New Z or TT my 370?
 

So I've been struggling with this one for a while. I've got an '09 Touring with about 120,000 miles in excellent condition. I've got a number of basic additions (dual exhaust, aluminum flywheel, beaded brake lines, cold air intake, hybrid clutch, oil cooler, clear bra and a few others). I also installed Brainiac tablet setup and my interior is immaculate. I am looking to either switch to the new Z or TT my 370 but after weighing pros/cons I still can't come to a clear decision.

Obviously, one way to look at it would be that I've got a 13 year old car and I should just plunk down for the new one instead of wasting money on a twin turbo setup. I am looking for something CARB legal (I live in CA) and relatively low boost for engine longevity (I would be looking for mid to high 400's). On the other hand, I'm probably looking at 60k or so with the performance trim after tax, title, license, clear bra, increased reg and insurance vs 20k or so for the TT setup. I would certainly be getting more power with the TT than with the new 400hp output and would be going with the FI stage 1 TT.

The thing is, although I have no complaints about the new Z, I really love my current 370. I'm just struggling on whether to drop 20k on a used car that I love for the hp gains or put the money toward the new one. I've taken good care of my interior and have a nice tablet setup so the "get the new one for a better interior" is less impactful for me. The new Z has the factory TT setup but at a significantly lower output so that's a mixed bag as well. I could of course just do neither and ride the current 370 into the sunset in its current condition as well but I have been looking for additional horsepower for quite some time now.

Does anyone have any constructive feedback either way?

Car is 10+ years old and over 100k and you're in CA. Now if your planning on keeping the car for many more years and have taken good care of it, the years and mileage matter a whole lot less. I don't know much about CA but getting aftermarket CARB legal TT setup is pretty difficult. So I think that would be your main issue for TT vs New. Personally I am even having difficulty with my NJ inspection and my TT kit, it's always a chore getting everything in the green ECU wise to pass.

Agree with Nismo#91 if you are planning to keep the car then go for it, but your state poses issues going aftermarket FI. I’m in a little bit of a similar situation, had my Z for 10 years just wrapping up my TT kit install, never planning to sell. Good luck with your decision


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You are in Cali, Get the new one and save yourself headaches of having to deal your emission issues.

You can always sell it and get a FI kit.

Eugene Turkov makes a CARB legal TT kit
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vq37tt/?ref=share

I had a similar "dilemma." Although wasn't going FI, I decided to keep my Z and I'm glad I did for personal reasons.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about going FI on an engine with that many miles, especially in CA.

My simple answer would be to either get the new Z or any one of it's competitors...lots of great cars have been coming out :)

Good luck! I don't think you can go wrong.

I would move out of CA. Failing that... TT that b*tch. Then be forced to move out of CA. It's a win-win.

Yeah, I plan on taking very good care of this car and keeping it into the sunset so it would be a long-term investment. I plan to keep the boost low enough to minimize engine wear and this setup should be OK for CA. That being said, I don't know how difficult it will be in the long term to keep in CA friendly so that's always an unknown.

Having a factory TT on the new Z definitely takes away that headache but I'm not sure how much hp/torque it's going to end up getting at the wheel. Plus I would end up throwing on at least some bolt-ons if I got the new Z, which would just push the out-the-door price up even more.

New body style still hasn't won me over yet. I will wait for the nismo to come out. I'll plan accordingly then. Wouldn't mind have 3 Nismos. Haha

Option #3: Swap the VR30DDTT motor into your current Z.

There are good reasons to move out of California but smog isn't one of them. I have no problem getting my car smogged. :tup: I certainly wouldn't move to a state where you can't drive your car 6 months out of the year due to weather just to not have to worry about smog checks :icon14:

Can confirm... i'm in Mass. Z's are stored for 6 months of the year. Only benefit is it keeps the miles down and something to look forward to, but it's depressing

Or just do what most Californians are doing and move to Texas :rofl2: No smog issues and similar driving year-round weather (just way hotter).

Texas is a great choice. I don't know if I could deal with the heat and humidity though

Q
 

The VQ with a quality TT kit is more reliable. The VR30's have issues stock from all of what I am hearing. If the OP wants 700whp or more then a VQ is where he needs to be.

They are direct injected right? I'm always seeing Sebastian @specialty posting pics of before and after cleanings... apparently gets nasty in there because of the direct injection.

I would be keeping the same motor and would be going through Sebastian at Specialty Z for the work. I plan to keep the whp to high 400's as I don't need that kind of power and want minimal wear on the engine. Mine is a daily driver with occasional track usage.

So I kinda relate to where you are coming from - the decision is even harder due to the new Z coming out. On one hand - to do the boosting - one is looking at $20k for doing it right with a shop or going the router of getting a new Z and having the R&D already done on the car - and I’m sure adding a Dp and a tune will get you your gains you’re looking for in a very reliable package.

One question is this - would you consider holding off on TTing your Z till the new Z comes out - and then a few years later. Reasons being are 1. You get to see the new Z in person and see what the aftermarket community can do with the platform and 2. Give it another 3yrs and you’ll probably be able to buy a slightly used Z for a considerable discount (bc sports cars don’t hold their value).

Is there any other cars that you are considering - such as the Supra with a MT? Regardless - I am in the same boat - do I keep the current Z and boost it or just get a newer platform and boost that?

