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.