Chesterfield

Unfortunately UK dealers will almost always try and put people off a JDM car. They are afterall, in business to sell you their product, and have a vested interest in making sure people wish to purchase a UK car. I had exactly the same issue when shopping for three company Golfs. The VW dealers tried spinning me all sorts of crap to put me off imports. The list included - lights the wrong way round, engine air pipes different, guages different, trip computers different, and dealers would refuse to service it and stamp the book. As it happens, we ended up buying two import golfs. Both came with higher spec than UK cars (heated seats, lamp washers, heated washer jets, climate control) - and both have been rock solid for four years. And both were cheaper. One has needed a single brake light switch, which was sourced without issue from a main dealer. And they have both been serviced without any question by VW, and the service book stamped. It is often the case that members of car enthusiast forums, especially those dedicated to one particular marque, will often know far more about the car than any dealership. This has certainly been my experience for the Golf. As long as you research your intended purchase fully - which you are doing by asking questions of existing JDM owners, then you will be fully aware of all the differences.

All 20 are not taken yet - so if you want one, get your name down and its yours

No - were not taking the edit button away! LOL.. I couldnt cope. PS - the quote & edit buttons etc will be pushed off the screen if a large image is posted up that stretches the screen. Maybe that did it?

At the current UK/US exchange rate thats not a bad deal at all considering the specs of the car.

Unfortunately I cant make 24th or 25th June. This souds like a good gathering though, and it would certainly be interesting to see the evolution of the Z cars in the flesh. Hope it all goes well!

The continued interest from cosworth does sound good. It will be interesting to see if its a lightweight metal plenum or a plastic jobbie.

Now now gentlemen.... LOL. It is a shame that the UK Z community appears to be being let down here - perhaps things may change. If the Italians have already gone down the "guinea pig" route, perhaps we could learn from their experience? Would one of the Italian tuners be prepared to work with a UK tuning outfit to bring this to good old blighty? I have about as much knowledge about this gadget/gizmo and the whole tuning market as you could fit on the back of a postage stamp, so I may be talking out of my backside though?

They come with silver wheels as standard. so should look OK. Having seen a yellow with black rims in the flesh though Ihave to say they look the dogs danglies. closest I can find is images of the standard GT4 rims, which are silve 5 spoke.

Just to recap - this is the latest list of confirmed attendees: TheMinel Prescience 350ZNismo Chesterfield M13KYF (saturday) Neo ( might be on hols ) steve jones steve_b Revsport Lomoto (sunday only) NickU NickMSM Kev946 Now only 7 full weekend spaces remaining, Please post up if you wish to come along and put your car on the plot, it will have to be a first come first served basis. Once all plots are full, we will make a reserve list, and nearer the time confirm the attendence of all listed - should any drop out, the places will go to those on the reserve list, again on first come first served. Of course, stickers, flyers and spotted cards will all be available for members to pick up. Regards, Chris.

ya misses Nope - twas mine to take to work yesterday I dont make a habbit of it though, to keep the miles down. Also the car park where she works is better than here - wouldnt want any more of those unwanted door dents.

The E46 is starting to look a bit dated now. I seriously looked at a 12-18 month old M3 convertible, and they are a very nice car, and great to drive - but to be honest, they are starting to be a bit "common". Sure they are an expensive motor, but I can count three on our estate, and in any given day can spot at least half a dozen. And its not as if I live in some rich city area either - Im in Chesterfield, Derbyshire! One of the main reasons I chose the Z was for its "exclusivity". Its not as expensive as some marques, but it seems to be a whole lot less common. Ive already spotted the same ammount of Porsche Caymans in Chesterfield as I have Z's.

LOL. Whats an M3 cost again? (Once you've added the "extras" to an M3 that come as standard on a GT Z) £43K? and a standard 350Z GT coupe? £29K thats £14k or almost 50% more. If I spent £14k more than I did on a 350Z, Id expect something quicker too. Perhaps M3's should be compared to other cars in their "league". Perhaps a Cayman for starters? It makes me chuckle when M3's are compared to 350Z's in order for the M3's to "prove" what a superior car they are. Are M3's compared to the likes of the 350Z in order to try and convince the M3 owners that the car is actually worth the money they have just parted with. Do BMW advise owners not to compare it to something of a similar price and class, as they may be dissapointed? Dont get me wrong, the M3 is a very nice car, and its nice that people actually consider the 350Z worthy of comparison, but for the money, can anyone suggest how an M3 would stak up against a 350Z with an extra £14k thrown at it?

