Hey /o/, I've been lurking for about 8 years as anon (since

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Our old drift car. It's been parted out now

Are you the guys on Fallbrook? I go by all the time on my way to the track. A buddy I stay with lives right there on Gessner

>>16189142
How much for your cheapest 300ZX TT.

>>16189162
Oh I guess it's Windfern

>>16189162
We are close to that, yes. Windfern/1960. Stop by sometime and say high or just take a look at the cars. We have people that stop in all the time just to look at current projects. Shop always slows down this time of year.

>>16189166
Not sure what you mean? We sometimes sell them, but we generally build them for customers.

>>16189142
your boys told me they didn't know what a "test pipe" was when i needed one welded. i went somewhere else lmao

>>16189183
Hmmm... Who did you talk to? We've been in business a long time and build a lot of cars, we all most certainly know what a test pipe is. Are you sure you weren't an autist that we just didn't want to deal with? 99% of the time you will talk to the other owner, and he's been doing this a very long time.

I can't imagine the patience you need to deal with cars that are
-extremely unreliable to begin with
-loaded with aftermarket parts
-modified by their owners who then take them to you when they fuck up
I actually interviewed at a similar shop that specializes in Evos but didn't move forward since I didn't think I could do it after seeing how the shop ran, I would get too frustrated. Do you just slap someone with 30 hours of labor when rescuing their disaster project? I can't imagine a lot of your customers have very much money. What is your shop rate?

>>16189182
I've been looking for a 300ZX TT that's in relatively decent condition for a while. I live in Dallas and the cheapest I've ever seen one up for was around ~12k. Was curious what you'd charge because I just walk away from them for that price cause I could get a used 370 or an STi for that money.

>>16189160
>Drift spec z32
Nice. What engine was it running?

>>16189205
They are actually pretty reliable WHEN MAINTAINED. (and the oil issues fixed). 99% of the problems come from people buying them and not putting any money into them. So they fall apart and sell them broken.

GOOD thing is, a lot of the poor people are getting away from them so most of the people with money are now restoring and building them. We charge $115/hr for specialty work and as low as $85/hr for basic shit. We calculate all labor hours before we start based on book rate or experience in the past. If they are okay with it we begin work, if not they take the car. We do a LOT of restoration work over time, it's not usually all at once. Suspension one visit. Engine next time. interior later. etc etc.

>>16189221
VG30

That engine is now in a different car and we parted out the rest. We didn't build the exterior, we got it that way. though we do have that same wide body kit in the shop.

>>16189192
i was referred to your shop by a friend, and figured i'd give it a shot. if that was your way of turning away a customer with money, i don't care. plenty of shops out there that will take my money, deliver my car, and thank me for choosing them over someone like you.

>>16189219
>370
350, sorry.

>>16189219
A TT Z platform is miles better than a 370z if you are looking for a high HP car. For a DD, the 370 is better. $12k is for a NICE one. Buy a $5k one with some problems and put $10k into it, we can have your car in tip top shape and probably 600whp, depends on what all you want and it needs.

>>16189246
Haha what an autist, did you leave a scathing yelp review too?

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>>16189257
Nah I'm an autist that likes matching VINs, bone stock. So maybe I will be looking at 12k for one. I've considered doing an N/A into a single turbo but my main interest is in building a collection of cars I saw in Mid Night Club features because that shit got me into cars and the older Z's that ran with them were GOAT.

>>16189246
Okay? You can't tell me who you talked to so not sure what I can do. We also don't really want to spend time welding up peoples pipes. It's a lot of time and takes us off other work for no money. We're not an exhaust shop. We turn away things that waste time/money. We're a performance shop not a fabrication shop (though we fab stuff for customers cars as needed). Sorry man, it's business. You bring in your car for car work and we'll do it. Bring us shit to weld, we'll turn it away. I also highly doubt that someone said they "didn't know" what a test pipe was. There was probably a misunderstanding and they said something like "we don't weld or make test pipes." But I hope you found a shop that works for you. Run to IDB, Power Fab, M Performance, KP racing and ask them to just weld a test pipe, they will probably say the same thing.

>>16189280
NA to TT will lift heads if you go too powerful and doing a single turbo is....mehhhhh.... on a Z. Our buddies at power fab built two. Bane. We make more power, more reliably, with a better power band with twins. A lower mileage stock TT that is maintained can make a great DD, it will run you about $12-$15k to get one like that.

>>16189294
Alright, good to actually talk to someone who knows their shit. Sorry if I'm not the usual kind of guy you're used to, my friends always give me shit for being a "purist". Ya'll stay safe and have fun alright?

>>16189192
Man I know your just dicking around on the sub, but no self respecting business owner would acuse potential costumers of being Autists in any setting. I'm from the area as well, but knowing that that's how you hold yourself in regards to your professionalism is enough to guarantee I'll never be going to you for my projects.

