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Twin Turbo

John J’s Tale of Two Z’s – Z34 Headturner Modded 370Z & Z32 300ZX Twin Turbo.

Jul 9, 2018

Amuse Vestito Front Bumper / Carbon Signal V1 Fenders / Aeroflow Dynamics Side Splitters / STILLEN Rear Spoiler / Satin Vampire Red/Carbon Fiber 3M Wrap
Rohana RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 on Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires / Tein S-Tech Springs / Hotchkis Sway Bars / 3.7 VLSD

John J is a Z man today- though for years that wasn’t the case – and through a strange twist of fate, John found himself both cursed and enamored by Nissan’s legendary sportscar. John currently has a 370Z, but picked it up after getting over a bit of tragedy. The pic above you see is one of the photos of the car in its original form – a far cry from the crimson machine in the driveway today. After getting through his suite of Nissan 370Z Mods, fate stepped in to put the original car he’d dreamed about as a teenager and young adult in his driveway.

(Bruce Willis, Driving a Z31 300ZX 2+2 in the film Blind Date… read more about that here)

“Naturally, when I was growing up, the Z was one of my favorite cars. A cross between a muscle car and a roadster. I fell in love with the Z31 300ZX and the pointy nose driven by Bruce Willis (this is a reference to the film BLIND DATE). For many reasons, I never purchased a Z in my youth. Money, priorities, responsibilities or whatever it may be… I never even had the opportunity to ride in a Z!“
That changed one night in 1997, at what was supposed to be the culmination of an awesome night out with friends, John got his first chance to ride in a Z in the back of his dearest friend’s boyfriend’s Z32 300ZX 2+2.

Buckle up, it’s storytime, but stay with us here and you’ll see how this all comes full circle.

“At 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 1997, that long awaited opportunity turned into the beginning of the worst day of my life…”

The Z became a curse in an instant when the car they were riding in side swiped a semi tanker, carrying a fuel even more dangerous than gasoline, Aviation fuel. With the 300ZX travelling at one hundred twenty miles an hour as it struck the fuel tanker, the impact was horrific, hurling the car some 800 feet down the road, pinballing off of the guardrails along the way. Even the best engineered vehicles aren’t designed for crashes at that speed – and car versus semi crashes never end well.

John’s close friend Jenny, sitting in the front passenger seat was ejected from the car, killing her instantly. The driver was injured badly, but survived the disaster. John and another friend who had also been stuffed into the back seat were very lucky, as John and the other rear passenger climbed out of the ruined hulk with hardly a scratch… but the damage was done. His close friend Jenny was gone at the age of 22, and what was once John’s dream car had now become a continuous reminder of that awful event.

“I barely had a scratch externally… but for years after, I never looked at another Z. I had no interest whatsoever for obvious reasons that were associated with PTSD from the accident.” Seeing a Z was a trigger that brought back the terrible feeling of ‘survivor’s guilt’- something all too common among those who endure tragedies of this caliber- questioning your decisions wishing you had made one of a thousand decisions differently that night, and begging to change places with someone you loved, whose life was cut way too short.

John spent almost 20 years distancing himself from Nissan’s iconic sports coupe, but a simple trip carshopping for his next daily changed that.

“I didn’t look at another Z, not until March of 2016, when my search to lease a new Nissan Murano SUV with my girlfriend and life partner Sandy brought us to the local Nissan dealer. So we are walking through the lot, talking with our salesperson about trying to get the best lease possible for the next utilitarian vehicle I will be driving, and walking towards the entrance to their dealership when Sandy pointed at these two cars sitting in front of the doors.

Naturally, like any dealership, they had their best on display -a couple of 370Z’s were front and center. Sandy was the first to look closer and asked me to take a look at the car (noticing the affordability in comparison to leasing a Morano). So I casually glanced at the Z at first, and then I couldn’t help staring at the car. Since that night in 1997 I have always lived my life for two people, Jenny and I. When presented with a decision that puts him out of his comfort zone, whether it is jumping off of a 30 foot high cliff in Jamaica or buying a defining car in his life John has always asked himself “what would Jenny do?”.

Then it hit me. I thought to myself, I am 46, kids out of the house, I have been thinking about getting something for me, I have a wonderful girlfriend that supports me, and Jenny’s memory will be a part of this car and a part of my continuing recovery.

So, rather than the Murano, we purchased the 370Z and started our mod journey to create a car that came from my heart, and bonds me with her. The 370Z’s name is Jenny for that reason.” So out of that tragedy, John and Sandy found a way to heal, and like any good Z car, gave the car its own bit of soul – the car itself a way to memorialize a friend gone too soon. It’s not at all uncommon amongst gearheads like John, we tend to find ways to rebuild our broken hearts by turning wrenches – go to any busy car show, you’re sure to find a vehicle built in the memory of another, a way to remember those who have left our lives too soon, so our hearts never forget.

