Thinking about a basic low budget build, need some guidance...

GreggoEggo

Long time lurker, first time poster...

I am looking to create a fun company car for my fellow tech geeks to thrash around town and for me to use as a DD and weekend day tripper.

My first thought was to just get a 2015 nismo AT with tech package and call it a day....that is still an option though besides the price I am a bit concerned about the stiff suspension becoming a bit too much on daily commutes and longer weekend trips. I have done a bunch of reading around here, but really can't remember enough of what I find here and there to put a real plan together. I have test driven a 2011 sport/tour model and I have test driven a BRZ (my other contender), and even though I could probably use a back seat for the rare need, the 370z just feels like a much more substantial car and one that I had much more fun driving. The reality is that I will rarely get a chance to really enjoy the limits, or even 80% of either type of vehicle, but I love the look and feel of the z and rather than get a nismo and constantly worry about messing it up, especially in the winter, I was thinking about a more modest project:

1) I have no tools or mechanical skills, so any project has to consider cost and effort to find a decent shop that can do the work for me.

2) I could start with a base model that is 3 or 4 years old as that seems like it would be the sweet spot value wise???

3) I would go with an automatic transmission because I intend to loan the car out to co-workers once in a while and let my wife and high school aged son drive the car and I don't want to worry about everyone's skill level with a three pedal setup.

4) I am under the impression that a 3rd party LSD would be superior to the factory version so that would be first priority if I got a base model z that did not come with the factory LSD.

5) I don't need anything too fancy body kit wise, no rear wing required as I actually love the clean lines of the base design... maybe just something to dress up the front and rear with minimal work/expense and some side skirts.

6) I would look at intakes, exhaust system and a tune chip to get some better horsepower/fun out of the thing, but only if I could find a really good bang for the buck combination. I will be very honest here, just the basic cabin and aesthetics of the z are most of what I am after... I am gong to make it look like a race car for the novelty experience and promoting the software startup I work for (assuming they go for this idea) with a vinyl wrap design, so I can patiently look for a car with a little bit of cosmetic damage to keep the price right.

7) Then just add some nice wheels, maybe some suspension work if, again, the value is there, because I don't want to drop the car much if at all, so that it survives general daily driving as much as possible, but a smoother ride that still performs as well or better than stock setup would be worth going for.

I know many of you get a bit irritated with folks who ask about the z and then seem to really want things that just don't sound like a real z fan, but trust me, I don't want any other car for this type of project. I just know that I don't need and probably won't ever fully appreciate all that much more than what a base z with AT can do performance wise, so I just want to maybe turn things up one click and just focus on having the car be a head turner and provide a great user experience. Old guys like me just want something with a little kick that helps me escape the typical family car boredom, but I don't want a real tuner project or full on track car by any means.

Any ideas on what you would recommend for a plan / parts list? Again, the final stage would be a vinyl wrap with an over the top graphic design. I would try to find the right base car by this spring and then have the project done by this time next year.

Thanks for any and all help... and yes, feel free to badger and demean this thread post as needed to feel better. I am here for you.

Regards,

Greggo in Minneapolis MN

gbrettin

Having a DD Z as a business car in Minneapolis sounds like a bad idea*. Are you planning on driving it year around in the snow? Will you swap out to winter tires? Don't you ever take clients out? You work in IT and NEVER haul routers/switches/workstations?

Again, it sounds like a bad idea...



*Re-written 3 times not to come off like a d1ck.

DavidZ370

So uhh Greg, how's that company of yours?

GreggoEggo

Company is just fine ???


Regarding "bad idea"... so here is the deal. I like to ride the bus, no matter what vehicle is at my disposal, when the roads are bad I prefer to take the bus from my suburban home to downtown minneapolis. No big deal. Yes, I will put winter tires/wheels on it so that I can still have some fun Nov-Apr, but if it spends more than half the time in the garage during the winter, nobody cares.

