I went to the Western Sydney Dragway last night. (Weds).

First time at it!... First three runs forgettable.

However 4th (and final) run produced a 14.449 @ 155.6K.

Dunno how this stacks up, but seemed OK for essentially a 'stock' car.

Very pleased, and good fun too...

Steve

 

I can only go by what the magazines say. The locals are often getting 14.3 at around 161kph (thats with 2 people on board). In the States one mag managed 13.7 @162kph (only the driver on board).

Also stock 350Z should do 160kph in 14secs flat (or better) when driven to it's pottential. So I'd say you still have room to improve at you did 155kph on 14.5sec. Still, that is not a bad time at all and pretty respectable.

 

when will it be on again? love to try it myself too

 

Every Wednesday I believe Otto.

Certainly room for improvement as 1st go for me, I was a bag of nerves!

Steve

 

anyone wants to go?

 

Every Wed. I've been thinking of going and trying it myself seeing as it's something I haven't done before. $40 entry IIRC. www.wsid.com.au

 

It's a hell of a good night.

I can't find my papers on the STI but was 13.something - I think .03 and 175k.

The Harley does 12.05 @ 165k.

Would be a good night to say hello! (If anybody wants to talk to me after last night's F/Ups!).

Believe me!!!! - 1/2 second is a lot of difference @ 160k, and to save 1/2 sec you need to spend LOTS on performance.

Sorry no pics of cars - the night we had the camera we had the bikes.

BROOOOM!

FROZZLE

 

Why can't we put two pics in the same post?

ANOTHERIE to get your heart rate up!

 

I can't find my papers on the STI but was 13.something - I think .03 and 175k

You weren't kidding when you said you had a fast STi. 13 flat at 175kph is 911 beating territory. It's quicker than what an M3 will do. Stock '99 STi (or older) will do more like mid 13s at 165kph. That means that in the time a stock STi could hit 165kph, your one could hit 175kph. That's a huge performance boost to gain extra 10kph. On most cars it needs a bolt on Turbo or S/C (though you already had one).

Believe me!!!! - 1/2 second is a lot of difference @ 160k, and to save 1/2 sec you need to spend LOTS on performance.

1/2 a sec at 160kph is about 5 car-lengths. Which sounds like a lot, but if the launch was imperfect, then a 'good' launch can gain you good 3 or more car-lengths over a 1/4. Though, I can't tell if 4WSboy had a good launch ... maybe if he has the 60' time? Do you know what it was?

Then there's the gear-changes ... maybe they could be made quicker and cleaner and gain another car-length or two over the 1/4. Eiher way, there should be 5kph to be gained by the end of 1/4 without ding any mods at all.

ps. 4WSboy, what pressures you you running? Most 'regualrs' will say that lowering the rear-pressures will improve your launch. Also, doing a pre-burnout (ie. practice launch) should put some heat in them.

 

I havnt been to the drag strip either. 14.4 sounds good for a first time! Id be happy with that.

The Nissan brochure actuallly said 13.89s was achievable, but I dont know who they had driving when they got that. An F1 driver maybe?

Does any find that our gearbox doesnt really like the gears being changed too fast, it seems to prefer a little pause before slotting into each gear?

I wonder if the short shifter kits will help with this? Or maybe its just an inherant characteristic of our gear box.

 

Frosty, just insert the first one using the IMG button then repeat the process. Should work.

 

Too right there....I've noticed it gets the ***** if you change fast while the revs aren't perfectly matched. It'll give a little jerk before it takes off again.

If you just give it a little pause it's fine... great for street and track...not great for drag racing!

I'm just guessing but it's probably the clutch.

 

What your describing sounds like the strong clutch and also might be the traction control, when you change hard the tires come close to or do lose traction and the TCS takes power away then gives it back because you still have you foot to the floor causing a bit of a jerk like feeling.

Mine isnt clutch related because the clutch is disengaged when im pulling the stick into a gear.

 

I would be surprised if the traction control doesn't wreck your times - It seems to cut the gas so everything seems to die altogether for too long a mo, then takes another mo to get the gas back.I don't like it - fine for P platers still feeling their way, but a better launch is achieved with skillful use of gas/clutch IMHO.
I'd rather see either brakes or spark retard/fail for more responsive action - but I really dunno what does the job - but I know everything dies too severely for too long.

FRIZZLEY

Another pic with about 1% of the cars there. You can spend all night going over the street stuff!

 

Yeah you wouldnt use traction control on the strip. I was just mentioning it when driving hard on a normal day. I keep it on as a saftey measure if im just going about daily life.

I would think the TCS uses the drive-by-wire system to release the throttle.

 

The Nissan brochure actuallly said 13.89s was achievable, but I dont know who they had driving when they got that.

As I mentioned before, in the US they managed 13.7 in one of the mags. Though, where in the brochure (and what bruchure) does it say that? I haven't noticed it in my one.

Does any find that our gearbox doesnt really like the gears being changed too fast, it seems to prefer a little pause before slotting into each gear?

Not mine. If anything I'm really impressed with the Zed's gearbox ... and this is from someone who is coming from an S2000. I'm really impressed how strong the gearbox feels and how quick it is at changing gears. So far I have not been able to shift quickly enough for the gearboax to baulk ... that says a fair bit as I'm often trying to shift as quick as possible.

The clutch is awesome (for me) as well. It is really sharp and has a very good 'bite'. That's the way I like it .... I don't like cluthches that slip and don;t have a 'bite'. So, so far the clutch on the Zed impressed me as well.

