Dracostan

I'll look out my Z-burger halo and promise to wear it every time I'm on the forum - and of course always agree with and support the admins and mods

I remember the days when I manged to pack my entire life into a base specced Renault 5, on top of the twin 12" base speaker cabinet in the boot, and have it still able to move at motorway speeds (just) ! That was back during my pre-clinical rotation, though. Don't think it would work these days, the amount of crap I've seemed to have accumulated in the garage

Setting fire to a factory fit Bridgestone Potenza on you tongue might do it !

As I have a Zed now, 'Hopeful' doesn't fit ! I was thinking 'Madman' - in line with my signature Draco

Saturday, mid afternoon. You were heading towards Horsham, only a quick glimpse, but I managed to get a quick wave in. Draco

Nowt wrong with a chamois, if you've cleaned the car properly! Though I do have to say I have switched to microfibre towels, as I now wet wax with AutoGlym Aqua Wax. I know it's a bit of a shortcut and certainly doesn't last as long as a proper waxing, but it knocks a good hour off my cleaning time, I can do it as part of drying the car - which I would do anyway - and it's enough for what I want.

You said there was a video?!

Yep, that's me

Waiting in anticipation - first mod I get to do to the car myself! Ok, a small one but still that important first step in accepting the inevitable Zeditus!

The advice I've always heeded with pressure washers was - most commercial washers don't have high enough pressure to do any serious damage. In any case always use at a shallow angle to the panel, never straight on, to prevent potential 'blow-in' of any dirt/particles. I have a Karcher K2 Compact (https://www.kaercher...t-16731220.html) and have never had any issues of damage, even with the notoriously thin paint of the NIssans - I also have the foam lance attachment for pseudo snow-foaming! Snow foam is a good thing for getting a start on sticky residues, like tree sap, bird poo and brake dust on wheels, but is no replacement for a good car shampoo and the required elbow grease of the two bucket method (& a stiff wheel brush). Claying will lift any remaining sticky, then a final rinse and chamois dry.

Thanks for the deal, but Chris has made a good offer for the dry version I am after. I have put myself in for the wheel spacer group buy though! I will just have to keep looking through your site to find something else to spend my hard-earned on Draco

Adrian - If/when you get a set of Elites in, would it be possible for me to visit and have a test fit of my lardy backside, to see if I can benefit from having these awesome seats in my life ? Draco

I'm in for a 20/25 set please Adrian! I'll let you know about the intake in the other thread. Cheers, Draco

Hmm ... was hoping you did the AEM dry filter version of the Gen 2 as a 'hidden' option (as I know Tarmac offer the dry version) and try a wrangle a double deal with the wheel spacers you offering atm. Any chance of a cheeky filter swap with Gen 3 dry system? Otherwise, I could be persuaded to accept the extra faf of the K&Ns, if you know what I mean Let me know what you could do. Draco

Are the K&N filters in this kit dry, or do they need the oil kit? If so, do you do a dry filter version? Draco

I would second ArchEnemy - I know them/him from when I was on the SXOC forum and always had the best reputation and reviews. Draco

No heat? Even though the bases are from the standard seats?

Not that I want to give you some outrageous price level, but the standard Recaro Cross Sportster CS from Demon Tweeks is just under a grand, each - http://www.demon-twe...ortster-cs-seat - and that's for the basic no heat, no airbag version. With it hits £1500. So, as your's are surplus to requirement ...... Sensibly, keep in mind I was considering forking out for a pair of Braum Elites; from you good self no less! Draco

Hmmm .... I might be persuaded to take these off your hands ! Draco

Oil pressure is one of the triple gauges you mean? Should have been clearer - .... will be one of the triple gauges on TOP OF the dash .... Draco

Oil temperature will be one of the triple gauges on the dash - normal running should be around 90-100degC. Water level check - WHEN THE CAR IS COLD (important!) open the radiator and expansion tank caps and check levels. Leaving the caps off, start the car and let it warm up to running temp. Check levels again and top up as necessary. Stop the car, let it cool, replace the caps and go for a run to get the car back up to temp. If the issue continues, it's you thermostat - replace! Draco

Water thermostat failed open, by the sounds of it. What oil temperatures do you get?

Cheers for chasing that for us Adrian - bit of a bugger the Elites would be tight for us larger lads! Unfortunately, the S8 and Advan have the high base bolsters that I was trying to avoid and don't come in the white leather option (at least not listed). Guess I'll keep on looking! Draco

I've tried both a USB stick and an old iPod Nano I had lying around - the iPod interface on the nav screen is much easier to navigate than the menu system that a USB brings up - but most of the time I have it on 'shuffle all' so it's not really a bother!

Never been stopped - but I did stop right next to a policeman once Imagine the scene; a dark night in the Yorkshire Moors, a badly tuned, 1 litre Renault 5 with pizza cutter tyres, mismatched bumpers and Halfrauds cheapest rally aux lights wood-screwed into the front - I was on a navigational rally, as part of my uni's motor club. It was about 1am and I was blatting along a unlit single width road to the next marker. My navigator called out a 'tight left in 100' and I down-shifted a couple to prepare, probably doing 30-35 as I approached and feathering the brake to load up the front axle (that was how it was in my mind - in reality the 50kg of bass speaker cabinet I hauled around in the boot probably had more say in the weight distribution than my toes did!). What I wasn't prepared for was a dead 90degree left turn with a farm house directly on the end of the straight With the traditional mantra of the surprised driver 'HOLY F**K', I floored the brake with both feet - I was only 18 and yet to perfect my elite driving skillz! - of course locking up all 4 wheels and sliding in that glorious cloud of road dust and wheel smoke to within 2-3 feet of the front wall of the house. Basking in my well executed emergency stop and feeling the tingly rush of adrenaline, I looked at my navigator with the look of those that narrowly avoid being a gruesome stain on someones home ....... only to jump out of my skin when someone casually knocked on my window - that someone turning out to be a policeman in full blues leaning over to look in at the pair of speccy teenagers that could have ended, not just their own lives, but his also! I had NO IDEA where he came from, I was just sooo freaked out from almost crashing into the only building for miles. He must have been in the house, and have JUST got in and had his bobby hat to hand, to be able to walk out and remonstrate me for my driving prowess within seconds of the near pancaking. The miracles didn't stop there, as after I had regained my heart rate and opened the window and a long winded explanation of why we were hooning around at that time of night - he let me go with no more than 'be a bit more careful around here' To top it off - I came 4th out of 23 entries from all the NW university clubs and first from my uni Something must have been in the air that night, because another car (with his mother in the back seat, to make sure he was behaving on the event!) swore blind they saw a UFO !