alexwitham Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Great work. Good to see another 24 year old owner with a GM GT taking good care of their car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanT Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the replies guys & Yes Alex! To be honest I almost enjoy working on the car as much as I enjoy driving it, ridiculous really! I’m afraid this update is another ‘boring’ P1 maintenance type one – But something I think some of you may find interesting. Local to me is a ‘self-service’ garage on the outskirts on Bristol, where you are able to hire ramps and tools by the hour (for this particular place it’s £15/for the first hour then £10/ph after that). Plus there is a tech on site for advice etc – But more importantly if you service your car they’ll check over your work and if it’s up to scratch they’ll give you a service stamp for the work done, so you get the satisfaction and assurance that it's been done correctly, whilst still getting the all important stamp! I can absolutely assure you I’m not affiliated with them in any way, just keen to raise awareness and help out some fellow enthusiasts offering a great service (who also happen to own a 350!) Some pics: Some interesting stuff dotted about, owners projects I think: Up on the ramps! Only a P1 oil and filter this time, nothing sexy unfortunately! The car has only done about 5k miles since I changed it last, but as I’ve only recently got it I prefer to keep to lower maintenance intervals for now just to be sure everything is in tip-top condition.. Managed to the entire service in under 20 minutes without even taking the under tray completely off. So easy when it’s on ramps! So just spend the rest of the time chatting / having a poke about underneath the car… GLUG GLUG: The magnetic sump plug didn't catch any nasties? Which must be a good thing. And all done, easy! IN OTHER NEWS – This morning I got bored and decided to quickly model a simple 350 profile and put it through an aerodynamics package, mainly for my own interest. But over the next few weeks I think I’ll make the effort and try to model the car properly, it’ll be interesting to understand the impact of any of these lips/skirts/diffusers if/when I fit them to the car... A rather predictable cut-plot: And of course a .gif: Thanks for taking the time to read! Edited April 12, 2015 by RyanT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Nice work with the simulation, pics and renta-facilities I'd bet you will ripen to join our supercharger cult in the not too distant future Weeks of installation fun to be had as a DIYer ..join our cult..join our cult.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexlfc Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The Citroen above is Glendas from Fast Car Magazine, on going/revived project. Be interesting to see what difference if any the diffusers, lips etc. make Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Very interesting read Ryan. Like the 3D metal printed keyring ~ Do you work for "Renishaw" then? They are our suppliers of our vacuum casting resins that we use here in Cardiff where I work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopedmark Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Doing well mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanT Posted April 18, 2015 Author Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) Thanks all - The comments are really appreciated! Nice work with the simulation, pics and renta-facilities I'd bet you will ripen to join our supercharger cult in the not too distant future Weeks of installation fun to be had as a DIYer ..join our cult..join our cult.. I would absolutely love to take on a project like that, in fact I'm reading through your build thread now... Jealousy isn't even the word! Very interesting read Ryan. Like the 3D metal printed keyring ~ Do you work for "Renishaw" then? They are our suppliers of our vacuum casting resins that we use here in Cardiff where I work. Thanks GMballistic! Yours is another thread actually that I'm slowly working my way through, really enjoying it so far - I think my wallet cowers in terror more and more with each page I read! Indeed I do, currently on their graduate development scheme - Although unfortunately I'd not had much exposure to any vac casting tech so far, looks interesting though! Anyway, on to today.... Had a fantastic day today in the 350 and a nice change from the usual boring work commute / maintenance! I've lived in Bristol for several years now, and each year I'd promise myself I'd spent a day around the Brecon Beacons experiencing some of the best roads the UK has to offer, but for some reason each year I'd never get around to it, ridiculous I know... After waking up this morning and seeing the weather I decided I couldn't put it off any longer. First, it started off with a quick Google - After which we had a plan, I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go just from reading countless threads from people doing a similar trip! Unfortunately I didn't get as many photos as I'd hoped, I was just having to much damn fun. First up of course is the classic 'right of passage' photo that everyone seems to snap! To those that don't know, this is the A4069 which runs between Byrnamman and Llangadog and is often used on Chris Harris videos/ Top Gear / Evo Magazine and it's easy to see why - It's absolutely phenomenal. Without a doubt the most fun I've had behind the wheel in a very, very long time. Although that hairpin is so much tighter and steeper than it looks in the videos! With a satellite view, it looks like this: I drove up and down three times, with two of those being uphill jaunts which in my opinion are much more fun in the 350. The section is extremely technical and tight with a consistent sheer drop (often unguarded) to one side and stones lining the road, so there's very little margin for error. I have to admit the 350 certainly feels it's width at points! That said, it's absolutely exhilarating when you are driving along and it's all suddenly laid out in front of you - An absolute must for anyone that's not done it yet! Unfortunately that's all I managed to snap, but after 5 hours of driving and an entire tank of Momentum99 I'm still sat here grinning from ear to ear! There can't be many other cars out there that offer such a thrill on these roads, but then allow you to sit back, flick the cruise control on and let it effortlessly eat up those motorway miles home, all the while your girlfriend happily naps in the passenger seat! Edited April 19, 2015 by RyanT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 It's a fantastic set of roads, ...great pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanT Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) Christ I'm rubbish at updating this: The car has been faultless over the past year and just flew through it's first MOT under my ownership, so I thought now was as good time as any to pursue a childhood dream of mine! It all started with many, many nights learning a certain track on Project Cars: Then we planned our route: So there it was, we were off to the Nurburgring! Leaving in the early hours of Friday morning we stopped for a couple of hours in Bruges, which was absolutely gorgeous: The car was of course faultless over the 450 or so miles there. Really ate up the miles, plus even managed to hit 155 on the unrestricted Autobahn, which it seemed to do with ease.. Even averaged 33mpg over the trip, not bad! Upon arrival we checked out the famous 'Youtube corner' section, I can only repeat what everyone else says in that the track is so much steeper then you expect. (I think the maximum incline is 17%?)... It's really surreal seeing the track in real life, after spending so many years seeing it through videos / playing it on games. Unfortunately, the weather worsened and it started to get wet / foggy - However the track was fairly quiet, so I bit the bullet and bought a lap. With the traction control left firmly on I ventured out.... (turns out this was a wise desision, it didn't stop blinking through certain sections!) What can I say, it was absolutely mind-blowing (-ly slippery) but so fast. The 350Z is fairly well suited to the track, as it's fairly easy to drive at 6/10th in a quick but safe manor. But what I didn't expect was the calibre of cars there, I thought it would be a bit of everything - But almost everything else there was either a 911, M3 or RS Renault, serious business! While playing a video game doesn't prepare you for many aspects and sensations of the track, however it did allow me to anticipate and know what was coming next, which was so valuable on a track which blind crests and corners so heavily! One good thing about the wet is that traction limits everyone, so everyone is at a similar pace. Although in my very first lap I came across 4 crashes, christ! The track was closed again soon after... Some pictures: One I bought: After getting around unscathed I decided to count myself lucky and call it a day! The next day I managed to get some dry laps which were fantastic, but almost more stressful as the speed-differential between casual users like myself and the real racers was absolutely massive! But the car really did itself proud, again some pictures I found online: I didn't time myself as I thought it would end in tears, either at my slow time or a crashed car! But to be honest I couldn't care less about times. I also found it much less intimidating than I expected, everyone was very well behaved and as long as you adhered to the rules when it comes to passing I never felt like I was in a compromising position and always had plenty of room. Oh and of course I can't forget the little Twingo my pals hired! In summary, amazing trip and much cheaper than you expect (especially when splitting between a mate). I did do this as a 'bucket-list' kind of trip, but I think I'll try and make it a yearly thing! Even if you don't fancy the track, just the atmosphere is worth experiencing - Plus the surrounding car parts are like the best car show you've ever seen! Quick breakdown of costs: Ferry return: £55 Apartment: 2 nights, 2 people: £90 Fuel, approx 3 tanks: ~£200 4 laps of the ring: £75 1000+ miles, 5 laps of the Nurburgring, 155mph & 33mpg! I also think you'd struggle to pick a better car for the trip than the 350Z, it really is a 'do-it-all' car and I couldn't be more impressed with it! If you are on the fence about it, or worried - Don't be, just go for it! Edited October 20, 2015 by RyanT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanT Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) MyBose subwoofer started cutting out earlier this week, so ordered a replacement relay and soldered it in. A really easy and rewarding fix! [/media] Edited October 31, 2015 by RyanT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargara Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 You and I have different definitions of "very easy fix" lol. Using a soldering iron (which i dont even own) is not an easy fix Mines knackered too but I just live with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanT Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) You and I have different definitions of "very easy fix" lol. Using a soldering iron (which i dont even own) is not an easy fix Mines knackered too but I just live with it. Soldering something like this is so so easy I promise! Plus you can buy a soldering iron kit for like £7 posted from Amazon! Edited December 10, 2015 by RyanT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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