Long after John and Sandy first started their journey with Jenny, their Fairlady 370Z, a spark of inspiration nudged him to pick up a second Z… We’ll get into that other “new” car in a moment, but let’s talk about what’s been done to Jenny, this incredible Satin Red 370Z first.

As so many of us do, John started with audio -the first mod to the 2016 Nissan 370Z was upgrading the radio and audio system – and right after those, first performance parts on the list was the 370Z intake and 370Z exhaust.

After doing extensive research online, on the forums, and in the local Z/G clubs to pick other enthusiasts’ brains about what the best option was, John opted to go with a STILLEN Gen 3 Intake for 370Z, matched with a STILLEN Cat-Back 370Z Exhaust for maximum effect.

The Stillen Gen 3 intakes feed into a Custom ported upper plenum

“The Stillen Gen 3 intakes are the best in breed and every other intake is referenced to it. It opens up throttle response and lets the engine breathe. The Stillen cat back exhaust isn’t the loudest and as a daily driver I appreciate that. I don’t hear exhaust drone when cruising while hearing the car roar when accelerating. Combined, my bolt on NA 370Z tuned at 330+ RWHP (with a large chunk courtesy of STILLEN). Given their relationship with Nissan, STILLEN are who I trusted to provide the most power from my VQ37, and they came through.”

It’s no surprise the Gen III intakes are still considered one of the best possible options for naturally aspirated VQ37HR and VQ35HR engined cars – after all, we did go through fifty six – yes, 56, different prototypes before we worked out the design you’ve come to know and love that delivers the best gains available. Paired with a custom ported Upper Intake Plenum, throttle response is quite sharp.

Stillen Cat Back Exhaust / Kinetix HFCs Give the 370Z An Aggressive Roar

As far as the exhaling side of the VQ37HR’s breathing was concerned, John opted to enhance flow with the STILLEN Cat-Back Exhaust for Nissan 370Z. The oversized polished tips look great whether ensconced in the factory rear bumper, NISMO or any other option. Offering power, style and sound, the STILLEN Cat-Back is truly the complete package, offering a low-drone way to get a richer, more satisfying exhaust note out of the 370Z – you can still have a conversation with your date, codriver, business partner, dog, or whoever you talk to most often in your Z.

The etched STILLEN logo on each tip gives the system a custom-tailored touch as well. After the performance modifications, next was the exterior – a new bumper, side skirt diffusers, a spoiler and a color change courtesy a custom wrap transformed John’s 370Z from ‘little black dress’ to ‘Jessica Rabbit’ aesthetic virtually overnight.

Rounding out the visual modifications is a Stillen rear wing, custom-wrapped in Carbon Fiber look vinyl, adding a nice bit of detail against the intense satin red.

Lowered on Tein S-Tech Springs, the stock wheels have been swapped out for a set of Rohana RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 with a set of Hotchkis Sway Bars keeping the suspension compliant. Then to ensure the power is getting to both rear wheels, a 3.7 ratio viscous limited slip rear differential was fitted as well.

Amuse Vestito Front Bumper / Carbon Signal V1 Fenders / Aeroflow Dynamics Side Splitters / STILLEN Rear Spoiler / Satin Vampire Red/Carbon Fiber 3M Wrap
Rohanan RFX5 19×9.5 / 19×11 on Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires / Tein S-Tech Springs / Hotchkis Sway Bars / 3.7 VLSD

“With the continuous love and support of my amazingly supportive girlfriend Sandy, we have started this journey with Jenny. I’ve been given an opportunity to work through another hurdle in overcoming the events of that fateful night and embracing the anxiety of seeing a Z32 as an important step in the healing process… as a result I have fallen back in love with the Z.”

Check out the rather impressive list of mods the car already sports:

Current:

-Rohana RFX5 wheels 19X9.5/11 with Hankook tires

–Tein S-Tech Springs

-Amuse Vestito front bumper

-Carbon Signal V1 fenders

-Aeroflow Dynamics side splitter

–STILLEN Rear Spoiler

-iJDMToy smoked rear 4th brake / fog / reverse light

-3.7 ratio VLSD swap

–STILLEN Gen 3 Intake

-Custom Ported Upper Plenum

–STILLEN Cat-Back Exhaust for 370Z

-KINETIX HFC

WRAPPED IN:
-3M Satin Vampire Red primary wrap color with Black Carbon Fiber and gloss black as accent colors

Future Mods:

-Brake Upgrade (in-the-works… Akebono brakes currently at powder coat, just waiting on new rotors)
-34 row oil cooler (Florida life)
-STILLEN Supercharger (once car is paid off)
-Level 10 built 7AT transmission
-Quaife Rear Differential & Upgraded Housing

As fate would have it, right after Sandy and John had started talking about what their next car purchase would be. They were considering the ‘second car’s intended use – they agreed on the idea of a convertible garage queen to drive on the weekends… and then about a month ago, a neighbor two doors down pulled a gorgeous pearl white ’90 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo [Z32 TT] out of the garage.

