Bockaaarck

Man, that's bad news, I really feel for you. I hope it's not too expensive to sort out

Welcome aboard Jamie

Ryan, top marks to your girlfriend for getting you such a cool present. For me it would have to be the Lamborghini, with the 430 a very close runner up. Whatever car you decide on, really enjoy the day and take in as much in as you can. Trust me, you will absolutely love it.

I understand what you're saying Simon, it does seem to be a rough deal in some ways. However you still get to experience a car or cars that very few people will get an opportunity to drive. It might be better if these companies could find a way of saying to people "ok, you've done the supercar experience and enjoyed it. Here's a voucher valid for 12 months giving you 50 or 70 quid off a half day 'one to one' supercar instruction. It'd cost you 400 quid normally but this voucher is a bonus for attending this experience so you've got a good saving." That session would maybe give the attendee a bit more freedom to experience the car and potentially make the business money.

This is because your expectations are not realistic. A rally/drift company can let you thrash their cars as they are probably worth about £5k each. Before people moan about not being allowed to drive a Lambo/Ferrari exactly how they want, they should think about if they had shelled out £200k of their own cash, would they allow people to jump in a thrash it? No. I paid £90k for my Gallardo no one ever drove it apart from me, not even my wife. If I'd invested that money in a car and it was not only a car but also a business investment and was my livelihood, would I let inexperienced people into the car and cane it around a track? No. People need to realise that these 'experience days' are not ever going to be a true reflection of the car or the ownership experience. Its about getting in a car that most people will never even see on a road let alone own one. If you want to drive it like you stole it, you can hire any car you like for about £600 a day as long as you leave a £5k deposit. Then see how brave you are when it's only your £5k on the line........ What Sarnie said Sadly nobody is really going to let you get to grips with these cars on a day like this at the kind of cost involved, a shame but totally understandable. I had a Gallardo for a long weekend (Fri - Mon) and the hire cost was £1750, I also put down a £5k security deposit. These kinds of costs give you a truer reflection of the 'responsiblity' of driving / owning a high performance of super car. Although admittedly not to the same extent as Sarnie would have had as real owner. I realise I'm very fortunate to be in a position to be able to 'hire' something like a Gallardo for a weekend. The real beauty of being able to hire a car like that for a number of days is the greater freedom you're given. That meant being able to scoot around on the kind of roads one drives on all the time, a and b roads, dual carraigeways, motor ways etc. It was a fantastic experience, something I really enjoyed. However it also makes you appreciate the 'quirks' of owning a car like that. Pulling in to a petrol station to refuel to find (too late) that there was a slight rise in the concrete apron, only highlighted by the ensuing scraping noise. Passenger agreed to get out and check these kind of 'suspected' bumps / kerbs etc in future, but this little error ended up costing £2k+ to respray the front bumper / lip . Then there's the width, or apparent width' of the car, which can be nerve wracking in tight town and city traffic, or country lanes with oncoming lorrys / trucks. Also there is attraction of the vehicle itself to other motorists. Boy racers and chav's want to race you, meaning they pull all sorts of stupid manoeuvres in traffic. People 'gawping' at the car, which is nice, but then they end up not paying attention to the road. Both of these things put you as well as other motorists (and the car) at risk. Getting stuck in a queue of traffic on Park Street in Bristol, desperately hoping you have adequate car control (in a vehicle you're not used to) so that you don't 1) burn out the clutch 2) stall it when the traffic moves and then get hit by a car behind. All that being said it is the most fun I've had driving a car full stop(inluding Aston's and AMG Merc's etc). It's a very inoxicating mixture of fun, fear, adrenaline, speed, movement....it's very difficult to describe when you get the opportunity to make progress on a fantastic bit of road. Hiring that Gallardo is one of the best things I have ever done, despite the unexpected additional cost . I will do it again without a shadow of a doubt, unless of course I buy one or something similar in the next few years. If you get an opportunity to drive a car like that, at whatever cost, with whatever restrictions at any location I would say do it. Go and enjoy the opportunity no matter how fleeting it may be, make the most of it. For that short period of time you'll have a blast driving one of the most amazing production cars available, see it as a privilege. Then when you have to get out the passenger seat and hand the keys over think yourself lucky. Lucky that you've been able to drive one and lucky that you don't have to spend so much money servicing it, getting tyres for it, insuring it etc. If you worry about parking your Zed in a public car park, trust me, leaving something like a Lamborghini parked, even just for 2 minutes, is a whole other world of worry!

Welcome aboard Phil Love the midnight blue, smashing colour

Ozz, this car isn't far from me at all, but I don't think I'll get a chance to go look at it as we're getting ready to scoot off to the better halfs parents for Christmas. I know there are a couple of other SW members pretty close to the location. We'll be back in the area on the 27th, If get a chance I'll go down and have a nose at it for you.

Hello and welcome

Welcome to the forum, make sure you post some pics of the car, we love'em

Welcome aboard and I agree with buster regards the exhaust. The Scorpion's a good bit of kit and good value for money.

