Slow Burn 350z Build - 2004.5

[heterofrogs1]

It's not looking very lively in here nowadays but I'm going to start a slow thread as I begin to make progress on my Z. 

 

Throwback to Jan 2024 - 65k miles and bone stock. Now sitting at 78k miles and slightly more rust. 

 

Since then it's had more age-related repairs than mods: steering rack, fan pack, tie rods etc. Safe to say I have become a frequent annoyance to ZMANALEX 🙏

 

Starting small, in Feb 2025 I took the headliner and centre console out and sprayed them both black. Used a textile dye for the headliner called Fabricoat from Amazon. Finished product looked good but it took almost a week to dry inside my house and it is STANKY. Console was just a Halfords special. Also wired in an aux cable mod into the tape deck, then mounted a 3.5mm jack inside the cubby behind the handbrake. I've never been a fan of aftermarket headunits, they just look out of place. Also had to replace the notorious amplifier relay which was cutting out. 

 

 

 

 

Then a couple of months later I picked up some 20mm & 25mm spacers from TORQEN. I'd recommend a set of spacers even if you don't do any other visual mods, it makes the car look how it should have from factory. 

 

 

 

 

Very minor thing but I sparkled my exhaust tips just before Japfest 25'. Was hoping to go again this year but tickets were gone by the time I checked. I'll be in the peasant park with the Fiesta STs 😔

 

 

 

Now for the centrepiece. I had wanted a Charge Speed rear bumper before I even owned a 350z and so I set about finding a replica as genuine brand-new ones are £1.5k without paint or the carbon diffuser. Found one but it's been in storage for a year whilst I figure out what to do with it. Fast-forward to this weekend and I found a genuine Kuro black CS bumper on Ebay that's 15 minutes from my house. Had to be done, no regrets. I now own two CS bumpers. 

 

 

 

Fitment is 98% there, as soon as the weather allows I'll go back in there and tighten up the gaps. Then it's onto the next battle. Diff bushings & clutch 😟

 

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 12:04 by heterofrogs1

[marzman]

Great result on the CS rear - i always wanted one of these. Spacers make a big difference too. Looking good. 😎

[ShortPaul]

Hi buddy, keep the updates coming,love the CS bumper,I had one on my first zed👍

[Andy_Muxlow]

Love the charge speed rear bumper. I was fortunate enough to have 1 when I had my 1st 350z. I never got a chance to fit it though as someone offered me a small fortune for it, so it had to be sold.