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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!

How To Hit The Track Without Overheating (In a 370Z or anything else!)

Jun 11, 2018

If there’s one thing you need to know about getting a racecar – or your car – ready for a trackday, you need to know that heat management is critical to performance and reliability.

What we’re discussing here is applicable to a wide variety of vehicles – today’s high performance trackday darlings all suffer from cooling issues when driven in anger for more than a few laps – the Civic Type R, E92 BMW M3, Shelby GT500, Focus RS, Dodge Viper, Mitsubishi Evo X and Corvette Z06 all come to mind- these are just a few examples, and they’re by no means the only ones.

DetroitSteel’s Track Report from a Corvette Forum, C7 Z06 Overheating after a track session

Going fast makes things get hot. Heat kills engines and transmissions faster than anything else, which is why Auxiliary Cooling is so important. As STILLEN founder and Championship-winning Racer Steve Millen puts it,

“In racing, heat is the enemy, and this applies to brakes, transmissions, engine intake, engine oil and water, steering etc. Until the racecar has all these areas under control, the car will not be able to reach its potential consistently. In a race car, the driver also needs a supply of fresh air- not necessarily cold air.”

In very loose technical terms, excess heat reduces horsepower output, depletes oil of its lubricant properties and burns its additives, and increases wear, and with that comes much higher risk of failure. Cooling your car where it needs it and ensuring airflow is getting to the right places makes all the difference in getting consistent performance on the track.

While in this article, we’ll be focusing on the mechanical half of the equation, it’s absolutely worth saying that the driver needs to have fresh air too. Cars on a racetrack are hot, so do remember that there’s a human in there that you have to consider, too. After baking for an hour at 120*f+ in a racecar, judgement begins to slip, you -will- get sloppy, and end up with performing more like a drunk than Senna. Speaking from personal experience, after an hour behind the wheel in the amateur 24-hours-of-LeMons, I was nowhere near as sharp and my line was getting sloppy around the time came to rotate drivers. So to keep both car and driver performing their best, fresh airflow is important.

With that said, let’s get into the cars.

As the saying goes, “To finish first, first you must finish.”

This statement is true, and applies just the same whether you’re an amateur racing the 24 Hours of LeMons in a beat up 80s BMW or a professional at the 24 Hours of LeMans in Porsche’s latest and greatest. The car’s potential for speed is meaningless if it doesn’t finish the race. While yeah, “Nobody but the guy in second remembers who finished second.”, it absolutely is an achievement to finish the race.

Manufacturers Know You’re Not A Racing Driver

Managing heat is incredibly vital on track, yet the reality is, since 99% of all performance “track day” cars will never see the starting grid, so, logically, from an OEM’s engineering standpoint, the cooling systems are setup to perform flawlessly for the way 99% of people will be using them. That’s travel, commuting and running errands, not racing. Since the majority of vehicles are engineered to perform well in daily driver conditions, rather than expecting everyone to be Parnelli Jones behind the wheel.

Obviously, enthusiasts like you and me want to take our performance vehicles to the track and explore the capabilities of our vehicles in a safe, sanctioned environment -we’re going to track the car. If you’re part of that 1% who is capable of pushing the car to its limit or even exceeding that, or just want to enjoy a fun afternoon at the track, we highly recommend looking at your cooling system to ensure your trackday fun isn’t cut short by limp mode or worse, engine damage.

Almost without exception, today’s performance cars benefit from auxiliary cooling, especially if you plan for track use. Given our experience with the platform, we’ll be using the Nissan 370Z as our example for this discussion, as the 370Z’s heat management in particular leaves a lot to be desired for racing use. Recalling our experiences testing and doing R&D, Steve Millen noted that,
“From the redesigned nose to all the auxiliary options, there are many improvements to be had (on the 370Z).”

Designed as a GT car, like virtually all ‘performance’ models, the 370Z was engineered for street use, the considerations necessary for racing simply are not needed because most people will not drive the car on a track nor are they capable of pushing it to its limits,

HEAT IS THE ENEMY

FLIR Image of IMSA BMW Racecar at VIR, via IvyTools blog shown for illustration purposes

As Steve pointed out, heat is what kills everything in the car- you included. Just as you may not feel so great when it’s 140*f in the cabin, your engine and other vital systems don’t do well when overheated. Just take a look at the Infrared image above – this infrared camera shows thermal energy as being yellow, red and white, while cooler objects are blue and purple. The whole car is quite warm after a session, giving you an idea of the thermodynamics at work after a few hotlaps in your own car.

The STILLEN front bumper for the 370Z blends both form and function. Explicitly designed to provide superior cooling and enhanced aerodynamics, it features a larger radiator opening, provisions for an oil cooler and transmission or power steering cooler as well as brake duct mounting provisions. Furthermore, it features an inlet to route air to the engine’s air intake as well.

There’s More Than Just Coolant – Going Beyond the Radiator

There’s more to effectively cooling your vehicle on the track than just the radiator- there are many pieces of the puzzles to account for in order to have the car consistently perform on track. Let’s start with the most obvious – the engine itself. Imagine you’re running Streets of Willow, making good time, nearing the end of your 2nd hot lap when suddenly an error pops up on the infotainment screen and power falls on its face as the car goes into limp mode, warning of overheating. Your engine has both coolant and oil, and both fluids are responsible for pulling heat out of your engine.

