Mod Recommendations

[up4speed]

I also put the AWE Touring on my Nismo, and really like it!

 

[garfias503]

Put an AWE Touring exhaust on mine. Gave it better growl while simultaneously reducing the 2k rpm drone on the highway. AWE has designed their system to easily convert between the track and touring version which is a nice bonus for anyone that wants it loud for an event but tame as a daily.

From what I've read, aftermarket lower downpipes mainly improves the exhaust flow for tuning purposes. Uppers are a difficult procedure (increasing labor costs) for not much gain. Haven't heard specifics on what lowers do to the sound other than "it sounds better" which is a lazy explanation at subjective experience. I would personally not do lowers unless also changing the intake - improve how the engine breathes all the way start to finish.

My stock rear tires were bald in the middle by 10k miles, and the fronts were getting low. Replaced with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s because everyone seems to recommend them. I don't drive at the limit enough to appreciate huge differences, but they do seem to improve handling.

Hey man, I also am hoping to purchase the same awe touring exhaust. Curious, did it cause any engine lights to activate? Did it cause emission issues? Last thing I want is to not pass emissions/dmv/deq here where I live.

 

[ShearMe]

Hey man, I also am hoping to purchase the same awe touring exhaust. Curious, did it cause any engine lights to activate? Did it cause emission issues? Last thing I want is to not pass emissions/dmv/deq here where I live.

No, cat-back means you're only changing the tubes after the catalytic converter. On the Z, both upper and lower down pipes have cats, but nothing afterwards. The only meaningful effect is a change in noise.

 

[garfias503]

No, cat-back means you're only changing the tubes after the catalytic converter. On the Z, both upper and lower down pipes have cats, but nothing afterwards. The only meaningful effect is a change in noise.

Thank you much, sounds like I’ll be ordering it then. With black diamond tips

 

[Intrepid Z]

I’m doing a similar thing with my Nismo Z.

I went with the Fujitsubo cat back system, it’s very understated and also it is not too loud. It almost feels factory in its volume and tone. Probably how the car should’ve been from factory.

If you have a motorsport specialist near you, take the car to get a proper wheel alignment. They are terrible from the factory. I think you would be surprised at the difference this could make.

I’ve also fitted Tein coil overs with the additional electronic control for the dampening. I’ve only lowered the vehicle 10 mm and will have to install front and rear adjustable arms to get the camber right (it’s not adjustable in the front and there’s not enough adjustment in the rear.) I found the spring rate in these very good and being able to easily adjust the damping on the go is great.

I don’t think I’m going to change the swaybars, but if I had a sport or performance model, I probably would.

To the untrained eye or passenger, it would feel/look factory.

 

[TheMarkedOne]

I would recommend sticking with your current exhaust since it is already the louder option from factory for the autos compared to the manual. A tune will make a good difference for the price. But if you want it to be louder, I recommend adding downpipes. Yeah, sounds stereotypical haha.

As for handling tires and reinforcement bars in the front and rear would help tremendously.

 

[goeagles11]

This was a very thoughtful answer. Thank you very much. Couple questions when you get a chance. Some of my questions, may be stupid. Again, I am not technical just looking to learn.

1. Is there a reason for front sway bars instead of (and) the rear?
On the 370z's it was widely agreed upon to only upgrade the fronts as you could introduce too much oversteer if you upgraded the rears (oversteer is when the car kicks out/slides too easily). Other factors to consider is the cost of buying the second set and it's harder to get to/install.

2. Any specific downpipes come to mind? You made a good point about the inside sound of the car. I did not think about it that much. I guess what I am really looking for is more fuller (deeper) tones which I guess is what a downpipes could accomplish for me.
Any resonated lower downpipe is pretty much the same. I recall seeing Boosted 6's lower downpipe for around $300 during their 4th of July sale.

3. The plug in play tune is interesting. Would there be any compatibility issues if I switch downpipes? I watched the video and it specifically says "factory downpipes"
They're intended for fully stock cars only.

4. Everyone says the same thing about the tires. I wonder if I just switched them out first before I did anything else if that would fix some of my issues with the car.

Seems like if I just do the above it is going to be way cheaper than I thought to do this which is nice!

Seems like you got most of your questions answered but I added my answers in GREEN.

 

[weissk93]

1. Sway Bars are perfect for OEM+ feel. They get rid of body roll and the car will feel more planted and sporty in the corners. You only need to do the front sway bars, it's also an easy install.

2. Exhaust - the exhaust on the Automatic Z's is pretty good. I would only modify this if you really want a louder sound otherwise I'd keep it the way it is. I drove a Z with a boost logic exhaust and AMS downpipes and it was so loud the dash was rattling and it felt like I was driving my brothers old 90's Acura Integra. If you're looking for OEM+ you're probably best with doing lower resonated downpipes only and keeping the stock exhaust. This will give you a nice low tone rumble.

3. Tune - a tune will give you a lot more torque which will also mean your going to struggle with traction if you go full throttle at low speeds. I personally tried out a Z1 hotbox which is pretty inexpensive and can be removed and installed in 10 minutes without a trace if you don't want to void warranty when you go visit the dealer. The hotbox simply raises the boost a couple PSI to give you more power and works well. If you're adding multiple other mods though I would get a real tune and not this.

4. Tires - Always the best mod you can do for a RWD car. I upgraded my tires to Michelin Sport 4S's and had a huge improvement in traction. I could accelerate while turning without losing traction and do launch control accelerations without spinning at all.

