ok, i was interested in getting a 300zx, a 90-96 with the twin turbo. well for my money (about 8-10k) i was thinking of getting a late 80s 300zx and build it up. i'd probably buy a turbo 5-speed but what can i do to them??? are they workible??

how big of a loss would it be powerwise than to just go and put the extra cash for a 90+ TT??

i want to try and run low 13s. i'm sorta into fast cars and i don't mind working at it. so help me out. what do you enthusiast suggest i go with

pre-90s turbo. or put out for a late model TT???

Let Me Know-

Oooooooooh boy...I like these questions...

What would *I* DO? Well...a better question would actually be, if you don't know me, is "what AM I doing"?

Quick bit o' background on me:

I'm Brent. Currently looking for my 4th Z31. I'm rebuilding the turbo engine out of my last Z31, which was an 86T 5-speed that I found for a VERY good price...:biggrin: I've been working on these cars since I was 16 and I love them. I'll always have a Z31 in my garage if I can. Currently I have an NA 88 2 seater that's stock, but has a system in the works. Top of the line Alpine head unit, full set (4) of Infinity 2 ways and a pair of MTX 12s getting ready to go in as soon as I get the cash to put it in. :evillol: I've driven turbo and NA Z31s (obviously), multiple Z32s and even a couple Z33s (350Zs...great cars).

But...each car has it's pros and cons...

Z31 Pros:

CHEAP!!! This is the biggest pro for these cars in my eyes and is a major reason why I love these cars so. You can get a Z31T with a 5-speed in decent condition for only a few grand! If you have 8-10G to spend, you can pick up one of these and make a car that's truely nothing short of a rocket sled and probably have enough money left over to buy another Z31! They can be put into the mid 5 second range on the dash to 60 for only ~700 in simple bolt ons...most of which you can install yourself. For value, there is not many cars that are better then the Z31.

Simple. I don't know if you have seen the engine bay of the Z32(TT) or not, but that car is quite a bit more complex than the Z31 is. Z31: V6, SOHC with a single turbo and no intercooler on the turbo models. One of the simplest turbo sytems you'll ever see. Hell...one of the simplest engines you'll ever see. No fancy variable valves or anything...pretty solid engines due to their simplicity if nothing else. This makes them a lot easier to work on, too. The VG30DETT in the Z32 is kinda tricky...it was designed as, essentially 2 banks of three cylinders working off one crank. Each bank of 3 cylinders has its own turbo, intercooler, exhaust and even intake and throttle body! This is pretty unique and this is why the engine is quite menacing looking at first glance to who ever may think about working on one.

Cons for the Z31:

Bit dated technology wise. It's not ancient, but it's not modern, either. This isn't completely a bad thing, though...it keeps stuff simple...simple is a glorious word for anyone who plans to modify their own car. BUT...while making the sacrifice for simplicity, you lose all the cool variable valve timing and stuff that the company learned through the years...not just in terms of drive train, but this education shows in the car's handling, too. The Z32 handles very well...better than the Z31...but that's what mods are for...:p The Z32 is definately the more technologically advanced car and is VERY over engineered.

I don't think it looks as good as the Z32. That's a pretty common feeling, as well. The Z31 doesn't look bad, but the Z32 is just flat out sexy. Period.

Pros and cons for the Z32 are kinda just the opposite of those for the Z31...no need to type all that out. If no mods were allowed and you wanted the better car, you'd have to buy the Z32TT. But if you plan on modding, the Z31 is the only choice unless you plan on putting a moderately sized chunk of cash into it. The Z32TT isn't too cheap OR easy to mod.

You can rule the world in a Z32TT if you know what you're doing...but...you can also rule the world in a Z31T if you know what you're doing...and still have money left over.

Bottom line:

The fastest Z31 I've ever seen was faster than the Fastest Z32 I've ever seen. Does that mean that these are the fastest examples of each in the world? No. It's just something to think about.

Z31:

http://www.dragtimes.com/images/943643373roloracing.jpg
Fernando Cancel who's running 9.8s in his 86T

http://z31.com/racing/8secz.jpg
That's one of my favorite Z pics EVER...I've NEVER seen a unibody Z32 running that fast.

