PaulR

Did a Z euro trip in June, the pics on my thread show mostly where I went....awesome

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/ov ... pment.html

The link above is the AA definitive guide of what you need for each country. Spare bulbs I think you might need (Although clearly you can't change HID lights, but I took some headlight bulbs anyway so Monsieur Plod was 'appy!)

Radar detectors are totally banned in France and they take a very dim view of them. GPS based camera-detecting systems are OK. If you take a sat-nav I'd take a Euro Atlas too as a backup...satnavs go wrong at the worst moments....

If you end up parking up anywhere in a French town space tends to be at a privelege - parallel parking is done by feel, and double parallel parking is common. Multi-stories tend to be exceedingly tight too - I had to use the entry to exit the one in Cannes we used as I couldnt physically get the Z round the corner used for the real exit. Plan your parking carefully!

It's also well worth filling up here before you go. With the Euro rate (thanks Mr Brown ) you're looking at the best part of £90 to fill the Zed on the continent. Worth budgeting for.

And most of all enjoy it! You'll love it! Not many Z's in France so expect a few looks! Any other help just ask. Oh and I'm standard ride height but had no bother on / off Ferry...

Went to Uni in Swindon. Got a bollocking off the local traffic Police one night for literally going in a straight line over the magic roundabout from one side to the other at about 40mph....oops

Hello mate welcome to the Z side of things...

I'm an ex-dubber too, used to have these two;

Polo Mk1 and Golf G60.

Love the mk3, there's a lot of very clever, subtle OEM+ mods on there. And the 'Rado looks fab too. Do you know Phatty? Think he's still building his, very similar.

Paul

Ahem.

I believe I may be of help....

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=24173

Well I've just finished work.

Took this....

to Alicante and back.

Time for bed.

P3 Done yesterday at Benfield Nissan Newcastle (Shieldfield)

Very impressed, done on time, NOT washed at my request, £285 inc VAT using their oil. Tried to sell me an air-con re-gas but no pressure when I told them no thanks. Successfully diagnosed another small issue I know is niggling away.

Did mine a few weeks ago. There's a few threads here about it so have a search.

In short.... Open bonnet, undo 10mm bolt at top of headlight to allow it to move forward a few cm.

Reach behind indicator to find grey bulb holder, twist and release. Swear lots.

Replace bulb (without getting greasy fingerprints on your nice silver bulb.) Swear lots more.

CHECK BULB WORKS BEFORE REFITTING!

Re-fit in a reverse manner to above. Complete swearing and then realise you have to still do the other side.

And don't even contemplate it if you are a well hung lesbian (i.e. have fat fingers!)

Paul

Did mine a few weeks ago. There's a few threads here about it so have a search.

In short.... Open bonnet, undo 10mm bolt at top of headlight to allow it to move forward a few cm.

Reach behind indicator to find grey bulb holder, twist and release. Swear lots.

Replace bulb (without getting greasy fingerprints on your nice silver bulb.) Swear lots more.

CHECK BULB WORKS BEFORE REFITTING!

Re-fit in a reverse manner to above. Complete swearing and then realise you have to still do the other side.

And don't even contemplate it if you are a well hung lesbian (i.e. have fat fingers!)

Paul

Right here goes....some real interesting variation so far. I WAS a bit of a dubber too...

First Car....1.3L Ford Escort Mk4. Blue, rusty, relaible, rubbish.

Second - MK3 Polo GT

Third - Golf Mk4 1.6

Fourth (showcar) - 1978 Polo N (had this and the Golf as a daily.)

Sold both Polos and the Golf to move to NZ for a year.

Came back and bought....

Fifth - Tweaked Golf G60. LHD, Supercharged, 200 bhp.

Sixth - Octavia vRS Turbo. 180 bhp ("The Turbo Taxi")

Seventh - Zed.

Paul.

Right here goes....some real interesting variation so far. I WAS a bit of a dubber too...

First Car....1.3L Ford Escort Mk4. Blue, rusty, relaible, rubbish.

