Congratulations to Patrick Chio for his 2nd place finish in the Modified RWD class in Round 6 of the 2013 Redline Time Attack race! He has been a top contender in this series with 1st/2nd place finishes. Recently he added a Vortech supercharger and this compounded the 350z’s high oil temp issues under hot race conditions. Read Patrick’s report and how Z Car Garage helped tune his 350 to survive the blistering temperatures and demands of the Auto Club Speedway:
Due to a City Tech Auto Body track day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca we missed the practice day on Saturday. Arriving on Sunday early morning we completed the check up, tech, registration and temperature was rising to 77 degrees right before our first session.
Auto Club Speedway is known to put a lot of stress on the motor because of the NASCAR banking at high speed. Our Z hit 5th gear, full throttle, 6k+ rpm on the bank over 140mph. During the first time attack session, our Z was able to keep the oil temperature just about 200F through out the whole session at around 82 degree ambient temperature. However, during the 2nd session ambient temperature rose up to 100F+. We saw many M3, STi and highly modified cars forced to pit after the 2nd lap. Despite the high heat, we managed to finish the full session and oil temperature reached 260F right before the checker flag.
We were amazed that a supercharged 350z was able to last the full session in this harsh environment. Rob and his crew at Z Car Garage have done an amazing job again keeping our time attack Z alive! Below is the video in one of the session (Count how many super cars we have passed):
Keep up the superb driving Patrick and thank you for letting ZCG work on your Time Attack Z!
Hideki K brought his ultra-nice Nismo Z33 in for a full Stillen supercharger installation. Unfortunately Stillen did not make a kit specifically for the Nismo edition Z so we purchased a Stillen kit designed for the standard HR motor and made it work for Hideki!
Here are the goodies:
A few shots of the install:
From NA to Forced Induction:
On the dyno the Nismo put down 282hp/246tq and the Stillen kit bumped those figures up to 370hp/272tq to the wheels:
Rob’s tuning yielded significant gains of 22hp/13tq for a grand total of 392hp/285tq to the wheels!
Shop friend and Nissan enthusiast Walt P is still attacking road courses in his 2012 GT-R. Walt recently completed his first race with Checkered Flag Racing Association(CFRA) at Laguna Seca running in their GT-1 class. Walt had a blast mixing it up with full-race Porsches and Corvettes, placing 4th overall with a best lap time of 1:39.3…pretty amazing for a street-driven car with all the creature comforts 🙂
Great driving Walt! Video to come but for now enjoy these pictures from the race:
ZcarBlog fans gather around! We have major developments in Gary R’s 280z restoration! Our first installment in this build chronicled the extensive body rehab, followed by chassis developments and now we can report that the drivetrain is ready along with many body trim pieces.
The engine is a Rebello built 3.1L using the factory fuel injection system. Below you can see how the unsightly stock intake manifold was transformed into a thing of beauty…
Another ZCarGarage modification is the modern 5-speed transmission conversion. The old 280z’s 4-speed is replaced by a late-model Nissan 240SX 5-spd transmission. To top it all off the whole thing was powdercoated and a JWT aluminum flywheel and JWT HD clutch were installed. Note the beautiful ceramic coated exhaust header:
As we move past the engine and transmission it keeps getting better! The stock rear differential is replaced by a beefy R200 with 4.11 gears and a Quaife LSD unit, that’s one pretty pumpkin!
Sending power to those massive 255-width tires are Wolf Creek Racing CV axles. Why convert to CVs? CV joints articulate better, reduce unpsrung mass, and transmit power better than stock u-joints:
The power window and door lock conversion is complete! Remember all of those zinc plated nuts/bolts/hardware? These pieces are finding their way back to the Z. The rear quarter windows with trim powdercoated black have been installed too:
The front/rear bumpers needed some love and now they are back on the car looking pretty:
The fuel system is also complete and the Z is at the interior shop. There are many more pictures in the gallery, stay tuned for more updates as Gary’s Z gets closer to completion! …[read more]
Ken S came to ZCarGarage several years ago when he just purchased this pretty 300zx Twin Turbo. It had just passed the 60k mark and ZCG performed routine maintenance including full timing belt services. It wasn’t long before Ken got the performance bug and started upgrading the suspension. ZCG installed Tockiko 5-way shocks, sway bars, and StopTech 13″ big brakes. After tackling the suspension naturally Ken wanted more power so a Stage 3 upgrade with supporting mods was installed. Unfortunately the stock turbos had issues so they were upgraded to JWT Sport 500s.
The original front bumper had seen better days with nicks and peeling. Williams worked his magic with new paint and installed new side skirts, JDM front bumper and that trademark vented hood that we have seen on other Z32s.
Recently Ken visited ZCG for more power upgrades. Basic performance upgrades included new 2.5″ IC plumbing and SMICs from ConceptZ. Here you can see the install and how much cleaner the new plumbing is:
Dual JWT POP chargers replace the single merged setup:
With increased cooling capacity and the HKS boost controller total output is now 383hp/378tq at the wheels!
Here is the engine bay before/after the install and detailing. Please check the gallery for more detailed images: it’s easy to overlook all of the work that is performed!
It is impressive to see an iconic 90’s sports car perform and make power that rivals most current sports cars. It is even better when there is still plenty of aftermarket support and enthusiasts willing to continue developing parts!
Long Live the 300ZX TT!
Click below for more photos …[read more]
