davidv10 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 (edited) So again it was time to be impulsive and treat myself to an upgrade. After 18 months of owning my 2009 370z GT, i have now moved on to a 2015 Nismo 370z. Here is my instagram account for the car: @_nismo370z_ Here is a link to my old car build project: https://www.350z-uk.com/topic/121771-my-white-370z-gt-modified/ Here is the car when i picked it up: And here it is with the old car: Edited June 15, 2021 by davidv10 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 I wasted no time in starting to modify the car. I didnt get a lot of pictures as i was using every second and making use of the time i had off work, but i did the following: - Bought and sprayed some 'Z' badges dark grey - Sprayed the door handles and rear 370Z badge dark grey - Installed the Stillen cat back exhaust from the old car - Installed the Stillen induction kit from the old car - Installed new wiring for the DRLs so that they stay on with the headlights, and also gave them a master on/off switch in the cabin Here are some pictures i did take: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 So tell is how they differ. Not often we see a man in possession of a 370z and a Nismo 370z at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponsonby Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 9 hours ago, HEADPHONES said: So tell is how they differ. Not often we see a man in possession of a 370z and a Nismo 370z at the same time I had a 370 GT Edition, then a 370 Nismo and now back in a 370 GT. Really did not get on with the Nismo for a couple of reasons, neither of which were the cars fault. Seats look fantastic and are quite comfortable but not if you have a dodgy lower back and need to regularly shift seating position to avoid it locking up. Suspension is harder on the Nismo, did not really affect my back but on the knackered roads around here it just seemed to skip across the road surface and did not inspire confidence. Looks wise the Nismo is fantastic but not much difference in performance. I decided to go for comfort over looks - I am getting to be an old fart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I've also owned both (my Nismo was a Mk1). Visual impact is probably the main difference. The Nismo definitely handles better too, but there's not much in it. Being another old git, I find myself preferring the less in your face nature of the GT these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 4 hours ago, sipar69 said: I've also owned both (my Nismo was a Mk1). Visual impact is probably the main difference. The Nismo definitely handles better too, but there's not much in it. Being another old git, I find myself preferring the less in your face nature of the GT these days. Sounds like the gt with a decent set of coilovers and a few choice mods is near enough This thred just saved me a few k lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 (edited) Yes visual is the biggest difference with having the more aggressive bumpers/skirts. Also, the Recaro bucket seats are just amazing to both look at and sit in (assuming you dont have any back or torso medical issues). Visuals aside, the biggest difference is the suspension. The car is definitely firmer and corners a lot flatter, improving the handling a lot. And the slightly larger (285) wheels help improve the grip. There is about 20 more BHP although that side of things i couldnt really notice. Going 6 years newer, a big thing for me is that everything just looks and feels a lot newer and less worn. I was also very surprised how much nicer the Alloys looked in real life than in person! Edited February 18, 2020 by davidv10 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Certainly looks the business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GranTurismoEra Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 So the DRL staying on with headlights isn't simply a fuse. Some wiring needs to be done. Is it straight forward? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted February 19, 2020 Author Share Posted February 19, 2020 Well i looked on 'the370z' US forum, and they did have a method with cutting and fusing two wires together in the engine bay fusebox, which i tried but it didnt work and my wires seemed to be different colours in different places. So i decided it was much safer to put everything back as it was and then just run the wiring myself. I had done this before for my DIY DRLs on the old car. The DRLs just run off a standard positive and earth wire, so i just chopped the connectors off them, and then ran red/black wiring from each drl into the bottom right corner looking at the engine bay and then joined the two sets of wires into one. Then i ran the wire up the right hand side of the engine bay and cut into the bung at the top where there is a large wiring harness that goes into the cabin. So i pulled the wire through into the cabin from the passenger footwell. I then earthed the black wire and fed the red wire under the footwell carpet to the drivers side footwell where i have swapped out the credit card slot for a DIY switch panel (ill get a picture as im very happy with it), and wired it in to one of the switches. Then from the switch i fed the wire back across to the passenger side and tapped into the cigarette lighter power feed so that the lights would go on/off with the ignition. Therefore they will stay on with the headlights and i also have a master on/off switch. Its honestly a lot easier than ive probably made it sound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 Decided to have a little lockdown mod day and take the headlights apart to ‘de-amber them. Ive done about 5 lots now, but that doesnt ease the length of time it takes to do... It