Progress and Rage

The work on the z continues since the last post.. I've finished off the Brembo installation on all four corners, and managed to get the old headers extracted. On the driver's side, this did include yanking the steering column, but the rack go to stay in place.



With the headers out, I got the Z1 engine and transmission mounts installed. Everything is out of the way for the headers to go in.



In removing the factory headers, all the studs came out with the nuts. Not great. I contacted a local Nissan dealership, and they actually had everything within 24hrs range. So I opted to replace them all and get a fresh set of factory gaskets, as I didn't really trust the ones that came with the headers.

It was now time. I slid under the car with the passenger header and dropped it onto the studs. Not bad. Added a few nuts, and began tightening. Everything seems good. No contact, position appears to be close to stock, and nothings contacting anything. Great. Tighten everything up and it looks great. Hawtness.

Now, time for the driver's side. The bane of my existence. I'm going to have to slide it in, check clearanced, mark where i need to dimple the tube to clear the steering rack, pull it back out, dimple it.. and finish installation. I never got nearly that far.

the first problem showed up just trying to slide it in the first time. The angle was different due to conflicts from the steering rack, making it impossible to complete at the height the car was at. Okay, i haven't maxed out the jackstands yet.. just jack the whole thing up again, extend the stands a few more notches, and it should get me the clearance to the ground i need.

Wrap that up, slide back under it, and YES! i can get it into the engine bay.. now just line it up with the studs and slide it... nope. the header is hitting the firewall on the rear cylinder primary. I'm thinking, maybe it's an installation angle problem... as i can't line up the rear stud either.

I yanked out the rear stud, and tried again.. more progress, but it's still trying to occupy the same space that the firewall is. I begin to think about the angles... i just replaced the motor mounts with the Z1s.. and they're adjustable. Maybe they're not set right?

So, jack the engine back up, and yank the mounts back out, and checked it with a caliper.. they're about an 1/8th of an inch taller than the oem ones.. and those are rubber... so i imagine there's at least another 1/8 of deflection.. so a full 1/4" too tall by rough numbers. I fight them down into position and preload the urethane bushings inside. drop 'em back in the car and....

They're closer to fitting. But not close enough, and i'm now contacting on the underside of the chassis too. I'm done. These things just don't fit.

So, now i'm torn between my remaining options. Being i didn't originally think i'd have the budget to do LTHs at all, i scored some used berk test pipes to use to remove the stock cats, and let me put the high-flows in the y-pipe as preparation for a set of LTHs to be installed the following year. but i'd hate to throw away all this work to get clearance for the LTHs to have to do it again next year. I'm a big fan of doing things once, the right way.

The other option is the expensive one, spring for the PPE headers right now. I have no idea if i can even get them, or if they're an "assembled as ordered" part like the MCS shocks (that i'm still waiting for). I got a tip from a friend on facebook that Enjuku racing is a dealer, and is consistently the cheapest seller of them, so i called them this morning.

Right now, i'm waiting on a call back from Enjuku. to see if there's a set on the shelf right now or not. If not, it's berks and put off headers to next year. If they do, i may do something stupid.

Construction Begins

Remember how I said that there was really only one big part left to order? Well.. I lied.

I made that purchase.. and have been twiddling my thumbs waiting for it. Might as well let the cat out of the bag.
Currently being constructed for me are a full set of Motion Control Systems Two-way adjustable remote reservoir shocks. This is me not fucking around.

The order time on them is generally 4-6 weeks, and I placed the order with Mike "Junior" Johnson at Evolution Performance Driving School. He was super nice, and we wound up having about a 45 min chat regarding the basics of setup, how much he loves them vs Konis he's used, etc.. Even when I talked to Lex over at MCS directly he was very responsive and had a great conversation. So I'm pretty sold on the product.

Last word I heard is that they should be assembling the shocks as I type this, and hopefully I'll see some tracking info soon.

Backing up, remember how I started this whole post with me lying? Yup. The MCS were supposed to be the last big dollar item I threw at this build this year. But I started thinking about how much I'd like to do more PDX and HPDE events with this car, and I began working my way down some check boxes. Oil cooler? check. Brakes? uhh...

Fortunately and unfortunately, the HR 350Zs came with a significantly larger brake setup from the factory when you didn't get the Brembo package. The two piston front, one piston rears with rotors larger than my head should be more than enough to get the job done under the situations that I'd planned to put it through.. as long as I could get pads.

That last line is the hangup. The HR calipers are also larger, and were only used on this, and the later G35 without brembos for two years. This is not a lot of cars. So most brake parts manufacturers have stopped short of providing aggressive pads for the car. The set of HPS I put in last year did a decent job, but their shortcomings made themselves very apparent at the DCTC PDX I did at the end of the season. I can't imagine trying to put them through the heat cycling of something like Brainerd or Road America. They'd melt. And they're some of the best pads available for these calipers.

So, what's a guy left to do.. but upgrade. I kept my eye on eBay.. and one day it paid off and a recycler put a full set of Brembo calipers from a track package 350Z up for sale. I Fought long and hard (and not smart) on the auction, but ended up with the win, and got away with a pretty good deal regardless.

