Hey guys,i was wondering what mods can i do to squeeze everybit of power out of my 92' 300zx n/a ive already put a cold air intake on and thats about it.Any ideas. Thanks
Exhaust, headers, under/over drive pulley, one piece drive shaft, cams and a Tune. Weight reduction Remove AC, spare tyre, tools, hatch weight, aftermarket seats, lightweight battery, r33 carbon canister swap/delete. If yours has a OEM spoiler that sits low on the boot, delete it and get a third brake light panel to replace it. Remove the hatch weight in the boot. Aftermarket overflow tank next to battery etc It's going to cost alot of money to make significant gains on a NA, most people would just tell you to buy a TT and go from there. If your just on your P Plates, i would suggest saving up your money for when your on your opens, then sell the NA and spend the money on the TT. Goodluck :zlove:
Jamaine's list is pretty much it, since the NA Z is already so refined there aren't any significant gains to be made without significant money, you can pep it up a bit but even changing the cams is going to have pretty mild gains.
thanks for the reply jamaine, i would go for the tt but im still on my learners i just wanted something now thats still abit powerful and fun to drive also just an estimate how much hp would all those mods give?
I went down the same path as you, I had a NA Z on my learners as well and was eager to get more power :zlove: So from factory NA Z32's have ~220hp at the flywheel, so assuming 20% drivetrain loss thats 176hp at the wheels. Parts get old, have wear and tear across the 20+years so the power can be expected to be lower over time. With an intake (pod filter), exhaust, headers, under/overdrive pulley, one piece tail shaft I can't imagine it making over 200hp at the wheels. From past forum members experiences 180-195hp at the wheels is expected. Heres a thread with some owners with similar mods http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=253736
Take it to a dyno & see how much horsepower it's making now. When you take it home from the dyno, fit a one piece tailshaft, aftermarket seats, a light weight battery, do the R33 carbon canister swap/delete & remove the AC, spare tyre, tools & hatch weight. If yours has a OEM spoiler that sits low on the boot, delete it & get a third brake light panel to replace it, also remove the hatch weight in the boot. Don't forget to fit an aftermarket overflow tank next to battery etc. When the above tasks have been completed, take it back to the same dyno & see how much power you have gained.
Unless you have a couple of thousand to burn and are eager to learn at the same time I wouldn't go much further than an exhaust. Simply adding an exhaust can make the car 'feel' so much more fun to drive without actually going any faster. Most powerful car ive owned was a VS commodore with an RB25det swap making 199RWKW, closley followed by an S12 gazelle with a CA18det swap making 185RWKW so I am no stranger to 'brisk' street cars and personally I feel the N/A zed has plenty of poke. I had a traffic light battle with a BF XR8 last night and every single time to 80km/h he couldnt pull in front of me. Get a consult cable, make sure your knock sensor, o2 sensors and igniion timing are spot on - this will make more difference to performance than any bolt on mod to an N/A Following an exhaust the only other mods you could go for (with increasingly worse cost/hp return) - remap ECU (nistune, higher timing, richer mix, higher rev limiter - but would have to run very high octane fuel all the time) - under drive pully kit (mixed results with these but should get you a few HP for not much cash) - extractors (apparently very difficult to fit, and I havnt found a before/after dyno - given the rather restrictive design of the factory ones I would expect these provide some good gains) If you wanted a bit more power and had no limit on cash you could: high compression rebuild inc high comp pistons, ITBs, high rpm balance, cams, huge injectors, full a/m fuel management system, run it on E85/jet fuel. You could be looking at over 250rwkw with that build but don't expect change out of $15,000
Your 1992 NA Z32 is now around 24 years old, unless the engine has been totally rebuilt recently, it will probably be down on compression due to normal wear. If this is the case, gaining noticeable horsepower increases would be difficult. Cheddle - I'm not sure running jet fuel would be a good idea.
I would have to back up what people are saying about the mods not making that big of a difference. I picked up a NA zed that had pod filter, full 3 inch exhaust with high flow cats and headers and aftermarket coils, I was told it has aftermarket cams fitted, yet to verify that and was told it was "tuned". I have a dyno sheet showing 113kw and it feels completely gutless compared to my TT with a fresh engine in it on stock turbos and stock boost.
You got a dud, dude. My car makes 124kW with an Apexi air filter being the only mod - and the power added by that is probably bugger-all.
Dont forget dynos aint dynos. With as much as 30% difference depending on the day, dyno, alignment of stars and planets ect
I'm not too worried, I only got it for the gearbox and a few other bits and pieces, the engine will be going to scrap along with with the shell once I've stripped a bit more off it.
Chasing power in an NA is an expensive exercise, you're better off reducing weight and improving handling. Strip out anything that you don't need and/or replace with a lighter component, improve the suspension, buy some decent tyres and just go drive it as much as possible. Enjoy it until you feel the need for something quicker, and given you're a new driver the lack of power isn't such a bad thing. I've still got my NA and I love it. I've taken about 100-150kg out of it in the form of sound insulation, the driver's seat, battery, audio system, rear seat, flywheel, and it's pretty responsive. A/C will never be removed though, it's an oven in summer without it. Simple suspension mods with Megan Racing springs, Whiteline swaybars and Nismo dampers, plus Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Laps Winton in 1:41 with a bone-stock engine, and I'm sure I can get it sub-1:40 without adding any power or buying semi-slicks. Or you can just leave it alone and save up for a TT. Your car, your call
Okay now my 2 cents worth,,,,,, the main thing in all of this is you are STILL ON YOUR LEARNER/P-PLATES,,,,,,,, learn to drive properly first and in a manner that is not going too kill yourself or your mates or some poor innocent bystander. Yes it's all good to want to be Fangio or Hamilton or Brabham, all the power or lack of, will not save your arse if you can't drive. Worry about moar powahhhhhhhhhhhh later on down the road.
