V1H

As mentioned, here some words on the installation of the air cup suspension (ACS) system [Stanceparts Air Cup XL Suspension kit - front]. Because the regular air cups only accommodate springs up to less than 89 mm outer diameter and my TORQEN S coilover springs are 89.1 mm (d'oh!) I had to get the XL cups made to order, which can house springs less than 95 mm.The complete kit weighs 11.8 kg, the compressor, cups and air tank are solid quality! The total lift is 65 mm! (advertised were 2") I was determined to install the kit fully stealth into the trunk and wires and hoses super clean, too. Took me countless man-hours and I believe no garage fitter could ever have gone to such lengths simply coz of labour costs.First, I searched the trunk for a suitable place for compressor and tank. Given that I didn't want to sacrifice any of the Z's already-limited trunk, i.e. wanted to hide it beneath the carpet floor, choices were very limited. In fact, a preferred upright installation of the tank was impossible; the S/S-braided pressure hose points sky-wards. So ended up manufacturing a mounting bracket the tank to lie tilted at just over 90° with fixing points that align with a couple of factory bolts on the trunk floor. The pressure hose was pre-assembled and very short, limiting the compressors place, too. My Z has the Bose subwoofer, so this is my layout. Had to also make up a mounting plate for the compressor, but here I had to drill holes into the metal sheet floor. The kit comes incl. rubber mounts for vibration reduction. (There is still a drone in the car during compressor operation) I managed to retain most of the trunk floor supporting black Styrofoam, which also helps sound proofing. Note, the compressor and braided hose get hot during operation. I lined the directly adjacent Styrofoam parts and subwoofer front with some Gold Heat Reflective Tape. The tank needs to be drained from time to time from collected condensed moisture. The drain plug is now not the lowest point anymore, hence I'll have to remove it from the mounting bracket - a tight and fiddly undertaking. Can't have convenience with stealth The air line and cables first run to a home-made "control board" for clean looks, which I hid in the dip where the Bose amplifier resides, behind the seats. The Styrofoam part still fits on top w/o any trimming. Final looks, all stealth... Because the kit doesn't come with a pressure gauge I bought one of Ebay and is Tee'd off the air line. The gauge I installed in the plastic trim behind both seats for me to easily see. The kit has a pressure-activated auto-off switch, which is advertised as 120 psi (8 bar) but according to my gauge it cut out the compressor at 10 bar. I then routed air line and cable to the engine compartment, completely hidden beneath trim panels. Been a pita to get the all off The system is designed without a master switch, i.e., as soon as the ignition is ON the compressor starts to pressurize the tank until it cut out at 10 bar. And it kicks back in once the pressure drops below a certain value (haven't checked that yet) --- I didn't like this. I don't want the compressor to work each and every time I start the car. So I installed a neat-o anti-vandal style ring-illuminated button switch on the dash board with which I can switch the whole ACS system ON and OFF. Also stuck a nice label on it This switch replaces my old ON/OFF switch for the angel eye DRLs I had before. I re-used my home-made push-button controller (turns momentary push buttons into ON-OFF switches by means of a debounced flip-flop circuit) The air cups are operated with a rocker switch included in the kit. I mounted it at the center console right between the two switches for the seat-heaters. I'm sure I'll be enjoying the system with my lowered coilovers every time I approach a nasty speed bump

Thx m8. No, I plan to leave the engine internals stock due to the costs involved. the TT and supporting mods already make my wife cry I already spent £18.300 on other mods plus £15.500 for TT+supports but... psssssshh

Well I want to keep it safe and reliable. Therefore I want to limit myself to 8psi or 600bhp (500whp), whichever is reached first. I will also have a "daily drive" LoBoost setting of 500bhp (415whp), expected to be around 5psi. Yes, I will be using EcuTek for the TT. Atm, I am UpRev tuned. Too bad for my license purchase Indeed, about £2k

Thanks mate The RHD-modified turbo parts are apparently shipped and with Adrian. I should get them soon and will re-apply Zircotec primary Rangeâ„¢ Black ceramic coating (I've already had the original turbo housings and downpipes coated before I had to return them to AAM for replacement ) But I will add both exhaust manifolds to be coated as well. Meanwhile we are really just waiting for Jez@Horsham Developments to find time to install the TT kit into HaydnH's 350Z and my 370Z. I'm certain it'll happen this summer EDIT: I have completed the coating of all parts. I am ready for the install now!

