Chesterfield

Still enough of a yearly cost to make people question whether they really want an 06 over an 05 though (given all other things being equal etc, like mileage for example). I dont buy the polution argument anyway. Thousands of years ago temperatures were warmer than they are now, and I dont see any drawings of V8's on cave walls?

Yes - I had the same question when I was fairly new to my car too. Its perfectly normal, just make sure you dont give it too much right foot before its warmed up (you will see the pressure go off the scale if you do).

Yes Val, we are. Well, its going up £10 this year and £5 next year and the year after. Meaning pre 06 model owners will pay £205 next year, and 06 model owners who have cars registered on or after 23rd march 06 will be paying £400. It also carries a little more importance for late 2005 owners too. An 06 model (or 05 model) registered on or after 23rd march 06 will be subject to the £400 road tax next year. An 05 model that could be as little as one month or less older than that car will only be subject to £205 in the same year. Which means on the second hand market, people will REALLY have to want the subtle changes to the 06 model in order to choose one over a late 05 model. When these cars are a few years old, the few months between registration dates will not concern many people, so the £195 difference in road tax each year will be a big factor to second hand buyers I think.

In the March 2007 Budget Chancelor Gordon Brown made changes to the Vehicle Excise Duty bands and charges. These charges affect the owners of all Nissan 350Z's. Some considerably more than others. Here is the link to the full budget report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/p ... report.pdf Sections relevant to the owners of the 350Z are 7.78 on page 191. Band G are vehicles with emissions levels above 225g/km and registered ON OR AFTER 23rd March 2006. This means that any 350Z registered ON OR AFTER 23rd March 2006 is in Band G. Any 350Z registered before this date is in Band F. (and subject to the £10 rise this year and £5 per year for the next two) The new rates for cars in band G are considerably higher: £300 in 2007-2008 and £400 in 2008-2009 Changes to this years VED rates take place on 22nd March 2007 - THATS TOMORROW. If you own a 350Z registered on or after the 23rd March 2006, you may want to get your road tax today NOW. If you only have a month or so to run, you most certainy do want to get your tax this afternoon, buy it tomorrow and it will be £300 not £210. Please discuss - here: CLICK HERE

According to the budget yes. Here is the link to the full budget report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/p ... report.pdf Sections relevant to the owners of the 350Z are 7.78 on page 191. Band G are vehicles with emissions levels above 225g/km and registered ON OR AFTER 23rd March 2006. This means that any 350Z registered ON OR AFTER 23rd Marc 2006 is in Band G. Thats £300 in 2007-2008 and £400 in 2008-2009 Changes to this years VED rates take place on 22nd March 2007 - THATS TOMORROW. If you own a 350Z registered on or after the 23rd March 2006, you may want to get your road tax NOW.

Well - its here.... Tax on highest poluting vehicles £400 as of next April. Can't find any details on what the emissions levels are and the vehicle registration dates affected though... Im sure we will find them somewhere though.

Its actually not that bad at all. I can imagine with the top down its a little pointless though. With the roof up I actually think its not that much louder than the cabin oise in my MK4 golf. I found that very surprising indeed.

pah you 05 coupe owners hav all the fun. No bluetooth in an 05 roadster, well not the UK spec ones anyway.

The new tax band "G" only affected cars registered "after" the budget, therefor was not retrospective. Rumours are that this one may be - and indeed may go back to April 06 vehicles. If it does, then many 06 Z's will be caught up in it. Actually, that could be bad and good news for residuals - those with 06 models and beyond will suffer, while those with 05 models will be able to advetise their cars as NOT falling under the new tax levels. Until tomorrow we cant tell though. Ill check when ours runs out...

You are thinking of Prescot I think.. This "green" issue is just pathetic. My Z does about 5k per annum - its an 05 (or 55 cant remember) and its got just under 9k on it now. Yet I can expect to be hit for this gas guzzler tax even though a diesel ford mondeo tramming up and down the motorway will be spewing out more CO2 in a year than my "gas guzzler". Brilliant. The logic behind this is just bonkers. As Ill bet most "gas guzzlers" are in a similar situation to my own, they will do less miles, as they will be sunday cars, show cars, weekend runabouts etc. So badging it as a "green" measure is just daft. Ive a good mind to buy a car engine, stick it on a workbench and run the bloody thing 24 hours a day just to off set the emissions that Im being charged for and not pumping out with the Z. Two fingers up to Gordon.

Because you attached it last time so I saved a bit of bandwidth and put it on photobucket when I used it!

Thanks D. I think Ill write a few when I have time, and explain the various methods etc including this one. But its one way of having thumbnail images without using up your attachment allowance

In short, if you use photobucket, just copy this code and replace the links with links to your own files: Remember to put the "th_" in front of the picture second time round as this denotes the tumbnail image in photobucket. Give it a try....

