2004 Nissan 350Z Roadster: Nissan Forums Ride of the Month – January 2009

      

Jerry Salvucci’s (sluggoZ) 2004.5 Nissan 350z Roadster

In early 2004 I placed an order for a 2004 Z roadster from my local dealership. After waiting more than 16 weeksI received bad news from my dealer that my ZR will not be arriving.The dealer refunded my deposit but now I was stuck with over $200.00 worth of Z stuff that I had previously bought….it’s now the end of May, roadster season and I have no roadster.

Exterior:
VEILSIDE V1 Lower Chin    SpoilerEVO-R ‘Z Concept Car’ Silver    Front Turn Signals w/Amber    Blinking LED‘s Custom ‘Satin Silver’ Finish    Solid Polyurethane GrilleGREDDY Side Skirts 2K6 OEM LED Taillights2K5 Celica Replica Rear Deck    WingCustom 7” OEM ‘Shorty’    AntennaZ Logo etched License Plate    Frame w/Z Nut Caps Plus    Front & Rear Z EmblemsCustom Fuel Door
Wheels/Suspension:
iFORGED 2pc.Brushed    Aluminum 19” Wheels    w/Custom OffsetsTOYO Proxes T1-R’s      235/35/19-275/30/19HAWK HPS Front Brake Pads
Interior:
Custom Sun Visor Covers    w/OEM Z Logo Brushed Billet Aluminum AC    Dash Vent Covers Vinyl ‘Brushed Aluminum’    Finish Lower Gauge Pods Custom Polished Alloy    Aluminum Heel Guard GridsDouble Stitched Italian    Leather Shift & E-Brake Boot Custom OEM Z Logo Coin    Tray Z Logo Floor & Trunk Mats Z Logo Aluminum Kick Plates
Engine:
NISMO S-Tune Stainless    Cat-Back ExhaustPURE INNOVATIONS VQ35DE    Intake Upper Plenum Spacer    kit JWT POP-Charger w/Custom    Painted Heat Shield MAX 7pc. Mylar Casing    Grounding Kit Carbon Fiber Painted Radiator    Air GuidePi-THON Anodized ‘Black’    Billet Aluminum Forced    Induction Hose Locks Pi-THON Z Logo etched    Anodized ‘Black’ Billet    Aluminum Fluid Caps &    Covers Polished Stainless Steel    Finish Nut/Bolt Kit Air-Brush Smoked Flame    Engine Cover Custom Painted Super Black    Radiator Brace Wall

Luckily, several days later, my son calls me about a dealer on the internet who has the EXACT car that I wanted.Within 3 days I’m flying down to Nashville, Tennessee, the salesman picks me up at the airport & several hourslater I’m driving back home to Ohio.The best part is that I paid $99.00 over Invoice and you could not find a350ZR anywhere in my home town.WOW….What a fun ride home!!!

For me, I always get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction when modding my ZR.For example, doing the 5/16″ plenumspacer kit was very interesting and gratifying even though I had some help from my buddy and his very needed torquewrenches.These tasks give me a feeling of accomplishment and pride in my work and vehicle.

Having “Ultra power galore” is not my modding priorty as I don’t need nor want to have the fastest Z around town, letalone the $$$$ involved, but I do pride myself in being innovative & unique like coming up with sevenOne-Of-A-Kind idea tweaks which have been implemented into the ZR.These custom attributes consist of my satinsilver finish solid polyurethane grille; it won’t chip, crinkle or crack unless you hit it with a hammer, my customfuel door with an added bling; my 350ZR rear badge, ‘R’ for roadster (taken from a Fairlady Z badge) the’Z’ as they are known in the 350Z community ie, Z for Coupe & ZR for Roadster; my custom vinyl sun visorcovers designed to cover the ugly warning label by using the OEM Z logo which makes it different from other visorcovers…these OEM Z logo’s were obtained from running classified ads in various Z sites…I was payijng $10 eachshipped for either a rear 350Z or Fairlady Z badge and the border is made from waxed shoe laces; my custom designaluminum heel guard grids, they cover the entire foot area, with matching OEM foot pedal holes, these grids are securedto my OEM Z logo floor mats for added interior pizazz; my custom design double stitched-Italian black leather shifterboot, e-brake boot and finally my custom carbon fiber radiator shroud painted chrome silver by ZPRESENCE (RIP1976-2007) who was one of the best in the car painting business, he also painted my silver matching JWT POP-Chargerheat shield along with some other engine bay tidbits for additional bling.

Other unique stuff consist of my front EVO-R turn signals with amber blinking LED’s.These were built utilizingseperate (custom made) transitor boxes and the wires were all soldered for longevity (does not relays as seen inmost Z enthusiast applications).For the signals, here are the 4 modes to the matrix:
          1. OFF – blinkers off, parking lights off.
          2. ON with parking lights – no blinkers.
          3. ON in unison with blinkers when parking lights are off.
          4. Blink alternately with blinkers when parking lights are on.

I’m also a fanatic on detailing, especially owning a black car as it forces me to clean, clean &clean…ultimate perfection is always my main goal but very hard to accomplish.

One of the best feelings to have beside driving the Ohio twisty roads back in ‘my neck of the woods’ iswatching heads turn on the streets and talking a lot of ‘car jive’ when parked.

My achievements have given me memorable awards from various car shows these past five summers and once being the BEST OFTHE SHOW, my proudest achievement is coming in First Place in the Peoples Choice Class at the recent ZCCA InternationalConvention held in Cleveland, Ohio just a couple of month’s ago.