Someone suggested to me about getting a CNC base plate to act as a spacer. This would raise the tower and be a better alternate than washers, however something like that should costs a few hundred. I'm more inclined to keep trying with GT Spec.

Amuse sells HFC at a robbery price of $1,999 USD. Bulletproof contacted me to let me know Amuse sells a titanium test pipe version for $1,500 USD which isn't even resonated. Hence I feel he standard R1000 is the best deal. I do agree, I'm more of a fan of cat system. However, I will say this. Since the install of both R1 exhaust components, the sound has quiet down quite a lot. This makes me believe I can get away with test pipes just fine...

 

I sure you have to pay someone to scan the tower if you wanted it tight, then again you could just copy the strut bar flange and call it a day. The Tomei cats were $1500 too, yikes.

 

Been a while... not pictured I have bought Berks HFC from CZP. They’re seem to be OK for my taste... may look into something

After installing Toyo R888 305/35/18, I’ve purchased the Z1 Camber/Traction Arms Street Version. Will install perhaps tonight. Along with Bellrace Works diff. brace which I am looking forward to driving!





I am on the fence for a Nismo fin cover... but I really don’t want to drop the diff yet, as I’ll
wait for an opportunity for a 3.9 Diff. So I’ll keep waiting.

Brace installed, super simple. And wiped everything down with Dawn Detergent soap mixed with Water in spray-bottle which does a phenomenal job!



I’m now looking at Stance Aircups full kit to work on my HKS Coilover. Not looking forward to wiring nonsense.

On a bad note, I won an Japanese auction of a rare Intake Brace bar that unfortunately the seller canceled the transaction at the end. Would be the perfect-partner with the Cusco bar. /sigh....

 

keep em coming!

 

I received EVO-R carbon pieces which are overlay, took out the OEM and painted the inside switches area with black plaint with a paintbrush for more controlled finish. Looks much better, if not done that it'll have the OEM Frost color. The blue mirror were bought off on eBay for $35, the best purchase because I was about to buy some off brands in Japan for more. I have pictures of them in night environment driving if you want to see those, though hard to say how it'll look on photo.





I got around installing the Z1 Motorsport Traction/Camber Arms which IMO enhanced the ride, mainly due to new bushings haha. If anyone got a Nismo diff laying around and wants to let it go for not so much, let me know. I really want to get the SPL Mid-link Arms but no way I can pay $900 for it, I found them for $720 at Bulletproof Automotive. I was hoping for some used ones for sale for like $400-$500. I don't think I really need it though... what I do need is some dry ice cleaning on the undercarriage, looks dirty all the time.




I also bought Nismo Damper for the front from Nissan. It's on back-order for 18-24 weeks.... same with their hardwares. Nice!
I came across a Nismo rear damper set... but me being cheap, I offered $250... seller wants $300. Haha, I don't know if it's worth it when I can't see it, then again most of my stuff are subtle or hidden. I came across a Nismo H-brace underhood for $600, seller won't budge and it has surface rust, seller is on meth or something else.

My list getting short for this Z, I can't wait! Just have several more thousands to invest per list left and I'm done with the built, then I will focus all funding into investments and schooling.

 

The camber arms will pay for themselves by saving the inside 1/3 of your tires. Looking good!

 

Thanks JHC, however the tires are too late to be saved. Haha, I have another pair of Toyo R888 siting on the side along with alignment to get done.
Personally going to look into 300 TW tires, like Mickey Thompson 6289 or NITTO NT555 in similar spec. I'm getting tired of buying tires every 12 months or 6 months, 100TW-200TW.

Still waiting on Stance Air-cups but look what finally came in... pretty hard to find but I did end up getting my hands on one now. I need suggestion for the color for the Cusco strut tower end plates and the Cusco H-Brace end plates. I'm not into bright colors, blue and this Lexus orange has to go. I was thinking. . . gun metal or a dark grey.





You can run without the strut tower and run a naked-look like this one. (this was before polish and bolting it in)

 

Not sure if I missed it in here, but where are you getting the adapters to make these calipers work?

 

If you are keeping the Cusco bar just match it I think.

 

@DarkZ03 I remember hydrodipping is a thing, thought about carbon fiber but eh. I'm thinking dark gunmetal or black chrome on the polish parts and charcoal grey or black flakes on the base.

Now, I eventually for hope I won't need, is a BlackVue 900S-2CH dash cam. This records 4K forward, and 1080P facing rear. Pretty simple to get it install, painfully though I may or should buy a battery pack so it records when it's parked. I don't want to hardware this thing to the battery for personal reason.I did invest in a battery-jumper so that is something very handy two times. Now I need an element fire extinguisher...





