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@Escobar your posts about oil temps while tracking your twin turbo has me revisiting the vortec again. yesterday after work, I went to a friend's to help him with a vortec install on his '06 Mustang GT. it was nice to see the kit assembled since the 350Z kit has similar hardware. My prior experience with the platform is a twin screw, so I would have preferred the stillen twin screw but that's not available anymore. The vortec kit came with a charge cooler and HE. the piping and coolant hoses were very tight under the hood. the install looks good, though. he wasn't quite ready to start the engine yet.
this kit is $8,000 with tax. I was thinking that the 350Z is good enough for me with a few NA upgrades. maybe 270 RWHP? but imagine this platform with 400...
I also thought for that kind of money I could make a big dent in a 5.0. like a 2011. which already has 420 hp. but is it a fun driver's car? I don't think so. that extra power doesn't make up for the numb steering and poor cornering. not without massive upgrades. do I want to go that route just because the car is around the price range of a vortec kit?
that might sound like crazy logic to someone but that's how I think. min/max. I've done about as much with this Z as you can do without going the stripped/caged route. I think it will be more fun to focus on aero (which I have mostly ignored so far) and add this vortec kit instead of getting entangled in another car which, from the factory, is in desperate need of almost everything. Ford is good at engines, but their OEM suspension is stamped steel ****.
that sounds like a good option, I never thought about going super charged in 2015. Im might consider switching to that, make sure you make a thread of your journey if you go to that! My oil temps are now under control after upgrading the radiator and getting better air flow over my cooler. I can say this car with 400 whp on track in perfect, more power is always nice but once the tires warm up its a great balance of grip and power in the corners where you dont have to worry about it losing traction.
I put the OEM steering wheel back on after work tonight and finally took the car out for a proper test drive outside of the slow residential. alignment is way off, caster / toe, so it's slightly unstable but I got it up to 50 or 60 for about 10 seconds.
first, the engine feels a lot snappier with the 75mm TB and Kinetix cats. at half throttle it is so loud that I backed off! gonna have to put that small insert into the Z1 muffler else it'll be a cop magnet.
second, the NVH is crazy now! I'm not bothered, just surprised! of course that's what happens with solid mounts and bushings. it's loud and very rough and the feedback in a steering wheel and brake pedal is awesome. this was with the fortune coilovers at almost full firmness. so I'll have to back them off to half and see how much smoother the ride is.
third, the LSD is working great. finally able to take some turns at 20+ and felt a surge from the rear end like a kick in the pants. I can't wait to try this at speed.
I just realized, without stripping the interior, this IS a track car now. there's no going back. just saying, the line has been crossed. it's perfect for my intended purposes of HPDE and mountain roads. I'm very, very excited about this car. it needs a lot of sorting still but the result is awesome. this rush of dopamine is addictive! I built this with my own two hands. that is a great feeling.
Feels like I'm spamming this forum a lot lately... but it's just a transition period after finishing the car.
so I met a guy at Thunderhill West last weekend who was running some sweet RAYS 57CR NISMO wheels over Akebono brakes and I was gawking at them. he said you can order them from the Nissan dealer! no sweat, just give them the part numbers.
holy ****. they definitely fit because they were made for an '08 Nismo with the sport brakes. about $580 each. That's about what I paid for the Titan 7 CS5s on my Cayman last fall. so I've got three sets of RPF1s for sale, already sold the 4th set (yeah I know, I had a **** ton of these wheels but they came with the car so I said sure why not...). that will pay for these RAYS wheels.
wanted to share the link with anyone around here who is interested. I know if I drop this on the main thread someone will just move it somewhere maybe to a for sale marketplace area which is off topic.. https://nismoparts.nissanusa.com/acc...0Z/Wheels.html
those are pretty dope wheels. good price. I wish the made them in 10.5. You dont need to gut the interior for a track car, its just a no brainer if your not gonna run it on the street. Once I put those halo seats and 6 pt harnesses in it basically became a track car only and it just made sense to gut it. Having dual purpose is great, but having the cayman Id go full bore on the Z and not worry about smog and exhaust sound and all that ****.
