James Junior Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 One thing the latest tour demonstrated is that the car's current weak point is without a doubt the brakes. My OEM pads were getting a bit low after the Euro tour last year, so I 'upgraded' to EBC Yellow Stuff pads. To be fair they were fine for day to day use, but in performance driving conditions they just weren't up to the task, which is a bit ironic as that is supposedly their raison d'etre! They fade fast and on the odd occassion where you have to reach deep into the pedal for some emergency stopping power, they don't give anything more just when you need it. On tour as a result of ongoing radio-banter they earned the unfortunate moniker of 'EBC Brown Stuff'! Given that brakes are...you know...kind of important, I am getting on this ASAP. I am aiming to have a new brake set up installed ready for my European tour at the start of July. After doing some research and seriously considering a PB Big Brake kit, Mike Cooper (my advanced driving instructor) recommended getting some Endless pads, which in his experience he reckoned would do the trick without the need to fork out for a big brake conversion. Endless are a Japanese company who predominently develop braking tech for racing, but do some high-end fast road and track pads. More information is on their website below if you care to look. Its a good site largely, despite the odd touch of 'Engrish' here and there. http://www.endless-brake.info/ I trust Mike's judgement, so after a bit of shopping around I have ordered a set from R53 engineering, along with some braided lines and performance brake fluid from Tweeks. The pads are being delivered from Japan so may take a while, but their ETA is before the end of the month so I hope to have them fitted before I head off into Europe. Hopefully these combined with the braided lines and better fluid will give me the extra stopping power I am looking for. I will let you know more once they are on and I have had chance to test them out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) So...the car spat its dummy out last week with the dreaded steering lock failure and had to be recovered. A new module from Nissan was going to hit me for £480 plus VAT and fitting. However, there is no stock in the UK, so had to be ordered from Japan with a 3 week lead time. As my drving tour of Europe was fast approaching this was no good, so with some help from John Bonehill and the forums, Lockwood and Greenwood my Z indie managed to get it running again and removed the fuse to prevent reoccurence. Unfortunately this then lead to the red bonnet light coming on. Apparently this light is more frequently seen on roadsters, indicating that the hood has not been retracted properly, which is odd given mine is a coupe. The car is being worked on again today and hoping they can get her back to top form, as I am supposed to be driving to Southampton tomorrow to catch the chunnel early Saturday morning and head into France. On the plus side, whilst the car was in L&G fitted my new Endless brakepads, braided lines and better brake fluid. Reports from a brief test drive are that it hasn't given a noticeable increase in braking, however, this set up is designed to show it quality once the brakes are hot. Hopefully I will get to test the theory in the days to come! Edited June 30, 2016 by James Junior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS8055 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Finally found some time for another proper update whilst on the train home from London. A few weeks ago I spent an amazing weekend driving the best roads Wales has to offer with a great bunch of guys courtesy of Pete Osborne and Dan Hale of Petrolhead Tours. http://petrolhead.tours/ Memorable drives included a thrilling blast chasing a 911 Carrera across the Evo Triangle in heavy rain, a great run with a Ferrari F430 and BMW M3 through empty countryside and an ascent into the Brecon Beacons National Park hot on the heels of a GT3. As usual the Z kept its head up in some pretty exhalted company. Apart from during my days driving tuition, this was the first real chance I had to put the KW V3s through their paces out in the wild. What a fantastic piece of kit they are... Had an unfortunate end to the weekend as I had a disagreement with a stray rock at the side of the road whilst heading up the Black Moutain. Clipped both wheels, bubbled the front tyre, burst the rear tyre and scuffed the side blade. After the event it turns out a few other people have done the same going up there. At least I know now for next time. Queue a 7 hour wait on the side of a mountain whilst awaiting the arrival of the AA, who took all day to finally send a vehicle appropriate to recover a low car. Despite an unfortunate end there was no serious damage and it didn't detract from what was an amazing weekend. Great people, great roads and superb planning and organisation. Turned out to be an expensve weekend really, as I was offered a last minute drop out place on the Alpine South tour in early July. Well I couldn't very well say no could I......?! So soon Z and I will be off on our travels again. I can't wait for deserted Alpine passes and dry weather... Here a few pics from the Wales session: Miles and miles of beautiful roads, largely deserted: Nice motors in attendance as usual: That is some serious high performance ass: Driver of this TVR T350 had brass balls given the conditions for much of the tour and the lack of ABS and driver aids: F430 looked lovely in understated grey with red leather interior: Driver of