“Naturally, I had to talk to him (though we’d only talked twice in the 5 years we’d been neighbors) about the car… and where it came from.”

“I tracked down my neighbor and got the story on the Z: It was his wife’s father’s and had been given to (my neighbors) as a wedding present. To my disappointment, he said someone had come and put down a deposit already, but did mention whoever it was had not picked it up yet – or paid in full.” With the neighbors new car occupying the Z’s former spot in the garage, the immaculate Z32 300ZX Twin Turbo now sat in the sun, waiting for its new owner to fetch it. Surely, someone who left a deposit will be back to get the car, right? Well.. maybe not.

A few weeks go by, during which time John and Sandy rented a Mustang convertible – and ended up not liking the convertible experience in a Mustang. This got them talking again about that ‘second car’, and what they didn’t like about a convertible… so a full convertible was out, but both of them agreed they loved T-Tops. So their plan for ‘a convertible’ had changed to ‘a car with T-Tops’. It should go without saying, but while Targa roofs have stuck around, the list of “Cars that Came with T-Tops” hasn’t had any new additions in a while.
‘Hmm… what car has T-Tops…’, they mused… and like a flash of lightning it the idea struck. The Z car sitting two doors down has T-Tops, and it’s no longer in a garage and exposed to the sun!

John went to see his neighbor the next day – weeks had passed and the car was still here, so he asked his neighbor what the deal was with the Z’s buyer. John’s neighbor said still the guy hadn’t come to get it and hadn’t heard from him in a while. So, John told him he would be more than happy to take her (the 300ZX) off of his hands right now, if he was good with it. While money talks, for some people, it’s also about who the car is going to. John’s neighbor accepted, saying, “Absolutely! I know you’re going to take care of her (the 300ZX), which will make my wife’s father very happy that the Z he loved went to a good home!”

“Naturally, I had to name her (the 300ZX) after the woman that has been there by my side and supported me through this journey. I call her mZSandy.

This ’90 Z32 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is clearly not stock – while that’s not our aero kit (our guess is WingsWest), the STILLEN badging in various places on the car and level of modification suggest there may be a few goodies of ours – either produced by or sourced by us – hidden in there. The modifications are tasteful while also offering a snapshot of 90’s tuning trends. John’s as in the dark as we are, and the car is currently being gone over at a Z specialist to work out what’s been done and what, if anything, it needs.

A front strut tower brace firms up the chassis of this T-Top equipped Z32, and as was the trend, there’s an abundance of red details like the wire looms and radiator supports.

Out back, the polished mufflers of a STILLEN Exhaust for 1990-96 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo gives the car a more authoritative growl, sharper response and more power on tap when the twin turbos hit boost.

While the plan for now is to work out what’s on the car, John’s planning a STILLEN Crankshaft Pulley for 300ZX in the future. Once the check-up is complete, this beauty should be a real joy to log miles on this summer.

A big thank you to John for sharing his story & photos with us and for making us a part of his build.

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed the photos.

Interested in modifying your Z? Whether you’ve got a 300ZX or a 370Z, our experts here at STILLEN can help make it even better. Check out the site at STILLEN.com, chat live with the team using the LiveChat window to ask questions and get answers in real time, call us at 1-888-250-5542 7a-5p M-F PST or just stop by the shop during regular business hours. See you next time!

LeMans 2018 Insights from LeMans Veteran Racer Steve Millen

Jun 15, 2018

This weekend is 24 Heures du Mans 2018- our friends at Jalopnik have put together this handy Guide to the 2018 24 Hours of LeMans, and so we figured, what better time to chat with an actual LeMans veteran about what it was actually like to run.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 005

Chatting with STILLEN founder and 1990 and 1994 24-Hours-of-LeMans veteran Steve Millen about the 24, we asked what his thoughts were on this years race, and some of his recollections about his own experiences at the iconic french track. STILLEN Founder Steve Millen has been applying his racing knowhow to the STILLEN range of performance parts and aero for over 25 years now. Steve Millen has had the chance to race the 24 Hueres du Mans twice, in 1990, snagging the title “Rookie of the Year” in the process, and then raced the 24 again in 1994 with the Nissan factory team, taking 5th overall and winning his class, in spite of a rather inconvenient theft, delicious french breakfast, and a mechanical failure.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 001

Editor: What do you think about this weekend’s race, taking your experience into account, what kind of a race are we in for? What’s your take on the field this year?
SM: When you’re dominant, you’re not racing anyone else, you’re racing the track, and that’s what’s happening with Toyota this year. Every so often in racing it happens that one team is really dominant and nobody can touch them, and this year, that’s Toyota. Back in 1994, we were really dominant and in a similar position. We’d won the 24 Hours of Daytona by 20 laps, and then followed that up with winning Sebring by 7 laps. We were ahead of the field, and that’s where Toyota is going into the 24. Toyota isn’t really facing any competition that can match its speed – so they won’t be racing the competition, but rather, Toyota is racing against LeMans, the track itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZHZcdEtHeg

Editor: That’s very true, in an endurance race, just finishing the race is an accomplishment. As the saying goes, ‘To finish First, first, you must finish.”, right?
SM: Right. I’ve always said of endurance races, “The Car Is the Star”, with more than one person driving, it isn’t about the driver anymore, it comes down to how good the car is. In some ways, it’s more challenging- you’re racing yourself. Toyota will be pushing the car to its limits here, and so dominant as they’ve been, it’s their race to lose.

