300ZX Brake/Suspension Stages

Made by Precision Brakes Company exclusively for MWS Motorsports to Michael Smith's demanding specifications, this all-in-one upgrade kit is designed to be the first kit anyone thinks of when considering an inexpensive but effective upgrade to their stock setup, where budget is a strong consideration and maximum performance is not needed for the track.

It is designed around the idea that one can have larger 12.1" rotors and better stopping power and can still use the stock Z32 rims and calipers with NO additional mods or hardware needed.

The kit solves all the problems of other stock-caliper/stock-rim brake upgrades unlike the 12 3/8" 3000GT kit -- which requires large spacers with longer studs, will not fit a stock TT rear rim in front and cannot allow for taped-on lead weights for true alloy wheel balancing. None of these are issues with the MWS Motorsports kit and yet, the rotor is still significantly larger than stock; 12.1" versus the stock 11.1".

Installation is also the easiest of any brake upgrade: If you can remove your stock calipers for a rotor change and remove or cut your rotor shields, you can install this kit.

Make no mistake, many larger-rotor upgrades that use expensive aftermarket calipers are going to be a superior upgrade to the MWS kit, but for the budget conscious, being informed about what is involved may be the key to choosing which kit is right for you and at what point in your upgrade path.

All other larger, more expensive brake kits force you to buy larger rims and tires and possibly experience reduced pedal feel, due to a mis-proportioning of the master cylinder to the new calipers; or if they fit the stock rim and use stock calipers, you suffer hidden costs not included in the kit. This cost may be: 15mm hub spacers, expensive longer wheel studs and the installation cost of those components. Also, any time you use a wheel spacer that thick, you begin to introduce unwanted side-effects such as additional steering effort, bump-steer, and possibly fender rub when lowered.

300ZX Power Upgrade Stages

"Sensible Upgrades" Stage list: MWS Motorsports has a list of "Sensible Upgrades" that Michael feels are first must-haves for power-hungry 300zx twin turbo cars. There's a logical path to achieve higher performance for any car. Some upgrades are arguably more important to add at a later stage, after the basics have been taken care of, but folks will still buy these upgrades first, paying lots of money and receiving little benefit from them. MWS Motorsports will install most any mod you wish, but Michael Smith has spent countless hours working with and documenting the following mods in order to better guide the customer on a path that gives the most benefit for the least cost. The following upgrades have all been featured on MWS-TV as providing the most smiles per dollar and the best "street=able" performance, over and above costly mods like larger intercoolers, exhausts and flywheels, which while nice, will not provide as much fun if applied before the below upgrades:

1. SMC alcohol/water injection system

"Practice Safe Boost"! That is why this upgrade is listed first. The kit has an improved lower-amperage pump which will pump straight water, straight alcohol, or a mix of both. No other kit on the market can say this. The kit is $499 +tax, plus, $225 to install. This will eliminate knock and allow you to run bigger boost at ANY stage upgrade. This upgrade is a must before all other upgrades and you will see more and more people doing it. MWS Motorsports has a working relationship with SMC and knows how to order the kit to fit your car, either using an aftermarket bottle up front, by the air filter, or the existing window washer tank in the passenger fender. TT cars with hydraulic HICAS can have this stock front fender washer tank retrofitted to their car easily. The kit, with MWS' input, is constantly evolving to provide 300ZX customers the features they need.

2. Down pipes

They will free up low end torque and reduce back-pressure. Even with a stock exhaust system and cats, this upgrade will facilitate large gains without any other mods.

3. EVC 5 Boost controller, using the MWS "Hardline" kit

Now that you are using "Safe Boost" with your SMC system, it's time to start turning it up. MWS Motorsports recommends the HKS controllers exclusively, because they use a fast stepper motor instead of a solenoid, and the new ease-of-use completely quells any complaints that could be levied against the older EVC-4 or 3. No more "learn mode". No more driving at 100mph twice in a row to teach the controller. ...but the same great control and response from HKS. A common mistake for folks installing any boost controller is they leave the existing boost jets inline which can hinder the boost controller's ability to do it's job. And the next most common mistake is to get the boost signal that goes through the controller and routes back to the waste gate, after the intercoolers. The best place to "get" that signal is coming directly off the turbo compressor--before the intercoolers, just as any boost controller's instructions will show. In order to do that, nipples must be welded to the black "J-tubes" coming off each compressor. The last most common mistake is to then run 8 to 10 feet of rubber or silicone hose ( if each hose is about 2 to 2.5' long and there are 4 of them, it is really about 10 feet ) all through the engine bay, to control both turbos, and tee them together to the boost controller. This is where the "Hardline" kit comes in. 6mm tubing is bent to fit closely to your engine and provide the shortest path from the waste gate actuators and the J-tubes, to the tees, which all meet up near the boost controller. This provides the best response and least chance for torn or leaking rubber tubing. This boost control installation is like nothing you've ever seen before and requires some additional time, compared to a slap-dab run of 10 feet of hose all through your engine bay. Base price for installation is $299, which includes a "Hardline" kit, connector hose, and all electrical installation.

4. ECU upgrade

Now you are controlling knock and boost, and can start thinking about the sky being the limit. This is a vital upgrade as you will be running higher boost levels and must ensure that your timing and fuel maps are updated. This upgrade alone can greatly increase the performance of your vehicle. In combination with stages 1-3 your car will be almost unrecognizable from a stock 300zx.

5. Larger injectors

This includes grinding the plenum flash on each runner to allow ease of installation and future repair or upgrade of injectors. Installation is $450, which includes the plenum grind. Injector pricing varies from year model and grade.

6. NA rear end

No one who's ever installed an NA rear end ever thought it wasn't a great mod. And most people ask themselves why they waited so long. It's $500 for the entire rear end, but people have been known to find deals for less...plus, $450 to install. This mod also requires a new driveshaft for $200 or so, depending upon source. MWS Motorsports will not install a used NA driveshaft-- for safety reasons. However, MWS has developed and sells one-piece drive shaft that you can choose to install with this upgrade. MWS literally removes all your rear suspension and replaces it all. Any other mods you may already have, like sway bars, shocks, brakes, etc, are transferred as well in the package price. Be warned, when buying used gear, there can be problems with the differential, wheel bearings, or bushings. The diff and sub frame bushings will be checked as part of the package, but can be replaced for an additional cost. In some cases, even the sub frame bushings will look fine, only to leak after install, which will incur additional costs to repair. If this is a concern, pay to have them replaced as a matter of course. The differential and wheel bearings will probably not display any problems until the car is driven, at which time, additional costs are incurred to diagnose the problem and repair it. Look up the price of an NA rear wheel bearing before proceeding :-)