Before that I have been working on installing Torqen S coilovers [#TRQZ34S] together with Stanceparts Air Cup XL Suspension kit - front [#Link]. The coilovers I set to the softest damping setting all round (0 clicks) The rear coils I set to the lowest possible ride height, but could only achieve a drop of 12 mm versus stock. And this I only achieved by taking out one of the two blue collar ring nuts on the coil seat. I feel the rear coils are a tiny bit too tall/stiff. But I'm happy nonetheless. I re-adjusted rear camber and toe to be OEM spec. The front ride height I am going to set to 36 mm drop. Toe remained unaffected, but camber is now -2°, slightly out of spec, and can unfortunately not be adjusted at the front. But -2° is nothing crazy, barely noticeable. Prior to that I needed to install the air cups on top. And because once the front will be lowered I couldn't exit my garage anymore (inclined driveway), I had to also first install the entire air cup suspension system incl. compressor, pneumatics and electrics. Hence the long delay between rear coilover and front coilover installation. Separate post on that adventure to follow. Here a pic of the stance:

A year passed since the purchase of the AAM Competition Performance Intake Manifold [#AAMC37M]. AAM finally shipped with a complimentary red ceramic coating and free-of-charge CF inserts, big thanks to Adrian@TORQEN! I took the liberty and gold-lettered the AAM logo. Now the beauty is in and I love the looks A few comments on the installation. The brass fittings were a tad tricky at first. I re-tapped all threads and all was good. (Probably cause of the ceramic coating). No biggy for me, I had all the tools. I applied PTFE tape to the threads for better seal. Didn't want to use liquid thread sealant in case I want to make use of the currently blanked spare vac ports in the future. The two front breather hoses need to be shortened cos the barbed fittings are non-stock location. But no drama at all. The MAP sensor location on the AAM unit is non-stock, too, but the plug reaches just fine once some stock tape is removed and the wire harness slightly re-routed. Because the AAM plenum is LHD-design and on my RHD the EVAP valve is laterally offset by 38mm, the EVAP wire harness gets stretched to its very limit. It feels a bit uneasy but didnt bother extending it right now. Additionally, the vac line attached to the EVAP needed to be cut short by 38mm. Noteworthy, one flange bolt is virtually inaccessible and a PITA to torque down because there's too little head room for a torque wrench with 1/4" extension bar plus swivel joint with socket with a 6mm bit, which is needed for these M8 Allen-bolts. One could get a 6mm Allen key in position but then there'd be no way of measuring torque and the key would still interfere with the two vac&coolant hard lines, so they'd have to be removed. In the end I placed a 6mm bit into this one bolt and cumbersomely hand-tightened it with a 1/4" spanner that sloted onto the bit sideways. Bottom line, taken some time it was a simple enough DIY job. Haven't had opportunity to test drive the car yet but I won't get an individual tune for it but have it all done together with the TT kit.

