To Lower Or Not To Lower

[Ben-88]

Honestly i think every v35 owner goes through this once they get their ride. As you did, we do a bit of research and come across the hoards of tolls saying how ricer it is and get turned off ><. Also its expensive + the car is my daily which was the main turn off for me.

In Australia i think it is extremely unique to have the gtr or the aston martin body kit and you will always get compliments from everyone. Its those few car enthusiasts who think anything modified is ricer and if they dont approve of it then its shit.

Im really not a fan of either of those kits... not because people say its ricer style or anythin but just because i dont like the way the section under the headlights flows. The middle looks ok, but i recon the way it looks below the headlights ruins the shape of the car and the aston martin kit has the same issue, but like was said, its all personal opinion and you should get what you think looks good.

There are plenty of other bodykits out there that have a much better flow with the lines of the car like the greddy or top secret non-wide body etc etc. ... just have a look through hyper rev, theres lots of better choices.

If you are worried about paint matching you could always go for one of the carbon fibre body kits

[scathing]

In Australia i think it is extremely unique to have the gtr or the aston martin body kit

It would also be unique to smear faeces all over the car. People really need to learn that "unique" doesn't necessarily mean "good".

and you will always get compliments from everyone.

How would you know that if it's so unique? It means it hasn't happened before. And it's not like all the "tolls" who bagged out the Weber Sports/DAMD kit for being ugly before they installed it are suddenly going to turn around and say how awesome it was after it was fitted. Unless the person is doing some custom modification to the kit, its still going to look exactly like the kit that breaks the overall lines of the car (as per Ben-88) and makes you look like a tryhard (lack of GT-R badges notwithstanding).

Its those few car enthusiasts who think anything modified is ricer

WTF? Practically everyone on this forum is into modified cars but there's plenty of accusations of ricerism when people fit stupid things to make their car look quicker than it really is. Look at any car culture. Whether it be street machiners/rodders, motorsport competitors, JDM, sex-spec, etc, they're all into modified cars and dislke stock cars.

The only people you're describing are guys into Concours d'Elegance, which is a small subset of car enthusiasts and I doubt you'll find more than a handful here.

if they dont approve of it then its shit.

Well no duh. People have opinions. Things they like, and things they don't. If the OP didn't want other peoples' opinions on the kit, they wouldn't have asked on the forum. So why be suprised that people express their honest opinion with a colourful metaphor? Or do you think that people should just lie to others and let them do things they personally believe is a mistake?

[T4NK]

Hey guys thanks for all the help with the lowering and the kit, im going to put the kit on hold atm i have gone to midas and they haev givem me some quotes and it seems that its going to be way cheaper to just import a coilover kit from the US then buy one here so if anyone knows some good brands i just took a look on ebay and found the ones below, also is anyone aware of the customs duties that i may have to pay on them if i did import them

[scathing]

its going to be way cheaper to just import a coilover kit from the US then buy one here so if anyone knows some good brands i just took a look on ebay and found the ones below, also is anyone aware of the customs duties that i may have to pay on them if i did import them

There's no link to the coilovers you found on eBay.

If you're rolling on 20's I'm going to assume you're not tracking the car. Aim for something streetable then. My vote is for the Bilstein PSS kit. It's adjustable height but not adjustable damper rate (the PSS9 and PSS10 are adjustable rate), which I doubt you're going to use anyway. Adjusting the rear dampers on the Z/V involves either pulling the strut out or drilling holes in the boot, which most people are not going to do. I like European suspension, since the Euros actually understand what "ride/handling compromise" actually means on a less-than-perfectly-smooth road.

If you didn't want height adjustment and you could just live with lowering springs, I'd consider using Koni Yellow dampers combined with Eibach springs. The Eibach springs for the V35 give a 1" drop, but if you put the Eibach springs for a 350Z then you'll see a bigger drop (which give a 1.2" drop over the standard 350Z springs, which give a 0.5" drop compared to stock V35 springs). The Koni dampers' rear adjustment is with an allen key on the side of the strut body. It means you just need to jack the car up to get your hand to fit between the tyre and the guard, rather than having to pull the whole thing out.

Edited May 12, 2011 by scathing

[VNS 24]

There's no link to the coilovers you found on eBay.

If you're rolling on 20's I'm going to assume you're not tracking the car. Aim for something streetable then. My vote is for the Bilstein PSS kit. It's adjustable height but not adjustable damper rate (the PSS9 and PSS10 are adjustable rate), which I doubt you're going to use anyway. Adjusting the rear dampers on the Z/V involves either pulling the strut out or drilling holes in the boot, which most people are not going to do. I like European suspension, since the Euros actually understand what "ride/handling compromise" actually means on a less-than-perfectly-smooth road.

If you didn't want height adjustment and you could just live with lowering springs, I'd consider using Koni Yellow dampers combined with Eibach springs. The Eibach springs for the V35 give a 1" drop, but if you put the Eibach springs for a 350Z then you'll see a bigger drop (which give a 1.2" drop over the standard 350Z springs, which give a 0.5" drop compared to stock V35 springs). The Koni dampers' rear adjustment is with an allen key on the side of the strut body. It means you just need to jack the car up to get your hand to fit between the tyre and the guard, rather than having to pull the whole thing out.

If you don't mind, Alan. Can you please post or pm me the links for both "Bilstein PSS kit" and "Koni yellow dampers+Eibach springs"?

The reason of me being interested in the "Koni yellow dampers+Eibach springs" is because of the 1 inch drop, as others I know on the market are mostly 2 inch drops which is way too much drop for me.

Also, would you know if dampers+springs combo will last as long as the coilovers kit?

Thanks, Alan.

Edited May 12, 2011 by VNS 24

[T4NK]

Ok sorry about the missing links there below

Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com....e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

1 from race inspried

http://www.raceinspi...35-2003-up.aspx

and 2 from just jap

http://www.justjap.com/store/product.php?productid=19810&cat=&page=1

http://www.justjap.com/store/product.php?productid=19220&cat=&page=1

i have No idea what i should go with.

Edited May 12, 2011 by T4NK

[jawrgy]

It would also be unique to smear faeces all over the car. People really need to learn that "unique" doesn't necessarily mean "good".

How would you know that if it's so unique? It means it hasn't happened before. And it's not like all the "tolls" who bagged out the Weber Sports/DAMD kit for being ugly before they installed it are suddenly going to turn around and say how awesome it was after it was fitted. Unless the person is doing some custom modification to the kit, its still going to look exactly like the kit that breaks the overall lines of the car (as per Ben-88) and makes you look like a tryhard (lack of GT-R badges notwithstanding).

WTF? Practically everyone on this forum is into modified cars but there's plenty of accusations of ricerism when people fit stupid things to make their car look quicker than it really is. Look at any car culture. Whether it be street machiners/rodders, motorsport competitors, JDM, sex-spec, etc, they're all into modified cars and dislke stock cars.

The only people you're describing are guys into Concours d'Elegance, which is a small subset of car enthusiasts and I doubt you'll find more than a handful here.

Well no duh. People have opinions. Things they like, and things they don't. If the OP didn't want other peoples' opinions on the kit, they wouldn't have asked on the forum. So why be suprised that people express their honest opinion with a colourful metaphor? Or do you think that people should just lie to others and let them do things they personally believe is a mistake?

My A hole feels sore after that ><

But by your reply it does prove that anything different is frowned upon in the hard core "car enthusiast" community

I think its a case of if I cant have it then no one can. The gtr/aston martin/Lambo doors are all real expensive items.

Do what you want with your car and disregard what anyone says. In the end its to get the chicks braa :rofl:not impress a few car enthusiasts.

[T4NK]

Do what you want with your car and disregard what anyone says. In the end its to get the chicks braa :rofl:not impress a few car enthusiasts.

You said it brother hahaha the chicks is where its at

If anyone has any ideas on the brands in the links i posted please post and let me know im considering a turbo upgrade in the future so im looking to do coilovers so i dont have to redo suspension if i do a turbo kit. Im looking at street driving with the occasional track maybe a few times a year nothing to srs.

[VNS 24]

Finish this conversation off, guys.

Of course, we can do whatever we want with our cars. But once you are done and people dislike it, you have to accept it too. If everyone likes the same thing, we will all look alike.

I liked Kenstyle rear before but now, not that much. But that didn't stop me to admire the whole car regarding other mods done, etc.

[Cobey]

BC Coilovers. V1 Series.... cant fault em for the price. I'm running em.

[T4NK]

Do they let you play with the camber at all? or will i need additional parts for this? also did you have to roll the guards at all?

[scathing]

But by your reply it does prove that anything different is frowned upon in the hard core "car enthusiast" community

No it doesn't, unless you've got a persecution complex.

I'm driving a 350Z posting a lot on a Skylines forum, when I could have bought a GT-R at the time. I've stayed NA even though I could have afforded a turbo kit with the amount of money I've spent on it. I run 18" wheels when the standard for an aftermarket wheel is 19". I had people question my choices, but not frown on them.

