Dave_McC

SOLD

After 3.5 years of fun, I'm moving on - was planning on keeping it another year, but I got an offer on my next car which I couldn't refuse. Full details on Pistonheads - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1649019.htm

That doesn't look too badly damaged from the pics - but presumably it's worse than it looks. If you're after another 350z roadster, I've just put mine up for sale after 3.5 years of fun. It's on Pistonheads - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1649019.htm. Dave

I've run a roadster as my main car for the last 3.5 years. I wanted a convertible when I bought it, and the roof has been down whenever it's not been raining. I've not had any problem with other people being jealous or shouting anything at me. Roof down is so much better for hearing the glorious V6 engine howl, and you get all the smells and noises from around you. For me the only downsides have been occasional paranoia when parking in a dodgy area, rear (especially rear 3/4) visibility is pretty crap, and it is slightly noisy at motorway speeds with the roof up - it's only a single skin roog whereas some others - Audi, Porsche - are multi layer and do a better job of insulating the noise. I've loved every minute of it - though having said that I'm now selling mine as it's time to move on. Dave

Likely to be either toe setting's wrong or you've been straddling the speed cushions - I was taking an alternative route home for a while when they were doing some roadworks near me for 6 months, which involved a series of these speed cushions - I always straddled them. My tyres wore in exactly the way you described. Dave

I've been using Yellow Stuff pads with EBC grooved disks and find they stand up to spirited driving very well - good cold bite but also no fade, and they feel much more powerful than the OEM setup. I can't compare to DS2500 as I've never tried them. I have used Green Stuff pads on a previous car (Nissan GTiR) and they were crap - they crumbled within a thousand miles and ended in the bin. Also used Pagids on a Caterham and found their cold bite was crap - sold them on in the end as I couldn't get on with them - though they might be better in the heavier 350z. Dave

I've been running EBC grooved disks and Yellow stuff pads on the front of mine for the last year. They were recommended on here when I asked a similar question, and were quite a bit cheaper than OEM parts. I've been very impressed with them - much more powerful than the OEM setup and no fade at all. The only (very slight) downside is the grooved disks do create a little bit of noise, but you soon get used to it. Dave

or if you want to be flash, fit one of the Kenwood double din units - I put a DNX5240BT in mine - gives full sat nav, ipod control, bluetooth hands free and looks the dogs. Prices at the moment are about £640 from the internet, and you need an adaptor to get it to work with the Bose amlifier (or bypass the amp and use the head unit to power the speakers). Dave

I've just booked mine into Car Hood Warehouse at Chessington - they will glue a patch on inside the roof for £30. Takes about an hour while you wait. I'll post up results when it's done end of next week. Dave

QS Mine's not the glue come away - have read about that before on here. Mine is actually about an inch below the lower seam stitching - and is a split / tear. I'm guessing the mechanism must somehow rub here when the roof's folded down, as there's nothing touching this point with the roof up. Dave

OK - cheers all, repair it is. Anyone recommend any car trimmers in West Sussex for this, before I play "pin the tail on the donkey" with the Yellow Pages! Cheers Dave

H5 - yeah, that's what I thought too. The car's trying to tell me something. I've had it 3.5 years now and TBH still love it. Was going to keep it another year - but next car I'm planning is an Audi RS4, and I've just got the opportunity to buy one next month off a colleague at work who's selling it to a dealer - and has offered it to me at the same price he's been offered. As he's not buying a car from the dealer, the price is a pure "trade" price - and so about £3k below what it will retail at. It's immaculate, fairly low mileage and has the right spec. If I was changing for a 370, I would try to cut a deal with the dealer on it. Dilemmas, dilemmas! Dave

I noticed at the weekend that there's a small split appeared in my roof - it's about 1cm long and is on the drivers side near the top of what would be the B / C pillar - ie just behind the side window, and just below the seam. It looks like it's just worn through - it's not a "sharp" cut that vandalism would cause. Anyone else had this? And what's a new roof going to cost from Nissan (or are there any recommended aftermarket suppliers)? Car's an Apr 06 - so only just under 4 years old - so I'm not very impressed...... And I only noticed it as I was cleaning it as I'm thinking of selling . Cheers Dave

Think I'm stuffed on taking it elsewhere - because it failed the MoT the garage have said I can't drive the car away - given the noise the brakes were making when I took it in I'm not overly surprised at that. The outer rear pad still seemed to have quite a bit of meat on it when I looked last weekend - so the pads would seem to have worn very unevenly, which seems odd if it's not a sliding caliper - unless the inner piston was sticking. They've said the front pads are also pretty low - are going to check tomorrow whether they'll last til next service (4k miles off) - but from other threads I've just searched I think I'll do them myself with aftermarket pads. Dave

Took my Z in for its first MoT today - it's about to run out of warranty as well and I recently noticed a rubbing noise from nearside rear so asked for that to be checked at the same time. Car has done only 32k miles. When I went to collect it, was told it had failed the MoT due to the rear brakes - the nearside inner rear pad had worn through to the metal and wrecked the disk. Service guy suggested the sliding caliper had probably stuck. I've said I'll be looking for a contribution from Nissan as this shouldn't happen at such a low mileage on a car serviced by the same dealer at the right intervals. Response was they won't know cause til they strip down tomorrow - they didn't have rear disks in stock so had to order them in - but if it's dirt / muck which has caused the caliper to stick then warranty won't pay. Has anyone else had this problem - and any luck claiming under warranty? Thanks Dave