Looking for info on buying a 350z to drift / daily
04-29-2020, 11:39 AM
#1
Looking for info on buying a 350z to drift / daily
Hello,
New to the forum, be gentle. If there's info on the site that will answer some of these questions, point me to it. I checked the drift section but didn't find much. It's also pretty inactive so I'm posting here.
I'm looking to buy an affordable, reliable manual 350z coupe to drift and daily in the summer. I'm not picky on aesthetics, it just needs to run well. Budget is around 5-8k. I live in michigan.
Questions:
1) I heard the 6spd in later years has improved synchros. Should this be a priority or will any 6spd do the job? I read that manual cars 2006+ have this trans, is that correct?
2) I know that all but the Base model Zs have the VLSD, but it doesn't lock up very hard especially after a lot of miles of wear. Chances are I'll have the diff welded. That said, is there any reason to get a car with the VLSD over a base model?
3) Curb weight is relevant for me. Which year and trim level 350Zs are the lightest?
4) Is it true that the revup VQ can burn a lot of oil? Are other model year engines more or less reliable?
5) A lot of cars I'm looking at are modified. Besides an angle kit or aftermarket LSD, are there any other mods that would add value for my purposes? What are some good quality brands for 350z exhaust parts, suspension etc.?
6) So far I've been checking FB market, autotrader, craigslist. Am I missing any major sites? Should I consider a lightly damaged car on sites like Copart?
Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.
New to the forum, be gentle. If there's info on the site that will answer some of these questions, point me to it. I checked the drift section but didn't find much. It's also pretty inactive so I'm posting here.
I'm looking to buy an affordable, reliable manual 350z coupe to drift and daily in the summer. I'm not picky on aesthetics, it just needs to run well. Budget is around 5-8k. I live in michigan.
Questions:
1) I heard the 6spd in later years has improved synchros. Should this be a priority or will any 6spd do the job? I read that manual cars 2006+ have this trans, is that correct?
2) I know that all but the Base model Zs have the VLSD, but it doesn't lock up very hard especially after a lot of miles of wear. Chances are I'll have the diff welded. That said, is there any reason to get a car with the VLSD over a base model?
3) Curb weight is relevant for me. Which year and trim level 350Zs are the lightest?
4) Is it true that the revup VQ can burn a lot of oil? Are other model year engines more or less reliable?
5) A lot of cars I'm looking at are modified. Besides an angle kit or aftermarket LSD, are there any other mods that would add value for my purposes? What are some good quality brands for 350z exhaust parts, suspension etc.?
6) So far I've been checking FB market, autotrader, craigslist. Am I missing any major sites? Should I consider a lightly damaged car on sites like Copart?
Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.
Last edited by user 729290; 04-29-2020 at 02:31 PM.
04-29-2020, 05:14 PM
#2
350Z-holic
iTrader: (13)
I heard the 6spd in later years has improved synchros. Should this be a priority or will any 6spd do the job? I read that manual cars 2006+ have this trans, is that correct?
2) I know that all but the Base model Zs have the VLSD, but it doesn't lock up very hard especially after a lot of miles of wear. Chances are I'll have the diff welded. That said, is there any reason to get a car with the VLSD over a base model?
3) Curb weight is relevant for me. Which year and trim level 350Zs are the lightest?
4) Is it true that the revup VQ can burn a lot of oil? Are other model year engines more or less reliable?
5) A lot of cars I'm looking at are modified. Besides an angle kit or aftermarket LSD, are there any other mods that would add value for my purposes? What are some good quality brands for 350z exhaust parts, suspension etc.?
6) So far I've been checking FB market, autotrader, craigslist. Am I missing any major sites? Should I consider a lightly damaged car on sites like Copart?
Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.
2) I know that all but the Base model Zs have the VLSD, but it doesn't lock up very hard especially after a lot of miles of wear. Chances are I'll have the diff welded. That said, is there any reason to get a car with the VLSD over a base model?
3) Curb weight is relevant for me. Which year and trim level 350Zs are the lightest?
4) Is it true that the revup VQ can burn a lot of oil? Are other model year engines more or less reliable?
