Hey Mike, how about developing a battery relocation kit for the trunk? Cables, battery and some sort of bracket to hold it down to something.

Travis - The DBA's are pricey, but that is because they are some of the best Rotors you can buy. The 5000's have a lot of technology built into them, not to mention they are two piece. If you want to look at another less pricey, but also very good rotor, check out Performance Friction 2-Piece rotors. There's always StopTech and the rest of the common choices like endless, rotora, APRacing, etc...

I agree one of the best threads I have came across in a very long time. Please keep it going. We are learning alot.

I have given though to it already. I already carry Odyssey Batteries so maybe I can put a packaged kit together for you guys. :)

Count me in on battery relo kit ! :)

Agree, this is a really helpful thread ! Hopefully other members get a chance to read it... would it make sense to 'sticky' ?

carbotech pads

Cobalt XR3 or maybe just GT Sport pads for me :) Gotta call them up for 370Z fitments.

I'll take a relo kit too haha, add it to the tab :)

That silver looks great!

Anyways, oil and diff coolers are probably the first mods I will buy.

Being that I upgraded from a 350Z to a 370Z to have a robust HPDE platform, I'm rather disappointed about this oil cooling issue. That being said, this is a great thread and I'm interested to hear how we solve this problem.

Just a little tidbit about the front/rear distribution we touched on earlier. I just put my 370Z up on the corner scales today just for fun. The car had a little over a half tank of gas, no driver, and the spare tire and tools were still in the back. To add to it, the SPL Pro Rear Camber arms I installed added 3 lbs. to the rear, and the Berk Technology High Flow Cats installed removed 10 lbs. from the front. Needless to say, the following percentages are better balanced than your car was completely stock with all of that weight removed out of the back.

My car had a weight bias front to rear of 54.7% front and 45.3% rear.

Point of this is that before removing any more weight from the rear, I would really focus on removing weight from the front, or moving weight from front to back via battery relocation, etc. I know I have touched on this subject already, but now we have a little technical data to back it up a bit. :)

^ which is why it makes perfect sense to relocate the battery to the rear...

We need to figure out how to take more weight off the front....empty the windshield washer fluid, aluminum radiator, lightweight bumper beam, lightweight pulley, carbon hood, carbon front bumper, battery relocation, carbon engine cover, lighter intakes (replacing airboxes), lightweight strut tower braces, aluminum...

Take a look at these "see through" pics to get more ideas on what we can do. Any suggestions that aren't insane would be welcome..remember... sprung weight, not unsprung, so dont say "get lighter brakes."

http://www2.csc.ne.jp/~salon.de.pal/...-z-z34-200812/

I'll chip in a few ideas - prob obvious:

- side air bags... when i removed the headliner, i found a lot of tubing and actuation gear along with the airbags themselves... positioned high in the cabin, so not a good place to carry weight... weight redux may apply equally to front/rear, but still it is up high so a good target

- windshield wipers are EXTREMELY easy to remove... two screws and the whole assembly pulls out... for track cars, consider removing - can always pop in if weekend calls for rain, or use rainX... i didn't weight the assembly, but I remember it was pretty heavy

- plastic trim pieces underhood... only a pound or two, but why not... RCZ, you mentioned carbon cover, but why bother ?

- as I mentioned before, wondering if cooling systems can be positioned towards the back... move steering cooler ? any added oil cooling systems towards the rear etc

- i need to lose at least 15 lbs !

- at some point i'll be pursuing more hard core weight reduction... doors, windows, a/c, stereo... not sure if these will help with balance though

- interested in all the ideas RCZ has above, e.g., carbon hood / bumper, bumper beam etc... not sure about radiator, think i read elsewhere it is already v light

Pics?? :)

if that's for me... dropped car off at 'local shop' last night, so unfortunately no pics... will start a new thread with progress update and pics once it's back, but that'll be a while

^ I don't think its a good idea to move those cooling parts too far from the engine.. takes a lot of pump power to get fluids through the plumbing and that's too risky for the rewards in weight balance..

