Would these be good mods to start with?
 

Just joined the Z fam recently, and want to get into some light mods to maximize performance. I have a 2016 Nismo with 7AT (don't kill me pls) and want add some bolt-ons. I'm pretty unexperienced with modding cars, so I just want to make sure the mods I want to get are going to be worthwhile. The main goal here is performance, but have to keep in mind I live in Portland and have to pass DEQ tests every time I renew.

Please let me know if these would be some good places to start:

• Z1 Cold Air Intakes
• Invidia Gemini Exhaust (Not trying to be loud with my exhaust)
• Possibly some headers
• Tune

I've also been eyeballing the the Z1 400hp kit. Like I said, performance is the goal here, just want to be a little quicker and faster(without sounding like a rice rocket), so any recommendations are welcome.

The list you have sounds like a good start. Since you have a newer model car and you need to pass emissions tests, I suggest going with intakes and exhaust like you said. Headers are not going to really give you much if you want to keep the stock catalysts in, so for the amount of effort i'd leave it alone. A tune is definitely worth it. I recommend Seb at Specialty-Z as he's really good to work with for remote tunes. With the intake, exhaust, and tune, I think you'll have what you want.

That's great to hear, thanks for looking it over. If I wanted to take it a step further and get some headers along with some HFC's, do you think I'll get some decent gains while still being able to pass emissions? I'll make sure to check out Specialty-Z for the tune

If your state does the actual particle test, don't expect it to pass. That's all I can say on that front.

Ah got it, I'll have to look into the specifics of the test, but for now I'll just hold off on those. Thanks for all the help

No problem. The most difference is in the tune. You're going to really enjoy the car!

A cold air intake and exhaust are easy obvious bolt-ons that will offer a bit of help; however the inflection point is what you want to do with the cats

On one side is what is affectionately called the “demon bolt” that is difficult to reach and remove. On top of that, the cats are what will give the most trouble emissions wise

After headers or high flow cats or test pipes, you run into a wall. You can get cams, ported manifolds, upgrade the fuel system, and aggressively tune, but that phase is VERY expensive and still wont result in much gain. I think even the most extensive builds have struggled to approach 400 wheel HP.

If power is your goal, forced induction is probably the better choice

I personally go with upgrading the clutch and flywheel. This doubles as a maintenance move since our cars have a clutch slave cylinder notorious for failure. Swapping in an upgraded unit from Z1 or zspeed while also grading the clutch and adding lighter flywheel will make a big difference; our stock units are heavy Af. You will notice an immediate improvement in revability and not worry about the slave cyl failing

After that, turn your money and time toward the suspension and brakes, and appropriate cooling

On my Z, I did basically the same thing as your have mentioned and then went suspension and brakes. I do have a test pipes, because emissions is not the problem where I am at.
I always thought after the tune I had, that the Z had enough power for what I wanted. Been completely happy with it that way for the past 5 years...
:driving:

Very interesting information here, I'm going to have to look into the clutch and flywheel more. Forgive my ignorance, but is the clutch something I need to worry about since I have the 7AT? As much as I would love to go forced induction, I don't think that's something I'll be able to do anytime soon, but definitely a goal of mine one day. Suspension is another thing I've been trying to learn about as well, thinking coilovers are what I would get when I figure out what would be a good fit for me.

Sorry if it sounds like I don't know what I'm doing lol, I'm trying to learn as much as possible but work doesn't give me much time these days. Thanks for for all the input!

That's awesome to hear, sounds like me and you were after the same kind of goal. What kind of suspension setup did you go with? That's one thing I still have to look into.

You don't have a clutch/flywheel on the automatic. I would keep it simple and enjoy driving the car a bit more before you decide to do more.

