The fact that most new cars under 30k don't look as good or perform as good sure make your investment 15 years ago seem like a good one.

 

Very interesting story that kind of parallels my interest in the 350Z. This past July 1, my Z turned 14 years old. I still love the way it looks and handles. I took these pictures a couple weeks ago.

 

Sorry for the delay in responding to Mic's well-written post. As they say, it takes one Datsun/Nissan fanatic to know another, and your comments really shed some light on not just the Z33, but the Z line as a whole. From the S30 to the Z34, you've known and owned them. They were designed to be tough little performance sportscars, with utility and performance matched only by affordability to the general public; not just the select few.

The Nissan engineers, designers and production teams should be proud of what they've created in each iteration of the Z. I'm partial to the Z33, because it's the first time I got to pre-order one built to my specs. But it didn't stop there, as the addition of particular aftermarket parts has allowed it to be tailored to my tastes. But the inherent goodness and reliability of the original design is something I've tried to leave alone.

Like your silver 350Z, some of my Redline paint is fading, and the bodywork has a few scratches and bumps. But almost every week, I get somebody who says: "nice car", and my usual response is: "thanks- not bad for a 15-year old Z, eh?" They usually do a double take and that somewhat a reward unto itself.

We both "get it" and while I've never had the pleasure of actually meeting Rob Fuller, or set foot in his esteemed shop, I echo his sentiments.

 

Thanks for the post and while cars in general are never a good investment, I think the enjoyment we get out of them makes our Z33s a good value. And while my job as an automotive journalist allows me to sample new cars quite a bit, I still haven't found many that compare all that favorably to my 350Z.

Sure it doesn't have all the latest electronic comfort and convenience features, but it sure does keep me focused on the driving, doesn't it? That's the kind of purity that keeps us coming back.

 

Beautiful and clean Z!

In contrast, I remember one of the first Veilside V3 kits that showed up at one of the Nissan Sport track days many years ago. While I certainly appreciated all the time and money the owner had put into his project, the look of that bodykit detracted, rather than added, to the lines of the Z33 IMO. To this day, I never saw that Z again and wonder what happened to it...

 

One word still describes my feelings when starting the Z: LUST!

 

Just a quick update on this past week. While waiting at a busy intersection, a clapped-out Altima driven by a young idiot backed up into the front of my Z. I honked after his backup lights went on, but he still bumped me as we waited for the turn arrow to come on. With 20 cars behind us, we both got out of our cars to check the damage.

"Aw, dude! I didn't even see you! Your car is so low and to the side. Sorry!" After assessing the damage: a scrape on the paint and a few chips, I suggested--rather vigorously--that he check ALL his mirrors more carefully in the future. He handed over all the money he had on him--$5 you gotta be kidding--and profuse apologizes as I told him he was getting a break this time. 20 drivers behind us relaxed their hands over their horns as we got back in as the green light came on.

 

Awesome thread David, and every time I see pictures of your car, I think it's the best-looking one on this site. I bought my Z much later than you and Mick, 2008, but it's affected me in the same way. At the time, I had a $30K budget for the best sports coupe i could, and after driving everything in that class, the Z was the only option, by a big margin, at least in IMO, and it's been one 0f the mosr reliable and trouble-frree cars I've ever owned, and at 59, i've owned a lot of cars.

As an aside, anyone see the Bob Sharp 240Z on bringatrailer.com? I actually worked there in the engine shop when I was a kid, when the Sharp/Newman team dominated their SCCA classes.

[url[]https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-38/[/url]

 

Thanks, Dean- I've gone for the understated, but clean look on my Z. It's really not that far off from stock, but I appreciate the lines of the Z33 and have tried to keep it looking good. You're right about comparing sportcars in the $30-35K segment for that time, the Z was clearly the best choice.

Checked out your link and that's an amazing vintage Bob Sharp racecar. Hope whoever wins the bid has the resources to properly campaign and maintain it. There's a helluva lot of one-off pieces on that gorgeous Z!

 

I saw the Sharp Z on the day it went up on BaT and thought.... "Hmmmmm, I wonder if I have room for......" (Not seriously.)

Interesting provenance. While built by an unknown person, took Sharp and Carolla to give it some real "star quality". I so remember the original Sharp/Newman/Posey driven GTU (and SCCA CP) cars like it was yesterday (even though it was nearly 40 years ago).

I recall an IMSA event, sitting next to my Datsun Comp supply trailer when one of the Sharp team crew members came up to me frantically and asked for, no, "nicely demanded" a set of half shaft u-joints. I had ONE SET left in the truck.... gladly handed it over to him despite his demeanor. He later came by and thanked me and apologized for being gruff the first time around. Hahahahaha.

They didn't win that day but it would have been fun to be able to say that "I supplied parts for a National event winning team." But who knows, maybe those parts I touched lived to help them win another day...

PS - My Datsuns and Z33 have ZERO exterior mods and I still have to turn around and glance at them when I park and walk away from them. Just clean, unadulterated naturalness. Laff.... (Nothing wrong with modified cars at all, love 'em.... just like mine the way they be AS IS. )

 

Edit: fixed the link.

 

Despite judicious parking and other protective practices, I noticed two door dings on the sides. Not bad for a DD that's 15 years old, and probably not noticeable to most observers, but I know they exist. Between that and the stone chips on the aerosync splitter, it's a bit frustrating. Not enough to want to commit a lot of time and money, but enough to test my internal limits of keeping a truly clean street car.

But then I look at the SCCA Z33 Touring racecar with all the paint chips and other scrapes/dings that come from D2D racing and smile a bit:



This is AFTER having the entire Z repainted in 2015. The AX6 finish from eight years was badly worn. But my DD Z33 (which has had multiple track days over the years) is still looking pretty good after 15 years. Getting some perspective on what REAL WEAR is like always helps your outlook!

 

Ha! I went to my paintless dent repair guy with a door ding on my Z that was so small, he fixed it without charging me and said I was the most obsessive car owner he's ever met. Then he acknowledged that I brought him a lot of business over the years by referrals.

 

Ah- that's what owning a Z is about: making friends and having influence with the right people.