I would like to just replace my set of Enkies, which are 9.5 front, 10.5 rear, and these would be nice. I'm not a fan of black wheels, or of the extra weight of these flow formed wheels, but they definitely fit the calipers and they look great. I would prefer forged lightweight wheels but I'm willing to add a few pounds for these because I'm thoroughly disappointed with the Enkies and ready to move on....
what do you think of the +22 offset?
this new friend I met at the track who recommended them has the +12s and they stick out a little bit. he said he even had to roll the rear fenders. so I'm thinking the 22ET is a better choice.
Last edited by Aeneas137; Apr 7, 2023 at 07:56 PM.
I would like to just replace my set of Enkies, which are 9.5 front, 10.5 rear, and these would be nice. I'm not a fan of black wheels, or of the extra weight of these flow formed wheels, but they definitely fit the calipers and they look great. I would prefer forged lightweight wheels but I'm willing to add a few pounds for these because I'm thoroughly disappointed with the Enkies and ready to move on....
what do you think of the +22 offset?
this new friend I met at the track who recommended them has the +12s and they stick out a little bit. he said he even had to roll the rear fenders. so I'm thinking the 22ET is a better choice.
depends how much camber your running, I had to roll my rear fenders to make the +15 fit with almost 4 degrees of camber but im also pretty low. I actually raised it up a 1/2" and have zero issues now. Its all part of the process!
ahh I see, a bit heavy for me but I like them. For track wheels I like under 20 pounds
that was my primary reason for buying RPF1s, the 18s are about 18 lb. These RAYS 18x10.5s are 23 lb. the 9.5s are 20. so that's 12 lb total extra weight. given the amount of BS and hassle I put up with, I'm leaning toward not giving a damn about 12 lbs.
those same sizes in the Titan 7 CS5s I put on the Cayman are 18/19 lbs. same price as these rays. but Titan 7 isn't making wheels for 350Z anymore. too bad, because I like them a lot. depending on the lighting, the titanium color changes. I would love to put these on the Z.
but you know, for HPDE and mountain roads, 12 lbs is not going to make any difference. so I'm going to stop worrying about that. The 19" Techart wheels I took off of the Cayman weighed in at 32/38 lbs! but worrying about 18 to 21 is trivial to me. I'm not going to worry about it and just get the best wheels at this point to be done with it.
I like the idea of the Nissan branded wheels on the car. That's not important but it's a plus.
depends how much camber your running, I had to roll my rear fenders to make the +15 fit with almost 4 degrees of camber but im also pretty low. I actually raised it up a 1/2" and have zero issues now. Its all part of the process!
okay, that shouldn't be a problem then with the coilovers. thanks for the reminder! +22 offset should fit these cars without a spacer. but if necessary, a 5mm spacer is not a big deal with extra long studs.
yea you should be good, those wheels are sexy! But I agree, a few pounds wont make a difference. The RPF1 are great for weight and price but everyone and their mom runs them, so I had to find a different option
I took the Z to my favorite local shop which does all of my vehicles including the cargo vans, and he didn't want to do it! lol! he was intimidated by the suspension. he referred me to a shop across town with a pro alignment rack. today, I'm getting started on mounting the harness belts. and determined to get that rear hatch off! I've got the headliner down just behind the roll bar and can get to the inside bolts now.
