Fervidia

Just now, EzeePzee said:

Read the * by Band K. Only applies to vehicles after 2006. 

This seems right, thanks! A big smile from here.

I guess the final say will be what @Wilkini pays for his tax when he gets it on the road! I hope he is wrong, for all our sakes!

Just now, ATTAK Z said:

A 2004 car will always be at the lower tax band for a 350Z ... currently about £250

I thought it was £305? This is the most confusing thing to happen all day.

Greetings, father; I see that we have matching Zeds!

6 minutes ago, EzeePzee said:

Agreed - don’t exactly understand what the OPs post is about? New tax bands only affect new cars, although all bands increase slightly year on year (but not £215!)

Is this the case? The document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694589/V149_rates_of_vehicle_tax_for_cars_motorcycles_light_goods_vehicles_and_private_light_goods_vehicles.pdf says that it affects models from '01 up to '17? Anyone got solid evidence on this?

Annoyingly, this seems like the case from my investigations; CO2 emissions on my '54 plate Zed are at 273.2g/km which places her firmly in the M banding for next year. I feel like I have cheated the system though, got a sweet discount on tax a week prior to the government  robbers changing their taxation rates. Oh well, I suppose I've got to go and give them the pollution they are making me pay for! Haha.

This helps a bunch, and leaves the car looking nice and tidy; I'd seen some examples when looking to buy where the center cubby was left in a terrible state post-adapter.

Thumbs up to you! 

I've noticed that occasionally, and seemingly randomly (usually after or during hard acceleration) the car makes a dull pop or thump (exhaust or clutch perhaps?), coupled with a sudden jolt in power (usually forcing the car to decelerate for a moment as if put into a lower gear, upsetting the balance of the ride) before returning to its previous state. This is when the vehicle is completely in gear, and can happen during both foot-down power and lift off engine braking. It may also be of note to mention that this doesn't seem to be linked to a particular RPM, volume of stress on the drivetrain, or wheel speed.

Has anyone had this issue, and if so, what could be the culprit? I hope to sort this out quickly, as I had this happen thrice in succession on a busy roundabout today, and would hate for the car to suddenly drift, slip or jolt in such a scenario.

Known issues with the car are intermittent CEL regarding exhaust-related sensors, as well as sometimes when putting the car into reverse, the clutch can be lifted all the way up with no bite at all, and the gear lever needs to be put into neutral, first, and back into reverse to correct the issue.

I believe the car is on its first and only clutch (70k mileage), although apart from the reverse issue mentioned, the gear changes are healthy and power transmission is perfect (minus the above mentioned, naturally).

The exhaust system is a Cobra which seems in good condition minus a bit if rust on the braces behind the muffler tips.

Could this be a sign that I need to get a new clutch, new exhaust system, or both?

What a roller-coaster of a week of car to-be ownership! Let's start with our lovely weather recently in the UK, where all is well until it comes to the weekend trip down to near Bristol (a round trip just short of 500 miles), seeing snowstorms and sunshine intermittently throughout the work day making me think twice about the date... all for the snow to be practically clear on the morning of the journey!

My father thinks he wants a Z... or something similar; RX8, SLK, etc. Something 'silly, but affordable', and we had a quick chat about sports cars and the likes with the guy who I bought the car from, great service might I add, and a wide range that would've been worth the first viewing trip even if the Z turned out to be a no-go, (EVO-Motors) had several Z's; Nissan Z33s, BMW Z4s, not to mention a few others such as a Jaguar XK and a Porsche Boxster.

Got the Z about ten miles before a check engine light flagged up on the cluster, although it wasn't affecting the car at all so pushing home I managed to dig out the OBD II scanner to check the codes, all of which were sensory exhaust issues. I thought about taking it to a garage, but decided to write the codes down and clear them to see if they returned, and so far as yet, with an 80 mile run, no check engine light. Still a little worried about passing an emissions test, but I'll worry about that when it fails.

As an update on this topic, thought I'd let you guys know that the car in question was indeed different in terms of shifting; whether it was worn parts, an aftermarket clutch, or another factor, I am unsure, but my most recent test drive was a notchy, but easy shift.

