I sold my 1991 300ZX TT because it was unbelievably complicated under the hood. Lots of vacuum tubing (which was starting to rot due to old age) plus a complicated wiring harness (which was starting to rot due to old age). Beautiful car, loved to drive it, but got out before the pending nightmare.
...realized I lied to you all. I had a Z31. A red 1985 300ZX.
I could have swore it was called a Z32. My bust. Even now I feel like wiki is wrong and my car was called a Z32. I'm losing it!
Would have loved the Z32, always thought it was a great looking car.
That Era 300Z Twin Turbo was my college dream car late 80s. Only replaced by the E36 M3 in 1994.Originally Posted by JRB
Peak torque with the 2.4 is 184 pound-feet @ 3700 RPM vs. 156 @ 6400 for the 2.0. Getting the torque down that much lower will undoubtedly make a noticeable difference. Coming from a modified 2007 Forester XT that produced 365 pound-feet at the wheels (and ran the quarter in 12.9 with a 4EAT transmission), I realize it's not going to pull like a turbocharged engine.
That said, it's really everything else about the new BRZ I find attractive.
I love souped FXT's - you've talked about yours before. Cool car!
Moving the TQ peak lower and picking up some torque was desperately needed, because the factory 2.0L tuning was totally flat and gutless below 4k, after which it kinda started to get going before falling on its face at barely 7k.
But it's still pathetically slow and weak for what it is. I hope the 2.4L might sound a bit better and the displacement will be welcome to help spool up a larger turbo. I imagine one of the new Garrett G25-550's would work wonderfully on one of these engines, assuming the stock internals can handle the HP.
Otherwise it's still getting waxed by a 10 year old V6 RAV4.
The problem with the 2.0 wasn't the bottom end, it was the 20 lb-ft x 1500 rpm torque crater right in the heart of the midrange that made it a non-starter for some.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/...no-tested.html
The K20 had the same peak power from the same displacement in 2002 (11 years earlier) and didn't have that problem. The stock 2006 TSX I dynoed made something like 87 percent of peak torque all the way from about 2500 to 8000 rpm, as smooth and flat "as an elephant's back."
I still think that if there had been a grownup in charge of that program, there is no way they would have let it get built without provision for dropping in one of Subaru's turbo power units and having a plug-and-play STi version. My understanding is that the structure of the car doesn't have clearance where required to make that possible.
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Not another dime.
So when I was stationed in Japan, Misawa AB 2005-08 I owned a 1999 Subaru WRX STI. 4-door, white. 2.0 liter JDM spec engine. Very much mixed emotions about the car.
The good: I bought it used with low mileage. It came with two sets of suspension. A set of Ohlins coil overs, with aftermarket sway bars and camber plates came installed on the car. Also included a Complete set of bronze Rays engineering forged wheels and summer tires. In the trunk there was a set of Subaru red rally shocks (I think that’s what they were. Some local gurus told me) with camber plates installed. I bought a set of gold Subaru factory wheels, with a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks installed. In November I would swap the summer suspension and wheels for the winter ones. The car came with a set of equal length headers installed, so it did not have the characteristic boxer sound, and I liked it that way. Weighed approximately 2700lbs, and had an estimated 320hp from the lightly tuned motor. Ran like a raped ape. Especially fun in the winter snow with the Blizzaks. Great 4-wheel drive system, great 4-wheels drifts.
The bad: On my second trip to the racetrack in Sendai, I blew the engine. Started running like a diesel, I shut it down and had it towed to the pits. Through the interpretation of some friends, the track mechanics confirmed that I had indeed blown the engine. But I could never figure out why. Oil level was good, no coolant in oil or vice versa. No obvious damage. No overrev or missed downshift.
The ugly: I had to buy a short block off of the Japanese version of eBay and pull the motor (with lots of help and guidance) take it to a Subaru rally mechanic and pay him to swap the short block into my dead long block. Then reinstall the motor. Then sell the car because I was moving to Korea immediately. I did not have the chance to ask some folks fluent in Japanese and cars to ask the mechanic why the engine failed.
I lost time, money and friends on that deal. To this day I’m clueless as to why the motor failed. As a result I’m very reluctant to try another STI, even though they would be a great winter car with a mild lift kit.
My BMW M3s have been gas-n-oil track cars. The STI, not so much. Here is a picture off the net. Not my car. I have some pictures at home, but not on my iPad.
"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master"
Well. RWD Taycan. $80k ish.
How interesting.
started last week, doing a complete refresh/rebuild of the front end of the Sebring.
while in western PA just before new years, it started making a horrific grinding/creaking noise when turning.
got home, took a look at the car, and decided it was time to fire the parts cannon at it.
both lower ball joint boots were all but gone. suprisingly, they weren't actually bad. uppers were a little loose, but no play. it was the passenger outer tie rod that was making the noise; it's gritty/sticky/won't spin smoothly. boot was fine though. driver's side wasn't too happy either.
it was already known that, every piece of rubber in the suspension is disintegrating. that'll happen to a 15 year old car that wasn't properly stored.
I'd be done already, if I wasn't also taking the time to clean up all the crusty parts that are going back on, POR-15 them and everything else I can see that has rust/corrosion, and in general just going way too far.
the rear end was done 18 months ago, minus the rear struts. they'll be replaced as well this time around.
Playing with them is not fun at all. There really is not any room to do what you would wish and the motor will not take aftermarket upgrades like others and stay together. You have to sacrifice way to much reliability to get the horsepower people would really want with that motor. A ka series Honda put in that would be a blast
The chassis tough is another matter entirely.
Makes me wish for my Miata again really
Last edited by camel; 01-19-2021 at 10:30 PM.
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