The Seasider

I'll be there - weather permitting

Isn't a 'detail' without paint correction more like a valet 😃 Call me controversial if you like!

Yeah, I'm a big scooby fan too - I've had four over the years - just sold my pride and joy in the spring as my drive had been taken over by more interesting metal. I love the sound too - completely unique and stirring.

£140 for 8.5 hrs labour plus products is very reasonable - but it's finding a level that meets peoples 'value call' - not a vast number of people could justify £140 for a valet - however good it is. I do know of detailers who are charging around £1000 and getting it for a detail - but the standards are amazingly precise at at level. Having said that I am an amateur detailer myself and probably use £1000 of my billable time detailing one of my vehicles for my own pleasure! There's not much more satisfying than seeing a car looking better than it left the factory.

I'm curious, how do you apply the varnish?

In the nicest possible way, it sounds like you need to go your own way - we've made our points. To paraphrase what I said in an earlier post - I don't buy anything that I couldn't see myself easily selling on. With a mid mileage car in good nick you'll have almost 100% of the available market and recover most of your investment - with a high mileage tatty car you'll be down to 20% and you'll be selling it at bottom of the barrel money. I suppose a lot depends on how long you are planning to keep it for.

I know you're looking at it - but once a car goes over 100k it will turn off 80% of buyers - completely irrational, but it's how people are wired. I've always got half on eye on the exit and with this car - from your description- you'll be lucky to ever resell it. In all honesty you'd be better off saving up just a bit longer and trying to get £6k together as at that price there are deals to be done on much, much better cars- cars very rarely sell for what they are advertised for, so with £6k you might get a car that's advertised/worth up to £7k if someone needs to move it on. Also, don't discount imports as with the right spec they can be every bit as good as uk cars - I've got a well specced 2005 coupe auto with 58k miles and I paid £5k for it 6 months ago. I've spent about £750 on cosmetics and it now looks a million dollars. If anything it drives better than my 2005 uk gt roadster. Just wished it had the brembos - but next bonus, Zmanalex may be getting a call.... As someone said earlier - buy on condition not mileage or age and you won't usually go far wrong.

I lost a child in mine once. Kept hearing a noise - but thought it was the rear axle.

Yeah, I usually nail the technology, but I was trying to not copy all the photos - which I failed to do and then as you say managed to get my words muddled up with yours! I regret that there was alcohol involved..... Interesting what you say about the 4.4 as I was targeting a diesel on the back of having run the resolutely 20mpg mazda cx7 for a year, but if I could find an LPG converted 4.4 that could be an interesting alternative,yes.

I use Megs plast rx on a medium pad on the Megs g220 DA - as someone said mask off the paintwork. 5 min job with a machine polisher. Would be interested if anybody has found a sealant that prevents it re-fogging.

When you see some of the other challenges he's faced - I'm sure he'll be up to getting some seat runners to marry up!

I'm interested in this comment - but in no position to refute it - as the product description claims that it is suitable for all manner of exterior dressing applications including tyres, it surely must expect tyres to get wet occasionally? Is that just the Americans making unsubstantiable claims again! They'll be promising 'peace in our time' next. I'd better watch that water based gloss paint I've just painted all over my external woodwork as well! I'll give the nanolex a try next time.

Lewis has spent all his pocket money on this car and it really needs to be seen. It might not be everybody's cup of tea but it is definitely a work of art. I understand a custom seat restoration is next on the list.

I've gone the full uk conversion on my import - new rear bumper / uk front number plate plinth - just need to replace the dodgy 350z badging the previous owner put on it - I think they're BMW numbers! Still haven't worked out why my indicators are the opposite way around to my uk zed - what's that about? I've no problem with being a pretender í ½í¸ƒ it's not like I've tried to make an MR2 look like a Ferrari

Paintless dent removal (PDR) is the 8th wonder of the world - a cheap and effective way of getting rid of dents up to the size of saucers - along as the paint isn't broken. Loads of operators about - I pay about £50 a call out but he does all my cars whilst he's there. With patience and a little skill you can touch up chips and 'nib' and or wet&dry and machine polish them back to perfection - but not really practical for a bumper full of chips, but a good way of getting rid of the bigger ones. I've just had all my bumpers (4) resprayed and it only cost £500 - but they're coming back already!

Aerospace 303 is about the best you can get in my opinion - I'm a recent convert from autoglym which I always liked just after it was done, but as the author said it doesn't last too long. The 303 is peerless for under bonnet show and shine.

Yeah, definitely the best colour! Enjoy your car- it looks well.

I'd agree with most of the above, but to be fair assuming you're using cellulose based paint with thinners - like most touch up sticks - if you are only doing chips the thinners will dissolve any wax in the chip. I've done hundreds of chips and scratches and have never prepped a chip before painting - obviously a whole panel is a different proposition and you should try to remove all wax and silicates.

Whatever you use - warm it up before you use it and it will be super sticky.

Sorry uc logic - these are now in my possession. Luckily Lewis lives 2 minutes away from me.

I've got the Autel MS300 MaxiScan - I haven't tried it on a zed yet but it's worked on every other car I've had. It was cheap enough - useful thing to have around, I feel a lot better knowing what's wrong before I go to the dealers :-)

Not me - but I work there, so I shall look out for it

Mmmmm I'm liking that - I wanted a black one, but could never find one. The forum will keep you straight - it's a great resource. I'd say that was a fair price too with that mileage. Enjoy í ½í¸‰

My kids walk around with holes in their shoes because the needs of the Zeds come first ;-)