MoodDude

I have Pilot Sport Cups and love them, and really suprised and how long they are lasting. Kolia has RA1's and I believe he is really impressed with those too.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

I suggest that you buy a 350Z. Any model. Any year. Get out there with the car as is. Play with VDC and TCS. Knock over a couple of cones. Get bold with the throttle. We can debate limited slip differential and competition tires to death. What we cannot do is have as much fun here as we can racing against the clock. So get a 350Z and just do it.

SinCity350Z

iTrader: (19)

+1 on the Sport Cups. They are terrible when cold though and take a little longer to heat up than other R-Compound tires, but its very hard to get them too hot and "greasy." I run 285/315 on my car.

MoodDude

I have noticed that they take a little longer to heat up and if you have the hot pressure just right they never get greasy. Yet, if you have to much hot pressure and we are talking like 1 to 2 psi they feel greasy to me. They are a blast and for R-Compounds they have a long tread rating - 80 not 0 like most.

Nano

iTrader: (1)

lol,

Thanks, but nah... it's a bit pricey for my tastes (plus I already have a 350z I can drive whenever I want )

I'd rather rent a car and lap the nurburgring for a week

Kolia

iTrader: (2)

The Toyo's are 100 threadwear

The key to get the most out of any tire, is a slow warmup.

John

iTrader: (17)

Comment to all you guys - the author has acknowledged himself as an instructor, and therefore we can assume that he has a decent amount of knowledge of tire choices and the basics of making a car more trackable. I suggest we limit the scope to assisting him in his decision with particular details about the 350Z rather than constant factors of things like tire choices.

As for continuing the discussion on the car, the other chronic problem the Z faces is its gas tank, which will slosh and cause fuel starvation at half tank on some tracks (obviously contingent on your driving style). There is a remedy out there for this issue that Alex Long has provided, but I have yet to implement (it's on my list).

Regardless, the Z is a great drive-and-forget vehicle... great motor, linear torque curve, and even though it's porky, you can still make a formidable track car out of it. Of course, the other side is the driver, and in the end, that's the factor we're always out to improve...

Kolia

iTrader: (2)

Comment to John - The OP asked what tires and wheels we used...

John

iTrader: (17)

You suck slavic boy...

Just to satisfy the requirement here, I have been running 275 RA1s on the OEM track wheels, but for the record, the RA1 sizes run quite narrow...

MoodDude

Yea - I pointed out earlier that you had RA1's and loved them I will probably get RA1's next to see the difference plus save a few bucks! I bought the tires and wheels as a combo and got a great deal, or else I would have RA1's on the already. Not that I am not happy with the cups, just don't need to spend a lot of money on tires until I start racing.

Eagle1

iTrader: (2)

You might also consider the Nitto NT-01. Nitto is the sister company of Toyo. The NT-01 has a slightly stickier compound and a stiffer sidewall, which gives a quicker modulation response in turns. BAD BAD BAD for wet with its big treadblocks, and noisy too. But in the dry, it is a very wickedly fast tire for a DOT-R.

Couple points to make from stimulation above.

1. Do not get too caught up in the specs on sidewalls about treadwear, because it is very subjective. You will find that the Hoosier is a 40, and a Toyo or Nitto is a 100. Why? Because there are certain series for racing where you cannot run less than a 100. Hmmmm. So if you have a really "sticky" tire that is 100.......maybe that might help.....a little?

2. Do not get too caught up in the specs on sidewalls about treadwidth. The Nitto 315 is in fact 323. Why? You figure it out based on the preceding numbered paragraph.

Get what gives you the results you seek based on experience, not based on sidewalls.

knight_white99

iTrader: (5)

Hey Chris,

Remember me? I'm the guy (Steve) with the silver 350Z who placed in both of your first two Redline Time Attack events in the Street RWD class. So as you have already seen, a fairly lightly modified Z can still turn some decent lap times.

One thing that you MUST be prepared to upgrade if you get a non-track model is the brakes. As everyone else has already noted, the Z is a rather heavy platform in stock trim, and while lighter parts are available, they are quite pricey. A 13" front Rotora or Stop Tech kit would be the minimal upgrade that I would recommend (that's what I had at the two time attacks). I overheated my stock brakes in just a few laps the first time on the track, and wore the rear stock pads to nothing in three or four lapping sessions.

