boredomkills

So tonight my car needs a new alternator and my sisters boyfriend was over so i asked if i could take his 350z out he told me sure. Well my car could take it in a straight line but one turn and he is gone. What would i need to handle like that? I know subframe connectors but what else ? I already have polyurethane bushings on the front end. Thanks in advance for the help.

Phatfiddler

iTrader: (8)

Wonderbar, strut-tower brace, bigger sway bars, Z28 or similar steering box, boxed lower control arms, panhard bar, springs and shocks, wider tires, lower your car....lots of things.

Stevo

iTrader: (45)

Id say

Wonderbar
Z28 36/24mm sways
Z28 steering box
Z28 springs or stiffer
Good shape struts/shocks
Good Bushings
Front end suspension in check
17s

That should be plenty to hang with him in the turns.

CaysE

Good tires are the most important part. Second would be making sure your frame is straight and having subframe connectors welded in. After that, you need to check that your alignment specs are up to par for everything suspension-related. You most likely have shot bushings where they haven't been replaced and need new springs/shocks/struts, so get all of that replaced. Servicing your steering box and replacing steering linkages will get rid of any sloppiness in the response of your steering wheel. Upgraded sway bars and a steering box brace (aka wonderbar) will give the car better steering response and more aggressive handling as well. You could top it all off with a strut tower brace as well, if you have any money left over. LOL

soulbounder

Everything CaysE said and if you still have money left over, invest in some nice driving lessons, i.e. Skip Barber racing school.

InsaneIROC

Cerberus2k7

Youre not really being equal here. There are quite a few things going on.

1. 6 banger + lighter body = better handling.
2. Is it a track edition? Because if it is, those things are MADE to handle. Brembo brakes, completely sorted suspension, etc.
3. Go test drive a Mazda RX8 and then you WILL be hooked. The Z is a drifter. Anti-Squat characteristics make it slide when pushed to the limits, the RX8 sticks like no other.

As far as making a third gen handle like that...I'm trying to do the same thing. I'm researching the IRS from a GTO right now to see how that will hold up with paired with a LS1/2 and a front coilover kit along with all the light weight handling aspects. Also, lightweight rims and brakes make a pretty noticeable difference in response. I drove a Z with stock rims and another one with lightweight Gram Lights and wow, much better feel with the lights.

boredomkills

It is the normal 350z the only thing i dont like about it is that it has no bottom end its hard to kick the back end out under throttle from a stop nothign like driving a thirdgen.

Mike-in-Orange

Really tough to compare a modern chassis to what's underneath a thirdgen.....I find ours to be about as stiff as overcooked spaghetti and it's in great shape (SoCal car with only 75,000 on the clock). It takes quite a bit to bring a thirdgen up to the standards of a Z, RX8, Miata (well, that's not fair since 2300lb cars are a whole different ballgame - physics you see), etc. Nothing against the thirdgen, it's just 15~20 year old technology is all.

OC_

You know, a 350z is not a light car. If I recall correctly, they come in at about 3200lbs. That puts it in the same weight class as a third gen. So why does it handel so much better? Geometry! Yes, that 15-20 years makes a difference; with all those computer simulations and garbage, they have come up with better geometry; but, we can overcome! All you have to do is get the chassis stiffer, those sub-frame connectors are a good start, and get MASSIVE rate springs so the geometry doesnt matter as much. Also, the '89 firebird i drive came with camber adjustments from the factory, if you have those, set them to give you as much camber as possible.

Just the other day I ran an AutoX at The Tire Rack and I ended up beating a BMW M3.

Heres the mods to the car i drive (its my bros car)
first, its an 89 formula 350 with about 68,000 on the clock. It also has the WS6 package.

tubular subframe connectors
wonder-bar
driveline from a 4th gen; (T-56 trans and the rear end)
4th gen camaro SS wheels with spacers in front. Still has the OEM SS tires.
Ibach springs (these are too soft for serious racing)
KYB GR-2 shocks
PBR brakes in front
adjustable wilwood Brake proportioning valve
and i think maybe some urathane bushings somewhere.

The car is really neutral handeling and really easy to drive. I swas shocked at how well balanced the car feels since my car is an RX-7. If this car had a better diff in it, it would be pretty awesome.

Norm Peterson

(1) Tires of adequate size relative to the car's weight

(2) Wheels wide enough to provide proper support to (1)

(3) Increased chassis stiffness

(4) Suspension tuning that suits the way you drive, where you drive, and your own tolerance with respect to ride quality. A performance-oriented alignment, stiffer springs, bars, bushings, better shocks, LCA relo brackets if necessary, etc. More, if you're going to get really hard-core about it.

I won't offer any specs or part numbers, because it all has to work together and everything too stiff (or even only one thing) is not necessarily any better than everything (or that one thing) too soft. IOW, think "balance", not "extremes".

On reasonably smooth pavement (or better), a car with IRS does not automatically have higher performance than a stick axle car just because it has the IRS. Actually, a well-tuned stick axle car is usually more predictable up toward the limit (read: it's easier to drive it that hard).


Norm

Gallileo60

Old thread, but DAMN, Stevo...I LOVE THE CAR....................IT IS AWESOME...

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

Mostly, it’s a difference in feel… with comparable tires, koni’s, springs and a proper alignment I’d be surprised if they weren’t about even on the tight stuff (autox) and the 3rd gen slightly faster on the road course).

You’ll always be fighting the heavier feel that the heavier car will have + the extra unsprung weight of the solid rear axle, but that doesn’t always translate to slower times. On a road course f-bodies tend to do quite well compared to similarly prepped vettes and other IRS cars, and are easier to drive fast for longer.

Even with the brembo’s and all the good suspension, they’re not that nice if you try applying some power to them. I’ve installed a blower on a G35 (think infinity’s version of the same car)

and essentially it turned that supple, well handling/nice fealing rear suspension into a worthless marshmallow. It wasn’t that much power but laying into the throttle in first or second gear just resulted in violent wheel hop and a totally unsettled chassis when you try to apply power in a turn.

Jproz1167

iTrader: (3)

Get a Corvette ...... Problem solved !!!!!!!