When you consider the mods that we do to our cars did Nissan even get close to perfecting the Z32?

 

Most of us start with a standard model and then over the years change almost everything that is changable. ECU's, Brakes, Induction, Turbo's, Exhausts, Wheels, Body parts, Seats the lot.

 

I was just sitting here thinking about it and thought I would ask this:

 

What do you think Nissan used that should not be changed unless it brakes on the 300ZX?

its crazy even if somebody bought a Bugatti veron someone would modify it to go faster. its a challenge and some people just can't leave it how it is.

 

with regards to the z i have found its cheaper to upgrade then to buy OEM spec stuff. for instance to buy OEM tension rod bushes (the gel filled ones) they are £55 each + and the cost of delivery if you use the internet, to buy adjustable aftermarket ones they are £120 and allows you to correct caster!!

 

for the sake of £10 you are getting a better product.

 

another thing especially with swb models the OEM parts are hard to get hold of so aftermarket products are a necessity then an option

I suppose they just decided to do it standard, to cut costs, and once you get started, as so many people on this forum have found out, then when do you stop. :confused:

Manufacturers are limited by reliability and cost, they want to make the cars reliable so if they ran them at 15psi from standard then better clutches etc etc would all have to be fitted, for its age it was well advanced when it came out, remember in 1990 16" wheels were massive. In fact the stock wheels are the only crap thing about a standard Z.

What do you think Nissan used that should not be changed unless it brakes on the 300ZX?

 

 

Don't forget the headlights... :rant:

and the peashooter exhausts

and the foam spoiler...

and the tweed interior

Nissan got it broadly right. Don't forget the Z cost (in UK) somewhere north of £35,000 and that was 17 years ago. I doubt that (except for a few honorable exceptions) any after-market supplier or self-taught modifier can beat years of design effort by dedicated teams of automotive professionals.

 

I'd turn your question round: what's wrong with stock? I'd take a stock Z32 of an equivalent age/mileage any time over a badly modded, badly mapped, boost-jetted, over-lowered, badly-painted Max-Power job.

Do remember the zed was a car designed in the late 80s and that shape was on the car by 1989!

 

If you think back to then the interior and exterior, the handling, the engine and everything else are way in advance of the crap you got then.

 

The supra mk3 was the wedge shape till 1993 so nissan were lightyears ahead in the style element.

 

ALTHOUGH i'd have ditched the tweed :rofl:

 

First time i drove my first one i thought some cheap fooker had changed the seats but not the door cards, even my granadas had leather door cards in the scorpio models and my 1984 supra too for that matter

Nissan got it broadly right. Don't forget the Z cost (in UK) somewhere north of £35,000 and that was 17 years ago. I doubt that (except for a few honorable exceptions) any after-market supplier or self-taught modifier can beat years of design effort by dedicated teams of automotive professionals.

 

I'd turn your question round: what's wrong with stock? I'd take a stock Z32 of an equivalent age/mileage any time over a badly modded, badly mapped, boost-jetted, over-lowered, badly-painted Max-Power job.

 

My thoughts too, Gio!

 

Richard :D

Hi,

The Z32 was at the top of it's game back in 1989...Toyota had to delay the launch of their new Supra, to play catch up!

It's just that over the following 10 years Nissan lost interest in the super coupe market and didn't develop the car as it could have been.

Modern day cars have now caught up and the performance of everyday cars is superior to those back in the '80's and our zeds are now no spring chickens!

Cheerz,

Jez.

they couldn't have got it that wrong we have one don't we!

The problem with stock is that its just the same as all the others stock ones and thats boring.

nobody can say that the tweed interior, bottle cap wheels and pea shooter exhausts cant be improved.

Wasn't there a 'gentlemen's agreement' amoung the Japanese manufacturers not to make cars making over 280bhp or something like that at the time?

As far as i remember that's what they said although that was a paper figure... :D

the agreement still stands. Even though we know that they make more power than 276bhp, they agreed never to "claim" a figure over 276bhp to stop any power war, like ze germanz are having at the moment.

 

anyway if i would have changed anything on the design it would have been the tweed interior, the pants headlights, the foam spoiler and the silly idea of putting an auto box into a sports car (ooooooooooh contraversial) :)

Wasn't there a 'gentlemen's agreement' amoung the Japanese manufacturers not to make cars making over 280bhp or something like that at the time?

 

Had there been no agreement them Nissan would have struggled because Toyota would have simply out powered it.

I think Nissan made an awesome car for the time, it was far advanced compaired to the cars around in its day, unless you compair it to the ferrari or lambo's but for an affordable performance car it was awesome. Agreed there is some things Nissan done that could of been designed better, but remember it's a car designed around an engine. We change or modify the cars now because we can, the mods we put on now like body kits, tune up bits etc didnt exsist when the car was new, hence why Nissan went through different series of the car, the car was an on going evolving project with Nissan up to the point where it virtually destroyed its self here in the UK.

Its a pity they never released the 99 spec over here. It would have sold quite well i think :cry:

Its a pity they never released the 99 spec over here. It would have sold quite well i think :cry:

 

yep and still fetch a good price i think which might of kept the prices of our older ones a bit more respectable

Although I am making a lot of changes to my 300zx I think that Nissan did get it right, Like already mentioned it was 17 years ago and if you consider how the car stands out from a crowd STILL they must have got some right. The question I asked was for your opinions not to express my doubts. I see what a few have said about aftermarket prices and quality which explains why a lot of people take the alternative/aftermarket parts route.

The great thing about all Japanese sports cars is you can change them and personallise them.

 

Well done Nissan for giving us this wonderful car. :bow: :D

I think Nissan made an awesome car for the time, it was far advanced compaired to the cars around in its day, unless you compair it to the ferrari or lambo's but for an affordable performance car it was awesome. Agreed there is some things Nissan done that could of been designed better, but remember it's a car designed around an engine. We change or modify the cars now because we can, the mods we put on now like body kits, tune up bits etc didnt exsist when the car was new, hence why Nissan went through different series of the car, the car was an on going evolving project with Nissan up to the point where it virtually destroyed its self here in the UK.

 

EVEN if you compare it to lambo and fezza the 300zx was and is an AWESOME car for its time. :bow: I have a 1994 ferrari and although in many ways it is beyond the 300zx in some things (e.g first composite major structure on a production car) in real terms there are many areas were I can state 100% without emotion and hype that the 300 is simply a better car...

Now if i was being 100% fair and comparing it to a 1989 launched ferarri or lambo i bet you'd be hard pressed to call it at all.

 

300 beats fezza in............

1. reliability and engineering - light years ahead (the ferrari has no HICAS, less sophisticated ECU, ABS, Stability plus leaky doors, boot.........)

2. handling and ease of driving fast (more forgiving)

3. Wheels (yes even std better like-for-like than ferrari)

4. quality of assembly finish (way way way better but then only 149 of the ferrari model made in RHD)

5. financial cost of ownership (don't even go there)

6. Social cost of ownership (Z comes with few if any social consequences)

 

Chris C

surely nissan should have put a couple of tastefull vents in the bonnet, to aid cooling.

other than that though bodywise job well done :bow: