Nissan 370Z Forum - Houstonian Checking In

Hi guys :hello:

Been lurking around here for a few weeks now, decided to go ahead and make an account so I can get in some of the discussions. I'm in Houston, TX, and I picked up my 370Z from Champion Nissan in Katy about 3 weeks ago. My previous daily driver has been a 6-speed 1999 WS-6 Trans Am that I bought new 10 years ago. (Actually, I still have the WS6 in my garage, but I think what's going to happen is I'm going to rip out the LS1 + T56 and use them in a project car, probably a 60's muscle car body, and then part out or toss the rest of it).

I went with the Auto tranny on my 370z, and it was a tough choice. I still second-guess that decision from time to time, but I'm happy overall. I love driving a stick, and have been doing so on a trickier car than the 370z for a decade - however test-driving the 370z auto w/ the paddle shifters convinced me (well that, and sometimes it's just nice to be able to flip it into D when you've got other distractions going on. Not every drive is all about "lap times" around the city :p).

Other than that, the one I ended up with is Platinum Graphite, with the Sport and Touring packages, but no factory nav. I'm not a big believer in factory nav systems (too much $$$ for the features, become outdated, etc), and I really like the little extra glove-box they put in its place.

Anyways, I'm a bit of an amateur mechanic. My father was a real mechanic most of his life, I think I inherited it from him. I've done a few engine swaps and rebuilds of diffs and things of that level, and everything easier. I've got air tools and the whole 9 yards in my home garage, but no lift. Luckily, I have a friend with a lift I could use on weekends occasionally, an hour or two out of town. All my experience has been with american cars though, so working on the 370Z is going to be a whole new experience for me.

I'm not at all into modding for looks and sound. If I do anything to this car, it's for the numbers and the drive-ability. I'm a driver at heart, and I just want the best tools for driving at a reasonable price. Seems most of the aftermarket for the Z is focused on consumers of the opposite disposition though, so it's making it a pain for me to wade through the hype and get down to what I really want on my car. I'm sure I'll figure it all out eventually.

Anyways, enough background. Great board, looking forward to contributing to our collective knowledge about these cars :)

ETA: Oops, I guess technically I coulda/shoulda posted this in the "New 370Z Owner" section, but whatever