I wanted to take my track tires/rims, tools, etc. to local track events, but no one makes a tow package for the Z. When the tow bar was removed from the receiver, I wanted it completely hidden and not have to cut into the stock bumper cover. To get all this, I decided to design one myself.

I came up with two designs, one for a class 1 hitch that bolts to the stock extruded aluminum bumper, and a class 2 design that bolts directly to the bumper mounts on the frame. Since my primary use was to tow a lightweight trailer to the track, I decided to have the class 1 design fabricated. I got the parts back from the powder coater on Friday, installed and tested it this weekend. Here are some pics.

Parts kit including custom bits


First test fit


Receiver truly hidden (Why can you always read the label that says 'Hidden Hitch?')


Oh, there it is.....


With the custom draw bar installed


I'm quite satisfied with the fit and ride during my test runs with fully loaded (~650lbs) trailer attached.

If I pm my e-mail address can you supply me with the drawings, or are you going to sell them to others. I would like both designs if possible so I can decide which to make for myself.

Originally, I just wanted to make one for myself, but as I was doing research for this I got a lot of people asking if I'd be interested in making one for them. If I get enough real interest (group buy?) to do a limited production run to get the price down....

Any interest here?

Looks Great (on and off the car!). How long did it take to install?

I am really interested!!

Wow thats a great design! I am sure you will have no problems finding a market to sell those.

Thanks!

This first one took a long time since I had to take measurements, pics, dry-fit between fab and powdercoat, etc. Here's my estimation for subsequent installs:

Remove rear bumper cover: 30-40 minutes (5 hours without ESM instructions)
Remove rear bumper: 5 minutes
Mark and drill 5 holes in bumper and extension plates: 1-2 hours; less w/a drill press.
Reinstall rear bumper: 5 minutes
Install Receiver bracket: 2 minutes
Wiring: 1 hour
Reinstall rear bumper cover: 45 minutes

So, let's be really conservative and call it a 5-6 hour job.

I'm also very interested; please either send me the drawings or the price if you put a group purchase together. Thanks, Gary

I'm working on the details of a group buy. I may have details later this evening.

I am interested, but would it be possible to just have another receiver instead of the ball? I guess it would be sort of a receiver extension. The only reason I ask is my primary reason for wanting a tow receiver is for a hitch mounted bike rack. I won't dare put any sort of rack on my car that might marr or scuff my paint up, and the only other ones out there are just plain ugly. Yours looks top notch, and it is definately the way to go. Thanks man

OK, I've got some interesting news.

First, I talked to my aluminum structures expert, and he is confident that the hitch as designed, will tow up to a 1000 lb. load without weakening the bumper, even over time. Excellent.

Second, I talked with my fabricator about limited run manufacturing. We discussed reducing costs, increasing quality and lead times. Some of the custom welds would be replaced with press brakes (bends). The plates would be stamped instead of cut and drilled. The draw bar would be a solid piece, double bent, instead of lots of welds. The dimensions would stay exactly the same, as well as the function. Powercoating (base coat and clearcoat) would stay the same. They would look VERY nice.

The kit would include the same two custom pieces, nuts and bolts, hitch pin & wiring kit. Hitch ball not included, so you can match the size with your trailer, and save the cost of shipping this heavy component.

So, with all that said, here's my proposal for a group buy. Minimum participation of 5 units would put the price at $379.00 each kit, plus shipping. If I get a list of at least 6 (never get full participation) I'll collect payments via PayPal, and have the fabricator start. It will take two weeks max. to get the fab, welding, and powdercoating done.

This is not what I do for a living, and I'm not making any money at this price. I'm just trying to support the community.

So, instead of the draw bar the way I have it, you would just want a 1-1/4" horizontal receiver that would then connect to a standard class 1 bicycle rack?

I don't see why not. Would you want the wiring kit? Could you give me a web link to a bike rack that you'd use?

I'm also very interested in a receiver hitch to use a bike rack, no wiring kit needed. The rack I use is a Saris T-RAX. Here's the web link:Saris T-RAX

The list so far...

John
PDX_Racer
luttmeister

Three more under 'very interested' but I haven't heard a GO yet...

New List....


John
PDX_Racer
luttmeister
jbenedict


Yes, that is exactly what I was looking for. I actually never purchased a rack since I never had a hitch to put it on =) so I can just buy whatever one fits. Any suggestions out there for bike racks?

Da Final List....

John
PDX_Racer (PM w/shipping charges sent)
luttmeister
jbenedict
tomzzy
DriveI65 (PM w/shipping charges sent)

PM me with your mailing addresses so I can start calculating shipping charges...

Da List Updatate....

