How to build a Road/Track/Drift 350z

[omegacloud]

I have owned my 2006 Nissan 350z since September 2017. It has been one of my favourite cars since childhood. Growing up playing Need for Speed and the Fast and Furious movies meant I was drawn to Japanese car culture. The accessibility of the car today meant it was an easy decision and to this day I have never regretted my purchase.

 

This build post has been created to document my journey with my car and help guide new owners in the right direction. I will update the build with any changes and you will find my personal advice for beginners listed in the post below. Please feel free to ask any questions and I will answer as best I can.

 

 

 

The Build so far

 

The 350z was in 100% stock form when I picked it up. It had been in storage for over a year and as a result was overheating terribly. However, in between all the oversized estates and towering SUV’s on the garage driveway, she was beautiful. It was love at first sight and within an hour of seeing her I placed a deposit.  

 

 

I immediately removed the long radio antenna and replaced it with a Tarmac Sportz stubby aerial. This was followed with a trip to RT Performance to get a Mines Lip replica and Tarmac Sportz side skirts installed. On reflection, I was completely overcharged and the finished product was underwhelming. Fitment of the lip was poor and the handiwork was shocking. On the other hand, the side skirts were a brilliant product and I would highly recommend them. Next time I would attempt fitting both products myself as it is a very straightforward job.

 

 

The next change came a few months later. I had been driving the car in stock form for several months and I had complained to friends that it felt twitchy on the road. I realised that I was running three different tyre brands and both the front and the rear of the car were mismatched. I replaced all four tyres with Michelin Pilot Sports 4. I used 225/45/18 on the front and 245/45/18 on the rear.

 

The resulting change was phenomenal. The car went from “nice” to bloody brilliant within a day. I remember driving out of the garage after fitment thinking something was wrong with my car. It felt as if I was dragging something along the ground and I was horrified at the thought that I had ruined my car. I quickly realised what I was experiencing was the dramatic increase in traction. This was single-handedly the best modification I have made to the car and I would recommend the Michelin tyres to everyone.

 

 

I spent the next few months getting to know the car. It was always my intention to learn the limitations of the stock car first before spending money on modifications. In 2018 I drove Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Snetterton. I quickly realised that the car was brilliant as standard and the biggest limiting factor was my driving ability. During the Summer I spent as much time practicing as possible and took some tuition to improve my track driving.

 

In September 2018, during a short road trip, my brakes developed an enormous screech. My garage determined that all my brake discs and pads were all in poor health and suggested I replaced the rears as a minimum. I appreciated that this was a result of the amount of time I had spent on the track. I purchased EBC grooved discs, EBC Yellow Stuff brake pads and Motul 600 brake fluid for both the front and rear of the car.

 

I see lots of negative reviews about yellow stuff pads but my experience has been pretty good. On the road they are pretty poor but when they heat up on track they have a very effective bite. I find them predictable and they suit my aggressive braking style. I have experienced some brake fade but this is on faster tracks after 15 minutes or so. Overall, I would rate the brakes as respectable but I intend to upgrade to the bluestuff compound in the future.

 

 

 

October 2018 saw me treating myself to an eBay rear spoiler from Poland. I learnt from my previous mistake with RT Performance and got my local bodywork shop to fit the part at a much more reasonable price. I love the subtle, almost OEM look and was shocked to find it actually helped generate downforce at higher speeds. You can feel the car is more planted at 80mph+ and now it finally looks like a proper Japanese sports car.

 

The remainder of 2018 saw me back at Snetterton and then I was introduced to drifting at a taster session with Prodrift Academy at Brands Hatch. I love the controlled chaos of drifting and ever since I have been hooked.

 

 

Unfortunately, I welcomed in 2019 by ripping off my Mines lip on a sausage kerb. To be honest, I was not happy with the look of the vehicle and was not that upset with the damage. However, I was surprised at how much it impacted the handling of the car. At high speeds, without the lip, the car felt as if it was being lifted from beneath. This is something I want to address in the future by installing a proper splitter. In the meantime, I have used Plastidip on the front bumper to cover the damage caused.

 

 

I spent the summertime continuing to learn to drift. I purchased a set of OEM alloys which I now use as my drift wheels. I learned that using 225 on both the front and rear made it much easier to kick the rear end out. I returned to ProDrift Academy to complete the Rookie course and I now feel confident enough to attend drift days on my own.

 

 

The next changes made were smaller. I had Takata tow straps installed on the front and rear of the car. I also removed the numberplate holder on the front of the car and replaced the plates with removable versions from StaticPlates. They have survived many track days so far and I would highly recommend them.

 

September 2019 was the big one. After two years of research on suspension setups I finally had to address the issues following an MOT failure due to one of the banana arms. I replaced both front lower control arms and banana arms. At the same time, I decided to install BC Racing Coilovers 10/8 spring rate and driftworks rear camber arms with new locking toe bolts so that camber could be adjusted. The car was lowered around 10mm which is what is recommended by Abbey Motorsport. Going much lower puts additional unnecessary strain on the suspension components as they were not designed to operate at that height.

