What’s up guys, it’s Bear, and this time we got to do something a little different. Instead of shooting install footage back in the studio, we packed up and headed out to Z1 Motorsports in Carlton, Georgia to hang out with the crew and get an up close look at one very special 370Z. This is Russell Floyd’s personal car, the shop’s own guinea pig test mule, and yes, it is rocking Morimoto XP headlights along with Morimoto tail lights and side markers. We walked the whole car with Kyle from the engineering side of the house, dug into the VR30 swap, checked out the prototype hardware, and got the full backstory on how Z1 grew from a chicken barn into one of the biggest names in the Nissan Z world. Here is everything we saw.
From a Chicken Barn to 104 Employees: The Z1 Motorsports Story
Before we even popped the hood, we wanted the history, because it is genuinely wild. Kyle walked us through it. Over 20 years ago, Russell Floyd started selling used 300ZX parts out of a chicken barn up in Temple, Georgia. Not a metaphor, an actual chicken barn, and Kyle says it is still standing. From those humble beginnings selling OEM and aftermarket parts, the company shifted its focus toward Z1 performance products and never looked back.
In the early 2000s the operation moved into its current Carlton, Georgia building with just seven people. Today that number sits around 104 employees in a facility that has to be 40,000 plus square feet. Standing inside of it, the scale is hard to overstate. This is a serious, purpose built shop run by people who actually drive, race, and modify these cars.
The name itself has roots that go way back. Kyle explained it came from the old ZX Connection days, back when the Z32 platform was king. The team knew a new Z was coming eventually, so they picked a name that would be universal to whatever came next, and they wanted to be number one in the Z game. Hence Z1. Over the last several years the shop has focused heavily on the G35, 350Z, 370Z, G37, Q50, Q60, and S chassis platforms, and they have recently branched out into Z1 Off-Road for Titans, Frontiers, and Pathfinders. These folks are enthusiasts first, and it shows in the parking lot tire marks alone.
Morimoto XP Headlights on the 370Z
Since we are Morimoto Lighting, this is where things got fun for us. Kyle pointed out that Z1 is one of the lead sellers of Morimoto headlights and tail lights for the 370Z, so it only makes sense that Russell’s own car wears the good stuff. This 370Z runs Morimoto XP headlights, plus the matching Morimoto tail lights and side markers. Seeing them fitted on a car that actually gets tracked, not just a static show build, is exactly the kind of validation we love.
The 370Z platform has a healthy range of Morimoto lighting options depending on the look and function you are after. If you want maximum flexibility on color and appearance, there are the Morimoto XRGB Evo LED Headlights for the 370Z. If you prefer a more traditional projector based design, there is also the Morimoto XB Evo Hybrid headlight option. And if you want to see how everything fits together across the whole car, we put together a full breakdown of the 370Z’s Morimoto lighting lineup that covers the headlights, tail lights, and DRLs in one place.
The VR30 Swap: Testing the New Z Engine Before the New Z Existed
This is where the story of Russell’s car gets legendary. Kyle told us this is one of the first 370Zs in the states, possibly the first in Georgia. It started life bone stock, did time attack in stock form, then ran twin turbo for years before blowing the engine. That is when the team made a bold call.
About three years before the new Z was released, Z1 had a hunch it was overdue and took an educated guess about what engine it would use. Looking at how Nissan and Infiniti historically operate (the engine shows up in a G or Q car first, then migrates to a Z), they figured the next Z would inherit the current corporate motor. So they dropped a VR30 pulled from a Q50/Q60 into this 370Z early, purely to start testing how the powertrain behaved in a Z chassis. The production new Z has slightly different turbos, bypass valves, and small tweaks, but this swap is very close to what eventually arrived, just wired into a six speed car.
The results speak for themselves. Kyle said the car makes close to 500 horsepower to the wheels, and here is the kicker, it does that on the stock turbos. What surprised us most is how little was needed to get there. According to Kyle, the swap basically drops in. The transmission was slightly modified for the crank position sensor, and the rest is remarkably simple: Z1 silicone radiator hoses, Z1 motor mounts, a downpipe, and exhaust. That is it. No wild internal build, no exotic components. Stock turbos making nearly 500 to the wheels is a serious testament to that VR30 platform.
The Guinea Pig: Prototype Brakes, Ducts, and Z1 CM23 Wheels
When Kyle called this the testing car, he meant it literally. This is the guinea pig for Z1. If a prototype part exists, it goes on this car first, gets driven on the track and in the parking lot, and either survives or goes back to the drawing board. That gives it a rolling parts list that is part production, part unreleased.