In the 370Z’s case, the radiator unit itself is fine, the opening feeding it is undersized and could be more efficient with better airflow through the front fascia. It’s not the coolant that’s overheating, it’s the engine oil itself. There are some caveats to this, some cars, the radiator is the issue – the Fiesta ST, for example, needs a larger radiator to hold up to a trackday on a tight, technical course without many long straights to force a bunch of air through the cooling system. In other cases, ducting, clever undertray or radiator fan shroud can resolve coolant temperature issues.

When your oil heats up, it expends its protective additives and its lubricant properties are diminished further and further the hotter it gets – and these don’t come back once it’s cooled. Keeping your oil cool keeps the engine cool, and also has the benefit of keeping your oil in the temperature range it was designed to operate and protect your moving parts in. By keeping your oil properly cooled, it ensures everything is lubricated as it’s supposed to be, helping extend oil life and stave off engine failure.

This means your engine can’t perform, and being riddled with more sensors than you can shake a stick at, your car’s ECU realizes “The engine oil is too hot! I better turn down the power to protect myself!”, and voila, you’re in limp mode.

But wait! My Car’s Not A Race-Car, I just track occasionally. Do I really need an oil cooler?

On the surface, outside of track use, adding auxiliary coolers might seem unnecessary – but let’s take a look at a real world example of how useful they really are. This story is a bit on the longer side, but stay with us for a moment here.

Auxiliary Cooling – The Reason Why A Crown Vic PPV Can Last 1 Million Miles

If you want to know how effective auxiliary cooling really is – just look at venerable Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Your average USA-spec Police Interceptor boasts a slew of auxiliary cooling addons– oversize power steering coolers, transmission coolers and engine oil coolers are all typical upgrades for a standard police vehicle. These aren’t race cars, but they are subjected to a harder life than your average car, as they’re required to idle for extended periods of time and occasionally need to be pushed hard during a pursuit.

Now here’s the rub. The civilian, NON PPV Crown Vics tend to have a service life of around 150k or so before failures begin to happen – and yet tens of thousands of police interceptors are still on the road, decades after retirement with north of 350k (some with as many as 1,000,000 mi!) on them, still running on their original engines and transmissions. Since the auxiliary cooling is one of the few differences between a civilian car and a PPV, it’s reasonable to infer that the auxiliary cooling is what’s responsible for the long lifespan.

It’s a testament to the long-term value of good auxiliary cooling. While the immediate on-track effect is what you’ll immediately notice, it’s the lengthened lifespan that’s the REAL value.

Adding an oil cooler – such as the SETRAB Oil Cooler Kit for 370Z (400637) will help keep the engine oil temperature where it’s supposed to be, and because there is more oil volume, it doesn’t heat up as quickly, all of which contributes to keeping Limp Mode at bay. This doesn’t apply only to the 350Z and 370Z and their VQ engined sistercars, but really, most of today’s performance vehicles can stand to benefit from an auxiliary oil cooler.

Most oil cooler setups use a ‘sandwich plate’, which is ‘sandwiched’ between the oil filter and the engine block, and diverts the oil that would go directly to the filter through the lines and to the auxiliary cooler, before returning, passing through the filter and returning to the sump.

With the oil itself resolved, the next issue is steering. Yep, you can overheat that, too. For the same reasons you get brake fade, power steering can overheat and fade as well if you’re negotiating esses lap after lap.

Power steering fluid heats up too, especially negotiating esses lap after lap. With wider or larger diameter wheels under aggressive driving conditions, you’re seriously risking boiling or cooking the power steering fluid. By replacing the undersized OEM steering cooler with a STILLEN Power Steering Cooler for 370Z (400736), you’re increasing the volume of fluid, so once again, it will take longer to heat a greater amount of fluid – and a larger capacity cooler will keep fluid temperatures in check.

Of course, if you have an automatic vehicle, you’ll want an Automatic Transmission Cooler. This upgrade is a “Mandatory” item for anyone considering tracking their car with an automatic. Your automatic transmission is particularly vulnerable to heat, and keeping its fluid safely within its operating temperature will go a long way towards keeping your automatic transmission from failing. While the gear oil in a manual can get hot, too, this is not really an issue, whereas too much heat in an automatic makes bad things happen fast.

If your Z, G, Q, Titan – or really any car, is equipped with an automatic, an automatic transmission cooler (400740) is critical if you plan to push the vehicle hard in any way – such as towing, or if you live in a hot climate, or plan to regularly track or race the car.

That brings us to the ‘elephant in the room’ with auxiliary cooling – the brakes, and on the 370Z in particular, these are an issue. This isn’t an issue for many cars, but for ones with more closed-off front ends, this may be an issue.

The factory front fascia as well as the Nismo front bumper don’t allow enough air to reach the front brakes, causing them to overheat quickly and fade to the point of outright failure. It’s not the brakes’ fault – the Akebono Calipers and rotors on later Nismos work great when given adequate airflow. There are a variety ways you can do this – in the case of the 370Z, we engineered a brake cooling kit to resolve the issue.

