Mega

Horrendous, horrendous, horrendous...

A very small (boo ) selection of pics then:

Sorry I didn't take more. Didn't bring a tripod and only had 5mins or so usable light in the end without one!!

Again good to meet you chaps Seems a really friendly forum.

Nice to meet you chaps today.

I've got a few pics to edit up; But I got there just as the light was dying so only a couple of them!

Nice putting some faces to names, not that I remember any of the names and I'm sure I'll see you at a future meet soon.

Oh.

And as of tonight, I need to buy:

Plenum spacer

Berks HFC Cats

UpRev

New set of tyres (Vreds Sessanta or Falken FK452 though. Ebized? Get that review up! )

New bushes, shocks, springs, ARB drop links

Alignment done

Front lip

Audio install

...So there goes the next 4k of my hard earned! And that's before I think about the new clutch and fidenza flywheel.

Or I should just avoid the meets or stick my fingers in my ears when asked about modding maybe

..pics to follow

Dave (the one with the colour co-ordinated hair do)

I'm seriously tempted

Greido

 

Yes, I'm interested, please send more details

 

My gf has family & friends in Edinburgh, I'll ask her if she wants a weekend away

 

Cheers

 

Ian

As a warning: You wont be getting stuff, a lady, and a set of JDMs in a zed mate!

I transferred a set around yesterday. Without tyres the JDMs will go in the rear section of the boot, just. But they don't fit under the strut nor in front of it. So the only way to get the other 2 in is on the passenger seat.

It's probably you could put a third one in the spare wheel well I guess as well, if you removed the spare. But still not the fourth.

Unless of course you got another car to take up then np

despite having read alot of posts about them plus a bit of internet research too im still failing to understand the benefits of a winter tyre on a UK road.

granted they have a different tread pattern and the rubber has different properties compared to higher temp tyres, i understand all that - probably far too much being trained in polymer chemistry I understand how tyres work (provide a sacrificial bond with the surface) and i understand that the tyres perform better in cold temperatures due to these properties so will give you more grip on the road in cold temps

 

but in my experience, snow,ice and rubber just dont mix - as anyone who has tried to walk on an icy pavement in trainers/whatever will tell you. So i cant see how winter tyres will give any advantage over normal tyres if you hit black ice. Indeed not even 4wd copes with this, as the tit who flew round an icy corner in his landrover discovery earlier this year and ended up crashing into a wall near my house will testify.

Ive not long come back from switzerland where its the law to fit winter tyres, but when it really starts snowing then out come the tyre chains, which everyone carries and is the only way people keep moving.

 

so, to sum, winter tyres provide more grip in cold conditions, agree

winter tyres enable you to drive normally/as near as in bad ice or snow - confused!

 

It will be interesting to hear how everyone who has ordered winter tyres gets on with them - a few pictures of zeds driving about in snow will prove beyond their value beyond doubt and probably convert us all; though now ive said that we will probably get a mild rainy and snowless winter

 

but keep us posted on how you get on with them.

 

You have never drove a harsh winter with normal tyres fitted then winter tyres fitted have you?

 

Switzerland has alot more snow then us...

 

No winter tyres dont allow you to drive normally as if you did you a prat but they allow you safely to drive around. 4wd has nothing to do with anything if the wrong tyres are fitted. My fwd car shot pass alot of RRS, Q7's and other 4x4's purely because the winter tyres give you traction. If you dont have traction 4 wheels spinning isnt better than 2 is it? The winter tyres bite into the snow and allow you to keep moving.

Someone who understands.

It doesn't matter how many driven axles you have or where on the car they are if the tyres are @*!# you'll end up in a wall

I tell you what I've got a go pro. If/when it snows I'll film my commute to work including the ice and snow covered roads and post it here. Tell me you can do that in the summer and well frankly it'll just be clear there are fantasists about

Regarding all the "1 week a year" brigade. As I said on page 1, in the UK the average temperature merits winters over summers for 4 or 5 months in a given year: http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimat ... h/UKXX0085

So this is 4 months (as I do mid November-> Early march every year) where I'm not burning the summer tyres out. Meaning in my case in 2 winters I've paid for the extra set of tyres anyway.

