GappySmeg

DUPLICATE... removed

I would strongly advise getting a decent set of trim removal tools before you start, otherwise you're going to break some plastics. I bought these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-Car-Door-Upholstery-Trim-Clip-Removal-Pliers-Tool-combo-Dash-panel-/300769370465?hash=item4607406161 and: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5pcs-Car-Door-Plastic-Trim-Panel-Dash-Installation-Removal-Pry-Tool-Kit-repair-/161335156022?hash=item2590531d36

When i wired my reversing camera i found it easier to route the cables along the passenger side sill... there is trunking already in place that you can use to keep the cable secure. If you google "nicoclub 350z" you will find pdfs covering everything you need to know about removing the interior trim.

Yep... if I fully tighten it, and it will tighten nicely, then the markings don't line up... essentially, I cannot get combination of washers that allows it to tighten nicely with the markings lined up. A tiny bit of thread lock will be fine Okeydokey... will give that a whirl... cheers!

Loving my knob... but i can't get it to stay put in the right position... it will still twist a bit when changing gear. Ive put the rubber washers (all 3) on the shaft... have i misunderstood the instructions? Has anyone resorted to a few drops of threadlock?

Even though I'm a Spurs fan, I'm delighted for Leicester... it shows the big boys that hard work and team ethic will always prevail over mega-salaries and multi-million pound transfer fees. Restores my faith in football a little.

Am I missing the point if I ask "why?"... or am I just too old to get it?

OK, if you say so. E39's are good for what they are but they arent 2 seat purpose built coupes at the end of the day. And best saloon chassis ever? It doesnt even have an LSD, and IMO not as good as an E90 M3 or even the E82 that I rock about in these days. Each to their own but if an E39 handles as well as a 350Z Ill take the rear seats and change thanks BTW, according to Dallara the best roadcar chassis ever is found on the Rolls Royce Phantom, its 7 times as stiff as a Ferrari Enzo apparently. Yes, apologies Mr Pedantic I missed a "one of"... And...BMW E39 widely regarded as one of the best saloon chassis ever, And... "but they arent 2 seat purpose built coupes"... there's an argument to say the Z isn't either Any hoo, it's all gravy... I'm not for one second suggesting the Z is a bad car, far from it... I should probably report back once I've got more Z-time under my belt...

You need to get something checked on your Zed my friend, no way an E39 bimmer should handle better, even an M5 .......... Ha, possibly... and I'm still at early stages with the Z, still haven't even done 1000 miles yet, whereas i knew every aspect of the beemer. Regardless both have similar weight, ride height and weight distribution... and BMW E39 widely regarded as the best saloon chassis ever, so wouldn't bet on there being much in it.

Better than a 350Z? SRSLY? Would probably call it a draw... yes the Z has the benefit of an extra 80 ponies, but the way a proper BMW straight 6 does its business goes some way to make up for the power deficiency. And round corners the BMW was better (although mine did have M5 wheels which are a lot wider, so a bit more grip than standard)

BMW 528i Sport... manual... E39.... I put E39 M5 wheels on it, and facelift headlights with upgraded angel eyes. Fantastic engine, great gearbox, and handling and poise that made it seem half it's weight (350z take note ) Honestly, if you threw it round a roundabout it seemed to shrink around you... perfectly balanced so sideways action was ridiculously controllable... a truly great car!

My first car was a 1983 Ford Escort 1.3... it was over 15 years old when I bought it but had only done 30k and was MINT... in hindsight, I should've sold it to a museum. The ONLY problem with the car was that (I guess due to lack of use) at some point the battery had leaked... this had corroded the battery tray, and worked its magic on the bulkhead/firewall, meaning chunks of rusty metal would periodically drop onto my passenger's shoes. Knowing NOTHING about automotive legislation and MOTs, I thought I should fix it myself... with the only material I had to hand, that I knew how to use... fibreglass! So I cut out all the rusty bulkhead/firewall with an angle grinder, and rebuilt it with fibreglass... I even painted it the correct OE colour (red-ish orange-ish colour) In my defence, I did a stunning job... my failing though was that, with time in the day running out, I simply plonked the battery on the still-damp fibreglass, pushed it down a little to create a tray, and then essentially fibreglassed the battery to the new fibreglass bulkhead. When it came to MOT time, obviously it failed... not sure what the exact terms were, but the mechanics thought it very funny. They did go on to say though that I had done a great job, and that if I had just gone and bought an OE battery tray, mounted that to the fibreglass bulkhead then fitted the battery to the tray, they would never have discovered my momentous bodge.

For that money, and given your statement about mileage, I'd go for E92 M3 all day long

Yep... was first image I found, need to find one that's a bit higher resolution... if anyone has a good high-res Z logo image lying around, would be grateful if they could send me a copy.

Finished fitting my new HU, reversing camera, and MopedMark gear knob... like it a lot!

Wow, 3 Corollas... that's an embarrassment of riches

Exactly what I'm after... can I have the lettering in darkish gray / anthracite... basically a tiny bit darker than gunmetal?

There's too much social pressure to have kids... seems if you hit mid/late 30's and still haven't sprogged, you are some sort of weirdo. Me and my misses were first amongst our friendship groups to have kids. We'd both always said we wanted 2 kids, and approaching mid 30's decided we couldn't leave it any later. Lo and behold, within a year or 2 all our coupled-up friends decided they ought to do the same when quite frankly, most of them have never talked about having kids, didn't (and don't) seem to have any appreciation for the effort involved and massively begrudging of their lost social lives. Point is, there is nothing wrong in deciding it's not for you... too many people have kids because they feel that's just what they ought to do!

Are there (or will there be) any other finishes for the DE lights? I cannot stomach the idea of having any "farbon" on my car... but I notice in Ben's pics the lights have a simple matt black finish. Failing that, can the farbon be simply peeled off, or would I need to sand/paint?

I use cruise control on the motorway whenever possible, so I know my speed is constant... so it bugs the heck out of me when drivers speed up as I overtake... or often insist on overtaking me back once I've pulled in. Invariably Audi/BMW drivers too (that's not a slight on BMW drivers, I was one for many years, just an observation). I also find a certain type of driver that guns it as I overtake them on my motorbike... obviously pointless as you need to be in a supercar to have any chance against a sportsbike. Again not casting dispersions, but this always seems to be middle-aged male drivers of BMW "M Sports" or Audi "S-Line" cars... they seem to believe having a sporty body kit on their otherwise base 2 litre saloon elevates it to M3/M5/RS4 territory.

All the electrical connectors on the Z are crap. There will be a raised bit on one of the sides of the connector... you need to squeeze it to release the connector. It will be ridiculously stiff, and you will hurt your fingers in the process.

Visit a garlic farm...... garlic corn, garlic chips, garlic beer, garlic ice cream... you get the idea

Jeez... just read through that, ended up thinking I'd accidentally browsed to a Pistonheads forum!!!

I would say handling is one of the few things the Z is actually very good at. It's excellently balanced, and has a very surprising amount of mechanical grip. Before the Z, my favourite car I've owned was my BMW 528i Sport (E39)... a saloon famous for being perfectly balanced, often quoted as the best saloon ever made. The handling of the Z is right up there with that. I guess people need to remember its just not a sports car.