This is not a "company car" in terms of being for corporate business, entertaining clients, or hauling equipment... It is for me to drive for fun, to promote my employer to other young software hotshots in the area, and let my engineers and tech staff grab the keys when they want something a little different or have a date or whatever. I run the engineering team, so I want to show some appreciation by having something that is worth sharing but that I also won't shed any tears (big tears at least) over if it ends up taking a hit.

grandpawmoses

Are you hiring???

SouthArk370Z

Given your stated purpose and item 1 of your OP, I'd suggest getting a Sport+Touring and be done with it make mods as you find any "deficiencies". Tons o' fun for the occasional driver, even with no mods.

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

GreggoEggo

Yes, we are hiring... and growing rapidly:

leadPages™ software - mobile responsive landing page generator

The above is simply a response to another post, I am not promoting here nor do I officially represent the views of this company in this thread.

Regarding Sport/Touring package... I guess that would depend on how pricing starts to average out. If there is very little difference in 2011 thru 2013 models then yes, but if going by the delta for new models, then probably not since I don't get SRM with an AT, plan on new wheels, will eventually upgrade brakes and suspension to taste. Don't want a rear wing/spoiler.. but I am still reading and figuring out what the options are for body work on a budget. The touring stuff does not appeal to me either, but again, if I find the price difference to be very close at that point then why not. As I get down to more detailed plans then the price points will be easier for me to identify I hope.

It may just be wishful thinking, but I am kind of hoping that 2011-2013 AT base models with a few scratches would be among the hardest to move in the used market and thus a good target given my objectives. Still reading/learning to see if that has good potential or not.

The lower I can keep the price point for the project, the easier it is to hand over the keys now and then, and the easier it will be to justify the ridiculous race car rolling billboard wrap ideas I have kicking around in my head.

cigarclifford

Greeting's Grand Paw Moses,

So nice to see you posting here today and I hope that all is well with you...

Greggo the -Clifford is from Sunnyvale California - Silicon Valley.....

My neighbors are Apple - HP - Intel - Face Book - Google - Cisco -
Varian - Sandisk - Adobe Systems - ebaY - LSI Logic - Applied Materials
- Nett App - Intuit - Nvidia - Oracle - KLA Tencor - 3 Com - Lockheed
Martin - Netflix - Yahoo and many other successful companies..........

You might take the Google approach and purchase a few bicycle's and
bank the rest and then head out West.....GL Amigo....................

__________________
-Clifford

SouthArk370Z

You don't need SRM for the 7AT (or any other AT). The 7AT does have an SRMish throttle blip when you downshift manually.
The Touring package adds nothing to performance but, IMNSHO, would be desirable if you are going to use the car to impress clients/applicants. Leather seats, better stereo, &c. YMMV

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

GreggoEggo

Yep, I know that SRM has nothing to do with AT, I was just trying to get at the often quoted value of the sports package, which for me would just boil down to VLDS and brakes, so I am not sure. I am thinking I might be interested in a quaife differential for the AT and I could just wait patiently for someone wanting to sell their sport package brakes as they upgrade further.

Well, more research has yielded serious concerns about insurance issues, and I definitely won't bother with a tune, so I am researching high value, basic upgrades. The feedback thus far has mostly been about context rather than parts and purpose, so now I regret sharing the context details.


****


If I could do it all over again, I guess my post would read something like this:

What body kits, suspension components, and intake/exhaust mods would you recommend to someone on a tight budget with the following objectives:

1) Base model from 2011, 2012, or 2013... with AT. (edit: I am leaning towards a 2012 as my first choice, like the styling and should find a better price)

2) Mostly satisfied with base model performance, but would like to increase smoothness of ride as the top priority and horsepower/handling just a smidge.

3) Plans on custom wheels/tires regardless, and wants to stay at either factory height/clearance or drop up to maybe a 1/2 inch at the most.

4) Does not want any rear wing but looking at very modest designs for side skirts and maybe front lip and rear bumper treatment/diffuser kind of thing???

5) Does not care about nav, leather, heated seats, stereo, resale value, etc... and if I can find a really good deal on something with some cosmetic damage I will finish the project with a custom vinyl wrap.

grandpawmoses

Good to hear from you too & hope all is well with you and yours.