So unless you are very short termist; the cost factor doesn't come in to it at all really.

Anyway. I'll enjoy my car throughout the coldest and harshest days of the year whilst you guys try to fight with cancelled trains or 1 litre fiestas

I wonder who it is....

 

My Azure Z will be going up for sale very soon to make way for this on my driveway . It gets to stay in the club!

 

Chris

Good choice!

I 'may' not be coming as Taras has been delayed, although working on my car as we speak. So I won't know till tomorrow if the car will be ready

Don't be lame. You can and will make it

So when it drops to below 7 degrees at night the summers come off and winters go on

 

Sorry thats being overly harsh and pedantic just someone said earlier on the forum that there seems to be something developing on this forum that there are rules that should be followed regarding how things are done but no one seems to try to counter discuss them? I have owned lots of cars over the years, never once switched to winters, first time I have even heard of it on here. Winter tyres are much better in the wet/cold I agree, are they worth investment vs leaving the Zed at home for a couple of weeks is open to debate I guess if you plan on having the Zed for a few winters probably worth the investment.

No, just shortsighted.

For 5 months of the year in the UK the average daily temperature is below 7 degrees.

For 5 months of the year you are on the wrong tyres for the conditions on an average day, and the driveability of your car suffers for it.

Now, I'm new on this forum so I don't know about growing trends not to question the majority. I don't really know anyone here (First meet for me is this Saturday) so certainly don't consider myself in the majority. However the simple fact is 5 months less summer tyre usage plus 5 months of optimal performance compared to the alternative makes this a very logical option, unless you are being shortsighted. The only time that isn't valid is if you never drive the car.. In which case why not just sell it I don't get the weekend warrior stuff. I'd rather have a 2 litre DD than a 1.1 shitbox or awful 4x4 so that I can keep a performance car in the garage and never use it. Or, in my case: a 3.5 litre DD and feck the fuel bill. This is talk for another topic anyway though

In fact, I posted a video up from when I fitted my winters last year:

Two sets of summers a year? Thats a fair whack? I have done over 7k on a set of Falkens (which were not new when I bought them) and they are still going strong. If you are doing 25k+ a year and using it as your daily drive your fuel bill must be awful! I remember last year we had I think about ten days where snow really hit in Lodnon, I remember the trains being ruined from Monday till Thursday one week and I worked at home, also once not being able to get to football. Being in Harrow as well, cant imagine our weather is that bad you cant use summers for four months? A few members on here have used it as a DD and driven on summers through the winter, to be honest if its snowing or raining in sub zero temperatures I wouldnt take the Zed out if it had 60 inch tractor tyres on

I got about 12k from my last set of Falkens and I tend to do a shade under 20k a year

Remember: Winters are better than Summers at any temp below about 7 degrees C. It doesn't need to be snowing

As for the subzero I was driving the E90 around sheffield hills last year seeing the other halfs family when the cold snap hit. -10 deg, cruising around on snow and black ice with not much more concern than a light spot of rain. On the summers, I couldn't get out of my flat road as when I tried to turn 90 the car consistently turned 180. Night and day doesn't start to cover it.

Yeah. £130/week on fuel since owning the car so far. A fair shade up from my old E90 320d on about 75/week. You only live once...

For the two weeks or so of the year where we have grit/snow on the road I will simply leave the Zed parked up and drive the second car - money saved on extra tyres etc will be spent on new exhaust

I do see your point of view but for the past 2 years it's been dodgy/changeable for more like 4 months.

The peace of mind of always being able to get in the car is well worth it imho.

furthermore; I only have one car. My 350z is the DD, and I have to get the office rain wind or snow!

So it's 4 months where I'm not using the summers, meaning after 2 winters I've broken even as I'd go through 2 sets of summers a year anyway.

The only other cost is the fact I had to buy spare alloys of course. but they only hit me for a shocking £85 thanks to a member on here So can't complain!!!

Tbh though I'd be moving insurers if they want a tracker on a 370Z, that's ridiculous. Do you live in the Bronx?!

