astonal

Quick Update I have my Zed back, took it for an hours spin to "feel" any differences and couldnt notice anything. Its great to have her back! Transpires the upper wishbone was slightly crooked but now the car is well within spec on wheel allignment. All good! I think I might put some cellotape over the traction control switch until May...

I would love to say just a simple "yes of course" to that but the reality is Im Mr Average in that department haha

Hiya, well, it had a happy ending shall we say.. And get this, she said "I wish we could go back to that moment" so I said "what, the car spinning bit?" and she said, "no, the crashing bit...it was exciting". Crikey. Not a photographer, Im in the male heavy industry that is IT Sales, of all things!

mmm, I thought it was a fairly mild whack at first, nothing massive... but the car disagrees with me

cheers fellas - to date the cost is £1900 for the following 2 wishbones 1 suspension arm 1 bearings carrier 1 second hand alloy labour Pending work Upper wishbone subframe diff inspection labour Gulp

UPdate: So, it turns out that it is possible to bend/deform a bearings carrier after all.... The flat "machine" plained parts of the carrier were out of shape as a result of the accident (it "rocked" when put on the floor) so it has now been replaced. Its still not pefectly alligned yet though AND when put under load the differential at the rear is making an odd sound (gulp) so more work needs to be done.... Probable subframe replacement also pending if the large upper wish bone is not stretched. Insurance are now informed and all replaced parts have been kept for inspection if need be. I expect not to have the vehicle for another fortnight. And as for taking the traction control off in damp conditions... no comment

ta m8, alls well, no breaks!

thats the one, next street along from air street as you walk away from Picadilly.. You need to be there bang on 10:15 or you have no chance of getting in. I tried getting in at midnight the other Friday and I had girls with me which you would think would mean no problem at all for most clubs.. but could I get in? nope. The place gets DAM busy, its badly laid out inside, its bloody expensive, its hot, but there are good things to be found in there....

Thanks, and haha no, I dont. But I can think of worst things to do!

hahha thank you (and yes, I agree - any more rants will be by PM) Well, as an update I have contacted my insurer and they will honour the bill should I decide to go through them instead, cut off is 8 weeks. For everyones info, the bearings carrier on the Zed has been changed in later models (from 2004 onwards) , which perhaps indicates a weakness? Its also 500 quid to buy the part

edit ;0)

Mate Sorry about your z. Your incident was identical to mine.. too much gas (I suspect), flicks one way, a bit too much gas to recorrect and wham, one major spin the other way and your backwards... Im Sorry to read about it, yet in reality and as you said, you (and I) are OUTRIGHT lucky there was no solid items such as tree/post etc.. or worst still pedestrians involved. My engineer at work did something similar in a VR6, and his face needed to be fully sewn back together after it went through the window. And thats getting off lightly compared to some. Its only money and inconvenience at the end of the day. You dont have a permanet reminder of it when you look in the mirror, or try and walk down some stairs etc etc. When/if do you get it back?

Hi Wes Its true what you say, it was all funny at first but now its just a costly and highly inconvenient nightmare.. I see the same fella on the way to work each morning in his Z and normally we have a little tip of the hat to each other as we pass... but we dont now that Im getting a lift in a banged up 4 year old clio.. I just look at his and think "Im a PRICK" . Was going to the bikes in silverstone this weekend and it looks like thats out the window too now... sob sob.

Thanks Fellas. Well SimonD, I told about the date cos it highlights readers amusement factor of what was already pretty embarrissing event all in all. Well, "most" readers ...

haha yes indeed. The reason its not (yet) and insurance job is because my insurance last year cost me 2300 quid. This year its 1100 quid. Im only guessing but I reckon the job will smack me straight back to last years cost (as I will lose i years no claim) it will end up costing me mor ein the long run me reckons... (costs thus far 800)

yup. Mate, Im not giving it the big one either but I have done 2 advanced driver days and I do a pro kart season with work each year... but the speed in which it suddenly had loss of control was outrageous. I was nipping and then on the way back, TC off on a roundabout I must have taken sideways about 20 plus times this year (in the dry) a little moisture and woooowwweee it was like an ice rink. Lucky I had two lanes really and no other cars cos I nearly ripped the back off it trying to save it from the first slide. Still, no excuse really - totally driver error and Im still cringing.

Thanks mate - the lesson here is dont take the TC off in the wet :0)...

So, I crashed my z like a school boy a couple of weeks ago by taking the traction control off in the wet. Text book spin and slammed sideways in to the curb, facing the wrong direction. The impact was taken fully on the bottom edge of the passenger side rear wheel and the car was not drivable. So, visual analysis showed that I had buckled one of the wishbones and broken the other. Once it was on a ramp they informed me that the wheel was also bucked, as was the aluminium suspension arm. So the wheel, both lower wishbones and suspension arm have been replaced. I have been called this morning and told that the wheel still has too much positive camber and cannot be driven. They are unsure as to what else could be the problem but are suggesting its either: The upper wishbone (but this would mean it would have had to have been "stretched") The Bearing carrier has been buckled at the bottom The sub frame has been distorted. Im kind of hoping it isnt the last one.... The problem I have is this - can you bend the sub frame on what was a hard but certainly not MASSIVE impact? Is it possible to deform an aluminium bearing carrier? (its MEATY!) Is it possible to stretch a meaty aluminium wishbone? The garage cant see anything obvious in the sub frame - but is it this? Which would you think it is? If you can let me know your thoughts as soon as possible I would be most grateful as they are making decisions today as to what they are going to work on and I am not doing this via insurance (gulp) Thanks!!!

the nismo is well worth it - I had stock for a year and have had the niz for a few days - its a clinical but lovely sound, it really puts a smile on yuor chops whne you fly it, and in idle is hardly heard - perfect. Highly recommended, its not chavey and it breaths life in to the feeling of the car

got the nismo cat back fitted on saturday along with rear headlamp films and I must say the car is transormed. The exhaust note sounded too clinical to me at first but once I drove it for myself I LOVED the sound. Its not too loud and cannot be heard when idleling (good news on the headache front) but when you put wieght on the loud pedal it really sings. its perfect! The car doesnt feel faster, but feels more alive, if that makes any sense. It puts a huge smile on me each time I floor it!

not a bad idea but I think time is too limited, on the way down there anyway... perhaps a more scenic route on the way back :0) I cant wait to hear the nismo on the car for the first time on saturday......

hahah - you got that right fella. The range rover is the worst apparently.. the dude has allocated 800 quid for gas there and back - OUCH We have been warned that this years favourite for the french cops is waiting at tollgates and asking to see the time your car was stmped coming through the previous toll.... if your average speed works out as being 25km over the limit then a 2 week ban is slapped ON THE SPOT.

Im having it done at G-force in aylesbury. Those boys are porchase and nissan specialists

Peeps I was in a hurry so have ordered in a hurry. My nismo exhaust arrived this morning and I am having it fitted at the weekend. My costs were as follows (from marlboro nissan on the east coast of US) Nismo cat back exhaust = 880 dollars Shipping = 550 dollars Duty, handling and tax = 170 Sterling Total = £928 at 1.83 exchange rate Will post images once fit :0) Al