Z32:

http://store1.yimg.com/I/sgpracing-store_1857_125198891
That's the fastest Z32 I've seen. It is pretty impressive, too..."Kyle's car still holds the record before the chasis mods, of the fastest daily driven, 300ZXTT in the world w/ 10.44 @ 140.10 mph!! Full 3400#'s and still drove it to work everyday..." I don't care who you are...a car that will run 10s on the weekend and cart you ass to work every day is cool...AND he's still 3400 lbs! Click this (http://store.yahoo.com/sgpracing-store/kyl93nis30.html) link to see the amount of modification it takes to get to that point. Quite a bit...but it's bullet proof and is as reliable as your mom's 2004 Camry. They didn't cut any corners.

If you have any questions or need help in your search for a car, feel free to let me know, man. PM or post...either or.

Later.

--Brent

You can rule the world in a Z32TT if you know what you're doing...

Destroy. Destroy the world. It's right there. Get with the program damn it.

Anyway, "+1" to everything he said up there. Buying and upgrading a Z32 Twin Turbo is hugely expensive. Now granted you don't have to sink big money into it. ~$4000 worth of bolt-on upgrades on a Z32 can get you upwards of 400rwhp. The nice thing about all the tech on the Z32 VG engine is that it makes getting more power out of it fall-off-a-log easy. But to go farther with an engine build and cams and pistons and rods and turbos...you can rack up as much as you spent on the car in a heart beat.

This is really going to boil down to how far you want to go with it. If you are looking for a 1G skidpad, 700rwhp and show stopping looks then the Z32 is just a much better place to start out from. The Z32 NA makes more power than the Z31 Turbo (off set by the greater upgrade potential of the Z31 T). If you are looking for a reliable car with some major scoot to it and are working on a budget then the Z31 may be a much better option for you.

Destroy. Destroy the world. It's right there. Get with the program damn it.

Oops...my bad...either way...I'd rather rule than destroy, anyway...but if you have to destroy to rule, then ok...:evillol:

This is really going to boil down to how far you want to go with it. If you are looking for a 1G skidpad, 700rwhp and show stopping looks then the Z32 is just a much better place to start out from.

Well...don't make it look like the Z31 is incapable of those things...cuz with mods, it is capable of 1G skid pads, 700rwhp (or more) and good looks.

The Z32 NA makes more power than the Z31 Turbo (off set by the greater upgrade potential of the Z31 T). If you are looking for a reliable car with some major scoot to it and are working on a budget then the Z31 may be a much better option for you.

Yes, the Z32 NA does put out more power stock (the Z32 NA = 222 HP, the 84-86 Z31T = 200 HP, the 87-89 Z31T = 205 HP) but the Z car put on quite a bit of weight as it went through it's redesign between the Z31 and Z32 generations. The Z31 only weighs around 3000 lbs...not LIGHT, but not heavy, either. Weight is the enemy of performance. The Z32 weighs as much as my buddy's Anniversary Edition, V8 Camaro...and it's a convertible!! I don't have my 300ZX brochure at my apartment, but I'll look up the exact curb weight or the 1992 Z32 "from the horse's mouth" if I go to my parent's house any time soon.

Once you start getting into upgrading, you can get any car to hit any performance bench market you want. The point was that if you are going really big then it's usually best to start out as high as you can. A Camaro can be made to achieve just about anything. But if you are going to push the bar that high why not just start out with a Corvette?

I know what you mean and it's mostly true. The thing about starting lower is that it's sometimes more cost effective. Fast cars are expensive...slower cars with potential are cheap.

I just read that shit about Zgringo in your sig. Funny shit. I remember getting into it with him a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago and I ALWAYS thought he reeked of bullshit. Good to know the truth finally came out. It's a great feeling when you expose a poser, isn't it? You ever think about becoming a PI, man?

both are valid points. both of you seem to know you sh*t about Zs and thats great.

i'm gonna stand off alittle while and collect my cash. currently i drive a mstang thats pretty sick in itself, i think i might work the F out of it before i get myself a Z toy to build up. i will keep you both informed and i am most likely gonna decide it out of availibility.

