Faceglide's Fast Intentions Twin Turbo Experience.
Here is my review of my experience with Fast Intentions and the install of my twin turbo kit. A little about me, I'm a 30 year old married, father of 2(2.5y/o and 1y/o) who just made a huge jump in career paths and that's all great, but I felt the need to move into a car I can make into a true wonder, not a factory rocket, my current cars are a 2011 gt500, 2013 golf-R and 2013 VW passat TDi. I fought with the idea of trading in the Z and selling the mustang and just going to a GT-R, but I really wanted a "modded" car. This is why I kept the Z and decided it was forced induction or bust.
How we got here.
After a great experience with Fast Intentions and their 18"CF exhaust(that is still on this car today!), we played with the idea of me coming on board and going with their TT kit. There were a few suitors, but given that Tony's message was loud and clear, they were not catering to the "just get your TT kit installed" crowd, they wanted to produce the best thing on earth. This is what hooked me, this is what I wanted. After putting in tons of research, I found not one bad thing about Tony and his company and what they have put together, not only for the Z but across a few platforms. Tony and I had also built a very good relationship and the deal was sealed. March 21st, 2013(THE DAY AFTER MY SON WAS BORN!!), I signed on the dotted line and set a schedule for December/January. Spoke to Tony, Dan and Sebastian(who was beyond reputable with a serious long list of tuned cars and literally ZERO bad tunes?...oh hell yes).
The Build
-CJM stage 2 fuel return with Fast Intentions tweaking for the bigger pump and fuel pressure regulation(to assist with e85)
-Specialty Z clutch
-Stage 1 gt28rs turbos
-1000cc injectors
-powdercoated black TB tubes
-Turbosmart Eboost 2 EBC
-walbro 485ph fuel pump
-existing 2.5" 18" Carbon Fiber Fast Intentions CBE
-whiteline rear diff bushings
-Fast Intentions 34 row oil cooler
-CSF racing aluminum radiator
-Galeforce custom A-Pillar gauge pod housing eboost 2 and fuel pressure gauge
The Install
The install was being done at Fast Intentions and tuned by Seb@SZ. Charles was busy, putting together my stage 2 RFS, which would be replacing EVEYTHIING from pump to injector as I felt this was essential and did not want to leave a single stone unturned.
The car went to Fast Intentions December 27th, by carrier to begin the install. I was there by the 29th. They got started right away, with Tony giving me updates by day's end, if not every other day. I was under the understanding that my particular install would be a part of the instruction manual process, so we had a timeframe set, 2 months, done deal, including fuel system, e85 tuning and a couple hundred miles to really iron out anything, since I was the first kit leaving the area(installed at FI), they wanted to make sure I wasn't coming back until upgrades.
Progress was steady and actually pretty quick, considering I was the first to get e85, first stage 2 fuel system from CJM and the jump point for the FAST series fuel systems. The motor was dropped within the week and turbo system was complete week 2. Fuel system took a few weeks, as Charles had to really bust *** to get it to the Fast Intentions around this time and they really wanted to take their time and optimize every part of the system to work seamlessly and safely with their kit(routing tubes, moving parts, etc . In the end, I had a fuel system that had to look OEM, everything nice and tucked, I got it.
The car fired right up, Tony called me ASAP. By the end of the week, they were headed to specialty z with a barrel of e85. The first 8 hours of dyno testing had stellar results, car had already broken 500whp without a sweat, but Tony and Seb wanted to iron out some wrinkles in the system. Well, that Saturday they were at it again, another 8 hours of the dyno, they put out 632whp/589ft lb on 13.7 psi.....they pushed this power for a few hours and called me right away, the car had broken something.....MY EXPECTATIONS. They reported the car ran great, tune is perfect, but they left oodles of timing on the table, thinking that there was not much left to pursue on the smaller exhaust, turbos and a stock block. The total install took 6 weeks, about 30 phone calls and 5 emails, Tony, Seb and Charles all kept me up to date on anything, I was never in the dark. The attention to not only detail, but customer fulfillment by all three companies is uncanny. I must have called Tony like 2 times(excluding when I had to call back due to missed call), they called me....how it should be! I was comfortable enough to understand "if he didn't call me, then there's nothing to talk about", made it real easy for me.