My standard Y pipe had also developed a leak and this meant I could not pass the MOT emission test. I seized the opportunity to purchase a Cobra Y Pipe and sourced a good condition Cobra Resonated Mid Pipe and Cobra Backbox from a forum member. The result was a sound which was quiet enough to keep my neighbours happy and pass the strict track noise rules. However, when under load the sound is beautiful.

 

Following an MOT pass, I visited Garage D for an alignment. The team there were very helpful and gave me pointers on where I could improve the vehicle next. 

 

 

It was after the alignment that the 350z transformed. I have driven higher-end cars including a Porsche Carrera, Audi S3 and BMW M135i . This is now, without doubt, the best handling car I have ever driven. The combination of refreshed suspension parts, track alignment and the Michelin tyres have made it feel like a different machine. I trust it unconditionally and I feel completely connected with the vehicle. There is nothing more satisfying than being overtaken by a 400+ bhp car on a straight only to pass them on the next bend with ease. For years I have worried about being invested in the wrong chassis but the suspension refresh has removed any fears. It is so perfectly balanced I worry about altering anything else should I ruin it.

 

In October I removed the rear wiper from the car. It was always ineffective and it resulted in a much cleaner look for the car. I would highly recommend looking into this if you want a cheap way to improve the aesthetics of your car.

 

 

 

 

Plans for the future:
Splitter (Lowering vehicle decreased lift at high speeds but still requires attention)
Further track time and practice

Go-Pro (document seat time and learn from my mistakes)

 

Tracks visited to date:
Silverstone
Snetterton
Brands Hatch
Birmingham Wheels
Oulton Park
Adrian Flux Arena

Edited October 9, 2019 by omegacloud

[omegacloud]

My track advice for beginners:

The best improvement you can invest in is your tyres. Aim to purchase the best quality tyre which is within your means. Research the different types available with your budget but I can attest to the quality of Michelin Pilot Sport 4. They provided the best improvement to the car and the best value for performance gained.

 

Your second priority should be your suspension. These cars are up to 15 years in age and naturally this means that some parts will be worse for wear. Have your garage check for compression arms and banana arms. Replace any worn parts and bushings where necessary. Coilovers are a brilliant improvement on the worn standard shocks and springs. I have driven HSD coilovers and these are a good option. However, the BC Racing BRs are much better coilover in my opinion which are within a beginner’s budget.  

 

Finally, when you are starting your main focus should be on getting as much seat-time as possible. Attend track days and look into tuition. It may look expensive at first but the value for money is immeasurable if you truly enjoy racing.

 

In short, the 350z in stock form is a perfectly capable track day vehicle. With a few adjustments it can grow into an absolute joy to drive.

[omegacloud]

My drifting advice for beginners:

You should run tyres with the best grip you can get on the front (I run Michelin Pilot Sport 4) and budget/second-hand tyres on the rear. Aim for 225/45 on the rear to help the back end slide and it is also easier to get budget tyres in this size. Second-hand tyres are perfect to learn on. The standard VLSD will drift nicely but will eventually fail when it gets overheated. If you want a dedicated drift car consider welding the differential or purchasing a new LSD for consistency. However, I have managed with the VLSD on numerous track days. A stock 350z is more than capable of drifting.

 

Once you have sorted out your tyres, you should be ready to drift. Practice the power over technique first by turning slightly, accelerating until the rear wheels come loose and controlling the slide with your steering. Once you can control the skid (power slide) then you can progress from there with the many different techniques available. I would recommend tuition if you are nervous or unsure to build up your confidence.

[docwra]

Nice info, would add that tyre pressures make a huge difference to the way a drift or track car reacts, worth keeping in mind  

[omegacloud]

I haven't really played with pressures yet but I am sure you are right. Maybe something to consider over the next few months!

[Kaikora]

Nice thread! Really good to see the progress, and ultimately the improvement in the end. Cant wait to read more in the future! Keep it up and keep enjoying buddy!

[adam350z]

Great thread OP, I'm looking to get a set of BC Coilovers for my 350z but not sure which of these (https://www.czokbrand.com/product-category/nissan/nissan-350z/nissan-350z-suspension/nissan-350z-suspension-coilovers/) to go for there's like 4 different types.

[omegacloud]

8 hours ago, adam350z said:

Great thread OP, I'm looking to get a set of BC Coilovers for my 350z but not sure which of these (https://www.czokbrand.com/product-category/nissan/nissan-350z/nissan-350z-suspension/nissan-350z-suspension-coilovers/) to go for there's like 4 different types.

 

I still have the booklet from BC Racing and I have tried to summarise their descriptions below:-

• BR type is marketed for street use and occasional track use. 
• ER type is very similar to BR type but offers more adjustability than the BR. You can fine-tune your suspension more with this coilover.
• DS type is very similar to the BR type but is more track-orientated with digressive valving. It is not recommended for the road.
• ZR type is the newest type and boasts huge adjustability and is marketed as purely for track use.

The other choice is whether or not you want a true coilover setup. This will delete the bucket used for the spring on the rear of the 350z. There are lots of threads/posts on this forum discussing if there is a benefit to this.

 

I have the BR type with the separate spring and coilover (rather than true coilover). The suspension is softer than OEM on the road and when adjusted to firm, performs extremely well on the track. I have driven a 350z with the similarly priced HSD coilovers and I prefer the BC Racing.