Since the brakes aren’t getting the airflow they need, we engineered a solution to that problem. Vented brake rotors are an air pump, and the vanes work a lot like the impeller blades of your water pump. Air is drawn in from the backside of the rotor hub, then passes through the vents of the disc, before exiting through the outer edge of the disc. Cross-drilling provides an additional exit path for hot gasses as well as more surface area for thermal transfer, and slotting helps keep brake pad debris from accumulating on the rotor. To solve the problem, we used the same high-temperature ducting we use on the #75 Nissan 300ZX IMSA racecar, feeding the brakes cool, fresh air.

Our solution was to CNC engineer a special backing plate that installs between the rotor and hub – we opted for bare metal here, as any powdercoat or paint would add thickness and potentially throw off the car’s sensors. The duct outlet is positioned to feed cool, fresh air into the brakes, allowing the brakes to function properly instead of heatsoaking and invoking the notorious ‘370Z Ice Mode’. While this solution is specific to the 370Z, the same principles can be applied to virtually any car with vented disc brakes with brake fade issues.

If you’d like to know more about the Brake Cooling Ducts for 370Z, check out our blog post on those here.

That covers the basics of auxiliary cooling – with these supporting modifications, you have the peace of mind to confidently enjoy your trackday and perform as well as your skill allows, rather than ending the fun with a DNF.

By giving your engine a larger radiator if needed and an auxiliary oil, power steering and automatic transmission fluids, your powertrain has the cooling it needs to survive the abuse of enduring a trackday in southern California heat.

If you’re interested in getting your car ready for your next trackday, call us at 866-250-5542 to speak with our experienced performance Specialists, or chat live with the team at www.stillen.com – thanks for joining us! Catch you next time.

Must Have for Z34 Brakes: STILLEN Nissan 370Z Brake Cooling Duct Kit

Mar 30, 2018

STILLEN is proud to offer this new brake cooling option for Z34 Nissan 370Z owners looking to improve track times and lower brake temperatures. The Nissan 370Z‘s nose is famously restrictive, which prevents the brakes from getting enough airflow to adequately cool themselves, resulting in infamous brake fade issues on the 370Z. The airflow problem on the 370Z is enough of an issue that even high performance brake rotors, pads and fluid don’t help that much, which is what led us to develop this MUCH NEEDED brake cooling kit.

Made using the same high-heat motorsports-grade ducting used on founder Steve Millen’s #75 Nissan 300ZX Race Car, this kit is of quality you couldn’t replicate yourself at the hardware store. Dryer vents, these are not. These kits can be used with both Stillen Sport Rotors and Metal Matrix brake pads, AP Racing Brake Kits, and other 370Z Brakes

STILLEN Nissan 370z brake cooling kit

The way your brake rotor cools itself is by throwing hot brake gases out through the vents along its outer edge, drawing in fresh air from the center of the rotor. Designed to fit PERFECTLY on your wheel hub at EXACTLY the right clearance, the brake duct mounts on the wheel hub are not powdercoated to ensure each metal duct is precisely the thickness specified to ensure there are no ABS/TCS/sensor issues.

This cooling kit fixes the 370Z’s fatal flaw – while the kit it a little on the spendy side at $358 or so as of press time, consider – it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than your insurance deductible would be – not if, but when – brake fade inevitably rears its ugly head and puts your 370Z into so-called ‘ice mode’.

The efficient design of the STILLEN 370z brake cooling kit can lower brake surface temperatures by as much as 25%. Or as much as 140F. (Yeah that’s a lot of heat). The best part about this kit is it can be used with just about any brake set up and it works perfectly with the STILLEN 370Z front bumper for 2009-12 Z34 Nissan 370Z (STILLEN 370Z bumper fang inserts required) or the Stock 370z front bumper, WITHOUT any cutting.

STILLEN Brake Cooling Kit Installed - Works On the Stock Bumper or STILLEN Bumper

STILLEN 370Z Brake Cooling Kit Installed – Works On the Stock Bumper or STILLEN Bumper

We spared no expense in the quality of components of this kit, from the High Temperature hoses to the CNC machined stainless steel mounting brackets. We made sure that everything fit perfectly and worked perfectly.

STILLEN Z34 Nissan 370z brake cooling kit installed

After we made sure all the components of the kit fit properly, we decided to take our test vehicle to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA for some serious testing.

We installed the Nissan 370z Brake Cooling kit on one side of the vehicle and left the other side untouched. We then installed temperature sensors on both sides of the vehicle to give us our comparison figures.

Steve Millen Testing the Z34 Nissan 370Z Brake Cooling Kit

The results ended up being much better than we expected, and we saw a difference in over 140 F between the two sides. In case you’re wondering what the advantages of running cooler brakes are, here’s a quick list:

Decrease in braking distance – Reduction in brake fade
Prevents warping – Reduced chance of pad glazing – Extends life of brakes
Reduces the chance of brake fluid boiling
Decreases the chance of catastrophic damage to brake system
Improved track time and longer track sessions

Below is an illustration on how brake discs vent out heat under operating conditions, as you can see from the illustration, brake temperatures will substantially increase under periods of prolonged use. Our 370z Brake Cooling kit is specifically designed to reduce brake surface temperatures by supplying a constant stream of fresh air to the brake rotor, allowing it to vent out heat more efficiently.

Diagram of STILLEN Rotors

How did we get these results? Here’s the methodology we used.