5) A lot of cars I'm looking at are modified. Besides an angle kit or aftermarket LSD, are there any other mods that would add value for my purposes? What are some good quality brands for 350z exhaust parts, suspension etc.?
6) So far I've been checking FB market, autotrader, craigslist. Am I missing any major sites? Should I consider a lightly damaged car on sites like Copart?
Thanks for reading. Any help is appreciated.
Not too too much drifting discussion but maybe you can change that?
Your $5k to $8k budget is about right, might expect to pay towards the top of that for a manual trans. Dont expect the car to be too too reliable (without significant maintenance) if you are drifting it, drifting is pretty hard on the engine & drive-train
1. You'll want a CD009 or CD00A transmission. These are the most up-to-date. Any generation can have the CD009. It's not specific to a year...I have a CD009 in my '03
2. Just get whatever diff you get. You will likely be able to trade straight across for a non-vlsd or look to purchase a non-vlsd relatively cheap($100 to $200) and welding it is pretty simple.
3. All the cars are gonna be around 3400 to 3500lbs. Many ways to reduce weight. I've gone bat-sheet crazy and my turbo'd '03 is in the 2800lb range.
4. Avoid the Rev-up engine. It's problematic and (in my opinion) the worst of the three engines. I would look for a DE engine because they are stupid easy to work on and there are a million cars to source parts from. An HR is 2nd best but there are less around so they will be more expensive and they are more complicated. They put out 310 HP but if you turbo or supercharge a DE you'll have 400-425hp for $2k to $5k.
5. Too many aftermarket parts/mods to answer this. Just find a good chassis that hasnt been beaten on or neglected and you'll be fine. Find a 2002-2005 DE engine and there are sooooooooo many aftermarket parts for cheap.
6. Only purchase a Copart car if you dedicate the car to a drift car. Most Copart (and insurance sales) cars are salvage title and will be difficult to rebuild. I just bought a copart car and I 'may' rebuild the title or I'm gonna fix it to track or sell as a drifter. lol, if you are interested in it to drift let me know - I'll fix the physical damage to get it road-worthy and throw you a deal. Shoot me a PM and we can discuss.
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user 729290 (04-29-2020)
04-30-2020, 07:08 AM
#4
New Member
Hopefully this thread will help with identifying the CD009 / A: https://my350z.com/forum/feedback-an...nsmission.html
You'll have to look under the car, so make sure you bring a jack and jack stands when going to check out any potential buys. Many on here recommend a pre-purchase inspection when buying a Z. If you went that route, you could have them check the transmission for you. FWIW I wouldn't do a PPI on a $5k car, but that's just me.
Bealljk knows his ****, but I'll expand on a few of your questions.
2) I had a welded diff in one of my desert trucks and it sucks for the street (dirt was fantastic). The tires bark like crazy, especially in parking lots, and forget about driving in the rain. Your tires will also wear very quickly. I'd have a spare welded diff for events and an open or LSD for street driving. Swapping the diff is easy enough and drifting with an LSD isn't as predictable as a welded diff.
5) At a minimum in addition to the angle kit you'll need after market front UCA and rear camber arms to dial in your alignment. Most drift guys run a good bit of negative camber in the front (stock doesn't have any adjustment) and near 0* in the rear. Sway bars will also help you dial in how the car flicks from side-to-side. I can't speak to the specifics of the sway bars for drifting, but if I remember right they like to run stiff rear and light front. The goal is to keep the rear tires as flat as possible, but also give the front end massive grip. You'll also need to setup dual rear calipers and a hand brake for drifting. There are plenty of DIY threads on here. As beal said, there is a ton more that will be dependent on your specific car. Bushings, coils, shocks, wheels, tires, seats, cage, etc. all are on the table.
Good luck on your search.
You'll have to look under the car, so make sure you bring a jack and jack stands when going to check out any potential buys. Many on here recommend a pre-purchase inspection when buying a Z. If you went that route, you could have them check the transmission for you. FWIW I wouldn't do a PPI on a $5k car, but that's just me.
Bealljk knows his ****, but I'll expand on a few of your questions.
2) I had a welded diff in one of my desert trucks and it sucks for the street (dirt was fantastic). The tires bark like crazy, especially in parking lots, and forget about driving in the rain. Your tires will also wear very quickly. I'd have a spare welded diff for events and an open or LSD for street driving. Swapping the diff is easy enough and drifting with an LSD isn't as predictable as a welded diff.
5) At a minimum in addition to the angle kit you'll need after market front UCA and rear camber arms to dial in your alignment. Most drift guys run a good bit of negative camber in the front (stock doesn't have any adjustment) and near 0* in the rear. Sway bars will also help you dial in how the car flicks from side-to-side. I can't speak to the specifics of the sway bars for drifting, but if I remember right they like to run stiff rear and light front. The goal is to keep the rear tires as flat as possible, but also give the front end massive grip. You'll also need to setup dual rear calipers and a hand brake for drifting. There are plenty of DIY threads on here. As beal said, there is a ton more that will be dependent on your specific car. Bushings, coils, shocks, wheels, tires, seats, cage, etc. all are on the table.
Good luck on your search.
05-10-2020, 08:33 AM
#5
Hopefully this thread will help with identifying the CD009 / A: https://my350z.com/forum/feedback-an...nsmission.html
You'll have to look under the car, so make sure you bring a jack and jack stands when going to check out any potential buys. Many on here recommend a pre-purchase inspection when buying a Z. If you went that route, you could have them check the transmission for you. FWIW I wouldn't do a PPI on a $5k car, but that's just me.
Bealljk knows his ****, but I'll expand on a few of your questions.
2) I had a welded diff in one of my desert trucks and it sucks for the street (dirt was fantastic). The tires bark like crazy, especially in parking lots, and forget about driving in the rain. Your tires will also wear very quickly. I'd have a spare welded diff for events and an open or LSD for street driving. Swapping the diff is easy enough and drifting with an LSD isn't as predictable as a welded diff.
5) At a minimum in addition to the angle kit you'll need after market front UCA and rear camber arms to dial in your alignment. Most drift guys run a good bit of negative camber in the front (stock doesn't have any adjustment) and near 0* in the rear. Sway bars will also help you dial in how the car flicks from side-to-side. I can't speak to the specifics of the sway bars for drifting, but if I remember right they like to run stiff rear and light front. The goal is to keep the rear tires as flat as possible, but also give the front end massive grip. You'll also need to setup dual rear calipers and a hand brake for drifting. There are plenty of DIY threads on here. As beal said, there is a ton more that will be dependent on your specific car. Bushings, coils, shocks, wheels, tires, seats, cage, etc. all are on the table.
Good luck on your search.
You'll have to look under the car, so make sure you bring a jack and jack stands when going to check out any potential buys. Many on here recommend a pre-purchase inspection when buying a Z. If you went that route, you could have them check the transmission for you. FWIW I wouldn't do a PPI on a $5k car, but that's just me.
Bealljk knows his ****, but I'll expand on a few of your questions.
2) I had a welded diff in one of my desert trucks and it sucks for the street (dirt was fantastic). The tires bark like crazy, especially in parking lots, and forget about driving in the rain. Your tires will also wear very quickly. I'd have a spare welded diff for events and an open or LSD for street driving. Swapping the diff is easy enough and drifting with an LSD isn't as predictable as a welded diff.
5) At a minimum in addition to the angle kit you'll need after market front UCA and rear camber arms to dial in your alignment. Most drift guys run a good bit of negative camber in the front (stock doesn't have any adjustment) and near 0* in the rear. Sway bars will also help you dial in how the car flicks from side-to-side. I can't speak to the specifics of the sway bars for drifting, but if I remember right they like to run stiff rear and light front. The goal is to keep the rear tires as flat as possible, but also give the front end massive grip. You'll also need to setup dual rear calipers and a hand brake for drifting. There are plenty of DIY threads on here. As beal said, there is a ton more that will be dependent on your specific car. Bushings, coils, shocks, wheels, tires, seats, cage, etc. all are on the table.
Good luck on your search.
do 370z/g37 come with the CD009, or something similarly reliable? I may have an opportunity to pick up a g37 within my budget, which seems like the best drivetrain for the money.
