Top 5 Loves and Hates for my Anniversary Edition Q45?

[paranoidjack]

LOVES:---------------1) No one knows what my car is, but they are always impressed from the outside or inside.2) The Analog Clock and dashboard are timeless.3) Such precise and nimble steering for such a larger car.4) Climate control is fantastic.5) From 50-120mph only a well made sportscar can spank this thing.

HATES:------------------------------1) For a car of this caliber, the shifts are not smooth at all. My buddy's Lincoln aviator and even my Durango to some degree put the Q to shame. You get the air plane lurches between gears. First gear is too snappy, and second to third is wayyy to long. Third to fourth on the highway at WOT tosses the car around way too much.

2) From 0-30 this car is waaaaaay too slow. Mine won't even burn rubber from a stop on good pavement. Come ON THIS IS A 300HP REAR WHEEL DRIVE V8!!!! Of course this is the most frequently used acceleration range...

3) Every time I decerate to a stop, at the last 5mph, there is a downshift that is very apparent if I don't let off the brakes just right and reapply so that I am not braking during the shift. Kind of hard to explain but infinitely annoying.

4) Car gets newer, engine gets weaker. THAT is some horse****!

5) NO AFTERMARKET SUPPORT. I would love to get a full dual exhaust, not filter into 1 muffler, brake upgrades, blower, etc.....

[AZhitman]

Shift issue is fixable - I'd bet line pressures are off. Do a flush and synthetic fill, change filter.

Rear gear swap would help immensely, Wes can tell you which one to get.

Brake upgrades are as simple as good drilled/slotted rotors and some high-performance pads.

[paranoidjack]

Shift issue is fixable - I'd bet line pressures are off. Do a flush and synthetic fill, change filter.

Rear gear swap would help immensely, Wes can tell you which one to get.

Brake upgrades are as simple as good drilled/slotted rotors and some high-performance pads.

Done, done, and done. I flushed the transmission twice, over a 2 month period, both times a "powerflush" done at two different shops. Every oil in my car is synthetic, including the Diff which I also flushed. Helped a bit but still, in a car like this you shouldn't feel shifts.

Rear gear swap...this is interesting. I'll look into it more...we talking y33 right?

Brake upgrades: I've put on brembo blanks, and oem pads. Any recommendations? I was thinking of changing to EBC rotors and pads...anyone have these installed?

[AZhitman]

I'm a fan of the Ferodo 2500's for the Q, after trying several different pads. Rotors should be fine as-is.

I'm betting the trans is tired.

[paranoidjack]

I'm a fan of the Ferodo 2500's for the Q, after trying several different pads. Rotors should be fine as-is.

I'm betting the trans is tired.

So what then, pour some RedBull in the transmission? Hehe...

[maxnix]

Done, done, and done. I flushed the transmission twice, over a 2 month period, both times a "powerflush" done at two different shops. Every oil in my car is synthetic, including the Diff which I also flushed.

Brake upgrades: I've put on brembo blanks, and oem pads. Any recommendations? I was thinking of changing to EBC rotors and pads...anyone have these installed?

What is a "power flush"? If it is not mechanical dual bladder fluid exchange, it is no good. You do not mention the condition of the old fluid, whether you used BG Quick Clean immediately before, if you dropped the pan and inspected thepan and bolt, wiped coean, replaced the Oring and screen, gasket and one time use bolts before you did the mechanical exchange of the fluid. No auxiliary ATF cooler?

Ifthe internal screen filter was not replaced, I bet it is at east partially clogged and responsible for your symptoms as I don't experience them on any of my 3 with that transmission.

Brembos and OEM pads are as good as you can get for the money. If it is not stopping fast enough, look at your tires (nd wheels).

You should have about 6 oz of LubeGuard Red if you use M1 ATF.

[elwesso]

You can try throwing a bottle of lubeguard red into the transmission. I bet that will help the shifting a bit. If not its really common on these cars for the fluid temp sensor to go bad. You can hook up a resistor to it so that it shifts smoother. Theres 2 things you can look into. Fact is though you have high miles and you cant expect it to perform like new.. That said, your complaints are valid and I think theyre easily fixable.

I find it interesting your likes and hates, because everything you liked I think the Y33 lacked in. Only a well made sports car will spank you from 50-120? Try a G50! Dont believe me, I have videos! When I drove one we took it 60-120 and man that thing was a slug. The interior quality isnt bad by any means, but I didnt think it was of a car in its price range. Just my humble opinion.

Anyway, the 4.08 swap might be in your future. its not a huge difference but its enough to justify it, plus Z guys basically give away N/A 4.08s. a 300ZX n/a diff will bolt right in. From there, you cna get a new pinion gear for the speedo or live with the 11% difference (3.69 vs 4.08). The fact is, its a 260HP V8 in a 3800lb car with a slushbox thats meant to rev high, that gets you 25MPG on the highway (maybe?).. tire roasting low end torque is not something that you get. If you want that, you're best of to spray some nitrous or put crisco sprayers on the tires... .

Ask anyone who's driven my Q. it simply hauls arse but it wont spin the tires from a stop (maybe chirp them).

I really like the hawk pads on the Q (hawk HPS). Theyre quiet, and stop like hell once you get them warm, and so far mine are holding up nicely. I havent checked how much meat I have but Id say I still have another year left.. Greg, did you like those pads better than hawks (im sure you tried those on your Q).

The Q already has a full dual exhaust from the factory. If you want a better sound, id cut the premufflers out and put in a dual in dual out rear muffler. Thats what I have on my Q and everyone loves it. Unless you have a rusted exhaust system, theres no need to replace the pipes.

[paranoidjack]

What is a "power flush"? If it is not mechanical dual bladder fluid exchange, it is no good. You do not mention the condition of the old fluid, whether you used BG Quick Clean immediately before, if you dropped the pan and inspected thepan and bolt, wiped coean, replaced the Oring and screen, gasket and one time use bolts before you did the mechanical exchange of the fluid. No auxiliary ATF cooler?

Ifthe internal screen filter was not replaced, I bet it is at east partially clogged and responsible for your symptoms as I don't experience them on any of my 3 with that transmission.

Brembos and OEM pads are as good as you can get for the money. If it is not stopping fast enough, look at your tires (nd wheels).

You should have about 6 oz of LubeGuard Red if you use M1 ATF.

Thanks for the information max, I'll do this at my oil change. The power flush was a fluid exchange....I'm not sure about any "dual bladder," but all the old fluid was pumped out and new fluid was pumped in. I did this twice within 5,000 miles to ensure I got it all out.

Drain 6oz of fluid from the pan, and fill with 6 oz of LubeGuard Red?

Wes, thanks for your information too. I love everything I hear about the G50, but they're too hard to come by, and I don't care for the exterior as much as the y33. I'll have to check the fluid temp sensor in the FSB and see how to test it. Thanks for that.

As far as the dual exhaust, I'm referring to 2 pipe outlets in the back.

[elwesso]

Oh ok i gotcha RE exhaust. I think youd have to get a new bumper or have someone crafty with body work to make it look nice.. I agree though, one day Id like to swap in a VH45 into a Y33 and turn it into the car it was supposed to be from Japan. The Y33's are easy to make look outstanding. A simple drop nad some tasteful wheels makes the car look amazing. With my usual qualms aside, its a nice car for what it is. A good sucessor to the G50, I dont think so.

[ScottJackson]

I think my Q weighs a bit more than 3800lbs. Is 3800 the manufacturer's curb weight? On the local farm elevator scales I think I was right at 4100lbs with me in the car and half a tank of gas. I guess I can check again next time I'm in town as it could just be that my memory is off. I went from 2.81 gears to 3.91 in my '95 bmw 540i. It was quite a disappointment. It was a bit snappier from a stop, but above 15mph it didn't make a bit of difference. Like the Q, it still won't roast the tires with full throttle... not even close. It's a bit faster than my '92 and '93 Qs, but not much. I have the itch for more power and I'm wanting to scratch it in the worst way. I've been going back and forth on whether to put my 351C Ford engine with around 500hp in the 540i or to just try a remote mount turbo first. If I go turbo and blow the motor, that's a motor I can't sell to help fund the 351C swap. Decisions, decisions. As for the Q, I'm waiting to see how the other turbo projects turn out before trying it myself. A little nitrous is probably the best way to get good power without a lot of cost or effort.

[AZhitman]

I LOVE my 4.08 in our G50. Nuff said.

Wes, I preferred the Ferodo 2500's to the Hawks.

[maxnix]

Thanks for the information max, I'll do this at my oil change. The power flush was a fluid exchange....I'm not sure about any "dual bladder," but all the old fluid was pumped out and new fluid was pumped in. I did this twice within 5,000 miles to ensure I got it all out.

Drain 6oz of fluid from the pan, and fill with 6 oz of LubeGuard Red?

But no pan drop and screen replacement, etc? No auxiliary ATF cooler?

It must be done!

[Skibane]

I think my Q weighs a bit more than 3800lbs. Is 3800 the manufacturer's curb weight? On the local farm elevator scales I think I was right at 4100lbs with me in the car and half a tank of gas.

Weight of 10 gallons of gasoline: Around 60 poundsWeight of driver: 240 pounds?????

[Jesda]

JATCO trannies always feel harder than those from GM, Toyota, and Chrysler, but they change gears pretty quickly. Comparing your Q's transmission smoothness to any Mercury/Lincoln will always leave you feeling a bit disappointed. Compare it to other Japanese cars, like the Lexus LS.

[elwesso]

You dont have to drain 6oz just add the fluid. 6oz overfill wont hurt anything (if its indeed overfill)...

You might go ahead and drop the pan and inspect/clean/replace the filter. Thats a pretty easy job. Same with adding the cooler. I dont think either of those will help your shifting quality but for sure its a good thing to do. Y33's need coolers more than 94-96 G50s.

The thing about the cooler is, even if your trans is on its last legs (doesnt necessarily sound like that) you'll be ready to go post trans replacement.

[paranoidjack]

Thought I'd post back and say that after all these years, the transmission is at 230k and she's still going! Replaced the engine once but transmission still shifts pretty well, somewhat sloppier, but very consistently and well considering it's age.

Wonder if I'll make 250k with it....