With the calipers here, I just had to order pads and rotors to complete the system. While I'd love to drop more coin, and get those lovely Z1 2 peice rotors to cut down some weight, the budget's feeling pretty injured right now. After chatting with some track 350z guys on facebook, I decided to go with a set of duralast rotors from AutoZone. They have a good history, and the full set of four, Brembo sized rotors, shipped to my door... was $126. I feel like I found a loophole, and could start scrapping these to make a profit.

lastly, I ordered a set of Hawk DTC-30 pads. These interested me because they have a very wide temp range (low enough for autox, high enough for RR), but are meant for dirt track guys, so they claim there's excellent pedal modulation available. A few people I know have used them and been very impressed, so I've ordered up a full set from Porterfield.

So, that big ol' hit to the wallet is out out of the way... but this article is titled "Construction Begins", right? Where's the construction?

The Z has been in my garage since fall, sitting on the stands and just waiting for me to dig in. Mocking me, really. With everything on order or arrived, it was time to start tearing into it. The first thing I needed to do is get all the suspension arms detached, and over to Jeff's for some bushing work. I managed to get most of that out of the way within about a week, and Jeff returned the arms with their fresh Whiteline bushings within a few days.

next up was putting all these bits back in. Before reassembling, I took the time to squeeze in all new longer ARP wheel studs. There were questions raised last year about thread engagement, and these will definitely take care of that, and aid in spinning the lug nuts on. With all those out of the way, I started with the rear end, as I'd be able to get farther with it than the front before the shocks come in. Additionally, it was sunny and warm at the rear of the car with the garage open this past week, so I enjoyed that immensely.

I've gotten fairly good at the rear suspension in this car. Reinstalling the arms, torquing to spec loaded, dealing with the annoying e-brake system... etc. I wrapped up the rear end suspension in a reasonable amount of time.. I decided to tackle the rest of the upgrades on that end too. The Brembos were next, and the first thing I had to do was trim the lip off the backing plate, as the rotors are about 3/4" bigger in diameter than the stock ones. With sore hands after doing it with a pair of aircraft shears, I slid the rotors on, and bolted the new caliper in place. Fits like a glove. With everything mounted up, I figured now was the shortest time to switch out the brake line. Fresh Goodridge lines replace the very worn looking stock lines and should help with brake pedal feel and feedback. I'm still waiting for those pads though before I can really wrap up the system. The pads that came with the calipers are in there now, but they're very shot. I'd rather bleed the system with full pads, so that'll have to wait.



With some help from my Co-Driver Jake, we started tackling the headers. They're a pesky bunch, with the bolts/studs in difficult places. Progress is being made, but very slowly. The passenger side has much more access than the driver's so we'll be starting there. We've learned that we'll probably have to pull the steering column, and possibly the rack to clear the driver's side. Wrapping this also slows the reassembly of the suspension, as we need the lower chassis bracing out to get access to much of  the header work. I did manage to get the front left brake upgrades done though.. with the hub just hanging there.

That's pretty much where we've stopped so far. The parts pile is slowly getting smaller, but a lot of work hinges on getting those headers done. I had a feeling they wouldn't be a fond memory of this car.

The Parts pile is getting a little smaller...

The Winter Months

... or "how big is that stack of parts getting again?"

The off season is perfect for building up, and this is my first one with the car.

I forgot to mention in the last post but before she was tucked away, Kira spent a little time on the rollers down at RSMotors when I crashed the MNSubaru dyno-day with a Nissan.




The result was impressive. 278 HP and 244lb/ft of torque with only only a cat back and some K&N filters. There's a fair bit more to gain by freeing things up, that's become more of a priority. Also, a few upgrades to increase track reliability will probably be in order.

The First batch of gear to pick up was the bushings. 350z bushings are notoriously bad for failing and flexing in the wrong directions. I'd already taken care of the differential and subframe bushings when I dealt with that whole thing, so now I'm down to.. only every other suspension part of the car. I went with Whiteline Bushings as they seemed to be the stiffest ones I could find, and have some of the best durability. On top of that, historically Whiteline has had some of the best customer service I've ever dealt with. Big thanks for the hook-up on these from Race Suit Rentals.

The next round of parts came at thanksgiving. Surprisingly, car part dealers have started doing black Friday deals. An order went out to Stillen for one of their oil coolers and and set of Goodrich brake lines which are a big deal for the z, being the front lines are about the length of my arm.

Also on black Friday, Z1 Motorsports was running some specials of their own. I grabbed a pair of their urethane engine mounts, and a urethane transmission mount. With all these upgrades, shifting and putting power down should be significantly more effective. There's not going to be a whole 'lotta rubber left in this car.

With those sweet dyno numbers coming back, I had a new goal. I wanted to make 300hp at the rear wheels on RS's dyno.. so I had been keeping my eye on the my350z.com forums.. and stumbled upon exactly what I was looking for... a used Osiris Up-Rev with Tuner license. This gives me full tuneability of the stock ECU, lets me add cruise control (after installing a few parts) and does some cool things with launch control and map switching. I'll be able to optimize the ECU for all the modifications i'm doing, as well as utilize higher octanes when it comes to the big show.

