What Mods Don't Void Warranty

[R35III]

Got my series III on saturday. Very happy about it so far except for not being able to rev it hard yet. Just after some advice on how to mod it after the run in period? Cobb tuning access port? Powerchip? Full titanium exhaust?

I always wanted to mod my series I but happy I didn't now as I would have a better baseline to start from with the series III. Just after some advice on what're some good mods.

[tweety bird]

nooooo powerchip.

[fungoolie]

Forget powerchip (If they've even bothered to make one for the R35).

I think in the best order of bang for buck mods.

1. Cobb Accessport. ~$1500 ~+30KW

2. Midpipe ~$900

3. E85 Conversion. $~1500 + Tuning ~+60KW(If you do the work yourself using HKS drop in pumps and Deutchworks Injectors) By then you should be making around 380+AWKW on the Series one. Who knows how much on the Series 3.

Then perhaps start looking at Dump Pipes, Turbo upgrades etc but the prices starts to rise significantly after this point. I wouldn't bother with a full exhaust unless you are just after the sound and weight saving. I don't believe there's much to be had power wise after the midpipe for a lot of extra outlay.

No mods will be kind to your warranty.....

Edited March 28, 2011 by fungoolie

[g35me]

Forget mods if you want to keep your warranty. But in saying that it has to be proven that the car suffered damage due to the mods. So if there is no pre existing damage to the vehicle once the mods are removed then the warranty is still intact, incase you want to sell it with factory warranty.

[Beer Baron]

for me it would be:

cobb access port (and preferable a custom tune)

midpipe (removes 2 cats and replaces them with either pipe, or some mufflers/resonators)

trans fluid change (the willal stuff seems to be the best option at the moment)

Then drive it for a while and see how you like it. yeah full exhaust won't add huge power after you already have the midpipe, but they do add a nice sound (so does the midpipe with standard cat back exhaust though), and depending on the model they will look better too.

After that you need to consider how far you want to go? injector and pump upgrade and E85 tune is one way to go, then there's intercoolers, turbos, etc etc. upgrade to 400mm rotors and some better pads is a fairly good upgrade too. it all depends what you want from the car, and also how you plan to use the car. if it's going on the track one of the first things I'd do is a proper seat and harness set-up. much easier to drive when you're not being thrown around the cabin.

[domino_z]

the only mechanical change i can see on the 2011 apart from the ecu changes is the slightly larger turbo inlet pipes

any ecu changes nissan have made in increasing boost etc will be over compensated by the cobb map

larger turbo inlet pipes have been available through aftermarket for years now, and almost every jdm tuner has a set on offer - and their diameter is larger than what nissan has done anyway. Getting more air into the turbo is just as important as getting more gas out imo, and they arent too expensive, around 1k will get you a set, some US shops are even cheaper, theyre all the same in the end

for me, id go mid-pipe, turbo inlet pipes and cobb. Then do intakes and/or muffler if you want more exhaust/turbo sound for fun

bolt on's like midpipe, intake are exactly that, they can be removed. Once you add the cobb and remap the ecu, you're on your own

you'd have more fun modifying your car than buying another stock r35 which looks identical from behind the steeringwheel, unless of course you're like the yanks and waking up with a boner over the leds in the front bumper

Edited March 28, 2011 by domino_z

[R35III]

Ha, I don't mind the LED's actually, don't know about boner though. I like the lighter weight and reduced drag. But I do realize I could have spent much less on the series I and came away with a much faster car.

As far as mods go, my primary goal is to increase directness in every aspect. Throttle response, steering wheel input. So I guess more power and more speed is always nice, but reducing weight, and possibly suspension set up will be key for me too.

The most fun car I've ever owned is an E46 M3 and the best one I've driven is when I test drove a Ferrari 360. And I like both for the same reason, very direct throttle and steering response. Also both cars communicate road conditions and the car's posture to the driver so well.