Ahhhh - see... The summer weather always gets people thinking about a drop top... Guess whos driving home with the top down tonight... I think the performance drops by about 0.2 to 60, the rigidity doesnt seem too different to be honest, as they have still managed to keep the rear strut brace. The weight is up about 100KG believe it or not! which will make some difference in agility, I have only ever driven the coupe on a couple of test drives, and find the roadster almost identical. The sound of that exhaust not with the roof down certainly makes up for any shortcomings on teh rest of the car. The pre 06 model doesnt have steering wheel mounted controls for the stereo though.

I found it on another car site, one of their members owns the Pulsar GTI-R at the top. Good figure though Val, wonder what a F/I Z can do?

0-60 times from the day... Only one 350Z on the list, and not too shabby a performance either... eh Val? http://www.theresults.co.uk/2006_Motorsport_0604_Speed_Modified_Nationals_Car_Show_Overall_0-60_results.pdf

Hi. Thats not too bad a price - but unfortunatley it looks like this may be on hold a while, as the invoices for other jobs have started to land. Perhaps it wont be ready for JAE afterall. Grrr....

Spotted a nicely polished black roadster in clay cross today (Saturday). Looked like you were doing the exact same thing as me, just driving around with no real purpose, just enjoying the sun with the top down!

Thread locked. I agree this could be construed as a "swipe" at another site. I have made ammendments to various posts here in an attempt to resolve the issue in a satisfactory way for everyone - any issues feel free to PM me. People who have spoken to me will know my feelings regarding this "us and them" matter - and I feel it should NOT be discussed ad nauseum, again, on this forum. Needless to say, I feel any 350Z site should act in the best interests of the Z community. So with that in mind, look out for more discounts being announced on this site. And, as always, they will all be free.

The empty space looks just fine. Its actually very useful for holding small items etc when you jump in the car. I personaly would find the cabin less "useful" if it was permenently filled with sat nav. The TomTom fits nice and snug in their when going on grand tours round North Wales for example.

Yep - its the full kit. I notice that the rear bumper comes with a cover to mask off one of the exhaust cut outs (why anyone wants one Ill never know). If that is an optional extra Im not bothered about it, as Ill be sticking with the standard twin tailpipes. Im guessing though that the cover is just shipped with the bumper and the end user then has the choice whether to use it or not.

Yep - mine does it with the radio off too. I think more investigation is needed.... Im sure its supposed to be noise canceling technology, but perhaps the Clarion unit in the Z cant match a true Bose unit?

I have the same issue - its like white noise, I assumed it was some of that fancy exterior noise cancelling white noise, but I doubt it. Very weird.

Unfortunatley no reply from vestitas, probably way too busy playing with the TVR (who can blame him). I can source it from the US for about $950 plus shipping, but its the shipping and taxes that are the killer. I will get it done, but the extra cost of shiping and import duties may mean putting it off another month or whenever the hell pay day comes round. LOL.

As you have an issue with the rear, and the gap that has appeared, cant you use this as "leverage" to force the fixing of the rest of the work? What I mean is, you could cause the delay of payment for the authorised work until they sort out the front end. Once they sort out the front end, as well as the rear, then you will inform your insurance company you are happy and the brakes can come off the payment. In a nutshell use your "obvious dissatisfaction" over the rear, as leverage to have the front fixed.

Sounds like a guy that takes real pride in the perception of his company and the quality of its work. They didnt take the front bumper off to respray it?!? WTF? Its not as if its a lot of effort. Id be on the blower to the insurance company making sure he did not get paid full stop. In fact, Id be getting quotes from another bodyshop for the cost of repairing the "damage" caused, and insisting that your insurance company bill the first garage for it.