Quote:
Originally Posted by SurfDog
I consider the Z to be a good car with great potential. My question is what mods MUST be done to fix the factory design defects that make this car mediocre when it could be great.
Below is a list of what I believe to be the basics (or key weaknesses if you will) That MUST be addressed in every 370Z. What Key weaknesses have I missed.
( Click to show/hide )1. Steering lock (duh)
-Needs the steering lock fuse pulled/or voluntary recall at a minimum (duh)
2. no oil cooler
- unforgivable defect but easily retrofitted. (I used stillen 25 row kit)
3. Horrible clutch feel on 6mt
- many solutions from removing the stupid assist spring to a full clutch replace. I went full on with a JWT, but do we all agree the OEM clutch sucks donkey balls and should be considered a must fix or is it just me???
4. Failure prone CSC.
- I did mine when puling apart tyranny to put in JWT. Is it worth swapping before failure?
5. Massive 25 lb Flywheel.
-Is this a poor designby Nissan? I think so!!! I put in a much lighter JWT flywheel and did not notice increase in vibration, but did notice much better throttle response.
6. TUNE!
- why don't they all come engine tuned to NISMO specs. Why do I have to put it up on a dyno (4-600 bucks) to get the same tune a nismo has stock??? That's just stupid marketing bs IMHO. It would cost Nissan nothing to flash all EDCs with the nismo data no?
7. Horrible road noise.
-From day one it has been criticized for road noise by everyone from R&T to my wife. I know sound-proffing is heavy (for you track bubbas), but a little engineering effort to help buffer the howl is definitely needed if you DD (I put some dynamat in key spots, but it still screams on some surfaces)
8. The "sport" VLSD. (let alone the base "open" one!!)
-this thing is terrible. A real locking 1.5 or full 2 way (or at least a helical gear type) is a must unless you only bought the car for looks in which case this thread is wasted on you.
9. hatch springs
-I mean come ON Nissan
10. unnecessary Hatch weight
- so stupid that some have and some dont, even the factory kinda addresses this by only putting them in like half the cars.
I realize this is not a full wish list of things we would all like to do, more a list of the things Nissan should have done at the factory.
Although awesome, I did not include things like:
HFC/CBE
Twin turbo or SC
better sways
better Stereo (though I almost did)
Pilot super sport tires
...Because they are mod/improvements not really design flaw fixes.
So what have I missed. what do you guys think is really broken or just poorly done?
In summary, for a few thousand bucks you can turn a pretty, though unreliable turd into a "real" sports car capable of holding its own against other "real" sports cars. 
What have I missed?? |
1. I removed the fuse, and I think the recall is stupid. Rev D is prone to failure as well - there's at least a couple documented cases on this forum from even before the recall. Good job, Nissan
2. I will get one before I ever spend significant time on a track, but I've been on a number of multiple hour long hill country cruises in the Texas summer heat with no issues.
3. I agree with Z_ealot here, but I am amazed at the number of these claims, which apparently means it's not just you. I agree that the stock clutch package could be a LOT better for the Z, but I don't have any problems with the clutch and can drive it perfectly smooth. It can be clunky when you miss a little, but it matches the personality of the car IMO - a little rough and raw
In comparison, my Honda Accord 6MT stock clutch was buttery smooth even at 120K miles when it finally started to go.
4. You are right that it seems to be garbage, but I agree with Z_ealot in that I've got 35K+ on mine with no issues. But I would definitely replace it if doing any other clutch work.
5. Seems to be on par with the rest of the stock clutch package
6. Again, I agree with Z_ealot - it was fine for me. Although I couldn't pass up an incredible deal of an EcuTek tune plus comparison dynos for the cost of the license, and it just so happens my car is at the tuner this weekend
7. I agree with you here, but I think the criticism is baseless. Nissan putting thought into road noise isn't something I expected in the Z (a Benz? sure); I mean look at how noisy the sport pkg tires are - that's an easy swap if noise is a concern. I put GT Mat Onyx in my hatch, and it made a noticeable improvement. I am hoping to put some in my doors as soon as I find the time. I don't care about the weight. If you do, then you shouldn't care about the noise. I thought most tracks make you roll down your windows anyway.
8. Absolutely agree with you here as well. This thing is garbage, and not acceptable for anything other than DD.
9. Same as Z_ealot - I don't have a problem with my 2011.
10. I went through the trouble of removing the weight only to find there wasn't one in my hatch to begin with
I definitely plan to purchase the RJM clutch pedal assembly that diddy recommends. For a great price, I think it will take care of most of the problems that people have with the clutch (i.e. the engagement, not the actual clutch itself). I love the number of adjustments you can make to it.
I agree with Jordo about the brakes, though I don't think you need a big brake kit and/or brake cooling for anything but the heaviest of track use. It seems that for light to medium track use, you can get away with a set of quality rotors and pads.
The big one I think you forgot is the fuel starvation issue. This is just absolutely unacceptable to be an issue in a potential race car application where less fuel equals less weight.