Oh yes, sweet 370Z fog light replacement. I already have the EVO-R LED fog/flashing brake lights. But definitely interested if it's really gonna look like modern style continuous light strip

The past week, I installed the rear side of the Torqen S Coilover kit and I am starting to desperate... I dialed in the rear ride heigth to be just 16 mm lower than stock. (Aim was 25 mm) I set the dampers to maximally fully soft. I extended the spring to its maximum possible to reduce spring force as much as possible. I even removed the smaller of the two blue collar nuts on the spring seat to literally rest the larger collar on the seat to gain an extra 8mm spring expansion. With only the spring installed (at its lowest setting) and no dampers the car would only drop by 3mm. In order to achieve the 16mm ride drop I had to heavily pre-compress the spring by massively reducing the damper length (the exposed thread above the blue locking collar measures 116mm). Consequently, the spring is pre-compressed by about 100 mm, measured at the wheel hub when supporting it with a spare jack. The tension is enough so the spare jack lifts the car at the wheel hub. When I take the car off the jacks the wheel wouldn't recede into the wheel arches by one millimeter, such stiff is the spring! I now also have zero rebounce; the wheel can't "stretch its leg" by 1 millimeter, hence the wheel cannot follow road undulations at all! The damper basically bottoms out at at its travel range. The ride quality is absolutely shocking! the rear is hard like concrete! At just 10mph on residential tarmac I am thrown around in my seat as if I went off-road! I am contemplating re-installing the OEM spring, but it'd defeat the object. I feel like having to pre-compress the springs by 100mm just to get the car to drop by 16mm is excessive and not normal. Such high spring load simply stretches my dampers to the max which would explain the rock solid ride. But from below photo I appear to have installed the spring correctly, haven't I? The spring seems simply too tall or too stiff or both to get the car any lowered without preloading the dampers to the max... Please advise Merry Christmas all René PS: for now I am forced to unload the dampers by lengthening them again so they can move midway their travel range and have to live with a stock ride height because the springs would just not go any lower.

Doesnt look quite as sexy as an Amuse Z 😜 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, the wait is long. AAM is currently test fitting their 3rd revision of modified exhaust manifold. If all fits this time the 3D printed model can finally be cast. Fingers crossed ðŸ‘🻠Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hmm.. I think the Performance intake plenum is now their 1st priority, making the RHD exh manifold their 2nd priority. They have not many employees if Im not mistaken. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What would you consider a better thermal barrier to go onto these beauties, an optional ceramic coating or wrapping, or both? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wohoo! Looks stunning 😠Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like quality engineering 😠Looking fwd to the whole project coming together at last 👌🻠Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Davectr, I also had my 370Z tuned by RS Tuning 12 months ago. Are your performance enhancements limited to drop-in filter and HFC? Stock exhaust? Cheers

I'd be interested to join and my wife even agreed to accompany me! Would be my 1st time to the Ring. But I could probably only make it in the 1st August week after which I'm tied up in family holidays.

Thx mate 🙂

Adrian hasn't contacted me yet about the short shifter. Must be still on back order 😕 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi guys, Today I've removed my hatch door dead-weight (1.1kg) and deleted the rear wiper, too. Got inspired by John I prefer the clean look and I never needed/will need the rear wiper anyway. Plug the hole with a 25mm blanking grommet from halfords, which I painted in Pearl White for stealth. Due to the reduced weight, the hatch now also pops open without latching, just like it was from factory before I added the heavier NISMO wing. Un-installation was a breeze once you got the inside plastic trim off.

😂 committed that is Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a great idea and very kind offer 😀 I'll contact Adrian and depending how quick delivery is i could meet u this Sunday or else next weekend Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd also fancy a B&M shifter, just not been sure how easy the install would be. I like the idea of tapping my Mishimoto,too. What drill size and depth did u choose and the tap got which thread and gang? Thx Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thx teejay. Still not fitted due to delays at AAM's adaptation to RHD. HaydnH's 350Z, who gets the kit intalled before me, isn't done yet. (Adaptation for 350Z, 370Z is being done at the same time) So i hope HaydnH gets finished by summer and me thereafter 😕 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Already next breakfadt meeting scheduled? Hi james how are u m8 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love it John! ðŸ‘🻠For me, Motordyne shockwave every time; the way she's meant to sound. Glad you love it too 😄 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk