so, if you have a 06 350z with nismo kit add-on purchased and installed by dealer during the new car purchase, will you still in B-stock?

 

Nope. Whether you install them or the dealer installs them means nothing (other than warranty). Only those parts installed on the assembly line (or it's "extension," e.g. port-installed) are legal -- and "port-installed" is a totally gray area, with some parts being considered "factory" and others being considered "dealer-installed."

Since there was no such thing as a "2006 Nissan 350Z Nismo" you're stuck if you have parts. Things like front sway bar and shocks are OK. Things like coil-overs and rear sway bar are not. You *might* be able to convince local competitors that body kit doesn't help, but at the national level, I doubt that it would fly.

 

i see. thanks for the info. so i guess the car wont under BS for sure, since it's the Dealer-installed as the pkg deal. 'cause when the car was bought, it came with the NISMO side skirt and rear wing. Also, does it make any different if its 07 not 06??

 

No. Aside from the items Glenn referred to are the front/rear dampners and body seam welding that are part of the NISMO model which need to be in place.

This is a buy it or not proposition. The NISMO package is just not practical to attempt to upgrade any other model to it. (unless you have more money than sense and I've known a few of those people in my 60 years) If you miss one item then you are in BSP, SM2 or maybe XP.

 

^ Not to mention the seam welded chassis.

 

Wow. So if you have a Nismo, you get away with cheating by running different springs and sways while getting a more structurally rigid platform? Then all the guys with regular 350's get penalized if they do the same thing? What about the "functional" spoilers and different body pieces? That would sure put a stock Z into some crazy class, in SCCA at least. SCCA is going against all their rules if they keep this car in B stock. My 2 pennies.

 

Well, the Nismo model is a factory model, whereas the Nismo parts for a non-Nismo are dealer-installed.

The things you get with the Nismo that you can't do on the other models are the springs, lower ride height, rear sway bar, front and rear body dampers, additional front bracing, and seam welding. You also get the rear spoiler and body kit (more weight) and 19" rear wheels (more weight, and tires are more expensive).

But don't worry, the RX-8 guys are all up-in-arms about the 2009 RX-8...

 

SCCA Solo2 guarantees a class for every car. They do not guarantee every car will be competitive as classed. Keeping all the 350Zs in BS and adding the Nismo 350Z is typical SCCA practice and fits perfectly with their rules. If its found that the Nismo 350Z has a significant advantage over other BS cars (not just the regular 350Zs) then it might get reclassed.

 

Almost every manufacturer has made a "Ringer" car at one time or another. Dodge had the ACR cars, Mazda made the Miata "R" package in 94 and 95, so on and etc.

Overall no manufacturer keeps an advantage for long, and there is almost always one car in each class that is the "Car to have" for a time being. We will have to see if the Nismo is it.

 

I had thought that there would be several Nismos autocrossed nationally this year but I haven't heard any other than Whitt in Memphis. He went to one Pro and no Tours that I'm aware of.

Anyone know of any others? How are they doing?

 

They must all be hiding until natls. To me the fact that no top natl driver has picked one up (that we know about), and none of the existing 350 hot shoes have felt the need to trade up speaks volumes about the cars "over dog" status.

One of my contacts via work offered me a Nismo out of the press fleet for a test. But I figured even if I put tires on it, and an alignment, it would not be a true comparison unless I also played with shocks and a front bar, which is way to much work on a short term loaner.

 

I think that part of the problem is that the Z "hot shoe" drivers all recently made the switch to the HR engine, and going for a 3rd vehicle of the same chassis isn't the easiest or most fun thing to do.

 

And this Z "warm shoe" driver is putting his money into a home this year.

OTOH, there's a red one in this area that I'd love to get my hands on!