eftpotrm

I'd had the car for about 6 months before it got definitively louder by my estimation, then prob about 6 months since of noisy running . So, yes, I'm definitely more used to the louder setting and it could well have been going for a while, but in all honesty I don't remember this one sounding different to others I test-drove, hence my surprise when this new set seemed to be so much quieter. Oh well. Seems I may just have to get used to it or cough up for a set of fancy sports pipes. Maybe they got the wrong idea from the set of ear defenders that were sitting in the passenger footwell? (Left over from a day trackside, TBH I prefer cans for such things to ringing in the ears that evening.)

Just tail this time. I'm fairly sure it was sold to me as OEM when we first discussed this (nothing in writing of course) so there may well be a conversation to be had anyway, because if they're passing off copies as OEMs then there's a separate issue.

So, theory is that it's supposed to be a like-for-like (that's just a bad cosmetic match) and either I'm imagining the noise thing or it'd been going gently for some time?

Yes, it is. In your professional opinion was the old box (not painted black, ends as shown) therefore an upgrade part?

No idea at all what part they fitted, beyond a new rear section for the exhaust. The box is black, the pipes are twin and silver... Photos - don't think I've got any showing the tailpipes from before, never occurred to me I'd need them I can find pictures showing what it looks like now pretty easily... (Spitting image of the old Evo long-term test car pre-bodykit FWIW, blue metallic and Rays wheels) Not an ideal angle but the closest I can find online to how it looked before is this - Note oval pipes, longer at the top than bottom. Whereas now it looks like - Circular pipes, square ended. Edit - apologies for the grim camera phone picture! HTC don't understand contrast

So, my 350Z had the I understand common failure of the flange connecting mid and rear sections,and the tailpipe and box was sitting there in a largely cosmetic role. Main dealers were useful as a chocolate teapot, giving conflicting diagnoses on their own paperwork.... After umming and aahing for a bit and giving myself a headache from the noise, I booked into a local fast fit place. Exhaust was done this morning and, erm.... Well, it's certainly quieter. Thing is, I'm not sure they've done a like for like replacement. Memory is inevitably dulled by the passing of time since the old exhaust started playing up, but I'd swear there was rather more exhaust noise than I'm getting now. Tickover is now almost silent with the windows closed, it feels like there's no exhaust noise at all, just engine - I'd say there used to be some noise from the exhaust. Plus there's a visible change, I've gone from shortish oval pipes to slightly longer circular. Far as I knew, car was an utterly standard 56 plate GT before (bought used, so not 100% on spec). Is this just the new exhaust bedding in, or does it sound to others like I used to have an upgraded exhaust of some sort and the garage have replaced with a standard? If so, they're getting yelled at; there was no discussion concerning spec changes and if they've done that without my consent then they're undoing it. Thoughts chaps?

Sorry to be thick, CS sounds like an abbreviation and I can't find them... Another 350z from Derby here, new to the area and garage hunting...

I realise I never introduced myself here! I'm Greg from Bedfordshire. Bought a 56 plate coupe at the end of April and thoroughly enjoying the contrast from my Zafira! Thanks for all the useful info and the friendly atmosphere around here, much appreciated chaps

OK, I think I'm now officially confused.... My rears have enough life to make them worth matching IMHO. They're both labelled RE050 E050AZ 96Y, though the E050AZ is prefixed T0050 on one side and K0201 on the other. Tyres in the right size for the front seem to be 95Y instead of 96Y where I can find them? Plus, I'm only seeing RE050A on sale, not RE050, and I've not been able to see anything about the difference between the two other than that I understand RE050As are newer tyres? Er, help? Thanks

Thanks chaps. I'll confirm there's at least some life in the rears before basing the decision off them, but it looked like there was from memory so a pair of RE050s seems the way to go. Now the joy of getting them fitted... With my other car (Zafira but I needed a cheap van with potential for a lot of seats and it and the 350Z do, er, compliment each others' limitations rather...) I've never had any great problems, just marched it round to an ATS in walking distance of home and got them to sort it. ATS, Halfords and HI-Q all deny knowledge that such a tyre exists. Kwik Fit would sell them to me, but need pre-ordering. etyres.co.uk seem to have what I'm after - anyone tried them out? My Dad was telling me the story while we sorted the Z yesterday (he didn't think I'd remember it having happened when I was 8ish, but he reckoned without car nut kids memory ) - we had a Fiat Strada back then, a watchmakers' screwdriver got stuck in the OSR tyre. Made a heck of a banging noise against the wheelarch as we were going round, I can tell you. Pulled it out, tyre went down rather fast....

