Project Z33: Vertex Ti Bolts

I recently received some titanium bolts from Vertex for my wheel…

Thrilling update, I know… But the small details are important, too. I am hoping to make a bit more progress on this project in 2018 than was made in 2017.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Tommy Kaira 'Z' Emblem

The little things…

Years ago when I owned my first Z33, I remember searching high and low for the Tommy Kaira Z emblem. I was never able to track one down. It is certainly nothing spectacular, but it is an item that I like because of its rarity and, well, because it is just cool.

YES!

With the help of the guys from Japan Auction Parts, I was finally able to track one down. Again, this is not a one-off Amuse exhaust system, Endless brakes, a set of Bride seats, or any part even remotely on that level, but I was still pretty stoked. 

A few weeks later and it arrived along with a few other goodies…

I have purchased a few items from the guys at Japan Auction Parts now. I have received great service and communication each time and they seem to have a genuine passion and interest in the Japanese tuning culture. Thank you again, Japan Auction Parts.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: One [Small] Step at a Time...

Last week was a good week as it relates to the Z project. Personally, my week was awful. Automotive-ly, very good.

As many of you know, I began purchasing parts for the Z minutes after I arranged transport of the vehicle from Pennsylvania. (I may have even made a few purchases before I even owned the car.) I have parts piled up here in Massachusetts. I had parts piled up in Bulletproof Automotive's warehouse in California. They had been there for well over a year just collecting dust. I had been in semi-serious conversation with, at this point, three different people from Bulletproof about the prospect of shipping my Z out to the West Coast in stock form and having them execute the build top to bottom completely transforming the car in a sort of radical 'Before and After' experiment. However, ultimately, I decided against this, in large part, due to the financial implications.

Anyway, I received a few large boxes last week. It was like Christmas morning as a little kid. An enthusiasm for this build has been heightened. I elected not to unwrap every single part, as I knew it would be a chore to re-wrap and box everything up again for storage, as I have a strong feeling it will be a while before I am able to begin work on the car. 

Just imagine - had I chosen a replica body kit, eBay exhaust, and Varrstoen wheels, I could already be rolling around in an e-famous Z build. Doing things right with legitimate parts is such a drag!


A few teasers of the newly acquired swag:

Amuse Super 'Custom' Legerra R1 Black Titan Exhaust w/ Long Tips… YUP!

I love this stuff!

I'm really diggin' the mean and clean look of this exhaust system. 

INGS+1 Type-E Rear

INGS+1 Z-Power Wing Type II. Stoked for this thing!

Runduce.

Front 8-POT caliper w/ 380MM rotor. (The color is more of a traditional orange than these pictures suggest.)

The $20 is for scale… And to illustrate my remaining build budget.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Enjoy the Ride!

This project is by far the one that has taken the most time to get off the ground. That is no secret. The lack of blog updates on the progress of the build clearly illustrates that fact. Up until last week, I had put less than five miles on the car since I purchased it back in 2015. Five miles. I have simply been collecting parts for it and the car, needless to say, has been driven very minimally. 

This past week, however, due to some issues I have had with the Jeep (blog update coming soon), I was forced to drive the Z. I have not really driven a coupe since I sold the G back in early 2014 and I have not driven a Z since my first Z back in 2008 or so. I think sometimes I get caught up in picturing the final product and forget why I have the car to begin with. The "I need to do A, B, and C and then I want to do D, E, F, and G with the car…" mindset takes over and I get consumed with the final picture of the car as opposed to the car itself. This week reminded me again why I have the car. It is a bone stock 350Z that just hit 100,000 miles and only about 80 of those miles were put on the car by me within the past 72 hours, but I love it. I love driving it. It is stock. It is not the best-looking Z on the road, it is not the best handling Z on the road, and it is not the quickest Z on the road, but it is still a blast to drive!

I am somewhat ashamed that I have allowed myself to fall into that mentality where the project is never good enough. On the one hand, that mindset is what makes a build fun, but it also opens the door to losing focus on why we buy these cars to begin with. I have allowed a car to sit for almost two years without driving it because I wanted the car a certain way. I wanted the suspension dialed in with these coilovers and those sway bars, I wanted these wheels with these tires, and that aero with that paint and I wanted this exhaust that had to be built to this spec, etc… The car was never going to be good enough to drive until I had all these things in place and then, without question, once all of these things were actually done, I would have shifted focus to some other part or modification that needed to be completed before I would allow myself to enjoy the car.

No!

I am doing it wrong.

Having been forced to drive my Z for the past few days, I was reminded why I bought another Z in the first place. Every day when I would walk out of my office, I would look forward to driving the few miles home. Of course, I am looking forward to improving the car's appearance and performance with all the parts I have stockpiled for it, but I am not going to let the fact that the car is not in its final form (whatever that even means) discourage me from enjoying it anymore.

Remember why you bought it.


A few shots of my stock 2006 Z33...

False advertising... For the moment.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Craft Square

I received a package this past week and could not, for the life of me, think of what I had ordered. When I sliced open the tape of the brown cardboard box to reveal a slightly smaller white box from Craft Square, I was pretty stoked. It has been months since I placed the order, so I was not at all sure when I would actually see them. After tearing through the multiple layers of plastic, bubble wrap, and styrofoam, I was floored with the detail and beauty of these mirrors. Stunning. My Z needs a lot of work to justify putting these on it.

Yes, I put them on a fleece blanket...

Japan.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi Limited Edition Shift Knob (5 of 100)

I have heard some stories about Tommy Kaira and industry feuds, etc… I have no idea which stories are legitimate or the background behind who did what to whom or went behind the back of the other. I just know that I have had a couple Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi shift knobs for different projects over the years. In my opinion, it is one of the nicest feeling, weighted knobs out there. No, I have not experimented with every single knob to ever hit the market, but I have had a few. (I love my Nismo GT Ti knob, as well.) When I stumbled upon a Limited Edition Hebi Bebi (with the signature TK turtle in blue), I jumped on it, seeing as the blue will go nicely with my color theme. I do not exactly need another shift knob, but, even if it does not make it into my Z, it will look nice displayed somewhere.

Pretty cool, if you ask me...

Some of my other knobs and the Vertex wheel...

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Amuse Shift Knob...

The latest addition to my parts pile for the Z, I recently found a great deal on a brand new Amuse shift knob, so I jumped on it. I am no photographer, but it was rather difficult to get a good picture…

Size reference next to a couple of my other knobs (Nismo GT Ti & Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi)...

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Do. Want.

Just a random picture… I love this steering wheel. With the blue/orange theme of my Z project, I think it would work well with what I am going for.

I am more of a Bride guy, I think, but these Recaros are pretty sharp, too…

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: PowerHouse Amuse R1 Black Titan Superleggera Custom

It is wordy, but that is what the man Matsui-San dubbed the custom exhaust that PowerHouse Amuse built for me. Yeah. I am okay with that. I received word earlier in the week that my exhaust was Stateside.

As I mentioned in an earlier post (Project Z33: Amuse Exhaust Update) describing the conceptualizing, design, and construction of this exhaust, my desire was a custom system that was not quite as flashy as my previous custom quad set-up for the G, but something that worked well with my Type E aero and still had that Amuse flare. This system looks to be something that will look rather subtle from afar, but really pop up close. To someone who knows no better, they may not look twice at it. However, for someone who knows anything about Amuse, I think this exhaust will have that "WOW factor" and be recognized as something a bit more than an "off-the-shelf" Amuse system. Needless to say, I am looking forward to seeing it up close and personal.

Here is a little blurb from my friend Bo of Bulletproof Automotive, the man responsible for helping me procure this piece of automotive art.

Throughout the years here at Bulletproof Automotive, we encounter a few special people looking to do a very special build. They come to us requesting some super awesome, rare, one of a kind, JDM parts to really set their build apart. They know the value of premium, quality, authentic JDM parts and realize those are the only parts worthy of their builds.

This exhaust is definitely one of those incredible pieces that we receive from time to time and we were absolutely blown away when we saw it.

Our longtime good friend and client contacted us asking for a one of a kind exhaust for his amazing Z33 350Z build. Being a longtime Amuse super-fan, Bill asked us to have Amuse make him a special, custom exhaust system that would suit his upcoming build. We went directly to the owner of Amuse and gave him the specs of what our client wanted and he went to work.

I introduce to you the PowerHouse Amuse R1 Black Titan Superleggera Custom. Specially customized by the president of Amuse with his own two hands. This exhaust not only has the special Limited Edition Black Titan finished tips, our client and longtime friend requested to have the ultra rare R1 Titan logo to be laser etched horizontally to the tips. Having an etched logo is rare to begin with but to have the special placement of that logo on the top of the exhaust tip is something really special and took quite a bit longer to accomplish. Luckily our friend is incredibly patient.

All that out of the way, enjoy some of the quick snaps I received of the exhaust.

Stay tuned for more Project Z33 build updates…

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Central20 Dry Carbon Rear Strut Bar Cover

This arrived yesterday. With many of the larger aspects of my build still to be addressed, I probably should have held back on the purchase of this piece, but I could not let it go. Besides, whether addressed early or later, the details make the difference. Right?

Thank you to JDM Auto Link.

Central20 Dry Carbon Rear Strut Bar Cover

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Amuse Exhaust Update

I have not shared too much about the exhaust system that Amuse has been working on for me. If you have followed JDMphasis for any period of time, you are probably aware that I am basically enraptured by all things Amuse. As far as I am concerned, Amuse is next level. Of course, I had the custom quad-tip system made for the G (post here: Project G37S: Exhausted). When I purchased the Z, I did not plan on doing anything crazy with the exhaust. I wanted Amuse, of course, but I was just going to go with an "off the shelf" system. (Anyone who knows anything about Amuse, knows that there really is no such thing as "off the shelf," but you know what I mean…)

Well, things change. My plan for the Z all along has been to go with the INGS+1 Type E aero. I love that aggressive Super GT look. If you are at all familiar with the rear bumper of this aero, you know it extends out a bit more than the OEM rear bumper. (Stock photos below.)

