Thread: 350Z Opinions and Much More

I will start my own thread with my rides in it but yes I was talking s14 sr20det 240sx a 96 model to be exact and what ever you are babbling about road courses? I run Tokico D specs on my 240 with skyline jdm wheels so I think it does well I know it is competitive as it sits. I was not talking shit well maybe a little but in a straight line for what it is you are talking corvette z06 or the new zr1 fast. A 240 weighs next to nothing and has awesome power to weight ratio. I meant no disrespect to the guys 350 but like I said they are not all they are cracked up to be. The inline Nissan 6 used in the old Zs and later JDM Skylines are a lot different than a VQ and a LOT better IMO.

Seriously Steve I don't know what to say. You caught me completely off guard. I totally respect you and your opinions so I can't just shrug you off. If you think I'm being a dick, then I'm going to do some long thinking over the next couple days and see if I can't find some things I can change about the way I do things to help the situation.

Nice cars... And guys you have to respect superblackz's opinion on cars he has driven and how well they do on the track. The guy does alot of track time and spends alot of time reading and researching. If you have ever spent time with him you will realize he is a great guy. I know on the road course in Savannah we had a great time doing the lead/follow at the end of the track day. I would take a 350z in a heartbeat... I mean yeah the 370 is better in everyway. But I have seen nice 350s for less that 10k.

Steve I've taken some time to re-read what you've wrote and a few others things you pointed to and I think I've found some of the problem here. You've confused me with someone else. I am not the person you say I am. Not by a long shot.

Let me pull a few examples to help us out.

I am not a self proclaimed know it all.
I have never said such things. Not even hinted it. If you're talking about my current forum title, I am merely letting other forum members choose that title. I am currently on mirrortints suggestion (post #17) after running through the others in this thread: http://www.sr20-forum.com/offtopic/26194-choose-my-forum-title.html

Next up is "renaissance guy".

I never did such a thing as that either. I have no clue what you're talking about. I'm actually a big fan of them.

You're talking about when I messed up my rear suspension? I had a problem with my car (over tightened two important bolts) and made one, monumentally newbish mistake (tried to ascertain a rough alignment by eye). I wasn't able to diagnose the problem myself so I came to the forum for help, suggestions, and answers. Other people helped me out and I got the car back in good shape. Is that not correct use of the forum?
I'm having a real hard timing imaging how you could possibly be angry with me for doing this. I'm confused.

You have the wrong person. That was not my first attempt at tuning FI.

Again, not me. I did not diss the venue. I was completely happy and fully satisfied with the venue, the organization, and the planning. I would go back in a heartbeat. I have no clue what you're talking about.
I didn't have a good time there myself and have said so on this forum for completely unrelated, personal issues that I never made public and prefer not to talk about in public. (We could talk over PMs if you'd like.)

You have me all wrong.

Also, even if that were my first time tuning FI and I took the car on the track and blew it to smithereens, I don't see how that's any skin off your back? Why would that make you mad at me?
I don't get it.

Here's another similar comment you made.
I don't see how this has any effect on you whatsoever. Why do you care how much money I spend, or how many times I mess up, or if I think it's an accomplishment or not? I don't even know where you got the idea that I think it's an accomplishment.
Throughout most of my automotive experience I've been a poor college student (7 years stuck in college). I absolutely had to fix my car myself for financial reasons. I learned quite a bit because I had to do things myself. I'm still not good at this car modification thing and I've never claimed otherwise. But I won't get good by paying someone else to do it for me. Maybe I'll never get there. I don't know. But I'd like to try.
I also work on my own car because legally and emotionally it is far better for me if I mess the car up than if someone else messes it up.
Really I'm confused as to why this angers you so much.


Please. I need examples so I can see what you're talking about. I can't stop it if I don't know what I need to stop.

I. Never. Did. That.
Wrong guy.

Again. I didn't do that. Your words. Not mine. You are confused.

So I do believe you're wrong about me. You must have me confused with someone else.




I'd like to talk about the 350Z now.