Editor: Had the team been planning to go to LeMans that year from the getgo, or was that a spur of the moment thing?

SM: No, actually, going to LeMans was a bit of a surprise – We’d been so successful that season, we reckoned we had a shot at LeMans, and so we figured, why not go for it! So Nissan got the budget together to send us to LeMans.

Editor: As you said, Nissan’s decision to go to LeMans in 1994 was a bit last minute, do you feel like that presented the Nissan team with any challenges other teams might not have faced? Would you have changed anything on the car if you’d had more time?
SM: Certainly – if we’d had more time, we’d have done a different aero treatment for the bodywork. The car was set up for racing in the USA, on road courses where you need a lot of downforce. That meant we had more drag than some of the other teams, but we still didn’t have a problem hitting 200 at 4 different places on the track… in a car setup for grip.
Editor: The rules were also slightly different than you were expecting, too, weren’t they?
SM: When we arrived in France, were expecting to race under American LeMans rules, and when we arrived, we found we’d be racing under the French LeMans rules, and the GTP class was added and ran at the same time – that added more traffic to maneuver around, and more people to drop oil on the track, go off, all that.

Editor: Of the 4 places you’d exceed 200mph, what part of the track was the fastest?

SM: The fastest part of the track is coming through the forest out of Mulsanne, well over 200.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (8)

Editor: If you’d had time, you guys would’ve done something akin to a longtail treatment, then?
SM: Exactly, we’d have probably done something similar to the McLaren Longtails. Considering that we were running a high-grip car on one of the fastest tracks in racing, we did really well under the circumstances. The car performed well the majority of the race, until Sunday morning, when we broke a camshaft. Swapping it out took only 20 minutes before we went back out, but that still cost us time. If the camshaft hadn’t broken, we might’ve taken 3rd, or at least 4th overall.

Editor: It’s not winning, but either way making the podium would’ve been a great result.
SM: We finished 5th overall, and just finishing the 24 is an accomplishment, but we did win our class.

Editor: LeMans is certainly one of those “lifetime experience” type events, what do you most clearly remember of racing there?

SM: The most memorable thing for me, was around 5-6 am, I was out racing. The thing wasn’t the sunrise… at that time of day the air is the coolest, so the car picks up more power and is the fastest then, and as you’re pushing your fastest, you smell it. The smell of bacon and sausage as kitchens all over the french countryside begin cooking breakfast, and your stomach’s growling in the car. I almost wished I could stop, it smelled so good. I’m thinking, “Man, that smells delicious, how long til breakfast??”.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 003

Editor: As a 24-hour race, this also means the car ran at night. Is it harder running in the dark?
SM: Actually, you’d be surprised that it’s only dark a few hours during the race. At that time of year, the sun doesn’t set til 10-11pm, and rises around 5-6am, so you really aren’t in darkness for long.

Editor: Having run an endurance race myself, ironically in the parodious 24 hours of LeMons, it was hard to stay ‘on my a-game’ after an hour in the car, how often did you switch out? Was getting tired an issue?

SM: Actually, no, I always stayed in the car as long as I could, which was 4 hours, and you had to take a 1 hour break in between before you’d be allowed to go out again. Running 4 hour stints at a time lets you stay ‘in the zone’ longer, because you’re adjusting to the track as conditions change, so you don’t have to get used to them all over again so many times if you’re not getting out of the car as often, and so you don’t waste laps adjusting to conditions at the start of each stint. If someone had dropped oil somewhere, or if there was gravel on the track or something, you knew about it.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (4)

Editor: How would you say LeMans compares to other ‘iconic’ races, like Monaco?
SM: It’s more fun than Monaco – there’s so much more opportunity for overtaking, it’s one of the longest tracks in all of racing at over 8 miles, and one of the few courses that’s gorgeous scenery for the entirety. LeMans officials provided me with a caravan (or camper, as we say in the US), but the trick was that both times I ran LeMans, 1990 and 1994, someone broke into my caravan and swiped my racing suits and helmet.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 6

Editor: As frustrating as that must’ve been at the time, you did find another suit in time… it’s one of those things you laugh at looking back, isn’t it?

SM: Exactly right. It was hectic having to hunt all over the paddock for another helmet and suit, but it’s kind of funny now. *laughing* I always pictured some frenchman on a beat up Moped speeding off through town, wearing my suit and helmet.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing Heritage (7)

Editor: Wrapping up here, what are you most excited to see in the 2018 edition of The 24?

