nub Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 How much BHP is your Z running, on paper most of those cars would obliterate a stock Z. I mean even the Exige @ 350bhp and 1200kg is so much quicker. Do you think if you maximised the power and remapped it to around 350bhp it would compete a bit better? Mine is 345bhp and I'm hoping to get around 360. Of course those supercars are a class or two above the 370Z, but if you boosted it to 500bhp+ you'd be up there. I haven't read your entire thread but are you running stock brake setup? I don't think a stock 370Z is a fast car at all considering they don't even make their claimed BHP and they're heavy and I think in 2017 you need to really maximise the power in order to compete. 350-360bhp is reasonably fast and the car would then have great performance value for money. The car looks great too, I want my wheels flat black. ðŸ‘🻠Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 How much BHP is your Z running, on paper most of those cars would obliterate a stock Z. I mean even the Exige @ 350bhp and 1200kg is so much quicker. Do you think if you maximised the power and remapped it to around 350bhp it would compete a bit better? Mine is 345bhp and I'm hoping to get around 360. Of course those supercars are a class or two above the 370Z, but if you boosted it to 500bhp+ you'd be up there. I haven't read your entire thread but are you running stock brake setup? I don't think a stock 370Z is a fast car at all considering they don't even make their claimed BHP and they're heavy and I think in 2017 you need to really maximise the power in order to compete. 350-360bhp is reasonably fast and the car would then have great performance value for money. The car looks great too, I want my wheels flat black. í ½í±í ¼í¿» Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Back when I was running the HFCs with the other mods I dynoed at precisely 346 bhp and 300 ft lbs. After removing them and going back to stock cats, but keeping the other mods, the car dynoed bang on the manufacturer's numbers, 328 bhp and 260 ft lbs. I find it hard to believe that HFCs were giving a 40 ft lb hike in torque, but those are the figures. Two different dynos and two different days. Draw your own conclusions! What I have learnt from being on tour is that across most real world situations a marginal increase in power or torque is completely irrelevant. It is the suspension (KW V3) and the brakes (braided lines, better fluid and Endless pads) that actually give better real world performance over a distance. Being able to get on the brakes later and carry more speed through corner after corner is more effective than having another 20 or 30bhp. Ultimately however improving your skill and awareness through driver training are the most effective modifications that money can buy. I agree that the Z is not a particularly quick car. It could do with a bit more power and a bit less weight. That said, in a straight line there is little to separate it from a Cayman R or a newer Cayman GTS so its not that much of a slug. Some of the more exotic stuff meanwhile might leave it far behind on long straights and mountain ascents, but in the twisty stuff even their performance advantage starts to dwindle and the playing field starts to level. The Z is particularly good in tight and twisty situations in my experience as it has quite a short wheel base. If we are going up and over a mountain pass then some of the exotics will come past and gradually leave me behind on the ascent, especially when I overheat the oil trying to keep up! In those long ascents with hairpin after hairpin you really start to get frustrated by the Z's weight and lack of torque and need to switch the traction off otherwise the car just bogs down coming out of the hairpins. When we go down the other side of the pass however I often end up having to radio to go past some of them, as my braking set up is very fade resistant and gets better the hotter the brakes get. I got the bottom of St Bernadino one afternoon having passed four of my tour mates and I just gradually pulled further and further away by myself after miles of downhill hairpins and corkcrews. The brakes held up all the way to the bottom at which point they were hissing loudly they were that hot, so I just freewheeled through the towns for a few miles until I reached the bottom and parked up with the handbrake off. I can also remember a few drives in tighter country and forest roads last year where the Nissan wasstaying with some serious machines, having to switch places with an F430 on a few occasions and keeping a Mclaren 12c and a Gallardo honest through miles of twisting French countryside by using momentum and a healthy does of courage! The biggest determinent is ultimately the driver. I have seen guys with R8s and GT3s who just aren't confident and who start to fall behind, whilst on the other hand Pete and Dan our tour guides can outpace pretty much anything in their 235is they are that skillful. I am not saying I am a great driver, but have had some tuition which has definitely paid off. I have also got to know my car well over 30k miles and am a bit braver in chucking it in perhaps than some of the other drivers whose cars are worth substantially more! So my advice; spend the money on tuition rathert than power mods as trying to get more power out of an NA is an expensive effort in futility! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 In your circumstances I absolutely agree. You're lucky to be part of all these mountain tours, however mine is a daily driver on A roads, commute etc and my skill as a driver will never match yours, nor will it need to. Because of this I think my money is better spent on more engine straight line performance and enjoying the sound of the exhaust etc - Your thread is fantastic though and I'm sure it's inspiring many. With your level of ability and the roads you're on I really think you'd be able to utilise another 20bhp to great effect, maybe tipping the balance on some of the rivals. I would love to read your experience and review if the car was boosted to 500bhp, now that would be interesting 🙂 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auto Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) . Edited November 17, 2022 by Auto . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'm really enjoying this thread. Thanks for sharing the information and the photos. Unfortunately a lot of the photos are not loading for me, no matter how many times I reload the pages, or which device I use to view the thread. For example in your post #163 in this thread, I can see the first photo and a few others, but the majority are not displaying, which is so frustrating! If these have dropped off the host, or the links have changed, would it be possible to restore them? Chris Ditto for me - many just show as "POSTED IMAGE" on my ipad. Shame, as those I can see are really good pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 mine is a daily driver on A roads, commute etc and my skill as a driver will never match yours, nor will it need to. Because of this I think my money is better spent on more engine straight line performance and enjoying the sound of the exhaust etc Apologies for the slight thread drift, but this is something I've never understood. If you spent your money on making yourself a better driver, then you'd be quicker in every single car you ever drive in the future. If you spend your money on going quicker in a straight line in your current car, then you're back to square one when you move on. Improving ourselves as drivers is the one on-going challenge that every single driver ever can do, regardless of budget. Even simple things like learning how how to position your car correctly at corners, or learning to heel & toe, these things will make just as much of a difference driving in town as they will on the open roads. You can be as good a driver as you want to be, and it's a transferable skill. Without doubt, if you spent £1000 on driver training you'd be quicker than if you spent £1000 on an exhaust and remap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 mine is a daily driver on A roads, commute etc and my skill as a driver will never match yours, nor will it need to. Because of this I think my money is better spent on more engine straight line performance and enjoying the sound of the exhaust etc Apologies for the slight thread drift, but this is something I've never understood. If you spent your money on making yourself a better driver, then you'd be quicker in every single car you ever drive in the future. If you spend your money on going quicker in a straight line in your current car, then you're back to square one when you move on. Improving ourselves as drivers is the one on-going challenge that every single driver ever can do, regardless of budget. Even simple things like learning how how to position your car correctly at corners, or learning to heel & toe, these things will make just as much of a difference driving in town as they will on the open roads. You can be as good a driver as you want to be, and it's a transferable skill. Without doubt, if you spent £1000 on driver training you'd be quicker than if you spent £1000 on an exhaust and remap. True story ^ I plan to get as much track and road practice and training as I can afford this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Not only that but any driving you do will be more rewarding, whether thats caning a Saxo down a B road or letting a 911 loose on track. A well driven 350/370Z is more than a match for an R8 or GT3 that doesnt know what its doing, as JJ said earlier they are also a lot more paranoid about putting their car into a wall a lot of the time. The exception to this seems to be McLaren drivers, every one Ive seen on track seems to be trying to break lap records, fair play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 mine is a daily driver on A roads, commute etc and my skill as a driver will never match yours, nor will it need to. Because of this I think my money is better spent on more engine straight line performance and enjoying the sound of the exhaust etc Apologies for the slight thread drift, but this is something I've never understood. If you spent your money on making yourself a better driver, then you'd be quicker in every single car you ever drive in the future. If you spend your money on going quicker in a straight line in your current car, then you're back to square one when you move on. Improving ourselves as drivers is the one on-going challenge that every single driver ever can do, regardless of budget. Even simple things like learning how how to position your car correctly at corners, or learning to heel & toe, these things will make just as much of a difference driving in town as they will on the open roads. You can be as good a driver as you want to be, and it's a transferable skill. Without doubt, if you spent £1000 on driver training you'd be quicker than if you spent £1000 on an exhaust and remap. Your point would be valid but I cannot treat public roads like a race track in regards to approaching corners, apex etc on my work commute! So in my case, I can legally and with relative safety put my foot down on a straight and feel that extra 20bhp from my remap. Improving my racing ability isn't so important in my case, unfortunately I'm not driving on OPs roads very often - I did one trip around Europe in my civic type R but even then I'd