350z Performance Boost Questions

I'm relatively new to the tuner community, but want to make my first real project a semi-ambitious one. I want to hit 400rwhp horsepower with my 2003 Nissan 350z by the addition of a supercharger. It has the VQ35DE engine with 213C.I. (3.5 liters). Current max horsepower is 287 at the engine. During this particular build, I want to be able to (down the run) upgrade with a 100-shot of nitrous oxide for a combined total of 500rwhp.

My questions;

1.) Given this model and engine, what upgrades will I need to prevent catastrophic vehicle failure? (i.e., busting my shit)

2.) I prefer a supercharger to a turbocharger for ease of installation and 'always on' power. What supercharger would you recommend?

3.) What is my best option for tuning the car properly?

Thanks for all suggestions/answers/recommendations :grinyes:

-FM

edit: For clarification, I'm not opposed to the typical GReddy TT setup, just want to make sure this car is still able to be a daily driver.

Nissan engines seem to handle boost very well. I do belive that a newer Skyline was planned using a twin turbocharged VQ35. You shouldn't have much trouble supercharging your engine, but it will get expensive.

As for specifics, sorry- I got nothin'. I'm sure someone around here can recommend something.

Nissan engines seem to handle boost very well. I do belive that a newer Skyline was planned using a twin turbocharged VQ35. You shouldn't have much trouble supercharging your engine, but it will get expensive.

As for specifics, sorry- I got nothin'. I'm sure someone around here can recommend something.
yes vgames is right and im one of those guys...
first of ,great vehicle choice....
i have never owned a nissan but they are my favorites...
if you are trying to tune a skyline or sentra or altima you go for nismo or hks or greddy ... but since your tuning the potent vq35 there is an aftermarket specialist that will cover every thing and you wont have to look at any other part manufacturer....
this vq heaven is stillen .... check out www.stillen.com (http://www.stillen.com) and if they cant help i dont know who....
good luck ill check back with you, keep us posted and tell me wat you think about my advice after you check into stillen....

yes vgames is right and im one of those guys...
first of ,great vehicle choice....
i have never owned a nissan but they are my favorites...
if you are trying to tune a skyline or sentra or altima you go for nismo or hks or greddy ... but since your tuning the potent vq35 there is an aftermarket specialist that will cover every thing and you wont have to look at any other part manufacturer....
this vq heaven is stillen .... check out www.stillen.com (http://www.stillen.com) and if they cant help i dont know who....
good luck ill check back with you, keep us posted and tell me wat you think about my advice after you check into stillen....
I like the Cosworth shortblock. (http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=COSWNSBLK1&c=PE&year=2003&make=NISSAN&model=350Z) Would you (or anyone knowledgable) suggest using the stock cam or moving to something else?

I'm also (of course) concerned about the automatic transmission in the vehicle handling the HP, and Stillen does not sell built automatic transmissions.

I like the Cosworth shortblock. (http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=COSWNSBLK1&c=PE&year=2003&make=NISSAN&model=350Z) Would you (or anyone knowledgable) suggest using the stock cam or moving to something else?

I'm also (of course) concerned about the automatic transmission in the vehicle handling the HP, and Stillen does not sell built automatic transmissions.
dammit you have the autotragic slushboxdat sucks .... but with the cosworth thing my recommendation is to go with the most cost effective choice

Swap in a manual. That's what I'm stuck doing in order to boost my B13 Sentra.

Swap in a manual. That's what I'm stuck doing in order to boost my B13 Sentra.
of couse do the manual swap auto jus doesnt ride well in the perfomance world make sure that a six speed manual makes its way into your drive train before you do any heavy modding

of couse do the manual swap auto jus doesnt ride well in the perfomance world make sure that a six speed manual makes its way into your drive train before you do any heavy modding

I actually prefer an automatic :eek:. Can't beat the experience of the manual, but for a lazy daily driver and perfect shifting every time, automatic for the win.

yes vgames is right and im one of those guys...



No, your not one of those guys.
Your one of those high school kids who thinks he's hot shit because he's watched the Fast and the Furious, and he can talk like Snoop Dogg.


I suggest you stick to making up little stories in the street racing forum, and reading the technical forums. Your input is not required.

Foh Shizzel my Nizzel.

I actually prefer an automatic :eek:. Can't beat the experience of the manual, but for a lazy daily driver and perfect shifting every time, automatic for the win.
i dont agree with you the least bit but im not driving it so i guess it ultimately comes down to watever floats your boat,watever scoops your poop, watever.... i think two is enough but jus make sure you make the right decision and once again stillen is your bet for boosting the vq

I'm relatively new to the tuner community, but want to make my first real project a semi-ambitious one. I want to hit 400rwhp horsepower with my 2003 Nissan 350z by the addition of a supercharger.


400hp at the rear wheels is a big ask in any street driven car.
Your looking at making 500+ at the crank, which for even a very good engine like the VQ is going to mean lots of work, and lots of money.

You can't simply bolt on a supercharger and make 500hp. Be nice if it was that easy, but it's not.

You need 2 things:
1, Knowledge and technical skills. If you had them you would not be asking these general sorts of questions in an online forum. So your going to have to pay for them. This means finding a good engine builder in your area who is prepared to listen to you, and take lots of your money.