As we mentioned, testing was performed with the brake cooling kit connected on one side, and not the other. Thermo-couplers were installed on the inboard friction surface of the rotors and connected to professional, race grade, data logging equipment. This testing environment ensured accurate readings under identical testing conditions. During testing the non-cooled rotors reached 600 degrees while the cooled side only reached 456 degrees. This is a temperature difference of over 140 degrees or 25%. The Brake Cooling Kit outperformed our expectations, and decreased rotor temperatures by 25% from side to side. The cooling kit spent a good amount of time with STILLEN’s engineers, and the results are a testament to their dedication and hard work. Testing showed not only does this kit keep the brakes cooler, but it better manages the temperature keeping the rotors at a more consistent temperature thus reducing the thermal cycling of the rotor.

From weekend warriors to the occasional autocross 370z owners, The STILLEN 370z Brake Cooling Kit is sure to become a “must have” item.

Check out the STILLEN Nissan 370Z Brake Cooling Kit Review over on MotoIQ to learn more about this kit and see what MotoIQ’s impressions were.

Review: STILLEN Brake Cooling Kit for Nissan 370Z by MotoIQ!

Mar 21, 2018

Here at STILLEN, we’re pretty proud of the products we make. We know firsthand how much time and effort goes into sourcing the correct materials, developing the perfect design and testing the prototypes all so that we are 100% confident that the aftermarket parts our customers are putting into their cars are the best they possibly could be. We tested our brake cooling ducts for Nissan 370Z on a real race track and verified everything worked with cold, hard data – but of course, the standard for any experiment is that someone else should be able to repeat your experiment and get the same result – so of course, we were happy to give our friends at MotoIQ the chance to test our brake cooling ducts for themselves.

As proud as we are of the parts we make, we are even more proud when a third party recognizes a STILLEN part for its quality. Needless to say, the office was abuzz this week when we found out how well the STILLEN brake cooling kit for the Nissan 370Z did in MotoIQ’s Project 370Z Brake Cooling Duct Review article!

Project 370Z Article Summary

As the article mentions, the goal of Project 370Z is to get some track time with their 370Z. As improvements to the car have led to improved lap times, they have also led to more stress on the brakes. With this in mind, the team decided it was time to upgrade with the STILLEN 370Z brake cooling kit. With that decision made, it was time to actually install the kit and test it. By this time, most of the STILLEN team was on the edge of their seat wanting to hear how our in-house testing was comparing to MotoIQ’s third party testing. Checkout the quote below to see how our brake cooling kit fared:

“With the brake ducts covered, the right front caliper temperature peaked at 272 degrees Fahrenheit, and the rotor at 529 degrees Fahrenheit. The Left front caliper reached 259 degrees, with the rotor at 550 degrees. Once the ducts were opened, both the left and right side caliper dropped 44 degrees. The right front rotor dropped 156 degrees, and the left front rotor dropped a whopping 216 degrees! This is a significant reduction and spot on with STILLEN’s in house testing at the same track. We were truly impressed with the numbers.

Also, the brake feel and control stayed more consistent throughout the session with the ducts functioning. Any 370Z that sees a decent amount of track time should look into purchasing this kit, it’s a cost effective way to give yourself a higher temperature threshold for your brake system and also prolong the life of the wear items, such as pads, rotors, piston seals, and brake fluid.” – Clint Boisdeau, MotoIQ

Get More Information On the STILLEN Brake Cooling Kit for Nissan 370Z

For more information on this great brake cooling kit check out the full article on MotoIQ here, check out our writeup on the STILLEN 370Z Brake Ducts here or visit www.stillen.com for more details.

If you would prefer to speak with our experts about this kit or any of the other Nissan 370z parts we sell, please call 866-250-5542 and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.

The HUGE Benefit of Lightweight Flywheels for Nissan 350Z, 370Z, G35, G37 & Q60 3.7 [Z33/Z34]

Mar 13, 2018

Lightened Flywheels for 2003-06 Nissan 350Z [Z33], 2003-07 G35, Nissan 370Z [Z34] & Q60 3.7
Don’t Miss this Upgrade When Upgrading or Replacing your Clutch – Get More WHP & Faster Response

Most enthusiasts know that replacing the OEM clutch with a high performance unit transfers more power to the ground, improving acceleration and performance. What not everyone realizes is that there are two sides to the clutch system besides the disc and pressure plate – the flywheel is just as important.

When it comes time to replace your OEM clutch, or if you’re thinking about upgrading to a high performance clutch in your Nissan 350Z or Infiniti G35, 370Z, G37 or Q60 3.7, you’re likely worrying about stuff like how many pucks your clutch has and its friction material – but you’re probably not thinking about your flywheel and really, missing this upgrade while you have everything apart during a clutch install is doing yourself and your Z, G or Q a disservice.

What not everyone realizes is that a lightened flywheel is one of the best modifications you can make to any manual transmission vehicle. So? The engine feels much more powerful and responsive- the whole car generally feels more lively. A lightened flywheel won’t ADD horsepower or torque, but rather, with it, you regain power and response that is normally consumed by drivetrain loss. By reducing some of the loss from the drag of the drivetrain on the engine, more engine power makes it to the wheels.

Flywheel Animation via Wikipedia Commons

What does a flywheel do, anyway?
To understand why a lighter flywheel makes such a big difference in performance and response, you need to understand how a flywheel works. To put it simply, a flywheel is an energy storage device – the flywheel stores inertia energy. The purpose the flywheel in your car serves is smoothing out the fluctuations of torque on the crankshaft, as well as helping to maintain engine speed (RPM) at a designated level. In other words, the flywheel helps keep your engine from stalling as you feather on the clutch when taking off from a standstill, for example.