to be honest i looked at the z32s and said to myself 300hp is alot but you slap a twin turbo on my moms forester and you'll get 300horses. i thought about the turbo z31 and realized that 200hp in the turbo stock just isn't the starting point i wanna be at. maybe its better i get something naturally aspirated and ram forced induced horsepower through it.

my main facination with z cars and the nissan potential is from my want for an awd tt skyline. but you cant buy one here without selling a limb or drugs to people who need'm. i would like something awd for drag reasons and i would like something big and throaty. you guys no if nissan has an awd set up in anything. doesn't matter how old.

let me know if you think i'm going about things the right way. or if you think i should find my pleasures someplace else --
thanks by the way for all your info. much needed

You should stick with the Z. You don't need awd to go fast. With 8-10 grand, you could go far with a Z car...

Nissan doesn't sell an AWD sports car here.

well the Z32 TT is as good as it gets for the US and is about as good as it gets for anywhere for bang for the buck and modability. high quality, well built car with gobs of engineering to make your life easier when it comes time to modify. i dont think you would be disappointed if you gave it a try. if it wasnt good enough for drag, there wouldnt be so many Z32's set-up for drag...like kyle at SGP's, escorts, peacekeeper, etc.

True. The Z32TT is a very good car for EVERYTHING...it's a very balanced car. I don't believe it's perfectly suited for the strip, but it does shine there. I see it more as a track car or a car you hit the mountain roads in. It is very over engineered which makes modding easier/safer. It has a pretty wide aftermarket as well. BUT...it's not cheap to buy, maintain and mod. THAT'S the car's (only) downfall in my eyes...you gotta have a bit more bankroll to really get a Z32 on the move.

THAT'S the car's (only) downfall in my eyes...you gotta have a bit more bankroll to really get a Z32 on the move.


so very true...:rolleyes: goes back to eating my daily helping of rice & butter. :(

lol...hey...I did that between semesters in Culinary School...I could make a batch of rice pilaf for 5-10 bucks and it'd last for weeks...lol

lol...hey...I did that between semesters in Culinary School...I could make a batch of rice pilaf for 5-10 bucks and it'd last for weeks...lol

yeah rice lasts for a long time if you can eat it for that long. im sick of it...

Ahhhh.... I love working in the fast food industry. ALL YOU CAN EAT!!

Ewww...don't think I'd LIKE to have access to all I can eat fast food. I try to avoid fast food if possible. The only fast food I like to partake in from time to time is Taco Hell. I go to McD's, Wendy's, Burger King, Arby's, etc maybe once every 3 or 4 months...if that...and that's among ALL of them. But...if you think about it...fast food is a pretty vague term...pizza could kinda be considered fast food if you think about it...

The only fast food I like to partake in from time to time is Taco Hell. I go to McD's, Wendy's, Burger King, Arby's, etc maybe once every 3 or 4 months....

Ok. We have like two of those in Australia. McD's and Wendy's (im assuming its the icecream shop you mean). WTF is Arby's?? Ive never even heard of that.

Well i work with BBQ chicken so its not that bad. One of the healthier fast foods out and about.

Arby's...i recently started liking Arby's. more expensive for a fast food restaurant but i love their curly fries and the fact that you can change it up between a good chicken sandwich, roast beef instead of burgers, and market fresh sandwiches. yummm...sorry, i have had a variety of food from Arbys beings its right next door to where i work. i often go and grab a quick bite when money finds itself in my pocket.

Wendy's is a fast food place like McDonald's but i think everything their is 10 times better than McD's. best fast food burger in my opinion.

does everyone have a "Steak'n' Shake" where you live??? Dairy Queen??? Hardee's anyone? White Castle??? Taco John's? Subway? Quiznos? Mancinos? Jimmy John's? Sonic's? Jaenickes? Bozo's? Wow...fast food is getting out of hand. its quite depressing...and they wonder why america is overwight. dumba**es!!!

Arby's...i recently started liking Arby's. more expensive for a fast food restaurant but i love their curly fries and the fact that you can change it up between a good chicken sandwich, roast beef instead of burgers, and market fresh sandwiches. yummm...sorry, i have had a variety of food from Arbys beings its right next door to where i work. i often go and grab a quick bite when money finds itself in my pocket.