Basically what I did was I made a half joking comment in a Members Rides section about wanting to buy two of the three cars posted which was obviously a joke because I can't afford them nor did the poster even own them anymore as they were sold off a long time ago. I really just wanted to express my appreciation for them. I said, again jokingly, that the other car (the 350Z) should be thrown in the trash. I ended it with a wink face and was just trying to get across that I liked two of the cars but comparatively I didn't like the 350Z in question. Not all 350Zs mind you, just the one posted. And not that I didn't like it, but that compared to the other two examples it was in a different league.


You took offense to what I said and provided a whole laundry list of reasons why I'm wrong to dislike the 350Z. You also went on to say that your opinion on the matter carries more weight than mine because you own(ed) a 350Z and have tracked it many times and are a regular racer. Awesome. Great. Fantastic review of the 350Z. And if I were talking about lapping a 350Z I agree with you that your opinion would carry much more weight than mine. However, we weren't talking about that. At least I wasn't. My opinion on liking or disliking the 350Z for my own personal reason does carry as much weight as your opinion about liking or disliking the 350Z. You like it for your reasons. And I dislike it for my reasons. Why the hell would your opinion carry more weight? None of your review even began to touch on why I didn't like the 350Z in question and why I'm not in the market for 350Zs in general. I never said they weren't fast, or a great racing platform, or a good bargain, or any of that nonsense you wrote about. I have no idea why you even mentioned all that crap. You simply and completely misunderstood me because you have this BenFenner in your head that's a total tool. I'm not that guy.




Here's one comment that really hurt I'd like to discuss.


I can play that game too.

Eric Hsu puts this far better than I can: Click on the link for the entire article, it has some content that won't pass the mods here

FFF (Fucking Forum Fаggots)

These are the ignorant part of the forum participants who are way too quick to judge before they know the whole story...

Fun game isn't it? You certainly seem to be ignorant of me and my behavior here on the form, quick to judge and jumping to all sorts of wild assumptions before knowing the whole story.

If you keep on reading the description of a VFB (Virtual Forum Badass) and take in the entire thing (instead of just the tiny part you quoted) you would see it clearly doesn't apply to me in the least; if you did in fact know me at all. But you don't know me. You've got me mixed up with some fictional character you've made up in your head. One who's a complete asshole/moron/dickhead.

The same goes for the FFF (Fucking Forum Fаggots). It doesn't describe you at all if you read past the little part I quoted. Don't take that the wrong way. I don't think you are a FFF. I'm just pointing out your selective quoting.

I realize I'm prevalent here on this forum and I post very often and I make some friends and I make some enemies. It would be easy, I know, for someone to attempt to lump me into some category like a VFB except I am not that person. I have never, as Eric describes, called up a vendor and complained that a product they've made is faulty let alone done so with minimal evidence. I have "actually had a job doing R&D, design, or something else having to do with cars". I am not concerned with my "rank" on this forum so much to the point that I feel I have to be "the first to report an issue with a product before they double check things".
You have the wrong person.


Really Steve I feel like you have me mixed up with someone else. Half of your issues with me are completely fabricated, and most of the others I feel are misunderstandings. There is however one valid point I think you have that I'll address if I may.

You don't seem to like that I will say negative things about someone's car. Set aside the fact that the 350Z in question was not the OP's car (it is his father's) and the fact that if you knew me at all you'd know I have every respect for the 350Z in the world (I think it is a great car, it is just not one I would buy) and let's look at what you're saying here.

You don't want people (or just me?) to comment on cars they don't like on the forum? Understandable from a "let's all get along" point of view but I have to disagree with you there (and I mean that with all the respect in the world because I do respect you, otherwise I wouldn't be having this discussion with you) and I believe many of the forum members will back me up here when I say that if you post your car on the forum you should be ready for positive and negative reactions. Not only that, but both are encouraged by general consensus. I'm part of forums where negative opinions of cars are not encouraged. I know what that's like. This is not one of those forums. On top of that, those who do choose to voice their negative opinions are encouraged to do so by many members here. I encourage people to do it to my car. If you hate it, let me know. I'm not alone in this thinking here on the forum. I believe you might even be in the minority here in thinking that only good things should be said.

