Best light weight rims for the Z?
Originally Posted by Buellxb
I talk it til it's talked to me. I'm new to this forum, but I've been on forums since there were forums. I own and run several. I've never raced professionally or semi-professionally, but I've been modifying my own cars since 1996.
There will be far more than minimal gains from the weight reductions I've mentioned. I read an entire review in 2003 when Sport Compact mag did nothing but remove weight on the Z. The test results were amazing until the final stages when the handling was affected by destroying the weight distribution and to an extreme it became harder to get the rear wheels to get solid traction on launches.
Two light weight mods, as I stated before, made an extremely noticeable difference on my Civic Si. The laws of physics don't change for the Z.
There will be far more than minimal gains from the weight reductions I've mentioned. I read an entire review in 2003 when Sport Compact mag did nothing but remove weight on the Z. The test results were amazing until the final stages when the handling was affected by destroying the weight distribution and to an extreme it became harder to get the rear wheels to get solid traction on launches.
Two light weight mods, as I stated before, made an extremely noticeable difference on my Civic Si. The laws of physics don't change for the Z.
First why would you start with a 350Z. It's not a sports car. It's a grand touring car that weighs 3300lbs.
Why do you need all this weight reduction.... for driving around town? Baller status? Do you track this car? If you don't then there is no way you will realize the benefits of any of these mods.
$12,000 CF wheels for a $28,000 car? That's retarted. If you were that baller you wouldn't have a Z.
CF doors... where do I start here. You are simply asking to be killed if you drive with them on the street.
Unless you buy a dry CF hood then there will be no weight savings over the OEM aluminum hood. Dry CF hoods cost about $2500.
To stay on topic...I personally would select between 18" Enkei RPF1s, or Volk CE28s. Both rims are going to be relatively inexpensive to you...I think, and they are both very light weight wheels with good reputations. Both these wheels weigh less than 20lbs per wheel, so that's pretty good.
Rota I believe...in 18" format...weigh around 22.6 pounds IIRC, where as the RPF1 and CE28 weigh around 18.
Anyhow, good luck on the build
Rota I believe...in 18" format...weigh around 22.6 pounds IIRC, where as the RPF1 and CE28 weigh around 18.
Anyhow, good luck on the build
Originally Posted by JETPILOT
What's the point of all this?
First why would you start with a 350Z. It's not a sports car. It's a grand touring car that weighs 3300lbs.
Why do you need all this weight reduction.... for driving around town? Baller status? Do you track this car? If you don't then there is no way you will realize the benefits of any of these mods.
$12,000 CF wheels for a $28,000 car? That's retarted. If you were that baller you wouldn't have a Z.
CF doors... where do I start here. You are simply asking to be killed if you drive with them on the street.
Unless you buy a dry CF hood then there will be no weight savings over the OEM aluminum hood. Dry CF hoods cost about $2500.
First why would you start with a 350Z. It's not a sports car. It's a grand touring car that weighs 3300lbs.
Why do you need all this weight reduction.... for driving around town? Baller status? Do you track this car? If you don't then there is no way you will realize the benefits of any of these mods.
$12,000 CF wheels for a $28,000 car? That's retarted. If you were that baller you wouldn't have a Z.
CF doors... where do I start here. You are simply asking to be killed if you drive with them on the street.
Unless you buy a dry CF hood then there will be no weight savings over the OEM aluminum hood. Dry CF hoods cost about $2500.
But yes in the grand scheme of things, to each his own of course, but weight savings on this car is not easily achieved, and the cost/lb gets very high, very quick
Originally Posted by Buellxb
I talk it til it's talked to me. I'm new to this forum, but I've been on forums since there were forums. I own and run several. I've never raced professionally or semi-professionally, but I've been modifying my own cars since 1996.
There will be far more than minimal gains from the weight reductions I've mentioned. I read an entire review in 2003 when Sport Compact mag did nothing but remove weight on the Z. The test results were amazing until the final stages when the handling was affected by destroying the weight distribution and to an extreme it became harder to get the rear wheels to get solid traction on launches.
