Need advice on how to start working on this beaut.

Dreadnaught

To add to some of the good advice already stated, just start by doing small things like checking and correcting your own fluids, do your own oil changes, etc. This will get you more familiar with the car and read the FSM if needed.

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Ford Diesel and Heavy Line Technician at your service.

TheWolfe

Thank you very much! I've had it since 10/01/14 and let me tell you: what an amazing little machine this thing is. I've wanted a Z since I was little (runs in the family I guess you could say... My stepdad's brother (step-uncle?) had a 280zx, my mom had a 300zx, and my uncle had a 350z; I suppose I was next in line )

I was looking at oil filters (Puralator 14610, and some other stuff. AK's thread on his install was really helpful with that) and some air filters and stuff. I was also looking at the Fujimura rear diffuser. In the future, I want to try and do absolutely all that I can in my own garage instead of taking my car places and having them do stuff for me, you know?

Hayden_223

I'm finishing up college right now (Industrial Engineering Major) and have been modding my Z for the past 2 years. I didn't do much to it for the first year of owning the car though as it was still new to me and I didn't feel the need yet. I like to take the new mods slow because if you rush all of them at once you lose the excitement for the car faster, that and I don't have the money to do everything at once. For me a good mod makes the car feel new all over again. My advice would be to focus on performance before looks, but just my Mine still looks mostly stock on the exterior. Do all the work on it yourself that you can, there are some great DIY's on this forum. You can do twice the mods if you are not paying for instillation. I definitely feel lucky to be driving such an awesome car at my age. Makes me enjoy my commute everyday, even in Atlanta traffic with the MT . As for the stickers maybe a little ricy, but who cares it's your car.

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Aam s-line mid-pipe|AAM short tails|Z1 HFC|Z1 Post MAF tubes|K&N Drop ins|Z1 20mm spacers|Eibach Sways|ARK GT-S Lowering Springs|UPREV|

TheWolfe

Haha, virtual high five for us engineering students! This is nice to think about, you know? I'm all for starting slow and stuff. That sounds good, actually. I think I'll make a little checklist about things that could use some...."updating", if you will. I make my commute back to college tomorrow actually, so a two hour drive will be perfect for that.

I definitely agree with the "twice as many mods" thing you said, too, which is definitely why I want to learn. I took a class on economics, so spending extra for something you can do yourself just simply wouldn't be very rational.

Hayden_223

gotta love engineering . I've noticed we like to mod cars more than the average college students. There are a lot of nice z's, s2ks, rustangs, vettes etc. at my school. Only one other 370 though and I think its a professors haha. If your school has a formula SAE race team I would try to get involved in that. I haven't yet because it takes up a lot of time, but I'm planning to.

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Aam s-line mid-pipe|AAM short tails|Z1 HFC|Z1 Post MAF tubes|K&N Drop ins|Z1 20mm spacers|Eibach Sways|ARK GT-S Lowering Springs|UPREV|

TheWolfe

My school has an Auto Society, but there is absolutely no way I can fit that in my schedule. Another thing is that, if I'm honest, I don't really enjoy engineering anymore; it's no longer a passion of mine. I don't want to be a dropout though, so I'm in a real pickle. I kind of want to build guitars (be a luthier if you know what I'm talking about) because I have a wood shop readily available and already started on a template. plus, I have wood to use. I just don't know, man. I don't know why I just told you my life story atm, either.

EDIT: Typos


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Hayden_223

[QUOTE=TheWolfe;3401541]My school has an Auto Society, but there is absolutely no way I can fit that in my schedule. Another thing is that, if I'm honest, I don't really enjoy engineering anymore; it's no longer a passion of mine. I don't want to be a dropout though, so I'm in a real pickle. I kind of want to build guitars (be a luthier if you know what I'm talking about) because I have a wood shop readily available and already started on a template. plus, I have wood to use. I just don't know, man. I don't know why I just told you my life story atm, either.

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Haha I'm not sure what I would do man. I didn't start out in engineering my first year, had to transfer to where I'm at now. Maybe take a semester off just work and think about what you really want to do. If you are already far into your degree I would say tough it out, you don't have to use the degree after you graduate, but it's a great backup to have. I play the guitar, Just picked up an American strat not too long ago, so the guitar building idea sounds pretty awesome!

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Aam s-line mid-pipe|AAM short tails|Z1 HFC|Z1 Post MAF tubes|K&N Drop ins|Z1 20mm spacers|Eibach Sways|ARK GT-S Lowering Springs|UPREV|