Howdy Y'all - Happy New Year.

 

I'm looking to purchase a 94 300ZX TT, in the next 2 months and the plan is to take it from a 280BHP machine to, initially a 450BHP (similar torque figure) at the rear wheels animal. I've read that the VG30DETT engine is more than capable of doing this but does need turbo upgrades as the T25's aren't that good at sustaining boost, new rods, cooling etc....

 

Is there a definitive list anywhere of the mods that can be done to achieve this. From reading the VG30DETT engine can cope comfortably with 600 bhp.

 

Has anyone done this kind of upgrading, and what are the costs going to be so that I can budget accordingly.

 

Also, NOS kits for Zed's, are they a good, bad or just plain stupid idea?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Regards

 

Paul

Interesting, thanks alot for the infomation mate. Thats alot of food for thought! still that would be well in the future; but at least now ive got a ball park figure to aim for!

Someone's living in a dreamworld, lol.

 

There's only a couple of decent Jap tuners in this country, and I know they charge a fortune. Even then, they make mistakes, no one is perfect.

 

It would be great if you bought all the bits, got them fitted cheap, and everything went smoothly, but it just doesn't work like that.

 

I reckon more money and time is spent on repairs and fine tuning, than the initial job it'self.

 

Rolling road and mapping sessions can be very expensive, and not always get the results required, so need to be done again once the fuelling, or boost problems are rectified.

 

I'm not saying the "import a monster" is the best solution, after all, who the hell is going to touch someone else's Frankenstein when it breaks? I like to play with engines and stuff, but I would'nt know where to start with one of these creations.

 

There's an awefull lot of people obsessed with high BHP figures, instead of actual performance figures. I would say, for a street 300zx, anything over 450 is a waste of time, and rubber. I have about 350 in my Zed, and for the streets it's plenty fast enough.

 

If you're planning for the track, well you have a whole new kettle of fish to think about. If it's a quarter miler you want, then you'll need expensive slicks and a proper soft suspension setup. Also, bullet-proof transmission components and traction controll.

 

If you want it to go round corners and stop, well, suspension again and serious brakes are required.

 

It all comes down to what you're going to do with the car. My solution is simple, but not cheap :D Two cars. A LWB, mildly tuned and looking pretty for the road, and a SWB slick-top for the track.

 

And if they break, well I only have myself to blame :x:

 

Easy ;)

The major restriction when tuning the VG30DETT is the exhaust manifolds - if you saw the OEM manifolds you'd be amazed they could ever flow enough to produce any boost at all LOL. There are some new design ones just emerging in the States from Mike Smith - these flow as good as tubular manifolds without the pitfalls of cracking and cost assosiated with them. This should open up the tuning market quite nicely.

 

Of course the other factor is people not wanting to spend more than £2 but wanting 1000bhp daily driver :D :rofl: ;)

Someone's living in a dreamworld, lol.

 

There's only a couple of decent Jap tuners in this country, and I know they charge a fortune. Even then, they make mistakes, no one is perfect.

 

It would be great if you bought all the bits, got them fitted cheap, and everything went smoothly, but it just doesn't work like that.

 

I reckon more money and time is spent on repairs and fine tuning, than the initial job it'self.

 

Rolling road and mapping sessions can be very expensive, and not always get the results required, so need to be done again once the fuelling, or boost problems are rectified.

 

I'm not saying the "import a monster" is the best solution, after all, who the hell is going to touch someone else's Frankenstein when it breaks? I like to play with engines and stuff, but I would'nt know where to start with one of these creations.

 

There's an awefull lot of people obsessed with high BHP figures, instead of actual performance figures. I would say, for a street 300zx, anything over 450 is a waste of time, and rubber. I have about 350 in my Zed, and for the streets it's plenty fast enough.

 

If you're planning for the track, well you have a whole new kettle of fish to think about. If it's a quarter miler you want, then you'll need expensive slicks and a proper soft suspension setup. Also, bullet-proof transmission components and traction controll.

 

If you want it to go round corners and stop, well, suspension again and serious brakes are required.

 

It all comes down to what you're going to do with the car. My solution is simple, but not cheap :D Two cars. A LWB, mildly tuned and looking pretty for the road, and a SWB slick-top for the track.

 

And if they break, well I only have myself to blame :x:

 

Easy ;)

 

Dreamworld? LOL!!!

 

Yes mapping is the key and yes it is expensive! 600bhp from a 3litre lump isn't that wild! Its only 200bhp per litre ffs.

 

Getting them fitted cheap? I don't regard £1500 as cheap! The problem is that a lot of the so-called jap performance garages charge ~£60 per hour for their (IMO sub-standard) work...

Rebuild kit with new water pump and oil pump, wiseco pistons and eagle rods ~£1200

New manifolds ~£600

Turbos ~£1200

ICs ~£600

Injectors ~£600

Engine work ~£200 plus any port work

ECU - depends on options but say ~£500

Labour £1500 MAX

 

So about £7500 all in - still WELL shy of £30k!!!

 

Of course you'll need other mods such as uprated clutch (if manual) or uprated internals in auto box. Also uprated radiator would be highly recommended.

 

That would all see you to a reliable ~500 at the rear wheels which is very roughly 600 at the crank. Thats as far as I'd push it without further major work...

