Waifujitsu

Great news and well done getting it fixed! Being a new Z owner, I've been using this site loads and I was rather worried to see it down. Happy to see we're back. ❤

2 hours ago, HEADPHONES said:

Had to wait till I got home to listen with headphones for a better effect.

Got a nice deep burble

Yeah, I love that burble! Sounds incredible and I've never heard another Z sound this good (in my opinion)! It's presumably quite a rare exhaust over here, it being one from a Japanese company. It's loud without being obnoxious, and it's deep without sounding raspy.

On 06/10/2022 at 11:03, HEADPHONES said:

Welcome to the OC 

Looks like you've found a little gem.

NISMO spoiler

Nice rims

And what looks like a fruity exhaust too.

Maybe upload a little sound clip to YouTube and post a link up

 

This is super late, but here's the exhaust sound!

2 hours ago, Andy_Muxlow said:

Hi and welcome along buddy. Nice looking car. As for the switches I have no idea sorry.

Thanks! I actually investigated on Saturday when I fitted my new head unit... turns out the switches do nothing! My guess is that the Japanese owner didn't like the blanks and put something in to make it look more complete. Maybe I'll put in an aftermarket ECU and actually make the switches control different maps someday. 🤷🏻‍♀️

51 minutes ago, DynamicR350z said:

yes that’s right!👍🏻 what time you getting there?

We're aiming to show up for opening at 08:00 so I can register my car in the paddock! Early night needed on Saturday for sure...

52 minutes ago, DynamicR350z said:

Thanks so much!👍🏻

I e put the new bonnet on this morning.  But may need hinges alignment isn’t great. 🤦🏻‍♂️ 

I’m after a front screen too and a carbon fibre roof.  It has advisories for one rear and one front wheel bearing and track rod ends due to slight play.  Any advice on them would be great.  I’m a body man and my mechanical knowledge is poor!

 

im loving working on it.  I used to own a 300zx twin turbo about 13 years ago and having this is bringing back such good times.  Building with my 12 year old is a bonus! 😊👊🏼

Really sounds like a very fun project that'll be super satisfying at each milestone. But I'm afraid I can't offer any advice as I'm a new owner as well! Just got my Fairlady Z on Tuesday and she's in wonderful shape, hopefully won't need anything beyond routine maintenance for many years.

I attached photos of my car in my intro thread (linked in my signature). Do have a look out for us and say hello!

Looks like a really fun project to work on with your boy! Congrats.

10 hours ago, DynamicR350z said:

Who’s going Japfest sunday? 🇯🇵 

My boyfriend and I will be going to JapShow Finale on Sunday! I presume that's what you meant. Will be taking my Fairlady early in the morning, hoping to park in the paddock! 😎

12 hours ago, marzman said:

Always love some moody carpark shots...

 

• Has some mysterious non-standard on/off switches and an on/off button that I will need to ask you guys about

Are these to the right of the steering wheel?  These are usually a fog light switch as this is non-standard on the JDM cars, and is one of them a small circle that says Auto?  If so then this is for auto-dip rear mirrors when you put it in reverse.  A fairly rare option if so.

Here are those switches!

41 minutes ago, marzman said:

Always love some moody carpark shots...

 

• Has some mysterious non-standard on/off switches and an on/off button that I will need to ask you guys about

Are these to the right of the steering wheel?  These are usually a fog light switch as this is non-standard on the JDM cars, and is one of them a small circle that says Auto?  If so then this is for auto-dip rear mirrors when you put it in reverse.  A fairly rare option if so.

There is the small auto button there to toggle the auto-dipping mirrors, and there is an on/off switch next to the TCS OFF button, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I need to check with the dealer about the fog light as I haven't found a way to turn it on. It must've worked previously because the car passed the MOT test in August!

However, there is also an on/off switch next to the A/T mode switch that has no obviously function, and there's also a white on/off button next to that. They're quite obviously non-standard, but I've not figured out what they do!

I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow to show you.

31 minutes ago, HEADPHONES said:

Welcome to the OC 

Looks like you've found a little gem.

NISMO spoiler

Nice rims

And what looks like a fruity exhaust too.

Maybe upload a little sound clip to YouTube and post a link up

 

Thank you! Super happy with the car, and how could I forget the Nismo spoiler!

I'll be sure to record the exhaust sound when I have some time. Lovely tune, sounds incredible and not obnoxiously loud (JASMA 92dB limit certified). I'm chuffed that the Japanese owner fitted these bits as they make the car a lot more special!

I've stopped using this account and switched to FairladyLexi to match my socials!

Hi guys,

After getting fed up of my old 2007 Civic Type S and its ever-growing list of failures, I decided it was time to get something a lot better and a lot faster. I love Japanese sports cars and I had my eye on a 2006 Fairlady Z for a couple of weeks. It's been my dream for a while to own a true JDM model, ideally an FR with some serious power.