Second - MK3 Polo GT

Third - Golf Mk4 1.6

Fourth (showcar) - 1978 Polo N (had this and the Golf as a daily.)

Sold both Polos and the Golf to move to NZ for a year.

Came back and bought....

Fifth - Tweaked Golf G60. LHD, Supercharged, 200 bhp.

Sixth - Octavia vRS Turbo. 180 bhp ("The Turbo Taxi")

Seventh - Zed.

Paul.

Right...back after a few work-related days, I'll try to fill in a few gaps.

Incredible. It's the definition of what owning a sports car like the zed is all about.

 

Since I am new to this thing, the only issue I have concerning me would be the distance between petrol stations - how do you arrange your trip so you guys don't get stuck in the middle of nowhere? no food, can't speak language, no petrol.

We made sure we started each day with a full tank, and re-filled as soon as we got down to a quarter left. Never left us that short. On some of the mountain roads above Nice we found a couple of dead-end roadblocks and got down to 45 mile to empty which was a bit nervous, but if you have a good satnav which can tell you the nearest petrol stations it's not really a worry.

Absolutely stunning! Hoping to do something similar myself at some point, it's what the Zed was made for.

 

+1 - great pics -thanks for sharing this with us. Amazing to see the snow still that deep mid-year. An outline of the roads you used would be helpful for those of us lurking around doing a similar trip

 

Hope you might also like to join us on the Scottish (September) or Welsh (October) runs this year

Our route, day by day was roughly as follows;

Ferry Newcastle - Amsterdam.

Day 1 Amsterdam - Davos (Switz.). Stay Davos. Quickest, Autobahn route available.

Day 2 Davos - Stelvio Pass (SS38) - Lake Garda - Modena.

Day 3 Modena - Maranello & Fiorano (Ferarri) - Pisa - Cannes

Day 4 Cannes - Col du Vence - Col du Turini - Cannes

Day 5 Cannes -Monaco - St Tropez

Day 6 Fly Home(work), Leave car in Nice airport

Fly back out 5 days later, drive Nice - Turin - Milan - Como - Strasbourg - Amsterdam - Newcastle all on motorways.

If you're planning a trip www.alpineroads.com is a biker site but a good start.

I did 2700 miles in 8 days driving and I reckon got through about 415 litres of the good stuff...which with the crappy Euro exchange rate (thanks Gordon) cost about £500 in fuel alone.

Phew! Any more just ask....

Right...back after a few work-related days, I'll try to fill in a few gaps.

Incredible. It's the definition of what owning a sports car like the zed is all about.

 

Since I am new to this thing, the only issue I have concerning me would be the distance between petrol stations - how do you arrange your trip so you guys don't get stuck in the middle of nowhere? no food, can't speak language, no petrol.

We made sure we started each day with a full tank, and re-filled as soon as we got down to a quarter left. Never left us that short. On some of the mountain roads above Nice we found a couple of dead-end roadblocks and got down to 45 mile to empty which was a bit nervous, but if you have a good satnav which can tell you the nearest petrol stations it's not really a worry.

Absolutely stunning! Hoping to do something similar myself at some point, it's what the Zed was made for.

 

+1 - great pics -thanks for sharing this with us. Amazing to see the snow still that deep mid-year. An outline of the roads you used would be helpful for those of us lurking around doing a similar trip

 

Hope you might also like to join us on the Scottish (September) or Welsh (October) runs this year

Our route, day by day was roughly as follows;

Ferry Newcastle - Amsterdam.

Day 1 Amsterdam - Davos (Switz.). Stay Davos. Quickest, Autobahn route available.

Day 2 Davos - Stelvio Pass (SS38) - Lake Garda - Modena.

Day 3 Modena - Maranello & Fiorano (Ferarri) - Pisa - Cannes

Day 4 Cannes - Col du Vence - Col du Turini - Cannes

Day 5 Cannes -Monaco - St Tropez

Day 6 Fly Home(work), Leave car in Nice airport

Fly back out 5 days later, drive Nice - Turin - Milan - Como - Strasbourg - Amsterdam - Newcastle all on motorways.