MINI GUIDE..... hope it helps people You get small thumbnails when you "attach" an image. An attached image is actually stored on the forum, which means you dont need to use photobucket etc, but there is a limit to how many items you can attach - otherwise we would soon fill our server with attached files. If you wanted a thumbnail pic, that when clicked presents a larger image, and without using attach, you can do it, but it involves getting a bit adventurous with code in your post. you can use photobuckets own thumbnails as link to the main photo. The small thumbnails are stored in your photobucket account with the prefix "th_" in front of the file name. for example if I post this code (and replace the { } with [ ]: {img}http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/chesterfield350z/th_Image002.jpg{/img} I get this image: Which is actually a thumbnail of a larger image I have in my photobucket account. If I then use that thumbnail image (the one with "th_" in front) as a link to the proper image, then I can effectively post a thumbnail image here that links to the full image. So just like people link to pages an put the word "Clicky" or something similar for people to click on instead of the full http link, you can use an image instead. This is the code (again replace the { } with [ ]): {url=http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/chesterfield350z/Image002.jpg}{img}http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/chesterfield350z/th_Image002.jpg{/img}{/url} ^This first bit is a url link to the full size Image^............................... ..^The second bit is the bit people click on, here we put the thumbnail image....^the last bit closes the url link. and you get this... - you can click it to open the large picture.

I would echo the sentiments about air guns used on these wheels - thats a big no no I think. Using hand tools and a socket generously wrapped in tape of some form is the way to go. Also, DO NOT USE AN AIR TOOL ON THE LOCKING WHEEL NUT. If you do, you run the risk of not only damaging the nut, but also the tool that removes them. Which could then leave you with 4 locking wheel nuts, and no tool to remove them - which I have personaly experienced. The locking wheel nuts on the Z are McGuards. They also have the rotating colars, so reverse threaded sockets will not work most of the time - and will simply damage the inside of the wheel (a LOT more severely than in your pics). So, again - if you want to avoid a MASSIVE headache, DO NOT use air tools on your Locking wheel nuts, and to avoid damage like in the pictures posted, avoid them at all times. Most garages will only want to use air tools - its quicker. Slip them some extra beer tokens and ask them to go the extra mile with a covered socket and hand tools.

Yes - the new "Band G" for vehicles over 225g/km applies to vehicles registered After 23rd March 2006. The DVLA/Government tables detailing this ar here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... G_10012524 So for taxing a Z the costs are: 05 model = £190 per year 06 model = £190 or £210 (depending on the date registered) Any Z on a 56 plate or newer will be subject to £210. It looks as though this time they are squaring up to raise it for all vehicles registered after 1st March 06 which means any Z on an 06 plate or newer could fall under this. We will have to wait and see what good ol' Gordon has in store for us.

Although changes have NOT been retrospective to date - reports suggest that this may not be the case for this change - th Sky News website for example quotes: "His move would affect owners of the 225,000 least fuel-efficient vehicles bought new since last April."

Last time they changed the rules, the Z did fall into the higher bracket - however, it was changed for vehicles registered AFTER 1st March 06. Which means the 06 Z's and onward were subject to the new cost, pre 06 models were not. If they change it again, I can imagine it will apply to vehicles registered after a certain future date, meaning only new Z's ould be affected. We will have to wait and see. Road tax based on emissions really really makes my blood boil. Our Z is used almost as a weekend car and just 1.5 miles to work and back each day by the missus. It does about 5000 miles per annum or there abouts. My Golf TDI does about 12000, and my new Seat (When it bloody arrives) will do the same, and with well over half the emissions level of the Z and doing more than double the milage, I actually pump more emissionsout of that than the Z. If the Government continue raising road tax and using emissions as the yardstick, then they need to combine this with annual mileage checks. As its simply not fair. Besides which, if anyone watched a recent documentary entitled "The great global warming swindle" - you may have seen that Human CO2 contribution is absolutely tiny compared with every other source of CO2 on the planet, its all just a con for governments to have new and wonderful ways of imposing taxes, whilst simultaneously preventing other countries like Africa from developing (an bringing in competition) on the basis that they are causing global warming. How very convenient. Anyway - rant over. Lets see what the budget brings, but good old Gordon is hardly likely to give us anything we havent seen before from this Government. Higher taxes, more ineffective spending. Oh and the self employed and small business owners are no doubt going to be shafted again.

The look on peoples faces when they stop in the street and stare at a dozen or more Z's going by makes this trip worth it on its own. Ive only been on the first one, sadly missed out on the second one, but it was quite simply the best days driving out I have had in the Z, or any car for that matter. Im really looking forward to this.

Any volunteers going to be doing the same round the ring on our outing to Europe?

Something like this in June.... http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3792

What a farce our legal system is. The force must be so proud. How to instill public support and confidence in the law, let an appeal get another speeding bobby off the hook. What a complete and utter joke.

Nah - I say keep the 650 badges. Taking off the 650 badges and adding the M6 wheels, will just make people think you wish you had the M6 and are trying to hide the fact its a 650 or less. The wheels are excellent, Ive seen them on a few M6's and they really do look nice.

Or this one: OAPs make for some of the best ones:

I like this one.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHWGJBLEahk