What is the easiest horsepower gain?
I have a 2007 350Z and want to make it a little faster. I've heard a cold air intake will work well. What's a quick and easy horsepower gain I can do? And what's the most HP/torque/overall speed boost I could get if I spent around $1,000.
unfortunately, the motor in the 350z already has a lot of HP squeezed out of it (i own a g35 which has the same motor) most bolt on modifications such as an intake don't gain you much power. i recommend changing the air filter to a K&N drop in, an exhaust and a ECU (computer) tune if you want a bit more power. if i were you, i would spend it on handling such as swaybars and suspension. as craig said, check out my350z and also try g35driver (the g and z share the same motor, transmission and suspension)
11 Answers
unfortunately, the motor in the 350z already has a lot of HP squeezed out of it (i own a g35 which has the same motor) most bolt on modifications such as an intake don't gain you much power. i recommend changing the air filter to a K&N drop in, an exhaust and a ECU (computer) tune if you want a bit more power. if i were you, i would spend it on handling such as swaybars and suspension. as craig said, check out my350z and also try g35driver (the g and z share the same motor, transmission and suspension)
As stated already the 350Z motor is already close to it's max power capacity without heavily modifying the engine. Keep in mind that roughly 100 hp per 1 liter of displacement is about all a "dependable" engine can achieve, especially on a tight budget.
The cheapest way to add speed would be to remove parts of the car. Stuff like carpet, rear seats, insulation could free up 200 lbs or more. However this severely detracts from resale value and ride comfort.
A faster rear end ratio would speed you up but detract from fuel economy.
I would suggest getting a dual cold air intake for the 350Z then taking the car to be tuned professionally to get the best performance from your new intake. This should fit in your $1K budget.
Personally, I would invest in better brakes first.
I would reflash your ECU with something like UpRev or the Cobb Accessport. I personally like the UpRev stuff and have it on my Z, in addition to retuning your engine for more hp, you can also add additional maps that can be switched via the cruise control. So you can have a performace map, fuel-economy map, valet map (can't rev past 3k or whatever you set) and a anti-theft map (where you have no fuel and thus the car just shuts off.) An UpRev Siris Standard + Dyno Tuning should come in right around your $1k budget.
If you are looking to add something definitely some sort of cold air intake would give you a small boost.
However, you may want to consider what you can subtract: Weight. Consider some lighter wheels or maybe some carbon fiber (replace metal not plastic). You won't see any gains in horsepower but you will get the same effect.
make sure your tires are properly inflated, and your air filter and spark plugs are clean.
$1000 on a high compression N/A motor won't get you very much. Even if you went with a cold air intake, catless exhaust and an ECU tune at best you might muster 15-20whp; not to mention you'd throw your warranty out the window.
My opinion would be to invest that $1000 into a performance driving course to make yourself faster. That's something you can take into any car :)
Also, keep in mind, if you're looking to run any auto-x events in the future something as simple as an after-market muffler could put you in a class you could never be competitive in.
Youre out of supercharger range for that price, unfortunately. I hate to recommend another website, but my350z dot com will have answered your question. I used to have VIN No 7 of the 2003 350Z and enjoyed the car for nearly 6 years before finally trading it in. Good luck with your search.