The following is a guest post by John over at Stupid Fast John. Check out his YouTube channel!
I built a 632HP track monster from a $7k Facebook Marketplace disaster – and you won’t believe where I sourced some of the parts. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s my story.
The moment the Nissan 350Z was delivered to my driveway, it hit me: I’d signed up for complete chaos. The car arrived completely trashed. It only needed…well, everything.
- The motor and transmission were just sitting in place.
- There were no brackets for the seats.
- There was no heat and no A/C.
- Parts were missing.
I had seriously underestimated how big the project was going to be from the pictures I’d received. But underneath the mess, I saw the potential.
Finding the Perfect 350Z Project Car
I had spent 2 years eyeing a beat-up 2007 Nissan 350Z on Facebook Marketplace. It two months of back and forth negotiating to get the seller down from $12k to $7k. Once he agreed, we had a deal.
Buying a car online is always a gamble – you never fully know what you’re getting yourself into. Pictures never tell the whole story, and sometimes sellers leave out details. Worst case scenario, they don’t even know what’s wrong with the car they’re selling.
The good news for my 350z? It was a blank slate. The bad news? This car was going to take more effort, money, and long days than I could imagine. However, I was on a mission. I was going to turn this beat- up car into a track-ready beast.
My first task was to make a list of all the parts, tools, and extra gadgets I needed or wanted. I had a vision for the car that I was hoping to achieve. Estimating the final cost and timeline for a project like this is very difficult to do. It’s so common to have a plan that completely falls apart, a part that doesn’t fit after modifications, and a lot of “oh crap” moments along the way. Unfortunately, that’s just how it goes.
Why I Chose an LS Swap for My Budget Build
Being a budget build I needed to figure out how to cut costs without cutting corners. The first big upgrade was swapping in a turbocharged LS motor. I wanted something that would be perfect for drag racing and the LS motor fit the bill. After the LS swap, it was time to find the rest of the parts that were needed.
I searched online for more affordable parts and that’s when I landed on Temu. They had a large selection of car parts and tools. I figured why not give them a shot? The prices were surprisingly low and they had a lot of what I needed. Ordering from Temu could work out amazingly and save me a lot of money. If it didn’t work out, I’d go to my regular options without losing too much.
Testing Temu Parts: What Actually Works
My first order from Temu was for a fuel sending unit, brake rotors and a couple of drill bit sets I wanted to test out. The fuel sending unit required modifications to work with the turbocharged motor. The brakes held up fine through testing. They were like any other rotors. And the drill bits? They haven’t burned out yet even after several uses for fabrication work.
Ordering from Temu proved to me that you don’t always have to go for the most expensive parts to get good results. Sometimes budget parts actually hold up just as well. You don’t need to spend big money on every part. However, it’s important to be aware of the parts that require quality as a priority. As always, safety first. Test everything before hitting the track. Nobody wants their project to come apart while behind the wheel.
Track Day Results: 632HP on a Budget
My goal was to race the Nissan 350Z at Motorama. I wanted to push it to its limits down the track. But before I could do that, I had to make sure it met NHRA safety standards. Race day finally came and I was pumped. After all the work, we dyno’d the car and it ended up putting down 632hp at the wheels. This was almost double its original horsepower! It hit speeds of over 130mph. How did the Temu parts hold up? Amazingly good and everything was running smoothly.
The car has gone through a complete transformation. It doesn’t even look like the same car that was delivered on my driveway. The whole process reminded me why I love doing what I do. You take something busted, something most people would discard, and you turn it into the best version of itself.
If there’s anything I took from this project is that if you’ve got the vision, the drive and the passion, even the most beat-up car can turn into something incredible. When things go sideways you need to have the will to keep going. Take everything you learned through the project, the successes and the screw-ups, and apply it to your next project. The end results are always worth it.
It might have been one chaotic journey, but in the end it all paid off. Racing down a track is an adrenaline rush you can’t put into words. It was amazing pushing this car to its absolute limits. I definitely learnt up a few things in this project that I’ll carry into my future builds. If I were to list them they’d be:
- Budget parts can perform just as well as expensive ones.
- Always test everything thoroughly before hitting the track.
- Persistence and adaptability are essential when plans inevitably fall apart.
Hopefully my story inspires you to pursue your dream project. If you’d like to see videos of my project journey, check out my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@StupidFastJohn.
