mines twinturbo

Sorry to jump on this so late but am going to Le Mans. Aiming to get there for thursday mid day. An american pal of mine and his son is borrowing the Z as me the missus and the kids are going in the Ferrari. It would be really cool to see other Z'ds there. we are camping at karting nord (party on). Any idea How many others are coming??? :nana2:

Anyone going to Le Mans this year? I am taking the Z so was wondering if anyone else is? Its the glastonbury of petrol heads so you would be mad not to........ Chris

I love the way it is a total 'sleeper' car. Very few people know of, or even remember them but it gives great perfomance and increasingly now its rarity value is a plus (if not asset value). I actually like the fact that it was a total sales failure in the UK (like the 350z has been) but not a performance failure (far-from-it). I am sure it will be seen in history as the warning shot (along with it contempories, NSX and Supra) of the domination to come by way of a new generation jap iron. (new NSX, Supra & GTR look totally awesome and i know choosing which to have will be a fantastic future problem). I am in the US this week and the Toyota guys have just blown the truck market apart this month (more trucks are sold here than any other vehicle type here - go figure :confused: ) with the new Tundra. Road & track is buzzing with future NSX, Supra and GTR pics. Modified magazines are crammed with jap cars and the western makers are financially on-their-knees. So here at least the writing is on the wall. I believe that the first words in credible japanese performance were written by the 300zxTT and so it will be and important classic in years to come. Finally I love the design and from this angle nothing looks better IMHO

IHMO decide wisely.......... My power train is almost identical spec to yours except perhaps for my second hand Stillen intercoolers and airguides (bought from pittsburgh breaker whilst on business trip to US) $80 :D The only benefit of this upgrade (with 360 deg tubs and 1 bar boost) is that it is like running on a cool crisp morning most of the time so performance is more consistent. I could have gone for more engine power but all that huff-and-puff needs to be put down effectively. As I used to race (both 2 and 4 wheels) believe me NEVER under-estimate the real world benefits of good handling just as my learned friend said earlier there are a lot better performance-per-pounds-spent things you can do before you touch that engine again:- Springs, discs, dampers, anti-roll bars, wheel sizes. Make sure you don't take a simplistic 'spending more money is better' routine. For example a lot of 'modified jap import cars are comically over-sprung and over-damped :slap: which means that even on all but the flatest, smoothest race track they would be real world slower. :confused: I will put my money where my mouth is and race any coil-overed car with same spec engine with my eibach and KYB adjustables sprung car. Why so confident? The 300's suspension geometry and engineering was optimised in the days of higher profile tyres and smaller wheels when some flex was assumed to be being given by the tyre wall. Similarly (at the risk of being controversial) going bigger than 17's / 18's real-world speed will be probably be lost. I agonised over wheels and went for 17's as the optimum for handling and being able to fit a good brake upgrade. Again seriously wide rubber is Ok when its dry but do you know the point for the Z when wider actually means real-world slower (grap-and-snatchy-on-the-limit or smooth predictable letting go?) To drive home my point I honestly think my best real-world perfomance upgrade for night driving was actually the HIDS !!!!! So again IMHO I would do:- brakes (one area where technology advances can e accomodated by the car) dampers & springs (recommend eibach & KYB adjustable's - exactly same as now dis-continued Nismo dampers and and area where you have to correct to the original chassis engineering) Upgraded anti-roll bars Replacement master bushing set. See pic of my Z at a nice healthy speed almost flat and not grounding into the karousel........ Cannot tell you how many 'hot' cars were all out of shape round here because they were 'over-modified'........... Choose your next moves wisely

My custom made (blueflame) gets bad press on the forum but many many "where do i get one?" comments during recent stay at Z specialists. Sounds great.....but Contrast the fezza style the sound of which is not 'great' it is "i will never listen to my hi-fi again!" Chris

Evo magazine "best drivers nissan barring the skyline" My quiver consists of a Ferrari 456gt, Nissan 300tt, Mazda RX8 and a BMW E34 535 sport I would get rid of them in reverse order. The question i get asked the most is why do you have the nissan AND the ferrari? I always reply "good question" as the Ferrari is prestige and performance whereas the nissan is just perfomance except in the US where it is viewed as a 'cool car'. My take is 9/10ths of ferrari for less than 15th of the cost but with comparable ownership costs. Do not think you will not serious spend money on a 15year old car. If you spend 6k on an already sorted 300 you will probably save big in the long run. Chris

Who did the work on the leather and what did it cost? chris

Hi guys been a long time since I've been on but I have been spending all my time sorting my new car. Anyways anyone taken their Z to Le Mans before? if so any top tips welcome. An American workmate of mine is taking the Z whilst me and the missus go in the Fezza. Camp-site tips all the way to hooking up with other Z's no info not welcome We are heading for the karting nord campsite so would be nice to have a row of Zeds parked up. Remember nissan are previous winners with what became the Z engine!!!!!! So we should be there at the Glastonbury of motor racing. Chris

blue flame will make you anything if you take the car up there. takes a day you start with their generic 300 system (that they also made as a subcontractor to mongoose) you then choose your end can and pipe design so you get exactly what you want for abnout 100 more than the regular system. I am 100% hpapy with my blueflame system

Actually neither are daily drives (that is an E34 5 series) but a small collection of (MHO) classy drivers / sports cars is being built. The ferrari is always garaged but getting more use than the Z simply because the kids are way more comfy in the ferrari as they have grown quite a bit since i got the Z. The ferrari could never live outside because its build quality is about 40% of that of the Z !!! and economically i have more tied up in it. The Z will probably get used about once a month for a cross country blast so i want it to last but not have to have the hassle of long term storage. Advice from this and other forums is:- Never drive it on salted roads and always put it away dry under one of these bubble type devices with de-humidification built-it. That seems to be the consensus. Using it must less actually leads to lots of big issues, as i found out when looking at super low mileage ferraris they look great but often seals, hoses etc are screwed due to lack of use !!!! Put it this way one of the worst cars I saw was a 7,000mile ferrari (12 years old) and actually bought a same age car with 30,000miles because at least it had been USED regularly........ Don't want my Z to go the same way through lack of use it is too good a drive and great sports car design to sit slowy decaying.... Chris

Thats kind of what i am worried about, storing it and making things worse. Right now it is rot free and mechanically very sound. Having spent loads on it i don't want it to dis-intergrate. I have been offered the use of a barn building with power so the car bubble approach seems like the best but is it best to have it in the barn with a de-humidifier going, the bubble, drain fluids (i will probaly use it once a month or so)? Jammy? its all relative really in my book Someone like the twat-in-the-hat (JK from jamiroquai) is jammy, but then he would think that Jay Leno (US comedian and mega petrol head) is jammy. Jay Leno probably envies the sultan of brunei (gets one-off coachbuilt ferrari's made). No matter how much you have or how little you have there is always something more. I was homeless at 16 and the only thing i have learned is never look down always look up Chris

bump

Cool, I think I sould get the car undersealed as well but this carcoon looks like a good bet. What about storage times and draining fluids etc. Say if i drive it once a month and then service it according to the time based schedule will that be ok? A lot of the ferrari's i saw before i chose have very low mileages but were often in a state (seals gone rubber perished, hoses cracked etc) i think it was due to a lack of use more than actual use. Could be crap quality as well as IMHO the Z is better built but then jap cars are.

was wondering how effective the bag / de-humidifier thing was and how often to run and drive it to avoid having to do all the naus of draining fluids etc. It is one of the issues i have seen when searching for the 456 is that most have done less miles than the average lawnmower so suffer from all sorts of ills. Don't want my Z to be the same. So wondering what the happy balance is between storage and use. Chris C

Team, I finally took the plunge and am adding a Ferrari 456gt to my car collection. (The kids legs are getting longer too.!) Trouble is I really want to keep and store the Z and keep it looking as good as possible for as long as possible un-wrapping it for the occasional blast into europe etc. The ferrari will take the garage space that my Z currently lives in so i need some advice and help on the best way to keep a car rust-free etc. (LOL i know i will need the info more for the ferrari than the Z but at least it is Ally and carbon fibre body!) It seems such a minefield for advice about storage with conflicting advice e.g. heat the garage, de-humidify or do not de-humidify etc. I have the chance of a lock-up barn type building with power. Any advice greatly appreciated It is a 1992 JDM car and I have the genuine nissan indoor cover for is

LOL it was the jar-ring handling from most coil-overs :wack: :hurl: Chris

Looking at those that john D pictured you could deffo give them a try as the spring rates look more realistic. My pillow ball mounts (apexi) were shot after only a few thousand miles so i am not sure i would go that route again having had such a bad experience. Like I say you pays your money.........