With Christmas rolling around, I wound up with a pile of amazon gift cards... and while sure, there's plenty of other smaller things I could have checked off the list.. but screw it.. go big, or go home, right? I grabbed a set of OBX 370z Long Tube Headders. Now, they say 370z on them, and fit them... but they work fine on a 350z according to my research with a little bit of "forceful persuasion" around the steering shaft.




Well, with those puppies in, I'll have to address the catalytic converter situation. When I replaced the exhaust system, I took a critical measurement:



That measurement there is a a critical one, as it's the distance from the flange to the surface of the last catalytic converter. This means from the surface of this flange, I can move the catalytic converter a further 3.5 inches down wind. Well into the y-pipe. So just about any header option can be used, as long as the cats are in the y-pipe.

So, speaking of catalytic converters.. I'll need a pair of 'em. This time, I contacted Ciro Racing, as they have 100-cell metal core race cats that have passed SCCA checks historically (In STU I might add) for not a terrible price.

So with that out of the way, I figured I should free up the intake just a bit. It's been proven that some of the more basic intakes actually cost the HR engines horsepower, as the airbox systems on these are pretty good. But, the pipes connecting those airboxes to the throttle bodies are a little lumpy, and have a few baffles attached. Since the serious upgrade long runner intakes are on the fence legally still (i should really take those pictures, and write that letter..) I opted to just grab a set of silicon intake hoses from Mishimoto to smooth things out a bit.

With all this acquired.. there's really only one big purchase left.. and I'll tell you about that when I do it.

 

The End of the Season

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated this blog. After nats finishes, the steam kind of lets out for the rest of the season, as snow is on the horizion.

I ran the car at MOWOG 6&7 a few weeks after returning from Nats. Both events run at Canterbury Downs, a larger site local to MN that I've liked to run... historically. Despite feeling great at nats, the car was just terrible at Canterbury. This is probably a by-product of what we local Minnesotans have dubbed "Canterberries". Some time in the history of the lot we use it was "resurfaced", where a coat of tar was laid down and layers of small pebbles were laid down and compacted into the tar.



While this works fine to park on, running on this surface introduces annoying challenges. under any kind of load, these pebbles start to come up and it becomes akin to driving on a dirt road.. but a dirt road that gives you a vague sense of confidence before it slaps you in the face and laughs. Historically I've enjoyed the site as I'd run it in AWD cars with a clear advantage. Now, having switched to RWD that advantage is gone and I struggled everywhere to try and put power down. This was unpleasant, and I may find myself avoiding this site next year, or sourcing a co-drive. Who knows..

With that, the autocross season wrapped up. I finished the MOWOG points series in 6th place, and Second in the local Met Council series.. but only attended the minimum number of events to qualify for each in the Z, so as you have read the car was in multiple states of build over that time.. only towards the end has it started shape up as a really good car.

I decided to do one last thing with the car before packing her up, and sticking her in the garage for the long, cold winter months. The SCCA planned a PDX at DCTC, and having never really done any higher speed stuff (only that one night at RS Motors's event), I said "Screw it." and signed up.

I arrived a bit surprised. When I signed up there was a field for experience. I put down a few things i'd done, and how long i'd been autoxing, and showed up to be landed in the fastest run group. A few people I knew were administering aspects of the event, so when I inquired they assured me "Don't worry. you're plenty fast enough." The little warm tingleies from hearing that were pretty awesome, but didn't alleviate my hesitations about passing rules, etc. I opted to skip my first session, and sit in on the novice classroom session.. unfortunately, none of this was covered because novices don't get to pass. Damn.

When it came time to drive, I grabbed Ivan Austin and explained the situation. he was happy to aid in checking mirrors for other vehicles, perform points, and give me some excellent tips. The first session out I was definitely tentative.. especially when some miatas blew by me.. but I was more confident at the end about what I was doing.

[caption id="attachment_225" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Credit: "Crouse"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_226" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo Credit: "Crouse"[/caption]

For the concurrent sessions, I remembered that I had bought a lap timer app (Trackmaster) for my phone long ago, and never really used it. I still had all the gear from solostorm in the car, so quickly set it up so i'd have some numbers to see if I was improving. By the end of the 3rd session, those miatas wern't a problem. My smoking brake pads were a problem, but not miatas. I also came to find out I was running very similar lap times to a more road course experienced driver in a similarly prepped G35. Except he had Hoosiers. All in all, I had some good fun, and it forced me to think a little differently about higher speed lines. I think there will be more of these in the future.

That evening after the PDX, I shuffled things around in the garage, put the car up on stands, and threw the wheels and tires into their little warm spot for the winter. Winter mode is officially engaged, and shopping season begins.

[caption id="attachment_227" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Goodnight sleeping beauty.. I'll awaken you again when spring arrives.[/caption]