An old boss of mine had a great expression - when ever he was enjoying something or getting great pleasure out of an experience, he would exclaim "this is better than sex". He would have enjoyed the APS 350Z TT. I don't quite put the Z in that category but it is up there somewhere.
I have put about 700k's on mine since late last week when I got it back, off the TNT transport from Melbourne to Perth and have enjoyed every one of them. I love cars, and the driving experience, and my new Z will definitely see me taking the long way home for a long while yet.
IMO the TT Z is close to the complete car. It just looks so good and now performs like a $200k car. Drive it "normally" and it behaves perfectly sedately. Put your foot down and everything lights up. I have had to switch off traction control as it was still coming on in third gear! A little chirp of the tyres is better than a stuttering loss of power.
The exhaust note is just perfect. It reminds me a bit of the Hi-Tech I removed to install the TT which comes complete with its own exhaust. The TT exhaust is a little more gruff with a deeper note to it, and is by no means loud or intrusive but signals something extra.
At idle you can just hear the turbo's whining softly. Increase revs and they start spooling up with an infectious sound, again not loud, but signaling intent. It's a bit like a mainline of adrenalin connected to the accelerator. At this point, keep repeating "I have to drive responsibly" or you'll get carried away.
First gear comes and goes very quickly, second really gives the rush and third and fourth are just sublime. I enjoyed the linear power of my standard Z. It never seemed as quick as it really was. Being pushed back into one's seat by a turbocharged car is something else though. A quick change between first and second at top revs will cause the rear to break away and spin the tyres if you are not careful. Turbo lag is non existant. Power is smooth and even all the way through.
Overtaking power is incredible. Drop back to third or fourth gear and get blown away. Torque is unbelievable. If working through the gears wasn't so much fun, one could potter around in 6th gear with heaps of power on tap when required.
Apart from 275/18 rears and 235/18 front tyres on Ray's rims, my car is a standard touring model without any frills except now for some serious power. It will offer a few surprises when challenged, I'm sure.
Under the bonnet the TT is neat and tidy, right down to the stainless steel windscreen washer bottle which replaces the Nissan plastic one, due to the extra space taken up by the inter cooler or air intake.
At $15k the conversion isn't cheap, but at $75k I don't know of another car that could offer similar looks and performance. 0 - 100 should be around mid 4 seconds which is serious stuff, 911 turbo style.
Congratulations APS on a job well done.
The downside of the conversion of course is whether the motor, clutch and gearbox will hold together. The gearbox seems tough and I think will be fine. The clutch probably will require replacing first, but time will tell. If I can get a good 5 years out of the motor, it will have all been worth it. If the last 5 days is any guide to enjoyable driving, I am looking forward to the next 5 years. I hope APS are right with their assessment of the rods. Given proper tuning and not over stressing them by keeping compression lower, that they will last.
What a difference a couple of snails make.
I have put about 700k's on mine since late last week when I got it back, off the TNT transport from Melbourne to Perth and have enjoyed every one of them. I love cars, and the driving experience, and my new Z will definitely see me taking the long way home for a long while yet.
IMO the TT Z is close to the complete car. It just looks so good and now performs like a $200k car. Drive it "normally" and it behaves perfectly sedately. Put your foot down and everything lights up. I have had to switch off traction control as it was still coming on in third gear! A little chirp of the tyres is better than a stuttering loss of power.
The exhaust note is just perfect. It reminds me a bit of the Hi-Tech I removed to install the TT which comes complete with its own exhaust. The TT exhaust is a little more gruff with a deeper note to it, and is by no means loud or intrusive but signals something extra.
At idle you can just hear the turbo's whining softly. Increase revs and they start spooling up with an infectious sound, again not loud, but signaling intent. It's a bit like a mainline of adrenalin connected to the accelerator. At this point, keep repeating "I have to drive responsibly" or you'll get carried away.
First gear comes and goes very quickly, second really gives the rush and third and fourth are just sublime. I enjoyed the linear power of my standard Z. It never seemed as quick as it really was. Being pushed back into one's seat by a turbocharged car is something else though. A quick change between first and second at top revs will cause the rear to break away and spin the tyres if you are not careful. Turbo lag is non existant. Power is smooth and even all the way through.
Overtaking power is incredible. Drop back to third or fourth gear and get blown away. Torque is unbelievable. If working through the gears wasn't so much fun, one could potter around in 6th gear with heaps of power on tap when required.
Apart from 275/18 rears and 235/18 front tyres on Ray's rims, my car is a standard touring model without any frills except now for some serious power. It will offer a few surprises when challenged, I'm sure.
Under the bonnet the TT is neat and tidy, right down to the stainless steel windscreen washer bottle which replaces the Nissan plastic one, due to the extra space taken up by the inter cooler or air intake.
At $15k the conversion isn't cheap, but at $75k I don't know of another car that could offer similar looks and performance. 0 - 100 should be around mid 4 seconds which is serious stuff, 911 turbo style.
Congratulations APS on a job well done.
The downside of the conversion of course is whether the motor, clutch and gearbox will hold together. The gearbox seems tough and I think will be fine. The clutch probably will require replacing first, but time will tell. If I can get a good 5 years out of the motor, it will have all been worth it. If the last 5 days is any guide to enjoyable driving, I am looking forward to the next 5 years. I hope APS are right with their assessment of the rods. Given proper tuning and not over stressing them by keeping compression lower, that they will last.
What a difference a couple of snails make.