Well first of all, I should mention that I don't have any plans set in stone as of yet, and I don't currently own the car legally. That said, I wanted to post my entire Z-experience (I couldn't find a worthy pun for that one) from the early years of aspiration all the way up to financial crisis, engine failure, write-off, or death via high-speed-Nissan-branded-sardine-tin action that is sure to come. Actually, I haven't included arrest for dangerous driving, but that shouldn't ever happen unless police are posting cameras at track days now...

If this post is in the wrong place, any mods feel free to put me in my place; I will in future intend to post any and everything relating to my ownership in here.

So to begin with, a little about me and cars in general; my father has always had a passion for cars, and while that's primarily focused more towards old American muscle and similar classics, his, and in turn my interest didn't stop there. So in my early years cars were a big thing in my life with models, posters and video games (another interest that my father and I share), my interest died out over until the late teens, where driving became a reality, thus sparking a dormant passion.

A year or two pass with driving a less-than desireable car, a 2010 Škoda Fabia; don't get me wrong, while I was required to pay for insurance, fuel, and anything else that could break or go wrong, the car was a hand-me-down from my father, and we've both expressed our feelings towards it as being a car that "just gets me from A to B," it was an ugly shape, and the colour was neither blue nor silver, which didn't help. After encountering reoccurring turbo issues that, even after trading standards threats with the dealer, ended up on the far side of £600 a visit, and having a total of three turbos in the 85000 mile lifetime, i decided to jump ship, and let a dealer auction the sorry piece of junk off to a scrapyard or similar fate. Oh, did I forget to mention that I trashed the front end not once, but twice within a year? After rear-ending a BMW driver during entry to a roundabout (this was due to A: the driver stalling while being on the phone, and B: me not looking where I was bloody going) the car got a fixed up face, although the second crash, losing the back end out to bad traction on one of those coiled slip-roads and wedging the poor thing into a side rail, I left it looking banged up.

That was, hopefully, and true to this date, all my motoring bumps bangs and bashes cleaned out of my system, and I went on to frantically looking for a feasible second car that needed to be swapped out before the Škoda decided to spit its turbo-dummy out again. That lead me to my second car, a (rather expensive for my age) 2014 Volvo V40 that was, and I quote "a car that I'll keep, and never want to replace." That sentiment lasted a whole of six months, leading up to now, where I suppose I am showing clear signs of Zeditus. Yeah sure, the Volvo is a lovely car: reliable, fuel-efficient, luxury interior, 4-door, sensible, pretty, etc, but it isn't what I want any more...

...and finally, after a derailed topic from the get-go, the part that this forum post is actually supposed to be documenting... Z.

So it was a couple of months back, let's say January '18, where I decided that the Volvo is a sitting duck for a certain dwindling investment, and I wanted something more... something Japanese, and something sporty.

It was, for the longest time, a Toyota Supra A80 that I aspired to own, but the odds mounted against that, from my insistence on buying as OEM as possible, to my reluctance to buy automatic; also, I'm a trim snob, so it had to be the all-singing, all-dancing twin-turbo model. Another nagging thought other than prices and availability was the looks; an A80 looks good, but at the same time, I can agree that it is an ugly car.

Thoughts turned to the realistic after that, and I compiled an exhaustive list of all sporty Japanese models that caught my fancy, and it narrowed down to the decision between an ~04 Impreza, or a 350z. The Impreza is a nice car, but from my perspective, everyone wants one, and they can be found relatively commonly on UK roads, and the ultimate decider was the fact that the Z sounds absolutely beautiful, in my opinion.

So Z it was, and as some of you may well know, I packed my metaphorical bags and set up shop here at 350z-uk, where I unloaded every question and thought that passed my mind, to the point where I think I know more about 350z's than any other car. The guys here on the forums are wonderful and considerate, and I got loads of helpful feedback and advice, I suppose I can say that I'd never own a Z without them!