rather practice in controlled conditions where one mistake wouldn't write my car off 🙂 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 You're missing the point: It's not about racing, it's about being a better drive. Heel and toe means you're saving your drivetrain from wear, placing yourself in the best places for corners means you can see if any hazards are approaching etc. Tyres and tarmac could save you and your car from damage even in queuing rush hour traffic. None of that is relevant to racing, it just makes you a better driver on regular roads. The fact is it can then be transferred to when you are on nice roads, and I don't believe for one second anyone buys a Zed just for the boring commute. It's about improving yourself as a driver, learning to be safer and more confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Group buy on driver training lessons anyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Group buy on driver training lessons anyone I'm in lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Alright Ekona you're getting a bit carried away, all I said was OP would utilise another 20-30bhp which I think we all agree the Z is lacking. And OP already has the other driving aspects covered as we can all acknowledge. He's making the most of the car regardless and I just wondered how capable and fun the Z would be with some more power, or even 500bhp! I do enjoy reading his posts and I just wondered what his thoughts are on that. I've got the synchro mode on and I enjoy the car how and when I can. We can't be criticising others for not being pro racing drivers all the time and the other scenarios you described. I can still enjoy the car on the commute, coming off round abouts accelerating onto carriageways etc and my enjoyment is still valid even if I'm not the stig cruising ok mountain passes every day Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I just wondered how capable and fun the Z would be with some more power, or even 500bhp! I'll let you know next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 We can't be criticising others for not being pro racing drivers all the time and the other scenarios you described. I can still enjoy the car on the commute, coming off round abouts accelerating onto carriageways etc and my enjoyment is still valid even if I'm not the stig cruising ok mountain passes every day *facepalm* You clearly didn't read my post. First paragraph clearly states points that are nothing to do with racing round mountain passes, but that are applicable to every day commute driving. Go and watch all of Reg Local's YT vids, you'll notice that he's not remotely racing anywhere at all, but rather takes a more IAM-based (well, ex-police pursuit really) viewpoint on driving. Everything he mentions there will improve every aspect of your driving far more than even 100bhp more will. His books are good as well, but the videos explain it rather better. If you can't see how any of that would assist you as a driver, then I don't know what will. Power is nothing without control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) Whilst i dont (hardly ever) agree with Ekona its all about the drive with these cars Nub, Bhp is just wasted bragging rights as in reality the extra 5-10 maybe even 20bhp you hope to gain will be irrelevant. He is only suggesting that maybe you may enjoy the car more (as the Op does) if you feel you can exploit its capabilities, rather than just straight line squirts. It doesnt mean you have to go racing around on the roads, just that you may feel more confident to use the chassis in a more dynamic way and perhaps once you get to feel that confidence, you may decide that to go faster or use that hp you have, a decent suspension set up will be make your quest for a very very mild increase in bhp seem totally redundant. Trust me, if you feel you can put that power down off a roundabout as you say you enjoy, 10 or 20 yards earlier, you will be off down the road quicker than the guy with 10 or 20bhp more. Food for thought imho Edited January 18, 2017 by Jetpilot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Whilst i dont (hardly ever) agree with Ekona its all about the drive with these cars Nub, Bhp is just wasted bragging rights as in reality the extra 5-10 maybe even 20bhp you hope to gain will be irrelevant. He is only suggesting that maybe you may enjoy the car more (as the Op does) if you feel you can exploit its capabilities, rather than just straight line squirts. It doesnt mean you have to go racing around on the roads, just that you may feel more confident to use the chassis in a more dynamic way and perhaps once you get to feel that confidence you may decide that to go faster or use that hp you have a decent suspension set up will be make your quest for a very very mild increase in bhp seem totally redundant. Trust me, if you feel you can put that power down off a roundabout as you say you enjoy, 10 or 20 yards earlier, you will be off down the road quicker than the guy with 10 or 20bhp more. Food for thought imho +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 You can keep facepalming mate but I'm not disagreeing with anything you said, they're valid points albeit predictable and cliche, I just think the Z would be great if it had 370bhp out the factory and without exploiting the handling, cornering etc which I have no doubt is very fun and productive, I can appreciate extra power very easily in a straight line and driving through the gears. Plus it's great when you're down the pub for bragging rights or when a random fella asks how powerful it is. 