rwd??

Hello Nissan friends! i am of the acura planet and have not heard of this thing with the rear wheels driving a car!

haha, just kidding.. i was actually browsing your forum reading various things, thinking what it would be like to own a real sports car.

what do you guys/gals have to say about your 1990-96 300zx's? i was thinking about seriously modifying my integra (turbocharge) the works... well after a hefty $13000 price tag on my upgrades... i decided it would be much better to just buy a new car that comes with much more stock horespower! rwd is also a big plus i am thinking!

i am up in canada and i was just browsing autotrader.ca looking at various TT 300zx's and thinking after this year, i could probably afford one!

what would you guys recommend i do? how costly is it to do performance modifications to the zx's? i have read that it is not easy to work on them, but.. after fiddling around in the tiny tiny amount of space i have in my car, i think i could handle some basic maintinence(sp?) of a zx!

thanks for any replies! sorry if my spelling and grammar(sp? lol) is off, it's 2:30 in the morning and i am very ready for sleep!:)

You cannot compare working on a ZedX to an Acura.... it's comparing Chocolate to shit.

These cars are expensive to work on... CAN be expensive to maintain... and the mods are expensive too! But it all pays off at the end! You will have yourself a nice poweful Z!!!! These cars are very rewarding and I recommend that you drive one before you buy one! If you catch the bug... well, we are here for you...

yes, drive a z and you will get hooked. all it took me was looking at one for the first time. and they are very hard to work on becasue there is no space. you have to know about the vg to work on it. and if you don't work on it yourself, plan to spend big bucks on labor. almost always the labo cost will be 3x more than the parts. but like 1via said, these cars are very rewarding.

I'd agree with all that...I don't own one, but I'm on this board regularly and know the cars reasonably well and the general concensus [sp.] is that they can be a hand full...but my my my...how rewarding the return. The VG30DE(TT) is a pretty unique engine...it has a coil on plug ignition system, 2 banks of 3 cylinders, 2 intakes, 2 throttle bodies, and, if you have turbos, 2 turbos, and 2 intercoolers...pretty cool engine. All this results in a very responsive engine with a pretty flat power curve...the opposite of most 4 cylinder engines.

Once you drive a Z (not just a Z32, either...this applies to the much cheaper Z31s and previous, too...maybe to slightly lesser degrees, but still), you'll almost DEFINATELY be hooked...

you can run low 13's for $20 just buy a b/c that is the cheapest mod hands down and one of the strongest mods next to turbo upgrade.

i say buy a 300zxtt and get a b/c and you'll be set. besides that the bpu will get you in the 12's.

you are speaking of the twinturbo right?

It's thinking like that that rids the world of wonderful turbo charged engines. Do NOT crank the boost up a bunch with out at LEAST getting an intake and exhaust...

well duh.. lol, what about the internals? ie pistons rods and such.. how are they at hanlding the extra boost? when am i going to have to tear down the engine and replace all the internals to get extra extra power? better yet.. how much hp are stock internals good to?
i was reading somewhere on here that it's is relatively cheap to upgrade these? eg intake exhaust, performance stuff like that... but i dunno if i believe that, because there'd be 2 of everything.. lol.
yes i'm talking about the TT... for me it's TT or bust!
buy a b/c? what exactly is a b/c?
thx:)

b/c = boost controller

and it is relatively expensive to mod 300zx's. but like i said before, it is very rewarding. the vg can handle up to 500 hp on stock internals. that translates to ABOUT 425 whp, which is plenty for the street.

Amen, Brother.

really? 75 hp loss through drivetrain? to me that seems a lot... maybe because i've never dealt with rwd cars before.. thx for the info!

a rwd car will lose about 15% hp form the crank to the wheels. like with my car, i have 222 hp and 190 hp at the wheels.

Part of the reason a Z will lose slightly more power through the drivetrain is that the drivetrain in a Z is built like a damn tank. Like a damn A1 rolling through buildings tank. Even Zs with power ranging up to 700+ horsepower use the stock trans, shaft and rear end. After that the trans might need a boost but the rest is still good to go. Whereas in a Honda or something, if you actually manage to make say 200 some horsepower you are probably just going to snap just about everything in your car like a damn twig.


