UAE Boost Club

Hi,
I want to tune up my stock 350z roadster automatic. (fed up of being smoked by SS Luminas)

I have done some research but I am struggling to find a reputable tuning company who would not just install one piece of kit but be able to advise me of the full package.

Ideally I would like to drop in a APC TwinTurbo but expect I may need to also do something with the transmission, brakes etc..

Any advice or experience from someone who has had something similar done already would be appreciated. I know absolutely nothing about whats under the hood I just want to put something extra underneath without compromisng the stock look of the car.

As this is my only car, I am more cautious about who I hand it over to as It's my day to day car not just something for the track.

Thanks in advance
Law

Just to add, I'm based in Al Barsha (interchange 4 of Sheikh Zayed road)

You have the most 'unathletic' Z (trim-wise).
Its a roadster and its an auto.
Any 'company' you go to will rip you off depending on how much you know. You don't need a garage to help you, you can always use this forum. Post all your queries, we'll tell you what to buy and where to buy it from. Plus there is nothing as satisfying as DIY

Hi TNT,

I'm dismayed to hear your response but deep down I know it's true re: unathentic as its auto and a soft top. I'm still keen on doing something with the engine.

I pondered selling it and going for a porsche but don't want to be like the other 50 percent of cars in my workplace's car park, so would rather invest the money in the same car.

My knowledge of cars unlike IT is zero and I live in an apartment so I don't even have a garage to 'play' mechanic in. If I did do something myself I'd probably want to start off with some simple to ease myself into it.

What would be your advice on a newbie starting out, preferably in the performance area? I'm happy to give anything a go.

Please don't tell me to sell and buy a manual coupe!

Thanks

LawCarvelli wrote: Please don't tell me to sell and buy a manual coupe!

You read my mind
It is for your own good because if you plan to go 'hardcore' later, the auto tranny just won't do the job.

I was going to advise the simple newbie mods that are intake and exhaust. But since you want to make it go considerably faster, you need a turbo. And if you get a turbo, you need an intake and exhaust system designed according to your requirements. (headers for eg. are vastly different if you turbo your car)
I don't want to confuse you anymore, so basically what I'm suggesting is: get a turbo-kit. The most simple way to do it, you'll get almost everything you need in one box and since you are a total beginner, it will be peace of mind for you.
Research on the net on what turbo-kits are available. I'm sure you'll get millions of options, the 350Z is very widely used as a tuner car.
To get you started, check out the Greddy twin-turbo kit for the Z.
One last thing, what model year is your Z? As there was a slight change in engines during its life cycle, knowing what engine your car has is important.

Here is what the Greddy twin-turbo kit looks like:



This is their official website: http://www.greddy.com/products/display/ ... ategory=15

I know this post is getting longer but one last last thing How much are you willing to spend on your car? Be aware that all the money you spend will be counted as a 'personal investment' and you won't get any extra returns while selling your car. I know that sucks

Hi TNT,

thanks for your comprehensive response. Had a look at the Greddy kit and looks impressive.

I also had a look at the installation instructions and realised I was way out of my depth! It's only easy if you know how to do it.

I know that anything I drop in the car is not going to increase the value and if I sell the car should probably be removed. If i wanted an investment i'd buy an offplan studio apartment in dubailand or something. The most I'd want to spend is about $10,000 US. My car is a 2006 350z Roadster AT.

I think I'll have to find a company that can install it for me. I may get ripped off but at least my car will be working inshallah

If you know anyone companies worth approaching I'm all ears.
thanks

there are lots of tuning companies and garages around, i suggest you order the kit online and have it professionally fitted as this is nowhere near easy to DIY.

as you said you live in Al Barsha, pay a visit to Performance Motorspares... you can find their contact details in the ROTA rims advertisement above as they are the official retailers...

Good luck

Cheers...

i also suggest you upgrade internals( pistons/connecting rods/valves/retainers/cams) to run high boost and everything else like injectors, fuel pump, ecu etc...

Injectors are included in the Greddy kit. You'll need a fuel pump though.
10k$ is a good budget and you'll be pretty fast than what you are now if you spend all of it on the engine.
2006 means its the VQ35DE, which is good news
Buy a Greddy kit online, get it shipped here and you should be good to go!

I am surprised know one has said the obvious to you yet, but i'll go ahead and break this down to you.

