300zx Twin Turbo

[siksII]

he had to brake much eariier and take the corner much slower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The brakes are definetly dont feel as good as r33 brakes (although same calipers...) but in terms of cornering speed, i would say your friend needs to improve his driving skills, and its not so much the car being slower around corners.

[r33k]

also the engine is basically two of everything

two afms

two plenums

two throttlebodies

two engine almost vs gtr which has twin afm, twin turbo then single plenum

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm i have one.

Myths, myths myths. who ever started the story about the Z32 being heavy and having poor handling has rocks in his head! (and has never owned one)

They are about 50kg heavier than an R33 (2+2)

They have amazing handling due to a very low centre of gravity and good weight distribution.

They go like shit off a stick!

They dont have 2 plenums or 2 afms. they have two throttlebodies, and 2 turbos.

mine doesnt have many mods and its a 12 sec car. (240rwkw)

I concur, that the heat in the cramped engine bay does affect the electrical components and water hoses etc, I have gone through mine, yes its a pain in the arse to work on, simple mods on a skyline are an 'engine out' job on a Z32!!!

oh, and the Z32 is a real sports car

[Shifter]

Regarding weight, keep in mind there were many different sorts of zeds that all weight different from each other. ie, Targa Top or Slick Top, 2 seater, 4 seater or Convertible?, Manual or Auto, NA or Turbo? Hell, even luxuary features such as full electric seats vs non electric? HICAS? Cruise control? etc, you get the point. Obviously a 2 seater NA slicktop with non electric seats is not as heavy as a 2+2 TT Targatop with full electrics. As i'm sure you Skyline people will love the pun, Different boats for different folks

Whenever you do see comparisons of weight though, the zed only nudges infront (but keep in mind the zed has the torque that more then makes up for it, the low centre of gravity and from all dyno comparisons I have seen, definatly not laggy). Dont know which option zed they are using though as it never says. Suffice to say, the zeds reputaion for a laggy overweight boat is very undeserved, but a lot of zed owners are happy with this rep as it keeps a lot of noobs out of them

I see no one mentions the weights of Soarers, GTOs, SVXs?? They would typically be more in the heavyweight class I mean c'mon, we zedders would be in the same middle weight division as you lines!

Having to remove the engine to change or fix turbos is a myth that is DEFINATLY BUSTED

Modding the zed doesn't have to be expensive either. You could get boost jets to increase boost to 14psi for a few bucks, 2nd hand exhaust for a few hundred, ram pod and UD pulley and you could have yourself a very quick daily driver. The boost jets are not as fun as an electronic boost controller though. And if it were me, i'd spend the money on the cooling system, electrics, 100K service if unsure if its been done etc as anyone should with ANY 10-15 year old car. Not just 300ZXs!

I also know of someone on the aus300zx forum who in his NA with a few monds managed a 14.53sec 1/4 mile. I believe it was on 17" wheels and street tyres too. Obviously a top driver but goes to show what a car getting on 15 years can do and thats not bad for an NA (and what you guys call heavy boats). I also see some of the NA guys on the track getting brilliant times and giving all the turbo skylines a hard run for their money.

Overheating is another myth I have to say in my experience anyway. Any poorly maintained car will suffer from cooling issues and the zed or line is no exception. My car personally has never come close to overheating. On a 40 degree day (even with a FMIC) the water temps only reached 90 degrees at traffic lights. (UAS twin pass radiator). Highest its ever been. On a normal day its usually between 78 and 82. And on a cold winters night its even dropped to 67. Thats not overheating in my experience! As for underbonnet temps, a vented bonnet goes a long way (and looks cool) as all the heat goes out.

Keep in mind you get what you pay for. A lot of young guys are getting stung by the $8000-$10000 lemons out there, that in some cases could need another $10000 JUST TO GET BACK TO SCRATCH! But you could spend $18000-$20000 on a ultra reliable, highly modded zed that barely needs any work. The Aussie delievered Zed back in 1989 was selling for $70000 and in 1996 was selling for $86000. The Turbo models I believe were way over $100K when new later on. Now while the price of these cars has dropped significantly, the price for parts and maintenence etc has not. These cars aren't cheap to maintain like other daily drivers so if your strapped for cash, dont buy a zed. And if you do buy a zed and dont look after it, dont expect it to look after you!

[Archie@]

well said shifter! I think you've sumed it up perfectly. I don't think there is anything else a can add to that, except that I had mine for over 3 years and not a single problem. Terrific cars. Can't wait to get my next one.

[caz]

Zeds are fun , I've had mine for 2 years, I play hard with her . To me they look hot and the 'full' engine bay is awesome, a suprise to those who havent seen one before....

Up to 170,000km on the clock now and still stock turbos , internals and transmission . I use quality fluids and thats about it!

I love the Skylines too, hence my interest in this forum

PS, Im not a Cardigan wearing afternoon napper <_<

[PORTS]

Thanks shifter for spelling it out so clearly. The zed's do indeed need very little in mods to "smack some skyline's" to borrow a quote from Boosted Zed. Hell they even go fast at rest!! But I do admire the skylines for their brute force and sharp lines and always get excited in seeing our brother nissans at the track/strip/street. B)

[r33k]

when i go out to play, nobody wants to play with me. Why's that? I think i might turn up the boost a bit more

Brute force? who's he? i think i saw him last night again - in my rear view mirror ( again B) )

Go the Nissans - the best performance dollars can buy

Thanks shifter for spelling it out so clearly. The zed's do indeed need very little in mods to "smack some skyline's" to borrow a quote from Boosted Zed. Hell they even go fast at rest!!    But I do admire the skylines for their brute force and sharp lines and always get excited in seeing our brother nissans at the track/strip/street.  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[cookie300zx]

if i'm not mistaken shifter, trayns 14.53 run was done at 23 degree ambiant temperature and he had 137 rwkw. so not the most powerful NA and bad conditions too. still that is a testament to the results you can get if you are a skillful driver!

when i go out to play, nobody wants to play with me. Why's that? I think i might turn up the boost a bit more

Brute force? who's he? i think i saw him last night again - in my rear view mirror ( again  B) )

Go the Nissans - the best performance dollars can buy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[liner32]

how does the soarer tt compare to the 300zx tt?is it better or worse?

[r33k]

s-l-o-w-e-r....

[cowie165]

Whilst we're talking zeds, and to save me searching aus300zx, were there any significant changes to the models from 1989 onwards or are all Z32s the same?

Only change I'm aware of is updated tail-lights?

Cheers

[Slide]

Pitty you couldnt make it to drive the go carts aswell as your zed R33K :lol: j/k

I were there with Chris MYREDZED

liner32 join www.aus300zx.com all these fellas are from there and you will find alot more information regarding them.

Edited November 21, 2005 by Slide

[Triskillion]

What is it with people's obsession with being "different", at the expense of logic and reason?

I'm not necessarily saying that a Z32 is a bad choice, but "spending extra every time" for no appreciable gain (aside from this insecure need to be "different") just strikes me as a waste of time and money.

If you truly wanted to be different, get your hands on an R34 coupe shell and do a CA18DET conversion out of a Nissan Exa. You don't get any more different than a FWD Skyline with a 4 pot, so you can brag to all and sundry about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if people dont buy cars to be different or because they like the feel and want to own that type of car, why doesnt everyone just buy a ford laser... there cheap as to maintain and parts are cheap... cheap on fuel... well thats just logic isnt it

[scathing]

if people dont buy cars to be different or because they like the feel and want to own that type of car, why doesnt everyone just buy a ford laser... there cheap as to maintain and parts are cheap... cheap on fuel... well thats just logic isnt it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Clearly your motivations for owning a car are a little different to mine.

Here's an idea: Why not buy something because its "good" for what you apparently want it for?

If you want a sports car, a Ford Laser is crap. So, actually, buying a Ford Laser and attempting to turn that into a sports car would be "different" too.

If you're going to buy a GT-R as a commuter vehicle for daily driving, its going to be "different" to all those Corollas, Lasers etc that everyone else buys....and its not going to do as good a job either.

In terms of the Z32, if its so expensive to work on for a marginal performance improvement over a Skyline....its just not value for money. Yes, you can be "different"....and feel quite secure in your differences from behind a Skyline because you're worried about overheating or braking something, or because the GTSt can afford more mods to screw out more power and handling than you.

[Triskillion]

if i remember what i said in the first post, if the guy is willing to pay that extra then he could have a worked twin turbo v6 that would handle well aswell. thats what i mean, if its gotta a little extra he could go for a "different" car that can have more power and possibly out handle the skyline

but i dont think he was comparing any car, just asking if the 300zx was any good. if he can afford it then yes it is. and how much extra are you going to pay to take the engine bay out to replace turbos etc. an extra $1000? to me it would be worth it if your replacing both turbos with better after market components. replace seats etc with light weight aftermarket parts. you could have high hp motor in a pretty light car

something different to a japanese family car

[Tektrader69]

I own a 300zx for a few reasons.

1) I love the way they look. They havent aged as much as an R32. Still look as hot today as they did when they where imported.

2) The roof comes off

3) I can work on it myself and while it may be more difficult than a Commodore. Name a performance FWD or 4WD car that is easy!

4) Its isnt a Skyline !! You have to admit that Skylines are getting like arseholes. Everyone has one !!

5) It is a Nissan. I have a lot of regard for Nissan engineering.

6) I feel no penis envy for Skyline drivers. I can absolutely hammer most of them.

7) The interior looks special as opposed to the skyline that looks like a modifed taxi.

And before you say anything. Yes I am biased

Edited November 21, 2005 by Tektrader69

[cookie300zx]

In terms of the Z32, if its so expensive to work on for a marginal performance improvement over a Skyline....its just not value for money.

marginal performance increases hey? i don't see any gtst's with 270rwkw on stock turbos! to get a Z to 220 rwkw is insanely easy. to get a gtst to that figure, you need to start spending some money. value for money is in the eye of the beholder. oh and those overheating issues you talk about, not once has my car overheated, had it for over 2 years, and i give her a good workout every now and then.

a gtst is no comparison for a Z, the mighty godzilla is a completely different thing though! nothing but respect for GTR's. oh yeah, and tektrader is right, there are so many skylines these days, they are no longer different.

[cowie165]

Clearly I can't speak for everyone else, but I didn't buy my car to be different. I bought it because I've wanted one since watching Bathurst years ago. To be honest, I wouldn't buy a zed to be different either. Must say I love both cars, just wanted a GTR for longer

To me, different is when a car drives past and you think, "what the hell was that?" Like those Smart cars, or a Pug coupe

edit: shpelling

Edited November 23, 2005 by cowie165

[BreathLess]

I think the Z performace is more above the gst-t but not quite the same as the gtr so in my mind its nissan mid range performace car.

:lol: ahh Nissan I love'em

[cowie165]

There is a Z32/HCR33 comparo in a HPI a while back. I could prob scan it if anyone is interested.

R33 GTSt is HCR33? *shrugs* meh. Anyways, the article is around somewhere.