$40k is a bit high. I will have $10k less than that in mine and making ~550whp here soon with all the other goodies includig stereo, headlight retro, brakes, suspension, etc. Plus the early sedans are ~150lbs lighter than the coupe which helps too.

 

im pretty sure that my door pillar stated it was 4300lbs, am i wrong?

 

That is max with people, cargo, etc.

 

I spent 7K on the exhaust, V-pro (harnes, etc.) plenum spacer pop charger. SGP racing, after much negotiation quoted me 26K for a long block motor build, clutch, and Greddy TT. I shopped around and they were less than most (although Sean had a serious attitude problem and it took 3 weeks just to get the V-pro installed correctly). So we were at 33k w/ out suspension, brakes, and new rims and tires (can't run 550 rwhp on 245's).

I would have spent 80 K (car was 40K new) and after 5 years lost most of that. I have 120K in my GT2 and could sell it for that after having her for nearly a year (I only drive her on weekends, however). Ironically, Porsche will probably cost me less in the long run.

 

OK....

I have a lot less in mine.


You don't "need" a 7k exhaust or V-pro. They are great products but are not a need. Maybe you spent $40k but that is not required.

 

ttrank,

I noticed in another thread that you did a short block build....that is a good choice in terms of reliability, but you won't get really high hp unless you do a long block...not a knock on your car...I checked it out....I would love to have it, especially now that my wife just had a baby...but to get a car w/ more than 550 to the wheels=lots of money.

 

we have LOTS of Gs that i promise you wouldnt think is slow...

 

14 psi is "low" boost?

 

I have a 2003 Porsche 911 TT (not a GT2). Last dynod at a little over 590 awhp. It cost me the price of 2 new g37 to get it to where it is today. My G is 550 to 600 rwhp and I spent less than 33k to get it to that hp. Not including rims or suspension . It would have cost me much less if I did not keep adding things plus a lot of custom work for gauges and other things. There is no way you can tell me that upgrading a G is more than upgrading a Porsche. A Porsche exhaust can cost as much as a Turbo system for a G. Anyway ..this is a G thread so I wont get into Porsche details. If it were not for www.g35driver and Forged Performance...I may have spent wayyyy more.

 

XKR,

Who did your work and when? Yes, the Porsche gets very expensive when you go beyond the stage 4 level. My point is that the car was built for FI to begin with and getting to the 500 whp level is (prices have dropped dramatically in the last 2 years....the real cost was in the R and D...which is now done for the 996) not that expensive, 10K nowadays.

Give my 76K and I can produce a rock solid 510 whp 996TT (540 on race file which is another $800).

The problem w/ the VQ is that the rods are pencil thin...they have to be replaced if you want a car w/ over 400 to the wheels. Also, the engine management has to be replaced.

Don't get me wrong, the G is a great car...the interiors are close to what you get in German cars and way better than the US cars...I love mine. But they are not cheap to make fast.

Would you be kind enough to give a comparison between your G and 996TT?

 

that's reDONculous!

I spent 18k on my short block build, twins, exhaust, labor, EVERYTHING. Those prices are absurd! You don't "need" a VPro. I have it when shops try to upsell customers and sell them **** they don't really need!

 

You don't need a "longblock" for 550whp. The stock heads are perfectly fine.

A beefy shorblock with stock heads is sufficient for 550whp. There are dozens of 350z's running around with that setup. I think you may have been grossly missinformed.

 

The exhaust I got on a group buy for 1.1K...it had to be custom fit for my RAS (another $500). 7K was for everything.

I was "misinformed" by months of research on my350z, SGP (who does, admitedly now have a bad rep) Jotech, Forged, Jeremy, and all the other knowledgeable tuners, then. I got multiple invoices....so I guess none of these people know what they are talking about, yes? Show me one stock block (w/ only rods) running 550 w/ out a V-pro, please.

People need to get real....going big power is much more than the 6K for the price of the turbo (and that is for a low tech set up like the Greddy...not the water cooled Garrets).

 

Those shops are good at what they do, and they are also good at making money. I don't care how good a show's rep is, the WILL upsell you and tell you to buy parts you don't really need or try to sell you the most expensive parts. I know about this first hand, but I will not name names. Those shops are here to make money...period.

There are plenty of cars running the STOCK block with Arias Pistons, Eagle or Pauter rods, that are over 500whp. Search my350z...I don't have time right now to search for you.

A 350z done by my shop recently has a TN kit with Arias pistons, Pauter rods, HKS headgaskets, ARP main and L19 heads studs, and the pathfinder cooling mod, plus other minor goodies, maxing out the turbo at 450whp and 500tq using the Emanage Ultimate.

You don't NEED to sleeve, you don't NEED a V-Pro, and you don't NEED $3,000 pistons and rods....if you have the money, then go for it, but it's overkill and has not been proven as necessary.

I never said run stock block with only rods....you do need forged pistons as well, plus some other goodies, but no way does that equal to the amount of money that you posted earlier.

Like I said, my build cost me around 18k and if it wasn't for my damn 5AT tranny, I'd be running 550whp right now....as safely as you can be running non-oem FI

 

617,

Thank you for illustrating my point: 450 is the limit WITH a built bottom end...and of course you will probably have problems w/ the EU, which is junk. I wouldn't go FI with anything less than a UTEC.

Your need to replace the tranny further proves my point.