Since you don't seem to be too mechanically inclined or have the means to do things yourself, paying someone to install those ebay-quality coilovers, just to later pay someone to take them off and put new springs/coils on later, doesn't make a bit of sense (or cents/since?)

Just to clarify, I did not say put OEM suspension parts on. I said to install some new shocks/struts and some springs close to the OEM spring rate. Something like the Eibach Pro-Kit, Whiteline, H&R, or Hotchkis springs (to name a few) paired up with some Bilstein B8 or Koni shocks/struts.

A tune will maximize any type of modifications including the aftermarket intake, but since you seem to be running low on disposable income and I anticipate you're likely going to be installing more "breather" mods, you can certainly wait on the tune. Or, if the intake is the only planned modification, then get it tuned now.

Alternatively, save the thousand dollars, spend a hundred bucks in some hand tools, jack stands, and a transmission jack, and do the trans install yourself.

 

I think you need to start here:

https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-...to-your-z.html

 

i had and hr but, here is everything i did to it.. just shy of $8k. all work done by me and some friends

Uprev Tune ($700 ish at the time)
Takeda Intakes ($400)
MotorDyne ART pipes ($900)
MotorDyne TDX2 ($1900)
Eibach Pro-kit ($300)
Hotchkis Sway Bars ($450)
Tokico D-Spec ($900 ish)
Spc Front and Rear Camber Arms ($929)
Stillen Engine Damper ($150)
Quaife Diff (got a hellava deal $300 and trade my pumpin, $1200 new)
Zspeed CSC ($350)
Wilwood Master Cylinder ($215)
Zspeed Undershroud ($200)
Whiteline Rear Diff Bushings ($132)
Door Handles Painted Body Color ($150)

 

The noise is probably your lower control arm bushings. It's a VERY common issue. Get those replaced if they're bad. Keep the stock suspension for now. When you do upgrade, get a set of springs/struts and not coilovers. Coilovers are for race cars and ricers. CD001 and CD009 are externally identical. 009 is just upgraded internally.

 

awesome thanks for the great advice! I think i can afford trans install and dont trust myself lol. but it would be cool to learn some on this car. thanks for the examples of the springs and shocks. Im not looking forward to bumpy roads on these coilovers, so maybe thats the way to go. I canceled my appointment to have coil-overs put on tommorow. Your suggestions are still somewhat pricey. It makes me want to spend even more on them and go all out, to ensure im happy and can ride them awhile.

edit: im attempting to sell the coilovers, and then if they do sell im looking at buying swift spec-r lowering springs and bilstien b8sp street performance shocks. i feel like i could rock those out, while i focus on other stuff this summer. including overlooked suspension parts. If i dont hit my driveway just right im prob going to scrape some when lowered 1.1 in but maybe not.. those scrape pads look cool but extra weight. I guess ill leave those probably cheap, aftermarket control arms on there for now. No tune until i pay off transmission. Then first thing im going to get some better intake or plenum or something, and a tune. Then ill focus on modifying each little thing on the car, seats and all, and finding another car so i dont drive it all the time. Then ill just save my money, incase i want to build next engine. I may just buy these suspension parts even if the other ones dont sell. It is tempting to throw them on. The savings and still handling okay may be worth a bone jarring ride, then i could replace them with ohlins coilovers. It would be lame if it literally rattled my 350 apart or something though. stiff suspension and bumps seem rough on a car.

one more thing is suspension something easier to not screw up, that i should maybe ask landlord about doing, or lookup and try to do it with him?

 

Awesome. Even that list which isnt some magazine 50k dollar mod list, helps. Youve got some interesting stuff on there i would have trouble picking out. Anything you would do different next time and get first instead or not get?

 

damn idk if i should make a new thread for this because of the section im in but it looks like they only have one aftermarket control arm installed. im worried, if i get these 1000 dollar bilstein shocks and plan to keep them for a decent little bit, can that put unwanted stress on them? i cant wait to take that exhaust off lol. it looks rusty, i hope its not spreading to my car. lmk if u all see any rust too i was convinced this had been garaged for ten years before the last year.

 

Red is lower tie braces, not rear camber arms. Def some minor rust. But....now add in rear diff bushings. See the black jizz on subframe? Bushing is blown

 

on rust. is there somewhere or way i can help get rid of and prevent rust. if i dont wreck it i want 300k miles on this body and i dont want it to fall apart.

and thanks! part ordered. thats strange its just one aftermarker lower tie brace. i hope i can ride like that for months on some nice shocks and not mess them up.

 

What about a transmission mount? should i get that with transmission? im getting near my upper limit for next few months but not way too high

 

I don't want to dig too much into finance advice, but man you should really ,really stop buying new stuff. Pay off the loan and get the trans in. You have like what, 4 paychecks before you have to pay back 5k or it will become a 12k dollar loan. These are some real **** decisions. Get the car to drive, drop the rental, sell/return any part that doesn't get the car drivable includeing the tomei. Start a savings account for mods. When you have some saved up in 6 months, then start with the little stuff. I understand sometimes some debt is needed to get a car or get a car repaired to a drivable state. But you should never use debt for fun mods.

With that said, this means you should drive the car calmly and do your best to not tear anything up until you have a couple Gs saved up to be able to fix anything that goes wrong.

