dhays

iTrader: (10)

I've decided to remove the MRev2 and 5/16th spacer that I installed a few months ago. While I'm not terribly serious or competitive, I have decided that I want to stay in the stock class rather than BSP. I usually just run in an indexed street-tire division at a non-SCCA club, but even so I don't want to take the penalty hit that BSP would give me. I drive slow enough without having to give other cars time.

I had considered doing more of the BSP allowed mods, primarily suspension. However, looking at the money it would take, vs the performance return, I'll go back to stock. I did pick up a Hotchkis adjustable front sway this week used from a local member. I think that is the only allowable suspension mod I can make if I'm not mistaken.

I've already got a cat-back exhaust. Anything else (other than seat time and a good driving school) that I should be looking at?

Now to make the decision to sell the MRev2 and spacer or just hang on to them "just-in-case"....

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

You can do shocks as well. I was going to purchase that front sway, but I won't be racing the Z anymore, so I passed it off to second in line. Glad someone racing bought it!

On that note, I might be selling my koni's soon. Since you autox in the seattle area, I'm sure you have ran with Glenn. He has Koni's as well, first he was using single adjustables like what I have, then he got a set of double adjustables (converted single adjustables like mine). Shocks are the next step you'd want to take if you want to stick to street tires.

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

Lol, that might help your decision right there! Goodluck racing the Z!

mhoward1

Reminder to all. Do not place items for sale in tis section, we have plenty of spaces in the 350Z sections and the competition sections for that. You post will be deleted from here if you do.

scotts300

iTrader: (46)

Tires will help you the most in the stock classes. Buy the best and the biggest you can afford.

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

Agreed

Another thing, even that cooling plate you have listed will bump you from stock class.

06platinumG

iTrader: (1)

David, I don't think anyone will care about the cooling plate in the local events that you run. I would get yourself a good set of tires like RE11's and you might think about a square set up vs staggered to make the car more neutral, although the front sway will already help get rid of the stock understeer

ADMAN

iTrader: (9)

Yep, nothing worse then doing a small mod that's bumps you to the bottom of a higher class.
That's is why I ran BS and TTC for the longest time.

Just be sure to take FULL advantage of the mods you are able to do - tires, pads, etc.

christoc

iTrader: (2)

I'd say hold on to the parts, might as well keep them just in case.

dhays

iTrader: (10)

Yeah, I don't think anyone will worry about a cooling plate. It just adds a bit of extra weight where the Z doesn't need it. Unless I start to drive better of course.

Tires are an issue. As I understand it, since my trim level had the 18x9/19x10 wheels, I have to stay with those, even though the stock wheels on the other trim levels were the 18x8/18x8.5. Tires are really expensive for the larger wheels and there aren't many options. The RE11's would be one option, but pretty pricey in those sizes. I could spend 1/2 the money for Hankook Ventus V12's. Performance wouldn't be as good, but it won't break the bank either.


I may hang on to them for a bit and see how things go. It isn't that hard to change it again if I want.

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

Oh darn, didn't realize you have a grand touring. Anyway, you can go the v12 route and plus size while maintaining stock size diameter. Or go stock size re11s. Since this will be your only set of wheels and tires correct? The stock size re11s will be a tad faster, but won't last as long as wider v12s. However, I had falken fk452s, much like the v12 evo, probably not as good, and I burned through them just as fast as I'm going through my re01rs.

If you can afford it, get the RE11s

06platinumG

iTrader: (1)

David, again I don't think anyone will say anything about your wheels in the events that you run as long as they are off a 350. I know I don't care and I don't think you plan on any national events. And as you have said in the past you drive slow anyway .

I just ordered a set of new AD08's for the G. I also just checked the car classes for 2010 and they moved the G35 back to ESP instead of BSP, that will give me a better index this year.

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, if you have a second set of *smaller* 350z wheels, I doubt anyone up there would care.

Another option if you want a max performance summer tire, and go bigger is the Nitto NT-05. You could run a 275/35/18 front and a 275/35/19 rear. Gearing, speedo, and traction/stability control will all be good.

dhays

iTrader: (10)

Here are the options available to me for the v12s and the re11s:

v12
1. 255/40-18, 275/35-19 (2.2% stagger, .8% faster, 60.5mph @ 60mph)
2. 255/40-18, 285/35-19 (3.3% stagger, 2.2% faster, 61.3mph @ 60mph)
3. 265/40-18, 275/35-19 (.9% stagger, .8% faster, 60.5mph @ 60mph)
4. 265/40-18, 285/35-19 (2.2% stagger, 2.2% faster, 61.3mph @ 60mph)

I think I would opt for #3. Small amount of stagger, and it would keep the rear diam closer to stock.

re11
245/40-18, 265/35-19 (Stock size, 2.5% stagger)
245/40-18, 275/35-19 (3.4% stagger, .8% faster, 60.5mph @ 60mph)
265/40-18, 285/35-19 (2.2% stagger, 2.2% faster, 61.3mph @ 60mph)

Here I would opt to #1 or #3. Most likely #3

The re11 would be about $400 more expensive and probably not last nearly as long. The other advantage to the v12s is that they are symmetric so could be flipped when they start to get camber wear. I'm guessing I could get half again as much mileage out of them.


