[Aus] 370 FTW

Onikage_87

Greeting THE370Z.COM community,

I thought I'll share with you all the journey of my 2012 Monterrey Blue 6MT Nissan 370Z. Credit goes to OFIM for their amazing shots!














Current list of mods.

Engine:
Akrapovic Evolution CBE
Powerhouse Amuse R1 Sport Catalyser
Gruppe M Super Cleaner Carbon
ECUTEK Pro ECU

https://youtu.be/cjiu-Ttl5XE


Handling, Wheels and Tyres:
KW V3 coilovers
Nismo S-Tune front and rear sway bars
Eibach/SPC Front and rear adjustable camber arms
SSR Professor MS3 in SBC (Super Black Coat) 19x9.5+25 HP, 19x10.5+18 NR
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 365/35/19 305/30/19

Visual (exterior):
Roof 3m vinyl wrapped in gloss black
3m window tints +35
Power House Amuse Vestito Full Aero Kit

Interior
Tommy Kaira Heavy baby shift knob

Incoming mods:
(Already here but not yet isntalled on car)
Recaro TS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch with Recaro ASM Limited II side protector
Recaro RS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch
2 pairs of Recaro Steel side mount brackets
Powerhouse Amuse R1 Titan Harness Bar Type 1 with both driver and passenger harness mounting

(Ordered and in process or on it's way here)
2 X Takata Race 4 point snap harness
Zele Carbon fibre radiator shroud
Top Secret Oil Cap

Upcoming mods
Driver and passenger Recaro base frame runners and slider rails


I bought brand new In late July 2012, Dealership powder coated the OEM 19" Rays alloys and got Carbon Demon to vinyl wrap the fangs, roof and rear diffuser. First thing i did was get some personalised plates.







Was stock standard for approx. 8 months. Trying to get a feel for the car and see what can be done to improve my driving experience and also take my time to research the right mods so it can drive to my liking. Upon my conclusion the first thing i decided to modify was its exhaust system, I found it to be extremely restrictive and not just in sound but performance also. On high rpms it sounded it was going to choke to death and very laggy throughout the entire rpm range. I should mention I'm quite fussy with what i want in my car as i have made mistakes in the past buying cheap parts on a performance car and have well and truly learnt from it and will be willing to pay that premium price for quality and piece of mind A.K.A Quality>Quantity. So i have decided to go with Akrapovic. Evolution CBE system

Here is my own personal review on this exhaust:

Purchasing Experience: Purchased through Tunehouse who were really helpful and informative and kept me up to date with the ordering and shipment and being Akra dealer had my trust in them with the installation. Dropped the car off and treated with the highest priority and experienced no drama with the fitment also impressed by the presentation of the workshop. Overall a pleasurable experience and will definitely come back for their professional services.

Quality: As others have mentioned it simply stands UNRIVALED, the look, the finish and Dem Carbon Fibre tips... It truly is the "Rolex" of exhausts and worth every cent.The only downfall to this is its underneath the car where it can't be seen and appreciated.

Weight: According to the Akrapovic website it is 23kg making it 4kg lighter than OEM

Fitment & Ground Clearance: Can't make this any simpler, it fits just like the OEM exhaust and height, absolutely perfect. You will have no clearance issues what so ever!!!

Sound: If loud and obnoxious is what you solely seek then I am afraid this won't suit your needs. But if you are after a truly eargasmic note that isn't deafening then you must be foolish to overlook this fine product. To the ears of the uninitiated you would think it is OEM and its how the OEM should have sounded. It is rather tame upon start up and up to 3k rpm which is perfect for daily driving but really comes to life beyond that threshold and unleashes the true beast of the 370Z. Upon deceleration you hear a crackly popping sound somewhat reminiscent to a DTM touring car and takes an epic car to a whole new level of epicness. Upon cruising at all speeds on the way home (40,60, 80, 100+km/hr) I asked myself "what is drone? I've never heard of such a word"... With the Akrapovic, Drone is NON EXISTENT!!!


Performance: Unfortunately i didn't do a dyno run, but i can definitely feel the difference, you can feel the punch, it really opens up and is alot more responsive once you hammer the throttle and kicks in almost isntanstly and actually feels right to rev to 7.5k rpm as compared to the OEM which was so restrictive it felt like it was struggling beyond 5k rpm and wanted you to shift up sooner rather than later.

When i do a dyno run i will try and post the figures. Not sure when i will get it done though so don't hold your breath!!

Overall Conclusion: Its price tag may be on the higher end of the market for aftermarket CBE but it definitely deserves that price tag and am well beyond satisfied with the professionalism of Tunehouse and Akrapovic. Its quality, fitment, ground clearance is faultless. Sound is phenomenal with no drone to compromise the driving experience and attract unwanted attention. And definitely enhance performance throughout the whole rpm range. For anyone with a GTR R35, EVO X or performance Euro (AMG, M3, Golf R) shopping for aftermarket CBE I will vouch for this!!!

Below are some pics to back my above claims. Unfortunately i didn't take pics during the installation. The guys @ Tune house were quiet busy and not sure how long it was gonna take for them to get started on my car so i hit the gym to kill time and by the time i came back it was completed... Win/ Win!!!




Just 2 weeks later I got alcantara knee pads and OEM luxury floor mats which was only availalbe to the JDM to help give the interior a more premium feel.



