best mods for a limited budget

ImportConvert

Clear Bra. It's the only mod that is likely to pay you back in full for doing it. Especially good idea with Nissan's ultra-thin paint. If you're serious about driving your car to its potential, learn how it feels stock, first, and after you become adept at handling it stock, the first mods will be obvious. Through it all, the clear-bra will have your back.

DJ-of-E

Best advise so far.

Heck, I took my car to auto-x last weekend and with the right tires, it ran pretty darn well (even with the body roll).

Afterwards, honestly...the best mod is to save up and replace those darn oem tires. The Z, itself, is already a head turner. No need to make it into "head turner + BLAARRGHH."

If you're limited on funds, especially when you live in California, then you still have like 6 years to think about it if you REALLy want to spend that $1000 only to take it off for the PITA SMOG check.


As for racing school, they're really expensive, but if you take things to heart and not be a slacker-know-it-all, then I suggest this.

http://www.raceschool.com/

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Drex

i really really wish i had gotten the clear bra when i got my car. 3-4 months in and its got rock chips all over the front end.

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2011 Nissan 370z | 6MT | Magnetic Black | Sport Package

ImportConvert

I had the clear-bra put on my Z06 on the showroom floor. They roped it off and allowed my guy to come in and install it then and there when the car arrived.

So far, it has taken several good hits that have marred the film and sounded like a bullet impact on the inside of the car. The film is not broken and I have every confidence that the paint is pristine underneath. VERY sound investment. I really recommend the clear-bra for ANY new car, as when it comes time to sell it, your "I babied her..." claim will hold SO MUCH more water if the car LOOKS like it was babied. That means paint that isn't chipped on the roofline/hood, and a nose-clip that isn't sand-blasted.

If OP is serious, he will put a sticky tire on the car, and those will sling crap into the bodywork on the rocker-panel area, and other spots (I don't know the 370Z's "trouble" areas). Either way, the film will take a LOT of abuse off the paint. Also, if he does any kind of driving around cones, the film will keep them from smearing onto/scraping/smearing the paint.

brucelidat

Where can I go to buy/have the clear bra installed? also, how much is the clear bra? IS it difficult to remove in the future if needed?

ImportConvert

Search for a local installer with a good reputation. Mine came from 50 miles away and installed it for me. He was mobile. Search for someone familiar with YOUR car. It is easy to remove, but professional removal is recommended.

DJ-of-E

Why would you need to remove it? It's not like a sticker where you could remove it and re-install it back in.

Then again, when I was young, I didn't care about the paint of my car and had scratches and scuffs everywhere in the car.

Honestly, I'm glad my parents didn't buy me a car and that I had to buy my own used car. Cars has a lot more responsibility and hassle than realized and if I was given a new car, I would've made a mess out of it. Plus, it's a lot easier to learn about mechanics and functions on older cars than the Z.

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brucelidat

can anyone recommend a good driving school/program in southern california?

brucelidat

any tire suggestions when it comes time to replace my stock ones? (won't be soon, still breaking it in, only 3rd week of ownership)

brucelidat

If you're limited on funds, especially when you live in California, then you still have like 6 years to think about it if you REALLy want to spend that $1000 only to take it off for the PITA SMOG check.

Can you elaborate on this? I've never modded a car so am not familiar with this. Will the intake and TPs or HFCs mail me when it's smog check time? And is 6 years when i start needing to be tested?

shadoquad

I'm not sure about Cali with their CAFE standards, but putting hi-flow cats or test pipes on your car could cause you to fail an emissions test. Especially test pipes, since that's just straight pipe with no cats.

Guard Dad

Test pipes can generate a check engine light because the ECU can't locate the cats. Test pipes will flunk the smog inspection, which I think is at 6 years.

High flow cats might be OK as far as the ECU is concerned but may or may not pass the inspection.

It's a violation to replace a functioning cat in California but people do it anyway. Be aware that cat replacement can be difficult. some of the bolts are hard to access and they tend to break off.

Intake mods can cause you to flunk the test but they are easy to reverse so lots of folks do them anyway, I like the Stillen G3.

The NST underdrive pulley is cheap horsepower but none of the pulleys that I've seen so far have harmonic balancers (lots of discussion if it's even needed on the Z) so I haven't pulled the trigger on a pulley, yet.

A used cat-back exhaust is good horsepower but check for sound clips as some owners have had issues with resonance or exhaust rasp with some combinations of cat-backs and test pipes/high flow cats.

If you do all three you will probably need a custom tune which is 400-600 bucks but it's worth another 5-10 horsepower.

I'd suggest a Stillen G3 intake and a cat-back exhaust, minimal headaches and about 30 HP.

brucelidat

any recommendations for the cat back exhaust? I saw a Stillen dual exhaust, but it was $1600

shadoquad

A lot of people I know like the Berk, F.I., Invidia, and a few others.

Here's a pretty good rundown.

the370z.com's Exhaust Quick Reference Guide

slumpey

In the same boat...

How about better springs (Swift Spec-R Springs 370Z 08+) to replace the stock springs?
Do you also have to replace the stock coilovers as well?

How much does it cost to have springs installed?