How does a flywheel work in practice?
Ever play with one of those “pull-back” toy cars as a kid? Those pull back toy cars rely on a flywheel to work. The wound up spring spins a flywheel, the spinning mass of the flywheel creates inertia, meaning the flywheel wants to keep spinning, thus keeping the toy car moving after the spring has delivered its initial thrust.

Imagine trying to run in work boots. Now imagine trying to run again after changing the work boots for a pair of running shoes. Same idea. As your engine turns, it takes some energy to get the weight of the flywheel moving. In turn, the flywheel wants to keep moving, helping smooth operation and idle. The more mass a flywheel has, the more energy it will take for your motor to gain RPM. Most manufacturers opt for a heavier flywheel, the reason being that it makes the engine less likely to stall and much easier to use in stop-start traffic. When you reduce the weight of the flywheel, the vehicle feels more powerful as a result, because less energy is required to overcome inertia and get the flywheel moving. As a result, more of the engine’s motive power is transferred to the wheels, and since there is less weight holding back the engine, it will gain and drop revs more quickly as well.

There’s an anecdote that illustrates this brilliantly, funnily enough from an old Kung Fu movie, but hear us out here. So, there’s this climactic fight between two skilled fighters. The whole movie, one fighter is always seen wearing heavy ankleweights… but even with the weights on, he’s very quick, but his opponent is even faster. Just before the fight, to everyone’s surprise, the guy removes his ankle weights. With the resistance of the weights gone, the fighter has use of his full potential, giving him the extra performance needed to best his opponent. That’s effectively what’s happening when you fit an engine with a lighter weight flywheel.
Removing the unnecessary resistance unleashes your engine’s full potential.

Your Flywheel & Clutch Are Both “Wear Items”

Most people don’t consider that your flywheel wears out, just like your rotors wear away on your brake system. Not everyone realizes the flywheel’s friction surface wears out too, so some folks neglect to resurface or replace their flywheel when installing a new clutch disc, and that’s really only doing half of the job. The clutch grabs onto the flywheel’s face, wearing it out as well as the clutches’ friction material, so like your brake pads, rotors and clutch, it too is a wear item and should also be serviced whenever you’re replacing the clutch.

On the Nissan VQ engines used in manual transmission-equipped 350Z, 370Z, G35 , G37, and Q60 3.7 the difference is especially noticeable. In the 370Z and its VQ engined sisters, the OEM flywheel weighs in at a whopping 25-26lbs – by contrast, the STILLEN Flywheel for Nissan 370Z and Infiniti G37/Q60 tips the scales at only 14.25 lbs, a difference of more than 10lbs. For the earlier Z and G models, the STILLEN Flywheel for Nissan 350Z / G35 offers similar weight reduction.

As the flywheel turns, centrifugal force and inertia make the flywheel act as if it is many times heavier than it is, which holds your engine back significantly.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

As an alternative, the ACT Streetlite Xact Flywheel for 370Z, G37 and Q60 3.7 is slightly heavier at 17.4lbs, and that’s still a big improvement over the stock 25lb part. The additional mass makes it just a bit friendlier on the street while still offering the benefits of a lightweight flywheel, and it’s a good bit less expensive at just $366 (as of press time).

The tradeoff is that this flywheel is non-serviceable, so once you’ve worn it out, you’ll need a new unit (as opposed to resurfacing or replacing it), and of course, it will be a little slower to drop or gain revs compared to the STILLEN unit because the ACT unit is 3lbs heavier, but it’s still a significant improvement over stock.

Face to Face: The black disc on flywheel is what makes contact with the face of the clutch

The clutch and the flywheel are as critical to each other as peanut butter and chocolate are to a Reese’s cup – it’s not a Reese’s without both, so be sure to service your flywheel whenever you replacing the clutch. Doing one without the other is kind of like replacing just your brake pads without servicing the worn out rotors. While yes, it’ll bolt together if you skip replacing the rotors during a brake job or resurface the flywheel when doing a clutch, it’ll ‘work’, but it won’t perform as well as it should or could.

More Affordable Than You Think

The other thing is, the 370Z, G37, Q60 3.7 and late-production 350Z models use a dual mass flywheel. What this means is that the average machine shop cannot resurface it, it has to be sent out to a specialty machine shop, meaning that for many people, an expensive OEM replacement flywheel is the only viable option.

Trouble is, a replacement OEM flywheel is a whopping $1200 USD at press time. By comparison, the STILLEN flywheel is less than half that at $535 USD (at press time), saving you nearly $650. What’s unique to the STILLEN Lightweight Flywheel for 2008-10 Nissan 370Z is that unlike virtually every other lightened flywheel available for these cars, the STILLEN flywheel is rebuild-able. This means that when its friction surface wears out, you’re only buying a $125 replacement component. With a flywheel that is not rebuildable, you’ll be stuck buying a whole new flywheel when it wears out.

The reality is, if you’re upgrading or replacing your clutch, you’re already doing the majority of the labor needed to install a lightweight flywheel. That makes a lightweight flywheel the perfect “While I’m At It” mod.