Two light weight mods, as I stated before, made an extremely noticeable difference on my Civic Si. The laws of physics don't change for the Z.
There will be far more than minimal gains from the weight reductions I've mentioned. I read an entire review in 2003 when Sport Compact mag did nothing but remove weight on the Z. The test results were amazing until the final stages when the handling was affected by destroying the weight distribution and to an extreme it became harder to get the rear wheels to get solid traction on launches.
Two light weight mods, as I stated before, made an extremely noticeable difference on my Civic Si. The laws of physics don't change for the Z.
As for the Weds wheels, they can't be purchased - they were a taste of possible things to come (and to showcase their design/engineering talents which are largely adapted for full out competition use), but for the time being, they were a marketing excersise. Closest I am aware of are Dymag, which do a cast magnesium/carbon wheel.
As far as the forum in general, by now you've seen that you're playing in a much larger sandbox. There aren't 2500 members here - there are over 100k, and many of us have been here since the beginning, or close to it. We've seen many of the same questions, goals, etc posted a million times over. Maybe you're the guy who will actually put pen to paper and buy the uber exotic parts that are out there, or maybe you're like most everyone else and will decide that it's either too rich for your blood, or just plain overpriced (or both), but do their builds via posting only. Getting defensive over why you want something won't get you anywhere, and certainly is not going to net you very helpful insight from the more informed members among us. I eluded to this in my original reply, but it bears repeating I think. At this point in the car's lifecycle, all the info one could ever possibly want to know is out there. A little bit of work on your part (and I mean a little...it really doesn't take all that long) will net you all those answers and more. Again, I say this not to belittle you, or 'school' you, or to discredit your wants or means in any way - I simply say it so that you will have an easier/more productive time here. Good luck on your project whichever route you go.
From what you have described you have a plan to help performance
by dropping weight and making intake and exhaust more efficient-makes
sense in one aspect-but you will find out it will take a lot of weight loss
to equate to substanstial "butt dyno" results. from what i have read
it takes 100 lbs of weight lost to drop .1 in the 1/4 mile- i have only lost
150 lbs roughly in my car and that includes taking out spare tire and part
of interior to accomplish that and have spent about $4-5k grand,
(wheels/tires, full exhaust headers-back, 2-piece rotors, etc...)
if you go the whole carbon fiber route-you can easily spend $5-20 grand
more(cheaper if you go mastergrade or seibon but if you go amuse-it will
cost a bloody fortune)
like mentioned earlier you may have chosen the wrong vehicle to accomplish
your goal-Z's are not cheap to upgrade but are definately fun to drive hard
due to the natural front engine rear drive set up-they are too heavy because
they share the FM platfrom from the FX35/45 infinity suv which was done
to help on cost-makes car fairly rigid but overweight
by dropping weight and making intake and exhaust more efficient-makes
sense in one aspect-but you will find out it will take a lot of weight loss
to equate to substanstial "butt dyno" results. from what i have read
it takes 100 lbs of weight lost to drop .1 in the 1/4 mile- i have only lost
150 lbs roughly in my car and that includes taking out spare tire and part
of interior to accomplish that and have spent about $4-5k grand,
(wheels/tires, full exhaust headers-back, 2-piece rotors, etc...)
if you go the whole carbon fiber route-you can easily spend $5-20 grand
more(cheaper if you go mastergrade or seibon but if you go amuse-it will
cost a bloody fortune)
like mentioned earlier you may have chosen the wrong vehicle to accomplish
your goal-Z's are not cheap to upgrade but are definately fun to drive hard
due to the natural front engine rear drive set up-they are too heavy because
they share the FM platfrom from the FX35/45 infinity suv which was done
to help on cost-makes car fairly rigid but overweight
Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
Actually they do change relative to the car, since the % change required to net a difference on a Z is greater than it is on a car that starts off lighter, like a Civic. This is, unfortunately, not a car where weight is an easy thing to get rid of without significant cost, and/or significant change to the day to day utility of the car. In full bore, 100% race trim, the car still weighs in the high 2000 range (right around 2800 lbs). Different from stock, yes (about 500 lbs depending on trim level), but also no longer a comfy, civil street car. The trade off is always there, and it comes down to your wallet and desire.