What are you doing to your car?

ok, thanks for the advice... you're prob right, would be more weight overall + more parts that could break

car will be in the shop for a while... they are going to take a bite out of the list i posted previously... shop is in the process of reviewing this thread and preparing a quote... for one, their parts design group intends to build intake, pulley set, and exhaust... i'll ask them to consider sponsoring this site, so we can post details and pics... i'm also asking them to quote coilovers, no-brand oil cooler kit, and a few other odds and ends

Which shop? :)

Very cool.

Also for the oil cooler kit, get a Setrab.

If it means anything to you, I'm getting KW V3 coilovers...

Do post pictures of all the stuff you do, it would be very helpful to hear what your experiences have been...

will definitely post pictures when available... thx for tip on Setrab, will look into it

have learned to value your opinion, so will put serious consideration into kw v3 coilovers too !

slidefox, i was asked not to mention the shop's name - they're not a sponsor... i'm sure you can find it earlier in this thread

KW V3s are quality, but if this is primarily a track car, I'd look into a set of more track oriented coilovers.

Try to get those GT3 seats to fit, those are some of my favorite seats and I'd love to see them in a Z.

Excellent thread overall. Hope you get the cooling issues sorted out.

^^ Thats true, I should also say that my 370z will be a daily driven car. The reason I'm going with the V3's is because you can adjust the dampening. That means that you can set them up to be really good on the track and then set em to be amazingly well mannered on the street. If you are building a car that is going to spend more time on the track than anywhere else, then you are wasting your time with all these minor mods... just strip the interior, cage it, two buckets, plex windows, get rid of the AC, Ohlin coilovers and slicks.... I don't think thats what you are going for though.. you would have used one set of wheels and tires to transport it from the street to the track and then swapped for Hoosier Slicks and enkeis at the track...

If you are looking for high quality coilovers that are drivable on the street then consider the V3's. I already made the mistake once to get racing spec coilovers for my street driven car. This doesnt mean the V3's don't perform on the track...many BMW M3 drivers upgrade to V3's because they perform on the track, but feel like stock on the street...

ok, will look at ohlins ;) for this car, streets are just a pathway to the track ! :)

rcz, you're right that i want to keep it street legal for a while, but after i burn through my first set of r888s, i'll prob switch to hoosiers... just trying to pace the upgrades with the overall progress towards turning this into a dedicated track car

Ohlin flags. KW Clubsports...

Great thread...I'm considering a 370Z, mostly for track, and I was looking at the Std model w/Sports Pkg like the OP...as the best choice. C&D had listed the oil and dif cooler as options in their FEB09 test, but apparently they are really not avail. from Nissan - which is sad - no warranty.

As a track addict in my current RX-8, I'm now reconsidering if this is the correct car - :confused: I'm pretty dismayed at things I've learning about this car and browsing here for only one day:

1. 55/45 weight distribution needs adjusting.
2. trail brake unweighting - brakes? tires? weight bias?
3. Yikes!! Really the most shocking - A sports car that fails a short 20min HPDE run due to overheating at 70deg.
4. Sports car that REQUIRES some major mods (oil cooler, perhaps dif cooler) right off the bat to do track duty.

I ran two yrs in my RX-8 with nothing more than DOT4 fluid & sway bars with no problems thru HPDE1> HPDE2> HPDE3 before doing brake lines, pads, rotors, braces, etc. I was also looking at a Porsche, but was hoping to escape the high cost. I guess the extra money does buy a car ready for track duty.

Sorry to be upset and negative on my 1st post --- but I was thinking this was the answer - or would at least work at some level on track - right out of the box I guess. :shakes head:

Good luck with fixing these issues - I'll still consider this car, I'll just have to factor in the $$ to fix it to be a proper (or even adequate) track car :ugh2:

Oh yes -- IMHO forget the Hawk pads. I tried them and wondered "Where's the great braking, modulation and feel I was looking for?" Rather, I would strongly recommend Cobalt Friction GT Sports (if a DD) or for mostly track time you can't go wrong with some Cobalt Friction XR2 front / XR5 rear for HPDE3/HPDE4 use. The XR5s are not listed on their site, but they are specially formulated to help reduce rear unweighting on cars that have that propensity. They make them for the RX-8 (I run that combo) and they are AMAZING!