Since I have done the regular R1-Titan system from Amuse and the custom system for the G in the past, I decided to go a different route this time.

"Off the Shelf" R1-Titan System

'Bill P' Edition Custom Quad-Tipped System

I have always liked the clean yet mean and aggressive look of the R1-Titan 'Black Edition' offered by Amuse. 

R1-Titan 'Black Edition'

So… I spoke with my friends at Bulletproof Automotive about doing something unique for me. I told them that I like when the tips of the exhaust extend past the edge of the rear bumper; not obnoxiously long, but longer than the bumper. Bearing in mind that I would be using the more aggressive Type E aero, I asked if we could have the tips lengthened. My friend Bo took my idea and ran it by Amuse. They agreed that it should not be a problem. In short, I basically asked for the R1-Titan 'Black Edition' exhaust with longer tips. It turned out that Amuse had other plans. This is a portion of a correspondence I had with Bo in the early stages of the planning of this exhaust system.

You're not getting the standard 350Z Amuse R1 Titan exhaust. I thought you were at first but after discussing with Amuse, it makes the most sense to use the base exhaust for the NISMO spec Superleggera R1 Titan system and modify that for the standard Z33 platform. Then they are going to further customize the exhaust tips and then add the Black Titan coating. All in all, they're not just adding longer tips to a standard Amuse R1 Titan. It'll be a total custom system for you which is why they dubbed the name "Super Custom Leggera R1 Titan Extra."

Nismo Amuse 380RS Superleggera

That sounded pretty appealing to me. So, after discussing and planning for months, I finally placed the order in either late March or early April. I knew there would be a long lead time, but that did not really bother me as 1) I am not in a huge rush with this project and 2) the car is still in stock form anyway. I am embarrassed to admit that I have logged less than ten miles on the Z since I have owned it - well over a year. It has not even been inspected in my home state.

Anyway, I just recently received another email from my buddy Bo at Bulletproof with an update on my parts that are resting peacefully at their warehouse, as well as an update on the exhaust.

As for the exhaust, that is actually the final piece we're waiting on for your order. We DID actually get that order into Matsui-San who personally built your exhaust by hand. Matsui-San usually does all of the special projects and custom exhausts himself which is really cool. Again, he dubbed it the Powerhouse Amuse R1 Black Titan Super Custom Leggera Exhaust. It's an unofficial name being that this is a custom one-off system but I thought it sounded pretty cool.

Wow. To have the man Matsui-San himself working on my exhaust system -the part that will eventually end up on my car, is pretty humbling. That is something, as someone who respects Amuse and their artistry and attention to detail the way I do, on which you cannot put a price tag. There are no words. It is truly amazing. 

That said, one final aspect of the system that I had a say in was the placement of the logo. I chose to have the logos placed on the tops of the tails, as opposed to the sides. So it should look something like this:

Needless to say, I am beyond excited to see the final product. More, I am excited to get going on this build.

Stay tuned…

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Second Thoughts...

It happens. No matter how much you plan and research then plan and research then plan some more before you finally pull the trigger on a purchase, it is still possible to have a regret over a part choice. Often times it does not happen before the part has even made its way onto the vehicle.

This has happened to me, I think. I researched mirrors for the Z for a few months and I decided on the VeilSide VIII Aero Mirrors. I wanted something different and I liked the sleek, simple design. That has not changed. I do like these mirrors a lot. The main reason I am second-guessing myself is that, contradicting my initial impressions of the two sets of mirrors, I actually think the Craft Square mirrors will flow with my build theme more so than the VeilSide mirrors. I did not originally want to do Craft Square because I feel like that is the default for aftermarket mirrors. A lot of people choose these mirrors. But I suppose there is a reason for that.


A nice shot of a Craft Square TC-N1 (long neck) by Jason Hoang of LifewithJson.com...

Here is a set of the short-neck TC-F mirrors on an INGS+1 kitted Z33...

(Capture Credit: ISS Forged)

(Capture Credit: Speedhunters.com)

A set of the TC-F on a sick Amuse Superleggera Z33 rolling on TE37s... 

(Capture Credit: Travis Garcia Photography)

(Capture Credit: Travis Garcia Photography)

Really sharp! I think I may be placing my order (TC-N for me, I think) within the next few days…

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Amusing Photography...

My affinity for the parts of the Japanese Domestic Market is not based on a personal assessment of performance superiority. It is about design, quality, and attention to detail. Likely my biggest obsession of the industry, Power House Amuse is quite possibly the superlative of JDM parts. Hardly boring or run-of-the-mill, the products that come out of their facility in Chiba are not simply functional components to be admired momentarily pre-installation only to be forsaken shortly after brusque acknowledgment of any performance benefit or gain. Every Amuse part contains an all-too-real element of genuine automotive artistry.

It's all about the details…

If I decide to put a front plate on the Z33, I NEED one of these!

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Project Z33: Aero is Stateside!

I received this e-mail from Bulletproof earlier today…

Getting there! I am doing my best to remain patient. Stay tuned...

JDMphasis... Innovation over Imitation