I have had an 06 coupe for a little over a year.

So far I've done an intake from Z1, a plenum spacer, a Stillen cat back, test pipes, and an Osiris tune (dyno tuned by Z1). Has ~268 rwhp.

My next steps are a paint refresh and suspension mods (still making up my mind on the specifics, but coilovers, bushings, strut braces, etc. is the general idea) and then wheels. Aim is better handling, not too much concern for looks.

After that, I'm strongly considering FI via a twin turbo kit.

After some initial research concerning how much better the HR motors do with tolerating boost (the DEs evidently has weaker rods, so I'd be looking at redoing a lot of internals before the motor can reliably handle anything over 400HP), I'm starting to wonder if I'd be better off exploring FI on a different platform.

I'm an old TTZ32 guy, and want to stay in the Nissan family, so I've been browsing the 370Zs. They look decent, and I hear good things about the 3.7L they have and how they tolerate load. A 2013-2014 can be picked up within my budget (but would likely set my FI plans back a year or two as I would - read: my wife would - want to space the $10k+ transactions a good ways apart, lol).

On the negative side, I understand the low end pep (under 3k RPMs) in the VQ35DE is a bit better. Even some of the guys on 370 forums say to stick with the G for that reason if that's what you already have.

Does anyone here have experience with both? Would appreciate some real-world pros/cons.

Thanks!

 

worst feature about the 370 imo?
lookin at this ugly mug

 

lol - noted. Looks are subjective, though (for example, I think my TTZ32 looked better than my V35 OR the Z34, but we all know what opinions are like...).

Any thoughts on performance and mod-ability?

Thanks!

 

I agree the z32 is a great looking car
And for question #2, sorry nope lol. Just here to make comparisons to insects haha

 

That's all he's good for...don't even try to ask him about mammal comparisons.

 

Well, it's something to think about I suppose...

Anyone else have any actual experience/technical knowledge of the how the two platforms stack up?

 

build block. boost it. make the same power as the HR with boost for cheaper

 

Have you driven a new Z yet?

I'd do that before you even consider it. You may jump in the car and fall in love with it, or possibly be very uninspired and find out that it doesn't seem like a worthwhile upgrade.

 

That's a great point. I'm a little concerned that going from a modded V35 to an unmodded Z34 won't give a true apples to apples comparison. I wonder if it'll matter...

One other concern is that I've read the Z34 has more top end (3500RPMs+) and less low end power - not good for me since I prefer street & occasional track use, so straight line power isn't as big of a deal as acceleration out of turns/corners.

 

The lighter weight of the Z should mostly make up for that though. I think the '13-14 370s weigh around 3275 LBs for the base model and slightly more for the touring or Nismo versions of the 6MT. I thought the 370Z had slightly lighter wheels than the 19" G35's too (or a lot lighter if it's a Nismo), which makes a bigger difference with corner exit power delivery and throttle response than having an ever-so slightly more powerful motor, plus a shorter and lighter driveshaft.

 

So basically, the motor is more powerful on the top end, and has enough lightweight items to counter-act it's getting outperformed on the low end? Interesting. I wonder what a lightweight flywheel, clutch, driveshaft, and lighter wheels would do for the G as compared the the Z, and if similar mods are available for the 370 that would further widen the gap.

 

The flywheel on the G is heavy and balanced to help smooth out the engine and absorb vibrations. Most people find it best to stick with that setup from what I've read over the years on here and experience a lot of bad vibes and roughness with a lightweight setup.

 

the regular 370 is ugly but the nismo front is clean as fk

 

Thanks - didn't realize that as lightening the flywheel on the Z32 was really common.

Based on the feedback here & other places, it's sounding like leaving the G un-boosted & focusing on a little weight reduction & suspension is the way to go. I'll keep it as a DD & look for something else to boost that won't require a built block to hit 400hp reliably.

Thanks for the feedback guys!