Christian370Z's Progression Thread

[tbonesteak]

Dude cool stuff. Are you gonna put on the intakes before i come check out your car for the hfcs next week??? NooooOOOO hahah

[christian370z]

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

The BC coilovers rock, good default spring rate and damping range. Probably the only downside for a street vehicle that occasionally hits the track is that the rear adjusters are at the top of the shock tower, which happens to be hidden by all that plastic in the trunk. I believe extenders are available to solve that problem.

I have to say that I have not really heard anything bad about them which is excellent because they are much cheaper than stepping up to the Tein/HKS/KW options. I figure if I am going to start messing with the suspension past the Stillen sways I already have, I might as well do it right with coilovers.

Originally Posted by tbonesteak

Dude cool stuff. Are you gonna put on the intakes before i come check out your car for the hfcs next week??? NooooOOOO hahah

Hey, it will just give you more motivation to buy an intake! Unfortunately, I will have little time to install it before I go back to school for the semester so tomorrow is a good time for me. No worries though, you will still definately get a gist for the way the exhaust sounds!

[Boost_lee]

Intakes look good, I like the OEM-ness of this build

[christian370z]

It took me about 3 hours to install my Stillen intakes but I was pleasantly surprised that it was a much easier job than I was expecting. I used the dremel to trim back the air intake passages in the front core in order for the pipes to clear which turned out very nice, then it was a matter of getting all the pipes where I wanted and then tightening down all the fasteners and clamps. Once I finished, I reset the ECU in car and started it up to check for any issues to which there were none.

The bumper went back one and I finally got to look at the finished article; it is perfection in my opinion, the look is exactly what I wanted as it looks sleek and oem but yet the texture black powder coat has just a bit of sheen to give it that something extra. I am very happy with it, now to head out for a nice drive!


How the filters sit in the front bumper recess:





All finished, love it:






Next up will be the Tanabe Y pipe and a custom road tune!

[wh1te370z]

^^^ that looks insance. i love how it looks like.. its just supposed to be there lol. props to being different

[370zsport09]

Originally Posted by christian370z

It took me about 3 hours to install my Stillen intakes but I was pleasantly surprised that it was a much easier job than I was expecting. I used the dremel to trim back the air intake passages in the front core in order for the pipes to clear which turned out very nice, then it was a matter of getting all the pipes where I wanted and then tightening down all the fasteners and clamps. Once I finished, I reset the ECU in car and started it up to check for any issues to which there were none.

The bumper went back one and I finally got to look at the finished article; it is perfection in my opinion, the look is exactly what I wanted as it looks sleek and oem but yet the texture black powder coat has just a bit of sheen to give it that something extra. I am very happy with it, now to head out for a nice drive!


How the filters sit in the front bumper recess:





All finished, love it:






Next up will be the Tanabe Y pipe and a custom road tune!

in' the STEALTH LOOK

[Jamaica]

looks really good. I like what you did to the intakes.

[christian370z]

Thanks guys! I wasn't quite sure what they would look like in person after choosing the color at the powdercoating shop but I canno't be happier as it really gives the engine bay much more class than the polished finish.

I took it for a few drives and wow... It sounds like an animal and it breaks the tires loose in second, much much more punchy up above 5k rpm. I believe that between the Berks and the Stillen intake, the balance between intake and exhaust noise is perfect but eventually, a Fast Intentions CBE is in the future.

[ChrisSlicks]

Has a very stock low profile look, I like it. Now I want to get mine powercoated, LOL.

[christian370z]

Go for it Chris! I also think that a black chrome powdercoating would look killer as well, but I think this OEM plus look suits my tastes for now.

[christian370z]

I got my Tanabe Y pipe from my favorite UPS truck this morning so I immediately got to work getting rid of that nasty stock pile of restriction and in with the beautiful new Y pipe. The car already has Berk HFCs installed so this mod was more to tie in the HFCs to the rear of the exhaust because I personally believe the largest restrictions in the OEM exhaust are the factory cats and the Y pipe.

After the stock Y pipe was removed, I didn't realize that the Berk outlet diameter was almost an inch larger than the oem Y pipe so that was killing my gains. The exhaust diameter in the OEM piece also had varied diameters, the smallest point of the Y pipe measured 1 1/2"!

My measurements for the inlet and outlet diameters of the stock Y pipe are as follows:

Cat to Y pipe: 1 3/4" for both inlets of the OEM y pipe
Y pipe to axle-back: 2 1/2"

Tanabe Y Pipe diameters:

Cat to Y pipe: 2 1/4" for both inlets
Y pipe to axle-back: 2 3/4"




Just to make a point, the diameter of the inlets for the Tanabe Y pipe match the Berks... Now look at that restrictive OEM piece.



Comparison of the two at the smallest point of the OEM Y pipe:



And Installed:





In Car Conclusions:

With the ECU reset and the Tanabe Y pipe in, I felt a huge jump in power not only in the top end, but mostly the mid-range. The car just pulls so hard now that I feel the exhaust is very well rounded with the exception of the rear muffler section. The sound actually changed more than I was expecting; the tone is much deeper and less raspy, adding a bit of volume past 4k rpm. However, the exhaust is still fairly quiet under 3k rpm which is great for those who are interested in being low key when cruising but really letting the car sing up top. Fit and finish was excellent as well with nice welds and a very smooth merge at the end of the Y pipe.

I highly recommend the pairing of HFCs with an upgraded Y pipe for those that want to get rid of the two most restrictive areas of the OEM exhaust. Videos to come later!

[christian370z]

Forgot to add: there was a slight hissing when engine braking/decelerating below 2k rpm with the Berks and the OEM Y pipe but that is completely gone now. There is not hiss whatsoever with the exhaust and I have to say I really like it!

[christian370z]

Don't know why it hissed this time, if you rev the car it hisses but decelerating in gear does not produce that noise. Anyway, here is the warm start: (will get cold start tomorrow AM)

[christian370z]

[Jamaica]

so how was the wait for the berk exhaust?