Track 350Z Walk Through

[@bennnnnnib]

07:38 R.I.P. Headphone Users :-)

[@2THPWR]

bennnnnnib haha yes. Sorry about that.

[@bennnnnnib]

don't excuse, like the sound. Hopefully mine would sound like that after rebuild.

[@GTFour]

fudging hell, had my speakers turned up as the main voice is quiet :o

[@2THPWR]

yeah I am sorry. I've been fixing it on new videos.

[@williamhall2386]

SHIT! DIDN'T READ THE COMMENTS FIRST AGH!

[@FairladyS130]

It's great to run across a no bull very informative video of a real track 350, thanks muchly and happy racing.

[@ValenNitto]

This video was amazing. No loud ass music, or crazy effects. Just straight up car talk and checking out a car that has had its share of track battles. What would you say is the weakest point of the 350z?

[@2THPWR]

Ben Valenzuela definitely weight and weight distribution. It's a front heavy RWD platform.

[@2THPWR]

Ben Valenzuela also thanks. I was a bit self conscious of its low production values. I was like damn all the other walk around a have EDM blasting through out.

[@ValenNitto]

Michael Gardner dude don't worry about it. There's so many other channels that have that, and in my opinion it's getting a bit old. Or maybe I am. Idk haha that kind of sucks cuz I've been wanting a nismo 350z to go along with my Altima se-r.

[@DavidSmith-tz9bx]

absolutely one of my favorite Z'S

[@2THPWR]

Thanks!

[@Fredo_El_Torpedos]

WOW! I just submited to your channel ,as a Z owner myself , I'm listening like if its was Christmas (sorry for my English) continue your good work!!! greeting from Quebec , Canada

[@itchyonion3559]

Bonjour de Ontario!

[@kennys_z33]

You bought this car the day I was born. HELL YEAH🤙

[@stephenrobertson2182]

Thanks for the shout out! It's amazing how much you have done to the car once you start going over it

[@mrhaha4444ham]

always happy to see a vid of your pop up in my sub box! my first trackday is in 2 weeks super excited and i really feel your vids will help me out alot. glad i found your channel mate!

[@2THPWR]

46Drift good luck and thanks!

[@cuysal]

Just came back from my first track night driving my 350ZHR, and this video is perfect :) nice work!

[@MarksTournaments]

Micheal, I just bought a project Z, thanks for the inspiration

[@2THPWR]

Mark Rampersad congrats and good luck!

[@MarksTournaments]

Michael Gardner that was a failed project lol, live and learn. Getting my work life in check tho

[@Clint_Moto34]

Its amazing how fast you are on the Track. Your Aero and Grip must be perfect when you take in consideration that you have (as far as i understood) "only" 353 whp. Skill is a factor too. But this gives me hope that one day my Z will be a fast Track Car aswell :) Thanks for the Video. Thumbs up from me.

[@Clint_Moto34]

Btw i am really looking forward to that diffusor. Will we see that in a Video ?

[@2THPWR]

Urban Gamer yeah I will post when I eventually make one. Car made 335 whp one time and 326 whp.

[@sneak916]

Michael Gardner what's that on a dynojet😳

[@2THPWR]

xAgent0 you can never know for sure. There will be slightly different readings Dyno to Dyno. For another comparison the DE in my car puts down stock LS2 power on the same Dyno.

[@richardknight304]

Man it’s a real screamer but I love it. I have a 2004 I bought new that is my EDD now but when I retire in a little over a year will become a track car. I already have everything SPL makes for the car. How about the rear differential what does it have?

[@iStubz]

Love seeing how other people go about building their TA cars, always gives me new ideas to steal ;P But damn man, my ears after going from you quietly talking to a 10x louder clip of the car at WOT haha

[@2THPWR]

iStubz haha yeah sorry about that. I'm proud of you for making it that far though. Lollll

[@iStubz]

Michael Gardner all good, I'm pretty surprised how much of your suspension is un-touched. Have you experimented with other spring rates? Like you said, that's relatively low for the tires you run, but I guess your Z is pretty light.

[@2THPWR]

I've thought about this. But it comes down to cheapness/ and the amount of time and effort required to make the swap.

[@iStubz]

Michael Gardner Fair enough, I just wonder if you'd be able squeeze even more grip out of it. 14k/6k (or divorced 12k) is what most street tire guys run out here.

[@2THPWR]

Yeah this set up was selected for aggressive street tire or a bit soft for R comps. But I just threw on some slicks and went fast. I'm sure it's not ideal but alive kinda learned to make it work.

