Looks or Performance??What do you prefer

[Natez]

ok

 

After reading a few threads here and around, i realised alot of use guys are really into the look of the Z but does the look of the Z outway the performance of the car for you, as in the power, handling response etc etc... i know everyone loves the handing and performance and loves the look but whats the one you mostly and at best spend most of your money on...etc

 

 

I personally, prefer performance... the looks of the car are a bonus... and i telling the truth as i owned a S13 silvia... so you know where im coming from about the looks, but the looks don't bother me as much as performance... as in id rather spend my money on a good engine and awesome suspension than spending heaps on rims and paint etc

[NZeder]

Ok the best mod I have done to my Zed was installing sectioned struts, rose joint front end with poly bushes, koni adj and Lovell lowered spring (again given it is a 260z the 240z isolators on the top - still using standard spring perches and diameter springs)

 

This mod did both, looks (lower) and performance. Handles so much better it is a completely different car

 

Other bits I have done are just for looks (flares, G-Nose, wide 16" mags) while others for both, headers, suspension and soon to be triple throttle body injection (look cool + will give more performance once tuned to the engine I plan to build)

 

The best performance mod to any car is you a good driver in a stock zed can kill a shit driver in a race perp zed on the track.

 

So I am both kind of guy

[zr240]

I guess im a bit of both.

 

I like my car to look pretty good but it has to go, stop and turn well aswell.

 

Ash

[zedevan]

yeah this is what i'm wondering alot about, like i'd like my car to go faster, but then i know as it is i have a high enough chance of loosing my licence! but the susspension is starting to scare me a bit, particually compared to my parents gt4 which you can hardly get to roll at all around corners or ever go down a newly paved road and not feel bumps etc

 

the rear lights i'm working on in my spare time, but prob should fix the rust and stuff instead so i'm not in a huge rush to finish them, in car comp i did coz running even just winamp in a car kicks any mp3 player and can set up playlists while waiting at lights and then turn off the screen and listen to it all

 

i'd like seats for comfort and i guess thats linked into performance but then they look cool so...i'd also like to get HID's so i can see at night but once again they look cool with their blueish blinding light

 

and rims really change the look of your car but you could always justify it by saying they are lighter, but i guess the main thing is being able to fit in larger brakes...which could always be a looks thing too i guess

 

and what are you talking about having an s13 so you dont care about looks? i reakon some 180sx's look ugly, theres one round the corner from me thats the perfect example hehe, once when i was around 14 we were parked next to a really nice white s13, just a simple bodykit around the bottom, very clean and i feel in love with them, then i moved onto r32's

[Natez]

i guess you never saw my old silvia..... it was painted with matt black spray cans... and stock 15inch wheels.... no grill, shopping trolley dints everywherre...

 

but, it was a sr20det, with bb turbo, putting out 178rwkw, with a awesome suspension package and a nice diff...

[lambs]

My car had the crappiest paint job, but I had no problem beating the 'pretty' cars on the track.....

[zedevan]

hehe yeah i heard that it had a quality paint job, as long as its fun, thats the main thing i reakon

[Toecutter]

I've always thought that if it's a heavily comitted track car then shiny paint would sit pretty far down on the list of priorities. Also seeing alot of track cars sit quite low they look quite tuff without good paint anyway, kind of like those old "rat rodders".

In terms of money spent on my car I like to throw my cash away on getting the car looking and feeling good and then get it going harder. My rational is that I hardly get time to drive my Z so I like the instant gratification I get from buying stuff like wheels etc. The S30 has some very nice lines and cleaning the car up really exentuates that. I'm at a point where I like the way it looks so when I walk into the garage I don't feel bad about spending more to now improve performance. Up to date my car is close to stock with early SU's. elec dizzy, extractors and 2.5" exhaust and KYB shock with low King springs. Next investment is rear disc upgrade and finish work planned for the L28 I've bought, which will be a rebuild with some headwork and mild cam.

So I suppose this personal choice question has a lot to do with what your using the car for and how often your driving it.

[gav240z]

It's a difficult questions, having been a broke uni student I really wanted to make the car look nicer but didn't have the money to. Everytime you get money it seems like something mechanically fails and your money goes on upkeep rather than making it look nicer .

 

I've been thinking about the Flares for a long long time now and that's half the reason I did the photoshop rendition of the car in the banner to get an idea of the look. Then when Sulio went and did it I must admit I was getting itchy feet to make the car look nice. However unlike Sulio I have some rust to take care of and to really fix it up I need to paint the whole car again with a great new paint job.

 

When that time comes I want to strip it down and do a thorough job on it(SHOW QUALITY). I still think I'm a n00b mechanic when it comes to being careful working on my Z, so for now I think I'm better off fixing the mechanical things and sorting out my engine/suspension/drivetrain and interior. Last thing I want to do is paint it all up nice and get scratches or paint chips or worse dents in it.

 

I also know that if I pull it apart it will be a while before I get to drive it. I love being able to drive it whenever I like, so for now the plan is to slowly collect all the bits I want off ebay or wherever so when the time comes to paint it I'll have all new rubbers, door handles, tail light lenses, bumpers, etc etc etc..

 

Another words body work last but when I do it, it will be the icing on the cake. I want the car to look brand new. Much like Nigels 240z.

[Jimbo]

Ah Well, Here,s my 2 bobs worth...I would rather have a nice clean looking Z that went well than a really quick shitbox that noboby looked at twice . I recon that a well looked after Z can always be improved as time & money allows for upgrades to be done as you go along the performance road & it doesnt have to be done all at the same time

Dont forget a standard Z still gets from point A to point B pretty well & still catches the eye wether you pass em legal or flat chat.

Now I am talking about a road car not a track car where you want all out performance. OK Thats It...Jimbo...

[thehelix112]

I'm with lambs.

 

See if you can pick my car from this picture: http://www.ndsoc.com.au/coppermine/displayimage.php?album=43&pos=10

 

Dave

[mikedoeslife]

For me, I think I'd generally focus on the aesthetics and then move onto performance. I'd of course make sure it was mechanically sound first. That is, I wouldn't go spending money on the aesthetics when I know it needs a major service or parts replaced/rebuilt, etcetera. But as long as the car is running as it should be, then my first priority is style.

 

After I've done everything to it visually, I'd move onto the performance. Perhaps swap in an RB20 or SR20, update sussy and brakes, transmission, electrics, etcetera. My goal would be to get it as close as possible to being a modern car under the skin, without sullying the visual glory of the S30!