The Finish Line
We set a pickup date for me 2 weeks later. Tony and Dan put some miles on the car and it went in again to Specialty Z to work out a mid tune, my daily tune would shape out to be 11psi and about 580hp/530ft lb with the new timing map. High Boost is in the 12-13psi territory and, with the aggressive timing, should eclipse 640hp. Basically I have 3 boost settings and 3 timing maps, I am currently daily on mid boost and high timing, I find the car to be exceptionally smooth with the higher timing and it kills off a lot of that nasty e85 smell you get with low timing(in my car at least, YMMV).
Anyhow, I flew down to LA to drive the car home. After like 10000000 delays dropped onto me by our lovely TSA "random screening"(I should have shaved..) I finally reached the shop, ran into Dan asap and saw that beautiful black cherry TT 370z staring right at me. We got right to it, they showed me under the car, the fuel system, whiteline diff bushing, greddy pan, oil relocate kit, turbos, downpipes, etc.. Dan wasted no time, started her up....PUUUURFECT, the car is just DEEP sounding, with an air of subtleness, but you know, something nasty is going on. You can hear the turbos spin up ever so slightly as the idle rose to warm the car, then quietly fade, if I had to describe the startup of this car when cold....sensual...your pants just shrink to the tune of this car.
Once it was warm, Dan took me for a ride. Now, mind you I have some fast cars, I always thought the gt500 was insane and is pushing about 530rwhp with its mods(dynoed 528 to be exact), a 29psi 330/300 golf-R and my father owns a ZR1....so I thought I could take it. NOT. This car literally scares the **** out of me, in the passenger seat. Sure, on the 8psi boost, not bad, but past that, its insanity. The boost comes on so fast, that once the wastegates fly open at about 3500rpm(LOL), you almost think that something has gone terribly wrong, but you watch the speedo and nope, you are still going. The car has no end to it, it almost feels like a roots blower, but will break your neck at 3000rpm, it's that fast and that hard.
Tony and Dan treated me to lunch and I got to ride the R8 and the GTR, which are badass cars, but I missed the truly visceral feel of my Z. We talked about life, business and the future and had a good time. These are some seriously good dudes, with a great vibe. They love what they do, while it is not the most "lucrative" or "easy" thing to do, I realized that they do not have to cater to Z's..but here they are, pushing the envelope for our cars.
Anyhow, I got my turn to drive, omfg, I could not handle this car at first. The launch manners of this car at that level are pretty atrocious, but this kit comes on so fast, missing my 1-2 shift became pretty easy, Dan had a good chuckle. But this car is just beautiful. It never really feels stock, because it spools constantly, but it is smooth, the fuel system and tune are amazing, no hesitations, no rich/lean spikes, the complete package. Push the gas a little bit and yeah, insanity takes over, but watching all the parameters and playing with throttle, that smooth consistency never leaves, the car just gets faster, exactly how I need it.
The drive home was a pleasure. Filled up a 5 gallon tank and made the trek home without a fill up(350 miles). I had tons of traffic, but the car took it with ease, the car does not have an idle drop, nor an insanely high idle, it can do stop and go all day, without stalling or having annoying "blips" that so many other modded cars have. Perfection.
As soon as I got home(with like 3 dots on the fuel tank...lol), I did a few pulls in the one area safe to do so in San Jose, well in my neck of the woods.
The second pull and 3rd pull, I let off the gas because of those asshats dumping trash at the abandoned businesses around the corner, I really did not want to do 100+ on a road with anyone on it, so I let off, but you get the idea here. The tires just came off a 350mph trip and were nice and warm, still did not have a chance, the 2.5 deg camber didn't help or the 40psi, but it was fun nonetheless. My first night with the car(actually was like 5am lol)...I was a little timid.
