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Figured I'd start a thread of my build evolution. The Z was purchased in 2005, never saw rain and was my baby. Put some bolt on mods and loved it, was my DD in college. Soon after I graduated I put a GReddy twin turbo kit on with all the supporting mods and made about 420 HP. I drove it rarely and mostly was a garage queen. In 2019 I decided to take it to the track and see what it can do and if I liked it. I was hooked and loved it, the car did well but I quickly realized how many problems I had with it, mostly heat related, I was seeing oil temps close to 300 degrees in 40 degree weather and tons of understeer with my staggered 19" wheel setup with no camber. George, a member on here was my instructor at CMP in NASA SE, it was good fun. Fast forward to 2023 and the car has evolved quite a bit. Its now gutted and a dedicated track car. Here are the mods so far I changed for the track:
18x10.5 konig wheels and 100 treadwear tires +15 square
Hawk DTC70 pads
Fortune 510 coils - true coilover in rear
All SPL control arms for camber for track, almost 4 degree in front
Various bracing around the car
Akebono BBK with Z1 2 piece rotors
ARP wheel studs
Gutted the entire vehicle
Lightweight lithium battery
Sabelt taurus seats
Works bell hub and quick release with a MPI wheel
Garmin catalyst
6 point harnesses with Kirk racing roll bar
Electronic fire suppression system
CD00A tranny
OS Giken diff 1.5
Koyo radiator and AC removed
Oil cooler / power steering cooler
Evans coolant
Hood vents
Brake cooling ducts
Im sure im forgetting some stuff, but you get the idea. Right now the car is at about 3100 pounds dry, Ive ordered a CF hatch and lexan glass for plastics 4 performance for more weight savings. I am getting more comfortable and getting faster on track, its a progression for sure. Once I get to the limit of the car, im going to start on aero stuff. Last week at VIR I ran a 2:11 so im getting better, considering I was running 2:20 at first. I'll upload some pics for you all. Enjoy new turbo CHRA with jethot coating rear, I have removed the mufflers and straight piped it bracing VIR last week VIR paddock lightweight lithium battery engine bay konig 18.5 +15 wth akebono BBK and Z1 rotors Hood vents really let alot of hot air out interiour fire system
awesome! looks very clean and well done. I've got all of my RPF1 wheels for sale now and going to buy something that fits the Akebonos properly like yours.
was there a tipping point for you regarding stripping the car for track? do you keep it street legal or is it trailered? can you tell me what the decision point was? was it that these cars aren't worth very much today and so it's not a great loss to strip it down for weight?
me personally, I don't know if I'm going to stick with this platform long-term yet so I don't want to go to a point of no return with it, no resale value outside of track circles. there's no doubt about it, the 350Z is a brilliant track car, but it takes a hell of a lot of work to get there. I enjoyed the journey. for me, it wasn't the final result that matters, I enjoyed building the car up to this point. engines are cheap to replace too, which is not the case with Porsche.
awesome! looks very clean and well done. I've got all of my RPF1 wheels for sale now and going to buy something that fits the Akebonos properly like yours.
was there a tipping point for you regarding stripping the car for track? do you keep it street legal or is it trailered? can you tell me what the decision point was? was it that these cars aren't worth very much today and so it's not a great loss to strip it down for weight?
me personally, I don't know if I'm going to stick with this platform long-term yet so I don't want to go to a point of no return with it, no resale value outside of track circles. there's no doubt about it, the 350Z is a brilliant track car, but it takes a hell of a lot of work to get there. I enjoyed the journey. for me, it wasn't the final result that matters, I enjoyed building the car up to this point. engines are cheap to replace too, which is not the case with Porsche.
thanks man, I was in the same boat as you really, I really enjoyed the journey to let the car evolve and keep modifying it when stuff fails or overheats or whatever I need to make the car feel better. I trailer it, it isnt registered. I will never sell the car so resale valve didnt matter to me, once I decided It was going to be a dedicated track car and not be street legal anymore I pulled the trigger to gut it, mainly for weight savings, fire safety and to make modifying it easier. I did resist as long as possible though haha, I didnt want to strip it down and deal with all that sound deadening stuff but it had to be done. Without a interior it made mounting the seats, harnesses, fire system, roll bar and wiring simple. But your right, its a great track platform ,and parts are pretty cheap and available.
since you've had your 05 for the long haul, meaning you are obviously attached, your opinion on this is really valuable. I feel like I'm close to the point of no return on my '04. I thought I might want to try a Hi Rev or HR model year but a smog legal vortec would be just as interesting. I don't drive hard enough or in comp to worry about heat soak. an oil cooler and other things would also help with that. but I'm still intending to keep it street legal. I like the mountain roads as much as the tracks and there are a lot of them in my area.
The two turbos look like a very tight fit in front! I can imagine sometime in the future crossing that tipping point but it's a challenge in California. The reason I'm considering the vortec centrifugal is because it is carb legal in CA. I think 400 hp (~350rw) is the sweet spot for this car. with bushing and suspension upgrades, this car handles better than a standard 911 or Cayman. I don't think a lot of people realize what a gem the 350Z is. diamond in the rough. I think it's a perfect track car. it really is just luck that this is where I started. based on my background I was more likely to start with a Mustang.
yes I agree, I have always loved the Z but until I took it on track I didnt realize how quick it was. 400 HP is a excellent level for sure, enough to be fast but not ridiculous on track. The TT kit is extremely tight, in fact I had to pull the engine again this winter just to remove the turbos and service everything. The vortec is a great option, go for it!
Just reviewing your thread, you are running TT kit on stock internals? What boost levels are you seeing and what are you temps on the track?
yes stock internal, just running 8 psi @ 400 whp. Before some mods I was up to 290 oil temp. Since then I got a koyo radiator, removed the AC condenser and cut the bumper so my oil cooler has direct air flow. Now, it very rarely goes above 250. At VIr last month it was consistently at 235 but it was pretty cold ambient.
Track build