2, The right parts. In your case this isn't a problem, as they will come from the engine builder who will gladly take even more of your money.


Based on there there isn't a lot of help your going to be able to get from an online forum, not until you can start asking specific questions.
We can help with questions about any engine builds you might be interested in useing, we can offer feed back on ideas they suggest, and we can provide technical help with specific tuning information.

But we can't tell you how to make 500hp using some off the shelf bolt ons anyone who can change a tyre can fit.

400hp at the rear wheels is a big ask in any street driven car.
Your looking at making 500+ at the crank, which for even a very good engine like the VQ is going to mean lots of work, and lots of money.

You can't simply bolt on a supercharger and make 500hp. Be nice if it was that easy, but it's not.

You need 2 things:
1, Knowledge and technical skills. If you had them you would not be asking these general sorts of questions in an online forum. So your going to have to pay for them. This means finding a good engine builder in your area who is prepared to listen to you, and take lots of your money.

2, The right parts. In your case this isn't a problem, as they will come from the engine builder who will gladly take even more of your money.


Based on there there isn't a lot of help your going to be able to get from an online forum, not until you can start asking specific questions.
We can help with questions about any engine builds you might be interested in useing, we can offer feed back on ideas they suggest, and we can provide technical help with specific tuning information.

But we can't tell you how to make 500hp using some off the shelf bolt ons anyone who can change a tyre can fit.

I'm not expecting to hit the mark with bolt-ons. If you read my post, I am looking to fully upgrade the drivetrain in order to make the vehicle reliable and safe. I know what parts I am looking for and have the knowledge to install them. What I do not have is any working knowledge or much experience with the 350Z or Nissans as a whole. Therefore my primary concern was developing a sense of what names are known and reliable in the import aftermarket and what these cars (stock) are capable of.

Therefore my primary concern was developing a sense of what names are known and reliable in the import aftermarket and what these cars (stock) are capable of.


Then that changes things a little bit, as you can imagine, your asking a lot, so the more we know, the more we can help.

First thing you will need to do is get rid of that automatic gearbox.
Other that the rest of the drive line should be pretty much up to scratch.
Nissan have been using differentials made by Fuji Heavy Industries for decades (since the 180B), and I know from personal experience they are very hard to break. The only thing you might want to consider is installing an LSD if the 350Z doesn't have one as standard.

The next step will be a full engine rebuild, and I really have to repeat what i stated above, the knowledge of a good engine builder will make this so much easier.
At some point your going to have to put the car on a dyno to tune it, so your going to need the help of someone else with very technical knowledge at some point. Might as well build a good relationship early on.

Next step is define your goals for the car, why do you want over 400hp at the wheels?
Is it a drag car? A dyno queen? or are you looking to break a land speed record?
This will have the biggest impact on what else needs to be done, especially with regards to additional modifications to suspension, brakes etc.


As for the actual supercharging?

Well the owner AF, Igor, just so happens to have already blown a 350Z, and made close to your targeted 400hp. And he did with relatively little work: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=229502
http://www.automotiveforums.com/350z/

But, the work he did do was with the help of a good engine builder :)

fatkat89 did get one thing right, stillen is a good place to start looking, however I don't think you need a completely new block.
The stock on is very capable, and with the right work will see your targeted goals.

But just remember that there is a dangerously exponential curve in engine building. Every extra hp costs exponentially more money, and has an exponentially negative effect on drivablity and reliability.
I would put the nice limit of the VQ35 at about 450hp. Once you go past that point you start making sacrifices you might not be happy with.

But just remember that there is a dangerously exponential curve in engine building. Every extra hp costs exponentially more money, and has an exponentially negative effect on drivablity and reliability.
I would put the nice limit of the VQ35 at about 450hp. Once you go past that point you start making sacrifices you might not be happy with.

Thats why I'm going for 400, and later down the road a 100-shot of nitrous so it's still driveable. This will be a daily driver that I can still play with at the drag track. Thanks for your information and the links.

-FM

i dont kno your take on engine swaps but i saw a thread somewhere on here that was talking about a 350z sporting an infiniti fx45 8 cyl. i dont know the cost or result i jus thought it could be something to look into but, wat you are already looking at doing is a great idea...
make sure you hit it full circle and put in time to analyze the pros and cons of every choice... i dont kno how N20 would affect you car but i dont think stock internals will support it very well , but im no expert

i dont kno your take on engine swaps but i saw a thread somewhere on here that was talking about a 350z sporting an infiniti fx45 8 cyl. i dont know the cost or result i jus thought it could be something to look into but, wat you are already looking at doing is a great idea...
make sure you hit it full circle and put in time to analyze the pros and cons of every choice... i dont kno how N20 would affect you car but i dont think stock internals will support it very well , but im no expert

The most popular engine swap seems to be to a RB26, but I'm looking to keep the VQ, just beef it (and the drivetrain if needed) up a bit.

The most popular engine swap seems to be to a RB26, but I'm looking to keep the VQ, just beef it (and the drivetrain if needed) up a bit.
man i love that RB, a well tuned vq isnt bad either but i wouldnt juice it(nitrous)