In July last year, To celebrate 1 year of ownership i decided to ball outta control and Get KWV3 coilovers, Eibach/SPC Front and rear camber arms, Nismo S-Tune Sway bars kit and Work Emotion Kiwami Matte Black in 19X9.5+25, 19X10.5+12 got them all installed in one big hit by Tunehouse and to lower the car approx. 20mm. So below are pics on how the car sits: (credit to W.Tran photography and Wei for the photos)







Unfortunately I can't do a review on each individual part as i did it all at once. But The KW V3's and Nismo S-tune sway bars combination works an absolute treat. Zero body roll when cornering. Turn ins are significantly sharper, steering and response feels much lighter and quicker and can hammer the throttle on exit much sooner. But what really exceeded my expectations most is that this set up is much more comfortable than stock!!! It just further enhances the driving experience. It feels like my MX-5 i can just whip it around at any speed now with full confidence like a go kart! If coin permits I highly recommend these parts if you are looking to enhance both the drive quality and overall handling.

On Nov. Last year i got my hands on some Diamond Black TE37's 19X9.5+12, 19X10.5+12, THe now more aggressive +12 offset up front now requires me to run -2 degrees negative camber in order to clear my guards and prevent unnecessary poke. But am stoked with the looks. Will be looking at changing wheels to a less aggressive offset upfront to allow me to run normal camber and wider tyres.








In Feb. This year i got my hands on a Genuine Powerhouse Amuse Vestito Full Aero Kit and was painted and fitted in March.






Since then I have replaced the 370Z badge with the Fairlady Z on the rear bumper and put a 350Z fender emblem and modified it to fit on the front bumper to give the car abit more identity.




In May 2014 I got the Powerhouse Amuse R1 Sport Catalysers and Gruppe M Super Cleaner Carbon and this really opened it up and given a real throaty noise!!




And here is a quick video of this combination:
https://youtu.be/cjiu-Ttl5XE

In Sept 2014 my SSR Professor MS3 in SBC (Super Black Coat) 19X9.5+25 (HP), 19X10.5+18 (NR) arrived main reason for this switch was because the 9.5+12 was way too aggressive for my driving and was rubbing against my guards on bumps and hard cornering

[IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t31.0-8/10495048_10203861198202524_5292977005357501012_o.j pg"]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t31.0-8/10495048_10203861198202524_5292977005357501012_o.j pg[/URL]
[URL="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/1941544_10204155014507748_8239397143081045419_o.jp g"]https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/1941544_10204155014507748_8239397143081045419_o.jp g[/IMG]


(Yes that was my Type-X, I miss it so much!!!)

Late November i got my Z tuned with ECU Tek Pro ECU and the response was almost instant increase bottom end toque difference was the biggest difference but it drives so smooth love it's smooth and linear power delivery!!


Shortly after I got an ARC Titan shift knob, absolutely destroyed my factory knob but shifting feels so direct and i loved the burnt titanium look!


I then took a massive break from mods due to barely finding time to drive and enjoy it even contemplated on selling but in Dec 2015 i decided to make a return and saw that Bulletproof Automotive were able to get a limited run of the Tommy Kaira Heavy Baby shift knobs i instantly contacted and wasted no time purchasing. I love the quality of the finish which is what appealed to me the most and the grip feels amazing, shifting doesn't feel as direct as the ARC Titan but i have yet to drive it more but really really enjoying right now.


Now i am really getting the ball rolling, earlier this Feb 2016 I was able to get my hands on Recaro TS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch with Recaro ASM Limited II side protector,
Recaro RS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch 2 pairs of Recaro Steel side mount brackets and one week later my Powerhouse Amuse R1 Titan Harness bar came in and they are just absolute porn!!! once the bottom rails and Takata harness arrive I'll be looking to install them ASAP.



http://zclub.com.au/forums/uploads/m...9e6fb63ec5.jpg


I also have ordered the Zele Carbon fibre radiator shroud and Top Secret Oil cap which should be due in March along with the Takata Harnesses and Recaro seat rails



Thanks for taking the time to read my thread

Regards,
Onikage_87

PW370z

Tasteful and well done mods. Lookin sweet! Hats off to you sir

konsta

The wheels look so perfect ! Nice car

N0SL3N

I like how you fit the headlight washers into the amuse bumper. keeping it legal lol

Really clean, nice car.

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AUS Z34

Nice write up!! I've seen you around Strathfield a couple of weeks ago and it's quite impressive in real life!


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Onikage_87

Thanks all!

Haha!! Yeah our laws here are pretty harsh. Will do what i can to stay under the radar

Onikage_87

Thanks, Yeah i gym there occasionally and one of the only few places where i can clear speed bumps haha! Are you a member of our Austalian site? Zclub.com.au we have regular events such as cruises, meets etc. Join up and intro yourself!

AUS Z34

Yeah I've been a member since 2011 and been to a couple of meets but been working hard so I can catch up with all you guys / gals modz!! Just getting back into it.


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jakexlee

sexy ******* Z bro!. our fairlady's look alike but you obviously got more things! =) god i cant wait to purchase some TE37's....

Luciano13

very nice!
U guys are so lucky your license plates are so small

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Onikage_87

Thread revival finally got the ball rolling again I was able to get my hands on Recaro TS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch with Recaro ASM Limited II side protector,
Recaro RS-G ASM Limited in Red Stitch 2 pairs of Recaro Steel side mount brackets and one week later my Powerhouse Amuse R1 Titan Harness bar came in and they are just absolute porn!!! once the bottom rails and Takata harness arrive I'll be looking to install them ASAP.

I also purchased a Top Secret Oil Cap from Bulletproof Automotive and also purchased the Zele Carbon fibre radiator shroud.

Onikage_87