Shop Talk for
Z-Car enthusiasts!

Click here to go to the Z Car Garage home page...Click here to go to the Z Car Blog home page...
Performance Parts for Nissan, Inifiniti and Datsun Cars
Search:

 

Max Y visited us in 2018 for bolt-ons and returned in 2019 for a Stillen supercharger supercharger and OS Giken limited-slip differential. Power can be addicting so Max visited Z Car Garage recently for more boost and a full Stoptech Big-Brake Kit to reign it all in.

 

Providing more boost is a 9lb pulley and supporting upgrades to the fuel system including a CJ Motorsports return fuel system with billet hat. Injector Dynamics 1050cc injectors and 485lph Wallbro pump.

 

A Soho motorsports air to air intercooler kit replaces the Stillen air-to-water setup:

 

We pulled the transmission to install a Fast Intentions billet flex plate:

 
 

 

Dyno tuning was performed via Ecutek making 447hp/324tq  91 octane and 475hp/349tq 100 octane:

 
https://youtu.be/Z5U_tCjfzlk

 

With more power available the brakes were upgraded to a full Big-Brake Kit from Stoptech:  6-piston calipers with 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors :

 

This kit sports Stoptech 6-piston calipers calmping 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors, OEM vs Stoptech front:

 
 

The brakes also look great behind those awesome Enkei R05rr wheels:

 

New SPPC front/rear control arms and a full alignment following installation of larger Michelin Pilot SS 275/40/18 F and 295/35/18 R

 
  
 

It was very important for Max to monitor boost,  A/F, and trans temperature so we installed a  PLX Devices DM100 gauge in the factory clock lcoation:

 
     
 

We replaced the headlights with an HID setup(7k), and installed Max’s rear/side diffuser panels:

  
 
 

Zspeed Performance splash shield:

 
Enjoy The Boost, Max!

 

 
More pictures in the gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

…[read more]




Mike’s Vortech Supercharged 350z

Filed under: Featured Cars and Projects,Performance
by Alvin G @ 1:02 am on October 1, 2018


We have been working with Mike M and his 2006 Z33 since last year. With every visit to ZCG this 350z gets upgraded in both power and chassis areas. In November 2017, with 111k miles on the VQ a Vortech supercharger was installed with supporting mods:

 
 

Chassis improvements: KW V3 coil overs, SPC front/rear control arms, Hotchkis sway bars and a full alignment. We also installed ART pipes to replace the factory cats:

 

Hotchkis front and rear sway bars:

  
 

ART Pipes:

 
 

Mike’s latest visit to ZCG included fueling, gauges and more power upgrades. The fuel system was converted to support E85/ethanol starting with a Walbro 485 in-tank fuel pump:

 

Next, a CJ Motorsports Stage 2 fuel return system help keep up with the Walbro pump:

 
 

Increased fuel demands of E85 require larger fuel injectors so we installed IDX 1050CC units. A Zeitronix ethanol sensor is critical for monitoring E85 content:

 
 

The brains to managing the E85 content is a Haltech Platinum Pro plug-in. A PLX Devices dm6 AFR/gen4 gauge pod also accommodates the Zeitronix ethanol sensor readout:

 
 

Final power adder was a 2.87 pulley for the supercharger and our ZCG air bypass for the race gate:

 

From the dyno charts below, having the ability to change the ethanol content of fuel allows for more hp/torque.  More smiles per gallon as well with E85 currently at $1.99/gallon

(left) Baseline before Haltech tuning: 331hp/286tq and (right) baseline to 91 octane tune with Haltech: 346hp/303tq to the wheels

 
 

Final 91 octane tune with the Haltech: 364hp/306tq at the wheels:

 

75% Ethanol tune: 421hp/345tq to the wheels:

 

To balance an extra 126hp power from the Vortech we installed a Stoptech Big-Brake Kit. Up front are 332mm ST40 calipers in red, with slotted rotors:

 

Stock vs Stoptech:

 
 

The new brake also look great behind the Enkei RPF1 wheels:

 

Enjoy the Ride Mike!





zcg cam 5 2816 048
 
Ron B. Jr met Rob Fuller in the early 2000s. At the time Ron had a 300zx Twin-Turbo that ZCG serviced. Sadly, one day Ron decided he was done with the Z32 and sold it. One of our customers actually bought it and we think it is still out there being enjoyed. Ron wasn’t entirely done with Z’s as he picked up a 350z Track model (shown at Thunderhill in 2006):

300ZX 350Z
 

Some 15 years later after meeting Rob, Ron had got another Z. Why? Once you have a Z it is in your blood and hard to get it out of your life! This latest Z obsession came in the form of a 2012 Nismo 370:

zcg cam 5 2816 035
 

Ron loved this car but he was missing something. We all long for it: BOOST! So he gave ZCG call, reconnected with Rob and reminisced about the old days with the 300. It was decided, we would make Ron’s car one of the first jobs of 2016 using a Stillen supercharger kit.

