So some of you know that i'm not quite sure what i have on my car. basically its a 2004 Z. Previous owner had a Vortech supercharger, but took it off and sold it to me. only has 15000 miles on it, 2000 of which i put on.

I took the car into the nissan dealer tueday for a checkup on several issues.

The exhuast was rattling and making a weird sound. There was an odd smell coming out the back, and the clutch was slipping. One of my Oxygen sensors was fried.

So the big issue that i come to find out is, first off, the idiot who owned my car before me, shredded the wires to Bank 1 Sensor 2 oxygen sensor. not covered under warranty, and therefore is 320 out of pocket.

Clutch slipping was a worn out clutch. I wanted to upgrade to nismo performance clutch until i found out it was 500 bucks more. So i decided to put the factory clutch in until i go FI. that ran me another 1000 dollars.

The exhaust is the part I have a question about. My service advisor said "you have to see this. " i started freaking out. So i go back, and my car is on a lift. I get up underneath her and he points out that just behind my y pipe, where the y pipe goes into the Center muffler pipe there is a bracket that holds the pipes together. only problem is, in my car, the bracket was where it should have been, but there was a two inch gap between the bracket and the beginning of the pipe. basically my car has been running straight pipe exhaust for the last 2 months.

The problem is, if i replace the pipe, its 530 dollars, and i loose the AMAZING sound that i had. Other option that my service advisor suggested was to go nismo catback. but that is $1900 installed. and i dont have that kind of money to be blowing around on top of my 1000 for the clutch and 320 for the oxygen sensor.

So has anyone ever heard of doing electronic dumps on the Z? if so what would it sound like? I'm worried that while my car was partially straight piped, it still had some bit of muffler in it since there was only a small gap between the pipes. If, when i install the electronic dumps, i put in full straight pipe, will it sound too ricer-ish? i dont wan't it to sound like some asian piece of ****. Basically if i did it, i would have a switch in the car. In one position, a butterfly valve closes and directs exhaust down the normal nissan exhaust of the Z. In the Open position, the valve directs gasses down into straight pipes and out, completely bypassing the stock exhaust.

The only other option I have is to go with some other cheaper performance exhaust systems, such as Borla, Top Speed, or RSR (rsr is the name right?)

what do you guys think i should do?

 

you wouldnt have been running straight pipes for the last 2 months. Unmuffled is more like it. Why not just take off the muffler for the time being and replace everything after the y pipe when you have more money. 1900 sounds like way to much installed. Isnt the nismo 1100 new. 800 to install are you kidding me? Ill do it for free if you supply the jack stands.

 

O and if you go aftermarket exhaust topspeeds are 450 local pm me for details, and hks is much better imo than nismo.

 

the muffler sit'n 2" behind the Y-pipe wouldn't be doing much...you could get QTP's (quick time performance's) electronic cut-out - I had thought about that for awhile, but wasn't sure how long the butterfly valve seal would last.

-Peter

 

Of course the dealer wants to sell nismo. Its high priced low gain products. Its like 1000 for the Nismo clutch/flywheel. The Flywheel weighs 22 pounds or something. You can go get a JWT clutch/flywheel for 600-800 dollars with a 14lb fly and have way better performance gains.

 

sadly true. How hard is the install on the jwt flywheel/ clutch. I have money just burning a hole in my pocket. Do i need a tranny stand?

 

no i haven't authorized nissan to do any work on it yet.

i've been thinking a lot about it. I will go with the nissan cat-back for my exhaust. but i'm definitly not having the dealer install it nor am i purchasing from them. i found it online for just under 1000 dollars.

The clutch thing he quoted me 1000 dollars installed...he said the oem clutch is like 100 bucks but its the labor thats the killer. he said tack on another 500 for the nismo clutch (so 1500 bucks for nismo clutch assembly). I made a typo when i said flywheel, there is nothing wrong with that (or at least he didnt say there was anything wrong).

he said my clutch was very weak. does that mean i need a new disc or the whole pressure plate and disc assembly.

assuming i need both, i found the JWT one for like 410, but with shipping probably 420 or 430. i have a shop that can install it, but what is the standard labor charges on something like a clutch. this is my first manual car.

anybody in the dallas area know a good transmission/ exhaust place?

 

i know its like 300-500 for a clutch install.

 

jwt clutch and flywheel is like 750$ or so you can pay an independant shop to put it in for like 300$. Exhaust should maybe be a 100$ fix if that at a muffler shop and dont go to a chain muffler shop they will rape you.