Ken S came to ZCarGarage several years ago when he just purchased this pretty 300zx Twin Turbo. It had just passed the 60k mark and ZCG performed routine maintenance including full timing belt services. It wasn’t long before Ken got the performance bug and started upgrading the suspension. ZCG installed Tockiko 5-way shocks, sway bars, and StopTech 13″ big brakes. After tackling the suspension naturally Ken wanted more power so a Stage 3 upgrade with supporting mods was installed. Unfortunately the stock turbos had issues so they were upgraded to JWT Sport 500s.

The original front bumper had seen better days with nicks and peeling. Williams worked his magic with new paint and installed new side skirts, JDM front bumper and that trademark vented hood that we have seen on other Z32s.

Recently Ken visited  ZCG for more power upgrades.  Basic performance upgrades included new 2.5″ IC plumbing and SMICs from ConceptZ.  Here you can see the install and how much cleaner the new plumbing is:

Dual JWT POP chargers replace the single merged setup:

With increased cooling capacity and the HKS boost controller total output is now 383hp/378tq at the wheels!

Here is the engine bay before/after the install and detailing. Please check the gallery for more detailed images: it’s easy to overlook all of the work that is performed!

It is impressive to see an iconic 90’s sports car perform and make power that rivals most current sports cars. It is even better when there is still plenty of aftermarket support and enthusiasts willing to continue developing parts!
Long Live the 300ZX TT!
Click below for more photos
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This G35 sports a built engine with a complete Vortech Supercharger kit and SI-trim upgrade.  A full supporting cast of components were installed by ZCarGarage including:

• Stillen headers
• Stillen exhaust
• Berk Hi-flow cats
• 600CC injectors

Rob and the ZCG crew extracted significant power gains using the UPREV software and PMAS MAF. A solid 20rwhp and 18rwtq were gained bringing total output to 456rwhp and 364tq!!!  Gotta love how the Vortech blower delivers a smooth ramp-up of power as rpm rise.

Jim’s G35 is a powerhouse but braking and traction were two items that needed attention.

We spent a lot of time making a decision about the look and size of the wheels. No offense to Jim but the chromed out Foose wheels were destined for a slammed Chevy Silverado! Take a look:

It is amazing how a wheel/tire combo can transform a car’s aesthetic. 19″ SSR Professor SP3 wheels look absolutely brilliant on the G and allowed us to install much needed larger tires. Icing on the cake was the Stoptech 14″ ST60 front brakes with ST22 13″ brakes in the rear:

Front:

Rear:

The combo is incredible!
Rob

More pictures in the gallery, enjoy!
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Yes Zcarblog readers, even those larger Nissans get ZCG love! Here is Rob with the story on this FX45:
Thad N and his wife Dana are big Nissan fans. Thad found a really clean FX with all the right stuff for making his commute a pleasureable experience. Living in the Santa Cruz mountains with all of those curvy roads this FX certainly gets put through its paces.
Thad has added GTspec bracing to stiffen up the chassis and intake to let that amazing V8 sing its song going in and out of the twistys.

His FX still had too much body roll in and out of the turns, and was also lacking in the brake department.
Solution 1: Eibach Pro-kit. A slight drop with some added spring rate allowing the FX to feel more solid during cornering.

Solution 2:  STOPTECH Big-Brake kt( BBK) kit with matching rotors and 309 pads in the rear. The stock rear calipers were also color matched to the fronts in red.

The new stance and big-brakes peeking out of the stock wheels turn this FX into a sleeper:

This FX is born again. Thad’s impression after the upgrades:  “the FX was amazing!!!”  After Dana drove she called to tell me that her G35 sedan needed to be upgraded ASAP.
So stay tuned this Nissan family has more upgrades on the way 🙂

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

Gary S. must have an affliction for Nissans that are fast, black, and modified. This 2006 G35 Coupe has just 13k miles on the clock and it has been tastefully modified to the tune of 500+rwhp. He is also the owner of the black BEHEMOTH RB28 240z, and brilliant S14 240sx (not black) that I will report on shortly. There has got to be another black, high hp Nissan somewhere in his garage 🙂 Besides owning fast Nissans Gary is quite resourceful and creative. Notice those ZCarGarage-themed barstools in the shop office? See a bunch of hard to find JDM pieces on wall? Thanks Gary!

When we last heard about Gary’s G35 it was making 470whp/470tq on 91 octane with the APS TT kit. The built engine comes from Rebello Racing and uses JWT S2 cams, 650cc RC injectors, 3.5″ downpipes and a JWT flywheel with HD clutch.
We were having trouble holding the boost level steady so upgraded Forged Actuators(13.5psi) and an HKS EV6 Boost Controller were installed to keep it in check. UPREV tuning with a PMAS MAF showed that stable boost = BIG HP and TQ: 513hp/509tq to the wheels!

Here is a short video clip(more to come) from one of the tuning sessions:

When Gary isn’t driving his amazing S14 he swaps out for this big, black machine with massive Stoptech brakes gleaming through gunmetal spokes of the Volk GT-7 wheels. Gorgeous .

This is the year that Gary will finally drive the long awaited BEHEMOTH so keep following the blog!