One of my R888 tire blew when I was trying to gently drive home to go to the tire shop the next morning after once I was ready to get the alignment done... Now I have a new set of Proxies R888 all round, same spec. 275/35 and 305/35. Next set are for sure 300 TW tires.



I came home with a package from the Netherland. The price for this set feels and seem to be well-priced. Has everything I need and it doesn't feel cheap. The Stance Aircuo kit will be installed in two weeks as I don't have time and have a flight next weekend to Wekfest in Seattle. I'm also not looking forward to electrical work......


Now since I have OEM-style coilover, I happened to learn Stance offered the divorced air cups which had to be asked as it wasn't public knowledge. They only currently offer this for 350Z and BMWs only. What luck, and Stance told me that if I had a true-style set-up, the air cup could not be used in the rears because it was too large, which now I feel it in my hand, I can believe it. So...you want front lift? Sure! Want full-lift, OEM-style only.

These holes are the diameter of the shaft for my current coilover which ae HKS IV SP. It came out 14mm of the front shaft and I measured the HKS spring perch at 55mm... which Stance told me they only had 50mm sizes which is based off the BC spring perch. So... I need to buy BC spring perch and my springs will work because HKS uses 2.5" springs on all 4 corners with helper springs. (I will buy them, DM me pls)



Now..... I need to buy new outer tie-rods. My OEM ones gave out after 2 years of service. I am looking at SPL outer tie rods V5. I think the adjustability will help improve the steering response and have a long longevity without binds and stress. I was looking at voodoo13 as it looks beefier. Additionally... my new Berks HFC finally gave me the verdict. I got a CEL. I ran the code, and I need new O2 Upstream sensors... while I'm there, I'll get downstream O2 sensors as well. I really don't want to drop $400 on sensors. Man.... also EVAP failed which is tied to the O2 maybe per I/M Test.

 

Yup, Berks will do that. Try the no-fouler fix before replacing the sensors.

 

If the sensors failed then they should be replaced, I did all 4 of mine when I did the cats and headers. They are sensitive and hitting my exhaust with a rock of salt caused it to fail. If you want tires that offer similar levels of grip with better treadwear I can certainly recommend the PS4S, I love them.

 

Thanks for the suggestion jhc, however as far as I'm aware (I'm owner #2). The upstream are the OEM sensors clocked in with 160K miles and the downstream are new in 2017 with 50K miles which I'll just replace to rule out sensors issues.

Tires, I would like to try PS4S but they seem to be more popular in 19s. The 18s seems pretty scarce. I found some 265/35/18 ones for the fronts but nothing wider for the rears.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot that. Another reason I went with 19s over 18s

 

Part came back from powder coating and sandblasting. Looks much much better now! I personally think Ti Hardwares, metal ARC overflow coolant tank would be great to finish it off with titanium burned intake piping would be icing on the cake for the bay.



I didn't mention it before, but I looked into deleting the windshield wipers, and I did. It made it very clean and easier to wash the windshield as they're not there.
Now in SoCal, it started raining pretty heavy for two weeks about, so as of yesterday, I was forced to install my wipers on per my lady. The water repellent from Rain X wasn't good enough, but my concern isn't the wipers but my Toyo R888 tires, they're not the most ideal tire to have in extreme wet road. . . . .



My Nismo Yamaha damper came in in the mail today. Along with its corresponding bracket, hardwares from Nissan. From what I read, this damper will absorb micro-vibration to increase comfort driving and increased aggressive turning handing.Along with that, per my routine, I have developed a death wobble in the front. I will be replacing the wheel bearing. Annoyingly so. . . I must remove my adapters and the huge brake calipers. To reinstall the brakes, I need to snake in the hardwares and TQ them down. Nuts were 22mm if I remember correctly.



As well as SPL Outer Tie Ends V5 to install. With a pair of Upstream and Downstream sensors from Denso and NTK. I had already installed the new Denso upstream which fixed my CEL. But I have a CEL for another code. . . . It's a Large Leak in EVAP Canister I need to replace my box by the exhaust then. I had trouble installing the SPL outer tie ends actually, because I cannot remove the old OEM outer tie ends out of the arms. . . . . I need help here. Use pickle fork and what heat and WD40?



Here's the Z washed, no filter, from last week. I have ordered new Nismo carbon side-panel from Japan. On its way, but last night at the time of typing this, I have broke my exterior door handle, the plastic piece gave out, so I wondered if I can use Amazon / eBay handles instead of OEM, because those break too, plastic. For $30~ I will try the Amazon one.