Very sad and very touching, sorry to hear of this loss Ricey. Having got the news that my uncle finally lost his battle yesterday morning with the aftermath of cancer I am very much in a reflective mood. I know it's a cliche folks but life's too short, make the most of it while you can. Share your enthusiasm, your dreams and hopes with all those you love and care for. Ensure that they know you care for them and love them and that you are there to be part of and enjoy life's experiences with them.

Fantastic work Zedrush, we've been looking at volunteering for a while, your post here might just give us the nudge to get on with it.

It may well be worth checking the earthing strap / grounding as suggested as from memory (mine is not the best!) an issue there may be causing the 'jump / twitch' youre experiencing. As for the fuel I believe the general and most accepted view is to run on 98+ octane fuel (Shell V Power, Tesco Momentum etc) as thats Nissan's recommendation for the engine. There have been a couple of threads recently about engines failing potentially because of the long term use of 95 octane fuel. I always try and use 98+ octane fuel, but if I'm ever 'caught short' I would put ten quid of 95 ron fuel in just to get to the next 98+ octane fuel forecourt then I'd fill her up. Idrive a mix of A, B roads and motorway and I'm sitting at 28mpg at the moment just through smooth and progressive acceleration / braking and gear changes.

These are the questions. In honesty, this is hard to figure out right now - my girlfriend is living away for the next six months, and until then I'm paying twice the amount in bills/rent/just about everything! However, still managing to find £200-300 a month for a fairly luxury lifestyle (I'm talking eating out, not holidays abroad). Payrise in the new year will help, and with her back in six month's time, that's roughly £450 I won't have to worry about. I'm fairly confident, but it's difficult to assess, as we still have getting onto the property ladder to consider. What sort of figures/timescales am I looking at for things such as brakes/tyres/servicing/any other expenses? Help's much appreciated by the way - the extent of my mates' help is 'GET IT IT'S GORGEOUS'. My friend the points you raise above are very much the things you need to consider. It sounds like you'll have a bit of money left over each month to cover the cost of running a Zed and still have a life, if you're careful. I think you'd really enjoy it, have great fun and really have a smile on your face driving what is regarded by some / most to be a modern classic. However; I would offer the following words of caution. No pay rise is guaranteed, especially not in the current economic climate. Indeed continuation of paid employment is not a certainty at the moment, you and your partner included. What happends if you don't get that pay rise, what happens if you or your partner loses your / her job? How would you deal with those circumstances? Will you be able to afford to go on holiday if you need to replace the brake pads, exhaust etc? What if work moves and you have a 60 mile round trip to do your job? From someone who in the past has faced situations where the job is no longer required, or where I've no longer been required for the job, or a contract has come to and end and not been renewed, it's something you have to consider. I'm fortunate enough to have dealt with those circumstances and managed my way through them but only because I thought about the possibility of them happening in the first place. The Zed is a fantastic car and terrific value for the money, I love mine to bits. I think you just have to weigh a few things up very carefully and give it some thought. Take everything in to consideration because us much as you could be out blasting around having fun you could be looking at it on your drive thinking what a millstone round your neck it is.

Stan, I'm sure you've already looked at these kind of things already but here are a couple of links / contacts that might be helpful http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/ChristineBarrowclough http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/gillianhaddock Highly qualified and experienced practitioners in their field. They might not be able to help directly but may be able to point you in the direction of services / experts / groups locally to you who may be able to offer help, advice etc. I really hope you can get some advice and help for your mum, I wish her and you the very best.

I remember seeing that too, I think it was in the 80's. I think once they did the documentary and it was shown his life changed dramatically. People suddenly understood he had a neurological condition and he wasn't a 'mentol'. The people in his community began to accept him, talk to him and treat him like any other person even with the tics and involuntary vocal expressions I find that quite reassuring, restores my fait in humanity a bit. *clip did make me laugh though *

Welcome aboard Scott, I hope you're pleased with your new Zed when you pick it up. I'm sure you'll have as much fun driving it as you had in the Boxster

Glad you had a good one Neil I'll have to buy you a beer in May when we get to Moreton for the Wales meet

Chris, those gloves are the business, might have to get a pair myself!

Welcome aboard, cracking Zed you've got yourself there, I do love custard

Spotted turning out of Pipers Way on to the bridge over the M4 heading down the A4361 Swindon Road in to Wroughton

Welcome aboard, sounds like you've got hold of a good buy. We love pics here so make sure you post some up It will be really interesting to here what your thoughts on the Zed are in comparison to the Boxter and Elise. Anyway, I'm sure you'll have fun in it

Welcome to the forum. Best bet regards finding out exactly what type of car it's likely to be is to post as link to the car up here on the forum if you can. It sounds like it's a GT from what you've described though. As for the car being dangerous in the wet. Any car can be dangerous in wet (or dry) if you don't drive it appropriately. It's a rear wheel drive car with 270+ bhp so if you over step the mark there's a chance it'll get 'twitchy' but that's what traction control is for. Helping to remind you where the limit is. It also helps stop you getting to that point where the twitch you can or might be able to catch becomes the one that sends you in to spin / a wall / oncoming traffic etc.

Welcome aboard Shawn, nice looking Zed you've got there

Welcome aboard Really hope you're enjoying your new purchase and may I say what a gorgeous looking Zed you have there