From A to Zed

That's a tough one, I've been thinking the same! I'm not enitrely sure but I guess a new car is going to fall straight into the top band for road tax? If I were a betting man I would also punt on fuel getting more expensive in the medium to longer term. Also factor in the economic climate, which looks pretty bleak, and you could be facing a significant loss in 24 months... It depends if you heart rules your head I guess... Do you think an 08 car is that much better than an 05 model for the layout??? I hope I'm not putting you off but I would be tempted to keep the extra cash in the current climate. It's still a lot of car of 20k though and it will look great on the drive!! Matt

I would debadge it and see how it looks first. I'm pleased with mine and you can always pick one up if you feel the urge to replace it:)

Hi mate, Envy have a lot of braces and all sorts: http://www.envyperformance.com/ Select you car and check the suspension/chassis section on the left hand side. I think they have an ebay store too but ebay is blocked at my office. I would imagine Adam Z1 Auto's has a lot too if you don't mind shipping from across the pond.

I'm looking in the wrong place or does that Zed need some tyre gel?

Best colour, best interior

Thanks Adam, quick question; a swaybar is basically the American term for anti roll bar (ARB's) right? I'm very tempted by the package as it's more preferable than taking two products and hoping they work together! Matt

Thanks Pagnobito, I have aftermarket wheels and Big Phil got the offset spot on so they fill the arches nicely. I'm basically looking for a little drop, for the style, and something to sharpen the handling a touch. I think most folk on here have either fitted just the springs or gone the whole nine yards with coilovers and ARB's etc. I was looking for something halfway to keep the budget in check... Cheers, Matt

Hi all, Has anyone tried fitting ARB’s and springs rather going all out and fitting coilovers? I've read some recent posts and noted the great results but I can't really justify spending another £800 odd on coilovers as my brake discs and pads will need changing next year... I'm considering something like this from the Z1 site: http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?mode ... rodid=3283 I want the car to look a bit tougher and handle a bit sharper but I drive well within the car’s limits (and my own) so I think coilovers are probably OTT for my needs... I might do a track day at some point but it’s not something I intend to get serious about… We all know about intentions on there though! Thanks guys, Matt

I 'think' it has a small fan inside so you're basically attaching a hairdryer to your intake... Just remember to keep it off the hot setting

Hey Josh, lotuscc, Have you noticed much of a drop in performance since fitting your de cats / high flow cats respectively? I've heard you can lose anything up to 40ft/lb of torque but I'm a sucker for noise too Cheers, Matt

Great stuff Andrew, I hope you get to spend a family Christmas together. ESR has contributed so much to this site, here's hoping that continues for years to come. All the best, Matthew.

Great guide, also good to see the Dutch tackle big jobs with a cup of tea of first

Personally I'm not sure what the RAC cover and what comeback you would get if they missed something, hopefully someone on here can add to that?? Generally speaking the car is pretty tough mechanically so check for full service history and check the brakes and clutch if the miles are higher. My Z has done 53k and it still feels solid. It's the bodywork that's harder to spot. The friend I mentioned was spotting things I would have missed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying spook you!! There are plenty of good examples out there, a check might help you avoid a lemon though!

Hi buddy, I had a look at few 350's (under 10k in price) with a friend who wanted a Z on a tight budget... All the ones we looked at had been re painted in various places and in some cases quite poorly. Of course this could have been an innocent car park ding repaired but then again it could be something more serious being covered up... In all cases the seller the denied any knowledge of repairs. If you're looking at spending 10k stick with the private market. The ones the traders get hold off are generally to rough for the forecourts (of the dealers) and off loaded to the traders on the cheap. You should be able to find a clean, early UK car within budget. Just check the service history and go over the bodywork carefully. Take a leather with you if it's raining / frosty so you can see the paint dry. Rain or beaded water will cover up any imperfections. Good luck.

That looks really smart, clean and simple with some quality mods. I personally found the rotas no heavier that the rays when I changed mine. I didn't weight them though so it's a hardly a scientific statement...

Hi mate, I have to be honest, I have no axle stands so I went for the lazy option and got a tyre/exhaust centre to fit it. (I used F1 in Chelmsford as my parents use them a lot and I find them quite good). They used all the standard mounts and I've had no problems with rubbing, rattles or alignment. I hope that helps, if only a little! Matt

Thanks guys

Sorry it's taken a while, here are some clips for those who are interested. I really like the sound, it's great with the window down but very quiet in the cabin. Sorry the clips are not 'full throttle' but it was a public area. For reference my set up is; HKS induction kit, standard cats and Y pipe, Scorpion system. Enjoy http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A6E233F5ADC5184A

Thanks Mike

Hi mate, Can you clear your inbox? I dropped you a PM but it's stuck in my outbox... Thanks, Matt

PM matey!

You can just imagine... The back of my tv cabinet looks messy enough

I'm actually running the same set up. I fitted this myself at the weekend... It took about 4 hours and a whole pack of rich tea biscuits but it was well worth the grazed knuckles. I'll post up a 'how to' in the guides section..... You'll need a pair of pliers and insulation tape to splice the ECU's...

Hi Amit, I bought my Scorpion a few weeks back, my Z is a 53 plate uk car. I took mine to a local tyre/exhaust centre, they had in on in 20 minutes and complimented the quality of the fit. If you're not confident save yourself the hassle! I hope it works out, Matt

Congratulations to Lewis and congratulations to Massa for being a great sport and a gentleman. It's the FIA that's ruining the sport; F - Ferrari I - International A - Assistance