APS TT Tune on Automatic 350Z

Another local customer of ours brought us his automatic Rev-up 350Z with the APS twin turbo kit already installed. Although he had previously been using the Haltech EMS, he gave us a visit for our tuning expertise.

With this being a car that gets daily driven for most of the year, we wanted to clean up any drivability issues and make as much reliable power as possible on our Dyno Dynamics. Despite using the automatic transmission, a TransGo valve body upgrade kit had been installed to help with shifting at these power levels.

This particular car utilized the newest public version of the Haltech software, which we have been privately testing on shop cars in previous weeks. Despite some initial hurdles from the new software, specific only to automatic models, our unmatched Haltech experience allowed us to produce nearly 390 whp between 9-10 psi. Wheel torque measured near a constant 350 throughout the entire powerband.

Between this much improved flat torque curve and constant power increase with the automatic transmission, this is one great daily driver. The fresh looking Daytona Blue paint is complemented nicely by a new Alliance big brake kit behind the popular Volk SF-Winning wheels. It’s great when the looks match the impressive power.

350Z Built HR with Greddy 20G Kit

A local customer of ours had recently purchased a 2008 Nissan 350Z with the relatively undeveloped VQ35HR motor inside. Although this particular engine bridges the gap between the more common VQ35DE and the all new VQ37VHR, it was only produced for two years in the 350Z, and lacks the amount of aftermarket options seen in other versions of Nissan’s VQ platform. However, this would not prevent us from porting our popular “Stage 1″ package over to the HR motor with a few minor tweaks.

The Nogaro Red 350Z was brought to us relatively stock, only featuring a Greddy True Dual Ti-C exhaust, which proves to be a perfect companion for any of the twin turbo kits available. The Greddy 20G Tuner twin turbo kit was chosen as the ideal solution for this car’s needs and budget. The setup would be controlled through the Haltech Platinum for 350Z, which can be wired in for cars equipped with the HR engine, and utilizing Deatschwerks 800cc injectors and a Walbro fuel pump to turn this “tuner” kit into a complete package.

Brian Crower rods and CP Pistons were used to help build our Stage 1 shortblock package, as well as new bearings, ARP L19 head studs, and a full gasket kit. Once the fresh engine had been reassembled, the car was ready to be broken in and then begin tuning at low boost. At only 6 psi, running off the wastegate spring, the strong VQ35HR was able to produce 395 whp on our Dyno Dynamics. This was the most amount of power we have seen produced at this pressure.

After a thorough initial tuning session, the car was ready to have the boost turned up a notch. By increasing pressure to approximately 13.5 psi, the car produced a whopping 513 whp before running out of fuel supply. This setup will be limited by the single Walbro pump until a dual pump hanger is installed and tuned for. Our customer will be more than pleased with this power level until deciding to turn the boost up even further for a real monster on the street. Our Stage 1 shortblock package will hold up to far more power than currently being used - perfect for the customer looking to plan for the future while the engine has already been removed.

The stout performance of the VQ35HR platform gives us high hopes for building the VQ37VHR from the 370Z when that time comes. Current owners of the 2007-08 350Z should rest assured that there are equally impressive sources of making big power as compared to earlier 350Z and G35 models.

Supra Wiring Overhaul and Tune

Tuning and engine building are two specialties that we pride ourselves in, but wiring is an important factor of any heavily modified setup, and is often overlooked. Many of our projects, such as this customer’s Supra, involve cleaning up areas which may have been overlooked by other shops, or simply done incorrectly. This particular car has all of the right parts to go fast, including a 76mm turbo and TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, but could never complete a quality pass at the drag strip due to problems. Upon diagnosing what the car would need, we found an absolute monstrosity of wiring from the engine bay, interior, engine management, and into the trunk for the fuel system and nitrous.

The car’s owner requested that the entire electronics system of the car be re-wired. We started by cutting out the majority of wiring, including wires that were spliced, twisted, soldered and taped together more than 15 times in three feet.

The outdated Autronic EMS was removed in favor of the new Haltech Sport 2000 engine management system, paired with a M&W Pro Ignition box. A Mil-spec engine harness was fit to the car, and the remaining systems, such as nitrous, fuel, and fans, were also professionally wired in-house.

Shown is the dash layout nearing completion.

After a dyno session on low boost and one small stage of nitrous, the car was loaded into our trailer and off to the drag strip to be delivered to the customer, eagerly waiting to make a pass. We were only able to get in two passes before the track closed for the night, and the first was just a shake-down run to get a feel for the car. The second pass was a bit more aggressive, and the car crossed the quarter mile finish line in the 10-second range with ease.