Talk with Seb and see what he says.

You'd fit right in in Austin :wtf2:

I'm in CA so I'm cautious about planning a tune for the new Z as I'm not sure it will pass smog. I wouldn't need to worry about it for the first 6 years, though, so it would be down the road. Having a factory TT setup would be reassuring, though. I also like the look of the '09 370 that I have. Adding all the bolt-ons back on with a clearbra for the new one would definitely put me in the neighborhood of $65k+ so it's a pretty big price point difference as well.

This is a tough call. I'd really like to have a feel for overall engine longevity for this decision. I've kept the car in very good condition and the inside is in outstanding shape. Given I installed the Workshop 12 tablet as well I'm not too worried about the infotainment head unit, either. I would actually be downsizing for the new Z.

You can't.

Nah. Austin is a terrible city to move to.

Austin is not what it used to be.

TX is too damn hot.

TT 370 would be the way to go if you're looking for big power. If i got a new Z, I would likely only do suspension and a cat-back. Kinda done with the heavy tuning game lol.

Yeah, a lot of my family is in Texas. I like a fair number of things about Texas but the weather is definitely not one of them. I'm definitely planning on going light on the FI if I do upgrade the 370.

It's a difficult decision, to be sure. I don't think I would wait that long. In 3 or 4 years, I think this decision would start to lean heavily towards a new car but right now I feel like there are a lot of years left in my current Z. I am rather sentimental towards the Z line so I would probably stick with the current one or the new model.

I've been wanting more power for a number of years now. Not crazy power mind you, but enough to feel it. I stopped tracking my car a few years ago as I got frustrated with keeping up with folks in the corners but getting blown away on the straights.

Part of me wants to wait to see the new Z but then again I've watched quite a few review videos, hands-on trials and countless photos so I think I know what I would be getting. My interior is in as good of shape as the new Z and my current screen is larger and more functional. My seats are in great condition and the new Z is really using most of the same or similar plastics as the current 370. So I would be paying $60'ish to get a 400hp TT at the crank, which probably is going to translate to what, 340-360 at the wheel? I've got 317 at the wheel now (at least that was a few years ago on the dyno) so it wouldn't be a huge gain.

Its actually much more. For example Fast Intentions TT kit will put you ~15K, don't even think a proper fuel return set up is there. So another 1-1500 in fuel upgrade. Build bottom end will put you 10K. Tuning.. 1-2K. Clutch/flywheel upgrade, 1-2K. Labor for all, no clue. close to 10K?

I'm in the same boat as well. I'm planning to go TT on my 14 Nismo. Just got a low mileage full block to start with.

Just swap in a vr38. I can get you a brand new long block for 13k

The GT-R engine? Interesting...does that really just drop into a 370? What is involved with an engine swap like that? That's about 500-550hp, right?

Yes gtr engine. Drops in with some modifications to make everything work. If you’re going to spend money on a FI TT Kit with supporting mods. Vr38 makes the most sense.

I don't think this would be route I would take but I'm curious if anyone on the forum has successfully done this and what the final out-the-door costs for all of it was.

Something you could do - is send a request out to FI. Great bunch there and they are quick to answer questions and can probably give you a ballpark.
Heck they had the new Z so they could probably comment on if its best to wait and do an exhaust and DP and tune from there with the new platform or go with the 370z with a TT kit to meet your expectations etc.

It's been done on two drift cars. A Standalone is a must have.

That's a great idea. I will reach out to them tomorrow and see what they say.

LOL, nothing except a VQ37VHR will "drop in". I was in the same boat between TT'ing the Nismo Z or buying the new one. However.....

1.) Dealer markups WILL be insane, and being in Cali you'll probably, no, WILL have to go out of state to find a non marked up honest dealer, and that may be between North Carlina to New Mexico or anywhere in between... Hope you have frequent flyer miles saved up...

2.) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although I feel the new Z looks good, it doesn't look nearly as sexy as my '16 Nismo....

3.) As for emissions... short of driving a Prius or Tesla, you'll get state ref'd hand over fist, plus the EPA starting Jan. 1 to target louder than stock exhaust cars via cameras. Read the article here https://www.autoweek.com/news/techno...%20the%20state.

Lastly.... assuming you don't want to pay over MSPR, enjoy the looks of the new Z, will keep that new Z stock performance wise, AND make plenty of $$$ as to not go broke in Commie'fornia and reaaaaaaaally need to live in Cali, sure, buy the new one. Otherwise....... :driving:

Honestly, I'm all about the handling, not straight line stuff. I'm contemplating to sell my Nismo and get into something better handling.

Don't know if he's on here, search for member "bbrblackwell" on Instagram, he has a SC'd 2014 Nismo, now getting a VR38. Last I checked, engine assembly is done, surgery scheduled for May.

You lost me at "instagram".....

Thanks for this suggestion. I did reach out to FI and chatted with them extensively. They gave me a lot of good feedback along with some specific pros and cons. After talking with them, I don't think I am going down this road given that I am in CA.

I think if it were me I'd see what I could get out of the 370 and take that money and throw it at a newer Z/Supra. The reason I say that is it will be less immediate potential for headache. You can have a newer vehicle already boosted. So many people are ambitious about boost and it really is expensive plus the odd chance something goes awry.