Leigh Guarnieri has a problem. He started buying parts for his 2004 350z before he even bought the car. He also drove all the way to Las Vegas to pick up the car with the color and trim options he wanted. He then proceeded to drive the car back to LA to his house where he bolted in a set of seats and rims he had bought used. The car didn’t even stay stock for 24 hours! When you buy a brand new car and you modify it before the first oil change is due, it’s certifiable that you have a problem!!
Within a few weeks, the car was taken to Extreme Motoring in Huntington beach for a stereo. The system has remained the same since it was originally installed. The car was shown for a few months with just the rims, seats, a system, and a set of Eibach springs before Leigh sprang for a Wald kit. Things never quite go the way you want them to, and this would be no different. Just a week after the Wald kit was purchased, Carbon Creations approached Leigh with a sponsorship for a carbon fiber kit. The Wald setup was sold, and the Carbon kit was installed. A few more months and a few more shows passed, and the only additions were a carbon hood. Carbon Creations had called and asked to use the car for some test fitment, and as things usually turn out with companies that borrow your car, one week turned into two weeks, two weeks turned into a month, and a month got stretched even further. Finally the car was returned with a new kit.
A few months before SEMA in 2004, Carbon Creations asked Leigh if he could paint his car so that they could bring the car to the SEMA show. He refused, not wanting more down time for his car. Finally, just 2 weeks before the show, Leigh agreed under the condition that he wouldn’t be paying for it. BASF sponsored the paint, and M1 sponsored the painting, and the car was changed into it’s new hue. A new kit was sent including a wing and fenders, and those were also painted in the one-off BASF paint. Vertical Doors, Stoptech, and Volk signed on as sponsors for the project, and as with most SEMA projects, the car was finished off with stickers just hours before the car rolled into the Convention Center.
For 2005, Leigh has been showing the car steadily. Earlier this year, a magazine asked to use his car for a Vortech supercharger install, and Leigh kindly obliged. After all, who wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to get a supercharged professionally installed and dynotuned for free? With the newfound power, Leigh has been getting more involved with drifting, taking it to several Drift Day events and private drifting sessions, including the recent Fast and Furious 3 casting call at Irwindale.
Future plans call for a replica of his car to be made with the same kit and supercharger, but a fully stripped interior so that it can be made into a full Formula D spec drift car. Look for the side-by-side show and drift cars to be appearing on the scene by 2006
MODIFICATIONS:
EXTERIOR:
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF DRIFT 2 FRONT BUMPER
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF DRIFT 2 SIDE SKIRTS
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF DRIFT 2 REAR BUMPER
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF OEM HOOD
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF OEM FENDERS
CARBON CREATIONS RED CF TYPE N WING
VERTICAL DOORS, INC. VERTICAL DOOR SYSTEM
BASF CUSTOM KANDY RED
PAINT & BODY BY: M1 AUTOBODY
INTERIOR:
SPARCO ROADSTER SEATS
SPARCO SHIFT KNOB
ENGINE & PERFORMANCE:
VORTECH SUPERCHARGER
INJEN EXHAUST SYSTEM
WHEELS / TIRES / SUSPENSION:
19” VOLK RACING GT-AV WHEELS
BFGOODRICH TIRES
EIBACH SPRINGS
TOKICO SHOCKS
STOPTECH BRAKE SYSTEM
IN CAR ENTERTAINMENT ( I.C.E. ):
PIONEER TV/DVD HEADUNIT
PIONEER NAVIGATION UNIT
IMAGE DYNAMIC SPEAKERS
IMAGE DYNAMIC SUBWOOFERS
PHOENIX GOLD AMPLIFIERS
SPONSORS:
BASF Enamel (Thanks to Brent Wallace)
BF Goodrich Tires (Thanks to Wayne Chen)
Carbon Creations (Thanks to George Chen)
M1 Autobody (Thanks to Brent Wallace)
Mackin Industries (Thanks to Eddie Lee)
Stoptech Brakes (Thanks to Jeff Ritter
Vertical Doors, Inc (Thanks to Samir Rai)
Vortech Engineering (Thanks to Gil Cormaci / Steve Padfield)