Those are things I found lacking on the series I. The turn in was more sluggish, there's some lag on the throttle and the suspension and steering feedback does insulate the driver from the drive.

On the series III the steering and suspension feels better, although that could just be because it's new and tighter than my series I which has done 30,000km's. Don't know about the throttle yet as I can't push it right now.

[domino_z]

yep ive got an E46 M3, one of the best NA engines ever built. Even though its not that quick, relatively, and the smg in a world of double clutch box's is slow to change gears, i still get a buzz from it, especially from the rasp with the roof down

re feel, these days you really have to buy a dedicated track car like an elise to get that raw feeling. Sports cars are becoming increasingly dumbed down to appeal to a wider target market.

dont think the 2011 is any lighter than the previous model, apart from the wheels theyre claiming they've saved some weight - aftermarkets with normal road tyres is where you'll lose some noticeable unsprung weight. So that may be something you want to look into, put some toyo semi's on it for eg and ditch the heavy runflats

re suspension and steering, each model year has brought with it running changes, so it wouldnt be uncommon for people with 2009s to notice a difference by now

run it in and let the mods begin, at the bare minimum a y-pipe to get some sound out of it

stock is boring

ps: did you have any issues with your 09 in those 30,000kms? if you're in melb, check out g35s melb meet thread

Edited March 28, 2011 by domino_z

[R35III]

I saw that thread this morning, wish I could be there, but I'm in Brisbane.

I didn't have any problems with my old one. It was running well. The only thing was the rear right window vibrates and makes this really annoying sound at around 60kph.

Now you've got me looking for an E46 M3 to buy. Damn you.

Edited March 28, 2011 by R35III

[domino_z]

ive got my E45 for sale atm, though ive pitched it quite high because a) the individual colour combo and flawless condition, and b) it would take a very generous offer for me to part with it

[MercuryMotorsport]

We have just finished off a R35 GTR for a customer, and these are the mods we did:-

Willall spec turbo upgrade

Mercury Motorsport custom 3.5" custom dump pipes

Mercury Motorsport custom 3.5" mid pipe

AMS front mount intercooler

Willall trans fluid

COBB Access port with custom tune by Mercury Motorsport

Result 544hp on 18psi, 98 octane. (std fuel pumps, std injectors)

The car is far from loud and its simply a monster on the street. Better than standard boost response and 150hp more at the wheels!

I personally would add a cat back to the above combination however the above was done to keep it quiet at the request of the client.

Edited March 28, 2011 by MercuryMotorsport

[domino_z]

thats awesome mercury

good to see some mod'd R35s here in Aus, getting sick of reading all those US build threads

are your dump pipes catless? i thought catless downpipes with a catless mid-pipe would be crazy loud inside the cabin, even with the stock muffler

do you not think there's a need to increase the diameter of the turbo inlet pipes after making those changes to the turbos?

care to share an indicative price on a job like that?

Edited March 28, 2011 by domino_z

[fungoolie]

Parts alone add up to $12K-$13K. When the first aftermarket intercoolers were released they were barely any better than stock. Has that changed in recent times? What do you gain for the $2500 outlay on an intercooler? Also running E85 tends to negate the need for better intercooling as the ethanol does a fine job of cooling down the intake charge.

Edited March 28, 2011 by fungoolie

[domino_z]

that still wouldnt stop me wanting an esprit cooler and panel

daaaaayum

[MercuryMotorsport]

Parts alone add up to $12K-$13K. When the first aftermarket intercoolers were released they were barely any better than stock. Has that changed in recent times? What do you gain for the $2500 outlay on an intercooler? Also running E85 tends to negate the need for better intercooling as the ethanol does a fine job of cooling down the intake charge.

Not every one wants to run e85, and with the qld climate, the larger fmic's make a lot of sense as does installing a larger radiator. There are plenty of different ways to get power/torque out of these GTR's, is just comes down to personal preference, budget and local conditions. We take a lot of time to communicate with our clients and work on a custom solution that suits them and how they plan to enjoy their car.