>>16189299
Oh no problem. We have quite a few long time customers that are purist with mostly stock cars. I don't recommend a 350z for anything really (except a beater track car). Thanks man, be safe out there.

>>16189304
>on the sub
Is this Reddit speak? Seems like he's doing himself a favor driving away spergs

>>16189304
>Being this upset on a Mongolian basket weaving bazaar

>>16189304
Welcome to an anonymous posting site where the co-owner could be a fucking autist with a camera who walked by and wanted attenti/o/n for all we know. Stop being a little bitch.

>>16189304
Okay. And if you can take an autist joke on 4chan, you would not be a good customer to us. Our customers hang out after we close and drink beers with us and joke around. The great thing about owning a business is we say who we want our customers to be, and we want people we like. It would be cool if you came and hung out with us to get a sense, but if joking around on a nip board makes you hate us this much we can recommend some other shops for you (not sarcasm btw). Let me know if you want the names of some other shops that may be more your speed.

>>16189327
can't take*

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Good for you guys for making a living in the tough aftermarket scene. I am sick of seeing cars get destroyed by your mods but after all, it is the customer's money.

>>16189336
I for one, think swangas are pretty kek

>>16189336
Even we cringe sometimes when asked to do stuff to cars. But we also restore a lot of them back to road worthyness. Saved a few from the junk yard etc. We do more than just Z's, my partner is just, simply, the best with them. So they are our bread and butter.

>>16189336
RIP Pimp C

>>16189327
do you also drink beers and joke around with your UPS guy? or do you just want the package you paid for to get delivered

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Any customers come in with H2s? If I was gonna bro truck I'd an H2 but what do you do about their anemic engine? Any diesel swap projects?

>>16189350
I for one enjoy a conversation with the mail man, the janitor, the groundskeeper at my apartment complex and those around me, but then again I enjoy people

You guys insured? You do everything or specialize?


worth going forged internals or throw a twin screw supercharger, proper tune and cross your fingers??

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>>16189142
What do you think of the z31 turbo as an only car. I love the ÆTHSTETICS, but I fear that it would be very unreliable and cost 2k+ a year in maintence.

>>16189350
Wow you really are an autist.

>>16189350
Our UPS guy is awesome. He doesn't get beer because we don't drink during work hours. But he plays with our dogs, gets food, and we joke around with him. Same with the tool guys/gals. Oreillys drivers. Other shop owners etc. In fact one of our old parts guys was at my partners wedding because we still keep in touch.

>>16189350
You autistic fuck, there's a difference between a goddamn delivery driver and a mechanic.
t. Man-who-takes-the-bait
>It's my injun name

>>16189365
i do too, except when they tell me they don't know what packing tape is

>>16189358
No H2's yet. We've done some dieseld dodges and fords. One of our mechanics is a HUGE ford truck guy. He has like...4? I think. The h2 .... honestly we used to HATE it. Then we got stuck off roading one day DEEP in the woods, and an H2 saved us TWICE. Nothing but respect for those now.

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>>16189379
>Want a low return job done
>They say the don't want to do those kinds of jobs
>Dude is recommending other places
>"B-but muh test pipe"

>>16189381
Post ferds

>>16189370
We ALL "mehhh" the Z31. Honestly it is shittier in every way than a z32. Not even a debate. That being said, they are OKAY but most are trash now. We do however have a fondness for any low mile stock Z31. Just plan to fix a lot of suspension and bushings shit. A lot have overheating problems too. Again, maintenance is key with all z's.

>>16189395
kek

after a while most shops don't want to do extra work for your "project" ie been turned down plenty of times for my build choices

>>16189402
What are the odds if I brought

>>16189350
UPS guys aren't allowed to drink

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>>16189395
You would be best customer.

I don't think I have any pics of them on my laptop. Our mechanic David would be the one to talk to about that stuff. I have some titan pics lol.

>>16189414
my cousin is a driver, i dont understand how these guys have time to chat, my cousin is driving left and right same fucking route everyday.. that job is just to busy man and if you fuck up a delivery well its on you

>>16189418
Forgot to say
>I have our ford van pics that I've posted before on here.

>>16189398
Would you reccomend a NA z32 over a turbo z31. They go for around the same price in my area.

>>16189350
Yes? I'm good friends with the mailman that works my block. We shoot the shit about cars all the time.

>>16189437
For a DD yes. My old NA had 260k miles with no major issues. Just get your belt done on time! But it will NEVER be fast (unless lots of nitrous).

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>>16189142
How much do you think it would cost to build a l28et capable of 350 hp? I have done some reading and I don't think it would take too much.
Any suggestion on what trans and diff setup I should be looking for?