If I ran with the smaller wheels, I could do either the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 or the re11s with a square 245/45-18 setup. The Dunlop would be pretty cheap.

That new index will help you a lot. You had to give too much time last year.

PDX_Racer

iTrader: (2)

Or just come out and drive...

I usually run the local SCCA events (and sometimes the Oregon Region SCCA Packwood events).

dhays

iTrader: (10)

Yeah, I'm looking at one of the Oregon SCCA Packwood weekends on July 10-11. It is one of the few free weekends at this point.

Ruff Z

iTrader: (8)

I'll be there! Goodluck on which ever set of tires you decide on!

dhays

iTrader: (10)

I hope to make it. I just have to talk my wife into giving up a weekend. I have a place my wife and I could stay in Packwood so I'll try and couch it in terms of a romantic weekend away with some auto-x interspersed. :-)

Maybe I'll go with the RE11s on my v2 track wheels but continue to DD my v1 wheels (in the summer) until I go through the crappy tires that are on those wheels. Then I can rethink what to do once the RE11s are worn out.

Dave

PDX_Racer

iTrader: (2)

That's basically what I did with my SpecV -- used the "custom" rims (which were not within the allowed stock offset) for DD, and the stock rims for AutoX.

StarscreamZ33

iTrader: (1)

I'm in the same boat right now myself. I have a MD 5/16 kit, yet to be installed though.

I used to autocross all the time and did very well in the local areas (STX Champ for just over 3yrs in my SpecV, and DS Champ for a year in my WRX wagon). Neither were fully prepped for their classings, but were both well balanced, DD, autoX toys. I then autoX'd my S13 and also drifted it, but the more I did to it for track and drift events the more the DD functionality of it suffered. Not to mention getting bumped into EP class (ouch!).

Now the S13 is parted out and gone, finally after years of lusting over the 350z, I have one (touring coupe). Put the car through it's passes at a few open lapping days, to get a good trial "on-the-track" experience to see the cars faults.

1st thing I noticed was the understeer issue, then the brakes.
Granted for autoX the factory brakes would hold, but after ~12min of a 15min session, they got hot (on the TPMS display I could see my front tire pressures sky-rocketing from the heat they were building up) and then the fade hit (which I plan to re-surface the rotors and do Hawk HPS or HP+ pads and probably some better fluid).
And the tires I put on (since the dealership knocked off $500 because it was still wearing the OEM Bridgestones, which weren't really bald, but were dry and cracking everywhere) so I got a sweet deal on the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 (225/245) and figured for the rest of the summer they'd work out.
So I know a square set-up will help out on the understeer. Just dunno which set-up to go with? As this is my daily in the warmer months (from Wisconsin, it's in storage right now), and I'm not a fan of slicks, nor do I need to be that competitive, I want to keep the tires in OD sizes.

So in a Square set-up there's 245/40-18 & 245/45-18 or 255/40-18 & 255/45-18, which gives me the RE-11, Z1 StarSpec, and RT615. Falkens are good for the money, but not anything like the Dunlops and Bridgestones. And since I know from 1st hand experience what the Falkens feel like when they go greasy at lapping days, I don't really consider them an option. Question now is; are the RE-11 really worth the extra couple hundred over the Z1 StarSpecs? I've read reviews all over on both tires, here, TireRack, Discount Tire, Magazines, other forums, etc, all but great things to be said about both, so it's still a hard choice and the only place that I've found a direct comparison is TireRack, which they favored the Bridgestones. Be nice to see or hear what another person, website, shop, or magazine had to see when comparing the two.

Other option is to stagger and run a front sway bar. From what I've gathered, this will help reduce the understeer also, not 100% sure myself, as I've never just ran one sway bar, it's always been a set {front/rear} or just the OEMs. And I've also heard the just a front sway can actually increase the understeer, but this is just what I've heard, and it's never been from a Z driver, so it's hard to determine myself if this is true on our cars.
Stagger options seem to be the OEM 225/245 or the closest to the 245/40-18 & 275/40-18, which from what I've found is the Z1 StarSpec/RE-11's again or the Nitto NT05s, and again heard good things on the Nitto's, one Z owner having driven on both the Dunlops and Nitto's preferred the Dunlops. Also I'm leary of putting a 275 tire on a 8.5" rim (I know I said I have a touring model, but I also picked up a set of track v1's for cheap). But I also know from experience that you can get away with a lil bit of over-sizing w/ ultra/max summer perf. tires due to their stiffer sidewalls. As 275 suggests at min. 9" wide rim, that's only .5" under at 8.5".

The price break between the cheaper of the tires is less than $50 for the set, comparing 245/245 Dunlops to 245/275.
Questions here is, is it truly beneficial to run the 275 vs. the 245 considering it's stock power?
What's going to be more beneficial on the 8.5" wide rear rims 245 or 275?
And does a front sway bar help aid in neutralizing the understeer and if so, which one to pick up?

I'll be hanging onto my spacer as I pay the car off more, get more comfortable w/ it, I'll probably will start digging into my pockets more for other goodies and will just have fun in BSP, but for now, I'll just run in CS on street tires.

Truly sorry about the thread jack, just looking for similar info. Also sorry about the page-full worth of text, I tend to ramble when it comes to cars and racing, lol. Which I'm sure we're all guilty of from time to time.

Later,

Jay