For your convenience, STILLEN also offers a flywheel and clutch package, the STILLEN High Performance 350Z / 370Z / G37 Clutch / Flywheel Combo, which includes the STILLEN Flywheel, an ACT Clutch / Pressure Plate and of course, a new Pilot Bushing with clutch alignment tool. Available for $989.50 (as of press time), this package saves you some green when compared to buying the included items one-by-one.

We’ve covered the performance benefits and potential cost savings, there is one more CRITICAL item you really should replace while you’ve got your car taken apart, and not replacing this one little part can really bite you in the behind later on, and take your Z, G or Q out of commission when it goes.

DON’T FORGET THE SLAVE CYLINDER! OR ELSE…

One of the notorious issues specific to the 370Z, G37 and Q60 3.7 is the clutch slave cylinder. The OEM Nissan unit is a rather brittle little plastic part – and ludicrously prone to failure.

The Problem
If you’re installing an aftermarket performance clutch in your 370Z or G37, it is a GUARANTEE that your OEM Nissan clutch slave is going to fail on you in the very near future. We don’t say that kind of thing lightly. The OEM clutch slave might survive with a stock clutch, but it can’t manage an aftermarket clutch. Yes, you can use an OEM Nissan replacement for your failed clutch slave, but remember, the design and materials are still the same, which means the replacement will also inevitably fail too.

The frequency of failure isn’t an exaggeration, either. The OEM slave really is that bad on the 370Z, one only needs to google “370Z problems” to see just how frequently the CSC’s fail, and we’ve even seen it firsthand on customer vehicles – in one case, the customer opted to skip the clutch slave when installing a new clutch disc despite our warnings, and unfortunately, within 2 months the OEM CSC unit failed, just as we had cautioned it would. The customer’s 370Z had to be taken apart all over again to replace it, and when you consider paying for the labor of dropping a transmission twice, that’s a rather pricey gamble.

The Solution

This brittle and leak-prone plastic OEM CSC was such a nuisance, it drove ZSpeed Performance to develop their heavy duty ALL-METAL Concentric Clutch Slave Cylinder for the 370Z and G37 (and late 350Z’s with the HR engine), and given the ridiculous failure rate, the experts at STILLEN highly recommend ZSpeed Performance’s Heavy Duty Clutch Slave as a part of any G37 or 370Z clutch service. On the earlier 350Z and G35, the slave was serviceable from the outside of the transmission… on the 370Z and G37, you’ve got to do all the work you’d normally do while replacing the clutch in order to replace it. We STRONGLY recommend installing this upgrade with any clutch replacement – take our word for it, you’ll regret it later if you skip the slave when replacing or upgrading your clutch.

A replacement OEM plastic clutch slave from Nissan is around $125, while the ALL-METAL Heavy Duty Zspeed Clutch Slave is a bit spendier at $325 (as of press time), but consider, for that additional cost, you’re getting all metal construction. That means you have peace of mind to drive and enjoy your car, as you’ve replaced the ticking time bomb of failure with a more durable version that will serve you reliably for many miles to come.

We realize we’re beating a dead horse a bit here, but seriously, save yourself the tow truck, the labor and the heartache and replace the slave while you have everything apart. After all, it’s not a matter of if, but WHEN your clutch slave is going to fail, and it would suck to have to pay for the labor twice. You’ll thank us later.

Is a Lightweight Flywheel Street-Friendly?
The caveat to a lightweight flywheel is that going too light can cause driveability problems and make stop-start traffic challenging. The STILLEN Flywheel is designed with streetability in mind, offering both significantly enhanced performance and response while also keeping enough mass to ensure the car won’t stall out in stop/start traffic like it may with an ultra-lightweight RACING flywheel. The experts at STILLEN have spec’d out a flywheel with a great balance of weight reduction and real-world usability.
We do want to note here that a lighter flywheel will cause some light gear chatter- but pretty much any flywheel other than the OEM unit will chatter, too. If mild gear chatter is an issue for you, resurfacing or replacing your OEM flywheel could be a possible alternative option.

Conclusion

In short, the STILLEN flywheel offers a major improvement in performance and response you’ll really feel on the ol butt-dyno and it’s less than half the price of a replacement OEM flywheel. Even if you add in the Zspeed Clutch Slave, you’re still spending hundreds less than an OEM flywheel for an increase in performance and response that few other mods can offer.

That about wraps it up – if you have questions or would like to order your own, reach out to us at 866-250-5542 to speak to our knowledgeable staff, and if the phone’s not your thing, you can always email us at sales@stillen.com or talk to us in real time by using the Live Chat on STILLEN.com

STILLEN Nissan 370Z Cat-Back Exhaust Released for 2009-18 370Z!

Feb 26, 2018

We have finished final production on the new STILLEN Stainless 370Z Cat-Back Exhaust System, and wanted to share the pictures, video sound clip and dyno sheets with you.

STILLEN Stainless 370Z Cat-Back Exhaust

The 2009-18 Nissan 370Z is responding excellent to power modifications, and our heritage with tuning the Z car has allowed us to squeeze an additional 18whp and 15wtq from this upgrade. See below for the pictures and video.

STILLEN 370Z Cat-Back Exhaust Sound Clip

Here’s the product information from the STILLEN Product Page:
“STILLEN is proud to offer the complete, true dual, stainless steel exhaust system for the 2009-2018 NISSAN 370Z. Constructed out of polished stainless steel and finished with 4.5″ polished 304 stainless tips and polished mufflers this exhaust nets a gain of 18 rear wheel horsepower! With years of experience on the VQ35 engines STILLEN was able to utilize that knowledge with the larger 3.7 liter and find hidden power in the factory exhaust system.