[@TheChadPad]

This is awesome. I find it very compelling that you've had that car for so long and have put that much diy work into it. I commend you for that. Love the older 350's! Want to get a 2005 one myself, regular DE version, and mod it up a bit. Your "How to Build a Track 350Z" video's helping me a lot. Interested in drifting only though, not turning it into an airplane ;)

[@Aeneas137]

this was an incredibly helpful video for someone like me just starting out building a track car. I've only had the car for like 2 months but I really wish I could get it done quicker.

[@danieljestes8251]

Been waiting on this video for a while👍🏼

[@2THPWR]

Dan's the Man thanks hope you like it.

[@SlowJuviaZ]

such a beautiful track car, ty for the walk through

[@2THPWR]

Juvia Z thanks man.

[@mas921]

loved it! very inspirational build, but please normalise the sound clips volumes lol. thing to look into; at the very end you mentioned chassis mounted wing. I just saw a video of this Australian aero guy; he mentioned that it's -theoretically- the best place to mount a wing is onto the subframe directly....somehow (hence the 'theoratical' part). since you already did cut the rear bumper, perhaps you might have more room to mount the wing all the way to the sub frame or "through" the rear spare tire body panel. the aero guy said this way you won't need very high spring rates to counter the extra aero down force. am no pro (outside of forza lol) but I thought of sharing this as you seem to be an all out function over form kinda guy!

[@2THPWR]

Thanks for the post! Sorry about the crazy loud dyno sound clip.

[@alexmoran731]

I have the same SPC arms on my Accord. Great video👍🏽

[@svoncampe]

Did you side- or bottom-mount your racing seat, and would you say it rests about the same, lower, or higher off the floor than the OEM seat did? Did it affect your headroom while wearing a helmet? I'm 6-3 and am thinking about getting a fixed-back racing seat (Corbeau Forza or FX1 Pro), but I'm not sure if it will place me closer or further away from the ceiling as my headroom is already minimal while wearing a helmet and using the OEM seat. Thanks -

[@2THPWR]

Mine is bottom mounted. I’d say it’s slightly lower than stock. Get the fixed seat when you are ready to get a full cage. You will also need a removable steering wheel to get out probably with the fixed back seat.

[@ivanjuras9450]

Hi Michael, great to see your videos... Have you tried to run with OEM rear sway bar?, does it improve rear grip that way? Thanks!

[@ivanjuras9450]

Also, how happy are you with SPL solid diff bushings?,....is it too harsh?

[@2THPWR]

Hi. To be short. I plan on trying the OEM rear bar next year and I suspect it will be faster. I don’t even notice the solid diff bushings

[@MotordyneG35]

Great upload, added to my favorites!

[@2THPWR]

Motordyne G35 thanks for the support!

[@cduncan5690]

Thanks for the detailed overview! At what rpm does this engine idle with those aggressive cams?

[@2THPWR]

You know I don't remember. It depends if it's cold or if it's warm of course. Between 1200 and 800?

[@nudvl4485]

Thank you, How much does the car weight now ?

[@2THPWR]

DVL about 2800 empty, 3050 fully loaded.

[@elijahstewart1333]

i dont want to carbon copy your build because it feels like stealing but its such a solid straight to the point build i will definitely be taking inspiration and pointers from this, HRs are getting pricey so making this much out of a DE is great

[@2THPWR]

Thanks. That’s why I post on so much detail. Most of it is just what works.

[@anthonysiracuse8613]

What single exit diameter would you recommend for a stock HR? Is 3.5 a little large? I realize I won’t necessarily get large power gains I just wanna get rid of my true duals.

[@NubblyTheSlime]

How did you get the 285 10.5 +15 to fit up front??! It doesn’t rub??

[@2THPWR]

NubblyTheSlime it’s pretty easy. No rubbing. Might have to watch ride height and camber but I had no issues.

[@NubblyTheSlime]

@@2THPWR awesome stuff I'll give it a go then.

[@carlspeed4685]

7:38 scared the crap out of me! XD

[@itchyonion3559]

Hi Michael, I have a question about the brake. Did you run any additional brake cooling duct? Or did you remove the dust shield?

[@2THPWR]

Just removed dust shield.

[@itchyonion3559]

@@2THPWR thank you

[@rickvodden5725]

Michael, another well done informative video with just the facts, no hype...love it. Envious thou...my wife really frowns on me spending money on the 350Z just to "wreck it " st the track (her words, not mine 😎).. parts wear out and need replacing..see you have already had to change the tranny...what are your expectations for the engine? What oil do you run and how often do you change it? Thanks again for sharing your car with us.

[@2THPWR]

Rick Vodden hey thanks! The original engine died in 2012. This engine was serviced in 2015. It's probably due for a service in 2018? I change the oil after every track day.

