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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAMAGED-2007-NISS ... 911.c0.m14 I'm lucky enough never to have been in an accident so don't have any idea about the costs involved in puting somehting like this back on the road but I'd imagine there are a few of you guys who'd have the facilities and expertise to fix this up? Has anyone ever fixed a damaged repairable before? - I was contemplating maybe getting another track car and thought this might be a cheap way of doing it? - Maybe a Clio 172 or something else light and fairly powerful. G

In the last few years I've had a couple of cars I've used as commuters for the winter months: - Audi A4 1.9TDi (2002, 53 plate bought at 111,000, sold at 124,000 miles) - Vx Vectra (2005, 05 Plate bought at 128,000 miles, sold at 133,000 miles) The Vectra needed the front section of exhaust for an MOT; servicing and tyres apart, this is the only cash I spent on either car. Both were well serviced, the Audi in good condition and the Vectra an Ex-taxi and a bit rough around the edges but both ran well despite the mileages. Given the above, my experience of high mileage cars is that there's nothing to be afraid of, just make sure it's been well serviced and you should be ok. Build quality wise the Vectra was not in the same league as the 350z but if that could take the abuse it got with no problem then a high mileage 350z would be no trouble at all..... As long as you service it well. I also had a Honda Civic for 11 years which I used for track days, absolutely hammering it until it was over 100,000 miles and it never missed a beat. I bought my Zed at 18,000 miles and 17 months old; 16 months and 18,000 miles on it's been faultless and I would have no qualms about recommending a Zed to anyone, I’ve no experience of a high mileage Zed but have not doubt a well cared for Zed will age well, so if you can pick one up for less than £10k, you'll be getting a lot of car for your money.

Sorry to hear you're having trouble, personally speaking I wouldn't trust Kwik Fit with anything; it's a harsh lesson but I'm sure you won't be back.

Cool, thanks Beavis. I had thought that but it's always good to get a second opinion. Cheers, G

I've just checked my oil level and it could do with a top up, the oil in the car is Silkolene Pro S; I think this is a 5w/40 oil. Instead of heading out and buying some of this, could there be an issue if I top it up with Mobil 1 which is w/40? - I've got a fair bit Mobile 1 in my garage and it seems a bit of a waste of cash not to use it. The oil will be totally changed in about 1000 miles at it's 36,000 mile service, probably for the Silkolene again. Cheers, G

Thanks very much guys, all your input is very much appreciated; the marks on the steering wheel are much more noticeable in the sunlight and by the time I thought to take pictures the car was back in the garage so they didn't turn out too well. If I get the car out and we get some daylight (I'm in Glasgow at the moment and it's very dark and overcast at the moment) I'll try to take a few snaps and post them. In the meantime, I'll call the dealer and see what their patter is; I'm glad I never managed to get a hold of them last night as I was a bit furious to say the least and given the advice of you guys that's probably not the stance to take. Thanks again and I'll keep you posted with any outcome. G

This is maybe a question for the car dealers or legally trained out there? I bought a new Fiat 500 for my girlfriend and picked it up on Tuesday; it has the white steering wheel and dash, nice but probably the most practical things in the world. To cut a fairly long story short I picked the car up in pissing rain and it was fairly overcast so never got a chance to look at it properly but did notice finger marks and oil on the steering wheel. Not a good start but I didn't bother complaining about it because it'd have been quicker for me to clean it myself rather than drive back to the dealer to have it cleaned. It got me wondering though, it the dealer has been careless enough to make a white steering wheel dirty, what else might be wrong? - After this thought I decided to put the car in my garage so that I could have a decent look at it in daylight, needles to say I took it out the garage tonight to find that someone has opened the drivers door onto (probably) a wall, the door is very slightly dented and the paint has chipped off, it’s probably less than 1cm along the door frame but it does look hideous. Question is; what do I do now? Obviously the dealer will attempt to say that I've damaged the car since I got it but that is impossible; I picked the car up with 8 miles on it, it now has 12 miles and I live 4 miles from the dealer and there are no walls it could possibly have hit on my drive on in my garage. What are my options? - Return/Reject the car and ask for a replacement? I suspect they will attempt to fob me off with a repair but who would want a brand new car that has had to be touched up? If any of you guys have any knowledge of my legal position or what my next move should be I'd be very in interested to hear from you. My current plan is to call the dealer tomorrow then put my grievance in writing and ask for a replacement; obviously I wouldn't use the car until I get some satisfaction. Apologies for the essay! G