I used 5Zigen FN01R-C 17x9" wheels with 275/40 Falken RT-615's as my wheel/tire combo all around, and they worked very well. As much grip from a street tire as I have ever experienced, and still a 200 treadwear rating. A great combo if you will do both street and track with the same wheels/tires, and fairly inexpensive too.

As you and others have mentioned, the car is already quite well balanced. I found that running the same size tire front and rear even enhanced this balance (since the car has nearly a 50/50 weight distribution already). Also, you can rotate the wheels/tires front-to-back and side-to-side as needed to enhance tire life.

I would also recommend some Cusco (or other) adjustable front upper control arms. These enable the car to turn in much better than stock, and will also save your tires.

Some sway bars will help as well, and some Tokico D-Spec adjustable shocks (less than $500 new) make a world of difference with some slightly firmer springs.

Good luck! Hope to see you at a track again soon.

SuperKool

iTrader: (5)

Hey Steve, Thanks for the info. That's pretty much what I needed to know.
All I want to do is make some small changes to the car so it'll be good on the track. I was also thinking that the non staggered wheel/tire set up would work best. That seems to be the best way to go for track drivers. Since the Z is on the heavy side, what kind of tire and break life do you get with the upgrades you've made? How many track days can you get out of your tires and pads?

Thanks for all the help and info guys. Just to let you all know, I have decided to get a Z. I hope I'll find one and have it for my next day at the track.

MoodDude

cool - we want pictures when you finally take her to a track event.

On full Rotora - Front and Rear - have driven 20,000 miles on the road and 5 track events on these pads - and they are only at 1/2 the original thickness.

On the Cups - I have 5 events on them and they look to have about 10 more weekend events left.

And I have about twice the hp of the stock Z, so I am really hard on the brakes and tires.

iceburns288

iTrader: (3)

As much as everyone is going to hate me, buy an S2000, a roll bar, a hard top, and some tires, and you're set.

The problem with the Z as a track car is that, if you noticed, everyone here says "The Z is a great track car, if you do..." or "The Z is a great track car except..." The Z really is a fantastic car, but it's fat. An S2000 is a better track car, but it's not as good a daily driver as a Z.

MoodDude

mpowers did have a Z that he tracked then sold it and got a S2000, he said he missed the Z when he went to the track. He also had a problem of finding a legal roll bar for the S.

Plus, being a Ferrari supplier - souldn't you be pushing the 430

Kolia

iTrader: (2)

The guys that say that have non-Brembo equiped Z.

Buy a Z Track, get pads and tires and your set...

The S2000 is a fun track car. Plenty fast in corners, it should not be dismissed.

ALong

iTrader: (12)

A couple of obeservations.

First regarding brakes. If you dont have a track model, find a set of used Track Model Brembos. You can usually get a front/rear set for around $2k and they work fine for the track, especially with good race pads (I would recommend Pagid)

Second, regarding the comments on the S2000. The S2000 is a great car but the 350Z is faster. Outside of Sears Point, a stock Track 350Z will be faster than a S2000. Stock to Stock the Honda handles better but has no torque, and to be fast on the track, you need torque. We race against S2000's in T2 and they are 3-4 seconds a lap slower at most tracks, and they weight close to 500lbs less than the Z.

SuperKool

iTrader: (5)

Well, as far as the S2000 goes...

I have one and will not be giving up the S for the Z. Rather I want the Z for some track use, and to use driving on the street as well. My S is a track prepared car, so use on the street is limited. I'd never say the 350 is a better track car the S2000. I've never came across a 350 that I couldn't destroy on any track. Of course my S isn't set up to any race requirements, so I can do anything I want to it.

In Time Attack racing, with no rules that require restricting performance, the S2000 is always faster then the 350Z so far. I'm sure a 350 will come along and beat an S2000 in a time attack. The S is an old platform, and the 350 keeps getting stronger in the racing world.

Eagle1

iTrader: (2)

Other than high horsepower fast tracks like Willow Springs, the S2000 stock has in my experience been faster than the 350Z stock on road courses. Of course driver skill is very critical here as it is in all comparisons, but in general the Honda out of the box is a better track car, though on the street I would much prefer the stock Z. Having said that, modest modifications to the Z upgrade its capabilities dramatically. They are both terrific cars. The gearbox on the Honda is just so sweet and smooth. Different animals and both lots of fun.