If you want your teeth to stay in stick with the former. Note I just did the ring in my set-up with KYB's Eibach Springs and whiteline Anti roll bars it was sweet and handled brilliantly wet and dry. Note This was after taking off my coil-overs with pillow-ball top mounts which are only good for the smoothest of tracks and roads. Yeah you can adjust coilovers but my experience was that the spring rates that jap aftermarket manufacturers recommend for the Z are comedy stiff. I have got the bills to illustrate a hard learned lesson. You pays your money you make your choice bud.

Amen to that also do your anti-roll bars front and rear especially if jap as they are well-weedy...... UK spec wheel set with good tyres also helps road-holding and turn-in (wider rears). ;) Guess what I have a concours condition set for sale with toyo proxes T1R's (6mm left of tread on em) that cost over 400 notes for the set. Take them all with two free jap wheels (good bridgestones on them) for 100 notes. Chris

I think a carbon item that replaces both undertrays and extends to be a front splitter would be awesome anyone know someone who could do this?

i am running this set-up with whiteline anti-roll bars and the full energy suspension bushing kit. I just went to the nurburgring last month and it was sweet as a nut. especially in the wet where the handling was nice and predictable on the limit. This set-up is much better than some of the comedy skateboard handling you get on coilover-ed cars, The ring in particular really shows up overdone suspension set-up. I will not be changing my set-up anymore now. Chris

I have done a few laps on GT 4 and all i will say is I am great on EA tennis but........ You cannot compare at all. Sure 100 laps on PS two will let you memorise the corners but that is it and for example going round in the dry to the wet was like night-and-day. GT comparisons are pretty useless really Chris

LOL £700 was for two people, tunnel (no chav ferry experience), 4 stars hotels and an 8 lap pass for the ring. Sure I did it cheaper myself but the whole idea was someone else taking the hassle whilst i try to run and build my business........ Not sure Nicki would have enjoyed the amsterdam bit !!!! Mine you she was just as bad being a passener LOL

Cool. At its launch the Z was getting round in 9.15 mins. I used to race a bit in my past and reckon i was driving at 85% to get 9.45 but was slowed by not knowing the circuit, accidents, dickheads and bikes (it was way busy). I reckon after my 10 laps i at least knew what was coming for the first 40% of the circuit and then had familiar moments at various bits after. reckon I could get much quicker. I loved it in the wet as only smooth driving gets you round in one piece. it was amazing how many exotic machines had total jerks at the wheels and how many ring specials there were. The ring mini has to be seen at full tilt to appreciate it! Chris

Well team just got back from the ring and the Z behaved sweet. Did a 10min first lap which meant I equalled the time of that tranny van on top gear even as a ring virgin.(phew not going to embarrass myself) :) Second lap all going well until the marshall pulls me over with a horrible burning oil smell........... :headvswal damn zorst has got a clamp hanging off and the burning stuff on the pipe means it looks like smoke is coming from my car. SO get to the local garage get it on a jack tighten it up. Back in business........... :) cept I have a blowing exhaust gasket from turbo to down pipe. :mad: Fook car sounds shite but at least i can still play. :rolleyes: Did a 9.45 but the place is busy as hell so no really clean laps to be had. Always some biker down or some jeremy bending some serious money motor. Saw two M3's and a gallardo in the armco :eek: as well as lots and lots of bikes. :rolleyes: On my 7th lap the heavens open and apart from a couple of hairy moments with my traction control set to wet I really enjoy just trying to be smoooov as you like in the wet. No one passes me for the next 3 laps (racelogic :bow: big up yourselves!) Zed makes it home with no incident despite sounding like chug-a-boom from wacky races. 1,450 miles covered 131mph Vmax on the ring and 10 great laps. Check the pic