John (PM with total charges sent)
PDX_Racer (PM w/shipping charges sent)
luttmeister
jbenedict (PM w/shipping charges sent)
tomzzy
DriveI65 (decided not to join)

If you haven't yet, PM me with your mailing addresses so I can start calculating shipping charges...

Da List Update....

John (PM'd with total charges sent)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (PM with total charges sent)
tomzzy (Waiting on shipping address)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)

If you haven't yet, PM me with your mailing addresses so I can start calculating shipping charges...

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (PM'd with total charges sent)
tomzzy (PM'd with total charges sent)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received. Thank's John!)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (PM'd with total charges sent)
tomzzy (PM'd with total charges sent)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)
DmanG281 (PM'd with total charges sent)
daveh (PM'd with total charges sent)

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received. Thank's John!)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (PM'd with total charges sent)
tomzzy (Payment Received. Thank's Tommy!)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)
DmanG281 (PM'd with total charges sent)
daveh (Payment Received. Thank's Dave!)

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received. Thank's John!)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (Payment Received. Thanks J!)
tomzzy (Payment Received. Thank's Tommy!)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)
DmanG281 (PM'd with total charges sent)
daveh (Payment Received. Thank's Dave!)

[/quote]

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received. Thank's John!)
PDX_Racer (PM'd with total charges sent)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (Payment Received. Thanks J!)
tomzzy (Payment Received. Thank's Tommy!)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)
DmanG281 (PM'd with total charges sent)
daveh (Payment Received. Thank's Dave!)
juan (PM'd with total charges sent)

Da List Update....

John (Payment Received. Thank's John!)
PDX_Racer (Payment Received, Thanks PDX!)
luttmeister (Waiting on shipping address)
jbenedict (Payment Received. Thanks J!)
tomzzy (Payment Received. Thank's Tommy!)
DriveI65 (decided not to join)
DmanG281 (PM'd with total charges sent)
daveh (Payment Received. Thank's Dave!)
juan (Payment Received. Thank's Juan!)

I've sent the order for the first six to the fabricator. He'll keep the jigs up through the week, so any additions to the order through Friday at 4:00 pm Eastern time can still get in on this GB.

I'm still interested, what is the final cost including shipping and what do I need to do to get on the list?

Just pm roark with your shipping Zip code and he will pm you back a total.

The fabricator is currently working the original order. John and I will be towing our trailers to VIR next weekend using this setup. Depending how response from the other Z's at the event, I'll have another group buy toward the end of the month.

Well, here are my observations from the trip to VIR this weekend.

Mechanically, the tow package worked out great! I received a few inquiries and compliments from people attending the event. Towing 500lbs (trailer and payload) did not upset the car or the milage much (~25mpg highway/surface road mix)

We discovered a minor problem with the electrical kit. The turn signals will not work properly with the engine running. I strongly suspect that the additional turn signal lamp has dropped the circuit resistance below what the flasher relay can work with. Usually, you can simply use a variable resistance flasher module, but our car has it built into the BCM, so that's not an option. I'll measure and add appropriate resistors to the wiring kit to compensate.

This will delay the shipping of the first kits until next week. I also need to do a bit of work on each receiver assembly for a cleaner installation. The two kits without the wiring will go out this week.

I would like to get some feedback from the initial run kits before starting another group buy. There seems to be enough people interested though, so I'd say the chances are very good for another run.

Any chance of grabbing a tracking number for my order? If so, just drop me a pm, or email me with it.

I will post all of my comments/suggestions after I get it put on. It just so happens that I got rear-ended yesterday, so that bumper has to come off anyways. Now I don't have to be a careful with taking it off as I was going to be with it =) Hell, maybe I can talk to the body sho pand just have them pop it on for me when they pull it.

Thanks again.

hi

i'm from South Africa

would you be prepared to send me complete details/ instructions on how to have one made here in South Africa?

thanx

regards

OK,

The electrical issue is solved. As I speculated, a 1 ohm resistor did the trick. With some luck, I'll be shipping most if not all (still have one kit at the powdercoater for a redo) out the door this Friday.

Here are a few pics of the trailer on the way to VIR



and on the way back from VIR


Somehow, I managed to bring half the paddock back, stuck to my tires, and about a bushell of grass in the cabin from a little excursion (720).

Sorry to hear you got rear ended. I hope everyone's OK. Was it mostly cosmetic, or was there frame damage?

I had an unexpected family commitment come up last week. Sorry for the delay. As I mentioned, I fixed the wiring issue yesterday, and I have Friday off to get these out the door. Thanks for your patience, and I'll send out tracking numbers to everyone as soon as they are shipped.

