Dicky

So that's what the little brush I got in the kit is used for. I thought the company I bought the kit from knew I was loosing my hair and put it in the box to use instead of a comb.

Thanks David. I did get a decent shine (not quite as good as your pics) but was probably expecting a black car type result. Your right I didn't put much pressure on nor did I polish for two long (2 passes) because I wasn't taking any chances of doing damage. Next time I'll polish for longer as my confidence grows. I used the a Tangerine pad and the PF 2400 so not much Polishin power for the time I spent....you live and learn! How about cleaning the pads do you wash them in soapy water or use some special cleaning fluid?

Can't help to much with the technical stuff other than if the cam positions are out this could be bad news. Seems strange though that the cars still driving well as I'd expect performance to drop off if the inlet and exhaust valves were mis timed. If it were my car I certainly wouldn't run it until I got that checked out. I usually call the RAC guy if I get a fault light and he usually explains what any code means as well as turning the lights off. He might give you a good insight into what to do next. Good luck

Well got my new DAS6 Pro plus and PolishedBliss soft paint kit and had my first go. Bit disappointed as there didn't appear much differance after I'd finished. It did look a little shinyer but I supposed Gunmetal doesn't show the same level of improvement as Black. Anyway I've got a couple of questions for you seasoned guys. 1) I seasoned the Tangerine pad with polish before I started. Is this necessary or can you spray a little water on it instead ( as seen on YouTube vids) 2) having put the three spots of polish on the pad how far will that go ie should it do a full bonnet (I applied it three times and did the bonnet in three sections) 3)Can the sponge pads be washed in soapy water ie a bucket of water and a little washing up liquid)

You win, new tyres it is. I suppose the moths will be glad to see a little sunlight when I get my wallet out.

Yeah, was thinking of doing that but the rears have still got over 4mm and if I change just two at a time I'd never be running on a full set of new tyres. The car never goes out in snow so I don't need winter tyres. I might just put them on and turn the radio up!

My two front tyres have uneavan wear due to tracking issues I didn't spot quick enough while the rears still have plenty of tread. I decided to buy a couple of winter tyres off the forum last winter to fit when mine wore down a bit more. Well they need changing now and I was wondering if a) the winter tyres will be much noisier and b)are there any safety issues in doing this.

On the booze last night and my eyes have now changed colour....... there more a rusty red now. Can't understand it !

As Ogman says, Nissan paint is very soft - which is a bit of an advantage when it comes to correction as it requires less effort. The Polished Bliss kit is ideal for the Z's paint IMO, it's the kit I started out with (and the pads I still prefer now) so I would always recommend this kit for the Z as it comes with everything needed, which then just leaves the choice of machine. The standard DAS6 is perfectly adequate for correcting Nissan paint, however the Pro is just that little bit better all round. The additional throw on the Pro over the standard doesn't really cause too many issues with the Z's curves, but there are areas that even the standard struggles to get to (around the rear spoiler/boot lid/badge area for example). Personally, given the choice, I'd opt for the Pro (or rather the Power Plus with the PB kit) if it fits into your budget, but the standard machine is still a very good "budget" option. I'm gona take your advice and buy the Pro and Bliss Kit. It's a good starting point if nothing else and as experience grows I can adapt to suite. Thanks for your help and that of everyone else..................just joking about matching the colour of my eyes you know! Edit: Pro Plus ordered, now for the Bliss Kit!

Quick update just to give you an idea if cost. Just been quoted £810, fitted, by a local company for a Webasto 300 Delux (apparently the only one that will fit) electronically controlled sunroof.

The Pro has a similar motor to the Plus - from memory I think it's ~830w. Pro has the 8mm throw, the DAS6 is 6mm. They can all fit different backing plates so you can get the spot pads for each of them, but there's areas on the Z (350 at least) that are difficult to access well with the larger throw - the angles on the arches, for example, are more difficult to polish with the Plus than the standard DAS6 even with spot pads. The advantage is that the larger panels like the bonnet are quicker to tackle with the Plus because of the extended throw. If it's mainly for use on the Z, I'd suggest at least considering the Pro unless you already have a standard DAS6 or there's a particular reason you were after the Plus. WOW....STANDS BACK IN AMAZEMENT...I'm a total novice and you've just thrown me a big curve. The only polishing assistance I've used is ELBOW GREASE. Hadn't thought of panel contours, nor did I know about different backing plates nor spot pads. My heads begining to hurt now. A little more research is needed me thinks! Edit: by the way is that right the Z is considered to have a Soft paint?

Bugger....didn't notice that! ...to focused on the product and flipping between suppliers for best price.

Well as far as I'm aware it's got a 850w rather than 500w motor, it has a 15mm throw rather than 8mm ? less vibration as well, and most importantly it goes with the colour of my eyes!

Looking to buy a DAS 6 Pro Plus with 15mm throw. Best price I can find is from "Clean your Car" along with a couple of pads + two bottles of cutting paste and polish. Anyone know if there are any better deals around? Link to DAS 6 http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing-machines/das-6-pro-plus-dual-action-polisher/das-6-pro-plus-meguiars-hex-logic-kit/prod_1453.html

Why? Do you know something I don't? .....Worry, worry, worry

Interesting sales pitch... ha ha Hope you make the sale though.

It would seem to be a dying craft as volumes are low for sunroofs these days and lots of companies have dropped the idea. There's a reasonable looking company in Leicestershire called AutoRoofs UK ltd, who sound proffessional, but it's a bit to far for me. However there's another place in Sunderland near where I live who also fit Webasto sunroofs. A spoiler type ie one that slides back and sticks up slightly is around £800 to £900 fitted. The guy I spoke to needs to call Webasto to determine if it will fit ok, I also need to check my insurance Co

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Anyone got and idea how much they cost? I'll do a little web searching see what turns up

Anyone fitted or heard of a sun roof being fitted to a coupe, or would that be unwise?

Just to update, rang Falcon first and was so impressed with the body shop managers experience of treating this problem. He's done loads of 350's and seemed to know the fix options inside out. Leaving out the obvious perminent fix of replacing inner and outer wings his prefered solution is to cut out the rust, bead blast any rust he can get at, treat with anti corrosion spray, weld in new metal, seal the joint between the inner and outer panels with a resin stopper, then respray. It's not a perminent fix but if looked after will outlast any other fix. Cost between £1K & £1.4K depending on how bad the rust is.

A forum member recommended Falcon Performance in Middlesborough so I gave them a call. The guy I spoke to seemed genuine and knowledgable. Theve treated loads of Z's with rear wheel arch rust. His recommended solution would cost between £1 to £1.4K depending on how bad the rust was. They cut out the rust, bead blasted all accessible rust on the inner arch then sprayed it with some kind of zinc based rust protector treatment as far as I recall. They then weld metal into place and seal the whole wheel arch joint between panels with a resen sealant and finally spray it. They could'nt guarantee that rust wouldn't show again but led me to believe the fix last a long time. They also had a cheaper less long term effective option costing around £600. The former's still quite expensive but a lot cheaper than new inner and outer arches at circa £4K.

Sunderland isn't far away at all. I've never heard of Car & Bike Magic before but have heard good things about Falcon for clutch changes. I'll get in touch with both and see what they say. Thanks for your input lads.

Tell me I'm not 350Z-Uk's only Geordie member !

I'd appreciate it if any locals can recommend a good body repair shop in Newcastle or surrounding area. I've already been to Premier Motors near Crosslings off the coast road but looking for another comparative quote.

I think the guy was quoting around £4K if both rear inner and outer panels had to be replaced. It may be an over estimate but I judged him as being honest. I suppose he could have said he'd cut the rust out and charge me £300 ish. I'm looking for another trustworthy body repairer and will see what he has to say I was wondering why they can't drill a couple of holes in the inner panel and put an intrascope in to look how bad the internal rust actually is?