I think you are going a little overboard on the negative aspects of the car. I drive a lot of track events too and I've felt a lot of different cars on track. GT3's, GT-R's, Turbos, STIs, Evos, 350Z's, etc. I can tell you that the Z feels much better than I expected. It feels very well planted and eager to be driven fast. My best advice would be to test drive it. I'm coming from 2 modified STIs both of which were pretty quick around the track, faster than 911's and M3's. I drive Solo class for HPDE. So far I have to say I am impressed with the Z, I absolutely love this car despite those minor things you said. Also problems 3 and 4 are the same. Having 3 problems isnt such a big deal. An oil cooler is not really a major mod either. The weight distribution has its advantages too. Like I said, the best thing you can do is test drive it..you will immediately be able to feel that its a great car. Spend half the cash you will save by buying the Z instead of the porsche into the Z and you will have a porsche beater and a fun car to work on.

Hehe I suggested Cobalts further up in the thread, they are amazing. I actually called Cobalt to see if they were going to make pads for the 370Z...they didnt have an answer yet, but its likely.

I agree, the 370Z isn't the best car for the track. However, it is undeniably one of the best for its price range. Sure a GT3RS would destroy it on a track, or lotus exige, but if you are looking for a great car both on and off the track for under 40k, you'll have a hard time finding a better car than the 370Z.

If you want something purely for the track, and for cheap, you should look at ordering and building a Caterham.

Question?...you've driven the 370Z, not just the 350Z on track? I've seen the 350Z on track, not many of them mind you, but they seem to do pretty good, a few faults not withstanding. So yea, 350Zs are track capable. I hear you there.

My concern is with Nissan engineering on this car. What should a sports car buyer would reasonably expect for $30-50K straight of the showroom floor? In my mind, it's not a small thing when a car can't go even 20min at near full tilt on a 70 degree day...I mean that's not asking that much of any vehicle....and begs the question - what else have they short-engineered besides the oil cooling system and the differential cooling system? Really!

Worse, they've apparently given 'ringer' cars to the mags for testing with 'options' that don't exist! I'm staring at the C&D 370Z test that has oil and differential radiators listed as $500 est. 'options'. Now they're no where to be found? What's up with that?

I only became interested because of the reviews complete with "at the track" comments and how this was so much more 'refined' and 'enhanced' comapred to the 350Z. If the installed powerplant/drivetrain puts out too much heat and it's impossible to get rid of the heat in the form factor they've chosen, then the 3.7L is too much engine and power for the car to deal with full stop. Or perhaps the OP car was defective? That would be a relief! I'd love to buy this car, but honestly worry about Nissan's opinion of me moding the engine cooling system (and other components) if problems occur that should be covered under warranty?

I don't mean (as I said before) to come off as a troll, a Nissan basher, or a nit picker...but gee wiz...first impression make a difference in cars as with meeting people and at 1st blush..I'm blushing bright red at all this discovered even as the car is being introduced.

Many manufacturers pride themselves, and let us know that their latest and greatest has been "track-tested", engineered on the "ring", etc....Nissan included with the GT-R. But for this car, they obviously didn't do track testing, or prove it out on the "ring" as they did with the GT-R, except perhaps with a modified car we can't buy. Did they do that, then de-engineered it for 'consumer use'? WTHs up with that?

I have no problem with Nissan selling a 'dudes' car, prettied up for the stoplight wars. C&D says "Nissan refers to this latest Z as an "enhancement," likely largely a male enhancement." Uuummmmm...food for thought...but I expect more of a car.

You're right I should go drive one, do you think Nissan let me have one for a short 20 min track session;)? I couldn't even post the results of a stoplight racing test drive on the forum anyway:driving:.