 

Also don't forget that to be able to run those kind of figures you'd be running on race gas - UK pump fuel just aint good enough....

 

much as i respect you andy i have to disagree -it's taken me 3 years to get to this stage - my bill from THOR was for approx £4000 and that was for the exhausts, problem sorting and tuning add onto that another few from the zen garage to sort out all off nissteks mistakes plus one huge bill from nisstek.

 

if it was that easy everyone would be doing it.

 

Regards,

 

alex

Fair enough Alex but you can't really say your experiences are the norm ;) Too many cowboy garages out there who seem to have a good reputation - could never understand it myself :confused: Very few people/garages in the UK have done the research and groundwork on the VG30 to understand its weaknesses and this is showing with the lack of decent tuned Zeds. Times are changing though.... ;)

Andy, I love your optimism :) I used to be like that ;)

 

No, seriously, I think I've got my Zeds at the right time. There's definately a lot more available for the beasty now, but as Paul said, no-one in Scotland to work on them.

 

It's gonna be a steeeeeeep learning curve for me :D

LOL cheers bud :D I know though because I've done it myself - if it wasn't for trusting an unknown bottom, end I'd still have my car on the road now - hindsight is a wonderfull thing LOL :D

 

I suppose only time will tell but I think 2007 is gonna be a good year for the Z32 ;)

:( Why not get some decent HOMEBUILT ones over here???? Dragging them over from japan defeats the object I reckon. Plus any car running that power over there will need remapping to get get anywhere close to that figure over here!

 

I don't see why people are so scared of getting the work done over here - there's no special magical powers that the japs posses!

 

 

 

 

i guess andy mate, not many ppl are getting what they want from the english specalists than what they thought they could get, my car has been to pretty much every garage in the country, apparent ZED specalists, and only 2 i can put my hand on my heart and say i would take it back to them for big mods and after maeket parts fitted and set up right , one of them isnt even a grease monkey, he is a sparky but man he knows his shit.

 

i think thats why ppl are getting them already fully loaded from japan like that mate.

 

karl

i think we need to get mac motivated again - and i think we need to get all 600 hp zeds to step up to the plate and be counted - as i said, 2007 could be an interesting year :D

 

regards,

 

alex

 

LOL I have had too much on of late Alex, The EXPERT :bow: :D that built mine said the car would piss 600bhp without race fuel do I believe him? 110% I do. 11000 miles later and as reliable as she has ever been never uses a drop of oil or water in the last two years and not once let me down the car is making over 500 running 1.4bar.

I WILL sort the fuel pumps out this year if its the last thing I do and then bin the plen and use a six throttle bod system so it will be interesting to see what she reaches for what its worth.

Very few people/garages in the UK have done the research and groundwork on the VG30 to understand its weaknesses and this is showing with the lack of decent tuned Zeds. Times are changing though.... ;)

 

 

I know mate thats two you have blown up chasing 400bhp using stock internals :D ;)

I know mate thats two you have blown up chasing 400bhp using stock internals :D ;)

 

Cheeky fook :D Last time wasn't stock internals unforts so toasted a perfectly good eagle rod OOOOOOPS :D Like I said though, that was down to trusting an unknown bottom end :(

 

 

wooho the man is back :D

wooho the man is back :D

 

Man? Use the term loosely Alex :rofl: :D ;)

Man? Use the term loosely Alex :rofl: :D ;)

 

i knew you two were close but..... :D

i knew you two were close but..... :D

 

 

We are not that close as I have not let him work on my car yet LOL:D;)

We are not that close as I have not let him work on my car yet LOL:D;)

 

YET being the key word - the inevitable WILL happen ;) :rofl: :D

is it me or can you have a 6 open throttle body conversion done with forced induction? and if you tried to pipework it all up, i would imagine it would be a knightmare? would work well on a z32 na or a v8 conversion

so,do you guys fancy giving me a run for my money in the Z club challenge,not only is this became Jap tuned vs UK tuned but we also have the whole slicktop vs LWB battle here too ;)

 

oh...did i mention Scotland vs England too :D

 

Paul.

is it me or can you have a 6 open throttle body conversion done with forced induction? and if you tried to pipework it all up, i would imagine it would be a knightmare? would work well on a z32 na or a v8 conversion

 

Said the ex skyline owner ;) RB26 has individual TBs

so,do you guys fancy giving me a run for my money in the Z club challenge,not only is this became Jap tuned vs UK tuned but we also have the whole slicktop vs LWB battle here too ;)

 

oh...did i mention Scotland vs England too :D

 

Paul.

 

That's another fine mess you got me into..

Bah! You scots would be too tight to pay for the petrol used on WOT, so yeah I'm up for it, as long as project shitter is back on the road :D ;)

That's another fine mess you got me into..

 

 

ROFL,i would just like to be the first to say sorry to the original poster who asked a simple question and started a war :wack:

 

infact sod that,he started it not me :D

 

Paul.

Bah! You scots would be too tight to pay for the petrol used on WOT, so yeah I'm up for it, as long as project shitter is back on the road :D ;)

 

lol,good man,we need plenty of fodder ;)

 

Paul.

Said the ex skyline owner ;) RB26 has individual TBs

 

the rb26 has a single throttle body?? :confused: