The Specialty-Z intake kit replaces the restrictive factory airbox:
AMS downpipes and midpipe:
Dyno Tuning
Nathan signed on for ECUTEK tuning including his own ECUTEK Bluetooth dongle to check codes and monitor vitals. With Rob’s dyno tuning the GT-R made 553hp/545tq at the wheels, gains of +53hp/82tq:
Enjoy the dyno videos below:
Nathan was super excited with the results and fueling upgrades are up next. Long Live Boost and Long Live the GT-R!
At Z Car Garage we are fortunate to be a part of our client’s sports car journeys. We first met Derek Y in 2014 when we worked on his 2005 Infiniti G35 back. A few years passed by and he visited us with his latest Nissan, this 2015 GT-R:
The R35 had only 11k miles and ZCG installed a host of power upgrades from AMS, EcuTek, SpecialtyZ, Turbosmart and more. You can read about this work from 2019, including the E85 flex-fuel and exhaust upgrades all in this previous blog post.
More Power and a New Look
Derek latest visit was earlier this year for dyno tuning, interior items and AirLift installation. When it arrived at the shop this R35 sported a complete Varis Kamikaze-R Ver. 2 widebody “Super Sonic” kit and Varis Kamikaze-R Ver. 2 Vented Carbon hood. The Air Lift 3H air suspension strut kit was installed with polished 5 gallon tank.
We ran all of the air lines, checked ride height and clearances for the slick Advan R6 Candy Red wheels (20×11 +15 front – 20×12+20 rear) with Toyo R888R tires (305/35/20 Front – 325/30/20 Rear), more installation photos in the gallery below:
We also installed a new, Overtake 100-V Saikou Exhaust:
A few minor items like a new battery, TPMS sensors in the new wheels and a final health check for Derek’s VR30DETT…but first we performed a re-tune with Ecutek for even more power. Our last dyno session yielded 612hp/604tq to the wheels and it left with 640hp/622tq. What’s impressive is that this remains a supercar that’s easy to to drive:
Enjoy these dyno runs:
Interior
Derek had several interior items for us to install including: Mines Steering Wheel, Nismo Cluster, Nismo cluster shroud and shiftter paddles:
Derek is happy with the latest upgrades to the R35:
“I have been going to Rob for a while now, he worked on my car october 2019 (bolt on and e85 work done) and again recently with a new tune and air suspension and some interior mods. The work is always great its making more power now and more responsive linear power.”
Here are the SpecialtyZ 3″ intakes and AMS front-mount intercooler being installed:
More engine bay work including the AMS crankcase breather setup, ID 1300cc injectors (plus DW fuel pump upgrade), Turbosmart BOVs and a SpecialtyZ Flex-Fuel kit:
AMS crankcase breather being plumbed:
Stock vs Turbosmart BOV:
On the lift, AMS cat-less downpipes are installed:
At first glance it is difficult to catch all of the power upgrades in the engine bay, Stock (L) vs Modified (R)
Derek also needed new tires so we mounted fresh Michelin Pilot Sport4S sized 245/40/20 and 285/35/ 20.
Dyno Tuning
Back in 2019 , Rob dyno tuned the GT-R using an EcuTek flash and Derek also received a USB dongle for datalogging. Baseline power was 495hp/446tq with final numbers of 612hp/604tq to the wheels on E85:
A few plots showing the tuning session: Baseline to 91 octane tune with gains of 65hp/93tq (Left), and the final E85 tune for even more gains of 52hp/51tq (Right):
Video of the R35 on the ZCG dyno:
Thanks for letting us work on your GT-R Derek and enjoy the boost!
Filed under: Performance,z32
by Alvin G @ 3:00 pm on May 23, 2022
The Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is one the best Japanese sports cars of the 90’s. Keeping them on the road is our passion and we love to see our clients like Peter H Enjoying the Ride after some Z Car Garage power, chassis and aesthetic upgades.
Let’s take a look at how we made the already-fantastic 300ZX a well-rounded sports car, starting with Peter’s Z-story.
It’Z Never Too Late to Z
Peter was not always a Z-car enthusiast, but as we all know it there is no time like the present to own one and he acquired his Z32 from a prior Z Car Garage client:
“My experience with ZCG started back in end of 2016 when I acquired the Z from one of their former customers. To be honest, I had a very limited knowledge on Nissan Z cars before 2016 as I had a heart on rotary engine (Mazda FD RX-7) until I connected to the Z and its timeless design. I first brought my Z in to ZCG for power steering leak as the car was exclusively maintenance by ZCG and I want to keep it that way and I was impressed with the quality work of ZCG and their knowledge. Istarted to chat with Rob about the car and learned a lot from Rob about Z cars.”
Over the last 5 years we helped Peter with regular maintenance along with performance upgrades. Peter really wanted to give this car the attention it deserves while enjoying the occasional open track day.
Power Upgrades
Prior to power upgrades a few items were addressed. The 1990-1994 Z32TT’s have fuel injector problems because Nissan used a wet coil design. This left the injector coil wire prone to oxidation over time and eventual shorting. The solution? Convert to later style injectors using the early fuel rail. For Peter’s Z we wanted to run 740cc injectors which is only available in the new style:
More engine work including full timing belt services along with valve cover removal/refinishing:
Driveline was upgraded with a JWT HD clutch and flywheel. Keen observers may note that the exhaust has changed too!
Larger downpipes greatly improve flow over the stock manifolds. The best downpipes for your Z32TT can be found at SpecialtyZ. These are 3″ units:
The Z was treated to a chassis steam clean, making a clean grime-free backdrop for the new exhaust system. Downpipes were mated to 3-2.5″ SPZ mid-pipes and Greddy SP1 Exhaust:
We installed more parts from our friends at SpecialtyZ like their Selin dual MAF. To improve breathing we also installed larger Stillen intercoolers and charge plumbing from Ash-spec. Managing boost is a Greddy Profec E Boost Controller:
Finally, low-profile engine mounts from BDE offer more turbo inlet clearance and oil temps kept in check with a Concept Z Performance full Flow Oil Cooler Kit:
Recent work at Z Car Garage included a repaired turbo actuator, oil plan replacement, repaired heater core, new OEM wiring harness and minor electrical sorting from a 3rd party gauge installation.
Dyno Tuning
We dyno tuned Peter’s Z picking up 25hp/32tq for a total of 36hp/341tq at the wheels:
Enjoy this video below showing the dyno run, a walk-around, take-off and brief track footage:
Big-Brakes and Chassis
As every Z32 owner knows, the stock brakes just aren’t up to the task for track duty or even spirited driving. More power exacerbates the issue and you know how we feel at ZCG: It’s Stoptech Or Don’t Stop At All. Peter eventually experienced the difference:
“The Z was cranking out 355wHP but with stock brakes and heavy wheels. The acceleration was great but it had a big problem on stopping. I first upgraded with bigger rotors but it did not feel enough stopping power when going downhill. I brought my concern to Rob and Rob made it clearly to me Stoptech BBK is the only solution on Z32s.”
We installed the 332mm Big-Brake Kit using red calipers and rotors. Stock vs Stoptech:
At the rear, stock Z32 calipers were paint-matched to the Stoptech red up front. Sport kit slotted rotors with 309 pads and SS lines throughout:
In addition to their function, the Stoptech’s look nice too!
A few chassis upgrades included Powertrix Front Strut Tower, Stillen Front Rear Sway Bars, SPL Titanium Tension Rods, full Tein Flex Z Coilovers and new steering rack boots/bushings:
Interior
Peter wanted us to sort out his aftermarket gauges (Prosport Boost Gauge, Oil Temperature, Water Temperature Gauge), install a new steering wheel and upgrade lighting:
The dim stock displays benefitted from new LED sources. Check out the difference:
Even the climate control display is improved:
More LED upgrades throughout the cabin:
Peter’s interior touches include a Custom Alcantara on factory steering wheel with thumb rest:
Recaro Speed Racing Seats with Bride Seat rail/bracket, Nismo Clutch and Brake Pedal, Cusco accelerator pedal, and custom carbon fiber interior door sill with a logo “Fairlady” :
Aesthetics
We did Peter’s choice of exterior design items including a Stillen Type III lower bumper lip, TwinZ Design side skirts, TwinZ Design Rear diffuser, TwinZ Design Rear Spoiler Lip, and rare Veilside Polyurethane Exterior Mirrors:
Unfortunately while we were on group drive we saw Peter roadside as the Z stepped out a bit on him. This gave us an opportunity to get some loving from William on the front end with his famous “extractor mod” as Rob describes:
“For almost two decades William has taken the factory aluminum hood and created a functional vent. All of th h igh hp cars have this hood mod and it looks OEM. Peter got lucky, we want our clients to enjoy their cars but please be safe out there. They are not making these epic sports cars anymore like the 90-96 Z32.”
Wheels Make the car
Peter obsessed on a set of proper wheels and tires for the Z, choosing the 18″ Advan Racing TC4:
“I had 3 brands in mind, SSR GT V01, Advan Racing TC4, Volk Racings TE37 Time Attack Saga. As Z32 is an older car, finding modern wheels with the right offset is challenging. After 3 months of back and forth communication/verification with Rob, we finally came to a conclusion with Advan Racking TC4 with 18×8.5” (offset 31) and 18×10” (offset 35) as I want to reserve some room to go with wider tires in case the car runs more HP in the future. There was a 10 months wait time on these wheels.”
We mounted the wheels with Bridgestone RE71R tires and they do look fantastic, framing the Stoptech calipers well, more photos in the gallery below!
Enjoying The Ride
Peter has been driving his Z on the street and on the track:
“Rob was trying to talk me out of the track, saying the Z32 is not a good track car but to me, I have made the car this far, I am not out there to compete with anyone, just to have fun and proved a well maintained Z32 can be enjoyed on the race track.”
Indeed, Peter took the Z to an open track day at Thunderhill Raceway and had a blast:
Thanks for your support and passion for the Z32, Peter. Keep Enjoy The Ride!
We met Henry L in 2019 when he brought his 370Z in to Z Car Garage for bolt-ons and eventual forced-induction. Henry is a fellow gearhead with an Alfa Romeo 4C spider but his passion for the Z started at an early age:
“My first dream car was 350Z. I learned about Z cars in my college days and I recall a cool kid driving one while I was waiting at a bus stop in the cold rain. We had an opportunity to buy a new car and I was very fortunate that it could be a Z. After purchasing the 370Z, 6 months later went to ZCG and the journey began. No offense to stock Zs but these are meant to be modified 🙂 My wife and I both love our Z and I thank her for supporting my hobby 🙂 “
Bolt-on Beginnings
With only a few months of owner-hip of his new 370s Sport Touring Henry visited us for upgrades. The latest Z34s had ECU changes and no software support at the time. Henry knew he wanted to go forced-induction so in the interim we started bolt-on upgrades. In April of 2019 the chassis was treated to full KWV3 coil-over suspension with SPC F/R control arms and Hotchkis sway bars:
A few installation pictures, followed by a full alignment:
A cat-back exhaust system from Armytrix with Valvetronic sound adjustment:
Henry requested a new steering wheel install:
Stock (with a cover) removed and new carbon fiber + alcantara-trimmed wheel installed:
Time For Boost
With 12k miles on the odometer Henry was ready for boost. We ordered the Stillen supercharger kit (black), CARB-legal for piece of mind. Supporting parts included a Concept Z 25-row oil cooler (thermostatically controlled), Stillen transmission cooler and fueling upgrades. Here a few pictures of the installation:
Fueling upgrades include a CJ Motorsports stage 1 fuel return system and billet fuel pump hat, 1300cc Injector Dynamics injectors, Hellcat Wallbro fuel pump, SpecialtyZ flex fuel kit:
The SpecialtyZ flex-fuel kit comes with a Zeitronix gauge that we mounted in pace of the OEM clock:
Cooling upgrades include Soho Motorsports air-to-air intercooler, Concept Z 25-row oil cooler (thermostatically controlled) and Stillen transmission cooler. Also shown is the Fast Intentions crash bar with tow-hook:
Oil and transmission coolers:
We installed a Fast Intentions billet flex-plate, much stronger than the OEM unit:
Finally, we changed the exhaust from Armytrix to an ARK Grip setup paired with ART Pipes from Motordyne:
Henry loves the current exhaust setup:
“I’ve gone through Nismo OEM, Armytrix, and eventually settled with Rob and a friend of mine’s suggestion for the forced induction route: Ark grip catback system + Motordyne art pipes = the deep growl without screaming. Sort of the centered idea of the goals of my Z project – subtle power without drawing attention.”
Dyno Tuning
We wanted the most efficent blower wheel to run ethanol so the V3 SI blower wheel was installed. Ecutek software was used for tuning, MAP-based with omni sensor.
Shown below are dyno graphs from when Henry was NA to 91 octane and E75 tunes on the Vortech. NA, the Z made 316hp/252tq and a 91 octane tune supercharged yielded 501hp/370tq at the wheels:
Rob then tuned the Z on E75 for 573hp/426tq at the wheels:
Enjoy the dyno tuning video!
We are very happy with the results and even more stoked to hear Henry’s feedback on the supercharger and tuning performance:
“The supercharger is very daily usable and power whenever I want! The sc mods put together and tuned by Rob for a 7at Z is able to reach 570+ whp and 430 wtrq and still feel smooth and dramatic at the same time is absolutely beyond my expectation (I followed every ZCG 370Z blog posts and it’s a honor to be one of the highest power 370Z from ZCG, hats off to Rob) And did I mention daily-driveable? Good surprise for me. In addition, Rob has been really patient and knowledgeable for all my questions and requests and late night text regarding my Z. It really felt like we built the car together but it’s all his magic touches! I really appreciate the journey! More to come”
Wheels Make the Car
We have said it before: wheels make or break a car. After long discussions with Henry we decided on the Ray’s TE37 Ultra Track Edition II. Finished in Blast Black and sized 19×9.5/10.5 these wheels look perfect on the Z34.
We love the little details Ray’s applied:
Enjoy The Boost!
Henry has been Enjoying The Ride in his supercharged 370Z.
“I love my Z and ZCG! Long live the Z! ZCG has been the place to go if you love Z cars, new or classic. Rob and the shop/crew exude passion for Z cars and you immediately know they will take care of your Z and your Z will be among its family. Rob has been great through the journey and worked with “our” Z. I am sure there is more to come for my Z with ZCG!”
You can follow Henry here on Instagram. What’s next for his Z? He’s playing with idea of a body kit but trying to maintain that subtle-aesthetic approach in his build. Stay tuned! Thank you Henry for letting us build your Z. It’s very cool for us as a shop trying to make 50-old cars keep with cars like this. We enjoy playing with the new stuff just as much as the classics. LONG LIVE THE Z! More pictures in the gallery below:
Arsia has been coming to Z Car Garage for over 10 years with his 1994 Z32 Convertible. This was his first car and it has been a pleasure helping him maintain and modify it.
“When I first went to ZCG I was incredibly happy to have found a place that I could completely trust with my Z. Working with Rob is like finding a doctor that you trust and listen to any advice they give.”
“I got the Z in 1996 while I was in high school. My parents were open to me getting a sporty car, but nothing too crazy. I have an uncle in San Diego that sold used cars and he told my parents he had a great deal on a used 1994 Convertible Z. Lucky for me, my parents had no idea what type of car this was, but assumed it was something mild given my uncle was recommending it. In high school the car was used in one of our school parades. Today, the Z is still my daily driver and me and my girlfriend love taking the car out together on weekends for a drive or road trip.”
Making It His Own
Over the last decade Arsia would come to the shop for little projects, slowly giving the 300 his personal touch and building a really nice convertible. The body received a KarumaZ rear spoiler and we called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body to mold-in the side skirts and correct paint work.
Engine
At 93k miles, routine maintenance and upgrades commenced. We fixed all the little things he asked of us and performed timing belt services. Power upgrades included JWT 400 cams, POP charger, JWT ecu (tuned by Rob) rob tune, aftermarket cat and a SpecialtyZ 2.5″ exhaust:
With Rob’s dyno tuning the VG30DE made 206hp/185hp at the wheels. Solid gains of 24hp/34tq from baseline!
Suspension
Early on we installed Tokico 5-way shocks with an Eibach pro-kit, SPL T/C Rods, z32 rack bushings, and Stillen sway bars:
In 2015 we upgraded to TEIN Street Flex coil-overs with EDFC and GPS active suspension:
More maintenance followed with a new convertible top, smog, fuel hoses, 02 sensors and oil change in 2016.
In 2019 we replaced the injectors, cleaned up wear and tear. The transmission got tired so we did a Level 1 hot rod unit with torque converter. 10 years had passed so we serviced timing belt:
Stoptech Big-Brakes
As every Z32 owner knows, the stock brakes just aren’t up to the task. More power exacerbates the issue and you know how we feel at ZCG: It’s Stoptech Or Don’t Stop At All. Arsia’s Z got the 328mm Big-Brake Kit using red ST40 calipers and slotted rotors. A Stoptech sport kit in back with color matched stock calipers completes the system:
Wheels
Wheels make the car. Arsia had a set of OEM (’05-09) 18″ Z33 wheels on the 300. After much research, in Fall 2019 we ordered a set of Volk CE28N SL 18×8.5 front, 18x 9.5 rear finished in Pressed Graphite:
“Finding the CE28N wheels was a long hard process that honestly took hours of research over many days (thankfully Rob was there to help). I kept looking through tons of sites and hundreds of wheel options. Wheel after wheel either didn’t fit, had been discontinued, or wasn’t available in the color I wanted. I knew that whatever wheel I chose would be on the car for 10+ years, so I wanted to ensure it was high quality, extremely light and matched the aesthetics of a pearl Z. I was soooo happy with the result and the help from Rob to really perfect the look of the car.”
The CE28N wheels are light, at 17.8 lbs and they they look fantastic against the pearl white and gleaming Stoptech calipers behind those iconic spokes.
An alignment was performed after wheels/tire installation and we also installed center caps. The SL series wheels are not designed to accept a center cap so we used a hub adapter for that icing on the cake:
Arsia is stoked with the upgrades:
“The thing that I’ve loved with my journey with Rob is that not only is the car well maintained after being 26yrs old, but that it just keeps getting better. With the addition of Stoptech brakes, TEIN suspension, new cams, transmission upgrade, etc, the car feels better than new, while still being a capable daily driver. Rob really knows what maintenance and upgrades work best!”
Enjoying the Ride
Arsia can be found cruising around the Bay Area backroads, top down Enjoying The Ride. We love that after all these years he’s still passionate about his 300. More pictures in the gallery below!
“Rob is always super knowledgeable and understands what your goals are. I love the fact that he knows these cars so well and his top priority is having customers drive away with a smile. Every single time I’ve got the car back after service, I feel the same way I did the day I first drove the car….just grinning ear to ear! I really am thankful for the entire ZCG team, if it wasn’t for them, I truly don’t know if I would be able to still have this car today.”
Thank you Arsia, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you. Long Live The Z!
