2009 Desert Shadow 370z
 

This is my 370z which is one very very improbable find.

It's a 2009, one of the first 370z's, with 15.000km on the clock (9500 miles).
The story is odd. The first owner was a german guy with loads of cash who bought the car and stored it in a garage in Croatia, so that when he comes to the coast for summer, he has a summer car there. Other than his driving at the coast, the car sat in a garage.
The owner died, so his daughter inherited the car. She sold it to a young guy in Germany who had the car for 10 days before losing his license due to speeding. So best course of action for him was to sell it. And that's how I got it.

So...the car has every item that was available back then (no camera). I'm not sure there was anything else available in 2009.
Condition of the car is absolute mint. Smells like new, still has original tyres on. Disc brakes are original, pads original, everything as it left the factory.

My intention is to keep the car for a long time....and only modify it a tiny little bit. So far I did just a few things (thanks to this forum DIYs!): I added a "drift switch" and I colored the fangs and the rear diffusor. Yes, I also changed the oil and the oil filter. Brake fluid is OK, antifreeze also OK.
Next on the list is to have a look at the galley gasket, I'd really like that peace of mind. Also, I was thinking of pulling out the fuel pump and simply adding an epoxy or something else over those prongs to make them stronger so that they don't break. Any other ideas perhaps?

Thanks for your comments and tips.

Edit: this part below is regularly updated as time progresses and the car gets minor upgrades.
Regular service not included in the list, i do it yearly anyway, as I do ~3000 miles per year. But for my notes: Mobil 1 ESP 5W30


CAR CHECKLIST:

1. Switch installed for turning off VDC June 2021
2. Clutch slave cylinder - changed July 2021
3. Clutch master cylinder - changed July 2021
4. Steering wheel fuse pulled out July 2021
5. Galley/gallery gaskets changed for newer November 2021
6. Clutch pedal spring removed November 2021
7. Rear hatch weight removed November 2021
8. Whiteline rear anti-roll bar installed April 2022
9. Invidia Gemini V2 catback exhaust installed April 2022
10. K&N air filters installed June 2022
11. Cabin air filter installed July 2022
12. OS Giken LSD installed July 2022
13. Eibach Pro Lowering Kit (-20mm/-25mm) installed September 2022
14. Eibach Spacers 20mm (all around) installed October 2022
15. Z1 Setrab Oil Cooler+thermostat + RSP Oil Pressure Gauge, installed February 2023
16. GK Tech differential brace, installed March 2023
17. Spacershop steering wheel spacer, installed April 2023
18. Switch for disabling gas/brake pedal combo
19. Braided steel brake lines - installed May 2023
20. EBC Bluestuff - installed May 2023
21. RBF Motul 600 - installed May 2023
22. Steering angle spacers + new tie rods - installed May 2023
23. Adjustable rear camber arms - October 2023
24. Adjustable rear toe arms - October 2023
25. Steering fluid cooler upgraded Mishimoto - installed January 2024, new servo oil LiquiMoly
26. Final drive swap 3.69 -> 4.08 February 2024 (Hardeman Motorsport NL), new oil (80w250 OSG)
27. Goodyear Eagle F1 Assym.6 245/40/19 and 275/35/19 April 2024
28. New transmission oil - 75w85 Mannol






Wishlist:
1. Fuel pump upgrade
2. Coilovers

Nice find :tup:

And despite how much tread might be left, those tires are most certainly expired. Get some new ones asap!

Really cool find.

I'm totally with you on just doing things for peace of mind, and I think like that to a fault perhaps. Oil cooler and CSC would really be the main things that imo can't wait.

Hope the car treats you well. Times are kinda changing and I think the emphasis on analog/simple has become more prominent over debating performance as an indicator of value. As you'll see, some users/owners have come back. Of course, any car can have that kind of pull or charm, but I think it's interesting when considering there's the other half of the spectrum, where this generation Z has lived arguably too long of a production life — but people still come back.

Nice find, pretty cool spec also. Love the Persimmon interior. What is the name of that exterior color? Don't think I've seen that one before. And yes, definitely get new tires immediately.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Nice find. :tup:

I would still bleed the brakes and clutch fluid with something like Motul 600.

For the fuel pump top hat. Get one of these from CJM. :tup: Instead of appling epoxy on it.

https://cj-motorsports.com/products/...-pump-hat-370z

Gallery gaskets. Get these. Tip. Use locktite on the screws and once torqued. Use a center punch on the rim of the screw and dimple it. This will keep the screws from backing out.