My Impressions Now
I have had the car in my possession for about 2 months and am really trying to beat the crap out of it. I can tell you this, this car has no problems at all..NOT ONE. It has never stalled, died, illicit any concern from me. The specialty Z clutch WOW, what a treat. Seb won't say it, but it has almost the same exact pedal pressure as stock, with just enough needed to overcome the helper spring and you can feel engagement, for such a lightweight setup(13lb Flywheel), it is relatively quiet, it gets a bit chattier when warmed up, but not noticeable outside the car. The engagement is very smooth and that tilton slave is smooth...literally the car is just as easy to drive as stock, but holds the power easily.
I have opted to daily drive the car the past month, since I have been assigned to work about 40 miles away, but it's a beautiful drive, peninsula 280, everyone should drive it, rolling hills, beautiful scenery, but a ton of CHP...lol. Anyways, the car is DDable, without a doubt. Like I have said, 4000 miles in, not one problem and the car actually feels STRONGER than ever, pulls hard, boost is consistent, starts right up every single time! Water and oil temps are rock solid, water never goes past half and oil rarely hits 210..rarely. There is something about this mix of parts that just works, plain and simple.
I have never enjoyed a car like this. My GT500, I am afraid to modify, because let's face it, modded cars aren't reliable, aren't comfortable, but are tons of fun, you just can't live in them. Not this car, my exhaust setup is pretty quiet, at least inside, I can listen to music, have an in-car conversation, make a phone call, I can rely on this car, just like anything else. At the same time....ITS A 600HP, 3200LB, 5550+FTLB ROCKET....Jesus, mother of god and the holy spirit....this kit is a revelation. Tony and his wizard(Dan) have really broken the mold here, I dare anyone to challenge that. What we have here is an all out blitz on every weakness perceived in the Z(traction excluded)...the car has low end power and torque and retains top end breathing, this kit is also not VVEL limited, look at the boost curves, no drop, the only reason HP peaks is because we are on stock blocks and Seb's tuning does not focus on the final number, rather the usable power, he will not dump timing to showboat an imaginary number to sell kits, that is not the crowd being catered to, now if you want REAL, USABLE, DEPENDABLE power throughout the ENTIRE curve, well this kit is where you have to look......oh and the quality, well, there is no comparison.
My first oil change showed incredibly clean oil(thanks likely to how clean this fuel burns) with no sediment or debris in it. I know that Fast Intentions had flushed the oil after dyno tuning to make sure any cast-off from the new parts(esp turbos) running oil did not leave debris in the oil, but it was clean as day, ran thr oil through a paper towel, nothing, clean as can be. This tells me that rods and pistons are doing great and bearings are not taking damage, everything is holding the power and torque at this point! Car takes almost spot on 7.5 quarts to fill, including the pre-fill on filter. Maybe a touch more. The car had not burned ANY oil, yes, NONE, dan filled it just about to the second dot read almost right at that level upon oil change, still above halfway between two dots, impressive. Oil change was easier than stock dueto the new filter location being vertical and not dumping oil all over my face removing it(or putting the new one in).First change done at 2500, next at 300 and will send to blackstone for analysis.
The Future
Needless to say, I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Specialty Z is scraping together a plan to chase 1000hp and beyond on this kit. It can do it, we have all agreed. An upgrade to HTA2868/Alpha Cover is also slated to happen with the block. Needless to say, I am investing more into this kit, not because my engine blew, or because I think it will, but I KNOW we will do it, and I KNOW, it will be WORTH it.
The car will also be getting some visual updates as well. With some great support from a couple forum vendors and industry companies, my dream is quickly becoming a reality!
