Nissan’s mighty VK56 engine is a powerhouse from the factory and you are about to see how well it responds to modifications/tuning. This 2011 Titan is known as “Red Alert” to owner, Joe E. The big red truck came to ZCG for some extensive NA power upgrades. We started with a throttle body spacer, Doug Thorley long tube headers, Berk Hi-flow cats, and a Stillen cat-back exhaust, followed by Rob’s Uprev tuning.
The quest for more power left us wanting more than 309hp/355tq at the wheels(significant gains over stock, nonetheless) so the cylinder heads were removed and sent to Rebello Racing for some massaging. New Supertec intake valves, ported heads, and higher a compression ratio (9:8:1 to 10:4:1) allow the VK to suck, squish, bang and blow more efficiently.
And you thought Doug Thorley only made headers for Hot Rods and American Muscle cars 🙂 Look how beautiful these pieces are:
Here is the engine with the front end apart preparing to receive the new JWT cams/valve springs
Cylinder head details below from Rebello with the Supertec intake valves, porting and new JWT cams installed:
With more Uprev tuning Red Alert now makes 342hp and 385tq at the wheels, gains of 58hp and 52tq!!!
Joe will always need to use 91 octane but we don’t think he will mind for the newfound hp and tq these mods added to his TITAN…
Uprev or stay at idle!
Rob
Check the gallery for more detailed pictures of the engine work !
…[read more]
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You might remember Thad’s
FX45 coming in to ZCarGarage for a upgrades earlier this year. His better half, Dana, was so impressed with the FX that she wanted her G35 to handle and perform just as well. Dana enjoys listening to Van Halen and driving spiritedly so we installed full suspension consisting of Tokico D-spec shocks with Eibach springs, front and rear camber kits, and Hotchkis sway bars:
I love new parts! Here are the new shocks/springs and upper A-arms replacing old front and rear:
Thick and lovely Hotchkis sway bars front and rear will keep body roll in check as Dana carves through those corners:
Here is a before/after of the slight drop in ride height:
The only other modification added was a JWT POP charger for that nice intake growl and some UPREV tuning for icing on the cake:
Rob extracted +10hp and +8tq at the wheels. Not bad for a stock motor with just an intake! So with some extra oomph and a whole lotta handling upgrades Dana is ready to enjoy the ride…this Infiniti family has got a need for speed 🙂
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That’s right ladies and gentlemen it is Tuesday and that means one thing: Mighty Titan trucks at ZCG!
Shawn R. is the owner of this supercharged beast. He installed his own Stillen supercharger, long tube headers, Berk Hi-flow cats and custom exhaust, but had trouble with the management system. Shawn lives in Fresno and uses the Titan frequently for towing so naturally he wanted big power and torque. He consulted with Rob about doing some UPREV tuning…
With 600cc injectors and Rob’s magic UPREV tuning +20whp was gained. 400hp/419tq at the wheels makes for one badass Titan truck. Icing on the cake came in the form of three fuel maps: power, towing, and valet. Shawn should have no trouble towing…or changing Earth’s rotation with all that torque.
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Rick B. owns this very clean 280z and ZCarGarage has been taking care of it for several years now. Rick has an extensive car collection including a Ferrari and Porsche 911, but he really loves this Z, and we can all relate to that 🙂
The 280z recently got a late model 5-speed transmission upgrade to replace the factory 4-speed manual.
A transmission from Nissan’s KA24 engine was used (FS5W71C) and it is commonly found in the ’89 to ’96 240sx. The KA’s transmission is mated to the existing 280z bell-housing with a few modifications. You can see the custom ZCG transmission mount below:
A JWT heavy duty clutch and Z32 shift knob finish the swap in style. ZCG can also perform this conversion on your S30-chassis Z as well and give you precise shifting, 5-speeds, and late model parts reliability/service.
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Earlier this year ZCarGarage found a very special 510 known as Turbo6. This dime is far from ordinary with its turbocharged inline-6 powerplant and extensive roll cage…all from the mind of 510-fanatic Bryan Feldman. It had changed ownership over the years and needed some ZCG love.
Rob’s plan for the restoration is simple: bring it back to the way it was when Feldman created it. It will be re-sprayed in the exact same paint by Williams. Drivetrain and interior will be thoroughly cleaned and restored, while staying true to the original build with details like gold-spoked Panasports and a Turbo Tom’s manifold.
Let the tear down begin!
With the engine out an interesting thing was discovered…the secondaries on the carb were rusted shut! As quick as it felt when we first drove it there is probably another 40-50hp when those secondaries are functioning.
Here is the drivetrain in all its glory…a Z-car straight-6 in a 510…wicked
Turbo6 is now off to Williams for paint and bodywork, stay tuned for more updates
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