Also do you think It would be possible to tune the exhaust setup so the engine doesn't sound like a diesel truck?

>>16189358
Who told you it has an anemic engine?
I borrow my dad's quite a bit when my car's in the shop, and it doesn't ever feel anemic. Around 400hp off the engine, and while it isn't all that fast, it can get up and go when you stomp on it.
Also, completely bone stock it gets 11.5 combined. Average of 12-13 on the highway and 8-9 city.
Also, don't let anyone tell you that it isn't a MONSTER off-road. It will wreak havoc in mud, snow, or sand.

>>16189456
Sorry my partner would be better to answer the trans and diff question. However to get 350 HP from the l28 you can leave the block stock. Big intercool, good head studs, and e85. Then a nistune or whatever (depends on the car it's in). And yes you can make the exhaust sound different but it's a lot of trial and error, you are better off finding what someone else did you like and copying it.

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>>16189418
>>16189402
what I meant to say, at a shop like yours, what would y'all charge if I had a fully built 302 and everything to swap it into my truck? It is pretty much just a bolt up deal, and I am beginning to collect all the parts. I can build the engine in a storage unit, but to swap everything over is a bit beyond my tooling, my skill level and my time.

It's a pretty big engine bay and you wouldn't really have to plumb anything other than the inline fuel pump on the wall, and even that is really nothing.

>>16189489
the l28et would be going in my S30. what is a nistune? Do you think 350hp is a reliable amount? does it need a bigger turbo? any particular year I should be looking for? I have heard the 83zx has the best engine. and a 5 speed t5 trans with a z31 r200 diff is my current plan.

>>16189500
We do that all the time. RB 300zx's, sr datsuns, etc etc. We basically charge the labor for a general engine swap, then estimate the hours of "extra" shit it will take to get it right. We will also make you sign a paper that says if we start it up and it's blown up, not our problem. Like 5 times people have brought in garbage motors, we literally just drop them in, start them up, and they have knock. And five time, it was "a perfect motor, you guys messed up!!!... But no I never heard it running before...." Which we didn't. If we did we would rebuild it and apologize. Those swaps can get out of control fast, so just make sure you know EXACTLY what is needed. Relay that to the shop, and plan for SOMETHING to not fit how the internet said it would.

>>16189520
yeah that's a reliable amount. Over 400 wheel you should consider building it. No turbo needed for that amount unless the one you have is fucked. Years, I can't really help you there sorry. Nistune is an ecu programmer for nissan. You will probably end up with megasquirt. GET IT DYNO TUNED. PAY THE MONEY!!!

r200 should be fine.

>>16189535
Well my plan is to just pull a roller motor out of a junkyard crash damaged explorer, mod the top end with valves, cam, intake, springs, a dizzy, carb and some sweet boomer tier valvecovers because I dream of stupid shit like that.

>>16189550
Most expensive parts of those kinds of swaps (some or all may not apply)
>custom motor mount shit
>custom trans shit
>drive shafts
>oil pan clearance problems
>wiring if not plug and play harness

Those are usually the big problems. The rest is easily dealt with.

>>16189479
I've been reading the 2003-04 have around 300hp, 05-07 got 325hp, 08-09 had a complete remake. With a near 400hp 6.2 and a new 6 speed over the 4. Problem is that's when the economy shit itself and not many sold. What year did you have?

I am certainly considering getting one, probably an older one just to try, if I fall in love then shell out for a late model.

>>16189577
only problem I will have is
>oil pan clearance problems

I can bolt directly to the C6 auto already in there, and I have factory motor towers to hook up to the frame. It is pretty much just a drop in and carbureted so there's no engine management or anything.

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>>16189608
Oh that's easy. Your probably looking at the book hours on an engine swap. Just call up local shops and ask how many labor hours to do a swap, they can tell you within a few minutes. I can't look it up right now since I'm at home.

Pic because yolo

Why do you not post in /hou/?

I want a z32. Y'all sell em?

>>16189633
neat I will do that. I plan on driving in with EVERYTHING in the bed of the truck, swap, then drive home.
>assuming that murphy's law doesn't apply to me.

>>16189643
Not sure is serious.

And yes on occasion. We have one for sale right now that we just restored, needs paint though. Has a lot of cool shit on it though. We were going to paint it, but we are selling it for a bit less and figured the new owner could paint it however they wanted.

>>16189663
How many coins do they go for?

nightwave is cool senpai, post sometime

>>16189670
The one we have right now : (sorry for FB link) facebook /media/set/?set=a.889183481218589.1073741871.585776684892605&type=3

381whp without e85.

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>>16189520
you should look over HybridZ, people have very detailed work on there for L28ET builds.

also i hope you dont flare your s30.

