breay

I have a complete standard system (cat back) all wrapped up in my loft, so no chance of any corrosion or rust. And im in Kent, just so you know!

Thanks for all your input guys, it looks like i may be getting to the bottom of the problem. After talking to a couple of bodyshops and Mr Phil the most likely problem is that my bodyshop is using 'solvent' based paint instead of 'water based' paint that 99% of body shops use these days. So hopefully this is the problem??? Can any one confirm that this is probably the cause???

If anyone can shed any more light on the situation then please let me know.

Also a couple of people have indicated that spray nozzles used and the direction the paint is applied ie horizontal/ vertical could produce a different affect, but i'm assuming that would be like telling my body shop how to suck eggs???

i'd really appreciate any help you can find out for me [/code]

No mate (if you mean the sprayed up kit) i've heard that the colour match could be dependant on the spray nozzle used or the direction they spray the colour in as its quite a flippy blue??? I'm soooo confused!

Thanks Andy, i was hoping you were going to come online

To be honest mate if my kit looked like yours in the pic then although im a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to body work i would have been more than happy. Their first attempt looked much too light, but today the kit looked perfect until it was in the sun, my sprayer said that even the original bumpers and fuel cap etc are off compared to the rest of the car which i have noticed before. Any idea if the problem could be with the paint type they are using eg solvent or waterbased are best to use??

Hi guys,

Right where do i start!? for the last couple of weeks i've had a bodyshop attempt to fit a full kit to my car (UK 54reg Azure Blue) first attempt they had the paint mixed up by their supplier by using the paint code under the bonnet. Dropped it off to be fitted only to receive a phone call a few hours later from them saying that when the skirts were fitted to the car they were way too light, so off they came.

The guys said the only thing they could do was to send a part of the car off to the paint supplier to get an exact colour match so they removed a headlight washer. The paint turned up a couple of days later as a two part with the second part being a kind of pearl watery blue laquer that goes over the blue base coat and then the clear coat is applied over the top. My sprayer still had the headlight washer which he offered up to the kit and it matched perfect! but yet again when the kit was fitted in the sun it was too light!! but in the shade it looked perfect!!

Now i've used the bodyshop loads of times before on other cars and everything they have done has been perfect! They cant understand how the paint colour has come out wrong twice and they just wanted to hand the kit back with no charge to myself, but i want the kit on!

Now the only thing they can think to try would be to respray everything using 'water based paint' instead of the 'solvent' paint they have tried twice.

Help guys! i've had the most stressfull day ever, and before i go and hit my head against a brick wall i thought i'd ask all you azure owners out there who have had repairs or kit fitted to see if you know what paint your sprayers used or if you have encountered the same problems as me! [/b]

I did the same thing to a car i had a few years ago! but i side swiped a wall that i parked next to for about 2 years so its not exactly like i didnt know it was there!

Best thing to do is not beat yourself up about it (although i did) it could have been much worse mate.

Looks like an APR spoiler to me

.....But i bet Phils right!

Sorry to hear about the zed mate

I actually owned an Evo 8 FQ300 before my zed, the sevens are practically the same car (all use the 4g63 engine) but they are uglier than the 8's and because of this they tend to be the one that everyone stays away from and this affects their resale value quite dramatically.However, when i sold mine i was amazed by how cheap you could pick up even a UK 8 for!

Comparison wise in a straight line the zed is very well matched acceleration wise (i think the zed is a second slower 0-60) to an Evo and would be much faster top end. But, and its a big BUT! the Evo will out handle everything in its path! my zed is all over the place with the traction light coming on like a christmas tree in the wet, where as an Evo could fly round a roundabout at 60mph in the pooring rain hardly breaking traction, all due to the Active Yaw Control and the four wheel drive. They really do make you look like your the Stig!

Sorry for the essay! as you can tell i love Evos as much as Zeds!

+1 about the weight, LSD are supposed to be the best apparently. I always said i would fit lambo doors to the Z when i bought it but after reading Andy's article when he fitted his i must admit it looked like a right pain in the ar$e!!

Z store does them, aka Envy:

http://www.z-store.co.uk/index.cfm?fuse ... rentCat=18

£50 a pop- bargain! ill have ten!

SOLD TO MR PHIL!

well swapped probably as i need some bits from you Phil!

I'll p.m. you my requirements!

Had these delivered yesterday from America, I thought they would fit my Uk zed but only fit JDM's without the steering wheel controls. They stick directly over the silver parts on the steering wheel, i must admit they look sweeet so im a bit gutted. Cost me £55 plus postage and a 4 week wait, they have never been fitted so i would like £55 for them but ill pay for postage.

Mine were 8X18 in Gunmetal, I will warn you though i waxed mine once a week to stop the polished lips from corroding but once they start due to stone chips etc they preceeded to corrode like a b1tch! But no different to most polished lips on wheels i guess, i must say they are one of the best made wheels ive ever seen.

BUDDY CLUB!!

I had the P1 Racing II Plus on my Evo 8 and they were awesome! a proper Jap wheel for a proper jap car!

Hi Guys,

I've just bought some crystal clear rear Bumper lights, does any one know where i can get an L.E.D. fog light bulb from?

Cheers

Awesome pictures mate!

We so should organise a club trip to the ring! what an experience

My two favorite cars! I had an Evo 8 before my Zed, both are fantastic cars

Just going off on a slight tangent, Super unleaded from Tesco is costing us 114 a litre at the moment in our area, ive always used super or Vpower but is there really any point for us zed owners? seeing as the ECU gives us no increases!? I know it helps to clear carbon deposits etc but surely we would be better off buying the cheaper grade unleaded and using V power every now and then???

What do you guys think?

I had TOYO T1R's on my Evo 8 and they were fantastic, compared to the Continental Conti sports that were on it when i bought it? Bit weird that other people think they are poo, i would put them on my zed they were that good!

oh my god! shes gorgeous! i think i know what i want for my next car!

NOT!

Or one off an old 2nd world war plane, they were all supercharged.

 

You guys crack me up!

I LOVE IT!

but no im not

ARC titanium! its the way to go! i want one but they are about £70!

Well i was just going to buy a pop charger to be honest, but i had a bit of a result through work; they gave me a bonus of which i could use to buy what ever i wanted but i couldn't have it as cash. So i thought well its not really my money so i'll treat the zed! i'd never have spent that much money otherwise! Im a bit of a tart when it comes to manufacturers so id always spend a bit extra to get a performance part made by a well known company.