Anyway...TTs are virtually untouched in terms of value (Z31s provide even better value at the cost of the ultra cool Ferrai-esque styling and better potential of a Z32). Some simple mods and you can run with Corvettes, Porsches, BMWs...things that cost upwards of 75 grand. There is pretty much 2 paths to upgrading the Z:

-Stock turbos: YOu can down down pipes, exhaust, intercoolers and all that happy shit to a stock turbo Z. As in you aren't pulling the engine, which in and of itself is a challenge (but do-able! I did it and I'm as dumb as a post, a retarded post stuck in the mud no less). THis can get you into the 375-400 rear wheel HP range. Thats alot of power. But after this it becomes harder to upgrade, as you are limited by the stock turbos.

-Aftermarket turbos: Sky is the limit. Or rather your wallet is. Once the engine is out you can do whatever you have money for, from a simple ball bearing turbo upgrade (like me) to a full out engine rebuild with forged whirly bits and stupidly huge turbos to get you up where Wagz is sitting on the 750hp mountain. This obviously costs alot of money. Figure upwards of $20-25,000. But now you have a insanely powerful ride at easily a fifth of the price of other cars like this.

But no matter what you do, you can't go wrong with a Z. :D

Just make sure you treat her good, these cars are rare enough as is.

keep it extremely well maintained, have cash extra even if you are doing a lot of stufff yourself. They ARE incedibly addicting, I dont want to rid of mine. I couldnt part, its too fun and too rare. its very fun to also hear people say "hmm what the hell was that, it was sick" all in all its a good deal, just research the ones you look at, compare, ask for all records and just dont leave yourself without any cash to back it up..by the way rwd personally to me, I think its better only cause i've learned its easier to push then pull, but ya never know.

Anyway...TTs are virtually untouched in terms of value (Z31s provide even better value at the cost of the ultra cool Ferrai-esque styling and better potential of a Z32). Some simple mods and you can run with Corvettes, Porsches, BMWs...things that cost upwards of 75 grand. There is pretty much 2 paths to upgrading the Z:

True true...I LOVE the way the Z32 looks, but I think the Z31 looks good...and it's even more rare than the Z32 is...surprisingly enough. F.Y.I...it's my goal to beat up on the Corvettes, Porsches and Bimmers of the world for a teeny-tiny fraction of their price. 'Tis so doable.

-Stock turbos: YOu can down down pipes, exhaust, intercoolers and all that happy shit to a stock turbo Z. As in you aren't pulling the engine, which in and of itself is a challenge (but do-able! I did it and I'm as dumb as a post, a retarded post stuck in the mud no less). THis can get you into the 375-400 rear wheel HP range. Thats alot of power. But after this it becomes harder to upgrade, as you are limited by the stock turbos.

LO-motherfuggin-L...don't give yourself too much credit, man.

But no matter what you do, you can't go wrong with a Z. :D

Damn right.

Just make sure you treat her good, these cars are rare enough as is.

DAMN RIGHT!!

past z cars is so full of wonderful people. now if the rest of the world could be like this.

wow you guys are great! i just wish i could find a Z32 that's for sale around here... i think i'm going to have to travel to calgary (8 hour drive) just to find what i'm looking for (well, i guess it is pretty rare!) i Will own one before this year is through! the bad thing is tho, i'm only 18, and i don't think most salesmen would treat me with very much respect, let alone allow me take one of these beautiful cars for a test drive. maybe after i drop a few stacks o hundreds on the table they'll take me seriously.. bling bling :rolleyes: ack, would like to write more.. must go paint house.. peace:)

i had to travel 2 hours to get my z. i would of gladely traveled long for a z. when i went to buy mine, i brought $6800 of cash, when the guy saw the stack of 68 100 dollar bills, i think his legs gave out.

past z cars is so full of wonderful people. now if the rest of the world could be like this.