this lovely old 325i did an admirable job of keeping up with some serious modern machinery, with only a few suspension mods to assist: Awesome wrapped Mclaren 12C was so attention-grabbing that one member of the public rear ended another in Llandridnod Wells as he was too busy gawping at it: Beautiful scenery at one of our afternoon rest stops: As usual it wasn't just a range of cars, but a range of ages too. Alex, the driver of this F-Type was 70 years old and still loving his fast cars: Had a great run with the F430 over miles of deserted roads after the afternoon break: This white van man was a ledge! When he found himself in the middle of the convoy he wouldn't give ground, taking the racing line through the corners hanging onto the 911 in front of him! We gave the unknown hero a toast at dinner that evening: The old military road had lots of visibility and was deserted: Now that is one VERY flat tyre - upon inspection I realised the rock I clipped had torn a 2 inch hole in the tyre. All the tyre weld in the world wouldn't put that back together again: Some of the guys pulled in to see if they could help, but recovery was the only option: So began the loooooong wait for the AA. Could I have picked a more remote location?! Did I mention it was remote? Like REALLY remote: First AA guy who turned up couldn't get me back on the road unfortunately. They then sent a loader some hours later that still couldn't cope with a low car, despite me stressing this twice on the phone: I had hardly any phone signal but did have my laptop, so figured I would at least make constructive use of the time I had to kill by doing a bit of work. Never normally get a view like this from my office: Finally at 5pm the AA got a special low access vehicle to me. I had been sat in that layby for 7 hours! The driver took me to Cardiff airport, where I got a hire car to drive home to Manchester. I was knackered when I got home! The Z was trailered up the next day. So what have I learnt? Beware of stray rocks on the Black Mountain and don't break down in the depths of nowhere on a Sunday with a car with barely more than 3 inches of ground clearance! No way!!! I took my 350Z to Brecon Beacons, and literally spent 2 hours at that exact location on Black Mountain pass (that hairpin was so much fun to get her sideways!) All I needed to do was politely ask my mate to stand on the corner of the hairpin to check no cars were coming and give me the thumbs up to use the whole road! Great fun indeed, but I know when turning around there were some big rocks protruding from the ground in places where I wanted to turn around! I came close to getting a puncture too I am sure! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS8055 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Also when is your driving tour of Europe mate? Where are you stopping off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 Hi All, Just checking back in after another great tour of Europe. The drive covered nearly 3,000 miles covering France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. As ever, the Z did a great job of clinging onto the coat tails of much more expensive and capable machinery. The Endless brake pads were brilliant throughout and so much better than the standard set up. The first time they were used in anger resulted in them smoking like hell and I had to pull over for fifteen mins to let them cool down, but after that they performed flawlessly with no fade and lots of stopping power. A superb upgrade. Here is the list of motors in attendance, a number of which were running power mods: - BMW 235i x 3 - Porsche Boxster Spider - Porsche Cayman GTS - Ford Focus RS - Mercedes C63 AMG x 2 - Audi RS4 - Ferrari F355 Spider - Porsche 996 911 turbo - Alpina B3 - Porsche Boxster - McLaren 650S - Audi R8 - Ferrari F430 - Porsche 997 GT3 - BMW M3 - Jaguar XK-R I will post a picture of the full route later, but in the meantime here are a few of my favourites from the tour: Parked up at the start of Susten Pass: Near the top of Grimsel Pass: Coming down the other side of Grimsel Pass (check out the road below!): Following an F355 down Furka: Top of the Nufenen (after passing the 911CS, GT3, F430 and F355 on the ascent as I was going quicker on that section!): Lovely V10 R8 at the top of Nufenen: Rear shot of the F430 at the same spot: Lunch stop in Switzerland: Marc's 650S near the top of St Bernadino - quickest car on the tour by a fair margin: Hotel Belvedere: Merc C63 and F430 at the foot of the Col De Gallibier: Canyon run north east of Carcassonne: Adil's beautiful Boxster Spyder: At the peak of Mount Ventoux: F355 beneath the Millau Bridge: Rest break near the Pyrenees: Glenn and Vanessa's Cayman GTS: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) Arriving back from the trip the Z needs a new windscreen as a chip turned into a 6 inch crack, but quite pleased really as the windscreen was very scratched anyway so well ready for replacing and covered on my insurance. The Stillen front lip has also started to sag a bit on one side and is catching a bit on speedbumps, so going to get this looked at. Other than that the car shrugged off another 2,800 miles with casual ease. I have also reached the conclusion that the Motordyne ART pipes are too loud for my taste too, so going to put the standard cats back on. This means both the Berks and the Motordynes will be up for sale on the forum if anyone wants them. Edited July 13, 2016 by James Junior 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattross1313 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Awesome