hey guys. i am failry new here been browsing the forum and reading up for a few weeks. I just picked up a 2003 white touring Z. i love the car so much thus far and have had alot of fun driving it. I got a REALLY good deal on the car, the only bad thing about it is that is is the 5AT. I recently enlisted in the marines so i wanted something a little better on gas than the lifted truck i had, plus in the lower 48 (i currently live in alaska) this car will be SO much more fun. I am happy with the car but i would really like to step up the performance some. i have come from a low 12 second wrx and an 03 cobra running low 11s. i would love to get this car into the 12s and i was just wondering what is the best way to get there? i dont have a preference of N/a or FI really. i am just looking for the most reliable, proven way to get there that isn't going to require a built motor. i apologize if this is in the wrong forum but i wasn't sure where in the modification section to put it? thanks in advance guys!
Nick

 

Ooh Rah! Hehe...fellow devil dog here also. I would suggest a Turbonetics Turbo Kit, but that is hardly cheap and not legal in areas where they do smog tests. There is a search button up top that might help you find out more specifics.

 

hey man! i dont know if i can be considered a "fellow marine" yet as i dont leave for basic til january.... My brother is stationed down in 29 palms as well... 3/4 infantry... Lc strautins if you know of him? i have tried searching but i dont see many 1/4 mile times posted? I am trying to get stationed down in cali with my brother tho so being smog legal is a big deal as this car is going to be my daily driver. thanks for the reply bro
Nick Strautins

 

honestly....the only way to get a low 12 sec Z is FI. you can get NOS and that might do it.....but realistically your looking to spend about $5k for a kit, then another $1k to install, then if you want it tuned, that might be another $1-2k, if you want to get some forged internals....oh lord i dont even wanna talk about those. you could easily spend $20k for a 12 sec Z....

the Z is more of a track car than a dragster

 

You can only pick 2

1.) Fast
2.) Cheap
3.) Reliable

 

You can spend about $2000 - what Ive spent on NA mods and slicks and go 12's if you can drive, I havent done it yet because I havent hit a good launch, but others have with the same set-ups and better launches.

 

If your were shopping for a straight line drag racer, you bought the wrong car.

 

APS TT hands down, more expencive...yes but also the most reliable and streetable since I guess you still want to drive the car around every day.
Nitrous would be the cheapest and I love it but the maintenance is a pain...fill the bottle, make sure pressure is always right and so forth.
Go APS TT

 

ok... maybe i worded my question wrong. I am by no means thinking that i am going to run 12s with 500$ in mods. I just want to do it right the first time without wasting money on parts that dont work well with one another or try to go NA only to learn that i woulda saved alot of time and money just doing FI. i had a fast *** straight line car in the 2003 cobra i had but i did not like the car... drivetrain was sloppy and not enjoyable to drive daily. the wrx i invested ALOT in trying out different set ups bc i was one of the first people doing it...ESPECIALLY in alaska. no tuner support whatsoever. that being said. i really like the aps TT set up but i am going to potentially be in california after boot camp and i sure that i read that it is not carb legal so that is also a deal breaker? i just want a little more power than i currently have. i would be stoked on a 400 hp car but i am not sure how realistic that is staying carb legal and reliable. thanks for all of your replies guys hopefully this response will clear up some of the confusion.

edit: also i know that any kind of modding can destroy the stock block. i just dont want to be in the position where i basically have no choice b/c my car is a time bomb! i also have been thinking about the VB upgrade from sgp (i think?) or possibly even the full race auto tranny.

 

N2O!!!

100 shot and DRs will be mid 12s with a crappy launch. Cheap! Plus, unless you are like me, you won't use it daily so no need for constant bottle fills and whatnot.

 

i would be happy with a low 13/high 12 second times.. i just want to bring the power up, this car handles better than my heavily modded wrx ever did and its stock with the ****ty stock tires!! i just want some more power and a few changes in the looks department and some wheels and tires and this car will be just perfect! thanks again guys

 

APS TT will be CARB legal not too long for now and if JWT ever releases theirs it will be as well.

Here's another option I was considering back then: Stillen Supercharger (CARB Legal and you retain engine warranty) + N2O 100 shot for the track. Daily driver would be stillen at about 320 whp and then you just add the bottle when racing.

 

is that a fact about the aps TT kit? if so i will hold out for it. i was looking at the stillen stage 3. I have always been scared of nitrous tho!! i hear so many horror stories but then again... we dont have really any shops that understand nos and the imports that we want to put them on.... I just heard form alot of people that the stillen wasn't worth the money. but that is good news about the TT kit possibly becoming CARB legal b/c i would DEFINATLY go that route!

 

Only if the C6 was in the 12's, the car is supposed to be running low 13's.

 

Just buy the Turbonetics kit, install it out of the box dont do anything else.. and you will be a 12 second car. =4200 for kit- avalon racing, and install!

 

He's in a 5AT though, wouldn't a SC be better for him since he won't have the luxury of stalling a shift to spool up? I don't know. I'm in a 5AT also and most everyone who has given me advice has said go with a SC for that reason. It makes sense to me.

 

isn't the vortech s/c carb legal now? that should get you into the 12's and has proven to be reliable.

 

anyone know for sure if the vortech is carb legal now?!?! that would be a great solution to my problem if so! or if the aps becomes carb legal... either would make me enough power to get into 12s comfortably without a ton of supporting mods i think.... HMMM well if anyone can tell me for sure if these kits are carb legal or when they may become i would REALLY appreciate it!

 

yup. the vortech is definitely 50 state carb legal

http://www.vortechsuperchargers.com/...3-04_350Z.html