SM: The cars running now are much more powerful than what I was running in 1994, but I’m curious if Toyota will beat the lap record, rumor is they may do it. We’ll see!

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 5

Placing 5th overall in spite of unexpectedly having to share the track with GTP class, a broken camshaft, high-drag bodywork for road courses (not LeMans straights) and having his race suit and helmet stolen out of his Caravan, Steve Millen, John Morton and Johnny O’Connell took first in the class, and had the camshaft not broken and if the car had sported a high-speed aero treatment, placing 2nd or 3rd would’ve been very likely.

Nissan 300ZX TT 75 Car Steve Millen Racing LeMans 1994 7

While his professional racing career is over, Steve never really stopped driving fast, continuing to do stunt driving appearances, test performance cars for magazines like Road & Track and still occasionally takes the 75 out to select race events. This August, Steve Millen will be behind the wheel of the #75 300ZX Twin Turbo (Chassis #7) at Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway the 2018 Monterey Historics, highlighting Nissan as this year’s featured marque.

We’ll be posting updates as we revive our LeMans veteran racecar from its slumber and get our 600-1100hp monster ready to race once again.

Wanna drive the #75?

While we haven’t been able to talk Steve into letting us take it for a spin around the block, you can experience what it’s like to drive the LeMans Race Cars like the #75 yourself in incredible detail in Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Motorsport 7. After being painstakingly scanned into the game by the boffins at Turn10, you can experience what it’s like to drive these iconic vehicles on your favorite tracks.

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, people sitting and indoor

Fancy some competition?
Get behind the wheel Saturday, 6/16/2018 at The Petersen Automotive Museum, for the Michelin 24 Hours Forza Challenge. Set a laptime in the #75 or any other LeMans racecar for a shot at winning an Xbox One X and some other sweet prizes, and thank you to our friends at The Petersen Automotive Museum for playing host.

Check out the #75 in action in this hour-long race recap.

Whether you want to make your classic 300ZX faster, add more power to your modern 370Z, get more torque from your VR30DDTT Infiniti Q60 or add a 3in lift to your truck, the performance experts at STILLEN can help you do it. Call us today at (866) 250-5542, chat Live at STILLEN.com or stop by the showroom during regular business hours.

Thanks for reading, See you next time!

Check out these Jalopnik features with STILLEN:
What I learned at Celebrity Driving School

Ridiculously Awesome STILLEN GT-R Wallpaper

Make Your GT-R Glow with STILLEN Brakes

Super Clean Z32TT Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo Spotted @ STILLEN

Jun 7, 2018

It’s getting rarer and rarer to see a Z32 in good shape anymore, so that’s why when this particular example from Huntington Beach stopped by last week, we had to stop and snap a few photos. Rocking a classic red/chrome aesthetic, the chrome plated Z32 5 spoke 16’s key in beautifully with the polished tips of a STILLEN Exhaust.

Despite its age, this Z32 looks like it came out of a showroom yesterday – even the black behind the clear lens of the tail lamps was fade-free and the lenses flawless.

The contours of the car still look sharp – it’s hard to believe this design debuted 30 years ago.

From this angle, it almost looks as if STILLEN Z32 300ZX TT Intercooler Ducts are present, but it’s hard to tell.

The STILLEN Generation I Nose Panel for 300ZX looks fantastic and keys in with the car’s front end aesthetic, but it’s functional as well. STILLEN’s nose panels for the 300ZX give the Z some much needed additional airflow to the radiator, making the stock cooling system much more effective and making even better use of an oversize radiator.

A fun fact about the Z32 is that the Lamborghini Diablo used 300ZX headlamps.

Red is a particularly difficult color to keep nice, as red oxidizes faster than other colors, for some reason. The gloss and clearcoat here is flawless.

One of our favorite 90’s features was T-Tops. The fun of a convertible but without dropping the top! Unfortunately, they’re not great for structural rigidity, so they’ve mostly disappeared.

Thanks for joining us, we hope you enjoyed the photos!

If you’re looking to get more power out of your Z, G or Q naturally aspirated, this car proves that not only can it be done, but there’s a good bit of power to be had before forced induction. Call us today to see how we can get more out of your car! Shop our selection of Z32 300ZX Parts here.

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you next time.

Extremely Popular MagnaFlow Exhaust 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Jun 10, 2017

It’s always nice to be the first to market with a product, and for the extremely popular 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, MagnaFlow has beaten everyone to the punch. For the new 2017 F-150 Raptor, Ford abandoned the naturally-aspirated V8 engine in favor of a potent, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. This engine boasts improved mileage efficiency to go with its dirt-kicking 450 horsepower with 510 lb-ft torque. Announcing the Extremely Popular MagnaFlow Exhaust 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is available here.

