Performance Upgrades?

[saz]

I want to spend 1.5k on some performance upgrades that will give some gain.

Love to hear from some people with greater knowledge and have experience.

[n15m0]

Depends on what you class as performance upgrades...

Performance Handling - suspension, sway bars and good tires

Performance HP - exhaust, filter, ztube, spacer

If u ask me for 1.5K between $/HP or $/increased handling I'd probably go for the handling.

[grae35]

Get yourself a motordyne 5/16" iso copper plenum spacer. Best bang for bucks.

Cost about $270 (fit yourself) and dynoed at 19extra hp at the wheels. Beats most exhaust mods in hp. Also no low down loss of torque trade off to get increased top end power(most cat back systems do this)

Put the rest of your money into really good tyres.

[Bourbon Boy]

I agree with both Ni5m0 & Greame...

Sway bars front & rear, strut bars front & rear, braided brake lines to improve handling & plenum spacer for a bit of HP sauce. Might be a little over $1500 if you're installing yourself but will guess it'll be above $2k if you get it installed.

[spencer?]

how does braided brake lines improve handling?

[75coupe]

I reckon you could almost spend 1.5k on maintenance, all fluids and filters (gearbox, diff, engine, coolant, brake fluid), wiper rubbers, new suspension bushes, tyres.

then if you have left over funds sway bars...

[V35_Paul]

Plenum spacer

Z tube with a Pod filter

Light weight pulleys

and if you got an auto get a grounding kit.

If you have any money left over do some exhaust mods. From extrator, high flow cats, Y pipe or muffler.

I have these mods save the high flow cats and muffler.

[Bourbon Boy]

how does braided brake lines improve handling?

How is it not? Ever approach a corner at high speed and find out your brakes are spongy? Scary shit.

[Commsman]

If it's an auto, put a Transgo kit on the list to consider. The gear changes happen much faster so in a straight line at least you can gain some ground. Otherwise I vote handling upgrades also.

[sheldon2369]

I wouldn't recommend a Grounding Kit - from my experience, for 1.5k do the following:

Plenum Spacer,

Z-tube - Pod Filter,

Light Weight Pulleys

TransGo Shift Kit (If Auto)

And if you have any money left I'd go with some kind of Exhaust mod, or a tune.

Edit: Dammit, beaten by Commsman on the TransGo.

Edited December 20, 2011 by sheldon2369

[R6n350GT]

I wouldn't recommend a Grounding Kit - from my experience, for 1.5k do the following:

Plenum Spacer,

Z-tube - Pod Filter,

Light Weight Pulleys

TransGo Shift Kit (If Auto)

And if you have any money left I'd go with some kind of Exhaust mod, or a tune.

Edit: Dammit, beaten by Commsman on the TransGo.

#1 thing 5/16 plenum spacer

#2 resonated test pipes or HFC or Motordyne ART pipes if you can afford

#3 Sway bars (if u can upgraded end links)

#4 good tires

#5 Full exhaust, HKS, Fujitsubo, Motordyne with new HR ypipe

#6 transgo shift kit (if your auto) and grounding kit

#7 Z-tube

Pop charger sounds awesome but im not 100% convinced on HP gain...

Coil overs also a good mod for suspension and handling (if u want to feel like your going faster suspension before anything else)

i have done all the mods btw...

Edited December 20, 2011 by R6n350GT

[saz]

Ok then, My next question is where can i get these done In Perth??

[wizlb]

Their are a few options available for $1500

Here is what I got and still had a few bucks left over

I believe the shipping cost was around $100 bucks

If you have a bit left...get a strut Bar

You also can get King Springs to drop you ride a bit

And what year is your car

Motordyne.com

Contact Tony

G35 & M35 5/16" Iso Thermal plenum spacer $260.00 $249.60

Advanced Resonance Tuning (ART test pipes) $585.00 $561.60

[manc01]

Everyone seems to recommend a Plenum Spacer. Can you really actually notice a power increase with this being 10-18HP? From what I have read there is also a 2MPG increase in fuel economy, again is this accurate? Finally what brand & specs are best. Thanks in advance, I will be interested to hear some comments.

[wizlb]

Hey SAZ

If you have a bit of time go over to the G35 Forum and you will find most NA V35 have PS, ART Test Pipes and CAI mods to get any kind of HP gains.

GL

B

[sonicii]

I haven't done this mod, so this comment will probably hold very little weight. But over the years I have learnt to become very skeptical of claims of easy mods that are 'all positives and no negatives'. If that is the case, Nissan would have made it that way in the first place. An easy mod that shows improvements in top end power is likely to have a down side. generally noise, loss of some low end torque or increse in fuel consumption. There are also a few mods around (not suggesting this is one of them), that only give 'pseudo power', meaning all they do is make more noise, which gives the psychological impression of more power.

Even the VQ35 rev-up engine that the US G35 got in 2005 had an extra ~15KW of power, but lost 13Nm of torque.

[grae35]

I haven't done this mod, so this comment will probably hold very little weight. But over the years I have learnt to become very skeptical of claims of easy mods that are 'all positives and no negatives'. If that is the case, Nissan would have made it that way in the first place. An easy mod that shows improvements in top end power is likely to have a down side. generally noise, loss of some low end torque or increse in fuel consumption. There are also a few mods around (not suggesting this is one of them), that only give 'pseudo power', meaning all they do is make more noise, which gives the psychological impression of more power.

Even the VQ35 rev-up engine that the US G35 got in 2005 had an extra ~15KW of power, but lost 13Nm of torque.

Good general advise regarding engine performance mods. This is why I have done very few. My claim for plenum spacer gains is not from their advertising claims but from pre and post dyno measurement.

I cannot honestly say that 19hp extra feels much through the seat of your pants but certainly shows up on the dyno and backed up on the drag strip by an improved et from 14.85 stock to 14.39 after plenum install.

Fuel economy can improve but only if you resist the temptation to use the extra power. The engine does sound different under full acceleration but around town you will not pick a difference.

[sonicii]

It is good to get dyno measurements to backup the claims.. it is probably a mod I will look at doing down the track if I can get one for the right price, I am guessing the factory engine cover still fits with the 5/16 spacer?. I'm not really convinced on the z-tube yet.. I have read mixed reports.. and personaly experience tells me not to bother with drop in replacement air filters (K&N), unless you just like the convenience of a clean and reuse, rather than replace.

[V35_Paul]

I did before and after dyno runs on all my mods.

I've posted the results a few times on this forum.

[wizlb]

SAZ

I see you are getting some good advise here...but your best bet is to go to the G35 forum where you will find the mods on G35 go back to 2006.

The G35 2005 is not a rev-up engine.

If you want some real info on what kind of Mods to put on a V35 and from an experienced person and someone without an agenda, then contact Sam at http://www.gtmotorsports.com/help.php?section=contactus&mode=update

and you can also check out their website to see what mods they are using for NA V35.

GL

B