No joke. I rarely ever venture outside of "Past Z Cars"...even a visit in the 350Z forum has become kinda rare. We're like a little family here. I could see all of us meeting for the first time at a Z meet somewhere and everyone thinking we've all known each other for a long time. We have to get as many of us to a Z meet some day as possible. That would kick all different kinds of ass.

I agree. everyone on the past Z's part has been awesome. helpful and it would be cool as hell if we all met up. HMMMM idea

i say kansas city......lol. anyways, lets not get off topic.

im gonan start a new thread about it... hit it up in there

if you are tight on cash, go for a z31. the z32s are expensive, and really hard to work on yourself, on the other hand the z31 is cheap, and pretty "tuner friendly". http://z31.com/nfaq/faqview.php?ParentID=7
go here, this guy put down a few hundred into is z31 turbo, and it now has 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times that of a z32.

i had to travel 2 hours to get my z. i would of gladely traveled long for a z. when i went to buy mine, i brought $6800 of cash, when the guy saw the stack of 68 100 dollar bills, i think his legs gave out.

:lol:hahaha that's awesome! is that all you paid for it? the one's i'm looking at (twin turbo mind you) are all around $14000.. canadian tho.. the one i have in mind has got.. 128k KM on it.. in miles that's... well i have no idea right now. how cool would that be to bring out a briefcase with 140 $100 bills!!:eek:
i guess 8 hours wouldn't really be that big of a deal.. or maybe i could go to washington or oregon or something in the states if i could find a good deal... grrr i hate this waiting bs.. I WANT MY ZX!:crying::mad:

oh, yeah i'm not really that tight on cash, i can afford.. well.. WILL afford a z32, i'm just looking at the hp gains for mods and laughing.. and i thought 20 hp was an impressive upgrade..
as you all know by now, i'm pretty new to this preticular car area, and i was wondering if someone could edumacate me about some of the workings of the stock parts in a TT setup.. eg, upper plenum, mostly all of the components that allow for a rwd setup, how they function and what goes wrong with them, i've got tons of time on my hands and would love to spend it reading up on these cars. thanks for any help:)
man i'm just so full of questions!

oh, and the stock specs on the tt if you please.. redline, hp, 1/4, weight, brakes, wheels, bov equipped, internal/external wastegate:boost creep issues?

and i thought 20 hp was an impressive upgrade..

Yeah that always makes me laugh when I actually meet some one with a fully decked out POS or something and its not even making at the crank what a Z does stock at the rears...anyway...

as for:
redline, hp, 1/4, weight, brakes, wheels, bov equipped, internal/external wastegate:boost creep issues?

Redline: Pegged at 7k but figure more like 6500

Hp: 5 spd TT rated 300 ponies, Auto version made 280 (very slight change to exhaust "open" duration in the cam grind and smaller turbos, .54 housings vs the 5 spds .63, but they spool faster and an auto has been proven to beat a 5 spd to 100 mph) both made about 280 lbs of torque. The auto got less power in an effort to keep the AT trans in one piece.

Weight: Well she got a big ass, figure about 3400 with a full load driver, fuel etc...someone is going to argue that figure but its about that area

Brakes: (taken from www.nissanperformancemagazine.com and go to http://www.princeton.edu/~asad/zbrakes/ for an even better break down)

1990 N/A: Aluminum caliper, 280x26mm rotor
1990 TT and 1991-1992.5 (all models): Aluminum caliper, 280x30mm rotor
1992.5-1996 (all models): Iron caliper, 280x30mm rotor

The switch to the heavier iron calipers was made to keep them from warping under heavy braking. Stock brakes can do the job but upgrading to crossed drilled or slotted rotors and better pads is a great idea.

Wheels: Z32s had 16's all the way around, TTs had 7.5 wide front, 8.5 wide rear which translates into 225/50/16 front tires and 245/45/16 rears. As far as brake cooling and strength, they are some of the best factory rims ever. They're even pretty light.

BOV: No because it has recirculating valves, which are much better. Go to www.twinturbo.net FAQ section to learn more.

Boost creep: Not that I've heard of, although the stock wastegate acuators can be kind of slow, resulting in a spike a few psi over max before they kick in. A good boost controller can fix that easily.