The wheels are the brand new Z1 CM23s, part of the shop’s own wheel line that just released. Kyle mentioned they come in 17, 18, and 19 inch sizes with widths and offsets designed specifically for Z and G chassis cars, so it is not a guessing game on fitment. Behind those wheels sit prototype GTR brakes and extended studs, plus a prototype brake duct kit up front that Kyle said would be released shortly. On the suspension side, the car runs Z1 sway bars, adjustable arms, a diff brace, and diff bushings, along with a Type 1 half clutch. Kyle stayed tight lipped on the exact coilovers since, again, this is a test bed. The rear tires during our visit were burners, so do not read too much into whatever was left of them.
Morimoto Tail Lights and the APR Wing
Heading around to the back, this was my personal highlight, because we had not had a Z in studio yet and I had not seen the Morimoto tails in person until this moment. Illuminated in the flesh, they look phenomenal. The rear end pulls the whole car together, especially paired with the aggressive aero.
That big carbon wing is from APR, mounted on what Kyle believes are custom brackets. Because the hatch is aluminum, the wing can actually push down and crack it under load, so it was reinforced to handle the downforce. If you like the smoked look, the 370Z also has the Gen 2 XB LED tail lights in smoked trim as an option, and for those who like to shop around, the XB LED tail lights available through The Retrofit Source are worth a look too. On the headlight side, you can also find the XRGB Evo headlights at Headlight Revolution if you want to compare configurations.
The Exhaust: A 350Z-Spec Tomei With a Z1 Y-Pipe
The sound of this thing is something else. Because this car was one of the first 370Zs and got modded so early, there was not a 370Z specific Tomei system available yet. So the setup is actually a 350Z-spec Tomei exhaust, paired with three inch downpipes and a Z1 Y-pipe. The result is a VR30 running a single exhaust that sounds deep and clean rather than droning like a trombone.
Getting a Z to sound right is an art, and Kyle shared a great tip. With test pipes and no resonator, these engines rasp, that is just physics. High flow cats help, and resonators help even more. That is exactly why Z1 designed a modular Y-pipe: it lets you drop a resonator into the exhaust easily to baffle that tinny rasp and dial in the tone you actually want. It is the kind of detail that only comes from a shop that builds a part, drives it, then changes it until it is right.
The Classic White, Red, and Black Nismo Look
One thing that stood out to us is the color scheme. The car has always been white and never really needed a repaint. When they did the VR30 swap, they also fitted the Nismo front end, which carried over to the sides, rear bumper, and grille. The rear bumper needed paint because the Nismo trim does not come painted from the factory, so they went red to keep that classic Nismo identity. White body, red trim, black accents, and it all comes together with the Morimoto lighting to nail that OEM plus look. Inside, the car has a full roll cage, an aftermarket shifter, and race seats, because this is a genuine time attack competitor, not a trailer queen.
Final Thoughts
Getting to walk this 370Z with Kyle reinforced why we love working with Z1 Motorsports. This is a shop built by enthusiasts who test everything before it goes out the door, which is the same philosophy we live by at Morimoto with our environmental and durability testing. From the chicken barn origin story to a nearly 500 whp VR30 test mule wearing Morimoto XP headlights and tail lights, this car represents the best of both worlds. If you are in Georgia, Z1 is open to the public, so you can check out the facility and grab parts for your own Nissan. Big thanks to the Z1 crew for having us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Morimoto products are on Z1 Motorsports’ 370Z?
The car is fitted with Morimoto XP headlights along with Morimoto tail lights and side markers, as shown and discussed during the shop tour.
What is the history of Z1 Motorsports?
Z1 Motorsports started over 20 years ago when Russell Floyd began selling used 300ZX parts out of a chicken barn in Temple, Georgia, before moving into their current Carlton, Georgia facility in the early 2000s and growing to over 100 employees.
What engine is in Russell Floyd’s 370Z?
The car runs a VR30 engine pulled from a Q50/Q60, installed about three years before the new Z was released as an early test platform, and it currently makes close to 500 horsepower to the wheels on the stock turbos.
What suspension and brake components are on the car?
The car uses Z1 sway bars, adjustable arms, a Z1 diff brace and diff bushings, a Type 1 half clutch, prototype GTR brakes, extended studs, and a prototype brake duct kit, since it serves as Z1’s testing platform.
What exhaust setup is on the 370Z?
The car uses a Tomei exhaust originally designed for the 350Z paired with three inch downpipes and a Z1 Y-pipe, with a modular Y-pipe design that allows a resonator to be added to help control exhaust rasp.
Meet the Experts Behind Morimoto
Jimmy Nguyen – Engineering Manager
Jimmy leads engineering at Morimoto, bringing experience across customer support, supplier management, design engineering, and validation testing. His work ensures Morimoto lighting systems are engineered for real-world reliability and long-term performance.
Mike Hicks – Quality Control Manager
Mike oversees quality assurance at Morimoto, with a background spanning returns testing, RMA analysis, vendor quality control, and manufacturer scorecards. His focus is continuous improvement and accountability across the product lifecycle.
