First an intro:

My name is Phil. I have owned my 05 UY touring for about 4 years after buying it when I came back from serving in Somalia. It was, since about the 8th grade, my realistic dream car. Ever since sitting in one and hearing the VQ I knew I wanted one. It's the car that got me into cars because before sitting in one I had zero interests in cars.

As my interests in cars grew so did my interests in Motorsports. So I signed up for an open track day at the Blackwater facility..I was hooked. Track layout below



Immediately after the track day I spent all my leave days at VIR and other open track days getting used to pushing the car and gaining confidence.

I quickly learned how expensive all the expenses added up and seemed to take, what felt like an indefinite break.

Fast forward 2 years to now. I have a great job working robotics for IBM and the pay is substantial enough for me to divulge in my favorite vice.. Motorsports. I've been lurking and posting and taking tons of notes on everything in this thread. I have a good idea of what I'd like to see out of my Z.


Current Modifications list

Engine
06 Airbox
Z1 Performance Billet Motor Mount
HKS 2.5" replica w/ X pipe
Berk Test pipes

Drivetrain
Z1 Performance Billet trans Mount
JWT clutch/flywheel
IPP SS Clutch line
Nismo Roller Bearing Pilot Bushing
IPP Chromoly Clutch Pivot Ball

Suspension
Stop Tech SS brake lines

Wheels/tires
Stock touring wheels
Goodyear Eagle GT 245-45-18(square)


So here is my build thread.It will develop slowly. Car is still DD, but will attend a few events this summer with work getting more serious in the winter I appreciate any input, criticism or advice:

 

For awhile my speakers have been going out one by one. I told myself when the last one goes out Im yanking them out...today was that day. So what started as a simple wash/wax turned into my tearing apart the interior. Here was today's progress



Subwoofer/amp,head unit, D/P door speakers, cubby lid. I will weigh these as soon as I get to a scale

Plan on setting Oil temp, Wideband in place of the cubby and making a place to mount the driver's net where the radio is(which is waaaaaaay down the road)


Tomorrow The rest of the audio components are coming out along with the wiring. Does the dash have to come out to get to any of it? I know there's a fat wire run going to the amp in the back and I'll most likely have to take the whole audio shelf apart. My hatch is stripped from the rear speakers back.

 

More stripping today, Finished everything behind the rear seats. I blame MW9 and 2th_PWR





I will start tackling all the wiring tomorrow.

 

Fun to read your story... this line especially. I'm still trying to pull off the double-duty street/track car. We'll see how long that lasts.. Good luck with your project.

 

Without the use of ear plugs, I would never gut a daily Z. It's just too loud with power adders/suspension mods.

 

Thank you


It's not to unbearable. I think me ears are going anyway from being over in Somalia and working in machine spaces.

However, I actually welcome the sound. I rarely drove with the radio on and I appreciate all the different mechanical sounds. Makes me feel like I'm more intact with the Z. My favorite is hearing all the pumps prime as I turn on the car.

I'm also thinking of taking the old spare tire cover and putting a nice layer of dynomat on it to help a bit.

 

Just a tip, if i do take my car out on the street for a meet or in to work, i throw the rear carpet, foam block for the jack and spare back in. It cuts down noise a bit.

 

great start … I'm subscribed...

 

+1

I made a larger carpet mat and added a foam cell sound deaden material below it.

 

Now that top speaker piece. Where the 2 drawers and speakers were. That just unbolts?
It looks so clean without it

 

You have to cut it out

 

That's what I figured, but if I do that I won't be able to compete in SpecZ.

However, my interest in SpecZ is fleeting. No real justification for not wanting to compete in it.

 

yeah it's a cut out job. Weighs roughly 30 lbs.

mw9 is on another level of weight loss. I have to try and do what he did when it's time for the cage.

 

I can't wait to see run with the longtubes. I very much appreciate your less is more approach though. Simple motor set up, simple suspension set up.

 

go big or go home what I was always told

 

The middle section (glove box/sub, ~5" speaker box/dvd-rom/mini glove box) is a functional part of the car - it provide rigidity against longitudinal torque & stress…I don't know how to define a percentage of loss or measurable difference if it's removed but it does serve a purpose…you can re-capture the lost stiffness with a cage…

 

I agree somewhat.
How can metal welded across the body not impact ridgidity?
But it is minimal. I only noticed benefit of the weight loss. I didn't notice any loss of ridgidity. It's certrainly not worth it's 30 lb weight. The area's that are integral are the areas bracketed by thick black metal plates and secured with gold coloured bolts.
The shelf system you see is not present in the G35 coupe, but the other things I speak of are.

 

I put a little more priority on it that you - not saying that youre wrong nor that I'm right - but I think nissan analyzed the stresses in that area and engineered a cross-member structure the disguised as a glovebox/speaker box/utility shelf…

but if you require a cage, trade 30lbs of nissan steel for a few additional pounds of strategically place steel and welding is a good trade...

 

Subscribed. Love that there are more of these threads popping up. Good luck with everything.

I also have questioned the structural benefit of keeping the rear speaker box metal and what not. I still have all that in my car. I do know if I want to go crazy with the weight reduction I have a ton of that stuff to remove.

 

I have kept the the main structure, everything cut out will gain its rigidity back with the cage. Plus with a cage, you can add bars back to regain anything you lost