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027 | I Bought a Nissan 370Z… Was It Worth It? | Real Owner Review, Mods & Canyon Car Talk

027 | I Bought a Nissan 370Z… Was It Worth It? | Real Owner Review, Mods & Canyon Car Talk

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About this episode

Chris and Courage celebrate Chris’s new (to him) Nissan 370Z, comparing it to Courage’s past Z ownership and diving into what makes the VQ engine so special—sound, revs, and durability. They discuss buying due diligence (pre-purchase inspection, OBD checks, and concerns like clutch slave-cylinder history and drivetrain lash/clunks), plus planned mods: full X-pipe and dual exhaust, a replacement intake filter, and possible future power upgrades. The episode also turns into canyon-car philosophy (manual vs auto, engine size, wheelbase, and balance) and a fun sidebar on mini bikes and gambling/pink-slip racing talk.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Nissan 370Z

"But the 370Z exists, the cool cars with Chris Ride. And I got a chance to check it out. That's it, man. The brand new to me, not new, but new to me, 370Z. And the Z is back a baby."

The Nissan 370Z is a sports car from Nissan. It’s part of the “Z” lineup, and Chris is talking about how it feels to own and drive one.

Car

Nissan Z32

"You know, like I miss it so much. I had the other one and, you know, for me, the Z, like, the Z car in general, I've always loved the Z 32. I knew a lot of people had the Z 31. My sister had the Z 31. My friends from school had the Z 31. I love that one. And of course,"

The Nissan 300 ZX is a sports car coupe made by Nissan. People often love it for its look and driving feel. The podcast is talking about how the speaker has liked the Z cars for a long time, especially the 300 ZX.

Concept

two plus two

"They had a red, like gloss red, and it was a two plus two as well. Like it wasn't even like a turbo model. It was, and so that even was even cooler. Wait, it was yours? A two plus two? Mine was a two plus two."

“Two plus two” means the car has four seats, but the back seats are usually small and not very comfortable for adults. It’s more for occasional use than regular commuting.

Term

turbo model

"They had a red, like gloss red, and it was a two plus two as well. Like it wasn't even like a turbo model. It was, and so that even was even cooler."

A “turbo model” has a turbocharger, which helps the engine make more power. It usually makes the car feel stronger, especially when you accelerate.

Term

bucket seat

"So it's not flat. It actually kind of like, it's like a bucket seat, literally. Like that you sit down in it."

A “bucket seat” is a sporty seat that wraps around you more than a flat bench. It can make the car feel more driver-focused and can also affect how much room people have in the back.

Car

Nissan Frontier

"No, I remember when I had my Nissan Frontier pickup truck, it had technically a back seat to it."

The Nissan Frontier is a pickup truck. The speaker is talking about how the back seat area works in a certain Frontier configuration.

Term

midlife crisis

"People call it a midlife crisis back then. People are calling it a midlife crisis again today."

“Midlife crisis” is a joking way people talk about buying something exciting later in life, like a sports car. It’s more about the vibe of the purchase than a literal diagnosis.

Term

VQ engines

"[676.1s] Those engines, like I love the VQ engines. They sound great. They rev great. [681.8s] They've got power, a lot of mid-range power. You know, it's, it's a, I think in my opinion,"

“VQ” is Nissan’s family of V6 engines. People like them because they run smoothly, have good everyday pull, and generally feel well-built.

Concept

engine swap

"[748.8s] it's an older engine. They don't make it anymore. The guy is done. They don't make any new VQ [753.1s] engines, but there's so many out there. Like I could see people using these VQ engines for all [758.8s] kinds of different things. I mean, people, people engine swap everything."

An engine swap means putting a different engine into the car than it originally came with. People do it to make the car faster or to change how it drives.

Term

supercharged

"[772.2s] they rip that engine out and they put something big in like a V eight or something [776.9s] supercharged, supercharged, whatever."

A supercharger is a device that pushes extra air into the engine. More air usually means more power.

Term

18s

"...and this one has 18s in their stock to kind of like a darker, darker color wheel, I guess you call them there."

“18s” are 18-inch wheels. They can make the ride a little smoother than larger wheels because the tires usually have more sidewall.

Term

19s

"Yeah. But they were 19s, I remember the old car, and this one has 18s in their stock to kind of like a darker, darker color wheel..."

“19s” means the wheels are 19 inches across. Bigger wheels can look sportier, but they can also make the ride a bit firmer.

Concept

pre-purchase inspection

"I paid the full pre-purchase inspection. So he did, he checked it over, checked everything out, said the car runs fine..."

Before you buy a used car, you can pay a mechanic to inspect it. The goal is to find problems you might not notice yourself, so you don’t get surprised after buying.

Concept

lowered car

"...which happens in lower cars. I mean, if you have a lowered car and you drive a car that's lowered, it's a good chance you scrape something..."

Lowering a car makes it sit closer to the road. That can look cool, but it also means you have less clearance to avoid scraping on bumps or speed bumps.

Term

sample test of like 300 starts

"And he said he ran like a sample test of like 300 starts or something like that. And or the last"

A “sample test” of many start cycles is a diagnostic approach to see whether faults reappear under repeated conditions. It’s meant to catch intermittent issues that might not show up during a single test drive.

Term

check engine lights

"[1262.1s] 300 starts and there was no check engine lights at all in the last 300 cycles or whatever you [1266.8s] said. That's good. I didn't know it was really like a test that you could do."