New owner, just curious what others would do in this situation... The car came with Bridgestone RE040 fronts and 050 rears. Today, I spot a shiny lump of metal about 0.75" long sticking out of the tread of the left front... Tyre still at full pressure even with the metal removed but quite a sizeable cut. So, obviously needs sorting and I'm thinking options. They seem to be: 1. Get this tyre repaired. Not keen, long cut, unknown damage. Plus the tyres aren't the youngest anyway, probably 3-4mm left but no more and the rubber doesn't look the youngest. 2. Single new RE040. Hmm, bit difference in wear levels side to side seems bad. 3. Pair of new RE050s to match the rears (which I've not meaured but I think have 4-5mm tread - must check). 4. Full set of something else altogether - Michelin, Falken, Toyo, Vredestein....? Nankang? WWYD? Thanks

Why the difference from a Boxster though? That was what really didn't make sense to me; if it was a general 'no convertibles' issue, they should have been in a ballpark of each other I'd have thought.

It was a good game, certainly - long periods on the phone repeating the exact same information, offering to screenshot the page showing that I hadn't lied about the car, stating point blank that if they charged me extra I'd dispute the payment as I'd agreed to their quote in good faith and if they chose to trust their computer over me that was their problem.... As I recall the last I heard was that the manager was going to be calling me back to discuss this further. Given the policy has expired and been renewed since then I'm glad I didn't hold my breath! Oh well. The consensus here and on another board that tipped me off about this place seems to be that the quotes I've got so far are, ahem, 'generous' and should be more than beatable. Which is nice - after all I'd pretty much accepted the Coupé quote as gospel and was just trying to check the difference to a roadster, so nice to hear they're both beatable.

OK, thanks chaps :-) Sounds like the Coupé quote (which I think was won by Elephant) is possibly beatable based on most peoples' numbers, and the Roadster quote is a comedy figure. I was expecting the more expensive and less secure Roadster quote to be higher, but 50% higher.... But no way should several years of NCB and a medium-sized town be 25% over even outer London and 0 NCB, and I'd have thought I'd be cheaper than 9 years younger, half the NCB and a writeoff too. Thanks, I'll have a play with some quotes later and see what I can make the numbers do. The 'do I drive other cars' box was ticked - I live a few hours away from nearest relatives so I think including them on the insurance might raise alarm bells.... Honestly, the more I deal with car insurance firms the less I respect their competence. I've twice had a debate with EUI over the same car having come from a comparison site because EUI's database had its spec wrong and they trusted that over the data I input, then tried to allege I'd lied to get cheaper cover and would have to pay more. The first time, perhaps, an honest mistake on a badly designed system. The second time, one would have hoped they'd have updated their database based on being told it was wrong and insured on that basis....

Hi all - new guy here :-) Looking into 350Zs, getting very bored of my unfortunately necessary Zafira...... A coupe seems the default choice but the roadster isn't an unattractive option to me - however, putting a test quote through Compare the Market astonished me on the difference! (FWIW I'm already with Admiral and largely happy with them so I'd probably end up talking to their multicar system before anything else but I wanted to get ballparks.) I'm 32, single guy, huge NCB, 3 points 3.5 years ago, car parked in a communal car park. Coupe - £650 Roadster - £1100! (For comparison, similar value Boxster - £750) Is this remotely typical or have I somehow managed to trip the 'he's an idiot who'll crash it into a line of Ferraris' box?