There’s no denying the popularity of Nissan’s 350Z. The successor to the popular 300ZX, the 350Z’s introduction was quickly followed by the aftermarket’s embrace. Not every enthusiast was in line waiting for the first car off the lot however, as some wanted to see if it was just all hype. Ginash George was one of those enthusiasts, “Although I was aware of the specs and features of the car prior to its release, I really fell in love with the Z when I first saw it on the road. I was getting bored with my previous car, so the Z came out at a good time.” George told us. Not a bad excuse to get a new car. But was George really ready to embrace what would become of his 350Z? What might’ve started as simply a replacement for his boredom and mundane commute turned into one of the nicest builds of all time. Think we’re lying? Just read on.
So what did George like most about the 350Z? “It’s a well-balanced sports car with an almost limitless amount of potential. I anticipated the car being embraced by the aftermarket community, but I never realized how mod-friendly it would become. It’s a perfect car for us mod heads.” A perfect car for modifying? We definitely agree. Limitless potential? We were curious on how far George really pushed the limits on his 350Z. When we heard that he was pushing over 450whp and 500wtq we quickly shut our mouths. It’s obvious George has put the 350Z’s potential to the test and is happy with the results. What does he like most about his 350Z? Well, let’s start with the cleanness of the modifications he’s chosen for the car. But wait, how about the horsepower? That can’t be too shabby of an aspect. “.as well as the available power supplied by the APS single turbo.” He quickly filled in the blank. So now we had a general idea of how this 350Z was approached, APS single turbo setup and throw in tons of boost and you’ve got a high horsepower car right? Wrong.
Before we get started on George’s current setup on the Z, we wanted to go through the history of the car. George told us that it’s gone through its fair share of changes including different sets of wheels. “The RH Pro J8’s caught my attention and I put those on first but retired them for Volk GT-M’s.” First RH Pro wheels then Volks, what possibly replaced those high quality pieces of circular eye-candy? How about a set of 19×9 and 19×10.5 iForged Flux wheels in a Hyper Gunmetal finish. Custom offsets fill out the wheel wells and put the wheels flush with the fenders. The front is equipped with plenty of rubber thanks to Toyo’s T1R in a 255/35/19 size and the rear is plenty beefy and wide with a 285/35/19.
One of the first styling modifications the car received was a Veilside V1 front lip in carbon fiber. That didn’t last too long, and after a few more bumpers, George caught sight of the Amuse front bumper as his final replacement (let’s see how long this one lasts!). The exterior of this Z has a nice combination of different parts that surprisingly flow very well. Arguably better than a full kit! As mentioned before, the front bumper is from Amuse while the side skirts come from Central 20. The rear started with a Ings+1 rear apron but was then custom molded on. A Blitz spoiler can also be seen along with a Veilside V2 hood up front. George opted to refresh the look of his ’03 model when Nissan revamped the headlights and taillights on the 350Z in ’06. George was one of the first in line to order himself a set of replacement headlights and LED tails for his car. Simple touches to the exterior that shows George’s attention to detail are smoked front reflectors and a shaved rear emblem.
We’ve already touched base on all the exterior work and what makes this Z such a beauty so it’s obviously time to get into the good stuff. What makes this car haul ass? 451whp can’t be easy to achieve. Sure we thought the APS single turbo has a lot to it, but George elaborated. “The shortblock received an overhaul. And this is just the first stop. I am currently working with Genesis Racing and Development to install a new built shortblock from GTM. We are anticipating to break 500whp this Spring when the car gets tuned again.” We’ll have to leave that story for another day and look at what helped make this 350Z get to 451whp. The bottom end has received CNC machined cylinders and a set of 8.5:1 compression Wiseco pistons. Custom forged rods were tossed into the mix and George informed us that these rods are rated to 2200hp! We don’t expect to see him putting those to the test anytime soon. ARP main and head studs along with fresh bearings and seals were thrown in during the rebuild. The crank has been magnufluxed and balanced while the heads and block were redecked. Before we get into the nitty gritty of the power setup, George informed us that he also resurfaced the flywheel and installed a SPEC clutch to the drivetrain before putting all the power to the rear wheels.
The APS single turbo kit is one of the greatest kits out there. It starts with a Garrett twin ball bearing turbocharger and the rest of the components all carry the APS moniker. APS has fabricated their own custom front mount intercooler, High Capacity engine oil pan, High Volume twin vent blow off valve, wastegate pipe and intake plenum. George also decided now would be a great time to swap out the Injen SES cat-back exhaust system for APS’ true dual 2.5-inch High Energy Sports exhaust system. This combination along with additional fuel from CJ Motorsports’ stage II fuel system and Deatschwerks 650cc injectors brings this 350Z to the musical tune of 451whp and 510wtq. Tuning is done with a TurboXS UTEC setup, but George informs us that a HKS FCON and EVC setup is coming soon.
So there you have it, the engine setup in this beauty but we aren’t done yet. Hell, there’s plenty more performance to talk about. The suspension has been overhauled starting with a set of Tein S-Tech springs and Tokico D-spec adjustable shocks. Hotchkis adjustable sway bars along with APS’ Tough-Boy strut brace makes this RWD wonder a handling machine. The stock Brembo brakes have been upgraded with Carbotech Bobcats brake pads.
Lastly, we took a quick look at the interior of the car. The stock seats have found a new room in the garage while Bride Brix II seats in leather were bolted in. A fashionable Tommy Kaira shift knob can be seen in the center console. For steering wheel, George opted for a Neo Grinta leather piece that has been bolted on a Works Bell steering wheel for quick release. Plenty more amenities can be seen, including a trio of gauges from Saga, an Innovate wideband gauge and Nismo goods.
We wanted to give a special thanks to Ginash George and Rubin Roche for letting us feature this beauty of a 350Z. We’re glad George was bored with his previous ride and we hope he doesn’t get bored with this one. In fact, we can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeves for the car next..
Gallery
