hey guys dont start flaming me yet by the title. but i drove my friends naturally aspirated 1991 nissan 300zx today. i hate to say it but that car is incredible. the throttle response was instantanious and everything from the steering to the braking to the rpm powerband was so incredibly smooth it was unbelievable. i was starting to pull out of an intersection and turn left, but there was a car coming so i put my foot down not eventhree quarters of the way down on the throttle and the butt of the car sun wildly out into the road as it fishtailed violently. i have done this several times on purpose in my rustang so i wasnt paniced or anything and quickly regained control of it but my point is this. is this engine and car is so strong it makes me wonder how much more out of control a 96 lt4 will be (what im looking at getting) my reasons are this: his car weighs a good 3500 pounds fully loaded with gas and two passengers(which it was today)only has 240 horsepower at the flywheel and it is not even the highend version of that year(BTW his is a manual with a few boltons such as intake exhaust filter and such) the 96 corvette lt4 is manual, and even thoguh the dimensions are bigger than the 300zx im sure it weighs the same if not less (around 3400lbs) than the nissan and it will have about 100 more horsepower at the flywheel that the car i drove today? i know the tired are a little bit bigger on a corvette but i just cant understand it physically. how do you guys with lt4s keep from fishtailing out all over the road all the time? help me clear up something im missing here please

 

My brother got rid of his 1993 300 ZX last year, it was also naturally aspirated but it was a great car, very fun to drive and he never had an ounce of trouble with it. I was impressed with the fit and finish of the car, it was very tight.

 

Our cars have ASR and bigger meats out back. The 300ZX gets it traction problems by its low gears. My friend has an automatic '91 300ZX and the gears are 4.0X. Very low and they are stock.

 

I've never really had a problem with control in the LT4 -- it's actually a very easy car to drive. I do suck at launching at the drags, but that's me, not the car :D I stick to the road courses more than drags.
A little bit of throttle modulation wil get you out of just about anything. Leaving the ASR on is a good safety net until you get familiar with the car.
One thing I like about C4's is since you're practically sitting on the rear wheels, you can feel it instantly when the back end is wanting to come out. It lets you react very quickly before it gets too loose.

 

My friend has a 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo I drive it all the time. I must say I do like the way it handles with the sport suspension and it brakes well. I have done a lot of mods to his car it has stillen Cross drilled rotors SS brake lines and some racing brake pads the car stops on a dime. It has exhaust computer upgrade APEX boost controller and some air induction thing on it that I do all the work to myself. not to mention the Clutch Twice in 10,000 miles. I raced him in my 92 Stock Convertible 6 speed he beat me but not by much. The car is fast but it BREAKS a lot believe me I have to fix it. As we speak it's broken the clutch throw out fork broke in half cheap *** metal. And the car weighs about the same as a vette. I would rather have a vette and day. I think the inside on the Z looks a bit cheap dash board ect. I know it's going to cost you more to maintain the Z had Two timing belts and is very tight under the hood. I'm down at Nissan a lot and the parts cost an arm and leg. If you don't work on your own cars and would have to take this think to the dealer forget about it there going to rape you! and did I mention my friend wanted a vette but didn't have the money for one he bought this car with like 57,000 miles on it with at beat clutch that didn't get him home and brakes that pulled to one side. and not a perfect body for I think 9 or 10,000 and with the new paint and all the stuff that's into this car new seats and custom interior he could have bought a used C5. So please think about it and Get the Corvette

 

um....this is by no means a flame just an observation.....as i don't particularly like the 300z's but hence recognize their power and force to recon with....


my observation is this....you said at a stand still getting ready to go into the intersection at not even 3/4 throttle you spun the car completely around....?......umm hello...anybody else find this to be about right......i mean..duh...i would hope soo.....i think that with anycar thats probably gonna happen....going into an intersection while turning the wheel and then add throttle....iam not doubting at all that you didn't spin em up....shoot at 1/8 throttle my stock vette will break lose doing that stuff....i mean i see cars even four bangers doing that.....maybe not as bad as what you are describing but still none the less...

bottom line....don't try giving any c4 3/4 gas entering an intersection while turning...... it only equals one thing......you gonna go sideways and possibly lose control and up going somewhere you didn't intend on going...hehe

case in point....my friend in his 1994 Z28 did this coming out of an applebee's parking lot.... 1/2 throttle ......ending loosing it ....recovered....oversteered.....and hopped up onto the guard rail....


power is fun......but just be careful with it....

whatever your choice......(and hope its the vette)
drive smart...
jeff

 

I did just what you described in a 94 V6 Camaro once....not that big a deal. Just have to be careful and mindful of what you have under the hood.