At your current rate youre gonna end up with a 22k dollar 2003 350z.

You gotta ask questions to learn, I get that everyone starts somewhere, but dang dude watch some youtube videos before asking your questions. It will really help you understand.

Probably add some Dave Ramsey in those youtube searches too honestly man. Idk if its peer pressure or what but youre making some **** choices for a 20 year old money pit that can have effects on the rest of your financial life.

 

I actually have 12 paychecks. its 100 day loan from about a week ago. I get paid every week. I can spend like 3k extra rn, labor included. But i am budgeting and if i go too far over that 3k, i will def have difficulty paying loan in time. I just want to get everything necessary while changing trans, so it can go in all at once. Plus fix my suspension issue.

im still iffy on transmission mount and how much that will help but i added to cart

1. solid diff bushings

2. 4 quarts redline mt85

3. engine to transmission bolts


also, one of the only parts still otw is the trans.. I think they said march 3 it ships or something. Im still in rental but once i get exhaust and suspension fixed, i may drive it for a week while i wait on all trans parts to save on rental. As soon as i get out of rental im going to throw paychecks at loan.

 

i wouldnt get solid diff bushings personally, i did poly. existing trans bolts will be fine to reuse

i went through 3 intake systems, 2 sets of sway bars, 2 full exhaust setups etc... that list is what was on the car when i sold it

 

ohh okay so i guess you were pretty happy with the parts you had before you sold it. cool i will remove the engine to transmission bolts even though im worried about rust. and ill change the bushings. i might even get the kit w diff cover

• Z1 Urethane, Whiteline, Z1 Solid, or SPL Front and Rear Differential Bushings
• 3 Liters of Red Line or Motul 75w90 or Motul 75w140 Differential Fluid
• Z1 High Capacity Differential Cover with Mounting Stud and Breather Tube
• 1 Tube Ultra Gray Silicone

prob get 75w90 fluid

 

the rust you have is minimal. wire brush, rust neutralizer, hit it with black paint. i had the whiteline bushings, the one in the rear subframe is a pita, z1 has a tool to get it out i believe

 

I recommend the Whiteline rear diff bushing, but that's only because I helped develop it.

Check the bushings on the front lower control arms, or better yet, have a professional look at them. That's probably your front end noise. Budget to replace those with Whitelines when you do the shocks. As for the rust, buy a product called POR15. You use a wire brush to remove any loose scale then paint on the POR15. Don't get it on your skin, it doesn't wash off. It has to wear off. Last time I did it, I didn't wear gloves and had black fingers for 2 weeks.

 

Dude, chill with the rust. Those pictures show barely anything other than some numb-nuts who destroyed the jack points. Also, rust is not going to magically jump from your exhaust to other parts of the Z. If it was that rusty, the exhaust hangers would fall off and then you'd have a sweet underglow light show fireworks display.

Again, with the financial advice: stop buying all these unnecessary things and fix the trans that "takes minutes to get in reverse" and "grinding in other gears" and pay off this insane loan you took out!

 

maybe i should buy that tool. was going to just pay shop to do it while they do everything else and maybe get the fluid and cover and all. i would hope the shop would have a tool. but if i do just change bushing nothing else, it may be cheaper to do it w landlord or by myself.


thanks for the rust advice guys too

im still unsure about this suspension thing. The vehicle corners fine, but when you go over a bump the whole car feels like its on a spring and sinks down low front and back evenly it seems, and something scrapes. it reminds me of the feeling you get when you go down a hill real fast and back up, and your car sinks in the dip.

im considering buying the front control arms too incase thats the problem. But the shock and springs are already breaking the bank. I want to do everything perfect to this car, like change the fluid and cover package on z1 while i change bushing. I also eventually this summer or fall, want all top of the line suspension. to buy cheap stuff is a fail for me, or to buy real expensive stuff and not change it all, and the expensive stuff fail because of the mismatched products would suck too. So with all of that said and my budget being like 1500 dollars on the suspension i need fixed, one more time anybody else more suggestions?

1500 gets me those nice bilstien shocks and those nicer springs, and thats it.. but i could be happy enough for awhile, with those i assume. but i mean if the front lower control arms are the problem that would suck.

 

If on a tight budget (is the case here) or pinch, you could fill the rear diff bushing with polyurethane (3M window weld) by lifting the weight of the rear diff. There are proper ways to do this which I suggest you research, find vids on youtube. I've had luck with that way back in my Honda days with budget diy motor mounts.

 

hell its not that tight man i care for this car alot. I mean always good to know stuff like this but i just want the best possible stuff on this car. and i cant afford it all right now obviously so ive got to make sure i tackle the problems with either the correct expensive parts or cheap install cheap parts i plan on removing. Ive got big plans longterm for this car. Thats why im so worried about rust. Not only am i dumb and dont know how much rust it takes to affect rigidity and performance of a z. but if it was rusted out, I would seriously consider putting some cheaper suspension parts and a tune on it, and trans i guess too. then making it a dd and halting mods and trying to one day buy another 350z in better condition lol. i dont ever want to sell this thing i want to drive it alot, and dont want to one day do some big build, or even put racing seats in something rusting apart.