The check engine light is a warning that something might be wrong with the car’s computer or engine systems. If it’s off, that’s a good sign, but it can still be worth checking the stored codes just in case.

Brand

Harley Davidson

"It's like almost like as if I were to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle. They cost almost the same. Really? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Okay."

Harley-Davidson is a famous motorcycle brand. The speaker is using it as an example of how people judge car purchases differently than motorcycle purchases.

Term

saddlebags

"Don't some of them have like the little like on the side saddlebags? Yeah. Like where the little compartments obviously like you're not fitting a lot in there, but you got something versus like"

Saddlebags are the side storage boxes on a motorcycle. They’re useful for carrying some stuff, but they don’t hold as much as a car’s trunk.

Term

mini bike

"So seeing them on the mini bike, you know, he's like a clown on like a little miniature, miniature car, miniature motor, so kind of thing. Yeah. But, uh, but yeah, even when you got to check out evil, evil bike..."

A mini bike is a tiny bike with a small engine. Since it’s light and not very powerful, it can take more effort to get it moving smoothly, especially if the ground is soft or uneven.

Term

throttle

"And, uh, any impressions, I know it's, it's not a motorcycle. The throttle felt like, like I had to like almost like push the bike to get moving, you know?"

The throttle is the pedal/lever that controls how much power the engine makes. If it feels like you have to push hard to get going, it usually means the engine is small and responds quickly when you open it up.

Concept

illegal street racing

"...they have areas where they do like, you know, these like, you know, they're illegal street racing..."

Illegal street racing refers to drag or roll races conducted on public roads without authorization. It’s dangerous because of unpredictable traffic, limited safety equipment, and the lack of controlled track conditions.

Term

pink slip

"[2137.1s] kind of funny that, that having, well, when the pink slip comes in the mail, I'll be able to have [2142.0s] that. I'd be literally say I race your pinks, whatever. I had the pink slip on the other car, [2146.4s] too."

“Pink slip” is a slang term for the paperwork that proves you own a car. When people say “race your pinks,” they mean the ownership of the cars is the bet.

Term

boost

"...it'll take a lot more of the boost to actually, if you're really trying to get off of the line..."

Boost is the extra “push” a turbo adds by increasing air pressure. More boost usually means stronger acceleration, but it can come in after a short delay.

Term

dual air boxes and dual intakes

"So cause on the three seventies, there is a dual intake. So there's a tool, dual air boxes and dual intakes into the HR motors."

“Dual air boxes and dual intakes” refers to a design where intake components are split into two paths/boxes feeding the engine. The speaker connects this to Nissan’s HR engine family and explains that the 370Z has a dual-intake arrangement, which can matter for how intake mods are planned.

Part

air filter

"is where the big old giant air filter sits in cold air directly into the, into the engine. So I wasn't sure how old the filter was or how long it's been sitting in there ... I ordered the replacement filter online."

The air filter keeps dirt out of the engine. If it’s old or dirty, the engine can’t get enough air, which can hurt performance.

Concept

straight pipe

"You've seen like straight pipe, like Mustangs and what I mean, like a minivan or something."

“Straight pipe” means the exhaust is basically opened up with fewer restrictions. It makes the car louder, and it can sound rougher.

Term

RPM

"It's designed to go high RPM, you know, it's designed for that kind of stuff."

RPM tells you how fast the engine is spinning. When you rev higher, the engine and exhaust usually sound louder and more aggressive.

Term

Voodoo engine

"...What's with the Voodoo engine, right? Uh, yeah. Um, so the 350 R has the, has the Voodoo engine..."

“Voodoo” is the nickname for a special Ford V8 in the Shelby GT350. It’s known for revving fast and feeling sharp when you drive it.

Term

canyon car

"...he basically was asking in terms of, you know, if you were looking for a canyon car, which one of the, you might have your answer already kind of based on your recent purchase..."

A “canyon car” is a car you’d pick for fun drives on twisty roads. It should feel stable in corners and be easy to drive fast without getting sketchy.

Brand

Aston Martin

"I'm on a similar [3384.2s] Wade Lake because I, you know, I love supercars and, you know, I haven't driven anything above [3389.6s] like eight cylinders, but, you know, I love the, you know, Aston Martin's, the Lamborghini's,"

Aston Martin is a British luxury/sports-car brand known for grand touring (GT) cars that balance performance with comfort. The speaker groups it with other supercar brands to talk about what they’ve driven and what they like for canyon driving.

Brand

Lamborghini

"I love the, you know, Aston Martin's, the Lamborghini's, [3393.9s] Ferrari's, but I think there's a certain point where you get past like,"

Lamborghini makes some of the most famous supercars in the world. The speaker is basically saying they love that kind of car.

Concept

short wheelbase

"that's really kind of short wheelbase, this short wheelbase nimble and, you know,"

Wheelbase is how long the car is between its front and back wheels. Shorter wheelbase cars usually feel easier to turn quickly on twisty roads.

Concept

EVs

"Oh yeah, all different guys. Like you said, EVs are big. I know, but that's why I keep seeing a lot of EV stuff."

EVs are cars that run on electricity from a battery. The speaker is saying more EVs are showing up in events and racing now.

Term

stick shift

"Can you drive it or not drive it? You know, you'd be surprised how many people like who cannot drive a stick shift."

A stick shift is a manual transmission. You have to use a clutch and choose gears yourself, and the speaker says a lot of people don’t know how to drive one.

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