In years past, magazines have always shown the STILLEN exhaust to be the most powerful exhaust when tested in their comparison shootouts. Designed and manufactured in house at STILLEN in Costa Mesa, CA, each product is inspected multiple times for quality, fit and workmanship, leading magazines and blogs to comment on the superior construction, perfect fit and finish and attention to detail found in STILLEN Cat-Back Exhausts. With a sound that offers an aggressive, yet refined note that does not disturb the senses or drone inside the vehicle.”

Features:

Maximum Horsepower – Dyno proven +18whp / +15wtq Gain
Stainless Steel Construction and Dual 4.5″ 304SS Tips
Mild Tone at Idle, Aggressive Under Throttle
Aggressive Tone Without Annoying Drone
Limited Lifetime Warranty

Photos and Dyno Sheet

: STILLEN Stainless 370Z Cat-Back Exhaust

Best Intake: STILLEN Cold Air Intakes Receive R.B. Exemption

Jun 1, 2017

Best Intake: STILLEN Cold Air Intakes Receive R.B. Exemption

Street-legal status equates to being able to smog and register your car with ease while avoiding fix-it tickets and visits to the courts and/or the state referee. This becomes particularly important if you live in California or any of the 49 other States of America that subscribe to California’s style of stringent emissions requirements. Introducing the Best Intake: STILLEN Cold Air Intakes Receive R.B. Exemption for your vehicle.

Developing performance products that achieve street-legal status involve a significant investment of research, development, time and money. To this end, STILLEN prides itself on the engineering time invested to garner measurable performance while maintaining compliance with the standards set forth by the Air Resources Board (A.R.B.). STILLEN employs a Nissan “CONSULT III” diagnostics computer to monitor and log vital data channels to ensure reliable and consistent performance. This means that STILLEN Intake Systems do not require ECU calibration and are a truly “Plug and Play” performance upgrade. No “check engine” lights and no idling issues.

Obtaining an Executive Order from the A.R.B. involves prototyping and testing to prove that our STILLEN Intake Systems do not affect the vehicle emissions control devices. Periodically, we resubmit and update our product listings with new products as well as updates to existing part numbers and additional qualifying vehicle applications. Most recently released is the highly anticipated twin turbocharged VR30DDTT, the STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/dry filter for 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 + Q60 (402856DF) and STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 + Q60 (402856).

STILLEN’s list of qualified products has also expanded its coverage under A.R.B. E.O. # D436-22.

Part # Application

STILLEN Long Tube Dual Intake w/ dry filter for 2008-2010 Infiniti EX35 (402843DF)

STILLEN Long Tube Dual Intake w/dry filter for 2007-2008 Infiniti G35 Sedan (402843DF)

STILLEN Long Tube Dual Intake w/ dry filter for 2015 Infiniti Q40 (402843DF)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake w/ dry filter for 2015 Infiniti Q40 (402847DF)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake for 2009-2013 Infiniti G37 Sedan (402847DF)

STILLEN Z tube w/o intake for 2003-2007 Infiniti G35 Coupe + Sedan (403235)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake for 2008-2013 Infiniti G37 (402846DF)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake w/ dry filter for 2014-2015 Infiniti Q60 (402846DF)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake for 2007-2009 Nissan 350Z (402845DF)

STILLEN Long Tube Dual Intake for 2007-2009 Nissan 350Z (402842DF)

STILLEN Long Tube Dual Intake for 2009-2016 Nissan 370Z (402851DF)

STILLEN Ultra Long Tube Dual Intake for 2009-2016 Nissan 370Z (402852DF)

STILLEN Dual Cold Air Intake w/ dry filter for 2014-2015 Infiniti Q50 (403230DF)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ dry filter for 2016-2018 Infiniti Q50 + Q60 (402856DF)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 1995-97 Nissan Altima (402970AS)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 2007-2013 Nissan Altima Sedan 3.5L (402841)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 2013-2014 Nissan Altima 3.5L (402875)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 2000-2001 Nissan Maxima 3.0L (402956)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ Dry Filter + Polurethene Air Duct 2009-2014 Nissan Maxima 3.5L (402962DF)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ Dry Filter for 2004-2011 Infiniti QX56 (403447DF)

STILLEN Z-Tube w/o Intake Filter for 2003-2008 Infiniti G35 + FX35 (403235)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ Z-Tube for 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 (402834FX)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake for 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 (402835FX)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ Dry Filter for 2004-2015 Nissan Armada +Titan + QX56 (403447DF)

STILLEN Hi-Flow Intake w/ Dry Filter for 2005-2016 Nissan Frontier (403440DF)

Contact STILLEN today to get more information or to purchase your new intake today! Give us a call at 866-250-5542, send us an email to sales@stillen.com, or hit us up via Live Chat at stillen.com!

