Mark G came to ZCG to have his NISMO Z33 wheels re-finished, T/C bushings replaced and get an UPREV tune. Since his Z was a base model it didn’t have the fancy multi-function steering wheel…UPREV tuning maps can be selected via the steering wheel mounted buttons so we did a complete gauge cluster/steering wheel swap.  The clutch switch was also replaced for the cruise control “cancel” button:

On the dyno, Rob’s UPREV tuning yielded +10hp/10tq  for a total of 270hp/253tq to the wheels. Check out the significant gains from mid-range to redline:

 

Hideki K brought his ultra-nice Nismo Z33 in for a full Stillen supercharger installation. Unfortunately Stillen did not make a kit specifically for the Nismo edition Z so we purchased a Stillen kit designed for the standard HR motor and made it work for Hideki!
Here are the goodies:

A few shots of the install:

 From NA to Forced Induction:

 

On the dyno the Nismo put down 282hp/246tq and the Stillen kit bumped those figures up to 370hp/272tq to the wheels:

 

Rob’s tuning yielded significant gains of 22hp/13tq for a grand total of 392hp/285tq to the wheels!

Enjoy the Ride Hideki!

Gary S. is a guy on a quest…to own each example of Nissan perfection. Lets begin the next chapter in Gary’s 240sx as it gets closer to that vision of exellence!
With the G35TT being what it is, Gary’s back-up car must have the same 3-dimensional qualities of big power, big brakes, and suspension. The to-do list included cleaning up the work done by the previous owner, and improve on an already amazing ride.
When the 240SX arrived from the east coast it already had the SR20DET engine swap, stock MAF, stock turbo, and boost controller. We dyno’d the car in stock configuration: 205hp/193tq at the wheels indicated a clean bill of health. Let the modifying begin.

We made a plan to make nice power on 91 octane with big torque throughout the mid-range to help Gary forget his new ride only has 4 cylinders 🙂 We installed a more “adult” exhaust to replace the loud RS*R muffler. Made by BRM, this exhaust is fairly priced, has perfect fitment, and most of all the twin-tips look very close to the factory outlets!

A call was made to Clark @ JWT and we wired in the Z32 MAF, installed the NISMO 740CC injectors, and plugged in the new ECU upgrade from JWT. We knew the stock turbo would never meet the power and torque requirement…come on it’s Gary…So another call was made, this time to the folks at TOMEI USA:

We decided to run several TOMEI components so off came the valve cover to install the S14 Poncams, rocker stoppers, TOMEI Expreme stainless turbo manifold, and turbo outlet pipe. TOMEI had just released the M7960 turbo and we told them we would give it a try and report back on the performance level. Behold the turbo manifold in all it’s glory….before it gets wrapped with high temp tape:

The stock manifold + turbo vs new Tomei setup….Hey Gary that old T28 is going into Alvin’s roadster, right?

Once the parts were installed we ran the Wideband 02, plugged in our Consult II and went out for a test run. The MAF voltage was higher than I had ever seen on a turbo car at this boost level. Once the boost kicked in…it was enough to put you firmly back in the seat.
On to the dyno…power levels were very nice, but at the top of the rpm range we were having trouble holding steady boost. 338hp and 305tq to the wheels with a great powerband was nice indeed.

We checked all of the usual suspects to sort out the boost issue but no answer. TOMEI USA was contacted and they are willing to help us find a way to get the desired power with a steady boost pressure: To be continued…

…Back to the car…
Big power is a great thing but driving a car that can only go fast can get old very quickly. It is no secret that ZCG loves using Stoptech Big-Brake-Kits…we have tested them on the street and the track with impressive results. It’s about time serious hp power met serious brakes on these cars! When was the last time you saw a set of these on a 240sx 🙂 Larger rotors, stainless lines and appropriately sized master cylinder round out the upgrade. To match the front calipers the rear Z32 calipers were finished in red/white lettering:

The 240 already came with a sweet set of bronze 18″ Nismo LM-GT4 wheels, here is the before/after Stoptechs up front:

Of course the bronze looks great against the white body but Gary wanted a more low-key appearance so the wheels were re-finished in black:

The next steps in the 240SX project will be to sort out our boost issue,  install some suspension upgrades and gauges. Here are a few more pics of the car with the new look:

Long Live the Man With The Most Nissans!
Rob

This gorgeous 1998 Nissan 240sx is getting extensive upgrades at ZCG. Owner Gary S. recently found this car and it is in immaculate condition from the interior/exterior to the clean S14 SR20DET drivetrain swap. Yes, that odometer reads just under 53k. Finding a “kouki” S14 this clean is near impossible!  Besides the SR this 240sx already came with pretty bronze NISMO wheels, Z32 brakes, RS-R exhaust, and some mild suspension upgrades.

If you have seen Gary’s RB-powered 240z, affectionately called Behemoth than you know what’s in store for this 240sx will be both tasteful and impressive.  The modification list includes a host of suspension parts from SPL:
Tension rods
Front inner/outer tie rods
Steering Rack boots/bushings
Front upper and lower arms
Rear toe rods, lower arms, traction rods
Rear knuckle monoball bushings
Progress front and rear sway bars
The SR20 will get Tomei cams, turbo, 3″ downpipe, and JWT will handle the ECU. Stoptech big-brakes on the front will replace the Z32 calipers/rotors.
Stay tuned for more updates!

I have quite a few posts in the works that should be done in the next day or two. Coming up will be a full track report from last Monday’s sessions at Laguna Seca, a nice write up on a G35 build and lots more.

Thanks to those of you who are patiently waiting.

Long live the Z

Rawb