Z Heel Toe Pedal

I was having trouble rev matching when downshifting on the new Z.  After looking at the pedal setup I felt that the shape of the accelerator pedal made it hard for me to heel-toe so I decided to design my own pedal.  As you can see the distance between the brake and accelerator pedals is large.

I designed a pedal pad to sit on top of the existing pedal and printed it out of carbon fiber infused nylon (MatterHackers NylonX).  The design allowed for several attachment points both on the face and the side of the pedal.

Once installed the wider pedal closed that distance between the pedals as well as raised the accelerator pedal by about 5mm.

Now it's time for some practice!

Z Oil Catch Can

Since the Vr30DDTT engine on the Nissan Z is a direct injection engine, I knew I wanted to install an oil catch can as early as possible to hopefully avoid or at least drastically slow any buildup on the intake valves.  After researching my options, I decided that the kit from Z1 motorsports was my choice.

As usual the installation instructions provided by Z1 were spot-on.  The most challenging part of the installation for me was removing the intercooler.  Maybe I was just being too gentle with my new car but it took me a while to coax the intercooler off the hose to the turbo.  

With enough pulling and coaxing I was finally able to separate the two.

After I was able to move the intercooler out of the way the PCV hose routing and catch can mounting were very simple.

Once installed the can looks like it was installed at the factory.  

Will I ever know if the catch can reduced the buildup on my intake valves?  No.  Does it make me feel better to have it installed?  Definitely yes.

280Z Carbon Canister Replacement

I've repaired the carbon canister on the 280Z several times.  The have been discontinued for quite some time meaning a new replacement is impossible to find.  I came across a very clean unit from a 280ZX on eBay and snatched it up.

Old unit where you can see the repairs on the diaphragm housing

New Unit

280z Oil Change

I changed the oil on the 280Z today.  Instead of the normal 10w-30 Mobil 1 oil I changed to Valvoline 5w-30 Restore and Protect.  The car has 56,280 miles on the odometer.  I captured a sample for used oil analysis as part of the change.

Z1 Undershroud Installation

The Z has a plastic oil pan protected only by a plastic rock guard.  Just after Z Nationals I ordered a Z1 aluminum undershroud for the Z.  Installation was pretty straightforward and the instructions provided by Z1 were spot-on.  The hardest part of the installation was installing the rivnuts.  I also used some foam weatherstrip to simulate the seal around the vent on the OE rock guard.

The quality of the undershround is great and the service panel makes it really easy to perform future oil changes.

Z Oil Change

I performed the mid-break-in oil change on the new Z today at 806 miles.  I also captured a sample of the oil for used oil analysis.  I installed a magnetic drain plug from Z1 Motorsports as part of this oil change.

2024 Z Nationals

We drove down to Carrolton Georgia in the new Z for our first Z Nationals event Saturday.  There were so many Z's and Infiniti G/Q models, mostly customized.  We decided to make this a one-day event instead of staying overnight, mainly because there was a lot of flooding in the southeast due to Hurricane Helene passing through.  We woke up at 3AM to begin the drive down and it rained for most of the trip.  Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time we reached Carrolton and as a bonus the trip covered a good bit of my break-in miles.  The day was great and we had a blast checking out all the modified Zs, getting a tour of their facility and watching the dyno runs all day.  Some of their staff even spent extra time with me talking about 3D scanning and printing, shout out to Simon in particular!  This is an event we will definitely be coming back for.

RZ34 Spoiler Alert!

The first comment my wife made about my new Z after taking it home: "this thing really needs a spoiler."  I love it when she talks like that.  And she wasn't wrong.  While the tapered look works on the 280Z the rear of the new Z Sport just seems to be missing something.

Additionally the Z Sport lacks the lower front spoiler of the Performance model.  After looking for options I landed on Z1 Motorsports in Carrolton GA.  Wow!  I guess I hadn't come across them since they don't produce parts for Z models earlier than the Z32.  Being "right down the street" I also learned that they host the Z Nationals event at their headquarters every year.  Not only did I purchase my ticket for the 2024 just weeks away but I also purchased a front and rear spoiler.

The rear spoiler was pretty easy to install with the double-sided 3M adhesive although I'd recommend two people to ensure it is on straight; it was difficult to get it right by myself.

For the front I purchased an OE unit for the Performance model.  The lower facia had the marks where the holes for the rivets needed to be drilled so the installation was also pretty simple.  I used plastic rivets to install the spoiler.

A New AddiZon to the Family: 2024 Z

I had been watching the new Nissan Z since it was announced.  The retro styling had me hooked and it was actually a plus to me that it was mostly based on existing platforms:

• The chassis is based on the Z34 (370Z) which meant that there was already an established based of aftermarket parts and years of refinement.
• The engine is an updated version of the VR30DDTT which was used in the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport which meant that it was an established engine with (hopefully) all the bugs worked out.

Upon release the Z had been either difficult to obtain or significantly marked-up due to supply and demand.  I was at the dealer picking up some parts when I saw the exact model I wanted in the showroom with no markup: a 2024 Nissan Z Sport MT.  The following week I brought my wife back and I went home with the car.  The goal with this car is to make it a driver’s car with similar performance to a Z NISMO but lower in weight (the Sport model is the lightest trim).  

New Oil Pressure Sensor for the 280z

There's a theme forming lately of installing parts I've had lying around for a while.  Continuing this theme I installed a new oil pressure sensor on the 280z.  When possible I replace the electrical connectors during this type of work and this was no exception.