**I am also considering a g37 purchase, using the gt500 and sending that in to Fast Intentions as well for TT treatments. Lol, get it while the getting is good!** Will accept trades+10k, if you are under 20kmiles(I know this isn't FS, but I couldn't help it!)**
Quick Rundown:
PROS:
+insane power
+customer service at a level where I am NEVER concerned about the kit(piece of mind is worth $$$$)
+daily drivable(SAFE) temperatures, drivability, dependability CHECK CHECK CHECK
+easy to upgrade(endless possibility)
+insane value(9-12k is not much considering other kits are already 75%+ the cost, also I know of at least 2 shops quoting much cheaper install rated on the kit, due to the headers and connection locations alone)
CONS:
-power is too easy, once many heads get their hands on these kits, the 600hp moniker won't be impressive, ATM we are all too used to "stage 3/4/5" kits pushing 600hp on like 20lbs boost, with this kit, stage 3/4/5 means 800+ without breaking a sweat("someone has to have a small penis to prove mine is large" -Confucius)
-none
Parting Shots
I know I have been vocal about this, but this kit is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. Think about this...DDABLE 500hp(more if willing to e85), with no worries(fast intentions answers the phone, acts accordingly, offers assistance and jump into action) for a car that you can get for 30k+15k=45k for a legitimate supercar. Sure, you can buy other kits, but you are selling yourself short. Tony is also pretty flexible, honestly, I cannot fathom rushing to buy a 7000-9000 turbo/sc kit, when all you have to do is save up another month or two and bam, you now have power, reliability, customer service and well MORE POWER, everywhere, compared to another turbo kit(anonymous), at 4000 rpm alone, I am pushing +75hp/+60ft lb and they never catch up. I am now hitting 10psi at 3200rpm, compared to 3750 on this particular car....it is not even a comparison. The kit has it all, the big number at the end, but all of the power across the entire band. I would not do this car any other way, I love my car, love my kit. So l am going to wrap this up now, because I have to drive this car, there is nothing like it.......WORTH EVERY PENNY.
-Thanks to Tony and Dan at Fast Intentions for producing(engineered from the ground up, not an imitation) and installing this kit. We will be in business for a long time, no matter what the platform, I am sold, you have a lifelong customer in me, please continue to show the world how you run a business, there is a reason why everything that comes out of your shop is golden, and no, it is not because your walls are made of "brick and mortar".
-Thanks to Sebastian and Greg at Specialty Z, for the monster tune and equally impressive clutch system, I am excited to see what clutch solution you may have slated for 1000+hp applications
-Thanks to Charles @CJ motorsports for letting me steal your first iteration on the stage 2 RFS, it is perfect brother and your insight into e85 conversion was crucial. Hopefully I can stand with you as we rewrite VQ37 history in the next few years!
-Thanks to Galeforce your gauge pillar was the icing on the cake and really completed a sleek build. I find it crucial for allowing me to monitor and make adjustments on the fly, having my 2 most important gauges accessible and maintain OEM look and finish. Seriously these pillars are rock solid and very OEM.
-Thanks to my wife, for telling me to "go for it" just hours after we had our 2nd son...lol!
-Thanks to the370z.com community. The dedication to this car is insane, while we don't hold market share like the toyobaru, we are still relevant and keep companies like Fast Intentions and Specialty Z interested in this platform, when most likely there are bigger fish to fry out there. To those who have gone forced induction before me, I look up to ALL of you, no matter who made what you have, love it, drive it, enjoy it! To anyone looking into going forced induction, well join the club, get every penny worth, suck every safe, usable hp out of that sexy VQ37 and have some fun with it!
HOLY **** THIS IS STILL LONG AND I PULLED LIKE 2 PAGES OFF OF IT......tl/dr- the kit is flawless, do not hesitate, get on the hype train and drive with us! WORTH EVERY PENNY #lifelongcustomer
Cold Startup Vid
More vids and stuff to come, build journal to come soon...too busy! Blake, omfg tell me your mic setup, i must copy, all my videos ar **** due to mic fail!