I truly hope I'm all wrong with this (and the OP experiences), and that time will show all is well with Nissan and the 370Z, God knows we need affordable sports cars that go like a bat outa hell... for like 4 track sessions at least :icon17:

I should probably weigh in here... for me this is a great car, regardless of the minor flaws in the stock setup... I didn't want the expense and hassle of trailering, and I had planned to invest in mods regardless of which car I selected... I was also consider 1) new cayman s with LSD, 2) used 911 996 to be converted for track, 3) 996 cup car, and a few others... all of those would be in the $45-75K range once all the spending was done... this one should end up less than that, depending on how aggressive you get with the mods... it may never be the fastest at a mixed class event but it is a great chassis and i suspect it will do well within a group of similar power/weight vehicles once set up

I really don't want folks to read my initial and follow-on posts as disappointment... I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THIS CAR... I've owned the first and second gen RX-7s, porsches, and lots of other great cars, and I'm confident that after sorting through these basic issues this one will be tops on my list for fun to drive and highly competitive... street and track

One more thing to keep in mind... I'm going from a mid-engined car to front-engined... so my interpretation of weight balance is exaggerated... also, FYI, I drive hard... Possible that if I shifted 300-400 rpm sooner at the track a couple weeks ago, I never would have had the overheating issue... let's get a few more data points from other drivers before casting judgment

More to come ! :) I'll start a new post next couple weeks as my modifications get done... I'll likely end up using many of the parts we're discussing

Glad to hear overall you are a happy camper...looking forward to your blow-by-blow as you get your ride sorted into a great track tool. More data points are certainly needed and will tell lots more over time. Hope it all goes well for you and not too many hurdles to overcome

cheers;)

I have not driven the 370Z on the track yet, so I can't tell you how good it is or isnt. Ask me again later this month though.

I'm with you on this. I'm not a track junkie, but do enjoy a track day now and then. I read the C&D article too and wondered about the differential and oil coolers listed as options. Now it all makes sense. It's clear Nissan knows about this issue, so why didn't they get it right?

At least they should offer these coolers as Nismo options for those that are serious track people. Really though, to me the oil/diff coolers should have been a standard part of the Sport package or Nissan should offer a "Track" model with these as standard.:mad:

I still think the new Z is one heck of a sports car value, but its aura of perfection is erroding as I learn more and more about the car. I'm now seriously debating whether to rush in and get a '09 ('cause I want this car bad!) or wait and hope that Nissan sorts the car out better for 2010.

Hey Travis.... I was coming into an exit ramp today on the highway at about 110 and I got on the brakes in a straight line to get it down to around 80. The rear end got VERY light and twitched a little bit.. I mean nothing uncontrollable, but I now realize what you meant on your post. I made sure to be going in a straight line or close to it and it still twitched to the side on me... very interesting...suspension cant come too soon...

that was pretty much the exact situation for me, except on track... somewhere between 110 and 120 on PIR straight, left into road course turn 1, braking in nearly straight line but v slightly left, and then whoa- back off the brakes and straighten out, then back on brakes hard to get slow enough for next turn

i definitely will have more confidence in high speed trail braking once i get the suspension sorted out... i think i'll also benefit from taking this car to a few autocross events

btw 2 more days to formula ford ! :)

I am very worried about this oil over heating issue. So far it is the main reason keeping me from getting a 370Z. Even if an oil cooler fixes the issue, it kinda seems like a band-aid. Maybe thicker oil would also help?

I do a lot of track days and need a car that can withstand track abuse on a regular basis.

you do alot of track days yet don't like the idea of an oilcooler.? ok then

Bump steer?

for me it felt more like the back lightening and kicking out than it did roll induced understeer

Yeah I had to get off the brakes immediately and get back on quickly before the weight went to the back again. Felt almost like a rear wheel lockup. Like the suspension isn't setup correctly. Just felt like the front loaded up and the rear got light to the point of snapping a little. Its a little worrying since I have a pair of 130 down to 90mph corners at my local track. My STI felt PLANTED, could almost just go flat through them, but if this car is doing this while just driving spiritedly on the street then something should be done.

I will let you know how the trackday goes on Sat. I just signed up.

Understeer? Lol I am yet to see even a hit on understeer in this car. Thats what Im loving the most so far.

Oil coolers are good to keep things safe, but I have never seen a car that needed an oil cooler just to run a 20 minute HPDE session. My STi never had oil temp issues in 2 years of HPDE's and I never had an oil cooler on it.

Like I said, it seems like a band aid for a problem rather than a solution to why this is happening.

wow reading this thread is somewhat depressing! Dejavu of 335 + oil cooler + limp mode long long discussions!

what i would do is go to a local fabricator and get a big *** oil cooler, or even 2 of them!! that's what the guys have done for 335's until BMW made it standard on all 335's