update!! Glad it was ready in time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Flipping awesome man!! Although there are some impressive machines in those pics , the zed holds its own .... Looking absolutely menacing ! Can see my self buying one in the near future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Flipping awesome man!! Although there are some impressive machines in those pics , the zed holds its own .... Looking absolutely menacing ! Can see my self buying one in the near future Buying what ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Flipping awesome man!! Although there are some impressive machines in those pics , the zed holds its own .... Looking absolutely menacing ! Can see my self buying one in the near future Buying what ?? Cheeky little 70 to play with ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Flipping awesome man!! Although there are some impressive machines in those pics , the zed holds its own .... Looking absolutely menacing ! Can see my self buying one in the near future Buying what ?? Cheeky little 70 to play with ....... Ahh lol Didn't see thst comming They are comming cheep enough now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Great pictures. I'm not always a fan of aftermarket body mods but I like the way your car looks at lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 Thanks guys. I know this thread has become more a 'where I have been' thread than a member build thread! I must confess however....I am starting to crave more power. I found it hard overtaking at some points on the tour due to the relative lack of torque of the Z and its lack or low down grunt. I found myself really having to wind it up to get past , whilst the higher power V8s or moder turbo charged stuff just sailed past. Starting to look at M3s... Josh - how have you found yours? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Love your write ups and pics - got me wondering how me & my little hatchback would be allowed to join in, if only as a support vehicle Mind you, in the wet in Wales twisties I might be pushing you along a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350jimbobz Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Breathtaking pictures there mate Why not go FI if you want more grunt seeing as you have invested in the car already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 The problem with big v8 etc is the bills follow suit Collins A45 would push many things on those mountain roads To quote Chris Harris. If your following the a45 on a damp twisty b road in a m3 or c63 don't try and hang on to it because you will fall off! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Thanks guys. I know this thread has become more a 'where I have been' thread than a member build thread! I must confess however....I am starting to crave more power. I found it hard overtaking at some points on the tour due to the relative lack of torque of the Z and its lack or low down grunt. I found myself really having to wind it up to get past , whilst the higher power V8s or moder turbo charged stuff just sailed past. Starting to look at M3s... Josh - how have you found yours? It's a amazing machine to be honest !! But although it's a 4.0 v8 .... It's low on ftlb , 300 I think . So it's not at all a torqey car . You do have to ring it out . But when the engine sounds so so good it just begs you to rev it . You going to the beaulie jap show? Was thinking about meeting up with everyone at the tescos car park before to say hi and have a chat . More than welcome to get there early and go for a spin . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 (edited) Flipping awesome man!! Although there are some impressive machines in those pics , the zed holds its own .... Looking absolutely menacing ! Can see my self buying one in the near future Buying what ?? Cheeky little 70 to play with ....... Ahh lol Didn't see thst comming They are comming cheep enough now The m won't go , just love the look of the 70 at the mo ! James's one is looking super classy and get proper aggressive . Love it Edited July 14, 2016 by Bodyboarder81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanman312 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 It dose look good doesn't it And the same colour as mine Goes off till steal styling ideas lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 It dose look good doesn't it And the same colour as mine Goes off till steal styling ideas lol I think I only appreciate a car that I don't have ! My cars awesome but I always wondering eyes!! And this forum and its members are by far the best , reason enough to buy a Nissan . Bmw forums are an absolute joke with complete disrespect for anyone . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Hi guys, Yes point taken about the M3's lack of torque - I had already seen this on paper and heard this anecdotally. I imagine once the M3 is wound up though it is noticeably quicker than the Z so just a matter of keeping it in the zone? A bit like a more muscular V-Tec? My girlfriend has just picked up a very nicely specced 3 series convertible on a 2012 plate and I have been a bit seduced by the build quality and refinement, which was what really got me thinking about an M3. I really fancy an F Type 3.0 S but they are still a bit too rich for my blood, as I don't want to spend more than £30k. I discounted the C63 and XKR on account of them being too lardy, whilst a TT RS has no appeal at all. I also considered an SLK AMG but they don't get very good write ups, whilst the SL is too lardy again. I don't