GMT stage 1 or 2

wind.zero

I put 6k miles on a Stage 1 kit in about 5 months. Here is my review if you are interested.

This is just my personal opinion and it applies just to the GTM SC Kit Stage 1. This is just my 2 cents and is a long read. There is more to your decision of Stage 1 or 2. There is a lot involved with going FI on the 370z. You might already know this information but it might be helpful for others making the same decision.

I have been on the GTM Stage 1 kit for 5 months and have put 6k on it since the install. The only problems I have encountered with the kit were 2 oil leaks and a slight idle problem. Other than that, knock on wood, I have been extremely happy with GTM and the SC impresses me every time I drive the car.

Decisions, decisions ….
Several people have asked me about the SC decision and this is what I tell them. You have to make some important decisions about the direction of the performance of your 370 up front. If you start out with the standard bolt-ons and then go FI, you are going to waste a lot of cash. So up front, either decide to stay NA or go FI. I also like the fact that the Stage 1 is low impact on the car. You have to look to even know it is installed. It looks like aftermarket air intakes. 75% of the people who look in my engine bay cannot find the SC. No kidding ….

The next decision is you have to make a personal commitment to the additional cost of the supplemental parts and potential labor to support the GTM SC kit. This is no negative on GTM, but they sell a turn-key FI kit. That kit includes all of the FI parts, but does include the supplemental accessories I think are necessary to help ensure longevity of the motor. Again, this is just my opinion.

Supplemental Parts
The fact of the matter is the 370z runs on the hot side for coolant and oil temperatures. You as the customer need to decide what you want to install to keep your fluids at an acceptable level. I live in Texas and we had record heat last summer; thus, my car suffered with some high oil temps.

GTM does offer a great selection of parts to supplement the kit. I am specifically talking about upgraded cooling fans, shrouds, radiator, and a myriad of oil cooling solutions. I think it would be a good business decision to add options to the SC kit that include some of these cooling solutions at a reduced price rather than adding them after the fact. I know some of these parts are new and just released so maybe that is in the works.

So I decided up front I was going with the GTM SC kit. The Stage 2 had just been released but I went with the Stage 1 for several reasons.

• The Stage 1 kit was available and the Stage 2 was a 6-8 week wait, and I am not known for patience. GTM has probably caught up on production now anyway.
• Stage 1 is less cash outlay than Stage 2
• The install labor at my shop was less for Stage 1 versus Stage 2
• I had a better shot with OEM clutch longevity with Stage 1 (meaning less cost out of pocket up front or soon). I am well aware at some point, the CSC and clutch will succumb to my lead foot.
• I thought that ~400WHP would be enough for street use because I do not track my car. Sure the Stage 2 would have been more power, but I went with the Stage 1 anyway. Still happy with that decision today in fact.

I do not want to debate any of these, but those were my reasons for going Stage 1.

Maintenance
The next commitment is a higher standard for regular or routine maintenance. If you are used to driving your car around and doing little to no maintenance, any FI is probably not for you.

What do I mean by higher standard of maintenance?

• I check my oil level at least every other day and my car is a DD. I discovered 2 oil leaks on a pad that I park over to indicate fluid leaks. The first leak was coming from a loose oil cooler line and the other was a seal on the sandwich plate. Thus, if you are used to not checking things like this, perhaps FI is not for you.
• A lot of people have the ideology that I have a new car with new seals, so nothing is going to leak for 50-60k miles. That is not true. Adding FI to your car requires a lot of parts that deliver fluids so things may have to be adjusted or seals have to be replaced. You have to be prepared to deal with things like this. No it is not a high maintenance thing to some, but you do have to deal with it one way or the other.
• I change my oil and filter every 3k miles. I have an extra capacity oil pan so that means 7 quarts and a filter.
• I check my Rotrex fluid level once a week, and I am prepared perform the recommended maintenance interval for the SC. This is a $300 kit from GTM that includes the Rotrex traction fluid, SC oil filter, SC belt, and a spray to clean the by-pass valve. They say a 50k interval but I will probably do this at about 30k.
• I am paranoid about the plastic CSC going, so I check my clutch fluid at least 1x a week. I keep a fund available just to replace the CSC and clutch. I know at some point it will go simply because I am putting down more HP and torque. I do not have a magic wand, but I know the stock clutch will fail me at some point.
• The Stage 1 air filters are located where the windshield washer reservoir was installed. So to service the air filters, you have to raise the car, remove the wheel, and remove the fender lining to access the two filters. To some this is easy, but to others used to changing panel filters in the engine bay, it is more involved. I think Sam said to service them every other oil change, so I am due to clean and re-oil my filters.

The whole point I am trying to make is when a NA car is stock, you can neglect checking a lot of things and the car still runs relatively well for a long time. With bolt-ons, other than from an emissions perspective, there is not a whole lot of maintenance required on the parts. With any FI install, there is a lot more going on, so you as the responsible owner must decide if you are in or out or what has to be maintained to keep the grin in your face when you mash the accelerator.

Hope this helps with your decision. GTM is a great vendor and source of information. Sam and Mike have been most helpful with me during the entire process including service after the sale which is very important to me.

I am right at 380WHP on a conservative tune from SAM on a dyno pull in 115 degree heat. I hope to have a full tune done in the late winter or spring and come closer to the 400WHP mark.