 

According to my Postcode rating UB7 = F*

Yes I do

I'm guessing this is the case. Spanking new 35k car in effectively a not very well rated area. Where I am (A rated), my 370z sets me back £600/pa fully comp with no special requirements needed. It must be down to postcode

West Drayton is a dump lol! No wonder you're struggling :)

I work near the airport. And I'm glad I don't live near it

No offence, if that is possible

Just picked up my 17" JDMs today and now ordered a set of Nokian WR A3 winters from tyremen.

Gone 225/45/17 and 245/45/17.

Anyone else bitten the bullet yet?

I've run winters for the past 4 years and the peace of mind they give you is so worth the money. Plus 6 months less wear on my summers so it doesn't really work out more expensive if you play the long game.

As an aside I now have a spare pair of Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes - 225/45/17 to sell as I couldn't get the matching rears unfortunately! (No stock till 2012! ) would have been find but due to the brembo's cant drop the wheel size any lower.. plenty of 15s and 16s in stock!

No need for me to post a review, I know they'll be good But just wondered what the general winter wheel consensus is on here and whether I'm committing a sin by even considering running the zed in winter? lol...

John: Can you please PM those who've signed up to make sure they are still interested?

The width of this contraption would be over 2000 miles, more than half the circumference of the world. Hope this helps, even though it's probably wrong

 

It's definately wrong! Surely the circumference of the Earth is approx. 24,000 miles.

 

Yep, 2000 miles would only get you to about Dubai from the UK

~Imagine he meant to say Diameter there

What stealer you use in Newcastle ??

I have always used Vic Young (South Shields) but they initially quoted £95, Rang a few places and Evens Halshaw in Sunderland quoted £75 so asked Vic Young to price match and they did. Job done!

Should've gone to Evans really as Toby is on the site and everything haha

Not sure about the front but the rear is a pain.

 

Under the dash. Then up the side of the car, passenger side. And then up and over the strut brace and then down into the boot area. About 5 panels I think.

 

Along the door sill (under the rubber seal) then under the boot carpet sounds easier! Small amount of wire on display sure but eeeeek at your method!

Welcome. Niiiice Bike

Get some pics up of the car when you can.

Ouch it hurts

I know your right.

was hoping the 2k worth of paint would go somewhere towards getting me 8.5k

 

Why would £2k of paint add any value?

 

It would only add value if the colour was unique and sufficiently desireable that a buyer who wanted that exact colour saw your advert.

 

I live in the real world and know that the money spent on our cars is for our enjoyment and we should not expect it back when selling, But i do believe if the car has not got a mark or scratch anywhere on the body" its got to be worth atleast £500" more on the average selling price! as people will know that there is no work to be done NO stone chips etc etc. #I would never exspect the 2k back

Won't happen.

People won't even view your car if the price is too high.

Set it low, and as the paint is good: People won't try and knock more money off you when they see the car. That's how it works.

You won't get a penny back, you might just not loose any more when they come to negotiate.

Sad but true

Hahaha!!

To anyone in the area, I strongly suggest you get yourself down to the following locale:

 

http://newmanarms.co.uk/pie-room

 

I definitely need to make a note of that place for when im next passing. Sounds awesome!!!

Oh, it really is. I go once every 2/3 weeks

I also have this:

http://www.tshirt-town.com/guys/funny/k ... d-t-shirt/

:)

To anyone in the area, I strongly suggest you get yourself down to the following locale:

http://newmanarms.co.uk/pie-room

Sounds better for me, as I'll probably be leaving Kew at 2pm so it saves wasting time by driving round the North and South Circular!

 

Likely to be coming round via Chiswick (from Roehampton way) and maybe with some of the usual suspects so perhaps we can drop in and say Hi to Taras on the way before we move on

 

Yeah may as well

 

Dave : I wouldn't really want to walk the streets of Hanger Lane and Park Royal!!

It's no that bad. I've had to leave my car at the body shop next to the Ace before and Walk to Stonebridge park and also have walked from the Colt building in Volt Avenue back to Harlesden station. Both at night.

It's a "colourful" area but it's not so bad as to be scared to walk the streets! It's only North London fs

Backa to tha toppah!