My 370z "unicorn"

filip00 · 06-05-2021, 03:04 PM

This is my 370z which is one very very improbable find.

It's a 2009, one of the first 370z's, with 15.000km on the clock (9500 miles).
The story is odd. The first owner was a german guy with loads of cash who bought the car and stored it in a garage in Croatia, so that when he comes to the coast for summer, he has a summer car there. Other than his driving at the coast, the car sat in a garage.
The owner died, so his daughter inherited the car. She sold it to a young guy in Germany who had the car for 10 days before losing his license due to speeding. So best course of action for him was to sell it. And that's how I got it.

So...the car has every item that was available back then (no camera). I'm not sure there was anything else available in 2009.
Condition of the car is absolute mint. Smells like new, still has original tyres on. Disc brakes are original, pads original, everything as it left the factory.

My intention is to keep the car for a long time....and only modify it a tiny little bit. So far I did just a few things (thanks to this forum DIYs!): I added a "drift switch" and I colored the fangs and the rear diffusor. Yes, I also changed the oil and the oil filter. Brake fluid is OK, antifreeze also OK.
Next on the list is to have a look at the galley gasket, I'd really like that peace of mind. Also, I was thinking of pulling out the fuel pump and simply adding an epoxy or something else over those prongs to make them stronger so that they don't break. Any other ideas perhaps?

Thanks for your comments and tips.

Edit: this part below is regularly updated as time progresses and the car gets minor upgrades.
(Regular service not included in the list, i do it yearly anyway, as I do ~3000 miles per year.)

Every year during the winter while the car is stored in the garage, I replace the oil and the oil filter. I also wash the K/N air filters that are reusable.
Oil
Stock Oil filter
Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 oil

CAR CHECKLIST:

2021
1. Switch installed for turning off VDC June 2021
2. Clutch slave cylinder - changed July 2021
3. Clutch master cylinder - changed July 2021
4. Steering wheel fuse pulled out July 2021
5. Galley/gallery gaskets changed for newer November 2021
6. Clutch pedal spring removed November 2021
7. Rear hatch weight removed November 2021

2022
$. Sava UHP2 low grip tyres to practice handling
8. Whiteline rear anti-roll bar installed April 2022
9. Invidia Gemini V2 catback exhaust installed April 2022
10. K&N air filters installed June 2022
11. Cabin air filter installed July 2022
12. OS Giken LSD installed July 2022
13. Eibach Pro Lowering Kit (-20mm/-25mm) installed September 2022
14. Eibach Spacers 20mm (all around) installed October 2022
15. Z1 Setrab Oil Cooler+thermostat + RSP Oil Pressure Gauge, installed February 2023

2023
16. GK Tech differential brace, installed March 2023
17. Spacershop steering wheel spacer, installed April 2023
18. Switch for enabling gas/brake pedal combo
19. Braided steel brake lines - installed May 2023
20. EBC Bluestuff - installed May 2023
21. RBF Motul 600 - installed May 2023 (planned change every 2 years)
22. Steering angle spacers + new tie rods - installed May 2023
23. Adjustable rear camber arms - October 2023
24. Adjustable rear toe arms - October 2023

2024
25. Steering fluid cooler upgraded Mishimoto and new servo oil LiquiMoly - January 2024
26. Final drive swap 3.69 -> 4.08 (Sent for installation to Hardeman Motorsport NL), new oil (80w250 OSG) - February 2024
27. Goodyear Eagle F1 Assym.6 245/40/19 and 275/35/19 - April 2024
28. New transmission oil - Mannol 75w85 - April 2024
29. Rear wiper arm removed - July 2024
30. KW V3 coilovers - installed August 2024
31. DBA T3 5000 rotors - installed October 2024
32. EBC RP1 pads (front+rear) - installed October 2024
33. Whiteline front anti roll bar - installed October 2024

Upgrade list:

Engine:
Setrab oil cooler
Servo oil cooler
K&N drop in filters
Nvidia Gemini V2 catback

Drivetrain:
OS Giken LSD
4.08 FD
GKTech diff brace

Suspension:
Toe arms Silverproject
Camber arms Silverproject
KW V3 coilovers
GKTech steering spacers
GKTech tie rods
Eibach 20mm spacers front+back

Brakes:
DBA T3 5000 rotors
EBC RP-1 pads front+back
Braided steel brake lines
Motul RBF600

Wishlist:
1. Fuel pump upgrade
2. Fuel starvation kit
3. FUCA

JARblue · 06-05-2021, 04:23 PM

Nice find

And despite how much tread might be left, those tires are most certainly expired. Get some new ones asap!