 13016 zcg 5 cam 094 13016 zcg 5 cam 095 zcg cam 5 2816 005
 

The Stillen kit comes with a polished V-3 blower, 25-row oil cooler and we add GT-R plugs. Due to higher inlet temperatures observed on these builds we are starting to upgrade the stock water-to-air cooler. Frozen Boost makes a larger cooler shown below:

zcg cam 5 2816 004 zcg cam 5 2816 007
 

A few shots of the kit installation:

zcg cam 5 2816 028 zcg cam 5 2816 006
 

Before and after:

13016 zcg 5 cam 097 zcg cam 5 2816 027
 

We love the PLX Devices DM100 gauge that neatly replaces the clock with…

zcg cam 5 2816 012 zcg cam 5 2816 011
 

… a multi-function display for vitals like boost, air intake temp and wideband:

zcg cam 5 2816 015 zcg cam 5 2816 016
 

Another addition to the interior was a new NISMO shift knob:

zcg cam 5 2816 024zcg cam 5 2816 026
 

Got the Z on the dyno and out of the box the Stillen supercharger added 82hp/42tq to the wheels:

 

Ron B Z34 Baseline and Stillen Supercharger
 

With UPREV tuning we saw significant gains of 120hp/85tq above stock for a grand total of 410hp/326tq to the wheels:

Ron B Z34 Stillen Baseline to Final
 

With 410hp to the wheels one would think Ron’s Z car obsession is satisfied…he is really feeling the need for another 300zx Twin Turbo in his life so we are on the hunt for a pearl white 90-92 Z32TT with black/tan interior. From Z32 to Z33 to Z34, if the Z is in your blood we can help you live with it!

zcg cam 5 2816 043

 

Keep Boosting Ron and Long Live The Z!




Gilbert’s Stillen Supercharged G37

Filed under: Featured Cars and Projects,Performance
by Alvin G @ 1:33 am on October 1, 2014

cam 1 91314 105
 

Gilbert W wanted a CARB-legal solution for more power on his daily driven G37 sedan.  We’ve had great success with our past Stillen Supercharger builds and this forced-induction kit would be ideal for Gilbert’s needs.

cam 1 91314 049cam 1 91314 081
 

Installation of the Stillen kit is straightforward. We use one-step colder GT-R spark plugs and a 19-row oil cooler:

 

cam 1 91314 073cam 1 91314 080cam 1 91314 104
cam 1 91314 040cam 1 91314 083
 

Better breathing on the exhaust side courtesy of a full Fast Intentions exhaust system:

cam 1 91314 067cam 1 91314 059cam 1 91314 068
cam 1 91314 069cam 1 91314 071
 

Gilbert wanted improved handling without unnecessary harshness. The TEIN mono flex coil-over system with active EDFC allows on-board and speed-sensitive dampening adjustments! We installed a similar setup on Tetsuya’s 350z earlier this year. SPC F/R control arms were installed followed by a full alignment:

cam 1 91314 053cam 1 91314 052
cam 1 91314 072cam 1 91314 057cam 1 91314 065
 

A relatively new item for Z/G owners is this trick adjustable clutch pedal box from RJM Performance. It offers improved driveability in terms of clutch-pedal engagement and that annoying shudder we’ve all experienced in Nissan’s Z/G manual transmissions:

cam 1 91314 088cam 1 91314 087
 

The PLX Devices multi-gauges are becoming a popular method for monitoring engine vitals. Gilbert is using their Bluetooth “Kiwi” interface allowing display through smart phones. We did a neat install of this unit in Steve’s Vortech G35:

cam 1 91314 054cam 1 91314 090
 

With the supercharger and exhaust in place we dyno tuned Gilbert’s G37. Baseline numbers were 283hp/241tq and it is now making 417hp/319tq to the wheels.  This is a gain of +134hp/78tq which once again shows how consistent power output has been with these kits!

Gilbert W G37 Baseline and Stillen (1)
Enjoy the Ride, Gilbert!