i'm trying to start mod to my Z...
i'd like to start with intake system...but...
i cant choose which brand... and what kind...
i'm thinking short-ram or pop charger...
what is the difference between short ram and pop charger!!
i think pop charger is little cheaper!!!
help me plz~~~

 

I'll give you my .02 cents....I just installed my JWT pop charger tonight and initial impressions are very good. Nice throaty sound in the higher rpms. Their website says 6.5 rwhp on the dyno. And I got it for $110 from a private party shipped, not used. Look in the classified section. Good luck.

 

Try the search function... newb-tested, forum-approved.

 

+1

/hands flame suit

You will need it my 1post friend.

 

Go easy on the NEWB....Pop charger most members vote....I dont believe any of them produce HP helps breathe a little better but sound NICE throaty when you punch the gas. I vote Pop charger but I have AEM and I like it but pain in the a$$ to change filter that is why I vote Popcharger.

 

The reason the "mods" forum was broken up like this is so that newbs can ask the same old intake,exhaust, plenum questions that have been asked hundreds of times before. Everyone should be given the same courtesy about this stuff. There will always be people new to the Z.

There is no intake that is any better than stock. It is a mod for the sake of a mod. By all means, do it, but don't expect any power gain. It'll sound a little different and look a little different, that's all. The stock intake is very good to begin with. For a normally aspirated motor in a moderately priced sports car,this whole engine is pretty well tuned from the factory. With ALL the bolt-ons; intake, plenum, headers, cats, cat-back, you will see maybe a gain of 15-18hp at the wheels. Add Cams, and you will get another 10hp. Add an ECU re-flash and you will get another 6-8 hp. So that comes to 25-35hp with about $6500 in parts and labor. Whether or not it is worth it is an individual decision. Torque won't really change, and peak torque may decrease a little, with the engine making more torque at higher rpm,thus the higher hp ratings. With all these mods, it is the FEEL of the motor that is changed more than actual performance #'s. Better higher rpm performance at the cost of a little lower rpm performance. Personally, I like the feel of the motor better with breathing mods, whether it makes for a faster car or not. You may take 0.1 sec off your 1/4or 0-60, but that's all.

 

I can't say I agree with Speedracer on the lack of HP gains with those mods. I know that driving your car after adding a mod always seems like its faster, when it's actually not as fast as it seems. Although, most mods do produce some noticeable horsepower. When I added a CAI as my first mod, I didnt notice any low end power gains, but when I pushed 4500-5000+ rpms it seemed to pull harder. And it also had a throatier sound in the high rpm range, and gave me better gas mileage. When I added the apexi n1 exhaust, it seemed to pull harder as well. Now how much faster is my car with these 2 mods? Well you decide, but I raced my boss in his 2004 G35 coupe 6-spd, and in 3rd gear I started to pull away, and by 4th he could have read my license plate. Did he shift bad and I shifted perfectly??? doubt it. I just think the 639 bucks made that much of a difference.

To answer kpmin's question as to what is the best intake, here's my 2 cents. Injen intake puts the filter way out in the open behind the air dam. To me this is a vulnerable place for the filter, it just seems a little risky. Injen is also the most expensive intake out there, about $260. AEM's style intake locates the filter behind the driver's side fender well, in a safe little niche completely, and I mean completely out of sight. I have trouble telling what color the filter is cause I cant see it. AEM runs about $215. Although, Injen and AEM both could lead to hydro-lock on a rainy day. I found this out by driving through a deep puddle (8 inches deep), and sucking up some water. The engine bogged down for a few miles, but it was okay. Close call. I have an AEM-like CAI. Since then I have added the water by-pass valve and completely solved the rainy-day problem. Now I said AEM-like because it's not made by AEM, it's a knock-off from eBay. Paid 50 bucks shipped, and its a replica AEM. Have had no problems with it, aside from the hydro-lock incident, and I am completely satisfied.

So my vote is go for the Knock-off AEM eBay intake. Its polished Aluminum, it looks great, gives mild HP and gas mileage gains, it sounds cool, and saves you close to 200 bucks. Then get the A'pexi N1 exhaust

 

Nismo CAI.

 

CAI is a pain in the butt for cleaning the air filter... you have to pull the wheel and fender skirt to get at it.


Doing it again, I'd go JWT popcharger. The only reason I went with the Nismo in the first place was cuz I got it for 50% off.