😂 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 In your circumstances I absolutely agree. You're lucky to be part of all these mountain tours, however mine is a daily driver on A roads, commute etc and my skill as a driver will never match yours, nor will it need to. Because of this I think my money is better spent on more engine straight line performance and enjoying the sound of the exhaust etc - Your thread is fantastic though and I'm sure it's inspiring many. With your level of ability and the roads you're on I really think you'd be able to utilise another 20bhp to great effect, maybe tipping the balance on some of the rivals. I would love to read your experience and review if the car was boosted to 500bhp, now that would be interesting 🙂 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yeah I hear you - when you're daily driving and enjoying six to seven tenths style driving a bit of extra surge and a rorty exhaust note that makes you want to wind your window down on your commute hit the spot nicely! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 I'm really enjoying this thread. Thanks for sharing the information and the photos. Unfortunately a lot of the photos are not loading for me, no matter how many times I reload the pages, or which device I use to view the thread. For example in your post #163 in this thread, I can see the first photo and a few others, but the majority are not displaying, which is so frustrating! If these have dropped off the host, or the links have changed, would it be possible to restore them? Chris Thanks Chris. The photo links are taken from my Facebook account and all are still live, so I don't know why they always seem to 'decay'. I've updated the links a couple of times but they always seem to break down which is a shame as I love sharing the content with you guys. When I have some time I'll spend it trying to repair them again. If you follow the thread hopefully you'll get a tip off when they're up and running again! 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) We can't be criticising others for not being pro racing drivers all the time and the other scenarios you described. I can still enjoy the car on the commute, coming off round abouts accelerating onto carriageways etc and my enjoyment is still valid even if I'm not the stig cruising ok mountain passes every day *facepalm* You clearly didn't read my post. First paragraph clearly states points that are nothing to do with racing round mountain passes, but that are applicable to every day commute driving. Go and watch all of Reg Local's YT vids, you'll notice that he's not remotely racing anywhere at all, but rather takes a more IAM-based (well, ex-police pursuit really) viewpoint on driving. Everything he mentions there will improve every aspect of your driving far more than even 100bhp more will. His books are good as well, but the videos explain it rather better. If you can't see how any of that would assist you as a driver, then I don't know what will. Power is nothing without control. No need to be condescending Ekona. I agree with both you and Nub. Overall no doubt driver training is the best modification you can buy. It's the mod you can take with you to every car you own. It makes you faster and gives a deeper understanding and enjoyment to your driving. However equally if you're regular driving doesn't put you on roads where you can actually drive hard, it's pretty irrelevant in terms of enjoyment, even if overall it makes you a better and safer driver. For a car that is a commuter and rarely driven on roads where you can start moving the weight around properly, a bit more power and a nicer sounding engine note can hit the spot nicely and increase your enjoyment of the car. 👌🼠Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 So today after a long session at my friends workshop (11am to 8:30pm ON A FRIDAY, what a guy) the camber arm kit is fitted all round and the whole set up fully tuned. Initial impressions are little short of revelatory. I'll post some photos and a proper write up when I have a bit more time. Thanks as ever for your interest everyone, I love sharing this stuff with you all. 😀â¤ï¸ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Okay!!! I just repaired a load of the photo links starting from post #163 so if anyone wants to go back and have a nosey they are all there. Will go back a bit further and see if I can root out any more that have disappeared. Does anyone know why the images stop working over time? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) I don't really do New Years resolutions, but do set goals for myself each year. For 2017 I solemnly declared that this would be the year I cut back and saved up the rest of the deposit and stamp duty that I need to move to my 'forever house'. Me: 'This year we are going to be sensible and save money, maybe one holiday, but definitely no tours, or crazy mods for the car.' Inner monologue: 'Yeah but we could die tomorrow'. Me: ' Good point well made'. *Gets full camber arm kit set up, orders Stillen oil cooler kit **Books Geneva Motor Show and European Tour for July Three weeks into 2017 and things are not going well... Oh well YOLO etc etc. 'I am glad I had such a big house'. Said no-one on their death bed ever. Edited January 21, 2017 by James Junior 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auto Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) On 21/01/2017 at 22:53, James Junior said: Okay!!! I just repaired a load of the photo links starting from post #163 so if anyone wants to go back and have a nosey they are all there. Will go back a bit further and see if I can root out any more that have disappeared. Does anyone know why the images stop working over time? . Edited November 17, 2022 by Auto . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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