I don’t know what it is, but Texas and Nissan’s Z cars just seem to go hand-in-hand. It seems every time I see a neck-snapping 350Z or 370Z it’s wearing a Texas license plate. This white 370Z is no different, hailing from the Lone-Star state and representing the famous Team Emotion, it certainly has the credentials to back up who it’s representing. Deep-dishes, killer stance, and more top-end parts than you can shake a stick at, this is Nissan Z-tuning Texas style!
Photos By: Ben Su exclusively for StanceNation.com
Nissan’s Z car is definitely a car of pedigree. When they axed the 300zx in the nineties, enthusiasts saw an end of an era. However, when Nissan breathed life back into the Z-franchise in the early 2000s they certainly gained a new following. While I have always been a fan of the Z’s styling from the 70s through today, I was never a fan of the performance of the 350z. I felt it lacked in more than a few eras that the z32 excelled in, and having owned a ’93 300zx, I wasn’t excited about my first drive in a 350z. However, the styling was gorgeous and I still look at them today. However, where the 350z fell short, the new 370z did not disappoint. Kevin Gerlach of Grand Prairie, TX, was not disappointed with the 370z either. Nissan Z love runs in his family with his father owning a 350z which sparked Kevin’s love for the Z car. Kevin picked his 370z up in ’09 and tells us that his brother still owns his father’s 350z however it now boasts a Chevy power-plant.
While Kevin’s Z may not have a Chevy-V8 under the hood, the peppy VQ still received some work, although he is planning on adding some forced induction to keep the car up to Texas standards. Texans don’t do the cars half-assed, and as you can see with Kevin’s Z, there were no corners cut. This is certainly one of the nicest 370z’s I’ve laid my eyes on, and we hope you all agree too. The mod-list isn’t a mile-long (yet), but the parts Kevin has chosen are all top-notch and it shows with the final result. I can’t say it enough, but quality parts produce quality results, and the proof is sitting right here on your computer screen. Kevin’s Z does not disappoint.
Texans don’t take their wheel game lightly, and Kevin’s Z comes out swinging on a custom set of Work VSXXs. The custom, blue, step-lipped rollers come in at a massive 20×10 -10 up front and 20×12 -15 in the rear. Zs never fail to impress me with what kind of ridiculous rollers they can stuff under their arches, and with VSXX’s being one of my all-time favorite wheels, this is one very impressive set of rollers. Bringing the body work down over those wheels is a combination of Stance GR+ coilovers and a Platinum VIP Phantom cup kit. To me, cup kits are THE way to get the best of both worlds. They are basically mini air-bag kits that sit on top of the coilover, so you get to ride low and park low, but when you need to raise it quickly you can with the cup kit. It really is a brilliant system, and according to Kevin, “takes away the stress of having the car low and driving around town.”
The high-end parts don’t stop at the wheels and suspension. The outside of the car features a nice selection of top-quality, JDM-goodness to get even the most picky of enthusiasts drooling. A Top Secret carbon fiber front lip and carbon fiber side-skirts tie in with the Mine’s carbon rear spoiler and the ultra-cool (to me anyways) JDM rear-fog light. To some, it might seem like a small mod, but to me, I really like how it mimics the third-brake light that flashes on the rear of today’s race cars. Maybe it’s a little far-fetched and perhaps it’s me trying to justify liking such a minuscule mod, either way I think it’s really cool, haha.
The 370z’s engine features even more top-quality goodies from all the big-name, Japanese manufacturers. The 3.7-liter V6 is fed via a duo of HKS intakes while a Top Secret titanium exhaust barks sexy, smooth, V6 noises. Other appealing accessories include a Top Secret carbon engine cover, Top Secret titanium strut bar, Berk test-pipe and Tanabe Y-pipe, Password JDM cooling plate and carbon accessories, a slight wire-tuck to tidy things up, and an Up-Rev tune to orchestrate everything.
The inside is business as usual, stuffed full of quality parts (notice a trend here?). Bride Zeta III seats hold the driver and passenger while Takata harnesses coupled with a custom harness bar ensure that Kevin and passenger are held securely in place. A Works Bell quick release attaches a Personal Fitti E3 steering wheel, and an Arc titanium shift-knob round out the interior goodies. Short, simple, and concise, and certainly effective. Like I said earlier, the mod list isn’t super long, but it packs a lot of quality, and that’s what builds should focus on; the quality. This Z is a testament to that level of quality that we’re used to seeing from Texas, and I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of the car. As mentioned before, Kevin plans on adding a pair of turbos to up the stakes in the horsepower department, and an ever more ridiculous set of wheels are in the cards. We’re definitely excited to see it! This Texas Z is certainly up there, and it looks like Kevin isn’t quite done yet. Maybe it’s something in the water down there, but the Texans certainly know how to turn out an impressive car or two. I guess it’s like they say, everything is bigger (and better) in Texas!
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[toggle_item title=”Wheels/Tires/Suspension” active=”true”]Greddy BBK
Custom Work VSXX Step lip 20×10 -10 20×12 -15
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 245/30/20 285/30/20
Project Kics R40 Neo Chrono lug nuts
Top Secret titanium strut bar
Stance Gr+ coilovers
Platinum Vip Phantom cups
Spl camber links
Toe links[/toggle_item]
[toggle_item title=”Exterior” active=”false”]Top Secret Carbon fiber front lip
Top Secret Carbon side skirts
Top Secret Carbon fiber B pillars covers
Mines carbon fiber trunk spoiler
Nissan JDM fog light.[/toggle_item]
[toggle_item title=”Interior” active=”false”]Bride Zeta III seats
Takata Harnesses
Custom harness bar
Work Bell Rapfix II quick release
Personal Fitti E3 steering wheel
Arc titanium shift knob.[/toggle_item]
[toggle_item title=”Engine” active=”false”]Top Secret titanium Exhaust
Top Secret Carbon fiber engine cover
Hks suction reloaded intakes
Berk test pipe
Tanabe Y pipe
Password: Jdm Carbon fiber cooling plate
Password: Jdm Carbon fiber engine compartment covers
Z1 Motorsports hood struts
Wire tuck
Uprev Tune // 300whp, 250tq[/toggle_item]
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