The song is ratchet and cheesy as hell, the car is anything but. The amazing Z belonging to a close friend and customer down south, basking in the final moments of sunlight at Barber Motorsport Park. Even though her heart is aching right now, she may live to race another day before going under the knife for surgery. Stay tuned
Best of the best on this 350z – Endless Racing 6 big brake kit, Zeal Coilovers with Eibach race springs, Roberuta Cup Kit (to adjust height on the fly), Esprit forged adjustable a-arms, and a bevy of Whiteline and SPL bushings. The end result is going to be out of this world, stay tuned!
Koni Yellow Sport Shock Set 350Z/G35 Coupe
We’ve got a single set of the famed Koni Yellow sport shocks on special right now. Front/Rear set to suit 2003-2008 350Z (all models) and 2003-2007 G35 coupe. These are the best bolt on sport shocks available for these cars, and now at a price even better than before.
To order just drop us a line at z1sales@z1auto.com. Worldwide shipping also available.
OMP seats and steering wheel inside Steve’s 350Z
Steve from down south sent up this picture of just some of the goodies he’s gotten from us for his Z. Not only is this his track weapon of choice in the Southeast region, it’s also his daily driver.
A bespoke built Datsun 260Z, with a Jenvy ITB equipped VQ35, and a host of custom fabrication work.
Can’t wait to see some in car videos at the track!
Tomei Titanium Exhaust 350Z
After nearly 2 years since we first brought you the information, this exhaust and a new Y pipe are available for purchase.
It’s no secret that as cars get older, stuff needs to be done. While driving recently someone stopped me to say my brake lights weren’t working. Definitely not cool and totally dangerous. What I came to discover was that in the daytime, they would not work at all. None of them, not even the third brake light at the top of the hatch. However at night, when you turn the headlights on, the top third light worked fine. Tail lights always worked too, they just didn’t get brighter like they should when you step on the brake pedal.
The culprit turned out to be a simple fix. The factory brake switch had gone bad. After 10 years its to be expected I guess. This switch is mounted to a bracket above the brake pedal, under the dash. Kneel on the ground with the door opened and its simple to see. The switch itself is around $36 at the dealer (we sell em for $18 if you need one). You will see two sets of plugs. The brown colored one is the ACSD switch which is for cruise control and some other functions. The black one above it is the brake switch. It’s a simple device. There is a pin in the center of the switch. Step on the brake, the pin is released, and the brake lights illuminate. Release the brake, the brake pin is depressed and the brake lights are off. Imagine how many times this pin has gone back and forth during its lifetime, and its no surprise that eventually it needs replacing.
While kneeling on the ground grab the switch with your hand and turn it counterclockwise 45 degrees. This will unlock the switch from its holder. Once removed, depress the tab on the top, and the switch is separated from the wiring harness. Plug the new switch in, insert into the plastic locking grommet in the bracket, turn 45 degrees clockwise and viola, you’re done. It literally takes 45 seconds to do.
As wonderful and robust as a 350Z is, like any other car, it’s got it’s share of quirks. The very early cars has transmission issues (solved by Nissan with later revisions), some of the interior stuff is easily scratched. Revup engines are widely known for oil consumption issues. So it goes – every car has it’s faults. One area that is of particular concern for Z33 drivers are the front bushings. The stock bushings are a soft compound rubber, designed for comfort vs longevity. Even on bone stock cars, they are known to start going bad in the 30k mile mark. Add in lowering via springs or coilovers, stiffer spring rates, and wider, heavier tires with lower offset wheels, and the weak factory parts become even more taxed.
The compression rod bushing is an area of particular concern for the 350Z and G35. This horshoe-shaped, aluminum rod makes up part of the front suspension, sitting between the front crossmember and the hub. It features a bushing on one end, and a ball joint on the other. The balljoint is quite strong, and hasn’t proved problematic. The compression rod bushing is another story altogether. Nearly every G35 customer we’ve got has replaced these at least once. 350Z guys also have this part fail over and over. For some reason, Nissan sells a replacement compression rod bushing on the Infiniti side (via part # 54570-AC70A), but not on the Nissan side. Some claim this bushing is “revised” from Nissan. We’ve never found any tangiable evidence that that’s true though. In the aftermarket, for the longest time, the only offering was SPL’s solid compression rod bushing kit. A terrific piece indeed, but really more suited for track use vs street use, as it can be sort of noisy because of the location. Not to mention, so many people have already replaced their lower control arm bushings (inner and outer) with the Whiteline Urethane pieces, that fitting a solid bushing isn’t exactly a perfect match from a stiffness standpoint.
NISMO does a version of these as well, but each time we check, they are not available – sort of perpetually backordered. There is another brand, called Armstrong, which is unique in that it’s a solid urethane design. Have not had a chance to try those as of yet. The Whiteline is more of a sandwich approach so installation is simple, though removing the factory ones does require a press.
Last year, Whiteline introduced a urethane Compression Rod Bushing Kit. We’ve sold quite a few, but never had a chance to do a direct comparison vs. stock. We think the picture speak for themselves. The Whiteline bushing is so much more solid vs the sloppy factory unit. It’s also a considerably higher durometer, but not so overly stiff that it isn’t very comfortable on the street.
While not a huge fan of the Stillen S/C, it’s a unique build for sure. Will be interesting to see what it is able to put down once the bottom end is fortified, fuel upgrades installed, and it’s tuned.
A brand new exhaust design from 5Zigen Japan for the 2003-2008 350Z. The Spec VES stands for Variable Exhaust System. This system uses a wastegate-like valve that is electronically and vacuum activated to alter the sound and flow of the exhaust. The valve is actuated via a supplied wireless remote. It was originally announced end of 2011, and production is now starting.
First Video is the exhaust with valve closed
Next, valve opened
Another with the valve opened
These can be shipped to any part of the world direct from 5Zigen’s factory, as they are made to order.
No pricing has been set as of yet, but contact z1sales@z1auto.com to join the notification list, or, check the blog, and we will update as soon as these details are released.
Pic submitted by one of our customers down south. Shown at Barber Motorsports Park at a recent track day, this car is also his daily driver
Not big on blogging stuff other blogs do, but this is a great video, and Leno’s site always has cool stuff on it
Enjoy!
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