was really worth it though, and im very happy with the results! Before: After: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Schwier Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Nice Nismo! You’re right the Mk2 Nismo wheels do look a lot better in person, I was shocked just how much better they look when I first saw them in the flesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Do you heat gun or oven them? Any hints and tips greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 4 hours ago, davidv10 said: Decided to have a little lockdown mod day and take the headlights apart to ‘de-amber them. Ive done about 5 lots now, but that doesnt ease the length of time it takes to do... It was really worth it though, and im very happy with the results! Before: After: Yeah much better I realy need to get mine done 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 12 hours ago, Lewis Schwier said: Nice Nismo! You’re right the Mk2 Nismo wheels do look a lot better in person, I was shocked just how much better they look when I first saw them in the flesh. Thanks! Yeh definitely, i was pleasantly surprised when i saw mine for the first time haha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 12 hours ago, Umster said: Do you heat gun or oven them? Any hints and tips greatly appreciated I would never use the oven personally. You cant really keep an eye on them properly and there is so much risk and damage that can be done. Whereas with a heat gun (or ive even used a hairdryer a few times) you have complete control and there isnt much chance of damaging the lights unless you put it at a stupid temperature or really dont pay attention. My key piece of advice would be to go into the job expecting it to be a slow process. Therefore you wont get impatient and frustrated, which can lead to trying to rush it and damaging your lights. I just kept heating up a section, then pulling apart a little (starting with wedging in a screwdriver), then heat a bit more, then pull apart a bit more etc. and just keep going until they come apart. I had my heat gun at about 220 degrees, and i would say it takes like 30-45 mins per headlight to take apart? Once they are apart its very easy as its just a few screws to take apart the internals, paint, and then reassemble them. With regards to putting the lights back together, i bought plenty of sealant and put it all around the lights where the old sealant was. Dont use it sparingly, as you want to make sure the unit is well sealed and has no gaps that could cause condensation. Once the sealant was on, i then went around the lights with the heat gun to soften the plastic again, and then pushed the lense back on. Then you can get the screws back in on the back to really pull the headlights back together. It honestly isnt difficult to do, it just takes A lot of patience. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 You're not wrong Sat here with the hair dryer for the last hour and no luck. Really is glued together, ironically one place Nissan haven't skimped out on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 52 minutes ago, Umster said: You're not wrong Sat here with the hair dryer for the last hour and no luck. Really is glued together, ironically one place Nissan haven't skimped out on I have done it 4 times with a hairdryer, so it does come apart eventually. You have to be quite aggressive with the screwdriver and pulling the lights apart. But they will come apart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 Next update, i purchased one of the 3D printed cubby units (for £25 or so) on ebay that replaces the blank switch panel if you dont have heated seats. It came from the states and i did get hit with £15 import tax, but oh well. Link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173476610749 It looked great and in 2 minutes i had it installed. It fitted perfectly. The one thing i wasnt happy with however was the rugged top edge which just didnt look good and I really wanted an OEM look, like it had always been there. I then had the idea of sawing off the top of the heated seats switch panel and then sawing off and sanding the middle separater bar bits in the middle. This would then theoretically give me an OEM looking top to the cubby. So i got to work... It came out brilliantly and all i needed to do after sanding the inside was give it a quick spray in black. I then cut the lip off the cubby and glued my new lip onto it. It worked perfectly and it now looks completely OEM. Before and After my custom lip: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Any updates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 That is very good timing as i have a nice update that i was going to post this weekend... But as you asked, here is a quick photo before i take some nicer ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 ARGHHHHHH I want a 370z *I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 3 minutes ago, davey_83 said: ARGHHHHHH I want a 370z *I think Haha! Well i have my GT Spec for sale still... And it has a lovely new Nismo Mk2 rear spoiler on it now If you are serious about it, PM me as im open to offers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortPaul Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 4 hours ago, davidv10 said: Haha! Well i have my GT Spec for sale still... And it has a lovely new Nismo Mk2 rear spoiler on it now If you are serious about it, PM me as im open to offers Yes you want a 370z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidv10 Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 14 minutes ago, ShortPaul said: Yes you want a 370z Hahaha lets keep this going 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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