STILLEN Event Tracking: Z Attack 2017 Car Show

May 1, 2017

STILLEN Event Tracking: Z Attack 2017 Car Show

April 21-22, 2017

Images by Michael Whitten, Middle Tennessee Z Club

Nissan North America moved from Southern California to Franklin, Tennessee back in the mid-2000s. This move to the east centralized Nissan Headquarters and made the facility more accessible to fans and followers of the marque. The location of the new headquarters happened to be within two hours’ drive from the members of the Middle Tennessee Z Club. Co-founders Robert “Bob” McGehee and Randy Shemin approached Nissan North America’s public relations division and worked out the details to hold its Z ATTACK Car Show at the corporate headquarters.

The Z ATTACK event drew 83 Z cars and a dozen Nissan/Infiniti vehicles in the new Open class at the Saturday car show. McGehee commented, “Unlike the favorable weather we enjoyed at our 2014 event, foul weather forced us to relocate to Nissan’s parking structure where enthusiasts could enjoy the opportunity to catch up with other Z owners and admire a wide range of entries. We had entrants from Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky, and from as far north as Illinois and even Canada. They all said the trip was well worth the effort.”

The weekend kicked off Friday with group tours of the Nissan manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. That evening, the Middle Tennessee Z Club hosted a barbecue dinner and a private tour of the Lane Motor Museum. The Lane houses many significant vehicles in the Nissan Heritage Collection which are not available for viewing by the general public.

In conjunction with Nissan’s ongoing corporate support of non-profit community organizations, the Middle Tennessee Z Club collected donations which were shared with Lifehouse Animal Refuge and Rehabilitation in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Lifehouse is a small agency that works to find forever homes for abandoned and abused animals and rescues dogs whose time has expired at kill shelters.

Nissan videographers filmed the event for a future video and interviewed several attendees as part of its ongoing efforts to honor the heritage and recognize the enthusiasts who are ambassadors for the brand. This will be shared with Nissan staff at headquarters and manufacturing employees in Smyrna and Decherd, Tennessee.

The Smoking Tire test drives 430WHP STILLEN 370Z [Z34]

Apr 13, 2017

It’s not every day that we release our Nissan 370Z demo car into the wild but when the guys from The Smoking Tire asked to stop by and take the car for a spin we had to oblige! Matt Farah has been here before and went for a spin with Steve in the team STILLEN GT-R Targa rally car. During that visit Matt saw the 370Z in multiple pieces as it was receiving the STILLEN treatment. After multiple phone calls, emails, and text messages we were able to schedule a visit for Matt to get into the drivers seat of a STILLEN tuned 370Z.

Or check out the video at TheSmokingTire.com.

This car has been reworked from the inside out and from front to back. With KW Variant III coil overs, STILLEN adjustable sway bars, SPC adjustable control arms, AP Racing brakes, Enkei GTC-01 wheels and Toyo R888 tires, STILLEN 370Z Cat-back exhaust, 370Z supercharger (CARB EXEMPT EO# D-436-20 and warrantied) to the STILLEN 370Z Bodykit In Urethane along with the Seibon carbon fiber hood.

All of these upgrades work together brilliantly to create an extremely capable and devastatingly quick Z. The 370Z’s notoriously underwhelming brakes have been replaced with a high performance set from AP Racing. The ride height has been dropped even further using a set of KW V3 Adjustable Coilovers paired with a set of STILLEN Adjustable Sway Bars and Adjustable Control Arms. To help ensure the suspension and brakes can effectively do their job, a set of ENKEI GTC-01 Wheels wrapped in Toyo R888 Tires helps get all 500 ponies to the ground.

Wanna see more? Our friends at /THEDRIVE also gave our 500HP Supercharged 370Z a go. Check that video out here:

For more information on available auto parts and accessories for the Nissan 370Z, call (866) 250-5542 or visit www.STILLEN.com

STILLEN Event Tracking (S.E.T.): Skyline Syndicate Launch Event

Mar 13, 2017

STILLEN Event Tracking

Skyline Syndicate Launch Event

March 11, 2017

By Richard Fong

Ideal car meets are, at best, a fair weather experience. People lose interest quickly at the first sign of precipitation. When clear skies and warm temperatures are the first things to greet you as you walk out the front door, it’s a good bet that a great day and an even greater event await your arrival. This is especially true when the event is focused on the Nissan Skyline GT-R.

Skyline Syndicate, which started as a group of friends with a passion for all things Skyline, quickly gained momentum and evolved into a brand of its own. On Saturday March 11, a meet to celebrate Skyline Syndicate’s Launch Event took place in the City of Industry, California. With the support of the Purist Group, led by Sean Lee, this social media-promoted event drew import and European enthusiasts of all walks, in addition to the fortunate few that own Skylines.

Upon arrival, a walk through the parking lot gave attendees plenty to look at, including some gorgeous Supras, NSXs, BMWs and other desirable platforms. But the stars of the events were located close to the warehouse entrance. After passing a few R35 GT-Rs, we came upon a trio of R32 Skyline GT-Rs near the entrance to the warehouse.

Once inside the warehouse, a few more R32s along with a Stagea lined the walls leading up to the heritage row. Parked side-by-side, a triumvirate of Skylines (an R32, R33 and R34) was staged up on display. Near the loading docks, a NISMO equipped R33 was positioned next to TK Taka’s red Hakosuka.

Although the event was scheduled to last from 10am to 3pm, the camaraderie, conversations and anecdotes kept some attendees at the event to well past 6pm. As the sun set on the event, the Skyline Syndicate enjoyed a great start to its brand. We can hardly wait for the next event!

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