The Rays and new tires are going to set me back a few months so the Vortec will be a midsummer project. at this point, I don't think I'll make it back to the track this summer at all. too many things to do. I confirmed with Z1 that the kit is available and the price is current.
alignment problem on the left. I think it's caused by the old plexi window which has two stress cracks. I need to remove it and replace it with a glued lexan. but even with this issue, it's a nice piece and I like the light weight. The OEM is unbelievably heavy! there's no adjustment room on the bolt holes. I may just remove the latch and put in some hatch pins and then not worry about alignment. same with the front. as for the wiring, all I care about is the third brake light so with the rest of it I think I'm just going to roll it up and zip tie it out of the way.
self-employment taxes hit me this week since I finally got around to finishing my return and it's drained my car fund... 🤬 I know, I know, need to set aside every month for taxes, but I forgot. 😂 (nervous laugh).
that didn't stop me from bidding on a 370Z on bat... they come up so rarely these days. My commuter will go on business duty later this year so I've been keeping an eye out for a new commuter. If I were smart, I would pick up a truck or suv to use as a tow vehicle....
I'm looking for three recreational cars to settle on--there are still a few models I haven't driven yet. E46 era M3, especially one with an SMG sequential would be amazing! and maybe a 370Z. I was going to hold out for a Nismo, but they just aren't very compelling. extra welded body panels doesn't really ignite my passion.
I hear ya, I had to pay a ton this year as well, I didnt have estimated taxes setup last year so it killed me. Truck and trailer is the way to go for track no doubt, plus its a write off
I'm using mileage deduction on the business vans which is way more than itemized fuel / service / etc. problem is, the IRS reduced the per mile deduction last year and fuel prices went up so that hit me doubly. I need to figure out how to deduct track visits... maybe hold business lunch meetings at the track? 😆
I'm using mileage deduction on the business vans which is way more than itemized fuel / service / etc. problem is, the IRS reduced the per mile deduction last year and fuel prices went up so that hit me doubly. I need to figure out how to deduct track visits... maybe hold business lunch meetings at the track? 😆
Well my spring track schedule is dead because of mechanical reasons and I don't like to get stretched too thin so I'm just not signing up for any more events until the Z is 100%.
The rear Akebono rebuild kits are MIA and GD it what is the deal with that? $12 kits of rubber seals. Don't tell me that is due to supply problems, that is BS, that is about selling calipers instead of rebuild kits.
next ETA is April 28th IF THEY SHIP, and I'm leaning toward canceling and just buying rebuilt calipers. maybe I just threw money away by powder coating them. i'd better wait and see if the seals ship next week. I don't regret taking the Akebono route with this car. but I should have just bought reman parts from summit. or new pieces from Z1. DIY wasn't such a great way to go.
on the wheel issue, I was looking at Titan-7 again. The CS5s I put on the Cayman have worked very well. t7 seems to have production issues. All they've got available for 350Z is the 10 spoke.
The titanium color looks very dark in most lighting conditions. The only time it looks silver is in direct sunlight which is rare. however, they are incredibly lightweight and look good on the Cayman, so I'm somewhat leaning toward these over the flow formed Nismo wheels. TBH, I wasn't crazy about the black 57CRs. I prefer lighter colored wheels. why they aren't producing silver ones or chrome ones? who fkg knows??
when I get around to buying them, they'll probably out of stock like everything else at t7 now. they must be having a production problem in China. I was hesitant originally. t7 is a sponsor of speed SF, so when I spoke with the lead instructor he had nothing but good things to say about their wheels. he said they are incredibly strong. so it could be just they are selling out faster than they can produce them?
The bottom line is, these wheels are cheaper than the flow formed heavier nismos. 19 lb each at 18x9.5/10.5. $2300. The drawback with this company is... If you ever need a replacement wheel??? but, the same could be said for Nissan. You're lucky if you get a response from those inventory people.
idk. sometimes I get really sick of dealing with **** and just go buy something new to replace what isn't working out. That's how I discovered Titan 7 in the first place. got fed up trying to deal with Apex and a few other wheel makers with shitty websites/marketing. If you want my money, stop putting as many steps as possible in between me and your product! I'll get tired of that **** and go elsewhere....
and on a related subject, why is this board such a ghost town lately? is it because the 350Z is too old and no one is driving them anymore on track or is everyone too busy with spring weather? I don't know....
