Updated: May 20, 2020
The Nissan 370z (Z34) has been available here in the U.S. since 2009 and has gone through some very minor changes throughout the years, but for the most part has remained unchanged. As a car that does equally well as a street car and the occasional track day, there are a few things that can be modified to make this vehicle not only stand out from the rest, but also outperform them as well! The earlier models have come down significantly, making these an excellent choice for a project car.
The purpose of this blog is to share with you how to build a 370z that can perform equally well, both on the street and at the track…using quality off the shelf parts sold here at SHRTMotorsports.com.
What Types of Products Do You Recommend to Upgrade the Performance of my 370z?
We get asked this question often, so why not break it down here with some specifics on the types of products we recommend and why. Of course there are several ways to accomplish the same results, these are just recommendations based off our own experiences here at SHRT Motorsports.com. Through several years testing on our own and feedback from our customers, these recommendations should help you select the right parts without necessarily breaking the bank. Should you have specific questions about these products, please feel free to contact us directly for further explanation.
One of the best ways to improve the handling of any vehicle is by lowering the center of gravity and improving the effectiveness of your suspension system. We will break this down into 3 sections: Coilovers, Lowering Springs, and Sway Bars.
Coilovers: Short for “Coil Spring Over Shock”, consisting of the shock absorber with a coil spring encircling it. With a coilover setup, the shock and spring are assembled as a unit before installation. Coilovers are best known for the adjustability. Ride Height and Pre-Load are usually set with a simple threaded spring perch similar to a nut. Stiffness can be changed with the simple change of coil springs with different spring rates. The use of Coilovers also allows for additional adjustments for Compression, Rebound, and the ability for Corner Balancing.
If we were to install a set of coilovers on our car, here’s what we would use:
Lowering Springs: Lowering springs are an alternative and lower cost solution compared to Coilovers…but lack the customization. Lowering springs are designed to work with your existing shocks/struts and lower the car according to the specifications of the company that produces them. If you are merely looking for a lower stance, this is an excellent option that doesn’t break the bank. These are the springs sets we would install on our 370z:
We recommend:
Eibach Pro Kit Lowering Springs
Sway Bars: While Coilovers and Lowering springs reduce and control the amount of up/down motion when driving, the use of Anti-Sway Bars/Sway Bars/Stabilizer Bars will help with the reduction of Body Roll of your vehicle during hard cornering or over road irregularities.
We recommend:
Whiteline Sway Bar Kit with Front 27mm Sway Bar and Rear 24mm Sway Bar
Hotchkis Sway Bar Set with Front 34mm Sway Bar and Rear 28mm Sway Bar
Too many people focus on adding power and styling…and often neglect one of the most important aspects of a well rounded car – Braking. All the power in the world, and the ability to turn on a dime means nothing if you are unable to stop your car from plowing into the family of six stopped on the road in front of you. Sure, you can get crazy and spend a ton of money on a Big Brake kit for your 370z, but unless you are looking to break track records, these small upgrades can make all the difference in the world.
Brake Pads: Not all pads are created equal. Depending on the type of driving you do, choosing the right pad compound will make a huge difference. Some pads have a good initial bite, but fade as the pads get hot…others take a little to warm up and then perform better under heat. For a car built for the street and track, you want a good pad that can handle the heat and work well in most conditions. An OEM pad will work great on the street, but once warmed up…could potentially be dangerous at the track!
Our Recommendations:
Track Pads
Endless MX72 Pads (09+ 370z Sport)
Street Pads
Endless SS-Y Pads (09+ 370z Sport)
Stainless Steel Lines: As the brake fluid gets hotter, your stock rubber brake lines have a tendancy to give you a mushy feel under braking…upgrading to a quality Stainless Steel Brake Line setup will result in a more consistent and firm brake feel even as the fluid temps rise.
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines (Front and Rear)
Brake Fluid: Stock brake fluid has a tendancy to boil quickly under hard braking…resulting in air bubbles in lines and a decrease in stopping power. It is always best to upgrade to a brake fluid that won’t boil until a higher temperature is reached.
Cat-Back System: Adding an aftermarket cat back exhaust can provide several benefits, the first of which is more power. Aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to be freer flowing than your stock exhaust, usually incorporating larger diameter piping and higher-grade mandrel bent tubing for a more laminar flow. Second, installing a cat back exhaust can dramatically change the tone of the the exhaust system – usually louder and deeper, more aggressive sound.
We Recommend:
Motordyne Engineering Shockwave E370 Cat Back Exhaust System
Akrapovic Slip On Exhaust System
HFC/Test Pipes: The stock exhaust system and the catalytic converters are very restrictive. Upgrading to a HFC (High Flow Cat) or Test Pipe (no Cat) will significantly remove the restrictions of the stock catalytic converters, resulting in more power. Our Recommendations:
Motordyne Engineering ART Pipes VQ35HR
Berk Technology Test Pipes 370z
Cold Air Intake: Replacing the stock airbox system is one of the easiest ways of increasing power, torque, and fuel mileage. Adding more air to the combustion mixture results in more power and uses less fuel to power itself. This “combustion efficiency” results in an increase of horsepower and torque, using roughly the same amount of fuel. Put simply, if you add oxygen to a fire, you get a stronger fire. Cold Air Intake systems are designed to deliver more oxygen-rich cold air into the engine than a stock air intake tract.
We Recommend:
Injen Dual Cold Air Intake Kit
Motordyne M370 Intake Manifold
Aluminum Radiators: Aluminum radiators are the best way to improve cooling over the stock radiator. Not only are they lighter, but the aluminum construction has eliminated the problems associated with plastic tanks and epoxy bonding to the radiator core. Most importantly, the aluminum radiators are much stronger and more efficient that the OEM plastic radiators.
We recommend:
CSF Racing Triple Pass Radiator for 370z
Oil Coolers: We have found that Oil Temps on the 370z have a tendency to rise fast!!! To control this, we strongly recommend upgrading your vehicle with a quality Oil Cooler.
We recommend:
Stillen Oil Cooler Kit – Race Series (25 Row)
Wheels: Other than the obvious reason of better looks, choosing the correct wheel can drastically change the way your vehicle feels and performs. Choosing a wider wheel will allow you to utilize wider tires for a larger contact patch resulting in better road feel and traction.
For a Street Setup, we recommend 18×9.5 +15 up front and 18×10.5 +15 in the rear.
For a Track Setup, we recommend 18×10.5 +15 on all 4 corners.
We have done a lot of testing on wheels and found that these are the best bang for your buck: Lightweight, strong, and affordable
Tires: Choosing the right tire can be a daunting task with the amount of variables to consider. There are many different types of compounds and sizes to consider. Depending on the type of driving you do or what class you plan to run, will determine which tire you should use. For the best overall performance of a street/track and staying within budget, we recommend going with something like these:
Zestino Gredge 07R (240 treadwear)
Hankook RS3 (200 treadwear)
Zestino 07RS (140 treadwear)
Toyo R888 (100 treadwear)
Nitto NT01 (100 treadwear)
Recommended Tire Size/Setups
Street Setup: 245 or 255/40/18 front with 275/40/18 in the rear
Street/Track Setup: 265/35/18 front with 285/35/18 in the rear
Track Setup: 275/35/18 square on all four corners
As always, there is always more than one way to accomplish the same results, these are just a few of the parts that we know are proven and reliable. If you have any questions, or would like help choosing the right parts for your project car, we can help you find the right parts for your needs and budget!
Give us a call at 919-297-8087
*Wheel/Tire recommendations/testing by Len Novak.
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