Hey Matt, I live in Edinburgh and depending on what you're looking for I could maybe help you out. I have absolutely no mechanical knowledge but reckon I can tell the difference between a good car and a lemon; is the car a private sale or in a Garage? I work in Glasgow and have plans tomorrow night but I could maybe check something out for you on Wednesday or Thursday evening. Let me know the details of the car and what you're looking for/want to know about it and I'll try to help out if I can. Gordon

Hey Lexx, Sorry to see you possibly letting your zed go; I met you at the Glasgow meet last year and was very impressed by your car, you'd just got the alloys on it and it was looking superb. Good luck if you decide to sell but personally I think it'd be a shame to let someone else have the benifit of the time and money you've put into the car. What are you looking to replace it with? Another ReX8? G

Marzman - A Team Van? - Absolute Genius, wish I'd thought of that for my brother's wedding.

Sold

1. Vauxhall Chevette - 17 2. Seat Ibiza - 19 3. Vauxhall Cavalier - 20 4. Ford Fiesta XR2i - 21 5. Ford Mondeo - 23 6. Honda Civic ESi - 23 7. Mitsubishi FTO - 26 8. BMW 323 Convertible - 27 9. Mitsubishi FTO - 29 10. Porsche Boxster S - 30 11. Nissan 350z GT - 33

Sounds like a top idea.

It sounds like it's been meticulously maintained, loved and cherished. Can you give me a shout if you can ever bring yourself to sell it?

I would suggest you don't press it! ....... Sorry I've nothing more constructive to say!

Looks great, what lowering springs do you have on the car?

I'll put this on its head, I've a set of 17" Zed wheels in the garage that I was gonna uuse for track days but never used them, would they fit on my burd's 2005 Civic Sport? - Might be an experiment for me some time! - Might look good?

Thanks for all the comment, much appreciated as always. I ended up ordering a Fiat 500. It seems like a good wee car and got a good recommendation from Top Gear tonight.

Cheers Stew, I've heard some good things about the 100hp Panda, Evo magazine have raved about it int he past. I'll have a wee look at it.

After 11 years of faithful service my wee Honda Civic track car has finally succumbed to rust and will is going to be traded in as part of the government scrappage scheme before it's MOT runs out. In it's place I'm thinking of getting a Fiat 500 or a Mini for my girlfriend; the problem is she doesn't like either of these cars and would prefer to keep her own Honda Civic or get a new BMW 118d but unfortunately my generosity doesn't go that far hence the Fiat 500 or Mini. I think what might happen is that I'll get one of these and she'll hate it and want to trade it for another Civic or second hand Beemer, therefore resale value is important as I don't want to lose too much. Have any of you any experience of the Fiat 500 or Mini in terms of ownership, driving experience or resale? - I know that Fiats are notoriously bad at holding their value but I was under the impression that the 500 bucks that trend as it's a fairly cute and quirky little car. Also, I know that new Minis have held their values well but is that still the case now that every Tom, Dick and Harry has one? I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on the above, or alternatively, if you can suggest anything else that I might not have thought of I'd be delighted to hear from you. Cheers, G

The wheels look tip-top-tastic.

The time has come for me to sell my Honda Civic Track Car, I bought this car 11 years ago and it’s given me great enjoyment over the years; I doubt if any of you guys would be interested in the car but I’d be interested to know what you think it might be worth, I’m looking for a quick sale (Before the MOT runs out) so I’ve stuck it on Ebay. If you’ve any idea what this might be worth, please let me know what you think. The mods themselves will be worth much more than the rest of the car I’d imagine? - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-Civic-ESi-R ... otohosting If I don’t get a decent price for it I may strip the good bits off it and trade it in for the government £2k scrappage scheme. If I do this; does anyone know where I can get some really cheap suspension and brakes? – The parts don’t have to be good; just as so long as the car will still roll and stop so a cheap scrap yard may be the best bet?

The stickers on the side of the cars look great; where did you guys get them?

I'll try and pop along on Thursday night and say 'Hello'. I might even take my Zed on if it's dry and their are still spaces. What are the level of cars like at the TrackScotland nights? - I've got a totally battered old Civic so I don't know how welcome that would be?

Excellent write up, thanks for taking the time to post it. I definitely fancy going.