As for the Weds wheels, they can't be purchased - they were a taste of possible things to come (and to showcase their design/engineering talents which are largely adapted for full out competition use), but for the time being, they were a marketing excersise. Closest I am aware of are Dymag, which do a cast magnesium/carbon wheel.
As far as the forum in general, by now you've seen that you're playing in a much larger sandbox. There aren't 2500 members here - there are over 100k, and many of us have been here since the beginning, or close to it. We've seen many of the same questions, goals, etc posted a million times over. Maybe you're the guy who will actually put pen to paper and buy the uber exotic parts that are out there, or maybe you're like most everyone else and will decide that it's either too rich for your blood, or just plain overpriced (or both), but do their builds via posting only. Getting defensive over why you want something won't get you anywhere, and certainly is not going to net you very helpful insight from the more informed members among us. I eluded to this in my original reply, but it bears repeating I think. At this point in the car's lifecycle, all the info one could ever possibly want to know is out there. A little bit of work on your part (and I mean a little...it really doesn't take all that long) will net you all those answers and more. Again, I say this not to belittle you, or 'school' you, or to discredit your wants or means in any way - I simply say it so that you will have an easier/more productive time here. Good luck on your project whichever route you go.
As for the Weds wheels, they can't be purchased - they were a taste of possible things to come (and to showcase their design/engineering talents which are largely adapted for full out competition use), but for the time being, they were a marketing excersise. Closest I am aware of are Dymag, which do a cast magnesium/carbon wheel.
As far as the forum in general, by now you've seen that you're playing in a much larger sandbox. There aren't 2500 members here - there are over 100k, and many of us have been here since the beginning, or close to it. We've seen many of the same questions, goals, etc posted a million times over. Maybe you're the guy who will actually put pen to paper and buy the uber exotic parts that are out there, or maybe you're like most everyone else and will decide that it's either too rich for your blood, or just plain overpriced (or both), but do their builds via posting only. Getting defensive over why you want something won't get you anywhere, and certainly is not going to net you very helpful insight from the more informed members among us. I eluded to this in my original reply, but it bears repeating I think. At this point in the car's lifecycle, all the info one could ever possibly want to know is out there. A little bit of work on your part (and I mean a little...it really doesn't take all that long) will net you all those answers and more. Again, I say this not to belittle you, or 'school' you, or to discredit your wants or means in any way - I simply say it so that you will have an easier/more productive time here. Good luck on your project whichever route you go.
Good write up and +1
To answer the original question though, Volk te-37 FTW.
Registered User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Appleton, Wisconsin
Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
Actually they do change relative to the car, since the % change required to net a difference on a Z is greater than it is on a car that starts off lighter, like a Civic. This is, unfortunately, not a car where weight is an easy thing to get rid of without significant cost, and/or significant change to the day to day utility of the car. In full bore, 100% race trim, the car still weighs in the high 2000 range (right around 2800 lbs). Different from stock, yes (about 500 lbs depending on trim level), but also no longer a comfy, civil street car. The trade off is always there, and it comes down to your wallet and desire.
As for the Weds wheels, they can't be purchased - they were a taste of possible things to come (and to showcase their design/engineering talents which are largely adapted for full out competition use), but for the time being, they were a marketing excersise. Closest I am aware of are Dymag, which do a cast magnesium/carbon wheel.