EPS Tuning Oil Gallery Gasket/Hardware Kit

:iagree: New brake fluid and pads are always good for used car. CJM top hat is billet - don't bother trying to bandaid the plastic OEM garbage. And EPS gallery gasket kit is :tup:

The grey color in 2009-2010 was Platinum Graphite. In 2011 it changed to Gun Metallic which was a slightly darker shade plus metallic flakes.

Great tips guys, thanks for them! I'll definitely follow some of the advice here.

1. Gallery gaskets - I'll do it in a year's time, with the next oil change.
2. Fuel pump - I like the idea of replacing the top cap better than the epoxy bandage :D so yeah, I'll have look into that as well.
3. Brake fluid - I had it checked and since it contained no humidity and works well, I decided to postpone that change for now.
4. CSC - any preventative measure for this fail? I read about it, but I'm unsure as to what I can do preventatively.
5. Exterior color - I have no idea what it is. I doubt it's platinum grey, as it has a brown hue to it. A neighbour has an old brown Qashqai, and it's definitely more "silverish" than that, but still has that brown hue. Is there a sticker on the car (like VIN) which indicated exterior color?
6. Tyres - that's an interesting one. I first thought I'd use these to have some fun and change them as soon as they're spent...so like I mentioned earlier, I also did a VDC kill switch, I placed it in between the heated seat switches (see attachment). Still, I was surprised to find the car super grippy regardless of old tyres. I then went to alignment and asked to change camber on the rear, as I found it was a bit too negative for my taste. I went out and thought I'd use the tyres quickly but again, a LOT of grip. So regarding the tyres - I'm a bit disappointed with them being so soft and grippy although being 12 years old, and I'm suspecting they're losing pressure quite a bit (about 2PSI per 2 weeks or so), so they will be changed sometime soon.


https://i.imgur.com/VpBCJnh.jpg

Welcome to the 370Z forums. Research the forums.

I don’t care where you’re from that was a score

Change the brake fluid, it's 13 years old. I don't care what it tested, it needs changed.
I would do every fluid in the car before driving it if that was mine. All of them.

The tires must go. Old tire that look OK is what killed the fast and furious guy. The only driving you should be doing with those are going slowly to the tire shop to have new ones installed.

Great find. I love the color combo. Hope you get to enjoy it for years

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

5. I guess it's possible it was painted, but I doubt it. You should be able to locate the color code on the VIN sticker in the driver side door jamb. The color code for Platinum Graphite is K51.

6. Pretty risky. Those old tires will grip just fine until they fail catastrophically. And that risk increases the more you push them; the last thing you want is them failing on you at high speed going around a curve like Paul Walker's old Porsche tires.

What Jar is getting at is that tires have a life span of 7 to 8 years regardless of mileage. The older the tire, the greater the chance of the tire to come apart. It's recommended to change tires at the 7 year mark. You can find the tire's birthday on the side wall. It will be the week and year imprinted.

Regarding the tires - I know. Rubber degrades over time regardless of storage, and same goes for seals, bushings, gaskets, tires, whatever we're talking about.
I'll change the tires soon, it is on the list. The only reason why I didn't do it as a priority is because I'm not going high speeds with the car, but it's on the list :)

After our discussion about the color and the color code, I went and checked the color code and it's not K51.

This is the passenger side sticker:

https://i.imgur.com/eGNrtJC.jpg

From what I can google, KAC is a color code for "Desert shadow" color.

Yup, Desert Shadow.

That color and Arctic Blue Metallic are the two colors that weren't offered in the US region for the 370Z in 2009 :tup:

Yeah I noticed the bit of brown hue to it which made me think of it more like a "burnt bronze" shade. Very unique, I like it! :Thumbup:

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A little update about the unicorn.

At about 16.500km I had my clutch pedal fail. Sure enough, it was the clutch cylinder....a master cylinder. They exchanged it and in literally three days I've had my clutch fail again. Took it back, they tested everything and said that believe it or not, the slave clutch cylinder has failed this time. Exchanged it as well, and clutch feels good.

Now, since both failures happened just 10 days before our planned roadtrip, I've decided to go with Nissan provided cylinders. The dealer assured me that they are not the faulty parts that have been used from factory, as these have different catalogue numbers and have been upgraded. I hope they're right.

Also, I'm typing this as I'm just back from the first half of the vacation. We did 1600km (1000 miles) in a week and the car has behaved very very well. No problem with the clutch either, all good.

In order to make sure that my Z serves me well and doesn't leave me stranded somewhere, I've decided to change all problematic issues ahead of time, so that there's only enjoyment with it.