want a hot hatch as I just don't think they are special enough, which doesn't leave much out there as an incremental step up from the 370Z! Only other thing I would consider would be a Z4 35is, so will test drive one of these too when the time comes, but they don't come very highly recommended as a driver's car. I did get a drive in one of the guys' 235is whilst on tour and they are mega quick, but just not special enough for me. In fact I think the styling and proportions are just downright ugly! Open to suggestions if I have missed anything? Remember the car is a daily driver so cannot be too extreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Junior Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks guys. I know this thread has become more a 'where I have been' thread than a member build thread! I must confess however....I am starting to crave more power. I found it hard overtaking at some points on the tour due to the relative lack of torque of the Z and its lack or low down grunt. I found myself really having to wind it up to get past , whilst the higher power V8s or moder turbo charged stuff just sailed past. Starting to look at M3s... Josh - how have you found yours? It's a amazing machine to be honest !! But although it's a 4.0 v8 .... It's low on ftlb , 300 I think . So it's not at all a torqey car . You do have to ring it out . But when the engine sounds so so good it just begs you to rev it . You going to the beaulie jap show? Was thinking about meeting up with everyone at the tescos car park before to say hi and have a chat . More than welcome to get there early and go for a spin . Thanks for the offer Josh, but I am not going to this. How have you found driving the M3 and the Z back to back? Any observations you could offer? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 (edited) Thanks guys. I know this thread has become more a 'where I have been' thread than a member build thread! I must confess however....I am starting to crave more power. I found it hard overtaking at some points on the tour due to the relative lack of torque of the Z and its lack or low down grunt. I found myself really having to wind it up to get past , whilst the higher power V8s or moder turbo charged stuff just sailed past. Starting to look at M3s... Josh - how have you found yours? It's a amazing machine to be honest !! But although it's a 4.0 v8 .... It's low on ftlb , 300 I think . So it's not at all a torqey car . You do have to ring it out . But when the engine sounds so so good it just begs you to rev it . You going to the beaulie jap show? Was thinking about meeting up with everyone at the tescos car park before to say hi and have a chat . More than welcome to get there early and go for a spin . Thanks for the offer Josh, but I am not going to this. How have you found driving the M3 and the Z back to back? Any observations you could offer? Ya the m3's better As you said about your girlfriends convertible ..... They are just utter quality . I've been under the car a few times now and everything is engineered so well and the build quality is miles ahead of Nissan , but I guess you pay for it in the price . My zed was awesome ..... In my eyes the ultimate 350z , looks , power , brakes and bhp . But on most roads the m3 would just pull away , not because it's got more power ( which it doesn't ) its just can put down what power it has very very well . The engine is a masterpiece , such a tone and power delivery . The gearbox ( dtc 7 speed ) is what makes the car for me , matches the engine perfectly and you never tire of the brutal auto blips on the down shifts ! The only thing I would say that needs attention is the brakes . Just a simple pad / fluid upgrade is what is needed really . The only thing that the zed has over the m is the looks ...... I absolutely love the looks of the meaty stance the 50/70 have . 5 months in and I've not messed around with the car too much and I'm a real modifier !! So that speaks how good the M is really ! If your ever down my way ( Southampton ) send me a pm and I'll pop out to meet you ...... But I warn you , you'll get the M bug Edited July 18, 2016 by Bodyboarder81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 For me a better car isn't always better.... I see an RS4, M3, C63 AMG all very lovely German boxes which are quick version of some very dull cars in my eyes where as the Zed traces it's heritage back to the absolute stunning 240z which at any car show turns heads for the right reasons. You can see styling takes in the 350z and 370z of the classic and the Zed i think is a way more special car with a much nicer sound track plus a great owners club too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodyboarder81 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 For me a better car isn't always better.... I see an RS4, M3, C63 AMG all very lovely German boxes which are quick version of some very dull cars in my eyes where as the Zed traces it's heritage back to the absolute stunning 240z which at any car show turns heads for the right reasons. You can see styling takes in the 350z and 370z of the classic and the Zed i think is a way more special car with a much nicer sound track plus a great owners club too. Completely agree ...... The zeds have a lovely shape , but the m has got some good heritage as well ..... I've always said it that the 370 should have been 370-400 bhp , if it was I'd be in one ..... The engine wasn't enough of a step up from the HR 50's imo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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