Wendy's is a fast food place like McDonald's but i think everything their is 10 times better than McD's. best fast food burger in my opinion.

does everyone have a "Steak'n' Shake" where you live??? Dairy Queen??? Hardee's anyone? White Castle??? Taco John's? Subway? Quiznos? Mancinos? Jimmy John's? Sonic's? Jaenickes? Bozo's? Wow...fast food is getting out of hand. its quite depressing...and they wonder why america is overwight. dumba**es!!!

ok... So the only thing i recognised out of that last list was subway....

I had never heard of a fast food place called wendy's before. The main fast foodplaces in Australia are Mc Donalds, Hungry Jacks(rebadged Buger King), KFC, Chicken Treat/Red Rooster(owned by same ppl) and i guess subway... Correct me if ive forgotten anything MikeMan.

Australia just doensnt have the population to support too many different fast food companies.

That wouldn't bother me. I don't eat fast food much, so it's all good. What do you guys do for food down there when you're hungry, don't wanna cook and don't wanna go some place fancy-ish? Here, it just seems like everyone eats fast food. Gee...and we wonder why the hell damn near everyone here is too fucking fat. Imagine that. Stuff youself with big-macs a few times a week and you're gunna gain weight...especially as lazy as americans generally are.

I know that this thread has gone WAY off topic, but I'm a restaurant guy...perhaps this is why I find this so interesting...I dunno. I've been working in food service since I was 15. When ever I leave town, I try to find cool local restaurants to check out. If you're ever in this area, you'll have these to choose from: subway, mc-d's, burger king (one of my personal fav when I get the urge to get a burger), Fuddruckers (www.fuddruckers.com) (or Ruddfuckers, as I like to call it...lol...pretty good food but it's kinda expensive for what it is), arby's (which actually has pretty good food...and arby's makes more money than any other fast food chain...fun fact for you guys...), white castle (www.whitecastle.com) (which kicks ass), Kentucky Fried Chicken, long john silver, captain D's (basically a long john silver), Rally's, steak n shake, dairy queen, quizno's, gold star (chili and white castle...it's a cincinnati area thing...can't come to this area without getting some chili and whiteys), skyline (another cincinnati chili place...is chili "fast food"? I dunno.) and I'm not even counting the pizza places...

When I lived in cali, we had the COOLEST fast food places...

Weinerschnitzel was the shit...some kinda interesting stuff on their site (http://www.wienerschnitzel.com/) if you're interested...turns out they're the WORLD'S LARGEST hot dog chain. Go figure.

Jack in the Box (www.jackinthebox.com) which is kinda like burger king but 9127364981237492634091824 times better...

But...the BEST burgers in so cal are from In-N-Out Burger (http://www.in-n-out.com/menu.asp). I miss this place. Chili and Whiteys are a cinci thing...In-N-Out is a cali thing. They have the SIMPLEST menu I've ever seen...all they sell are 3 different kinds of hamburger, fries and milk shakes/soft drinks. That's IT. Reminds me of Chipotle (http://www.chipotle.com/). Don't know if you have those where you guys are but it's one of my FAVORITE places here. I'd love to open a Chipotle franchise...a menu that simple saves a lot of head aches.

But it's all relative...if I moved back to cali, I'd probably miss White Castle and gold star...so it's a trade off. But I would REALLY like an In-N-Out Double Double and a shake...mmm...

Where do you guys go when you're hungry, don't feel like cooking and don't wanna go to a fancy-ish sit-down type of place?

Damm thats a lot of variety. Well if you watn deep fried chicken then you go get KFC. If you want a burger then you go to Hjs(hungryjacks) or maccas. The only other real options are fish and chips, where you jsut go to your local shop, or pizza. THe main chains we have in Aust are, Eagleboys (the best by far), Dominos (the cheapest) Pizza hut (im not a fan) and maybe pizza haven (not bad). Oh yeah and there is subway too.

There arent any big chain asian, mexican, chilli (wft, you have chilli fast food?!?!?!) stores around here. Not in Perth at least.