Also on the way, or on back-order is Work Bells Rapfix II quick release in black. I will be selling off the Quick Tilt, I want the extra room now so I can freely nap in the car when I must after a long 12+hrs of work at the office or eat a quick snack. Which reminds me. . . I am looking for Recaro base bracket, not the side mounts, I have those. Then I'll sell off the Buddy Clubs Super Low rails.


As I am nearing, and nearing to completing the want for my Z33. I still can't exactly make my mind for the finished product. I'd say I'm torn between...
- Powerhouse Amuse Full Kit w/ Wing @ $8K-$10K
- Garage Mak Full Time Attack Kit w/ Wing @ $15K
- Shine Auto Parts Nismo Rear Bumper, Nismo Side Skirt, Voltex Z33-spec'd Wing @ $3K-$4K~

I will going for the Amuse Supperleggera rep. hood for whatever route. Rep due to not being able to find the authentic one for sale, and if so... I'd imagine it costs about $6K for it alone like the Z-TUNE hood does in dry carbon.I still want to get Advan GT wheels.

Other part of me wished there was more wild aggressive kit like this below for the Z33 platform. I like way it flows.

 

if you mean the cone of the tie rod end is stuck in the recess of the arm,

A) put the nut back on backwards so the flanged face is flush with the flat end of the stud. this gives you a wide surface, hammer it out. it "should" come out. since you're changing hub bearings + tie rod ends, you can remove the whole spindle from the car, so that when you hammer downward, you won't be pulling on the upper ball joint on the upper control arm

B) if above fails, or you want gentle/progressive force, buy a tool called "ball joint separator", it looks like this:
https://canadiantire.scene7.com/is/i...id=573&hei=499
i have had success with this design kind when it's been really really stuck, on several vehicles

good luck

 

@Vitamin_B12 I took your advise. I was able to to flip the nut upside down and hammer it away with strong emotion. The nut on the driver side got mangled so I had to cut it out with an angle grinder. But now look, new shiny parts!

Looking forward to the SPL Outer Tie rods doing work, along I installed brand new Nissan wheel hubs also on both side to which I took that chance to clean up the spindle arm on both sides as well. Using brake cleaner and an electric wire wheel, it looks like a new replacement part. The hardest part is actually removing the brake caliper and installing them... you have to be very patient and snake in the nut/washer on the inside between the caliper and rotors. Surprisingly, the rotors still got life in them, no lift. The AMG Brembo OEM brake pads still have a ton of life in them. This is to my guess that larger pads surfaces area means less work to stop the car therefore increasing longevity.

To which... when the time comes, I will be sporting 2-Piece Rotors and Endless MX72X brake pads for a very, very long time.
Next thing I am working on at this time of typing is installing a brand new ZSPEED undershourd as my old one got destroyed by a large rock in the middle of the lane by a construction site on the way to work, it doesn't take long to install it but I have a habit of cleaning the undercarriage whenever I can. Mainly the exhaust system being it requires care. To my last point, I am going to stop this rattle that it's doing at idle or low RPM, I read on the forum that other Amuse owners experienced this.

The Amuse R1 Titan exhaust is good. The issue is the Amuse R1 Titan y-pipe has these springs that holds the 2-piece together and I think it's worn out. I will try to replace them with new springs. Although I've seen some people from Japan weld them together.



This is the Amuse R1 Titan y-pipe in question. It's a little embarrassing for a $1,500 - $2,000 USD y-pipe to be rattling, yes the price is insane.

 

Hello,

My Z33 has reverted to the stock body with JDM clear side markers. It looks very clean and tamed. I am possibly considering fully reverting back to stock and sell the parts and sell the car. I was in a position to buy my dream full body kit, Power Amuse kit with the wing along the hood. But I look and have to understand that I should be focusing on a house first. I can leverage the money from the build and reinvest that elsewhere. I do wish to build the dream build I have in mind but it's something I can always come back with a career job, and do the V12 engine swap in a DE Z or a 380RS. Hopefully Z platform won't be scarce or very expensive then.

Just something up in the air.

 

I'd say keep the car in a close to stock form if you have the option to do so, and build later. That is of course if the Z33 is what you want, you already know what you got and getting a hold of clean ones is hard now....and if you do they will cost you.
One thing to think of that I've met head on is the fact that it's an older platform and stuff is getting discontinued so when you come back to it stuff may not be available, so in that case it would be better to sell and move to a newer platform with more support.

 

House & Investments > Car.