If you're planning a trip www.alpineroads.com is a biker site but a good start.

I did 2700 miles in 8 days driving and I reckon got through about 415 litres of the good stuff...which with the crappy Euro exchange rate (thanks Gordon) cost about £500 in fuel alone.

Phew! Any more just ask....

Haha yeah I often park at the Gate if I take the car in to town for a night out....and yeah...I have the odd holiday or two!

Hi all.

Thanks for all the kind replies....have to go away with work until the weekend but I'll try and update this thread and answer questions then.

Cheers

Paul

That looks like a great trip with fabulous pics. How did the Zed perform?

Z (touch wood) was faultless. Gave me a new found love for it. After two years of ownership I was starting to think this winter would be time for a change, but the trip has reminded me what a good car it is. Happy as can be sipping fuel on the Autobahn (441 miles dte on the gauge!! 35mpg ish at just under three figure mph) and even happier blatting round the back roads and mountain passes of Southern France. Only PITA was trying to take pictures out of it, it's too low! EDIT - The Euro rate also means a full tank of 95 is over £90....which was slightly disappointing.

Who is R88SDN?

He's my £250 cousin

Hello all.

Long time lurker, had my Z for nearly 2 years now. Just finished 6 days Zedding through Europe, Newcastle - Amsterdam - Davos - Stelvio - Maranello - Pisa - Cannes and quite a few places inbetween. Pics (many) to follow, questions, comments answered with pleasure.

Cheers

Paul

Lexx - Hartlepool - Pearl White, impossible not to recognise as mine!

Ho- Cramlington - pearl white, 08 uk gt, impossible not to recognise mine aswell

Shuck - Yarm - GC04 ***, Silver UK GT

lnorange - Ingleby Barwick FA 05 ***, Silver, 20" Alloys

Ross Mac

Toon Chris

PaulR - Newcastle Quayside - R**SDN - Gunmetal Grey, Standard RAYS

janz70

mbs

Patto - bishop auckland - W***ZHD - Azure - body kit/wheels/exhaust,etc,etc

Dene8 - Barnard Castle - Import 2002 - Silver - 19" Nismos -

coopers86 - Leeming - R666 *** UK 2005 GT - Azure - Ings Nose - True dual Aero Exhaust -

DiggZ

TimGSXR

Zteve

InsanezeD - Sunderland - UK 54 GT - Sunset - Nismo kit - Rays

Lexx

Ho

Shuck

Inorange

Ross Mac

Toon Chris

PaulR

I think I define Carbon Footprint Hell.

3.5l V6....and a Airbus A319 for the day job.

Makes the fuel consumption of the Z feel economical....

Better still, if anyone has an angle grinder, I'll just take the lamp-post down.

I kinda like the two lamp-posts in that pic though, they frame the Reds nicely.

Hi, just added this to the other thread...

NUMBER 27

Here's mine....

Have they fined you or given you points or both?

Dunno yet....sent the NIP back today....will wait nervously and see.

Hello All.

Just a warning on something I unexpected and unwanted I received yesterday.

My Z is below. I run that numberplate front and back. It's a UK Standard size, font, spec plate etc but missing a space between the 8 and the S. I am aware its on the wrong side of the law but it's hardly illegible.

Yesterday I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution from Northumbria Police. I've driven past a 'Safety' Camera Van and the ANPR has picked up that it's a non-standard plate. I wasn't speeding and to add insult to injury the Van was parked outside my bedroom window and is there at least twice a month.

Just a warning to everyone running non-standard plates. I wasn't speeding but they've still sent me a NIP. I assume it picks up funny sizes shapes and fonts too, although obviously JDM ones should be OK. Genuinely didn't know Scamera vans picked this up.

NB - Not after sympathy...I knew the rules...just a warning to you all and shocked at getting done off a Speed Camera Van outside my own flat at single-digit MPH!

Yup....that'll be me.

Some great totty out on Osbourne Road tonight!!!