Hello!

This is also a intro for myself to this forum, despite my join date


A little about me and my background. I've been around miatas since I can remember, so naturally I've had a few in various forms. My most recent is a 99 sport, originally prepped for STR.

It had a good run in STR, few national tour/prosolo wins and a dozen or more trophies. Making it the most successful NB in STR

Then I decided I wanted to get out on the track, so I've prepped it for TTE with NASA. Got my TT license this year and I've been having a lot of fun with it. Never the less, I've missed going to national tours..... particularly in my own car



Enough with the hair-dresser's car, let's get to the Z!


I've liked Zs ever since one of my best friends got one back in 06. Only recently has it been a possibility, mainly because they've got closer and closer to miata-pricing.



Here's the current mod-list per the previous owner:
03' 350z, Track Edition
130k miles
3.5 DE
Titek style intake duct
K&N drop-in filter
Jegs breathable catch-can
Z1 plenum spacer
Walbro fuel pump
Stillen ceramic coated, equal length headers
Z1 test pipes with 02 extensions
NISMO S-tune Y-pipe
Momentum single exit 3" exhaust, with added resonator
All driveline fluids are Royal Purple; engine runs Mobil
Hotchkiss springs and adjustable sway bars
Moog endlinks
Tokico D-Spec adjustable shocks
SPC upper adjustable A-arms
Mevotech lower ball joints
SPC rear adjustable camber arms and eccentric toe bolts
Polyurethane front suspension bushings
Braided steel, stainless brake lines
StopTech pads
OEM Brembo brakes (4 piston front, 2 piston rear) - ATE Super Blue fluid
OEM Track Edition Rays wheels
CIN Motorsports tune (~270whp; 240wtq)


So I know I need to ditch the plenum spacer and test pipes. Unsure on the intake, but I really hope not.

Before the end of the year I hope to obtain/install only two items.....
18x10.5s RPF1s with 275 RE71Rs
Berk HFCs

I do want a stiffer suspension, which I hope to get on the car before the start of next season. Planning on 1000f/700r with revalved Konis from Proparts. I just need to educate myself some more on all the components with Z suspension. I'd also like to put in a better LSD of some sort. Basically grab whatever is the best deal on the classifieds when I have the chance.

Any advice, suggestions, insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

congrats sir

 

Good luck.

 

If your only putting on 275 width rubber is there any reason your going with a 10.5 wheel? Would a 9.5 not be better matched for a straight sidewall plus possibly being a pound lighter per rim?

Also, I would bump the differential up on the list of mod priority. That one mod will require you to relearn how to drive the car and is so beneficial.

 

Congratz and welcome.

 

Welcome! I am running in STU currently with Nick Barbato who I am sure you know very well from STR. Looks like you have a decent platform to start with and you are on the right path. If you can cough up the coin I would highly recommend OS Giken on the diff. I just switched over from a Quaife. Did our first test runs yesterday with the new diff and the grip in the rear is impressive. I think after next weeks test on a faster course I will be unloading the Quaife in the classifieds. Hands down best mod I have done to the car.

 

Thanks guys!

Yeah I've met Nick at Wilmington one year, fast driver for sure. Do you know if he'll continue in STU next year?

Friend of mine has some used 285 RS3s I can run for the rest of this year to get a feel for things. I'll get fresh R71Rs beginning of next year. First I need some 18x10.5s.....

 

Going to have to fight off a weenie protest on the front duct (taped over) or replace the bumper. I had the same on the BSP car (taped), but no one ever complained. Also, not sure the SPC upper arms are legal. They inner sleeve on the upper bushings may or may not be too thick. You'll need to measure the amount of metal vs the stock bushings to make sure. You will need to run a ton of spring to make a quaife work. Do yourself a solid and go for the Giken. I used a cusco, but the OSG is a better all around unit. Also, and I don't follow ST rules....is swapping to a larger fuel pump legal? Me thinks not.

 

I think I could fly under the radar for the most part with taping the intake hole. Though, my typical alien co-driver may raise more weenie protests if he beats everyone by a large margin. Mike, you actually met him at Wilmington Prosolo last year I believe, James Cathers. He's probably lurking this post now "why the **** did you post the mod-list numb-nuts!" Your car also sparked my interest for an autox Z...... I'm sure you've never heard that one before.

I thought I've seen/heard of SPC arms being ran in STU before, doesn't mean they're legal. I did take a glance at them over the weekend, there's A LOT of bushing and not a lot of metal/ I'm pretty confident they didn't increase the ratio of metal:bushing vs stock.

Fuel pump should be an easy swap. It's right under the glove box, correct? Would there be an reason dropping back to stock effect the tune on it? Surely these big beefy cars have an efficient stock fuel pump.

I'd really like an OSG, drove a NC a few times with one and it was pretty damn nice. Hopefully I can come across one in the classified

 

Ha...I'm running the vette he used last year for Nats this year .

 

Not sure what is going on next year. There were some talks of doing an A Street Z06 next year but you never know with nick.

 

Ah, the silver bullet! James didn't make nats last year, although he should of because he would of won for sure.

Well, I hope STU stays a relatively popular class next year.

 

Damn.......

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/pr...our-special-z/

Need to find somebody with a sweet lathe!

 

Figured they weren't....

The Z1 "street" version may be legal, though. If not, you're stuck with modifying kinetix arms for the most part.

 

Well, I've sent JP from GRM a PM, maybe he can help me out and give me some insight on the delrin bushings. That would probably be the cheaper option, but might be difficult to source the metal sleeves and get the delrin machined correctly. I'd have to get bushings made for the rear SPC control arms as well it seems.

Second option, as you said, switch to kinetix. So they're ~$500 new and I think SPC used arms could sell for $350+. So that won't be too difficult and I'll be disassembling most of it with a suspension swap over the winter anyways. But what modification needs to be done to the front arms? Just shorten the adjuster bolt that's connected to the ball-joint?

 

Kinetix used to be like ~$230 for the pair I thought.

 

I meant front AND rear. Or am I being a Z nub and don't need rear arms to get ~ -2.0 to -2.2 camber out back?

 

I was able to get -2.2 on eccentric bolts alone. Keep in mind the SPC rear arm new cost is cost per arm, not for a pair. Also when it comes to the rear, the SPC arms are much better than the kinetix

 

I think I have some kintetix sitting around (rear). I can send them to ya if you want. They are a little rusty, but still work just fine.

 

Ah, that's good to know!


For sure! I'll shoot ya a PM. edit: JP actually told me his rear SPC measured the same as stock. Going to get confirmation from SPC though.