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Notable Exhaust Note Changes For The Ever-Popular 350Z
When the Datsun 240Z was introduced at the end of 1969, car enthusiasts around the world took note. After all, here was a car that put many of the long-established sports car favorites into a tailspin, both on the street and in several racing venues.
While relatively small in size, the stock exhaust system is quite heavy. Even though the new Borla system is made up of more components, it’s surprisingly close in overall weight.
One reason the 240Z was so popular was simply a matter of price. Costing half of what cars with similar performance did, such as the 911 Porsche of the day, these cars were an absolute bargain at somewhere around $3,500, give or take considerable dealer markup. With a few thousand dollars of modifications, these cars went on to dominate SCCA C-Production class for the next two years, along with contesting numerous rally events and taking wins along the way.
Then, as with most successful car designs, improvements led to change and in the years that followed, the Z grew in size and price, finally developing into the potent but expensive 300ZX Twin Turbo. With this car came the demise of the Z car nameplate, for the time being at least, as customers were looking to spend well in excess of $35,000 on other more prestigious cars. By 1996, the Z car appeared to be at its end, leaving many to wonder if they would ever see it again.
It wasn’t until 2002 that the Nissan 350Z was introduced (as an ’03 model). With history repeating itself, what we have is a more cost-effective design, once again following the basic intent of the original 240Z. The 350Z incorporates well-proven engineering and as a result, returns adequate performance; although for some, it falls short of its true potential.
While some enthusiasts wait for the Nissan factory to up the ante with a stronger performance package, a number of aftermarket leaders have raised the bar themselves with products intended to provide noticeable improvements. One such company is Borla. Long known for its high-quality exhaust systems, Borla was quick to recognize the need for improvement in the 350Z and it soon developed an exhaust system that brought change to this new iteration of an old favorite.
Like all Borla exhaust systems, this one returns on a customer’s investment, providing increased airflow and performance, while adding a more enjoyable exhaust note. And best of all, this T-304 stainless steel exhaust system comes with Borla’s Million-Mile Warranty, which ensures you’ll never need to buy another exhaust system for your 350Z, no matter how long you own it.
In this story, we follow along as a 350Z is updated with a Borla system, including its newly developed exhaust headers, which are built with the same high-quality standards as all Borla products. Also, while we follow every step of the removal of the stock exhaust and its replacement with the Borla system, this story is also intended to show readers how easy it is to install this system. No welding is required and given the right tools and working space, you should be able to install a similar system on your 350Z in a reasonably short amount of time, somewhere in the neighborhood of a weekend, depending on your specific skill levels.
One thing is for sure: once you have felt and heard the changes this Borla 350Z exhaust system returns, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t brought these same changes to your car. It’s cost-effective, performance-oriented and highly functional in terms of fit, finish and life expectancy. And that’s a good thing by anyone’s measure.
Yes, the original 240Z has always been a hard act to follow, but with this single alteration to your 350Z, you too can once again enjoy the same return on investment that Z owners realized some 35 years ago. Here again, history repeats itself—and we’re glad to see it.
