Dream It, Build It: Nissan 350Z Powered by Pair of Honda Engines Breaks Reality
A salvaged Z33 purchased at auction has become the subject of what's arguably the wildest Z-car ever created.
You've probably got a crazy idea for a car build bouncing around in your head right now. It's wild, it's outside the box, possibly something that's never been done before, and you'll likely never actually attempt it. Whether it's money, time, lack of ability, or a combination of all the above, the odds are pretty stacked against most of us and that's one reason that Ashley Robinson's twin Honda K24 engine-powered custom 2003 Nissan 350Z coupe becoming a reality is so remarkable.
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Small Initial Investment
If you're a Z-car enthusiast, relax, this wasn't a pristine example picked apart and converted into the extreme chassis you see pictured. It was rear-ended, salvaged, and purchased for just $800 from an auction. Ashley first chopped off all the body damage and with not much left of the rear, went on to build an exo-cage that mimicked the same lines as the original body panels.
The next two years were busy ones for the Z being that it was regularly slung from side to side serving as Ashley's drift car. That is, until his world got turned upside down. "I got a little too sideways in a turn that had an embankment that very easily and gently flipped me upside down," he says. "I remember when the car came to a stop thinking to myself, 'there's no way I'm' upside down right now and this calm.' I've been in lots of accidents before but never one so gentle yet destructive. Guess the exo/roll cage was legit."
That should've been the end of the $800 drift car, but Ashley had other plans in mind. "Instead of giving up, I had this vision for a dual engine build from years ago and we jumped right into it," he recalls. Just over a year after that process began, his fully operational twin-engine Z was fired up and let loose on the road.
Powered by Honda(s)
Ditching the V-6 and opting for a pair of inline-four engines made sense in terms of packaging along with the fact that Honda's multi-purpose K-series has no problem making significant power on a stock bottom end and its aftermarket support is massive. A pair of K24A2 long blocks were sourced and both are mounted transversely, just as you'd find under the hood of an Acura TSX.
Custom engine brackets were used to install the engine up front, effectively converting the Z to front-wheel drive, and there is no driveshaft connecting the power plants. But hold on, there's much more to this. The rear K24 is of course a completely custom affair and Ashley mounted that engine directly between the rear wheels, converting the back half of the Z into a rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive layout. To get them to power all four wheels simultaneously, the engines each use a Civic EP3 5-speed transmission and both sets of shift cables are routed to a KTuned billet shifter where they're coerced into the proper gear at the same exact time.
With two engines to turbocharge, budget minded options were selected and both use VS Racing 67/62 turbos and 42 mm waste gates mounted to PLM manifolds with exhaust routing sent straight up. Skunk2 Ultra Street intake manifolds outfitted with KTuned 72 mm throttle bodies are fed by a water cooled intake charge with Bosch Cobra water pumps providing an assist. With Hondata allowing the fine tuning, the front engine makes 563 horsepower and the rear checks in at 574 hp with both 2.4-liter units set at 14 psi.
Party In The Front, Party In the Back
Though virtual twins with one another, each of the engine surroundings are unique. The front engine sits within a fully finished engine bay complete with custom tin work that creates a contoured fire wall, all of it coated in matte black.
In the rear, a custom firewall was also created to separate the cabin but beyond than the slim lines of the exo-cage, the majority of the K-engine and its fabricated bits are on full display. Care was taken to make a visually appealing front and rear layout with high visibility anodized hardware and fittings used and lines routed appropriately.
We've seen quite a few homemade mid and rear engine conversions, and, more often than not, they simply look thrown together, whereas Ashley's creation looks purposeful and well thought out. He's also realistic about the finished product, telling us, "Straight line is what she's best at. Turning is very stable but she won't be winning any trophies at the local auto-x event!"
With a quarter of the original body long gone, the rest of the exterior received custom fenders, a new front bumper, and Hyperdrive Inc. 's carbon fiber doors, before being wrapped in Pearl White vinyl. Those curvaceous fenders barely cover the tops of 19-inch Weds LXZ that use big 305s in the front, and massive 355s in the rear. The factory mirrors are extended a few inches using 3D printed bases and the original headlights were replaced with a custom louvered set up that oozes Mad Max vibes.
There isn't much 350Z left in the interior, with LRB Speed door cards and a multi-piece aluminum dash and center console treatment, along with Status bucket seats and harnesses that give the cabin a completely new look. To keep tabs on both engines at the same time, there's a pair of PowerTune Digital displays just behind the forged carbon Street Aero steering wheel.
More Than Just a Daydream
Thirteen months after it all began, Ashely is enjoying his handiwork and making additional tweaks to perfect his one-of-a-kind creation. "Current hurdles are tracking down all the rattles and some fluid leaks, but I guess that's par for the course in a car that threw away all of the R&D that Nissan invested into it," he says. "What I like most is that since both engines are only making around 500 hp, it's much easier to handle than a traditional setup making 1,000 hp would be. It's hands down the most powerful car I've ever driven!"
2003 Nissan 350Z
OwnerAshley Robinson
Instagram@mlz_garage
Engine/sHonda K24A2 x2; custom engine brackets, 50-degree VTC gear x2, K20 oil pump conversion x2; 3-inch intercooler piping, hood dumps, water/air intercooler systems; VS Racing 67/62 turbo x2, 42 mm wastegate x2, blow off valve x2; PLM turbo manifold x2; Skunk2 Ultra Street intake manifold x2; KTuned 72 mm throttle body x2, fuel rail x2; Alpha Injection Clinic 2,200 cc injectors; Nuke surge tank w/inline pump; Walbro 450 lph fuel pump x2; Bosch Cobra water pump x2; Mishimoto radiator x4; Honda KPro; Carrot Top swap harness x2
Power563 hp / 412 lb-ft @ 14 psi (front K24 engine), 574 hp / 412 lb-ft @ 14 psi (rear K24 engine)
DrivetrainEP3 transmission; Action Clutch Ironman sprung street clutch, flywheel; MFactory LSD; custom gearing 4.3 final drive; KTuned billet RSX shifter modified to accept two sets of shift cables
SuspensionAirlift Performance suspension; Z1 bushings; full tube frame chassis
BrakingBrembo calipers; StopTech discs, pads; Chase Bays dual brake booster delete
Wheels & TiresWeds LXZ 19-inch; Kumho Ecsta 305/30 front, 355/30 rear
ExteriorAvery Pearl White wrap; Hyperhive Inc. carbon fiber doors; custom fenders; 3D printed mirror bases
InteriorStatus seats, 5-point harnesses; Street Aero forged carbon steering wheel, quick release; KTuned shift knob; Powetune digital display
Thank YouKTuned, Mishimoto, Color Fittings, Prismatic/Cerakote, Powertune Digital, Status, Anti Gravity, Action Clutch, Nuke Technologies, Carrot top Tuning, Hyper Hive Inc, Street Aero, LRB Speed, Hux Racing, All the Fuel, Aux Auto Wraps, Plus soap, The powder coat shop, Zociety
