Someone recently PM'd me to enquire about my car. They currently own a standard Z and are thinking about upgrading, they wanted some suggestions.

 

Here was my response...

 

Well if you want to start modifying your Z, the first thing you usually do is fit an induction kit to get more air into the engine,

But then once you've fitted this, you need to get more air out of the engine.

So a new Exhaust it is !

Job done, increase in BHP and your engine can breathe ! :hyper:

 

But if you have better breathing, you may want to up your boost,

So you will need to look at changing the chip in your ECU.

Result, you are now running 12 psi and have no probs :)

 

But then what if you want more ?. Can you go higher ? What about the internals ?

There is a lot of debate about how much the stock internals can take especially the landers on the old pistons.

So you decide to play it safe and upgrade the pistons.

You now have a stronger engine, congrats

 

But then if you are going to change the pistons you may as well put bigger injectors on for more power,

That will sort you out !

 

But then when the internals are strong enough with the pistons and you have more than enough fuel to prevent det,

you may then want more power by upgrading the turbo's !, why not you have enough fuel and the internals are strong,

Then you're sorted ! :nana2:

 

You add some dump valves just to prove to others that your cars now rocks !

 

but then with more power comes more heat, so you will then be looking at better cooling,

So you have new after market intercoolers and a nice big after market rad,

May as well change the oil cooler or even get a twin electric fan as well.

All done ?

 

You probably start thinking is my clutch going to hold with all this power,

so you then look at putting a new clutch on and think ah I may as well get a lightweight flywheel while I'm at it.

Much better !

 

Then you start thinking more about lightweight and decide to go with a lightweight pulley kit,

then a carbon 1 piece diff.

All finished this time I'm sure. :nono:

 

But then you think to yourself, dam I've got so much power I can't stop,

so you then look at upgrading your brakes,

Ok engine and brakes done, what else can there be ?

 

You can go fast and stop fast but the car starts to feel uneasy round the twisties,

so you think ok I'll change the suspension, new springs and shocks,

Sorted ?

 

By now, you've upgraded so much you think I may as well change all the bushes on the car,

Complete ?

 

Something goes wrong somewhere along the line and you start getting additional wear on the inside of your tyres.

So you think ok sod this I'll just put adjustable rods on and adjustable arms.

Your car now goes like stink, stops well and handles like it's on tracks.

You've done it, your car now rocks !!

 

But it still looks standard :( ,

You think maybe I'll change the wheels,

after that you think about changing the front bumper and adding some side skirts,

then you think ah what the hell I may as well get a rear bumper and either take the spoiler off or get new one while I'm at it,

and why not a head light panel or even a bonnet bulge or some additional vents.

I look good and drive good, I love my car !

 

But people start making suggestions now your car is getting lots of attention

"it looks great but your lights are old"

The next think you know you are swapping out the rears for Fiat spots or 99 spec Z's,

then you decide you may as well get the fronts chromes while you are at it.

You've done that and then you think the orange needs to go for a real crisp look,

you swap out the orange side repeaters and then take out the orange lenses in the front indicators.

Your car now looks and drives the nuts !

 

But you are still sitting in a stock interior,

some leather would look nice, you leather up the interior and it feels good,

but you have the same steering wheel so you decide to change that,

next thing you know you've fitted new gauges to keep an eye on your engine because you completely forgot about it,

you decided to get dials to match with some chrome rings for a little class.

Your whole car is now sorted but your stereo sucks !

 

How about a nice head unit with a dvd player,

you fit this and start thinking that your speakers are not good enough,

you start looking at speakers that will fit,

there are not many choices so you decided to have a custom boot build done,

You gotta be done now right ?

 

Now you can take your car to the shows and meets cause you are so proud of it,

But wait you can’t open your bonnet, you have no bling !, :mac1:

You decide to start off with a set of stainless steel TB and turbo pipes,

Then you wanna bling some more and change the res caps and oil caps for chrome,

Then you think I need some colour so you start replacing some hoses with silicone,

Next think you know you've got colour coded belt cover panels,

Chrome power steering reservoir, chrome balance bar and engine stand,

You could eat your dinner off the engine..

 

but there's one thing still not looking right,

You decide to get the plenum chromed,

that's it the cars finished.….

 

You look good, you feel good, you go like stink you turn on a dial, you stop on a dime. You now own a real head turned.

 

One problem....

you were only thinking about a little bit more power from your standard engine, but then the bug kicked in....

 

Solution......

Don’t think about upgrading to start with, it's contagious, trust me I've been there !.

:rofl: its so true :slap:

rule number on

 

NEVER EVER go window shopping for performance parts lol

i dont think you were very helpful

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

much ;) :bow:

LOL!! too true :rofl:

LOL spot on

Spot on!

Too late for me then, already well on the slippery slope!

no way

 

you have just written my life story for the last 2 years lol

Good post Stu

 

I'll just add in the last bits you've missed though

 

Then you start thinking the car isn't going well and take it to be all set up again. They say the car is the fooking muts what are you talking about. "You must have got used to it". So you read and hear that the yanks are running the same turbos and set up as yours at 18psi so you turn up the wick.

 

Then you notice that your oil temps are getting hotter so its time for a bigger cooler and a complete remote take off and big bore system. Then an even greater volume rad. Then it goes bang. So you think this time I'll have complete fordged internals better fuel rail, even biger turbos etc.

 

You even start dreaming about the thing. Soon you realise that all your credit cards are maxed out, that your spending all your available cash on a car that is now spending more time in someones garage having more go faster bits added and it is months since you actually enjoyed driving it.

 

Stop! Step back and think what you really want.

 

I've decided that after going down this road that I was right in the first place and that £350 RWHP is nice and fast and reliable. That the reason I have kept with my Zeds so long is a lot to do with the people I've met and friends I've made.

It's all good though, apart from dump valves!

Too late!!!

The trick is to buy a zed that someone else has already put a lot of work into.

 

This wont stop you getting the bug but might save you a few quid on the way!

 

Nice post by the way...

i think that post prolly sums up 98% of the members of this club... no doubt the generalisation of it will make sense to 98% of members of all the other car clubs in the world!!

Someone recently PM'd me to enquire about my car. They currently own a standard Z and are thinking about upgrading, they wanted some suggestions.

 

Here was my response...

 

This site has cost me 12K my car is worth didddly squat....Some M8's you lot turned out to be.....But I do love me Zed... ;)

This site has cost me 12K my car is worth didddly squat....Some M8's you lot turned out to be.....But I do love me Zed... ;)

 

 

We will have a whip round for you, mind you you won't get much, were all skint. :rofl:

I'm doing mine the other way.

 

Already had the bumper and rear spoiler.

 

Added new wheels.

 

Changed the dials and chip to read in MPH

 

LED rear lights.

 

Just had the leather done.

 

Looking at a boot build next.

 

Very good right up.

 

Darrell

Wow!!!! Spot on. The truth really hurts.. :D :cry:

It's all good though, apart from dump valves!

definately and the fiat lights