Also, how is the aftermarket 370z/g37? Do 350z aftermarket parts fit on them?
05-10-2020, 09:06 AM
#6
350Z-holic
iTrader: (13)
thanks, I have a couple more questions -
do 370z/g37 come with the CD009, or something similarly reliable? I may have an opportunity to pick up a g37 within my budget, which seems like the best drivetrain for the money.
Also, how is the aftermarket 370z/g37? Do 350z aftermarket parts fit on them?
do 370z/g37 come with the CD009, or something similarly reliable? I may have an opportunity to pick up a g37 within my budget, which seems like the best drivetrain for the money.
Also, how is the aftermarket 370z/g37? Do 350z aftermarket parts fit on them?
GreyZ has mentioned that Uprev and ProEFI are the only aftermarket support for the HR engine and the only tuning platform I know of for the VHR is ECUTek and possibly HP Tuners(but I am not 100% sure on HP Tuners). There may be a few others that I'm unaware of. I dont think Uprev, Haltech, AEM, or Link make anything for the HR or VHR platforms.
05-10-2020, 09:28 AM
#7
There are alot of changes between a 2003 - 2005 350z and a G37/370z so dont expect much of anything to be the same. I dont think either platform (call it the VHR engine) has much aftermarket support aside from basic bolt-ons/turbo/supercharger kits to mild reflash tuning solutions. It seems like past the 2006 Rev-Up engine the engine management (as a whole) on the HR and VHR engines got very complicated and aftermarket companies did not want to invest in them.
GreyZ has mentioned that Uprev and ProEFI are the only aftermarket support for the HR engine and the only tuning platform I know of for the VHR is ECUTek and possibly HP Tuners(but I am not 100% sure on HP Tuners). There may be a few others that I'm unaware of. I dont think Uprev, Haltech, AEM, or Link make anything for the HR or VHR platforms.
GreyZ has mentioned that Uprev and ProEFI are the only aftermarket support for the HR engine and the only tuning platform I know of for the VHR is ECUTek and possibly HP Tuners(but I am not 100% sure on HP Tuners). There may be a few others that I'm unaware of. I dont think Uprev, Haltech, AEM, or Link make anything for the HR or VHR platforms.
I was more concerned about the 370/g37 suspension / angle kit aftermarket, any info on that? And do you know anything about the trans in the 370z?
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05-10-2020, 09:39 AM
#8
350Z-holic
iTrader: (13)
I havent heard any issues about 370z transmission issues like they were on the first generation 350z (prior to the CD009 fix). But continue to search around and ask people that actually drift and/or race 370z.
not a bunch of hacks ... like me!
05-10-2020, 01:14 PM
#10
I agree just about any manual 350/g35 will do, but as I've found out throughout this thread, certain trans and motors are more reliable than others so it's worth shopping around. The pickings here are slim, but I should have at least a month or two before any track events resume.
05-10-2020, 06:26 PM
#11
350Z-holic
iTrader: (13)
05-11-2020, 07:16 AM
#13
New Member
haha I just moved to Michigan a couple years ago. It's been an improvement over Chicago. I could move again easily, but I've made friends and connections out here. It's a pretty nice state all things considered - scenic, sparsely populated, lots of tracks, no car inspection, cheap living
I agree just about any manual 350/g35 will do, but as I've found out throughout this thread, certain trans and motors are more reliable than others so it's worth shopping around. The pickings here are slim, but I should have at least a month or two before any track events resume.
I agree just about any manual 350/g35 will do, but as I've found out throughout this thread, certain trans and motors are more reliable than others so it's worth shopping around. The pickings here are slim, but I should have at least a month or two before any track events resume.
05-11-2020, 08:04 PM
#14
Something to consider since you're mentioning the G35 is that they are ~8" longer than the 350Z, which will make a difference in flicking the car while drifting. Obviously people drift cars that are longer the G35, but it's worth mentioning since you're still searching. I've own both and if I was going to daily one it would be the G hands down.
After living with a miata for years, it'd be nice to have something with a backseat for sure. I could pack tons of tires in it. Maybe I don't want a 350z after all haha. Realistically, it might depend on whats for sale around here.
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