Though, my complaint is with the size of the flywheel (ie. too big) as the revs do not match the engine speed even at moderate gearchange speed. When going all out, the revs are so miss-matched on an up-change that I brake traction shifting into 3rd. In the wet shifting into 4th. The car needs a smaller flywheel so that the revs drop quicker during up-changes. As it isd the flywheel is matched for people who change gears real slowly ... I have a hard time changing gears slow enough for the revs to drop enough ... and that is when cruisising/relaxing behiond the wheel.

ps. I'm sure you'll loose at least 1/2sec if you leave the TC on while doing the 1/4mile run. With it on, you'd really have to slur the gear-changes (ie. do them slowly). I often get the TC kicking in when I forget to swith it off and I'm not even rying for a quick gear-change. My main reason for having TC off while driving in the city are the gear-changes ... with it on, it kicks in way too often on up-changes (ie. back to the flywheel problem).

 

I was an absolute novice.

Probably got launch wrong a bit etc etc.

TC off. I held 4500 revs and semi-eased off clutch, didn't step straight off it. Changed up at around 5800 each time, slight spin into 2nd gear.

265/40 rears reduced to 25lb/sq". Stripped car but 3/4 tank full.

The full stats were:

60' 2.221
330' 6.090
660' 9.320 77mph
1000' 12,110
ET 14.449secs 96.66 mph (155.56K)

Air Temp 20
Rel Humidity 71
Absolute Baro 29.46
Track temp 25
LEFT Lane Win!! thats me...

A better driver would I,m sure do better...

The Scooby (That challenged me for a 350Z 'trophy'I reckon) I went up against, exhaust and pod mod , ran 13.77 and it was the guys first run!

I really dunno realistically if a stock Z could match that, even with the best driver! Mind you, they adjusted the scooby boost 2nd time round and I beat him with the 14.4!

Steve

 

Changed up at around 5800 each time, slight spin into 2nd gear.

I think this could be the reason for the low trap speed (ie. missing 5kph+). You had another 800rpm of revs to go in each gear. Loosing that rpm in 3 gears will loose you a lot of speed. If you want maximum performance, then you need to get close to the redline. Think of it this way - at 6000rpm in 1st gear you will have a lot more pull than in 2nd at 3600rpm (ie. revs you drop to when changing at 5800rpm). I'd guess that you'd loose at least 1/2 a car length on each gear-change becuase you are shortshifting ... maybe even more.

265/40 rears reduced to 25lb/sq". Stripped car but 3/4 tank full.

Any idea what 25lb/sq" is in psi? Also what do you mean by 'stripped car'?

60' 2.221

That's not bad, but 2.0sec is what you're aiming for. Maybe even high 1.9s. From what 'they' say, 0.2sec gained at the launch is equal to 0.4sec gained at the end of the 1/4mile.

ET 14.449secs 96.66 mph (155.56K)

So if you're going again, 1st thing to do is take it to the redline and hope for trap-speed of 160kph+. Once you're getting 160kph+ out of the car then you know that you're driving the car to it's potential (even if your time is not showing it).

 

Originally posted by DavidM
As I mentioned before, in the US they managed 13.7 in one of the mags. Though, where in the brochure (and what bruchure) does it say that? I haven't noticed it in my one.

I thought it was the normal brochure? Might have been off the net when I was looking for info on it just before I bought it, it stuck in my head needless to say.

Not mine. If anything I'm really impressed with the Zed's gearbox ... I'm often trying to shift as quick as possible.

Do you pull the stick hard into the gears?

Has it always been this good or did it get better as it was run it a bit?

The clutch is awesome (for me) as well. It is really sharp and has a very good 'bite'. That's the way I like it .... I don't like cluthches that slip and don;t have a 'bite'. So, so far the clutch on the Zed impressed me as well.

I love the strong clutch, it should be good for holding a bit of power as well.

Though, my complaint is with the size of the flywheel (ie. too big) as the revs do not match the engine speed even at moderate gearchange speed. When going all out, the revs are so miss-matched on an up-change that I brake traction shifting into 3rd. In the wet shifting into 4th. The car needs a smaller flywheel so that the revs drop quicker during up-changes. As it isd the flywheel is matched for people who change gears real slowly ... I have a hard time changing gears slow enough for the revs to drop enough ... and that is when cruisising/relaxing behiond the wheel.

Not to mention the few ponies tied up in it

 

As David said, shortshifting at 5800 revs would cost you a lot of time over the quater. Keep in mind that on each gear change, you want to drop the revs into the max torque band, that is 4800rpm. Changing at 5800rpm would mean that the revs in 2nd gear would be much lower than max torque.
Also, I find that TC reduces power enourmously. Without it, I always break traction momentarily on the 1-2 gear change, but it hauls a$$ when it regains traction. With TC on, no loss of traction, but no power to wheels either. It seems to take an eternity to get back up to 6000+ rpm.
You say that your launch may not have been perfect. With approximately 350Nm to control at 4500rpm, i'm not surprised that you may have had a little trouble getting off the line smartly. I rarely launch with more than 2500rpm because the torque curve is so flat, that there is at least 300Nm at this rpm. Controlling that amount of torque through the wheels and onto the bitchumen is not a simple task. Try launching at lower revs in a quiet street and see how you go. Try 4000rpm, then 3500rpm, 3000rpm etc and see where you get the best launch. Then take that to the track, together with 6400 rpm gear changes (set your rpm limit at 6400 and the light will flash at 5900 rpm to warn you to change gears) and I bet you will see low 14's.
DavidM, I think "stripped" means he removed spare / jack / tools etc to lighten the car as much as possible.
BTW, we should set a date to go to the drags together and compare times. I'm in for any Wed night.