In the end I always like to keep a car mostly stock, I'd recommend upgrading to the NISMO if you want a more sportier feel. The other important thing is to not spend too much $ unless you keep the stock parts and can swap them back yourself because when you go to trade in the car you're not going to get any of the $ you invested in mods back. You can legitimately spend $20k in parts & install and the dealer won't give you any added value for that.

Just wanted to update everything. I am getting the Michelin PS4s on Friday. I will consider a Hotbox for short term gains. Obviously going the sway bar and exhaust route would be a bit more involved.

 

[VR30Infection]

I’m doing a similar thing with my Nismo Z.

I went with the Fujitsubo cat back system, it’s very understated and also it is not too loud. It almost feels factory in its volume and tone. Probably how the car should’ve been from factory.

If you have a motorsport specialist near you, take the car to get a proper wheel alignment. They are terrible from the factory. I think you would be surprised at the difference this could make.

I’ve also fitted Tein coil overs with the additional electronic control for the dampening. I’ve only lowered the vehicle 10 mm and will have to install front and rear adjustable arms to get the camber right (it’s not adjustable in the front and there’s not enough adjustment in the rear.) I found the spring rate in these very good and being able to easily adjust the damping on the go is great.

I don’t think I’m going to change the swaybars, but if I had a sport or performance model, I probably would.

To the untrained eye or passenger, it would feel/look factory.

Hey, did you happen to get any pictures of your teins? All of the pics on line are generic factory pictures. Also, how do you like them? Is there a big noticeable difference when tuning them with the edfc? Thanks! (And sorry everyone for going off topic on the thread)

 

[Thefunk]

If you decide to track the car or even spirited driving, highly recommend better coilovers, and steel brake lines. Made A HUGE difference in handling. I have the Performance and after my first track day I realized the car needed those upgrades. I also got Z1 slotted two piece rotors. I only had away bars for that day and while side to side roll was mostly eliminated, front to back roll was not. Front/back roll is an issue when braking hard into a turn. Weight shifting towards the front is almost completely gone with coilovers and reduced ride height.

Right now I have these mods and the car feels lethal compared to stock
Nismo cold air intakes
Stillen sway bars front medium and rear soft setting
Z1 Adjustable End links
Neomax true coilovers 14k front and 8k rear spring rate
Z1 2pc sprinkle slotted rotors with steel lines
(Nismo track exhaust on the way)
Z1 Oil Catch Can (a must).

 

[VR30Infection]

Yeah. The rebound on our factory struts seems like it wouldn’t even be enough for a Sentra. The main issue where I feel it is the front end lift that happens so easily under throttle. I can’t wait for coilovers but am being picky and can’t decide which route to take.

 

[trackratZ]

1. Sway Bars are perfect for OEM+ feel. They get rid of body roll and the car will feel more planted and sporty in the corners. You only need to do the front sway bars, it's also an easy install.

2. Exhaust - the exhaust on the Automatic Z's is pretty good. I would only modify this if you really want a louder sound otherwise I'd keep it the way it is. I drove a Z with a boost logic exhaust and AMS downpipes and it was so loud the dash was rattling and it felt like I was driving my brothers old 90's Acura Integra. If you're looking for OEM+ you're probably best with doing lower resonated downpipes only and keeping the stock exhaust. This will give you a nice low tone rumble.

3. Tune - a tune will give you a lot more torque which will also mean your going to struggle with traction if you go full throttle at low speeds. I personally tried out a Z1 hotbox which is pretty inexpensive and can be removed and installed in 10 minutes without a trace if you don't want to void warranty when you go visit the dealer. The hotbox simply raises the boost a couple PSI to give you more power and works well. If you're adding multiple other mods though I would get a real tune and not this.

4. Tires - Always the best mod you can do for a RWD car. I upgraded my tires to Michelin Sport 4S's and had a huge improvement in traction. I could accelerate while turning without losing traction and do launch control accelerations without spinning at all.

In the end I always like to keep a car mostly stock, I'd recommend upgrading to the NISMO if you want a more sportier feel. The other important thing is to not spend too much $ unless you keep the stock parts and can swap them back yourself because when you go to trade in the car you're not going to get any of the $ you invested in mods back. You can legitimately spend $20k in parts & install and the dealer won't give you any added value for that.

Great suggestions!
Really though, the Z is very capable powerwise, just need to be buttoned down when pushed. That #1 will make it much more predictable, even neutral with just a slightly larger front bar, and #4 is tops, get the best tires for your use, then drive and push that car and see what else you need. Coilovers could be next but step by step is best. Good luck!

 

[weissk93]

Got the Michelin PS4S installed. Much better tire its not even funny. I am not a track driver or anything but everything just feels way more composed (for lack of a better term) compared to the OEM Bridgestone Potenza S007.

Looking forward to my other mods!

 

[Intrepid Z]

Hey, did you happen to get any pictures of your teins? All of the pics on line are generic factory pictures. Also, how do you like them? Is there a big noticeable difference when tuning them with the edfc? Thanks! (And sorry everyone for going off topic on the thread)

I can definitely notice a difference with the damper changing settings. I just have it on manual model rather than the AI auto adjust.

All of the parts are very nice quality, easy to install - just take your time to make everything fit nicely, especially the wiring.

 

[weissk93]

If I wanted better breaking performance what mod would be best? Are there better break pads that fit otherwise OEM breaking setup (Performance Trim)?