The Mayday Garage crew got a chance to check up on the twin white Z’s being built by Planet Zero and Baker-Jackson Nissan. As you recall, these twin Z34’s are being built in preparation for Smoky Nagata’s arrival here in Houston. These 370’s will undergo a very drastic transformation as they will go from showroom stock, to track/show shock. Maydaygarage will be here documenting this event, and this past thursday, I got a chance to see what these cars were going through.
The Planet Zero Z on the lift
My first stop was Secret Services Auto, a local tuning shop here in Houston. As I walked into the bay area of the shop, I immediately noticed the Planet Zero 370Z on the lift, with both front wheels dismounted. While I gazed into the ginormous (I know that’s not a real word!) front brake rotors, I noticed that the calipers were in a box.
The Z about to undergo some surgery
The GReddy rotors look like pizzas
It turns out that the caliper brackets didn’t exactly line up with the stock mounting points on the car. Although the brackets may have been designed for the 350z (Z33), it seems that maybe the 370Z’s may be a bit different. In this photo, you can see that it’s just a bit off.
Those calipers are HUGE
Secret Services showing how custom brackets must be made
This will not deter the geniuses at Secret Services Auto, you have to keep in mind that these guys do custom fabrication like it’s going out of style. Custom caliper brackets will be made, and then it’s off to the next piece.
So as I made my way from one side of town to the other, I wondered how the Baker-Jackson Z, aka Project Mothra, was doing. Word had it that they had received the much coveted Powerhouse Amuse aero kit fresh from Japan. I was very eager to see it. I parked my car by the service station at Baker-Jackson Nissan and waited in the parts department. I was greeted by a Master Tech named Jason Langley, a well known GT-R tech that was handling Project Mothra personally.
Jason Langley working on Project Mothra's rear brakes
Jason went over some of the modifications that were done on the car already, brakes from AP Racing, sway bars, suspension pieces, sound system, and the Top Secret coilovers made by Aragosta.
Top Secret coilovers + AP racing brakes = deadly.
The AP racing brakes are straight gangster!
Of course, the Top Secret exhaust was the jewel that caught my eye. The system is quite beautiful in person, and sounds unreal mated with the (at the time) Stillen G3 intake and headers (don’t remember the brand). Jason was kind enough to give the car a few revs much to my delight.
The rear fenders on the new Z give the Z34 one hell of a look.
Topah Secreta exhaust
The Top Secret Exhaust fits like a glove.
Jason showed me the new wheels that were going on Project Mothra, a set of 20″ iForged wheels in a satin black finish. The rears are 11″ wide, so that should fill out those huge rear fenders very well. But there was a problem. It seems the wheels won’t clear the AP Racing rear big brake kit for the Z. iForged was contacted immediately, and fret no more, a new pair of wheels are already on their way.
Brand new, still in the plastic wrap.
Twenty by Eleven ain't playing around.
Of course, Jason asked me, “do you want to see the Powerhouse Amuse body kit?”
HELL YES.
Mr. Langley walked me over to the Baker-Jackson body shop, where the aero had it’s own space. Low and behold, the kit that generated such a positive response on various car forums was staring me right in the face. There is something to be said of Japanese body kits that the copies never get right. The kit consisted of a rear bumper replacement, side skirts, trunk spoiler, and one badass front bumper.
The rear bumper still retains the stock mounting points and rear brake light housing
Third brake light
The epic side skirts
The wing completes the Amuse look.
The front bumper had a ridiculous diffuser that actually mounts to the stock points!
The diffuser even has a cut out for the oil drain
Of course, these pictures were taken four days ago, and with Smoky Nagata already here in town, that doesn’t leave too much time to complete both Z’s. But rest assured, only the best of the best are working on both Z’s, so we will see the outcome at Import Reactor 2010! Stay tuned!
Related Links:
Top Secret Japan
Import Reactor/ Anime Matsuri
Planet-Zero
Baker-Jackson Nissan
Project Mothra
Secret Sevices Auto
Powerhouse Amuse
Greddy USA
iForged Wheels
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–David–
David@maydaygarage.com