>>16189602
Dad's is an '03, got it 4 years ago with 50k miles for $17,500. Not sure of the displacement, but it has the Vortec with around 400hp. They're decent for DD if you can afford the gas mileage, heated leather seats (front AND back), but the interior is kinda shitty. Leather has to be hardcore taken care of or it tears like a motherfucker, and the plastics are shit. Wish I had some pictures of my dad's interior.
But nobody buys a Hummer for the interior, I guess.
I'd say definitely buy one if you have the cash for it, but watch out for Limp Mode (cuts engine power and limits to around 7 MPH) and the auto-inflator system. I call it auto-inflator, not sure of the official term, but it keeps all the tires at optimal tire pressure while the vehicle's on. My dad's went out, but it's also beat to shit, so there's that.
I'm finished with my novel now.

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Hello, Houston Z Auto. I'm fresh out of high school with zero skills and no automotive knowledge outside of basic maintenance, driving stick, and sick /o/ memes.

Give me work please

>>16189920

Also I live in NW Houston, forgot to mention

>>16189920
We don't have any shop boy positions open right now. But reach out to us every few months, we might. Basically you do shit work (clean, organize, etc) and we slowly teach you about cars and mechanicing. If you last a month, cool. If you can last two years, we can make you a top tier mechanic. Pay goes from shit, to decent, to good once you get more capable and are an asset and not a drain on the other mechanics.

>>16189924
Forgot to mention, try C.A.R.S. on 249/cutten area. (craigs auto repair). He occasionally needs shop boys, and I know about 5 guys personally who started there and 5 years later they are working at some nice shops doing crazy builds. I don't know if he's hiring but call on monday and ask. You gotta put in the work. I might even stop by on occasion and say hi. Craig is crazy and awesome.

>>16189500
>Swapping engines to get +2 cubic inches

>>16189951
>Swapping to a more easily modifiable engine with nearly unlimited aftermarket options
Displacement isn't everything, anon

>>16189142
What do you think of Z Shack?

>>16189940
>>16189948

Thanks man, I'll definitely hit him up. Thanks a lot, again.

>>16189940
Can I work for you for shit pay? I just want to learn about cars. Not the anon you're replying to, but I'm also local to Houston.

Pls. I'll do anything, I'm willing to learn, as long as I can get a proof of income I don't care too much about the amount starting out.

pls

I used to own a Z32, the engine grenaded.

>>16189205
>Old Nissan
>unreliable
haha

>>16189142
How did you niggers hear about /o/? What's a (what I assume to be) respectable shop doing on 4chins? No one here actually does shit.

What do you guys think about IDB racing? How many other performance shops are there in that cluster of buildings?

>>16190006
I would but we have a full staff and no money for another person. Not counting the pay alone, it is expensive to hire more employees.
>payroll
>taxes
>shirts
>time lost to training (this is multiplied x2, 1hr to the tech who has to teach you, 1hr lost on another job he could be working on)
>fixing mistakes
Etc. At $17k a year ($8/hr) it's actually closer to $40k a year all said and done. Like I told the other anon, we do hire shop boys on occasion. Some are good to work alone within a year some take 3 years. We've trained quite a few guys that we are still friends with. Check in with us every few months. Ask for Dane and ask if he has a "shop boy" position open. It is SHIT WORK for about a year. Be prepared. Check with us in February of 2017.

>>16190002
NP, the above applies to you as well

>>16190033
I started coming to 4chan in 2005ish. /o/ for a while. I was here a LONG time ago and still check in on occasion. 90% of the people here are fucking retarded and have no idea what they are talking about, but it gives us a good pulse on what young kids are into. And, nostalgia. I anon in about 3 times a month.

>>16190087
Forgot trip, it's me.

>>16190077
IDB is great. Will is VERY GOOD on euro cars and italians. And he's SUPER good at honda (it's how he got started). I like him a ton and his crew seems very good. He doesn't put up with shit from customers though (neither do we). We say it will take 2 days, don't show up in 8 hours asking when it will be done.

Power Fab moved recently to Louetta. They mostly do American cars now. KP racing is down the road and very good for american and some asian. Serious HP, don't know them, but was just at a dyno last night where their mustang did 900whp before the SC belt started to slip. You have Jtran for newer nissans, but I don't like the owner much. Awesome Z is good for old scool shit. M motorsports or whatever just off louetta is very good on bimmers and shit.

>>16189998
pls respond

>>16190109
Never even heard of them. If they aren't breaking records like us, Z1, and specialty Z they need to do some work. We've been incorporated for about 4 years but building Z's for 10.

>>16190121
They've specialized in Z32s since 1998, and I think they have the record for fastest NA Z32 build, and have a few builds over 1000 hp.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Zshack/@29.845194,-95.6516887,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8640d9f90c7482b7:0xac259b6a04224965!8m2!3d29.845194!4d-95.6495

facebook/Zshack-825692477498541/

I actually only heard of Houston Z through them.