And for the all important 1/4 mile figures...mid 14s on a stock TT is par for the course, getting that down to low 13s isn't too hard. Even the 10s are reachable with the right setup and tuning.

Just remember that while others talk of 0 to 60 times...guys with TT Z32s are talking about 0 to 160. If not more, stock gearing get you to 185, maybe a shade more, with some internal work to raise the redline about 750-1000 rpms...200 mph is in reach...on a damn 5 spd

Thus spake Broke as **** about the greatness of the Z.

extremely well put, an amazing help broke as.... Now get your folks packed up and get your ass to NC haha

Well you know the engine is still not in the car...I guess this would cause a drivablity issue...maybe...


That and me driving to NC from the west coast would be a damn one man Cannon Ball run. Which as much fun as it sounds is not exactly anything my insurance bill needs to hear.

hah well you have till oct. to get it in ..just kidding. Oh well, Im SURE there will be a nice Z meet out in cali soon

Just remember that while others talk of 0 to 60 times...guys with TT Z32s are talking about 0 to 160. If not more, stock gearing get you to 185, maybe a shade more, with some internal work to raise the redline about 750-1000 rpms...200 mph is in reach...on a damn 5 spd

Thus spake Broke as **** about the greatness of the Z.

That's what i like to hear... i can get my car up to 160.. ermm.. kph :rolleyes: 8000 rpm redline on a 3.0L twin turbo car.. sounds like suicide to me :biggrin:
That twinturbo.net is an Amazing site! I've learnt so much already from just reading the how to's and upgrades and stuff, extremely well made website. Just a few more questions right now.. 1. would it be worth it upgrading to external wastegates when upgrading the turbo's 2. for gutting the precats, would it not just be easier to fabricate a piece of pipe that you could bolt in place of them? From the brief period of time i've read about them and looked at them, all they seem to me is just a pipe with a bunch of cat-crap inside with an o2 sensor bung drilled/welded in..?

Waste gates: Whatever turbo upgrade you may do, the wastegates that come with the set will probably do best and be the cheapest. Unless you are running some 40 PSI of boost or something...


Pre-cats-downpipes: I mentitioned the precats just because that what many who are strapped for cash do but downpipes are the better alternative, but a prefabed set is a couple hundred so...your choice.


And yeah, 8000 on a VG sounds like a good way to blow a motor.

...i'm just looking at the hp gains for mods and laughing.. and i thought 20 hp was an impressive upgrade..

lol. Welcome to the 3.0L T(T) world where 20hp gains are available at the twist of a boost controller knob and high octane flows like wine.

HAHAHAHA!!! i havent been able to get 20hp easily in my na.....i dont think any mod for an na can give me 20 hp except for a few things. LOL it must be nice to have turbos, where u can crank up the boost, get intakes, exhaust, and ecu and get 100 hp! Ahhhh it must be nice! what i would do to get a turbo....i could get one but....my parents wont let me sell my car, i paid for it, they just help on insurance cause im on the wrestling team and i dont have time to work. Also i was in a bad car accident so my parents are scared of me having a turbo car. i wasnt driving, but it was my z.

lol. Welcome to the 3.0L T(T) world where 20hp gains are available at the twist of a boost controller knob and high octane flows like wine.
mmm, wine like money sucking goodness:lol2:
so what did everyone here (if applicable) pay for their wider rims? i was thinking (LOL i haven't even bought one yet) about going 10 inch on the rear and 9-9.5 on the front.. how much more -generally- does this cost than the regular 7.5/8" wide rims? the reason i'm wondering is because the car i'm looking at has the stockers painted gold.. and that's well, IMO- downright ugly:uhoh: then again, i'm not really a big fan of the whole gold thing either, i'm more of a black/midnight blue person, but.. i guess beggers can't be choosers.:screwy:

Oh! and if i haven't mentioned this already i'm up in western Canada.. Eh:biggrin:

edit: 17 inch if i can find light ones

HAHAHAHA!!! i havent been able to get 20hp easily in my na.....i dont think any mod for an na can give me 20 hp except for a few things.

