There can be no arguing that one of the most iconic sports cars ever to come out of Japan is the Nissan 300ZX. From styling to performance, the Z had it all. However, as time goes on, parts and services for the first generation models (1984 through 1989) are very hard to find, and may sometimes even seem impossible depending on what particular parts or services are desired. For those that want to modify or restore their Z31’s, though, the parts and necessary products are out there, it just takes some searching. From body parts to performance modifications, this article details some of the best places and products that can be used on the car.
For basic restoration or auto care, some general products found at a variety of auto stores are perfect. Remember that one of the great things about the Z31 is how universal they are in terms of cleaning and restoration. Almost any leather cleaner and paint care product will do wonders for the body, and a good clay bar of any kind should remove some of the age from the model.
Although cleaning and restoration products are very easy to find, much more difficulty is apparent in finding either OEM replacement parts or performance parts for the car. Also difficult is finding advice and exterior products, such as body kits, spoilers and other such equipment. Luckily, these products are out there, it only takes a little bit of searching to find them.
While finding different products is a very important part of maintenance and restoration, sometimes the best place to start is by finding others who are interested in your car model and those who had advice to share. With that in mind, Z31 owners are fairly lucky, as a wealth of different community sites and “how to” websites exist that are specifically dedicated to the Z21. Although there are a lot of message boards out there, a slect few will provide you with almost all of the information you could ask for. One of the best community forums available is Z31 Performance (www.z31performance.com). The website offers a number of categories, including engine, drive train, cosmetic and more. All of the members on the website are more than willing to offer any assistance a person might need, and it’s a great place to learn, all of the information is very well organized, and it should not be difficult to quickly get to what you need to know. Another great site is Z31.com (www.z31.com).
This website also has forums, although they are not as complete or well organized as Z31 performance, the site also offers walk through guides for the most basic kinds of repairs and modifications, as well as put up listings for Z31’s that are for sale. For a site that offers almost all of the information you could ever want to know about the Z31, including the differences between model years, part numbers, and all of the information available regarding different components of the car, check out “Z-Bum’s” webpage (www.az-zbum.com). Although the website provides a wealth of information, it is fairly easy to navigate, although it does not have a forum or anything of that nature, the web pages also has a great source of links for other Z31 pages, an all around great resource. For those who are interested in the performance aspects of their car, check out www.redZ31.com, which offers a walk through for almost any kind of performance enhancing modification you can think of. Red Z31 also has a very comprehensive guide to turbo charging and modifying the turbo on your vehicle.
Keeping those websites in mind, there are also many other great sites out there, although the ones listed above take most of the information available on the internet and condense it into clean and organized form. However, while websites are a great tool to have, advice alone will not fix your car. With that in mind, it becomes very important to find reliable locations to find parts for the vehicle. The main difficulty in finding Z31 parts is the age of the vehicle and the fact that the demand now is much greater than the demand when the car was still in production, meaning that not a lot of parts were produced at the time when the car was sold, and that those parts are now in high demand and short supply. However, if anyone wanted an easy task, they would likely have chosen a Honda Civic.
Probably one of the most complete and one of the cheapest resources around is Motorsport Auto. Motorsport specializes in Z cars, and they have most of the parts you could want. Another great feature of the store is that they are easy to contact and will go out of their way to help you in your quest for different parts. The address is www.zcarparts.com, and there is also news and information on Z events around the country, the web site is an all around great site, and it is well recommended to any Z enthusiast, especially one who is searching for Z31 parts.
Not surprisingly, another great site is www.Z31parts.com. Although they have a limited selection of parts, they also carry components that few other retailers do, and are specifically geared towards performance.
For those seeking true performance for their Z31, they can likely find all they need at Ultimate Z (www.ultimatez.com). With a full range of turbo chargers, engine upgrade components and ECU modifications, Ultimate Z is your one stop shop for all things Z31 performance related, although they can tend to be a bit pricey, the products are well worth the money they charge.
However, for those who are not concerned with performance, and simply want to restore their car a bit, or find some of the original parts to replace what someone else may have stupidly modified, check out Nissan Courtesy Parts of Texas (www.courtesyparts.com). This site provides a full range of different Z31 products, and they will likely be able to find whatever you need in terms of original parts for the car.
Now that most of the actual running parts of the vehicle can be identified and located, some owners may decide that they want to do a little bit of body modification to their vehicles. It is important to remember that there are very limited options for adding to the Z31 body, and unless you want to have something custom fabricated, you will likely not be able to find custom body kits or anything of that nature. However, the Z31 was not a car meant for neon colors and two feet tall wings, so, if you want to do some reasonable and attractive modifications to the body, the parts are out there, they just take a little bit of searching to find.
The easiest body kit to find for the vehicle is the “Kaminari” style kit, and it can be located at basically any web page that sells body kits or the like. However, try www.customautotrim.com, to find a Kaminari Kit. A carbon fiber hood can be located at www.racerwheel.com. For some custom made parts, try www.garymolitor.com, Gary makes some amazing creations, and he offers great pricing as well, definitely a great source for some unique Z parts.
Although the quest to locate some quality Z can seem almost impossible at times, it really is not that difficult, and a little searching, plus this comprehensive guide should be able to provide you with any part you would ever need. Just remember to be tasteful and thorough. The Z31 is a beautiful machine, and it can also be a performance monster, although it takes a little bit of money to get it there. Remember to be thorough, not cut corners, and you can build yourself a great and attractive sports car.