I finally bit the bullet after Honda told me the Civic's clutch was worn and its horrible i-Shift actuator (it was a semi-automatic) was on the way out. Along with all the corrosion on the suspension, it was the final nail in the coffin. The Fairlady was luckily still available and I went to see her with my boyfriend. We spent a good hour inspecting everything and the condition is incredible for a car of this age. Definitely well looked-after by the Japanese owner. This car was freshly imported this summer.

I've only had a couple of days with the car and we drove from London to Caffeine & Machine near Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Daikoku Nights car meet last night. It's mind-blowing how fast and fun this car is!

Some details about the car:

• Fitted with 19-inch Work Gnosis GF4 wheels
• Fitted with the Kakimoto Racing Regu.06&R exhaust (sounds amazing!)
• Nismo spoiler (V1, I think?)
• Automatic transmission, not sold in the UK - amazingly smooth, responsive and quick (matches the manual in acceleration, if not quicker)
• Xenon headlights without washers (not required in Japan)
• Has some mysterious non-standard on/off switches and an on/off button that I will need to ask you guys about
• Still has the Japan-fitted dash cam and electronic toll collection gadget

There appears to be an underseal applied to the centre of the chassis, but I'm taking her for a Corrolan underseal in a couple of weeks to preserve the fantastic underbody condition. British road salt in the winter is so awful for our cars!

Finally, here are some photos:

I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you and hopefully meeting at an event in the near future! We'll be going to JapShow Finale at Santa Pod Raceway on Sunday, so maybe see some of you there?

Lexi

I've stopped using this account and switched to FairladyLexi to match my socials!

On 04/10/2022 at 19:45, DAN@ADRIAN FLUX said:

Hi.

I'm surprised we couldn't offer some kind of premium. Did we advise you why we couldn't help?

Regards,

Dan.

Hi Dan,

The advisor wasn't terribly clear and didn't really give me a reason. She then transferred me to another insurer who told me they couldn't help because they specialise in convicted drivers... bit strange!

I ended up going with Chris Knott in the end.

Thanks,

Lexi

5 minutes ago, CK@Chris Knott Insurance said:

Hi Lexi,

 

That car won't be an issue for us, we have many such vehicles on cover. As you say though, the issue might be a combination of factors including experience, your location and any convictions.

 

If you want to speak to us, please call 0800 917 2274 and be sure to mention those issues first. We might be able to ascertain quickly from a few initial questions if we are able to help.

 

Regards

 

Chris Knott Insurance 

I'm actually already waiting for a callback from you guys this morning. Thank you!

14 hours ago, marzman said:

I never had an issue when i used to have a 2003 JDM auto back in the day... although i guess that was 15 years ago now so maybe they were in the database back then, but they've since been removed?  

 

I assume you're manually entering the vehicle rather than relying on the auto lookup of your registration?  Is there an option for a Fairlady Z perhaps instead of a 350z...?  This may work as thats the Japanese version...

 

If really stuck, and for the short term, you might be able to get temporary insurance for a few days whilst you continue your search... usually about £20 a day but they seem less stringent on specifics!

Thanks for the reply! I have indeed been using manual entry where applicable and I've spoken to most of the companies over the phone. Wasted a few hours yesterday getting nowhere, so I was quite stressed.

However, Direct Line surprisingly have the Fairlady Z import as an option and I was able to get a quote via their website. It didn't even ask about the transmission. Price is okay considering the car and where I live, but I'm waiting for the other insurers to call me back this morning.

So I can at least breathe easily now that I've got one decent option saved. If it comes to it, I could do a year with Direct Line and then switch to a specialist after gaining experience with the car.

Hi guys,

I just bought a 2006 Fairlady Z (Z33) and I'm super excited about it. However, I'm having a lot of trouble finding an insurer that'll cover it due to it being an automatic. As the UK 350Z was never made as automatic, all the insurers seem to think it doesn't exist! I'm trying to get coverage starting from tomorrow, but every company I've tried is either a 'no' or a 'maybe, we'll call back tomorrow'.

For anyone who owns one of these cars or similar, it would be great to get your recommendations! So far I've tried:

• Admiral (no)
• Sheilas' Wheels (no)
• Adrian Flux (no, then sent me to a convicted drivers specialist???)
• Greenlight (no)
• Japcover (maybe)
• Brentacre (maybe, not in their database)
• Performance Direct (maybe)

I will need to be able to drive this car to get to the office (great commuter, eh?), so I'm getting quite desperate!

To be clear, I'm in my early 30s and I've held a license for 10 years with as many years of NCD. I'm also facing the "first RWD car" paradox, to make matters worse. And I live in London. I can only guess it's a combination of all of the above, plus the fact that an automatic Fairlady Z is considered a unicorn.

Thanks,

Lexi

Edit: this query is being answered in the 350Z Insurance section:

https://www.350z-uk.com/topic/129191-2006-fairlady-z-z33-insurance-trouble/