>>16190135
Hmm I've never heard of them. And we have the record for fastest street legal NA non nitrous Z32 as far as I know, but there's not official way to know. Escort racing is the fastest but it's a drag car with nitrous and shit. I looked them up, nothing looks familiar about them. I'm sure they are good at what they do.

Just texted my partner before I hit post. He knows them, quote from text "z32 only, guy is smart but old. It's a side business of his. Smaller operation than it looks."

>>16189304
Go back to >>reddit

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>>16189746
Thanks for the info. I haven't heard of a tire inflation system on them at all but I know any and all air systems develope issues. I started seeing them when gas got cheap and they aren't as huge as they are made out to be, at least compared to modern trucks now that everything is quad cab.

>>16190165
And in full disclosure, I was just talking to my partner.

Z1 eeked us by a couple 10th's without nitrous and no one told me :(. Now you >>16190135
have me and my budd talking about building another NA to take the record back.

>>16190252
whats your favourite car (non nissan)

>>16190281
Super/Hyper car
New Mclaren
Attainable but super expensive
Ford GT, New snek, or 550 Maranello
Attainable
Z06, or 911 Turbo (slant nose)

>>16190298
Opinion on the A80?

>>16190333
Played out, easy to hit 1000whp, can't put it down, over priced as fuck, way better cars for the money today.
Me and my buddy from another shop were talking about these tonight actually. Laughing at how god damn expensive they are but they aren't anything special anymore. That's why the prices are falling. That being said, if they were $15-20k cars I would like them. But an NA for $30k LOL no way. So much cool shit I could build just with the money to but that.
>assuming you mean supra and are not memeing me.

>>16190087
>90% of the people here are fucking retarded and have no idea what they are talking about, but it gives us a good pulse on what young kids are into.
Pretty interesting. 4chan and every board is an accurate and uncensored window for most trends.

>>16190352
What else could A80 mean?

>>16190352
I moved computers, keep forgetting trip, my bad.

What cars do you like?

>>16190358
Who knows, you damn kids and your lingo.

>get off my lawn!!!

>>16190354
It really does help if you know how to use the data. We have made temporary business moves based on looking at 4chan, reddit, twinturbo.net, and various other car forums. It usually works.

>>16190360
Who are you asking?

>>16190375
These two
>>16190358
>>16190281
I guess, whoever.

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>>16190369
what seems to be the trend that Z32's tend to be going?

also do you ever do RB swaps or is it always VG30? sweet motors though, my buddy had a n/a Z32 and that thing could sing.

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>>16190369
Good research.

>>16190352
>Played out, easy to hit 1000whp, can't put it down
What do you exactly mean by this and what would you need to do to overcome this problem? Too much wheelspin caused by improper suspension geometry or what?

>>16190415
e85 and GTX turbos are now the "norm" for big builds. Also a lot of guys with money (in their 30's) are now buying them and saving them. But they are getting harder and harder to find in good shape.

We have done RB Z's. The RB is garbage. We (when we first started) fell for how "awesome" they were. Now we know they are shit motors. Constantly popping/throwing rods. Under mild mods they are great. When you get into modern day big boy territory they are shit. Which is funny because the VG was forever the "shitty" motor and people could only build them to 500 - 700 hp. Now (with proper oil work) they can handle 1000+all day. I know on the forums rb=lyfe but they are shit hole meme motors. We even had an RB specialist and he would advise customers on how bad they were.

>>16190425
It's a mix of suspension geometry, wheel size, weight balance, power band, shit clutches.
ALL of this can be overcome, somewhat. But it's so expensive and there are such better cars to do it with. I appreciate the Supra and what it has done, but today it's a joke car honestly. I see one rolling at TX2k, and I don't even worry unless we have less than 600whp.

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>>16190435
Very interesting. Me, being the good old american boy that I am, am a big fan of the V8. That's why I am stoked to 302 swap my ferd even if it is quite played out, I like it because it works (to a point before the block splits in two).

Have you done any VK or LS swaps on these platforms?

an i6 is still a damn sexy engine, but I hate to say but there's a reason they have been pretty phased out.

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>>16190451
I see. Thanks for your knowledge, Mr. HousonZ.

>>16190456
We haven't yet. We were toying with a slick top z with a vk and a SC. But honestly don't have the time with all the other projects. LS swap, we haven't done but it's easy shit. We have done a VH45 into a 240 (first to close the stock hood normally too), and that was fun. We also talked about an M35 with an LS or VK in the past. But money and time is always a killer.

We actually love corvettes and mustangs. We were even thinking about opening a mustang shop on the side. But we just haven't. We have no blind loyalty. There are tons of good cars and engines. Depends on what you want/like.

>>16190468
No problem, nice pic lol.