I go out reasonably often with my girlfriend to restraunts and stuff. Its pretty easy to find a place thats cheap and has decent food as well. My mates and i also go out to dinner once a fortnight to try and find the cheapest place to get dinner without resorting to fast food. I've started going out for coffee more and more as well. Im staring to become a coffee snob. Heading in to Subiaco, where all the trendy yuppies hang out, is always funny when your with a bunch of your raucous mates disturbing their peace :biggrin:

One benefit of not having a lot of big chain stores around is that there is heaps of little family run places that serve you good food for a good price. I love those little places! I found a wikid little place close to me that does a mental gourmet woodfired pizzas. For only $15AUS a pizza!! Thats a bargin.

Not too bad. I GREATLY prefer going to a nice family owned place than some chain place. My family and I used to go to a little family owned place when I lived in cali all the time that was AWESOME. It was an italian restaurant called Flaticos...and it's still there! Place has been there for a really long time.

Yup...you can run through the drive through at the local Gold Star Chili or Skyline Chili and get anything you want from them in a few min. I prefer Gold Star. Good stuff...they have little hot dogs called Coneys that are my fav. They're a little hot dog, only about 3 or 4 inches long, that have mustard, chili and cheese on them.

As for pizza, we have 34672049582354 places to go for that here. The first job I ever had was at a local pizza place called LaRosa's (www.larosas.com). This place is pretty unique cuz it's only in northern kentucky (where I live), southern ohio and south eastern indiana and if you wanna place a delivery or carry out order, you call one number no matter where you are, and they'll direct your order to the store nearest you. Pretty good idea cuz the store doesn't have to worry about taking orders...they just magically print. It's pretty cool. Decent food, too.

One of my favorite pizza places around here is called Papa Murphy's (http://www.papamurphys.com/). This place is REALLY weird cuz they don't cook your pizza! They just make it for you and wrap it up...you cook it when you get home. And their pizzas are REALLY good...check out their menu. The only problem is that the bastards close at 8pm!

But...my favorite pizza place of all time is a place I was a server at while I was in school in Florida. It's a place called Sal's. GREAT food and the BEST pizza EVER. You can get ANYTHING THAT'S IN THE RESTAURANT that you may want on it...I liked meatballs, onions, garlic, green peppers and pepperoni on mine, amongst other things. However, I'm kinda starting to think they went out of business cuz I can't find a web site for them and I know the founder of the franchise was having some issues with the IRS for cheating on his taxes. What an idiot...rich as hell and you cheat your taxes...moron...

my favorite pizza place is Nancy's in my area. its chicago style pizza...very good. http://www.nancyspizza.com/

my all time favorite is Primo's...it is not a chain i dont think and it has the best deep dish pizza i have ever had. ever once in a while i will go shopping in matteson about 30 minute drive (best time is 9 minutes in the Z...130+mph straight shot. :evillol:) and i will take home a pizza from there. good stuff.

by we are like that...we have tons of pizza places.

BTW: i hate fuddruckers...i hate thick hamburgers. and Jaenickes has the best hot dogs (called "red hots") on the planet but i think they are a local thing.

my favorite pizza place is Nancy's in my area. its chicago style pizza...very good. http://www.nancyspizza.com/

my all time favorite is Primo's...it is not a chain i dont think and it has the best deep dish pizza i have ever had. ever once in a while i will go shopping in matteson about 30 minute drive (best time is 9 minutes in the Z...130+mph straight shot. :evillol:) and i will take home a pizza from there. good stuff.

by we are like that...we have tons of pizza places.

BTW: i hate fuddruckers...i hate thick hamburgers. and Jaenickes has the best hot dogs (called "red hots") on the planet but i think they are a local thing.

Good shit. Now I want pizza...lol. Fuddruckers is pretty good. You gotta have thick hamburgers, man! You can't cook a thin little burger to med/med-well! Never heard of jaenickes...like to try it, though.

Good shit. Now I want pizza...lol. Fuddruckers is pretty good. You gotta have thick hamburgers, man! You can't cook a thin little burger to med/med-well! Never heard of jaenickes...like to try it, though.

ill ship you one next day in a hot box...we will see if it makes the trip. :lol:

man poor 232FIed.... lol

man poor 232FIed.... lol

what, we took care of him on teh first few posts...

ill ship you one next day in a hot box...we will see if it makes the trip. :lol:

Yea...bet it'd get here looking like a pizza salad...

mmmm... pizza salad..

lol