Mike's Journal

RCZ

Looks good man, looks like you knew exactly the look you wanted to go for. I'd call it a success.

Mike

I have several track events coming up over the next 3 months, starting with the Z1 Nationals at Little Talladega on the 25th of this month, continuing on with 3 Road Atlantas and CMP, so I needed wheels quickly.

I started off looking for a set of lightweight, inexpensive 18s for track wheels. I test fitted some Enkei’s and they didn’t work, so in my frustration, I decided to go my own way. Forgestars were an option, but I need them now, not in a few months. So, I found a deal on 4 rear 18x8.5” 350Z Track Ray’s wheels and had them widened one inch by Weldcraft. I Spent 500 on the wheels and 900 to widen them, so 1400 for the set.

Once widened, the wheels weigh 19.8 lbs each by my digital bathroom scale.

Got them in today and test fitted. They stick in farther than stock, especially with an inch added to the inside, but they still clear everything, including the suspension and the calipers. With tires, the fronts may need a small spacer, as there is only about ¾” clearance between the wheel and the upper arm of the spindle. We will have to see once I get the tires mounted.

I will be using 275/35-80 R888s all around for balance and for ease of rotation.

Here are some pics of the test fit process:

The wheels after widening:






Front of car




Back of car




Now its time to prep and powder coat them!

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

WShade

Looking forward to that.

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Q50S
Q60 RS400

Mike

1st one will be out of the oven. They will be a color called Stone Black, which is about a 40% gloss. Figured since they will be covered in brake dust, I don't want them shiny.

__________________
NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

Mike

Recent updates to my car
-Powdercoated strut brace
-Powdercoated and installed Stillen G3
-Modshack Oil Cooler
-Stillen PS Cooler
-Powdercoated and installed my widened 350Z Track Rays wheels
-- Wheels are now 18x9.5 + 46 offset and fit both front and rear, although I am using 25mm spacers in the rear.
-Got the front laser shifters installed

Stillen G3 and strut bar, powder coated Smoke Chrome:


Front view of Stillen PS Cooler, Modshack Oil Cooler and front laser shifters


Side views of installed wheels:






Front wheel, no spacer


Rear wheel, 25mm spacer

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

Mike

sound clips:
I just installed the new Invidia Prototype exhaust, (Gemini) and I have Berk Test pipes.

With the stock exhauset the berks had some rasp. With the new exhaust, no rasp at all! These are iphone recordings. first from outside at idle and revving to what the car would let us, then a couple accelerating 0-80, windows up and down.

Overall, its an awesome sounding exhaust and not overly loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfpHakv4B8s

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

Mike

0-80 windows windows down
YouTube - 0-80 berk test pipes and invidia gemini, 370Z
the window down one didnt load, but there is absolutley no drone at all!

__________________
NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

LOU@AMPLIFIED

Glad you like them mike. I'm really surprised how good it sounds and how not overly loud they are even with test pipes.

B1nks

I'm not sure if I have the same definition as rasp because I still hear that hiss at the end of a rev which is what I consider rasp..

Mike

Its got a tiny bit there in the idle clip, but thats with no load on the engine, (especially compared to test pipes only). In the car on the street there is none, and revving at idle is something I only did for the example video, not a regular thing.

__________________
NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

LOU@AMPLIFIED

That hiss is common once you have any HFC/TEST PIPE, that only occurs on deceleration. So far, all of the HFC and TEST PIPES we've installed has that mysterious HISS