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>>16190486
there was this pretty beat up skyline with a VK at that show.

but good to hear, blind fanboyism is terrible
>even though the Z06 >GTR
>just kidding

>>16190451
Are you biased against Supras, or? Are you required to say Z32s are the best, or are they actually the best? If you could create a list of no holds barred best platforms for, let's say in your example, TX2K, for under $100,000 starting (to exclude Lambos and McLarens), which one(s) would you choose? Out of curiosity.

>>16190496
I'm actually with you, unless you're shooting for 2000hp highway pulls lol. If we didn't do Z's it would be mustangs or corvettes probably. And vipers but thats a small market.

Skyline with a VK, nice. I like stuff like that, my partner is a purist, he likes to build the motor that came with the car (unless it's a shit box like a 240). I like to do dumb shit.

What's your favorite turbo setup for a Z32?
What's the most common turbo that you install for your clients?
Are the 4 bolt turbos worth a shit any more?

>>16190435
>proper oil work

What is this, exactly?

>>16190508
I don't have to like any car. Like I said earlier we specialize in Z's but we work on all kinds of cars. Z's aren't even my favorite though they are great.

The supra is just over priced. That's the only problem. I know it's more rare. But looking at it as a tuner car there are so many better options for the money. And when you get to the 1000hp area, almost everything is better than the supra because of it's shit power band. But it can be a sexy car.

No holds barred, buying the car AND modding it to be competive for $100k or less
>z32 (we have $30k into the one were taking next year, should be a 9sec 1/4 mile car, while also being a full track car AND mile car!)
>360 modena with big boy turbo (they are CHEAP now)
>rx7 with turbo ls
>fox body
>z06
>volvo 240(as a sleeper, no joke)
>viper
>new camaro
>new mustang
>hayabusa (that's for me lol)
>GTR but we'd have to go over 100k right now
>exige
>911 turbo
>ZR1 C4 because fuck you
>928 or 944 porsche

That's a few. I'm sure I could think of more if I wanted. But if you ask my partner it will be 75% different answers lol.

>>16190550
>foxbody
>turbo LS
>volvo 240
>C4 ZR1
I can dig your style

>>16190550
>360 Modena
>FD
>Foxbody
>Viper

Nice.

Which generation Z06? C5?

For Hayabusa do you mean just the bike, or are you talking about like a Cappuccino swap or something?

And by GT-R I assume you mean the R35?

Also, how do you turn an Exige into a straight line monster?

>>16190517
What's your favorite turbo setup for a Z32?
>GTX > everything else
What's the most common turbo that you install for your clients?
>high hp = GTX
>DD but want some power
>sport 600's or something, depends on budget
Are the 4 bolt turbos worth a shit any more?
>sure if you want a little power without breaking the bank/reliability

>>16190541
We were running some custom moroso oil pans, but they sometimes have leak issues. Basically the biggest reason Z's (VG) get rod knock is oil starvation. They don't handle long pulls or hard corners (sustained) for long. So the old way was to loop an oil catch back to the other side of the engine. Now, just run a bigger pan and do some basic delete shit. If you have cash money, dry sump is the way to go! lol.

>>16190563
;)

>>16190567
c5 or c6 really.
And no, the actual bike. I'm a big motorcycle guy. Been riding since I was a kid. My partner isn't lol.
Yes new GT-R
Big ass wheels, custom suspension, lots of corner weight work, engine swap and turbos.

>>16189309
Main reason/s for choosing a 300 over a 350?

>>16190596
350 a shit, m8.

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>>16190587
please don't do this

>>16190598
VQ350(hr) is a shit.

>>16190596
350 is hot garbage. We've owned them.

>lol cracked rear sub frame (we see this a lot and customers never notice it)
>shit engine can't handle any power
>building it and it's still won't be reliable
>horrible vision
>transmission can't handle shit
>low quality parts
>orange lights on dash

We would track the shit out of an NA one, but to build a high HP one would be a waste of money to us. We would only do it just to prove we can. But it's not a good car.

are you aware of our local houston meet thread?

>>16100017
/hou/ aka night wave

it'd be cool if you could come to a meet

>>16190599
This is now exactly what we will do.

>>16190576
Thank you for the answers.

Have you ever tried accusump for the oil starvation issues?

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>>16190623
it looked like so much ass tho

>>16190620
Yeah we don't go to that shit anymore. We're too old and work on cars all day and a lot of nights. Meets aren't fun. We go to tx2k, royal purple (sometimes), texas mile, and that police academy drift thing (to shake the cars down) and thats about it. Not trying to be a dick, but once you work on them all day every day the last thing you want to do is spend your night with them lol.

We DO go the the Houston Nissans burgers/pizza meets...since we kind of run them.... LOL. Feel free to find it on FB and send everyone there.