Stay tuned as we turn this Supra up to it’s potential and see it dip deep into the single digits!

370Z on Phantom Edition Volk GT-S

We enjoy simple and tasteful looking cars, and this can be seen in our Nissan 370Z used for some in-house testing. Featured are Volk GT-S wheels in the Flat Black Phantom Edition color scheme. Unfortunately, this color has since been discontinued, but the flat black on Nissan’s Pearl White gives an excellent contrast that really draws attention.

More can be seen on The 370Z Forum!

Injected Performance Wins Street RWD at Autobahn

Aaron Leichty and Injected Performance were proud to win the Redline Time Attack Street RWD class at this past weekend’s event at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL. Although it is Round 3 of the 2009 season, Autobahn is the first venue for the east coast segment of the series tour. We decided to team up with Aaron, a local customer, and his NASA TTC-prepared Honda S2000 to take a shot at victory in the Street RWD class - popular for Honda S2000s and Nissan 350Zs.

After setting up for the weekend, Aaron began his Saturday practice sessions testing out his new 275/40-17 Nitto NT-05s and giving rides to some of the employees and friends of Injected who traveled in support of the weekend. Even from the first run groups, Aaron’s times were in the low 1:42’s and 1:41’s, a promising start for Sunday’s Time Attack sessions.

As the day went on, times dropped across the board. Rides were exchanged, videos were watched, and plenty of water was drank in order to fight the severe heat and humidity of the afternoon. The day ended with optimistic hope for even lower times for Sunday’s main event.

Overnight, even more cars showed up in attendance. Hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators were on hand to represent the Chicagoland area and its enthusiasm for motorsports (and local powerhouse AMS). Two additional practice sessions in the morning were to determine the grid order for the first of two Time Attack sessions on Sunday afternoon. After both sessions had completed, Aaron qualified for third overall in the entire Stock/Street category, which had 28 participants.

Aaron’s times spoke for themselves, as he established a significant lead among his Street RWD competitors that would not be overtaken. His first session brought in a low 1:40, good enough to maintain his third place overall standing in the Stock/Street category, and first place in the Street RWD class. Immediately following the first Time Attack sessions, it became very clear that rain showers were imminent. Organizers decided to cancel the practice session in between Time Attack sessions to run both timed sessions back to back. In retrospect, this was a crucial decision, as rain arrived soon after the very last timed laps of the second session.

The second session was even more generous to Aaron than the first. After two back to back high 1:39 laps, Aaron pulled in for the event to take home first place in Street RWD and third overall in the Stock/Street category. His closest competitor in Street RWD would end up almost 2.5 seconds behind. After a persistent rain shower, a quick trophy presentation, and efficient packing job for the six hour trip home, Injected Performance headed home for the night.

Stay tuned for announcements of the next event we will be attending!

Full Stock/Street results:

Zdayz Dyno Shootout a Huge Success!

We were proud to host two full days of free dyno sessions at this year’s ZdayZ at Fontana Village, NC. In total, 36 participants signed their cars up for a free dyno session. Of all of the cars tested, we decided to award several trophies after Saturday’s dinner.

Shawn Ellis took home our trophy for the highest horsepower (naturally aspirated) with his 2007 350Z utilizing a few choice bolt on modifications to the VQ35HR, which is already a strong motor from the factory. He was able to make 282 whp on our Dyno Dynamics.

On the other side of the scale, Randy Shemin’s 1971 240Z took the honors of lowest horsepower, with a respectable 127 whp. We knew that his car was a likely contender for this award when “fresh oil” was listed under “major motor modifications”!

Paul McElroy and Stephen Kirovar were awarded some of our other novelty trophies, for “best powerband” and “favorite car to dyno,” respectively.

Joe Kenefic’s 2005 350Z won our highest overall horsepower award in his twin turbo setup running on E85. Making 651 whp on his final pull, quite a crowd had gathered to see his yellow monster wrap up our shootout. Joe was also awarded our “highest boost” trophy.

In a spur of the moment decision to make things a bit more interesting, we decided to host a “guess the horsepower” raffle for the dyno of our well-known drag car, which can make up to almost 1300 whp at full boost. Although it had been de-tuned for the weekend, in preparation for running Forged Performance’s “Top Dawg Airstrip Event,” it was still guaranteed to put on quite a show. Over 40 bystanders had signed up for the $1 raffle to see who could come closest to guessing the horsepower on Sunday afternoon.