Now obviously you don't have to get along with the people who choose to voice negative opinions. That's your choice. I just wish someone as articulate, well written, obviously intelligent and car-crazy as you could appreciate that and see it for what it is: A way for us forum members to bond and express our personal style and help others develop their personal tastes and style in the process. It's not some hate fest. It's a bunch of friends hanging out at the local watering hole.




In response to your quote above:
I feel there's more to say and we can get to that if you'd like, but I know I've written far too much to begin with so I'll leave you with a quote I read quite recently from a very wise man.
It was good advice, and I took it. When it comes to my posts, maybe you should take your own advice. There is an ignore option built into the forum.

Steve what you're doing to me is called libel. I don't appreciate it (it is also illegal). How would you like it if I started making up a whole bunch of stuff about you that wasn't true? You are better than that.

i never liked the 350. its just to bulbous in the front end and rear end area and wheel every area i guess. never a fan.

the 370z im in love with, will own one, one day.

i love all old datsuns.

im a huge fan of the vq35, as i have one in a 04 g35x and its a great car hands down. im sure the 350z is just as nice, just dont care for the looks.

stratton.

I was not impressed by any 350z stock or other wise that I have driven. That was until I rode in my boys twin turbo 350z. Its just plain nasty.

On paper the 350Z seems like an amazing car. And on a race track it holds its own with its contemporaries. But stepping into one helped me realize there is more to a car for me than just looks (I do think the 350Z looks good) and performance numbers. Looks and performance numbers are very important to me. Don't get me wrong, but I didn't like the 350Z when I drove it. Some of what I didn't like is hard to even describe or put into words. The feeling of heft was unpleasant. I'm not just talking about power/weight here. It is a whole manner of things. The pill-box view from the cockpit (I prefer an open greenhouse) and the inability to see the perimeter of the vehicle from the cabin was a huge turn-off (I'm a small guy so it might not feel this way to others). Also other people might enjoy the substantial feeling a car can give (because the feeling can come from a stiff chassis as well). I am not one of those people.

The tangible performance of an open greenhouse car (Sentra, BMW e30, Volvo 240) can be non-existent and I will still enjoy driving it because I love a clear view to the outside world and a car that doesn't look like a sports car can be slow and I won't care. A car that looks as sporty as the 350Z however needs to really sell me on performance to enjoy it. The 350Z would have to perform up to its looks for me to enjoy it. I feel it looks better than it performs. It looks sportier to me than a base corvette. It would need to keep pace with a Z06 to get my vote. As it stands I see them driving around and all I can think about is how sporty and good they look, but how the performance doesn't match. If the performance matched its looks then maybe I could forgive some of its other faults.

However a Sentra or similar sedan/commuter car only have to be mildly fast to gain all my praise. Because they have the open greenhouse going on, good sight lines (for someone my size), hopefully good ergonomics and communicative driver controls. And out in the real world they have the sleeper thing going for them which is a powerful draw to me. For a 350Z to be a sleeper, it would have to perform better than its looks suggest.

Lastly I'll say that 99% of OEM cars ever made (and especially those made in the last 15 years) are unsatisfactory to me. I couldn't bring myself to buy one. That is why I will be building my next car myself. It seems to be the only way to get a vehicle I'll be happy with. And I'm certainly not alone in that feeling.

In a straight line yes.

We had the local Z guys show up to the autox this weekend. Gave us all a good laugh. Several brought r-compounds, single turbo, twin turbo.... None of them were close to time of day. The course was very open and the corvettes were at the top that day. One of the ones on r-compounds was driven by SCCA national champ was the fastest of the Zs and still was almost 3 seconds slower than my miata (on street tires).

When I drove a Z it felt like my b15 when it was on eibach springs and just had a cam ... just with rwd... which isn't a compliment.

not this car it was built for the track.