Our third competitor for the 2014 Import Meet Street Car Competition is Matthew Bueler and his 1991 Nissan 300ZX. The IMSCC is an event that will compare some of the best import cars in multiple categories (drag racing, autocross, dyno, car show, etc.) on August 8-10 in Seattle, WA.
Other competitors will be announced leading up to the competition so be sure to check back regularly. Join the Facebook event page for notifications.
The most important aspect of any build is how complete it is. It’s fairly often that we see cars where the primary focus of the build is engine modifications but the rest of the car remains mostly stock. This could be due to a bunch of different reasons (budget, time, priorities etc.) but it doesn’t change the fact that even though the car may be faster, it will perform worse than stock in many other areas.
Having a nice balance of power and agility is something that Matthew Bueler learned early in his days of building cars. Since then he has made every effort to keep the build of his 1991 Nissan 300ZX balanced.
Text and photos by Matt Haugness. Video by Dustin St. Hilaire (Jessup Visual Works).
Watch Nissan 300ZX Turbo on YouTube
Matthew’s involvement in the import scene started with drag racing about 12 years ago. He competed in import drag classes for years but found that the rush was over too quickly.
“I was introduced to time attack racing during a spring break trip to Japan. I returned home and immediately started autocrossing and road racing my existing car. I wasn’t happy with how it did and knew that my next car would be much different than anything that I had built in the past,” Matthew said.
After his mind was made up that the only racing he would be doing would have turns, it was time to pick a chassis. When Matthew was 18 he worked at an exotic car dealership and was able to drive a variety of cars, but there was one that always stood out in his mind – the Nissan Fairlady Z (300ZX).
“For time attack racing I knew that I didn’t want a T-top model so I found a base ‘slick top’ model for a good price. Unluckily for me, the engine blew not long after I purchased it.”
Instead of replacing it with another VG30 (or upgrading to the TT version) he opted for an RB25 from a RWD Nissan Skyline. This required extensive subframe modification as well as a completely custom set of mounts. Special attention was given to make sure that the engine was placed as low and as far back as possible without cutting the firewall. With the help of his friends and his brother at Arsenal Motorsports they made it happen.
After the swap was sorted, the stock turbo was changed to a GT6776R unit with the help of a Monster exhaust manifold. To support the increased fuel requirements of the engine with the new turbo, Matthew installed a GReddy intake manifold with a GReddy fuel rail and 650cc injectors.
Matthew knew that balance is the most important part of a well-sorted time attack car so he called upon Cusco for all of his suspension upgrades. He went with Cusco Zero2-R coilovers with pillow ball mounts along with a Cusco rear sway bar, upper control arms, rear strut tower bar, and tie rod ends. He soon found out that the stock brakes were lacking so he went with a 4 piston Brembo big brake kit with 355mm rotors up front.
To finish off the rest of the car, Matthew only wanted to add functional aerodynamic parts. While living in Japan, he was a part of the Super GT racing series and really liked the aggressive aero on all of the cars. For his 300ZX he wanted something similar but obviously more appropriate for a street car. He went with a C-West GT wing and accented the front of the car with a Nismo front bumper and Stillen nose panel.
Matthew’s favorite part on the entire car is the authentic AB Flug carbon fiber rear diffuser. Smokey Nagata found it for him and he ended up bringing it back as one of his carry-on items when he returned from Japan.
When asked why he thinks his car will do well in the IMSCC, Matthew responded with:
“I think my Z will do well in this competition due to its balance and the attention to detail on the build. Also, with my past experience in racing, I learned to plan my build and not rush it. I also chose to only add parts that improved the performance of the car. Using that mindset throughout my build, I think my Z will be a strong competitor. I am looking forward to the autocross and skidpad events the most.”
Matthew’s future plans for the car include a full roll cage, 5 point harnesses for the both the driver and passenger seats, and to add some aggressive cams.
“I would like to thank my brother C.J. at Arsenal Motorsports for all of his help in this build and keeping the Z in great shape while I was overseas for the past few years. Also thank you to Mamiya San and everyone at Aggio Create and all of my other friends in Japan. Arigato gozaimashita.”
Modifications:
Exterior/Wheels/Tires:
Nismo front bumper
Nismo taillights
Stillen nose panel
C-West GT wing
AB Flug rear carbon fiber diffuser
VIS GT carbon fiber hood
Shaved antenna
Enkei G series wheels w/ 225/40R18 (Front) and 245/35R18 (Rear) Hankook V12 tires
Z1 carbon fiber ducts
Engine/Transmission/Differential:
RB25DET engine swap
PT6776R turbo
GReddy intake
GReddy intake manifold
GReddy fuel rail
650cc injectors
GReddy oil cap
Infiniti Q45 90mm throttle body
Ported and polished head with step matching
1mm oversized exhaust values
Monster turbo manifold
Godspeed intercooler
Blacktraxx oil catch can
Koyo radiator
HKS Hi Power titanium exhaust
Nistune ECU
Interior:
Sparco Torino racing seats
Sparco steering wheel/hub
Sparco quick release
4 point harnesses
GReddy gauges
GReddy shift knob
Suspension/Brakes:
Cusco Zero2-R coilovers
Cusco pillow ball mounts
Cusco upper control arms
Cusco tie rod ends
Cusco rear strut tower bar
Cusco rear subframe bushings
Cusco rear sway bar
Brembo big brake kit with 355mm rotors
Special Thanks to Our IMSCC Sponsors:
