Chuck21

Very common - in my case ARB drop-links and then ARB bushes; neither expensive to fix. I (and others) also get a lot of trim squeeks and rattles that the awful roads don't help!

'sidekickdmr' on here is selling a 2008 Temper Orange Z I think - looks stunning and should be on the money so may be worth a PM.

Sounds like the sort of guy who may also be able to offer some exciting offshore investment oppotunities. Edit: the Fonejacker guy is exactly who I had in mind !

We buy any car is hillarious; it's worth getting vaulations just for a laugh; they valued my Alfa 147 GTA at about £4k and I sold it for nearer £8k! There have been suggestions on here that cars haven't been selling due to being undervalued; on the face of it that sounds counter-intuitive but I think there may be truth in it. Personally when buying cars I'm happy to pay more for a well looked after car and that's where a really well written advert comes in; cars owned by people on here are likely to be very well looked after and may well benefit from attractive mods but it takes a good detailed advert to seperate those cars from the less well looked after examples out there. If I see a 'specialist' car at a low price and with a generic advert I'll steer clear; that may be shooting myself in the foot but as an 'enthusiast' that's the way my mind works. Anyway, just my thoughts but it looks like a great car so best of luck !

Hello and welcome I bought my 2007 Z a year ago so was in a similar boat; to state the obvious any car can go wrong at any time but as long as you take your time and follow the usual common sense precautions you'll be very unlucky to have any serious issues. Suspension components such as drop links/bushes etc are common albeit cheap to fix niggles but otherwise just check each car thoroughly and have a good listen; if in doubt there are plenty more out there that have been pampered by the likes of us! I also test drove an Rx8; my friend and I were quite excited about it but without any disrespect to Rx8 owners it was a huge anticlimax. It was certainly nimble but lacked any excitement whatsoever, even right up the rev range, and the noise (IMO) was different but rather dull. The Z is a different animal, still poised and with good feedback, but altogether a far more exciting and visceral experience with a soundtrack to match. I also think it looks more stylish and purposeful and draws very positive attention. Fuel is comparable if not better, servicing is reasonable, and this forum is a superb support network. BUY ONE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT

It took me forever to decide on an exhaust but in the end budget dictated what options I had. Having heard a few, read reviews, talked to specialists etc I opted for a Scorpion cat-back system and couldn't be happier. It looks great with the cut-away profile, isn't 'boomy' on a longer run or at idle (just a little louder than standard) but really sings when you're pressing on up the rev range and IMO gives the Z the voice it should have had from the start. The exhaust was about £350 fitted IIRC and I also added a JWT pop charger which is only £100 and gives a really satisfying intake noise when pressing on. More generally I'm now 1yr in and so far so good; only mods are the exhaust and intake which were definately money well spent and only costs have been a service and new ARB drop-links. A few costs coming up though which I'm hoping to stall until the service is due in December; am expecting a new clutch slave cyliner, pads and tyres all round, and ARB bushes; may also get spacers fitted at the same time if funds permit. Only niggles are the squeeks and rattles which do drive me mad sometimes as there seems to be a new one every time I go for a spin! The car also seems a tad overly firm and could do with being a bit more supple - that may be in-part down to the shocking state of the roads round where I live which no-doubt haven't helped in the squeaks and rattles department!

Just some quick additional info for anyone considering putting spacers on their wheels as it’s such a woolly area; some insurers won’t allow them at all and others don’t even require them to be declared. I contacted EUI Insurance which includes the likes of Admiral (who I’m with), Elephant, Bell, Diamond et al and asked them whether adding spacers would require any policy changes/charges; the girl was totally flummoxed and I spent about 5mins on hold while she investigated and asked me about my wheels, but the upshot is that it makes no difference and incurs no additional charge – hooray! I’d still always check with them first but it was nice to hear of a sensible take on what is a non-performance mod!

Tough call and the source of much advert trawling! I'd say Z4 3.0 coupe, Clio v6, Megane R26 + cash to fettle, or a 968 Sport....or maybe a V8 M5....the list could go on but I don't think any provide the all round package that the Z offers for the money....

Fair call, will try and take a snap and post asap.

Hi all, On the surface of my headlight covers (the main clear plastic covers over the headlights) there are a load of what appear to be deep scratches or surface cracks of some sort; there's no water ingress and they appear to not be all the way through but the way they are all in a row looks as though the plastic has somehow fractured or warped. Anyway, no great issue but I wondered whether it is possible to just replace the plastic cover without replacing the whole headlight unit? Cheers Charlie

Not wishing to hijack thread but I had this exact issue so had new ARB drop links fitted and the noise is still there; have been told it could be ARB bushes that are shot but would be grateful for any thoughts !

Probably not of specific help but when I first got my Z it took a little while to get used to the various noises; it's quite a 'raw' car which I like and you can hear the mechanicals (clutch/gearbox etc) far more than in other cars I've had.