STILLEN Product Announcement: Extremely Popular MagnaFlow Exhaust 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

For even greater output and a more aggressive exhaust note, the new EcoBoost engine can benefit from being allowed to breathe easier. Newly developed is the Extremely Popular MagnaFlow Exhaust for 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor (15366). Composed of dual 3-inch piping for reduced back pressure and improved exhaust flow, the stainless-steel exhaust system incorporates a pair of MagnaFlow’s straight through mufflers that terminate in Split Rear Exit Black Coated 5 inch Tips. Polished tips are also available in Dual Exhaust for 2017 Ford F150 Raptor V6 3.5L (19346). This exhaust allows the turbochargers to spool more quickly for improved response and output while adding a deeper, more aggressive exhaust note.

This system, like all MagnaFlow performance exhaust systems, is 50-state emissions compliant. Additionally, all MagnaFlow exhaust systems come with a Lifetime Warranty, and each kit includes all the necessary hardware and components for a complete, bolt-on installation. MagnaFlow products are proudly made in the USA.

Dyno tested and proven to make power
Performance gains in both horsepower and torque
MF Series: Balanced interior and exterior sound levels
Maintains exhaust system efficiency
Easy to install design made from mandrel-bent tubing
Welded Stainless steel construction that is built to last
Limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects

Be the first to add bark to your Raptor’s bite with this new Extremely Popular MagnaFlow Dual Exhaust for 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor today! Contact STILLEN for more information or to place your order by calling us at 866-250-5542. You can also reach us by email at sales@stillen.com or via Live Chat at stillen.com.

Best Q50 Exhaust: STILLEN 2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0tt Cat Back Exhaust

Apr 12, 2017

Best Exhaust: STILLEN 2016 Infiniti Q50 Cat Back Exhaust

It’s no secret that turbocharged engines thrive when allowed to breathe. Naturally-aspirated engines rely on some back pressure to create a scavenging effect to help maintain exhaust gas velocity. By contrast, turbocharged engines and particularly, the turbocharger(s), function most efficiently when the exhaust offers the least amount of possible resistance.

When Infiniti released the Q50 and Q60 with its new twin-turbocharged VR30DDTT engine, a new chapter in the performance passenger car segment had begun. Drawing on its experience with the VR38 engine that powers the mighty GT-R, the sturdy and underrated VR30 engine relies on its twin Garrett turbochargers to generate boost pressure. When allowed to breathe, the turbochargers really come to life.

STILLEN’s recently developed Short Ram Intake System (402856) (402856DF) has already proven to help produce incremental gains of over 20 horsepower and 33 lb-ft torque to the wheels. Employing years of engineering and manufacturing experience, along with hours of testing on its in-house Dynojet Dynamometer, STILLEN proudly presents its Cat-back Exhaust System for the 2016+ Infiniti Q50 3.0T Silver Sport and Red Sport (p/n 504450, 504451, 504452).

In the quest for the greatest gains possible, STILLEN engineers worked tirelessly to optimize this exhaust system. After several design revisions and numerous prototypes, this Cat-back Exhaust improved output with a best incremental gain of 21.37 horsepower at 4,750RPM and 23.94 lb-ft torque at 4,780RPM.

The Best Exhaust: STILLEN 2016 Infiniti Q50 Cat Back Exhaust features T-304 stainless-steel construction for corrosion resistance and durability, along with slip fit connectivity for weight reduction. The 3-inch mid-pipe mates to the catalytic converter and splits into two 2.5-inch axle-back mufflers. The mufflers terminate in your choice of three different exhaust tip finishes, including carbon fiber (p/n 504450), stainless steel (p/n 504451) and burnt stainless steel (p/n 504452). The bolt-on exhaust tips enable you to adjust the tip position for a proper fit no matter what bumper or aero you choose to run at the back. You can also purchase the other tips separately in the case that you want to change up the look of your exhaust.

STILLEN proudly engineers and manufactures its products in the USA at its facilities in Southern California.

For more information or to place your order about the Best Exhaust: STILLEN 2016 Infiniti Q50 Cat Back Exhaust
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600HP VR30 engine: fact or fantasy?

Apr 26, 2016

The Infiniti VR30 twin turbo might be one of the most hotly debated and anticipated engine design in years. All the comments flying around the forums and blogs about a “cheap 600+ whp car” might make you wonder: is it wishful thinking, or an attainable goal?

For starters, the VR30 is not the same animal as the VG30 or a similar bulletproof iron block monsters of the 90’s. It’s also not a hand-built GTR motor already making 500+ hp. Still, it’s all conjecture, and up until now Infiniti hasn’t released enough information to help separate fact from fantasy.

You may recall a few months ago we looked at the new VR30 Twin Turbo motor from an aftermarket perspective based on the information given at the time (An Aftermarket perspective on the new Nissan/Infiniti VR 3.0 Twin Turbo V6). Recently Infiniti released some “Technical Cinemagraphs” offering a closer look at this new engine. These Cinemagraphs give us a lot more information about the motor design and what we might be able to improve upon.

Twin Turbos and Two Outputs

As we already know, the VR30 will be a 3.0-liter V6 Twin-Turbo Engine with two output variations: one producing 300hp and the other a whopping 400hp. We covered the differences in the last blog post, so armed with fresh information we can look at areas we feel might yield results.

Intake Manifold and Intercoolers

Starting at the top with the most obvious (however not the cheapest) potential upgrade: the intake manifold. As you can see, the design of the intake manifold looks ideal for “packaging”. Looking at the diagram below you can see some of the restriction points as well as areas that are susceptible to turbulence. While this will work fine and is great for a the stock setup, it leaves room for potential improvement.

Take a look at the Nissan GTR Intake Manifold Design below. A larger plenum (which the OEM design doesn’t really have) helps take care of air starvation issue before the boost fully kicks in. The shape of the plenum creates less turbulence and feeds more directly into the runners. With this type of manifold, the runner lengths could also be optimized for performance. Coupled with the possibility of switching from an Air to Water to an Air to Air Intercooler setup (which would free up the space on top of the motor), a GTR-esque Intake Manifold would potentially yield serious gains.

Intercooler Conundrum

We discussed an Air to Air Intercooler setup in the last article. There are potentially limitations to the factory intercoolers as they were designed for a specific amount of power and boost. Also, with an increase in boost the almost 90° turn the air has to make could create another restriction point. If we can fit a front mount Air to Air Intercooler it could allow for a safer increase in boost and squeeze a lot more juice out of this new 3 liter.

You might say: “But STILLEN, what about the turbo lag from the increased distance between the turbo and throttle body?” While greater distance between the turbo and throttle bodies can increase the time it takes for the pressure to build, the effect is so negligible it’s not worth worrying about. The real difficulty lies with fitting all the plumbing in. We know what the Q50 engine bay looks like and an Air to Air Intercooler setup will prove very challenging. We hope that the Q60 gives us a little more space to work with. If not it should still be possible to upgrade the pump and heat exchanger for the Air to Water Setup, and/or upgrade the intercoolers themselves. However, because of the space restrictions, upgrading the actual intercoolers may be difficult.

High Flow Intakes

The next power grab opportunity is the intakes (everything pre-turbo). A visual analysis of the OEM design reveals an air flow path that can definitely be smoothed out. Understanding that Nissan/Infiniti had the parameters of the EPA to follow and NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) standards to meet, we know why they went with this design. Fortunately for us this leaves some room for improvement.

The air coming through the air boxes is forced through the restrictive panel filter, then takes a hard 90° turn over the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) which is not ideal because of turbulence created by this design. It then executes yet another 90° turn before reaching the turbos. Simply reducing the number of turns in the system and creating a smoother path for the air as it passes over the MAF will allow for more accurate readings (helpful in tuning) as well as less restriction. The restriction can also contribute to a significant power loss. On other modern turbo powerplants, we have observed notable power gains by simply adding a high flow intake which can increase the boost (boost can be limited by restrictions on the intake side of both Turbo’s and Superchargers).

Exhaust & Turbos

Exhaust system modifications on turbo cars always generate power gains. Down pipes and cat-backs are already a given for the VR30 and will be available from STILLEN. Now we finally got a look at the cylinder head to turbo interface so we can see what might be done about turbo upgrades.

Looking at the design of the turbo flange, it appears that fabricating an adapter for aftermarket turbos should be pretty simple. Though we don’t know specs on the turbos yet, it won’t be difficult to sort out good upgrade options for those looking to make a lot more power. The only limiting factor might be space, but most upgrades shouldn’t pose an issue.

We still need more information about the engine internals before we can be more specific about turbo upgrades and increased boost. However, most Nissan/Infiniti Motors tend to be pretty hearty. The old VG30’s were capable of 550-600 whp with a healthy block and the VQ37’s held up to about 500 whp on stock internals (with Turbo Kits). It seems fairly safe to assume we be able to get this motor close to the 500 whp mark without reliability issues. The 600 whp mark that everyone is hoping for might be a possibility, but it will depend on the strength of the internals.

We will be getting a few VR30 equipped test vehicles delivered to STILLEN in the next few months. We can’t wait to get our hands on them and start doing some real world testing. Stay tuned for more articles and info on the VR30 as we continue to learn more about this motor!

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An Aftermarket perspective on the new Nissan/Infiniti VR 3.0 Twin Turbo V6

Dec 23, 2015

With Nissan/Infiniti recently announcing the release of their new Twin Turbo V6, we wanted to take a closer look at this motor and what is means for the Aftermarket industry and Automotive Enthusiasts.

The all new ‘VR’ 3.0 Liter V6 Twin Turbo motor is touted by Nissan/Infiniti to be the most advanced V6 they have ever offered. With features like Direct Injection, high efficiency turbos, electronic wastegate actuator, etc, there is a lot to talk about.

Let us start with the pros of this engine when thinking about aftermarket tuning and modifications.