 

I owned a 90 Z. I think the fit and finish was very good. It had power and great lines. I still think it is one fine looking sports car. But my 94 LT1 seems more exotic and in my experience, beats the **** out of the Z.

 

I find them tasty. They make for great appetizers on my weekend nights out while I'm looking for more substantial treats to enjoy :jester

Rome

 

Pretty much everything has already been said. I'm gonna say that it's probably gears. A lot of "low power" vehicles will have some high gear ratio's that will make them feel fast. The problem is that eventually they will hit a wall. Some of them hit that wall when they shift into second gear, some third. Others just sacrifice all top end power for low end acceleration. Weight distribution is a very big factor as well. Too much weight up front and the rear will get loose real easy but will be easy to catch, just let off the throttle.

Compare that to the Vette which has more than enough power to fishtail on demand, yet pulls strong in every gear. 150+ is not a problem given that you can find a road you want to do it on. The C4 vette is a little front heavy, but not extremely. They are very easy to drive, as has been pointed out you are sitting on the rear wheels so it's real easy to feel what the car is doing.

Take an old Porsche as the exact opposite, extreme rear weight balance. Very hard to break the rear end loose, but once it does you might as well just start praying. It's a very different experience to drive a rear engine car, once it starts to slip it'll swap ends with you quick.

 

That's it I'm selling the vette and getting a 300ZX ... and then I starting the 300zx forum ... or do they have one already?

Just kidding ... I love any sports car ... had a couple of Datsun (now called Nissan) in my younger days before I could afford a vette, and my two older sons own Mitsubishi Starions ... awesome cars.

 

I raced one at the track today, whipped his butt! By a full second and 4 mph.

 

also have drove both, the better qualities in the vette are how they handle and the transmissions. the 5spd in the 3z just never felt as smooth as the zf6. both cool cars though, just buy whatever one fits your preferences.

 

I tried a twin turbo one one day from a red light.....took me and by a good bit also at least half a car length. That was before my mods and he had several also. There isnt many NA cars that can take a twin turbo. There diffently high maintenance. A guy I work with thinks he can take me in one he is stock and he knows what I have done to mine and still thinks he can win. Everythime I try to run him he chickens out but still talks trash that he can beat me heheheheehehe just waiting for the day :sleep:

 

Almost everything has been said.

Having owned several Twin Turbos and having put nearly 200K miles on them in the 90's, I've never had a single mechanical failure of any kind. I wish I could say as much about my recent C5 which was just re-purchased as a lemon.

I loved the C5. Fantastic car. It had some quality control issues though.

 

The rear gear set on the TT cars is 4.32 according to my roomate. Assuming the auto has around a 3.00 first gear, that gear reduction is insane!

The Vette has a button that the Nissan doesn't, its called ASR and it does wonders for daily driving.

 

Sold my neighbor my single turbo 300zx (87) and it was a good car, parts are HIGH, my 89 roadster has so much more torque and finess when driveing it, just wished the 89 roadster was as quiet as the 300zx.
:smash: :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash:

 

I tested drive my friend 1996 300ZX N/A I was not impressed. I don't feel the power any giving RPM compared to my 1993LT1 with only catback this was almost 2 yrs ago. Again this Z car only got 30k miles on it. I rode on another friend 1991 300ZX TT modified dynoed 350rwhp 367rwqt. now this one pull pretty hard from 2 to 3 gear.


Bruce
93LT1 conv w/ZF6
top end mods
Jetted 150hp NX
Blown 383ci is in the works
700rwhp is coming

 

maybe i was a little unclear. i am in no way considering getting a 300zx or any other foreign sports car for that matter. i am still patiently waiting for my 96 lt4 6 speed. i have looked at quite a few but have not found the right one yet hopefully it will be soon. i was merely pointing out that some ricers are very very quick and a force to be rerckoned with
enjoyed the drive thoguh :blueangel:

 

Imaging the TT version.

Fun car to ride in with an inexperienced driver smacking pylons with the door panel.