Since the very beginning, our mission has been clear. To turn our 350Z into the ultimate street car, possessed with the looks and performance becoming of a turbo 911. The latest Z's immediate popularity has produced plenty of fine modified versions, most of which bare the latest trends from Japan. Our quest this time has taken us on a slightly different path, targeting the German-bred Porsche guise, using only the very best parts from leading Japanese tuners. Over the past several months we applied the necessary touches to both the Z's appearance and road handling capabilities. The GReddy ground effects added a whole new cosmetic aggression and while the full Tein suspension, 19x10.5-inch Racing Harts and fat Pirelli rubber keep the thing glued, it's new hunter-like stance, in our opinion, has surpassed that of the hunted.
As far as muscle goes, our factory rated 287-horsepower powerplant could only boast minor additional power through several bolt-on components.That is, until this now. If we're to see out our mission complete, it was time to set about getting some serious power and create a bite bad enough to match the bark.
For our next round of performance goodies we got serious. We decided to install a GReddy 350Z twin turbo kit and see if we could produce some real supercar-like power. The GReddy turbo kit centers around two TD05H-18G turbos, capable of producing enough airflow to produce over 700 horsepower! Such a huge horsepower gain was one of the key elements in our decision to go with the GReddy turbo kit. It comes complete with cast turbo manifolds utilizing GReddy Type-T external wastegates. Another key feature of the kit was the addition of six RC Engineering 440cc injectors controlled via a preprogrammed e-Manage piggyback ECU. Although the twin turbo kit price tag of $6495 does not come with an intercooler, GReddy offers an intercooler option for an additional $1695, which is highly recommended if you plan on running higher than the preset boost pressure of 4.5 psi.
The fine folks at SP Engineering in Azusa, Calif., loaned us their workspace for the install. I went head-to-head with their mechanic (who was working on another customer's 350Z) to see who could remove the headers the fastest. I claimed victory as I took off two headers to his one in a two-hour span. Hey, I take pleasure in the little things in life, what can I say? It was a tight squeeze taking out the headers through the bottom, but it was no match for Fast Hands Chan. The tight work area of the 350Z engine bay made working on the Nissan much harder than expected. Once the factory headers were removed we installed the Mitsubishi TD05 turbos, which was also a tight squeeze. For the driver's side we had to remove the steering rod and on the passenger side we had to remove the starter to get the turbo to fit.
As with any new kit that comes out, we hit a couple of bumps in the road on the install, but nothing that we couldn't handle and quickly resolve. Problems arose when the downpipe wouldn't fit but we figured out a solution by using different hardware. Quick to the rescue was Kenji Sumino of GReddy who loaned a hand to make sure that the turbo kit was a perfect fit and properly installed. Kenji went to work installing the downpipe and factory catalytic while I worked on soldering the new injector clips for the RC Engineering injectors. Installation of the new larger injectors required the removal of the intake manifold, which was more tedious than we had anticipated. With the turbos mounted in place and the front-mount intercooler secured, we moved to connect the intercooler piping. Kenji worked his magic and was able to connect each and every piece perfectly (I guess it helps if you've installed the kit a couple of times already). Once done, the Nissan was filled with all the needed liquids and we fired it fired up. Making sure there were no leaks we took it on its maiden run. Being cautious, we hardly went into boost but we were instantly surprise of how well the Z drove with the larger injectors. There were no hiccups or surges throughout the power band, just one smooth ride.
GReddy recommends breaking in the turbo kit for about 500 miles before getting on the boost (I know! How can anyone resist?). In our next installment we will take Projekt Z to the dyno to see how much power we can squeeze out of this puppy. Gauges will also be a must so we can keep an eye out on engine vitals on the dyno. Until then we are forced to have to drive around this amazing car for 500 miles. I know, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Editor's note: Seeking attractive female copilots.