Oh, i missed that it was an AT

Ok cool, that's why I asked lol, just had to be sure. Not in the biggest rush to start installing all these mods, just been looking into it recently. 4 months in and this car still tons of fun :icon17:

I own a used 2010 AT 370Z. I have aftermarket coilover, exhaust, sway bar. Had an Uprev tune done, which gained 39HP. In addition I installed a Sprint Booster, which I found more useful than the tune. But my best upgrade was having Sparco racing seats installed (no sliders, so sit even lower). The racing seats make me feel that I'm in a performance car and not just driving a fast sporty coupe. Yes, I can take turns faster now, but the feel of sitting in racing seats makes a big difference. Racing seats make the 370Z look cool on the inside too. I'm 6'2" and it's not difficult getting in and out of the seat. The motion of my body getting in and out of racing seats actually enhancing the driving experience. With the 370Z stock seats getting in the car felt similar to getting in my SUV or other sedan. With the racing seats my 370Z really feels very different from ordinary appliance blob cars.

I'm going to chime in and highly recommend you don't get a sprint-booster. It just modifies the voltages sent to the ECU from the pedal. As mentioned above Seb uses ECUtek which is comprehensively better software for tuning the Z vs UpRev. There are plenty of threads on here about issues with the sprint-booster and UpRev vs ECUtek.

don't get a "racing seat" because it makes you feel special

get a racing seat because you're going to the track and want the holding and safety, which means the appropriate harness and fitment in the seat, plus a helmet, and a harness bar or cage

or get a racing seat because you're going for a show quality interior

i mean its your money and car but . . . dont be this guy

I'd recommend adding a lightweight pulley to your modlist. It makes a decently big difference in how the car feels especially when you consider it only costs you maybe $200-$225 and is a relatively quick and easy install whether you do it or you have a shop do it. I like the Stillen standard performance / size one, but most brands will function and perform the same.

For numbers gain, people on here claim around 4-5 WHP and torque, although your torque drops off a little less after its peak and you end up with ~10 higher WTQ at redline versus stock pulley, which aint too shabby. I didn't get a chance to dyno the before/after of my install so rip

Dw about throwing off the harmonic balance, our engines are internally balanced and the pulley won't make a difference.

I like ABM's advice. You just got the car, and you got the top version with all kinds of goodies already on it. Just enjoy it at least for one summer! Doesn't the Nismo already come with a better exhaust?

If you do things right away now, won't you get bored in a few years with nothing left to add to it?

It's likely a 'problem' with many models of cars... the higher the performance model you buy, the less options you have for reasonable, effective mods you can add. All the low-hanging fruit gets taken.

I'm assuming a sprint booster is the same thing as the Pedal Commander, which is something I looked at, but didn't really appeal to me. Seemed a little sketchy to me, and just affected the throttle response, which I feel like can be improved from the things I listed.

I completely agree, which is why I said earlier I'm not rushing to do any of this. This is the first time I've had a car with nice aftermarket options, and it's very interesting to me, but also a little intimidating lol. I'm basically just trying to learn and research as much as I can, so when I do decide to make some upgrades, I know what is good and bad.

As for the exhaust, that's actually a big reason I made this thread. I know the Nismo comes with an "Upgraded exhaust" but I've heard it's only marginally better than the base models' and I figured if it was something I was going to upgrade, then it would have to be more performance driven, the sound is secondary.

At the end of the day, I love this car, just want to show her some love :icon17:

Nice ok, that's something I haven't heard anyone else say lol, so I'm definitely going to start looking into that. If its really that cheap and simple, I don't see why not lol

KW variant 1 Coil - Over
Whiteline/Hopkins Sway Bars - front and rear

Total happy with it, but look into discussion on the rear sway bar. I am currently running a square setup for track. Seems to work well.

:driving:

for $1600 bucks, you should be able to do better than KW V1's

I am looking for seats that aren't too aggressive with bolstering and I HATE my stock seats. I'm 6'4 260# and want something that my wide hips can fit in but not sure what my best options are. Are the SPARCO seats wider than stock?

Sparco makes a variety of sizes

Check the EVO L and EVO XL

I have a regular 370z, not the Nismo version and my exhaust was silent. I missed hearing some notes because my previous car was a 595 Abarth, which comes with a great raspy exhaust. I also have strict regulations where I live and without a TÜV or similar certificate, I wouldn't pass inspection.
I settled on an Invidia Gemini V2 exhaust and I'm absolutely satisfied with it. The car is louder, raspier, more throaty, all of those...and YET, it's not droney and you can drive it easy on the highway without feeling annoyed by it. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.
Regarding performance - I don't know whether I gained anything. I'd say it's a bit livelier now, but it might be a placebo - I didn't dyno it.

I'm gonna be a bit contrary here (all IMO, of course), and suggest that if performance is your goal, power should probably be the last area you look at.

If you have stock wheels, you're probably running a 245 front tire - this platform needs at least a 265 in the front, and whatever suits your power goals in the rear. Then you'll likely want a stiffer front sway bar, Hotchkis is a popular choice. You may find the the rear of the car a bit 'squishy' at this point, there are various options to firm it up.

But - this depends what 'performance' means to you. A lot of folks buy this car to do 'highway pulls'. IMO, they'd be happier with a V8 Mustang, but regardless, if this is you then yes you'll want to chase power.

Still others are more interested in the 'aesthetics' of performance. They don't want to really go fast, they want a car that gives off that fast 'vibe'. This is where exhausts and intakes and 20" wheels come in. The gains are pretty minimal, sometimes actually negative, but you get the right sounds and look.

It's wise to figure out what you really want before spending money.

So... if you don't want to be loud, headers are definitely a no go for you. Headers make the trumpet sound go from loud to "Stick your head inside my trumpet and im going to blow as hard as I can, you'll take it, and like it". So.... if you don't want that, pass on them.

As for exhaust, its all personal...... I wouldn't trade my Fast Intentions full exhaust and resonated test pipes for the world. If you want ultimate power, just save your money, and buy a turbo kit with supporting mods. This car really could use a factory turbo... or 2.

Yea I’m starting to think headers aren’t the way to go, I’m still considering switching out my cats for art pipes, but even that might be too loud for what I’m looking for.

I think saving for a while for a turbo might be the next, especially since I am still enjoying how my car is with my Gemini and CAI.

I like this take a lot, I will probably start looking into other areas like suspension and sway bars. Just wanted to slap on a couple bolt ons and call it a day really, I don’t need to be going too crazy right now, I’m still loving my car as it is.

1. bushings
2. motor/diff mounts
3. wheels/tires
4. coilovers
5. suspension arms/bushings

should increase your performance more than any meaningless intakes.

With a 2019 model, i dont see the need to upgrade subframe bushings and mounts, theyre fine for now

Maybe a stupid question, but what sort of improvement or change do you see when changing motor/diff mounts or subframe bushings?

Handling improvement. All other things being equal, you will have better transfer of power through the drivetrain with stiffer mounts and bushings. Rubber mounts dissipate energy during chassis movement, providing more comfort.

IMO a drivers car is about getting the connection and latency down between the driver and the car.

Like a PRO GAMER... you want the latency between your actions and their results to be as fast as possible.

In addition you want the stimulus coming from the car (via the tires etc) to be transmitted to you as quickly and accurately as possible.

The problem with the Z imo from stock is there is considerable delay from when you give the car inputs to when they take affect.

Like throttle input takes half a second before the car does anything.

This is partly due to the ECU, which can be fixed via a tune.
And partly due to flexible bushings and mounts.

When you apply throttle, the engine flexes in its mounts first before delivering the torque to the drive shaft.

Then the diff flexes in its rubber bushings before delivering torque to the axles.

Stiffening up the bushings really reduces the latency between your input and the car actually doing what you told it to.

https://youtu.be/9YyDH1-BR5o?t=976

the gain in bushings is most realized when going from shitty worn bushings to stiffer new ones

brand new stock to upgraded bushings is a minimal improvement that i would table for much later

he isn't some race car driver out to get every fraction of a second, so his dollars are better spent on . . . .a coilover and adjustable arms

bushing replacement is also a labor intensive job. You're dropping a subframe and removing bushings, possibly with fire (yay!)

A brand new Z with the sickest, upgradiest bushings STILL won't have front camber adjustment or height adjustment, for example

Fixing the much more obvious and impactful flaws is a higher priority than something in the margins

This is like being served a really shitty steak dinner. A prettier table mat might make the experience slightly better, but . . . you've still got a shitty steak dinner.