As far as the forum in general, by now you've seen that you're playing in a much larger sandbox. There aren't 2500 members here - there are over 100k, and many of us have been here since the beginning, or close to it. We've seen many of the same questions, goals, etc posted a million times over. Maybe you're the guy who will actually put pen to paper and buy the uber exotic parts that are out there, or maybe you're like most everyone else and will decide that it's either too rich for your blood, or just plain overpriced (or both), but do their builds via posting only. Getting defensive over why you want something won't get you anywhere, and certainly is not going to net you very helpful insight from the more informed members among us. I eluded to this in my original reply, but it bears repeating I think. At this point in the car's lifecycle, all the info one could ever possibly want to know is out there. A little bit of work on your part (and I mean a little...it really doesn't take all that long) will net you all those answers and more. Again, I say this not to belittle you, or 'school' you, or to discredit your wants or means in any way - I simply say it so that you will have an easier/more productive time here. Good luck on your project whichever route you go.
As for the Weds wheels, they can't be purchased - they were a taste of possible things to come (and to showcase their design/engineering talents which are largely adapted for full out competition use), but for the time being, they were a marketing excersise. Closest I am aware of are Dymag, which do a cast magnesium/carbon wheel.
As far as the forum in general, by now you've seen that you're playing in a much larger sandbox. There aren't 2500 members here - there are over 100k, and many of us have been here since the beginning, or close to it. We've seen many of the same questions, goals, etc posted a million times over. Maybe you're the guy who will actually put pen to paper and buy the uber exotic parts that are out there, or maybe you're like most everyone else and will decide that it's either too rich for your blood, or just plain overpriced (or both), but do their builds via posting only. Getting defensive over why you want something won't get you anywhere, and certainly is not going to net you very helpful insight from the more informed members among us. I eluded to this in my original reply, but it bears repeating I think. At this point in the car's lifecycle, all the info one could ever possibly want to know is out there. A little bit of work on your part (and I mean a little...it really doesn't take all that long) will net you all those answers and more. Again, I say this not to belittle you, or 'school' you, or to discredit your wants or means in any way - I simply say it so that you will have an easier/more productive time here. Good luck on your project whichever route you go.
Said with class Adam!
OP is in for an epic fail.
Pick a rim you like, find out the weight. If you think its "too heavy" pick a new set you like and so on and so forth. There's million and millions of threads on this forums and I can guarantee you theres atleast 4-5 that will answer all of the same questions your asking.
SEARCH !!!!!.....or just take Adam's advice, he knows his stuff...minus the carbon fiber talk.
Pick a rim you like, find out the weight. If you think its "too heavy" pick a new set you like and so on and so forth. There's million and millions of threads on this forums and I can guarantee you theres atleast 4-5 that will answer all of the same questions your asking.
SEARCH !!!!!.....or just take Adam's advice, he knows his stuff...minus the carbon fiber talk.
Adam was way too nice with this guy...
OP, just get a set of cheap rotas since you won't know the difference anyway. Also - go back to your heavy ***, unreliable, shoddy built, harley inspired buell. If you had any sense, you'd get a GSX-R instead.
OP, just get a set of cheap rotas since you won't know the difference anyway. Also - go back to your heavy ***, unreliable, shoddy built, harley inspired buell. If you had any sense, you'd get a GSX-R instead.
Last edited by gothchick; Sep 11, 2008 at 09:51 AM.
Originally Posted by gothchick
Adam was way too nice with this guy...
OP, just get a set of cheap rotas since you won't know the difference anyway. Also - go back to your heavy ***, unreliable, shoddy built, harley inspired buell. If you had any sense, you'd get a GSX-R instead.
OP, just get a set of cheap rotas since you won't know the difference anyway. Also - go back to your heavy ***, unreliable, shoddy built, harley inspired buell. If you had any sense, you'd get a GSX-R instead.
OP...
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,311
Likes: 0
From: Dallas/NewYork/Michigan/Korea
Originally Posted by Z1 Performance
For the price of about 18 645i's, that car can be yours - transportation costs from Japan not included of course
Originally Posted by Buellxb
I make really good money .