Nitrous... :naughty:

i have 17x9 in front and 17x10 in back. it is really nice to see wide wheels when you are looking at it from the rear, makes it look meaner.

Yeah... I have been eying some BUDDYCLUBS 17x9 and 17x10... I still have my stock alloys... they are not bad looking... so I'm in no hurry...

i wouldn't go much bigger in the front than 17x9 because i have about a 1/2" of clearance when i turn my wheel all the way. those people with 18's must have skinnier wheels in front.

Yuh... but I wouldn't go 18" anyway... that's too 'bling' for me!

how big can you go wide before having to mod the wheel wells and body to cover it. I want to know the max for clearance, i read that it was 9 for the front, how about the back

I'd rather not go over 17 for performance reasons. You're changing the effective gear ratios when you get bigger wheels and tires. For instance...have you EVER seen a Plymouth Prowler white-smoke?

well i'm sure with 18's you could keep stock diameter... just you'd have to have a thin strip o rubber.. lol.. yeah i was thinking 17 was about the perfect size for em, not too big, not too bling, not too heavy(hopefully) if i can find em, i'm thinking upwards of 2 grand canadian tho..

Get BUDDYCLUBS p1-Racing rims.... they reatail for like $700! And they are JDM!

im getting hooked up with a deal on some adr's i believe, or whatever brand i want im not sure. But anyway its 350 for 4 wheels and under 900 for wheels with tires. boo ya

yeah i'm not a big fan of that style.. i'm not really too sure what i'd be looking for yet... maybe somethin along these lines..
http://stagemotorsports.com/albums/album07/DSCN3223.sized.jpg
i really like the looks of that in conjunction with the drop.. just gotta find something that's wide and relatively light

That's a nice drop.

yeah its looks nice, i like those looks too ,, i dont know, so many rims only 4 wheels

I like that style too.

damn that looks great. that is my favorite style of wheel, split 5-spoke.

how big can you go wide before having to mod the wheel wells and body to cover it. I want to know the max for clearance, i read that it was 9 for the front, how about the back

I think i was reading somewhere that the biggest you want to go in the rear is 10 because if you go any wider you'll run into issues with the HICAS gear back there.. that's what i read anyway..

AH no problem, my NA doesnt have it haha.

i don't have the HICAS problem either. i have a friend with a TT and he says it gets in the way of him drifting. see, z's do drift.

how would it get in the way of him drifting? just because the wheels have no room to flex or something?

cause thats what hicas is for. the back wheels turn also, so in turn, if he could drift with them, they wouldnt be doing their job

yeah but i thought they only turned like .2 of a degree or something.. that's what i was reading somewhere... and it'd still be pretty easy to break the tires loose.. just giver a bit more gas;)

It's possible to get it sideways...the HICAS is a rear wheel steering system that prevents oversteer. The system takes speed, throttle, and steering position sensors into consideration...it's all computer controlled, of course, and pretty complicated. Amazing system, though, that results in extremely passive handling characteristics that inspires instant confidence.

Its 2 degrees not .2

And 2 degrees is enough to be felt. But yeah, HICAS is basically a safety feature that helps keep you from wadding your Z up into a ball. It also allows for tighter cornering. And at higher speeds it moves the rears in the same way as the fronts, allowing the car to take a straighter line which adds to stablity.

I don't know why people rag on it so hard. Not like most of them even got the talent to drive a scooter much less run a Z hard enough to have HICAS get in the way.

Yeah I never knew why people hated it so much and right away would get the ANTI-HICAS kit haha. I dont see the big deal of it unless its a malfunction. Anyway car to explain?

hicas gets in the way of drifiting because it tries to straighten out the car instead of letting it slide sideways. anyways, unless you are taking you ttz to the track and are going to run it hard, then hicas isn't a problem.

thats what im saying, normally drifting and racing isnt an everyday thing

I've heard stories of the HICAS running people into the wall at drag stips and I IMMEDIATELY called major bullshit....it's just not possible. I don't get why people diss it so bad.