Ventruck · 06-06-2021, 01:31 AM

Really cool find.

I'm totally with you on just doing things for peace of mind, and I think like that to a fault perhaps. Oil cooler and CSC would really be the main things that imo can't wait.

Hope the car treats you well. Times are kinda changing and I think the emphasis on analog/simple has become more prominent over debating performance as an indicator of value. As you'll see, some users/owners have come back. Of course, any car can have that kind of pull or charm, but I think it's interesting when considering there's the other half of the spectrum, where this generation Z has lived arguably too long of a production life — but people still come back.

DieselKrampus · 06-06-2021, 01:31 PM

Nice find, pretty cool spec also. Love the Persimmon interior. What is the name of that exterior color? Don't think I've seen that one before. And yes, definitely get new tires immediately.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Rusty · 06-06-2021, 08:20 PM

Nice find.

I would still bleed the brakes and clutch fluid with something like Motul 600.

For the fuel pump top hat. Get one of these from CJM.

Instead of appling epoxy on it.

https://cj-motorsports.com/products/...-pump-hat-370z

Gallery gaskets. Get these. Tip. Use locktite on the screws and once torqued. Use a center punch on the rim of the screw and dimple it. This will keep the screws from backing out.

EPS Tuning Oil Gallery Gasket/Hardware Kit

JARblue · 06-06-2021, 11:14 PM

New brake fluid and pads are always good for used car. CJM top hat is billet - don't bother trying to bandaid the plastic OEM garbage. And EPS gallery gasket kit is

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselKrampus

What is the name of that exterior color?

The grey color in 2009-2010 was Platinum Graphite. In 2011 it changed to Gun Metallic which was a slightly darker shade plus metallic flakes.

filip00 · 06-07-2021, 02:17 AM

Great tips guys, thanks for them! I'll definitely follow some of the advice here.

1. Gallery gaskets - I'll do it in a year's time, with the next oil change.
2. Fuel pump - I like the idea of replacing the top cap better than the epoxy bandage

so yeah, I'll have look into that as well.
3. Brake fluid - I had it checked and since it contained no humidity and works well, I decided to postpone that change for now.
4. CSC - any preventative measure for this fail? I read about it, but I'm unsure as to what I can do preventatively.
5. Exterior color - I have no idea what it is. I doubt it's platinum grey, as it has a brown hue to it. A neighbour has an old brown Qashqai, and it's definitely more "silverish" than that, but still has that brown hue. Is there a sticker on the car (like VIN) which indicated exterior color?
6. Tyres - that's an interesting one. I first thought I'd use these to have some fun and change them as soon as they're spent...so like I mentioned earlier, I also did a VDC kill switch, I placed it in between the heated seat switches (see attachment). Still, I was surprised to find the car super grippy regardless of old tyres. I then went to alignment and asked to change camber on the rear, as I found it was a bit too negative for my taste. I went out and thought I'd use the tyres quickly but again, a LOT of grip. So regarding the tyres - I'm a bit disappointed with them being so soft and grippy although being 12 years old, and I'm suspecting they're losing pressure quite a bit (about 2PSI per 2 weeks or so), so they will be changed sometime soon.

Quicksilvers · 06-07-2021, 05:49 AM

Welcome to the 370Z forums. Research the forums.

old guy · 06-07-2021, 08:43 AM

I don’t care where you’re from that was a score

-ZS-Carpenter · 06-07-2021, 09:26 AM

Change the brake fluid, it's 13 years old. I don't care what it tested, it needs changed.
I would do every fluid in the car before driving it if that was mine. All of them.