Checklist so far:
1. Clutch slave cylinder - changed
2. Clutch master cylinder - changed
3. Steering wheel lock failure - fuse pulled out! I have a DisklokTM anyway

TBD:
4. Fuel pump upgrade
5. Oil cooler upgrade
6. Galley gaskets upgrade
7. Brake fluid change


Did I miss anything else which should be on the list? Please fill me in.


Some new pics:

https://i.postimg.cc/1RvXYLKJ/IMG-20210803-204036.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/FHN9rpG7/IMG-20210803-204250.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/sXhF9GKk/IMG-20210803-WA0021.jpg

Great pics! :tup:

Unfortunately, you cannot believe them. The OEM slave cylinder is prone to failure, and Nissan has done absolutely nothing to change that over the lifetime of the 370Z. In your case, I'm not sure you had a choice other than OEM. However, you should seriously consider sourcing a ZSpeed CMAK kit to replace the OEM slave as soon as feasible. I recommend installing it as preventative maintenance so you don't get stranded on a trip somewhere when the stock one fails again.

Hello, Ive learnt before low kms can not always be making of a good car

check for mice and rats all over and under the car check everything ,
kms dont matter when it comes to rubber parts of a car .

Thanks for the tip, however, like I said, the car was kept in showroom condition, perfectly clean, as well as stored in a fancy garage, not a garden shed :) Also, since I got it, it has been detailed and maintained in sparkling condition. It's not a daily driver and I have enough time to take care of it.

Meanwhile, time to post a few updates for the car. It's rolled over 21.000km and is ready for its winter hibernation. But, before we put him to sleep, I'll have the gallery gaskets changed, as well as a new oil and filter change.

Besides these, I also did the rear hatch weight removal, as well as the clutch pedal spring removal.

So to update the checklist:

Checklist so far:
1. Clutch slave cylinder - upgraded
2. Clutch master cylinder - upgraded
3. Steering wheel lock failure - fuse pulled out
4. Clutch pedal spring removed
5. Rear hatch weight removed
6. Switch installed for turning off VDC
7. Gallery gaskets - in progress

TBD:
*Fuel pump upgrade
*Oil cooler upgrade
*Brake fluid change

Few pics since the last cleaning:

https://i.imgur.com/qRa6gv6h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0XKNrFhh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VufVGTTh.jpg

Nice shots... Enjoy the ride and your trip....

Update for gallery gaskets. All gaskets changed, as well as oil and coolants.
Old gaskets were 12 years old, with 21.000km (13k miles), and they were fully intact, no damage, no leaks, no problem. Basically good as new. But seeing as it's the original paper gallery gasket, it was a necessary change, so it's been changed with an updated version.

As I picked up the car during night time and drove it to the garage, I thought nothing of it, and I couldn't see well. But today as I was covering it for winter storage I finally had a good look and noticed that the alignment of the front parts (bumper/hood) is just horrendous. Same with hood/lights.

I called them and explained the issue, to which at first they said that minor discrepancies are OK, and I should not be alarmed. But then I decided to take photos and compare how it was originally, and how it is now and it's just bad. I'm still waiting on their input - but in any case, I won't be driving it there for alignment until spring.

In the meantime, what do you guys think, what parts were misaligned? The hood was certainly not taken off, and side fenders probably also weren't. I know the front bumper was removed, as well as parts behind it, and I'm guessing lights as well - but I'm not sure. The hood latches to the bumper carrier, so I'm guessing this part was misaligned.

Thanks for any input.

https://i.imgur.com/nLrE0hOh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qud3Elnh.jpg

6 coats of clear smoke over chrome

In the US, that paint code is available on Infiniti G37s. Smoky Quartz. Yes, a little misaligned and should be adjusted.

What a lovely find OP. A 'barn find' but without the chicken poop all over it! ;) Also like that exterior and interior colour combo, very classy. Enjoy the car.

Pictures turned out very nice OP. Good job!

Spring has finally arrived and Z is again back out of the garage. Have went to the shop to fix the hood alignment they screwed up last time (when I had the gallery gaskets changed) and it's perfect again.
In the meantime, I was thinking about the oil cooler, as I'm experiencing temperatures of 95-100°C often, and I'd like to be able to push the car when I feel like it without thinking about oil temp. I have been searching the internet and decided to get this:
https://www.driftshop.com/mishimoto-...ssan-370z.html
Any experience or advice regarding it? Much appreciated. I've read conflicting info here about it, some people think it's very badly made, whereas others are happy with it.

Also one question, how heavily do the rear swaybars impact the cars handling? I wouldn't mind it being more tail happy, would this help? The car has too much understeer for my taste so I think this might help. Any thoughts?

I ordered a few things from the driftshop and after two weeks of absolutely nothing, cancelled them. Just a warning to anyone in Europe thinking about ordering from them - the displayed times to ship items that are "in stock" are NOT accurate and can vary very very much.

Meanwhile, I got a new exhaust system, I ordered Invidia Gemini V2 catback system after thorough reading online about all exhaust options as well as which ones are TÜV legal as I really don't want any hassle with the po-po.
After the whole system arrived, I checked some youtube videos about installation just to have a heads up if there's anything special to it, but there isn't. It took me 3 hours to completely remove old system and install the new one. I'm very happy with it.

https://i.imgur.com/8STHQFlh.jpg

With a soundcheck:

https://youtu.be/Wl5J24lATvI

Sweet Z!

Cool color! I also like the plate!

Thanks for the nice comments.

Today I installed a Whiteline rear swaybar. It took me 2 hours because I was stupid enough to think I could somehow jiggle it out over the exhaust until I finally took the exhaust off and did it the proper way.
Anyway, I put the sway bar on the hardest setting, and went for a test drive. The car now feels just as good as it should, no understeer whatsoever and the car is a little bit more tail happy, just as I like it.
I was surprised when I removed the factory sway bar, that thing is light as a feather!

Some new updates to have it all listed in one place *(updated the first post)*

-Installed the cabin filter, for whatever reason there was none in the compartment
-Installed the OS Giken LSD. The installation was a bit of a PITA due to the sheer weight of the differential and due to bolts on the ring gear tightened by Thor himself, but other than that, nothing too crazy.

I have several things on my to-do list to complete everything what I've envisioned so let's recap:
-eibach springs to lower and stiffen the car just a little bit
-oil cooler with an oil pressure gauge
-sorting out the scuffs on the rims and probably repainting them to be perfect
-upgrading the fuel pump

Installed Eibach lowering kit, posted question here: http://www.the370z.com/brakes-suspen...risons-11.html

Ok, new updates.
After installing Eibach Pro Lowering Kit, -20mm back, -25mm in the front, I also added spacers. I added 20mm in the front and in the back - also Eibach.

The end result is just incredible, but don't listen to me, take a look at the pics.
It doesn't rub anywhere, the camber is now -1.5 on both front and back. Rubbing, or better said - scraping - only occurs on steep slopes and it happens on the front rubber flaps (in front of wheels), but can be mostly ignored, as nothing happens, other than it slightly scrapes, and does not happen often anyway. It can be reduced with 45° approach, but mostly doesn't help much.

https://i.imgur.com/amfio6hh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9M576PSh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SlIMcRxh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1BwrNY9h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/paGLLN0h.jpg

Very nice progress in the 1.5 year you've had it!

On a side note, I never understood why the US models didn't come with the rear wiper. They had them on the 350Z's here, but not the model after. Doubt it's a cost-saving measure, as Nissan would done away with it altogether. Doubt it's a time-saving measure to drill a hole and install the mechanics of it when it was done for other markets.

Thanks for the nice words! Yesterday went to a local car meet, quite a great feeling seeing so many nice cars yet at the same time thinking - "I really like my car the best here" :D

Two more weeks and the car will again be unregistered and tucked away in the garage for winter sleep. I won't sleep though, next up is oil cooler and oil pressure gauge. I will probably install both sometime in december. With that I'll be almost done with all the planned mods, and in May or June, we're planning a road trip to the Nürburgring.

Regarding the rear wiper - I rarely have to use it, but it's nice to have it. When I got the car I was thinking of removing it, but I don't see it as a problem having it there, so I'll definitely keep it.

This is one of those items, IMO, that adds a nice touch to the car. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have :tup:

Went for the last ride in the car this year, did some photos before parking it until April next year. It's been a fun year with some really good upgrades. Until spring next year it will sleep well, but I'll also use the time while it's parked in the garage to do the last critical upgrades that I think the car needs: oil cooler and oil pressure gauge. I never had any issues with the oil but I don't wanna look at oil gauge reaching 110°C anytime, it should be around 90-95°C and that's how it's gonna be. Also, since I plan on a roadtrip to the Nürburgring next year, I want to be 100% sure the car will enjoy it and not suffer :D


https://i.imgur.com/XiSv3Qdh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BBulHaWh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vuyxRRKh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Nf8BPU5h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/b5HDzUqh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MmmTpTMh.jpg

This may have been answered and I've always wondered: what is that box thing underneath the headlights? Seems like a sensor of some sort (US models don't have them).