When it was all said and done, Alisha Young walked away as the winner, guessing 973 whp. Our car actually produced 964 whp on its most conservative tune. Dozens upon dozens of Zdayz attendees stopped by to watch, but anyone in the Fontana Village area certainly heard it.

Despite staying busy the entire weekend, Zdayz 2009 overall was an amazing success for us and the organization as a whole. We look forward to making 2010 bigger, better, and more exciting for everyone involved!

Vorsteiner Releases Ventross Aero for R35 GTR

Vorsteiner’s own brand of Ventross has released the latest aero package for the Nissan R35 GTR. Drawing from various sources of inspiration to create something unique, yet tasteful, the Ventross front bumper and rear diffuser were carefully designed to match the rest of the GTR’s styling. Our very own Injected Performance GTR was used in the process of creating the mold and finished product. Here is a clip from Vorsteiner’s own press release:

“Ventross has created a new replacement front fascia that incorporates enlarged carbon fiber air intakes for the radiators and includes additional side louver openings that feed air to the brakes through the front fender lining slats. The fascia is completed with an aggressive front spoiler that attaches to the factory under tray optimal fitment strength. The entire front fascia is constructed from dry carbon fiber using Vorsteiner’s proprietary dry carbon fiber vacuum technology which maximizes strength while significantly reducing overall weight.”

“The GTR rear diffuser has been redesigned to replace the factory plastic version with a more aggressive dry carbon fiber piece that houses 3 integrated diffuser fins with central heat extraction vents to aid in cooling the exhaust system. Like the Ventross GTR front fascia, the rear diffuser is constructed using Vorsteiner’s proprietary dry carbon fiber vacuum technology. Vorsteiner’s Carbon Fiber Honeycomb Matrix (CFHM) structure gives our parts superior stiffness, strength & durability compared to traditional hand laid carbon fiber and fiberglass materials.”

These Ventross pieces are made to order. Please contact us for ordering details.

Injected Performance Now a Work Wheels Dealer

Injected Performance is proud to announce our latest product line to be carried - Work Wheels. We have chosen to add Work to our wheel lineup for many reasons, such as their visually appealing looks, wide range of styles, aggressive fitments for the 350Z and other cars, and their attractive price point. Work Wheels have been around for many years with their reputable quality and helpful US division. We have decided to concentrate on their Emotion and Meister lineup of wheels for the Nissan 350Z. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite Work wheels (CR KAI and XD9, respectively) we’ve received so far:

Please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email for pricing and availability!

Additional Advan RS-D Details Released

Brand new for 2009, Advan has released a new wheel called RS-D. Similar to the existing Advan RS, the RS-D offers the option of a extra deep dish lip for aggressive rear fitments. Sizes range from 18×7.5 up to 20×10.5. Fitments will be aimed towards newer models, including: Nissan 370Z, Nissan GTR, Mitsubishi EVO X, BMW E90 and E92, and Subaru 08+ STi. Currently, it is slated to be offered in three color schemes: silver or gloss black with a diamond cut polished lip and chrome. Examples of each are shown below (deep lips only), as well as some example vehicle fitments. Retail pricing is expected to be about 10% higher than the current Advan RZ.

Please contact us for pricing and availability.

Nissan GTR Wheel and Tire Packages

Last week we had the pleasure of helping a local GTR customer mount his newly purchased Volk RE30’s with Toyo R888’s in anticipation for the upcoming February 23rd track day at VIR. We decided on a 19″ wheel setup, a compromise in size to save weight and gain additional tire choices, as well as a non-staggered tire setup on staggered wheels to lessen the understeer. As an authorized Volk and Advan distributor, we are more than happy to put together a wheel and tire package featuring Toyo tires or any other brand you may be looking for. Whether it is a lightweight set of Volks for track days or a show-stopping set of HREs to impress, we are proud to offer a wide array of aftermarket wheel options for the GTR.

Not only were we able to piece together an impressive looking stance for this Super Silver GTR, the wheels and tires are going to give our customer the additional benefit of reduced unsprung weight and an effective higher final drive ratio, for quicker acceleration. Here are the final specs:

Front:
Volk RE30 19×10 +30
Toyo R888 295/30-19
(49.2 lbs, savings of 13.4 lbs from stock)

Rear:
Volk RE30 19×11 +25
Toyo R888 295/30-19
(50.4 lbs, savings of 16.4 lbs from stock)

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