The tires must go. Old tire that look OK is what killed the fast and furious guy. The only driving you should be doing with those are going slowly to the tire shop to have new ones installed.

Great find. I love the color combo. Hope you get to enjoy it for years

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

JARblue · 06-07-2021, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by filip00

5. Exterior color - I have no idea what it is. I doubt it's platinum grey, as it has a brown hue to it. A neighbour has an old brown Qashqai, and it's definitely more "silverish" than that, but still has that brown hue. Is there a sticker on the car (like VIN) which indicated exterior color?
6. Tyres - that's an interesting one. Still, I was surprised to find the car super grippy regardless of old tyres.

5. I guess it's possible it was painted, but I doubt it. You should be able to locate the color code on the VIN sticker in the driver side door jamb. The color code for Platinum Graphite is K51.

6. Pretty risky. Those old tires will grip just fine until they fail catastrophically. And that risk increases the more you push them; the last thing you want is them failing on you at high speed going around a curve like Paul Walker's old Porsche tires.

Rusty · 06-07-2021, 02:05 PM

What Jar is getting at is that tires have a life span of 7 to 8 years regardless of mileage. The older the tire, the greater the chance of the tire to come apart. It's recommended to change tires at the 7 year mark. You can find the tire's birthday on the side wall. It will be the week and year imprinted.

filip00 · 06-09-2021, 04:53 PM

Regarding the tires - I know. Rubber degrades over time regardless of storage, and same goes for seals, bushings, gaskets, tires, whatever we're talking about.
I'll change the tires soon, it is on the list. The only reason why I didn't do it as a priority is because I'm not going high speeds with the car, but it's on the list

After our discussion about the color and the color code, I went and checked the color code and it's not K51.

This is the passenger side sticker:

From what I can google, KAC is a color code for "Desert shadow" color.

JARblue · 06-09-2021, 05:07 PM

Yup, Desert Shadow.

That color and Arctic Blue Metallic are the two colors that weren't offered in the US region for the 370Z in 2009

DieselKrampus · 06-10-2021, 11:54 AM

Yeah I noticed the bit of brown hue to it which made me think of it more like a "burnt bronze" shade. Very unique, I like it! :Thumbup:

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

06-05-2021, 04:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
JARblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX Age: 43 Posts: 36,450 Drives: 11 Z34, 98 E36 M3 Rep Power: 2684440	Nice find And despite how much tread might be left, those tires are most certainly expired. Get some new ones asap! Rusty, Hotrodz, redondoaveb and 6 others like this. __________________ 2011 370Z 6MT Sport Gun Metallic \| ARC \| CJM \| Ecutek \| FI \| Fujimura \| R2C \| SPL \| Stillen \| TWM \| Z1 \| ZSpeed \|

06-06-2021, 01:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ventruck Track Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: California Posts: 785 Drives: '13 Sport+Touring M6 Rep Power: 22898	Really cool find. I'm totally with you on just doing things for peace of mind, and I think like that to a fault perhaps. Oil cooler and CSC would really be the main things that imo can't wait. Hope the car treats you well. Times are kinda changing and I think the emphasis on analog/simple has become more prominent over debating performance as an indicator of value. As you'll see, some users/owners have come back. Of course, any car can have that kind of pull or charm, but I think it's interesting when considering there's the other half of the spectrum, where this generation Z has lived arguably too long of a production life — but people still come back. redondoaveb and filip00 like this.

06-06-2021, 01:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
DieselKrampus Base Member Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Chadds Ford, PA Posts: 81 Drives: 2010 Nismo370Z MB M6 Rep Power: 3360	Nice find, pretty cool spec also. Love the Persimmon interior. What is the name of that exterior color? Don't think I've seen that one before. And yes, definitely get new tires immediately. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk babyzilla and filip00 like this. __________________ 2010 *Nismo* 370Z #574 . Z1 Post-MAF Tubes . Drop-in dry filters . Beluga Axleback . Z33 Shift knob

06-06-2021, 08:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rusty Ronin Samurai - Assassin Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 68 Posts: 35,184 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684437	Nice find. I would still bleed the brakes and clutch fluid with something like Motul 600. For the fuel pump top hat. Get one of these from CJM. Instead of appling epoxy on it. https://cj-motorsports.com/products/...-pump-hat-370z Gallery gaskets. Get these. Tip. Use locktite on the screws and once torqued. Use a center punch on the rim of the screw and dimple it. This will keep the screws from backing out. EPS Tuning Oil Gallery Gasket/Hardware Kit JARblue, danegrey, Hotrodz and 4 others like this. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

06-07-2021, 05:49 AM	#8 (permalink)
Quicksilvers A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2017 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,039 Drives: 2017 370z Rep Power: 25463	Welcome to the 370Z forums. Research the forums. Hotrodz and filip00 like this. __________________ Mr. Clean

06-07-2021, 08:43 AM	#9 (permalink)
old guy A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: S.E. Michigan Age: 68 Posts: 2,710 Drives: 13 magma touring Rep Power: 2684369	I don’t care where you’re from that was a score Hotrodz, Ghostvette, sx moneypit and 2 others like this. __________________ I better walk before they make me run....

06-07-2021, 09:26 AM	#10 (permalink)
-ZS-Carpenter A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,410 Drives: 13 370z 6MT Rep Power: 2684367	Change the brake fluid, it's 13 years old. I don't care what it tested, it needs changed. I would do every fluid in the car before driving it if that was mine. All of them. The tires must go. Old tire that look OK is what killed the fast and furious guy. The only driving you should be doing with those are going slowly to the tire shop to have new ones installed. Great find. I love the color combo. Hope you get to enjoy it for years Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk JARblue, Hotrodz, wanker and 3 others like this.

06-07-2021, 02:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
Rusty Ronin Samurai - Assassin Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 68 Posts: 35,184 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684437	What Jar is getting at is that tires have a life span of 7 to 8 years regardless of mileage. The older the tire, the greater the chance of the tire to come apart. It's recommended to change tires at the 7 year mark. You can find the tire's birthday on the side wall. It will be the week and year imprinted. JARblue, Hotrodz, ZontheRocks and 2 others like this. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

06-09-2021, 04:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
filip00 Track Member Join Date: May 2021 Location: slovenia Posts: 557 Drives: 370z pack Rep Power: 125427	Regarding the tires - I know. Rubber degrades over time regardless of storage, and same goes for seals, bushings, gaskets, tires, whatever we're talking about. I'll change the tires soon, it is on the list. The only reason why I didn't do it as a priority is because I'm not going high speeds with the car, but it's on the list After our discussion about the color and the color code, I went and checked the color code and it's not K51. This is the passenger side sticker: From what I can google, KAC is a color code for "Desert shadow" color. DieselKrampus likes this.

06-09-2021, 05:07 PM	#14 (permalink)
JARblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX Age: 43 Posts: 36,450 Drives: 11 Z34, 98 E36 M3 Rep Power: 2684440	Yup, Desert Shadow. That color and Arctic Blue Metallic are the two colors that weren't offered in the US region for the 370Z in 2009 babyzilla and DieselKrampus like this. __________________ 2011 370Z 6MT Sport Gun Metallic \| ARC \| CJM \| Ecutek \| FI \| Fujimura \| R2C \| SPL \| Stillen \| TWM \| Z1 \| ZSpeed \|

06-10-2021, 11:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
DieselKrampus Base Member Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Chadds Ford, PA Posts: 81 Drives: 2010 Nismo370Z MB M6 Rep Power: 3360	Yeah I noticed the bit of brown hue to it which made me think of it more like a "burnt bronze" shade. Very unique, I like it! :Thumbup: Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk -ZS-Carpenter and filip00 like this. __________________ 2010 *Nismo* 370Z #574 . Z1 Post-MAF Tubes . Drop-in dry filters . Beluga Axleback . Z33 Shift knob

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