Twin Turbos…I repeat…Twin Turbos! Some of the most exciting times in the Tuning Scene were in the 90’s when most of the big import sports cars featured factory turbos. When a car comes factory equipped with a turbo charging system, many of the inherent challenges are solved. Is the engine bay properly designed to manage the heat generated? Is the engine able to handle the pressure of forced induction? Is the engine bay big enough to house turbos? All of these potential hurdles are instantly removed because the turbos and infrastructure are already there.
Direct Injection! Direct Injection systems have much higher flow ratings than they use so when adding power there is no need to upgrade the fuel system (to a point).
Electronic Wastegate Actuator. In the past the turbo wastegates were controlled by pressure and dictated by a boost controller. With an electronic wastegate actuator, you can control the wastegate and the amount of boost you make more accurately and variably. Nissan is using this to make more power on the 400 hp variant of this motor, and we should be able to have a lot of fun with it once we have an ECU control. If it is not possible to control the wastegate through the ECU there is always the option of using an aftermarket diaphragm style wastegate actuator and using a standalone boost controller. If and when ECU control is available it will be the most cost effective and best option.
Oxygen Sensor & Exhaust Pressure Sensor. Oxygen (O2) Sensors are obviously a crucial part of tuning. However, on forced induction motors the way O2 sensors record data is different because of the change in air properties under pressure. The addition of an Exhaust Pressure Sensor allow for more accurate scaling, tuning, and data in regards to the gases coming out of the cylinders. This means better and safer tuning when adding power.
Square Engine (1:1 Bore to Stroke Ratio). Utilizing a 86mm Bore and 86mm Stroke the new VR Motor is a “Square Engine”. The Square design gives a balance of Torque and Horse power (Torque is more dependent on total displacement while Horsepower is more dependent on valve area). With Square motor, you also get a smoother transition between the torque and horsepower power curve.

Other nice things we have noticed about the new VR 3.0 TT V6.

V-Band Coupler from Turbo to Down Pipe. This will make replacing the factory catalytic converter with a free flowing down pipe easy and leak free. V-Bands are one of the most effective ways to fasten exhaust parts together (especially areas of higher pressure and heat). Because the V-Band Coupler applies an inward radial force compressing the flange together, you have less chance for an exhaust leak with less effort of tightening.
No VVEL! Not that VVEL was inherently bad, but it was a major culprit in the heat issues experienced in the outgoing VQ engine. Nissan/Infiniti has switched to a new Valve Timing System (controlled by an electric motor accord to them).
Standard Turbos. With no mention of twin scroll technology, this could mean for more options when it comes to possibly upgrading the turbos.
Exhaust System. It looks like the cat-back section of the exhaust has not changed with the new motor. This would mean the current cat-back and axle-back options would still work. Do note, most cat-backs were not designed with forced induction in mind. STILLEN does have an advantage here because we designed our Cat-Backs to work with forced induction. This mainly applies for the Q50 as it will be the first Nissan/Infiniti to get the new Turbo motor.
Oil Filter. The location of the oil filter look very convenient for installing an oil cooler. While we don’t anticipate the VR 3.0 TT to have the same heat issues that the VQ’s had, it is always beneficial to keep those oil temps in check.

There will be some challenges, hurdles, and limitations. From what we have seen in diagrams and specification here are going to be some of the limiting factors of this motor and some possible solutions (these are just possibilities that cannot be confirmed till we have this motor to actually look at in person).

Integrated Exhaust Manifolds. While this does help reduce the size of the motor and provide some nifty emissions benefits, it does limit the capabilities of what we can do aftermarket.
Optical Turbo Speed Sensor (only available on 400hp variant). While this is an amazing tool for tuning and being able to run the turbo at peak efficiency, it does not come on the 300hp variant of the motor. This might make tuning less accurate. We won’t know till we take a closer look, but there is a huge advantage to being able to tune based on both boost and turbine speed.
Water-Cooled Intercooler System. While Air to Water intercoolers are great, they do provide some potential stumbling blocks on this motor. If you look at the location, it will be difficult to upgrade them. While upgrading the heat exchanger in front and possible the pump is fairly easy, big power would most likely require a Air to Air setup and the turbos are positioned to feed directly into the factory coolers. Just means more piping than what we’d like to add if that becomes the case.
Intake Manifold. You can see there might be some major restrictions, bottle necks, and harsh turns on the factory unit. This may be simple to remedy, but depending on how the manifold is designed and what the reset of the manifold and lower plenum look like it could be difficult and expensive. At first glance you can see some areas that look restrictive, but from other angles you can see how it is just a design feature, and not a bottle neck.
Air Boxes. Because we know the core support design has not changed in the new Q50, new air intake systems will require some major testing to see if we can place the filter outside of the engine bay. This is more crucial on the Turbo motor than the old VQ37 because turbo motors generate much more heat in the engine bay. When the new Q60 and Z are released we can see if the design is different than the Q50.

While all of this is based off of the information provided, and images available, we cannot say for sure what the potential is until we have one to do testing with. Never the less, we are very excited for the newest V6 from Nissan/Infiniti and can’t wait to start tuning them.

*Photos courtesy of Nissan & Infiniti.

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