Who Actually Goes to the Track with Their 370Z?

LunaZ

Now THAT is a track!

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2009 370Z Sport/Touring/Navigation | see my journal for mods
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BGTV8

I have to agree with the general thrust of earlier posts ... the 370Z as a stocker is a brilliant drive - sweet handler and even though oil temps in slow traffic with high ambient temps will rise over 105-115DegC, this has never been a problem for me.

As a track day weapon, the Zed has a few issues (oil temps being one, and body roll another). Both are very simple to correct ... throw an oil cooler and a set of sway bars at the car, fit decent pads and good rubber and you can have a real blast. If you want to go further, it will start costing big bucks. Once you have done the above (all up cost maybe $2K max), each second of lap time will start escalating in cost. Figure:

headers/hi-flow cats and CBE add $1.5-2K, maybe 1 second/lap
suspension (shocks) at least triple adjustables add $2-3K, maybe 1-1.5 seconds/lap
slick tyres add another $1.5K, more if you need another set of wheels, maybe another 1-1.5 sec/lap

Now you get to the point of a serious brake upgrade over the Akebono's - anywhere from $2-4K or more, maybe another .75sec/lap

Now you need more power, and that means s/c or TT - engine life is compromised, and this is a $5-10K investment and might give 2-3 secs/lap, but by now, the vehicle will be a b1tch to drive on the road, it will be darty and the ride hard enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth, and the engine is almost guaranteed to go bang sooner rather than later.

As I said at the outset, the 370Z is a brilliant daily driver as it comes, and it will give hours of pleasure on a track with surprisingly modest investment. As a serious track weapon, it requires a substantial investment - I have priced up the construction of the GT4 version for European and Australian GT-series and excluding the vehicle purchase price, at least US$45-50K is required to produce a car that is still 2-4 seconds a lap slower than the 911 GT3 Cup - which is the benchmark vehicle in these series.

I enjoy my Zed as a brilliant daily driver and occaisional track day car with only those mods required to make it suitable - pads, tyres, exhaust and bars - anything else and the expense gets truly out of hand very quickly (IMHO).

If you have a stocker, then enjoy it - Mr Nissan has built a great car .... if you wish to avoid oil temp issues, then keep the revs under 5-6000rpm - there is no point in wringing the engines neck to redline every shift ... because this is usually the source of elevated oil temps, especially in high ambient temps.

KillerBee370

I track the car. If you are asking about bare bones performance mods for this car at the track IMO it would be-

-Sport package (for the larger brakes alone)
-Oil cooler (a must)
-HFC's + CBE + tune (let's produce some power here)
-Brake pads (because fade on a stock pad at the track just sucks)
-Sway bars (when you get them, you will know what I'm talking about and instantly realize the difference in handling)
-Proper fluids (you don't need boiling brake fluid)

That's really about it as this car is pretty good to go right out of the box.

Some secondary things to consider would be optional things to either increase performance further or provide better safety such as-

-Racing seat + 5 point harness (better control over your body during G's means better performance over your car)
-Tires (track dedicated racing rubber)
-Added downforce (usually a good thing)
-SS brake lines (like the sways, if you don't have them, you won't know what I'm talking about until you do)
-Coilover suspension (let's make the suspension just that much better)

KillerBee370

BTW... looking at the poll results to date, 5 people take their Z to the track once or more a month? Who are you people?

lolz. I can think of one or two but 5 right off the bat?!

Mike

me. Its been a few months since I had the wreck, but I've got Zcon in two weeks, Road Atlanta in August, ZNats in September, Road America in October and Road Atlanta in November. Thats all for now.

Your track mod list was pretty good, but my next upgrade is going to be the Relentless 4-point roll bar and a hans device along with the harness and seats. Time to focus on safety. Funny how an on track accident will change your mindest.

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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

KillerBee370

Haha.. you were actually ONE of the people I was thinking about when I posted that. Yes, safety is a good thing!

Edit: The other person I was thinking of owns that blue Robispec time attack Z. (I've actually been to the track with him)

LateralG'z

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2010 Mag Black, 6MT,

Vegitto-kun

I just hope I don't crash at nurburg.

spa francorchamps is one thing but the ring is alot worse

LateralG'z

I am one of the five people

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2010 Mag Black, 6MT,

LateralG'z

My car is on the slow process of becoming a more dedicated track car

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2010 Mag Black, 6MT,

LunaZ

I made the poll results public. You can click on the results and see who responded to which option.
I did this so I could tell who was basing their advice on actual experience and who was quoting a hot lap article from a magazine.

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2009 370Z Sport/Touring/Navigation | see my journal for mods
facebook: Be my friend... or not.

wh!plash

I'll definitely be tempted to go to the track with my new Z. I've never taken a car to the track, but I have done trackdays with sportbikes (Jennings GP in FL).

Makes me nervous though when the Z is my daily driver. In the past I've had dedicated track bikes, but then again, I can get a nice track bike for $3k... Much cheaper to play in that arena.

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2009 370Z Sport 7AT MB, Stillen exhaust + Gen3 intakes
2010 Ducati Streetfighter
2009 Triumph Street Triple

LunaZ

I'm not sure if they run cars at Jennings, but from what I've seen of it, there's no hard objects to worry about at that track.
I have the same concerns about tracking my daily driver. That's why I keep my prepped Miata around. Not nearly as fast, but still tons of fun to drive at its limit.

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2009 370Z Sport/Touring/Navigation | see my journal for mods
facebook: Be my friend... or not.

wh!plash

Yeah, Jennings is motorcycle-only. Its wide-open out there, but its a pretty small track too.

It would have to be Sebring or Homestead if I was to take the car out.

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2009 370Z Sport 7AT MB, Stillen exhaust + Gen3 intakes
2010 Ducati Streetfighter
2009 Triumph Street Triple

kenchan

i dont track my car either. i think the car in stock form is more than adequate for street performance. actually i dont even that spiritedly lately, more like my touring car.