Looking for Z's was frustrating; I hate buying cars! I just want it all over and done with so I can relax and get back to life and enjoy ownership of the right Z that isn't covered in rust or absolutely fragged under the bonnet.

It took over 700 miles, and about six weeks to find what I believe to be "the one". A >200 mile round trip for a car that I told myself "if there isn't anything wrong with it, I'm having it," paid off, and now the purchase is being agreed upon, and I'll hopefully be behind the wheel in a few weeks time, and looking into getting the best price for the Volvo, because at my age, and at my wage, two cars just isn't a good idea.

So that is I guess you could call "part one", with more (hopefully good) news to follow on my journey!

As a slightly unrelated side-note, my father has been unsure on what to do with his car situation for a while now, paying ~£300 a month for a Škoda Octavia that he doesn't use to full potential due to his close proximity to work, and I believe he is currently looking into getting a Mazda RX8! That'd be cool, father and son, in two beautiful Japanese automobiles.

This is the first Z build where I've seen someone mount the cat on top of the dash, but I don't see the rest of the exhaust system in the pics??? Haha!

On a more serious note, as much as I'd love (or loathe) telling you to "get that sharp-clawed creature away from that easily scratched interior", you've got one hell of a cute wrench buddy! If only my cats were still around, and relaxed enough to chill in a Z!

Updating the lighting looks very smart and modern, I'll definitely look into doing this myself after picking up my Z in the next couple of weeks.

When I first saw "suede" I cringed a little, but seeing the finished job in the car, it actually looks pretty swish and smart, I like it! 

1 hour ago, Jay84 said:

I also think they're more for indoor use of you have a dusty garage etc.

Now if only I could knock a wall through and make a garage/living-room combo with a Z slap bang in the middle...

5 hours ago, Jay84 said:

Covers are good if you can make sure the car is completely free of dust and grit. Other wise as the wind and rain hit it it moves the grit around and causes more damage than no cover at all. You can get inflatable car covers that I quite like the idea of but am having trouble convincing the SO its a good idea. 

These seem like a great idea, but they look expensive, and that's without a compressor...

With the most recent example of extreme weather in the form of snowfall across the majority of the UK (from my eyes), I was just wondering what you Z owners think is necessary to protect your assets when not in use.

Now, I understand that a nice lovely garage would be ideal, but that isn't an option for me, unfortunately. I do, however, own a drive, so what alternatives are there to leaving a Z out all year round? Car covers are one such example, but are they good or bad for a car?

What do you guys do and/or think about such methods?

On 26/02/2018 at 13:11, Jetpilot said:

Insurance surrounding imports is a myth, so long as you contact the relevant insurers as mentioned, there is no reason why it should be more expensive.

 

The only option you will struggle to find on imports is leather, its not as popular over there, however i preferred the cloth seats in my import, you sit lower so therefore more comfortable i found. Imports also have the square rear number plate which looks much better, again imho. 

 

As said above though, find the best example you can and if you are not worried about colour, i find it hard to believe you cant find the "right" zed as thats pretty much the only choice you have barring leather or cloth seats if buying uk, barring wheels which 2nd hand Rays are easily found.

 

I personally cant see a dealer wanting to get involved in what is respectfully an old car that might cause them no end of trouble as they will have to warranty it etc etc

I tell you what, shopping for second hand cars is a nightmare! I hate buying cars; it's a shame I love cars, haha!

...and concerning imports; what percentage of 350z's are imports in the UK? Is this something that is a regular occurrence or a small number?

25 minutes ago, coldel said:

There is a Zed for sale section on the forum, have a look through. Often these are accompanied by build threads which show you the work done over the course of the ownership. You can contact the seller for information, viewing etc.

 

Imports have a stigma around them but a lot of it is unwarranted. Insurers will ask as it historically had a premium put on the insurance but nowadays its much less so if you approach specialist insurers like the ones listed on the forum i.e. Sky, Adrian Flux, Prestige etc.

Thanks a bunch, I'll definitely check out the sales on here; I'd trust you guys over some random dealer any day when it comes to buying such a loved vehicle! it's nice to get answers from nuts who love cars as much as I do, hehe. 

40 minutes ago, coldel said:

Welcome along - do have a read through the buyers guides, as much as colour might seem important ensuring you get one with a great service history and record of ownership is as if not more important. Hard to love a car in your favourite colour if its always going wrong and have your father in your ear saying 'told you so'.

 

As Dan (Ekona) said, there are two spec options for UK cars GT and non GT (info can be found on the site on this) plus all the colours listed. The market is slowly filling up with import cars as well, nothing wrong with these (easy to spot with the square number plates assuming they havent been swapped over for UK rectangular ones) but do bear in mind the spec on cars in Japan got more diverse than the two options here.

 

I believe people are responding to your other post - do have a browse on the site though there are lots of useful pinned posts.

Thanks, is looking for cars to buy on the forum a thing I can do?

...and a quick q. on the Japanese imports: are imported cars seen as a bad thing at all? I've noticed that insurance companies pay attention to import/non-import models, does it raise insurance costs perhaps?

2 hours ago, Jay84 said:

Nice shot @davey_83, it looks like a chrome wrap it's so shiny.

The rev up is a mix of both, you get the HR interior bumper and headlights, without the engine and bonnet.  Some are renowned for using a bit of oil, but I've done 4k in mine last year and not used any.  But it's good to check the oil regular in any car, but especially a rev up.

Does anyone know why the HR's can start to consume tonnes of oil? Is this an issue that could be fixed, or is it some strange anomalous occurrence that means you'd better go and get another Z?

3 hours ago, Ekona said:

Well what combo do you want? You have the choice of silver, grey, blue, darker blue, black, red, white, yellow, orange or brighter orange, with or without GT pack. There ain't that many combos there fella.

 

But yeah, what is the spec you're after? Unless it's something like white with 10 miles on the clock for £3K, chances are it's already out there.

You speak sense, sir; when you put it like that. I may just have to keep looking around until one pops up.

Personally, I'm not too set on colours as yet, just getting a good feel for the cars that are out there, but I do definitely need to pick a combination to set my heart on.

3 minutes ago, Ekona said:

Think about it for a second: How do you think a dealer is going to find a particular car for you, especially one as common (relatively) as the 350? They're just going to trawl PH, AT, eBay et al and see what's out there then charge YOU for that privilege.

 

Simple answer is no, unless you're looking for something very rare or unique than just do the legwork yourself. There's not exactly a billion combinations out there

I... but... what if my combination never comes up? -I guess you're more than slightly right though, a sound answer haha. 

10 minutes ago, davey_83 said:

Best way is to drive a few more and find out for yourself. Various things can improve the shifter feeling, fresh gearbox oil, replace the worn diff bushes, adjust the gear shifter plate under the gear knob gaiter.

 

I went with diff poly bushes & a gear shifter extender, which make shifting gears a breeze.

I guess that driving a couple more will be one surefire way of noticing faults from faucets I suppose.

I'm not a fan of most shifters aside from stock that I've seen on Zeds, but that's a pretty sexy one. 

I apologise for all the questions that I'm possibly bombarding this forum with, but I'm rather eager to get my hands on a Z, the right Z, and you guys are the best place I have for information that js on-point.

I've been speaking to my father on the subject of buying a Z, and, while he says that he thinks I'm stupid for splashing out on a fun car like this, he also supports the idea. He mentioned that a colleague of his found his dream car (a Civic EK6 I think... don't quote me on that) by going to Honda, telling them that he wanted a specific model/trim/colour/etc, and they sourced him one to buy. Is this a thing that Nissan/most garages would do? I know they will put a dealer's premium on the top, but if I tell them my dream setup for a 350z and they get me one with a little extra money, I won't be whining.

9 hours ago, Jetpilot said:

The differences have had to pointed out to some its that minor, tbh they look so similar i am indifferent about it, the changes to the interior though are far more noticeable and more effective visually.

 

The HR is the better looking car due to the bonnet.

I'm not too certain about the bonnet, I'm torn between that sleek flat profile and that curvy little bulge.