- You mentioned in your first post you want your car to be a reliable daily driver to get you from home to work and kick some butt on the way. Well sorry to say this but in reality that will be very unlikely. If you do decide to take the force induction path, then be ready to run into constant problems. Turbo/supercharged cars require alot of maintenance and babying. You cant run your car like you do right now, some ppl might disagree with me, but in the long run everyone knows the reliability of the engine will decrease drastically.

- I dont know if you have been reading up on the new laws, but the cops have really been putting there fist down on us and not letting us to get away with any sort of modifications. I am sure the other guys on here can chime in on there experiences with the cops, fines and there cars sitting in the pounds. You must also realize the difficulty you will go through getting your car registered every year and passing it in the inspection.

If these are risks you are willing to take then HELL YAA TURBO THAT BAITCH and lets have fun. Otherwise I would seriously sit down and re-think the path you want to take. With $10,000 you could do the basic bolt-ons and woop a SS Lumina's butt without worrying about things like reliability of the car, or the cops.
OR
You could sell your Z and put in the $10,000 and buy a better car then the one you have!!!

My intension's aren't to bring you down bro, I just dont want to see you in a position in the future which you will dread God forbid..

Good luck!!

if money is no problem to u , then go ahead but remember
it's not an investment plus u gonna need to control ur car better
ie. brakes , suspension elements such as coilovers , braces , bushes ,etc
so actually u will spend more than what u have planned for
mind u the cost to program an ecu or piggyback ecu will cost at least 5k dhms
let alone the labor charges of fitting the direct bolt-ons - if u can afford them -
so eventually u'll pay far more than ur budget , plus with auto box it won't make
u that happy - or it will if u came from toyota yaris or echo culture

why don't u pick up a top performance magazine & see the classifieds at the end
, there are a few modded Z's , one is twin turbo charged 500+whp & one is supercharged
& one is blingy with bolt-ons
if money is no issue then those monsters shall not be as well .
if u choose a different route then let us know

Nissan 350Z 2003+ with Turbonetics Single turbo + Intercooler Gain : 125 to 150 WHP @ 8 Psi(Safe on Stock Engine)

this wat Voom tunning says i think they will help u better than any 1 so jus check out with them.

http://www.voomtuning.com/turbokit.html

do let us know how much they r asking for all this.

Have you looked into TurboXs UTEC or HKS Fcon Pro for engine management?

Hi Guys,

thanks for all the feedback!

Tamu - Thanks for your post. It may seem like common sense to most of the peeps on here but I'm a complete newb so had no idea about the drawbacks regarding reliability and getting in trouble with the cops/inspections. I don't fancy having to rent a ford focus because my car is inpounded for non compliance.

After all the feedback I've got I may well just sell and invest in something faster. Hate to do it as I love the 350z and think its the best in it's class and my next step up would be a Carerra S or something. Really don't want a Porsche(yet).

The other option 'basic bolt ons to whoop a SS Lumina'. Could you throw in a few key words on what I could be looking at so I can start researching? I'm kinda guessing replacing kit thats already in the car with more efficient versions like a filter or something.
I'll pop down to yellow hat and fill up on the performance modding mags. I need to educate myself a little.

Rashood, Stonehead, TNT, ekU - thanks for all the input. Another option is to purchase a relatively cheap car that I can work on in my spare time and take the risk in kitting it up myself. Do you know what an easy car to modify could be. I'm guessing an older civic as there appers to be a million mods available for it. I really want to get into the modding scene one way or another.

Generally do you guys have to remove mods before you come to have renew your car registration? I've only been in dubai for 9 months so wasn't aware of the process. Think it's amazing some of the cars and kit I've seen and fed up of being completely confused as to how it works or how it was installed.

I looked at some chap who posted pictures where he literally ripped his engine out in his garage, installed the TT and put it back in, removing his bumper in the process. Disconnecting the steering and fuel pump etc..

Where did you learn all this info from? are you in the industry or did you just pick it up yourself?

Thanks for your help and thanks to UAE Boost. Hope to see some of you guys in the Boost Run if it ever gets off the ground.

Hi Elite Tuning,

what sort of power gains could I expect from reprogramming the ECU? what sort of cost could I expect. I'll google them both and have a look. Would this cause me any issues with the Police or renewing my registration in the future?

thanks