In the short term probably a new clutch slave cylinder & braided line but possibly some bushes on the ARB and pads all round. C

Hi all, Can anybody recommend a decent and trustworthy garage in the Surrey/South West London area; I'm based in the Walton/Weybridge area and have so far relied on our local place but it would be reassuring to have somewhere that is more familiar with Z's. Cheers Charlie

Cheers Alex - to the rescue again ! Please could you PM me prices for the braided line and slave; I'm useless with a spanner so will get my local garage to fit so won't need the fluid. Every time I get close to buying the wheel spacers another cost comes up ! Cheers Charles

Driving to Brighton yesterday and had a weird problem when stuck on the M25; it was a hot day (about 27 degrees) and we'd been stopped or crawling for about 45mins; pressed the clutch to move off and noticed about 2 inches of slack at the top of the travel which increased to nearer 5-6 inches so almost all of the resistance up to the biting point had gone. I pulled over onto the hard shoulder and tested it a few times but it was still biting so I went back onto the motorway; the problem remained but the clutch still worked. Once the traffic started moving the problem vanished.... All I can think of is that the clutch fluid had got so hot that it's consistency changed but I'm no mechanic and havn't heard of this before; sure, 45 mins is a fair while and 27 degrees is hot but would this be 'normal' ? Drove the car today and touch wood it all seems fine. Any ideas would be welcome ! Cheers Charlie

Hi, I'm hoping for some advice before I make my first attempt at detailing the Z; current plan is as follows: - Rinse then wash (Megiures gold/lambswool mit/two buckets) - Clay bar then rinse & dry - Paint clean (Meguires deep crystal) - Stage 1 polish (Autoglym super resin) - Stage 2 polish (Autoglym extra gloss protection) - Finish with Megiures tech-wax My main questoins are 1. is this the rihgt order to be doing it all in ? and 2. do I need the Autoglym EGP AND the tech-wax or should I replace the EGP with another coat of super resin polish ? Thanks in advance! Charlie

Hi all, My interior is generally tidy but I think the prior owner must have worn rings or something as there are fairly large scratches on the door handles (the rubberised coating seems very thin and scrathes reveal the lihgt coloured plastic underneath) and the opening switch/button for the vertical centre cubby (where sat-nave would be if fitted). Does anyone know if it's possible to repair/replace these parts ? Thanks! Charlie

Fair suggestion but I find I have to turn it off for one reason or another most weeks ! It has connected twice before so it is possible but there were no differences in what I did; they just don't seem to like each other !

I have an HTC Hero smartphone which refuses to connect to the Z's bluetooth; it has done twice in the year that I've owned the car but almost always says soemthing like 'paired but unable to connect'. The phone's bluetooth is on and discoverable and the car's phone system gives the usual 'dong' on start-up but the two won't get together even though the phone can 'find' the car; does anybody have any ideas ? Both the car and phone are standard. Cheers Charlie

See above ! If it's coming from the rear underside of the car and the 'knocking' seems to be in time with the movement of the car as it goes over bumps etc then could well be the same issue. I understand there are other suspension components that can make a similar noise when worn though so probably worth having it checked out before shelling out.

Oh.....that would make perfect sense....exactly as you say I hear it on uneven surfaces or small speed humps but I have spent weeks thinging my spare was loose in the boot and kept checking in case something may have changed since the last check. Thanks for the info Chuck21; might have to loomat getting this sorted. Where are you getting the links? Any traders on here with the drop links? Got mine from ZMANALEX for £106 - seemed reasonable compared to dealer quotes. C

Hi all, My Z is starting to look a little tired with a lot of scuffs and swirls in the paint (it's black which doesn't help); I wash and polish regularly with qualiy products and two bucket method etc but I think it needs a proper 'going over'; I tried Autoglym paint renovator but found it pretty ineffective - perhaps I was being too cautious ? Anyway, I think I should leave it to an expert and wondered if anyone could recommend a detailer in/near Surrey (I'm near Weybridge) ? Cheers Charlie

ARB is Anti Roll Bar - the drop link essentially links the ARB to the suspension/chassis (I'm no expert though!). Your noise sounds exactly like mine - I described it a someone knocking on the underside of the car as I went over bumps/uneven ground - not particularly loud but annoying nonetheless ! I mentioned it to the guy doing my MOT and he diagnosed it easily enough; the parts are £106 and should be about an hours labour to do both. C

A good day in the land of Z! Not only did the Z pass it's MOT with shredded tyres following consecutive Walshy day and track day (advisory but hey, that can wait!), they also found the source of the clunking that was driving me mad - predictably an ARB drop-link. Can anyone advise how much I should be paying for a new one to be fitted ? Tyre-wise I was looking at Hankook Ventus V12's; they seem to get good reviews and will save me about £170 compared to Potenza's or similar. Has anybody tried them ? Cheers!