[@abishakesutharsan9616]

I want a my first car to be a 2003 350z, do u think i should start making it a track car after preventitive maintenance? Im asking because im not sure if i can daily a track car lol.

[@skrrtskrrt5621]

where did you purchase the DS slicks from? in store or online?

[@2THPWR]

In store. One store was called “Steel Case Tires N Mags” in North Toronto, and one was called Stripping Technologies in Cambridge Ontario.

[@skrrtskrrt5621]

@@2THPWR do you still run the the same tire setup till this day?

[@2THPWR]

@@skrrtskrrt5621 yes

[@jordanruby4982]

How many events do you usually get out of your brake pads?

[@2THPWR]

Jordan Ruby rears forever. Fronts I've actually switched to XP20. I'm on about event 12. I'm pretty easy on brakes though.

[@jordanruby4982]

Michael Gardner good deal, the car came with The OE Brembos, correct?

[@2THPWR]

Jordan Ruby no it came with the OE single pistons. I picked up the brembos off an 08 Nismo.

[@jordanruby4982]

Michael Gardner any track experience with those? I'm basically wondering if upgrading to the Brembos or another BBK is a must with these cars.

[@2THPWR]

Jordan Ruby yep. The single pistons were actually ok for light use. I ended up seizing a calliper though due to my long stints in my early days. It was an easy time to upgrade to something with a bit more heat soak tolerance.

[@svoncampe]

What kind and brand of motor oil do you use/recommend for the track? 5W30? 10W40? Do you use racing oil? I almost exclusively use my car for the track now (including driving to and from). I live in VA where ambient temps get hot and humid. I have been using Mobil1 5w30 full synthetic but am suddenly (that I've noticed) burning a bit of oil coming out of the exhaust. Other than dealing with the internals, I'm considering switching to Amsoil Dominator 10W30 or Driven XP9 10W40. I appreciate your time and input, and sorry if you've already answered this question somewhere else.

[@2THPWR]

svoncampe I use whatever. I just change it every track weekend. Motul 300V is something I win and have used. Oil out the exhaust is commonly leaking valve cover gaskets.

[@svoncampe]

@@2THPWR I assume you went with a single exhaust vs dual for performance reasons (other than weight reduction)? I'm currently running an aftermarket true dual exhaust with 2-3/8" pipes and am wondering whether switching to a 3" single exhaust would benefit. I have read a lot and asked people's opinion and have found conflicting info/opinions. I'd welcome yours. Thanks.

[@2THPWR]

@@svoncampe actually I went to a full 3.5” single to save weight. That is the primary benefit.

[@TheTorkerman]

Cool walk through, cool Z car, but man is she dirty! You sound like a smart guy, keep your race car clean to identify problems before a failure. Looks tough though

[@operamatthew]

great walk around!

[@dougsinatra5718]

What material did you use for the splitter

[@2THPWR]

10 mm Alupanel. I got it at a Sign shop.

[@dougsinatra5718]

@@2THPWR awesome thanks man. Sick car!

[@ryanscanlan9875]

awesome! What your final drive diff ratio?

[@2THPWR]

Ryan Scanlan hey thanks. Stock

[@Kris6oh]

So what lower plunum do you have the de or rev up ?

[@stacksstyles8375]

Bruh is that a roach at the end of that tail pipe? @ 10:32 😎 i guess they can survive everything 🤣 that ones still stunned from the last track run😭

[@stacksstyles8375]

Correction rear anti roll bars

[@2THPWR]

Haha I see that now. We don’t have cockroaches where I live. That’s melted on rubber.

[@stacksstyles8375]

I just got my first car itz a Z i love it and i want to take it to the track but idk if its ready and whats the rewuirements to enter the track?

[@2THPWR]

Stacks Styles that strongly depends on the tracks closest to you. Google them. Then google open track days or HPDE ( High Performance Driver Education) at those tracks. In the absence of that you can get your feet wet with no entry requirements at an auto toss near you.

[@2THPWR]

Auto Cross. Or Auto X. Not auto Toss

[@imty8774]

Sick ride bro. You could've just swapped it with an HR and start going from there with the rest. You'd probably get much better power.

[@codownhill]

Drop the spring buckets and get some SPL toe links!

[@2THPWR]

I'm sure I will at some point.

[@trapu]

Look like you get rid of the heather core and the fan..Did you ever had problem with cooling temp or fogging issue inside the windshirld? Should really help with the Koyo rad ;)

[@2THPWR]

martin hey! You are correct those are gone. No I haven't had those issues.

[@trapu]

Thanks for the reply ! Hope to see you one day on the track. You should come to Mont Tremblant one day, incredible track...but with pretty bad sound limit :( Even worst than Calabogie.

[@2THPWR]

martin I'm banned from Calabogie by a long shot as is. Hahaha

[@trapu]

I still have the agency power muffler (like your older setup) and i currently looking for someting a little more quiet for Tremblant and Calabogie without killing my power...But the VQ sound i so nice with this setup...You are lucky to be able to run strait pipe !!!

[@RDTechnologies163]

Just curious what size wing do you have the 61'' or 67"

[@2THPWR]

The Project Bench 67

[@RDTechnologies163]

Michael Gardner thank you.

[@TimmyTonTon]

so you do not recommend NRG wheel and hub or just wheel?

[@2THPWR]

Tim Tran NRGs products are cheap and weak. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone at this point.

[@tpolo08]

Impressive young man

[@kamarsmi]

Do you still have the factory final drive?

[@2THPWR]

kamarsmi yes. I've debated replacing that.

[@christianherrero8053]

would the 350z make a good car that you can drive back and forth to track?

[@2THPWR]

Christian Herrero sure I used to do that.

[@christianherrero8053]

Michael Gardner sweet currently have a wrx sti 16 and wanted to get into track days to start ...looking into rwd platforms for pure track car purposes ...how many miles were on your Z when you bought it ?

[@2THPWR]

13000 km. back in 2004. That's about 8077 miles.

[@FREE_WILL_DEFENDER]

Beautiful

[@FREE_WILL_DEFENDER]

DAMN YOU WERE IN BUFFALO!? 😥😲 DAMN

[@SilverStackers]

i enjoyed this video.

[@kylemcguire3311]

What kind of engine oil do you use for track days to hold that crazy engine together haha? Makes me want to buy a salvage title 350Z and start gutting it out :)

[@2THPWR]

Hey, I use whatever I win from series sponsors mostly. Motul most of the time.

[@FREE_WILL_DEFENDER]

Gorgeous

[@Rts-slots]

That plenum tho I stay cali who make those beside Canada

[@2THPWR]

Reeso Doe No one makes them. This is the only one. Feel free to have a fabricator copy the design though.

[@MrFuzzaBear]

Awesome

[@2THPWR]

MrFuzzaBear thanks.

[@brice5542]

great stuff, very nice,, job I subed, tks

[@RLTW420]

Can you email me full engine mods list I want to build mines N/A and make that hp too

[@harnessed_garage]

Does not having the front crash bar effect your rigidity at all?

[@2THPWR]

Scott Harn no not really, and especially not since the car has a 6 point cage.

[@Lsxdon]

When your ready to sell let me know

[@clubsportZ]

Hey Michael a quick thanks for putting out some amazing videos. I’ve just started tracking my 05Z, primarily Willow Springs, ACS and Buttonwillow and loving it. Minimal mods right now; plenum spacer, CAI and upgraded bakes; Carbotech X10 and X8 with Motul. The car runs like a champ but still working on the driver. Best of luck to you sir! Here’s a video from ACS, please excuse the audio: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rX-ZpnSOp9F0abc

[@2THPWR]

Auto Club Speedway looks like a blast. If you want some advice or help let me know.

[@clubsportZ]

Will do Michael. Thanks very much. Yeah, ACS is a blast, I could have gone faster on the back straight as the Z just pulls but kept it in check and not risk it. My challenge is front end grip so moving to a square set up in a month or two. Thanks again.

[@davidsonpedro1494]

clubsportZ .

[@AntoineJra]

Disregard my message on your other video. 330whp from a NA DE is impressive but the amount of money this must of cost why not go turbo? Or at least use ITBs

[@2THPWR]

AntoineJra ITBs are very costly for 40whp. Boost is unreliable and breaks all the time.

[@AntoineJra]

Michael Gardner well the amount of money you spent just for reliability is kind of crazy in my opinion so why not go all out with ITBs too lol. But I’m curious how much would it cost to install and tune the car with ITBs. I’ve seen some made by obx that aren’t that expensive.

[@2THPWR]

I didn’t pay retail for all of the parts. Most were second hand. I was sponsored for part of it. You’d need the ITB kit. If you got OBX count on some machining. You’d need at least a Haltech ECU. I’m currently tuned on uprev. And cable throttle conversion. Thousands and thousands I’m not supported for for 40 whp. This car is bullet proof as is and it does well. It was refreshed in 2015 and ran strong for 3 years. No one in Time Attack with a turbo can say that.

[@JeffyTv]

The audio in this video is so fucked up. The dyno clip is almost like jump scare wtf man

[@2THPWR]

JeffyTv common complaint. Made corrections in newest video. PS car is loud bro.