>>16190628
R35s are born ugly.

>>16190625
Nope, It's an oil quantity issue that the Z's have. So a bigger pan or dry sump is the only answer.

An accusump just stores oil and pumps it in when pressure is low. On a Z the pressure doesn't drop, it just needs more of it. Unless I am mistaken, we aren't afraid to admit when we don't know something! Sell me on it, and we may try it out on our shop car.

>>16190620
BTW I was at KP racing last night for the dyno shit. I was hanging out with the owners/workers there. We didn't bring a car.

>>16190649
Do you know any street racing gangs/clubs, or do you just do mechanical work and the occasional sanctioned competition?

>>16190642
My only experience with it was the accusump burning my leg in my friend's LS1 RX7 race car haha. However, it seems like a decent solution for engines that like to pump all the oil to the head(s) and not have a quick enough return path. The RB is well-known for this, with aftermarket oil return kits available. I haven't seen this done with the VG yet, but I assume there is a similar problem. The accusump seems like it could be a good back-up solution when the oil level in the pan goes low.

>>16190657
>gangs clubs
No because I'm 31. I used to go to "mexico" but when your knee deep in the industry you get invited to that shit, you don't need a "crew."

Sometimes we get nostalgic and roll out in the Z's, but most of them don't have stickers so unless you know us, you won't know it was us. We like it that way. But we might bring the race car out soon (it's street legal) and give it some shake down. But if you aren't 1000hp, don't bother ;)

>>16190672
Hmmm.. They are only like $200. Might be worth it to try, can't make it worse...... I'll keep it in mind, thanks bro.

>>16190678
forgot trip, ugghhh

>>16190678
So just highway pull type shit, or do you mix it up?

>>16190686
We do it all. Track, drag, drift, highway, top speed.
Me and my partner have years of racing experience and our best friend/mechanic is getting a lot of seat time as well. Highway pulls are just fun because at 1000hp, the feeder road on i10 doesn't like to hook up.

>>16190352
>30k for an NA
wow, in New Zealand you can get a TT for 20k

JZA70s are still around 10k for a decent NA, 15k for a turbo

>>16190879
JZA70 are like free for an NA and $3k for at turbo in the US

Why so high in NZ? 1JZ tax?

>>16190898
yeah pretty much 1JZ tax, and most of the are probably in ditches

>>16190618
On that note how would a cheap 03-07 350Z be as a N/A track beater? Assuming I wouldn't do any more than bullshit bolt ons to keep reliability (something like a reasonable 280-300whp from a full exhaust/headers, intake manifold, and retune).

How do they drive when driven hard? Comparable to a Miata/RX8? S2000? M3?

Are they reliable when kept NA? They're dirt cheap ($5000-9000) for the power you get.

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>>16189142
Hey there HoustonZAuto, we've formed our local 4chan houston(/hou/) group known as Night Wave. We have checked out a few shops like ZShack and we would love to just come around someday and check out the shop. Our cars are really shitboxes but we find joy in what we do as a group. If there is any date when you guys have time for us to come over, do let us know.

- Night Wave

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>>16191099
Race us. we are bassed out of Toronto

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>>16191140
Alright niggas, let's go.

>>16191099
>>16191140
Oh shit I wanna see that happen, two crews racing against each. Too bad you two live so apart.

>>16191030
Would be good if you get all the maintenance shit out of the way. They are fine driven hard, you just can't boost them for shit. You can supercharge them if you really want more power.
For racing: miata>s2000>350z>m3>rx8
In my personal opinion. M3 behind the z due to cost of repairs/parts when needed.

>>16191099
Come by next friday, we'll probably be working late (no guarantee), but we don't close until 6 anyways. I'm not there every day but the rest of the guys are. I should be there Friday though.

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go rockets
go texans


hey i go to that fitness connection right there

>>16192574
That would be sick, assuming you can handle all our autism

>>16191169
DO IT
O

I
T

>>16192775
I'll just kick you out if you get weird.

>>16192780
It'll be a short meet then. Kek

>>16189304
>on the sub

fuck right the fuck off

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>>16192777
Trips confirmed, revving up the econobox right now.

>>16192640
Hook 'em up, hook 'em horns, I hook 'em up high, hook 'em up, hook 'em horns, down south when I ride, hook 'em up, hook 'em horns, down south 'til I die.

>>16192990
The first /o/ vs.

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We are coming for you Toronto

>>16193568
dat cute little honda CR-Z back there being all slow and innocent.

yfw thread dies for no raisin

>>16189327
great comfy thread, makes me wanna start up a shop and just mess around with some good goys. godspeed.

>>16193568
List of cars in your crew?

>>16193568
>>16191169

I WANT TO BELIEVE

I WOULD drive days to pull my dick out at this.

>>16195360


New year's eve?

Get hype?

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>>16195158

>>16195375
A new year for a new fight.

>>16192782
I FORGOT IT WAS THANKSGIVING WEEK!!!

Sorry /o/hou. We will have to do it NEXT Friday, December 2nd. My bad everyone, holidays totally slipped my mind and didn't want to leave you guys hanging.

(I posted in the other thread too)

I'm 18 and I'm planning on majoring in Mechanical engineering. I really want to open a performance shop, but I don't know if it would be worth it.
Sorry if this is too personal, but how much money do you make on this? I don't want to just deal with ricers, I want to actually make high horsepower cars. I also want to actually put engineering into it, not just be some grease monkey.
Any tips on starting a tuner shop? I live in Jacksonville FL

>>16198365
If you are going to school for mechanical engineering, don't even worry about opening a shop for a LONG time. Make a lot of money in that field and save first.
I make shit, but it's my third business and mostly an investment for me. HOWEVER because my partner runs the day to day, I don't have to be there,allowing me a TON of free time. We are profitable, and my partner makes a good salary, but when times are tight, he takes the first pay cut. We also pay 3-4 mechanics (depending on how busy we are) a living salary and our office guy. That being said, you aren't going to be making 6 figures any time soon. But he can spend all the money on cars we want, we can purchase race trailers, tools, machines etc (which if you shut down, you can sell some of those to other shops for extra cash).

You will deal with ricers every day, comes with the territory. Even the ferrari owners can be ricers.

If you want a full fab shop and tuning house, get ready to shell out a FUCK TON of money. These are just rough numbers because every place and time is different, and I'm not going to nit pick them with you:
rent a shop, MINIMUM 5k sq ft (if doing engineering shit) in a decent place customers will actually leave cars
>$5k/month
BUILD a shop (you build for the future) 10k sq ft minimum
>$1.5 million
Tools (general hand shit, special tools for some cars, scanners etc)
>$250k (you can build this slowly as needed though)
Lifts
>$3-$5k each + install
Alignment rack
>$25k (and that's cheap) + install and yearly calibration
Insurance
>$250-$600/month, completely depends on many factors
Payroll
>4 mechanics at average of $20/hr = $166k a year + whatever scraps you take home + $30k for an office person
Dyno
>$45-$80k
And then a TON of little shit like having inventory, buying "parts" cars, computers, desks, shelving (so much shelving), and many more things.

>>16198438
Now you can get into it on the cheap IF you already have a customer base (you are doing it out of your home) and you slowly buy all these things as you grow. That's KIND of how we did it (I invested a lot of cash up front, but not enough for everything we have today). Then you have to look at other ways to make money when it's slow (winter months).
We flip cars. We part cars. We pick up projects all the time for people at their house (towing charge) etc. You have to be adaptable and smart. You also have to know when to cut your losses.
If we stall in growth (and aren't to where we want to be) for 3-4 years and see that NOTHING we are doing is helping. We will probably shut it down and move on. But that's part of owning a business, having the calm to know when you've peeked and deciding if you want to trudge away for another 20 years or start again fresh. We don't have that issue now, but it's always in the back of our minds.

>>16198438
Wow, thank you for the in depth response. I'm not really sure what else to say, but I'll keep all that in mind. It's definitely something that I really want to do in the future, but yeah I'll wait until I'm financially stable to try to chase my dreams.

>>16198438
Forgot to add the engineering shit
>welders
>metal stock
>pay a fabricator (they are EXPENSIVE)
>drill press
>cnc machine ($10k-$1mil)
>3d printer
>welding area (takes away from space used for more customers cars)
>grinders
>clamps
>band saws
the list goes on and on and on. You could EASILY spend $500k up to $2 million to set up a proper fab area.

>>16189142
Nice blog

how much do you charge for dyno tune and how long do i get on there

>>16198860
What do you do for the board? This is a good thread with great perspective.

>>16198462

Yall need any welders? I'm about to finish my welding certs at HCC, so im very green. Have experience welding mig/tig/stick, mostly carbon steel though. I want experience mayne.

>>16189142
hey
yeah i was just about to ask this question>>16199047

it would be pretty cool to use the dyno
ive been thinking about geting a whatchumacallit and a tune, but its my daily and i dont think the money would produce much results

Bumping for future Night Wave shenanigans.

Page 6.

What kind of experience with b16 Nissan Sentra se-r Spec-v's do you guys have?? The stock engine is pretty alright, but workin on it is a bitch just cause of how cramped that engine bay is. I've never seen a vq35de swapped one in person. Never seen much work on any b16's actually

>>16189350

At my job the UPS Driver is like Family, when we have pot lucks and shit, we save him a plate.

I've never read a thread on here full of bigger douche nozzles.

@16205216

(You)

>>16190496
my guy thats a vh45 in an s13