Yea, everyone is OK (except my car). I don't know if there was any damage under the bumper cover since I haven't had it pulled off yet. It still sucks though.

I was double checking the install instructions and I had a realization....what is that bracket that you have put in front of your bumper (I believe you called them the extension plate)? Are these included in the order? And you say ~5 hours for bumper cover removal with out ESM..ESM is the service manual correct? I am just trying to get all of my ducks in a line before I go to the body shop (If I need to get something fabricated before I go, etc). Thanks for the help

If the bumper was damaged in the accident, make sure it gets replaced by your shop.

The stock aluminum extension plate gets replaced by a steel one included in the kit.

Yea, the 5 hour jab was an attempt at humor, but basically, if you don't have the ESM to tell you about these special quarter-turn fasteners, you'll tear your hair out or tear your bumper cover. I'll include an excerpt from the ESM that explains the bumper cover removal process with the kit install instructions.

OK great. I just have never seen the rear without the cover, so I wasn't exactly sure about the setup.

OK, so after a long wait, I finally got my car into the body shop to have my rear fixed. I gave them the hitch kit and asked them to put it on for me since they would be back there anyways. The afternoon that I dropped it off, I got a phone call from the body shop. They said that there was "a problem" and that they wanted me to come in and look at it. I obliged and off I went. I had a million different scenarios running through my mind as to what could be wrong. It turns out that downshoot that comes off the plate that attaches to the bumper, wasn't notched enough before it was welded, and therefore was hitting the muffler, and not allowing the bumper to tighten down completely. My options were this: 1) I could have them make a little notched dent in the muffler to allow for the hitch, or 2) have them grind down the welds, cut the downtube back a little, and reweld it. I went with option #2 since I didn't care for a dented muffler too much. They only charged me an additional $50 to do all of this so it wasn't the end of the world or anything. Now that it is on, I have to say it works and looks (or doesn't look since you can't see it) great!! I have strength tested it by inserting the extension and standing on it. It holds me up so I think a bike won't be a problem. To sum up everything, GREAT product, but the measurements might need a second look.

J,

Interesting. I dry-tested all of the receivers on my car, and they all fit perfectly. That says that there is some manufacturing variance in the gap between the bumper and the body, probably in the bend they put in the extruded aluminum bumper. John's fit perfectly as well. Is your car an '03 or '04? Do you have the stock muffler, Nismo, or aftermarket? Also, was your bumper rebent or replaced from your accident? How about the bumper support brackets?

If you get a chance, take a digital picture looking up at the receiver hole from the ground and send it to me. I'd like to see what's different about your car.

I'm glad that it will work for you. Not having a bike rack to use as a prototype, I was unclear how long to make the horizontal receiver tube. Please give more feedback when you get your bike rack installed, along with any pics.

And thanks for the feedback.

Yea, I actually have to pull my bumper cover down a little bit to put the receiver extension in. They didn't replace the bumper at all. The tech told me that it looked fine when they pulled the cover, but you are starting to make me think otherwise. I have an '04, and realized that nobody ever discussed which year they were all driving (I was under the impression that they are all the same back there). Without pulling the cover down, only about half of the receiver hole shows. My muffler is all stock, so again, I think there may be something else going on with my bumper. I will try to get some pics of it soon, but I really don't know when I will be able to post them. I am pretty busy at work, and with Easter coming up, I will be going out of town. I will get tthem up ASAP though.

Jared

BTW, I am in no way upset about the fitment of my hitch. I am a 100% satisfied customer! I realize that custom work sometimes requires custom fixes, and there may be something other than your product that is effecting the fit. So no worries my friend

Are there any trailer hitch out there for the Z? I would like to know if there is a hidden one of some sort so i can put my little trailer on there

i guess the main question would be why, since there really is no place for a rear hitch to be attached (no real solid connection on the back).

I have seen sports cars with trailer hitches (i.e. older men with sports cars who travel alot) like my friend's dad has a Prowler with a matching trailer. But, if I were you, I'd just buy a truck since there aren't any trailers specific for a Z.

I hope that there is no such thing as a hitch for the Z.

need it for my race tires and tool

Sorry Smooth, avert your eyes



Someone has done it, I think it's actually a trailer made for corvettes....

I wonder what type of hitch they used, visble or invisble ones. I would hate to have ahitch sticking out, but i can see it is hard to have a invisble one on the Z

There is some one selling trailer hitch kits that he designed. I will find the web site and post it later.

http://www.350z-tech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5521

go to this, this is on this web site. I made a hitch after his design, and it works very well. I tow a trailer for my tires when I auto-x the car.

Ah, shit... I don't like it. What's the point?

There are all sorts of sports cars with trailer hitches at tracks.

thanks