I think its a case of if I cant have it then no one can. The gtr/aston martin/Lambo doors are all real expensive items.

Yeah OK, bro. You keep telling yourself that.

A mate of mine had the DAMD kit on his Z a few years ago, and I could easily have sold my car and bought it when he traded up. I didn't because I didn't want it, because it looks stupid. The distinctive Aston grille is not particularly attractive; it only works on that brand's cars because of the rest of its lines and the history behind the shape. On the V35 its even worse; the nose is so bluff that the long DAMD front bar looks like its been taken off another car and shoehorned to fit.

And Lambo doors for the Z cost around USD$1.5K the last time I checked. I just dropped way more than twice that on a new set of TE37s to replace my existing set of TE37s.

The reason I don't have these things is because I don't want them, I could have had them all years ago. The reason I don't have them is because they look stupid.

Do what you want with your car and disregard what anyone says.

Something we can agree on.

If you don't mind, Alan. Can you please post or pm me the links for both "Bilstein PSS kit" and "Koni yellow dampers+Eibach springs"?

Bilstein PSS:

http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model=350z&cat=handling&prodid=1180

Koni Yellow dampers:

http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model=350z&cat=handling&prodid=1117

Eibach Sport-Line Springs:

http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model=350z&cat=handling&prodid=3311

Eibach Pro-Kit Springs'

http://www.gripmotorsports.com/pi~pn~eibach_springs_pro_kit_lowering_springs-3877.html

I noticed on Z1's site that Eibach do a coilover kit. I'm not sure what the attributes are though.

N.B. Buyer beware with Z1-Auto. I know a few Aussies that have had issues with them, but with the forum rules I won't get into detail. I can PM later if people are really curious. Their prices seem better than some other US retailers I've landed on, but the headaches some of us Z owners have experienced with them has put them out of contention for me.

Also ask around on whether there's any fitment issues. I am pretty sure that LHD front struts are different to RHD ones, but please confirm. It might be worth contacting a Bilstein retailer in Aus to see how much they want for them.

If I had a choice between BC Racing coilovers from JustJap at AUD$1149 (for the V1s), or Bilstein PSS at USD$1299 + shipping, I think I'd pay the extra for the Bilsteins. Fair enough the Bilsteins don't come with damper adjustment where the BC ones do, but I'm never going to pull my rear struts out to actually adjust them so the functionality is irrelevant. And on reputation I'd trust Bilstein over BC Racing on quality, and getting the spring/damper ratios matched to each other and the car.

The spring rates are much softer in the Bilsteins. This should equate to a better ride, and on bumpy road it'll mean better handling too. Which on a street-only cruiser would be more of a concern to me.

Also, it's worth noting that the OEM springs in the V35 are stiffer in the rear. The BC Racing coilovers run a stiffer front spring. This change in the spring rate bias is going to make your V35 more understeery at the limit, all else being equal. If you're going FI and so you need more rear end grip bias then that's a good thing. For NA drivers finding their car understeery already, it's just going to exacerbate the problem unless you get different swaybars or mess about with the damper settings. The Bilsteins have a progressive rate rear spring so it'll want to squat onto the rear a bit more eagerly initially anyway, but as you push harder it'll stop lifting the nose as quickly.

Also, would you know if dampers+springs combo will last as long as the coilovers kit?

That I can't answer. I had Koni Yellows with OEM springs in the Z for a few years. The fronts started leaking, but after discussing it with people in the US it seemed I was the only one.

They're both famous European companies so I imagine their quality should be good though. Certainly better than D2/G4 junk that have already left a puddle of fluid in the box when you open it.

Do they let you play with the camber at all? or will i need additional parts for this? also did you have to roll the guards at all?

You need additional parts. The car only has a little rear adjustment stock. The V35 doesn't run Macpherson struts so it can't use camber plates.

On the front you'll need upper A arms. On the rear there are camber kits to extend the range.With your offsets you're not going to need camber even if you lower it. They're going to tuck, a lot.

[jawrgy]

I think scathing needs a hug

[scathing]

On a far more serious note, if you're only in it for the chicks the best thing you can install in a car is a puppy.

This:

pulled more chicks than this:

And a DB9 Volante pulls off the Aston Martin grille far better than this:

which looks like something a Chinese manufacturer would try and sell.

If a real Aston Martin can't beat a small dog, your Jap-crap wannabe with an ill-fitting bodykit won't stand a chance.

Edited May 16, 2011 by scathing