Its that time!!
Been wanting to post a build thread for ages but my car is anything but a 'build' more of a subtle upgrades diary with way to much cleaning pictures. The below details my last 12 months ish of ownership having bought my 350z in September 2015 up to the current day.
For a good couple years being a Nissan man (last 5 cars on the drive have been Nissans) ive wanted a 350z as it seemed a natural progression from my last car Nissan Almera GTi 99' (full bolt on and at the time the most powerful unopen'd SR20DE in the UK) 196bhp *standard is 143bhp. Chicken'd out many times but then i was kinda forced to, so began looking for a 2005 UK model in either black or grey and of course GT spec with full leathers, cruise, BOSE & the option forged RAYS wheels.
After agreeing in principle a cash price for a lovely black GT4 and missing out, perhaps for the best i came across this:
http://www.parkwaymo...Z/details/1416/
From what i gather this is the sales ad of my car before the owner before me, anyways he traded it into Windmill Autos in Sandy for a BMW 3 series coupe.
The first time i saw the car was up on a ramp being fixed, hhhmmmmm maybe not the best first impression but it also gave me a great opportunity to have a good nose underneath. This was the very first picture i took. For the age and mileage i thought it looked very tidy and in good order.
The garage were diagnosing an engine oil leak, which was coming from the drivers side rocker cover gasket. From the WMA sales pictures i knew it had the common issue of the oil pressure switch being defective, as the needle was showing at max with the ignition turned on.
With the car up on the ramp and with the engine running, the sound of the exhaust system sounded amazing just inches above my head. However it wasn't idling great which i then couldn't stop thinking about once i noticed it. Quick chat to the mechanic working on the car and then i proceeded inside to speak with the chap i spoke with earlier on the phone.
Not fixed yet but once down on the floor a road test was next. This was the second 350z i had driven as i went out for a drive in one local to me just to get a flavour for it. With the issues identified and then a price pending them being fixed i left a deposit and sadly had to leave carless.
Few days later and the oil leak was fixed and new sensor had arrived, being an easy job to fit i headed out to go collect my car with the dollars. Got there and the gauge was now showing as no oil pressure when running, hhmmmm not good. Garage did an oil change there and then and still no oil pressure but the car drove fine and sounded great albeit with a sometimes odd idle.
This being the Saturday of JAE my plan was to go straight to the show in my new car, however it wasn't to be as the car still had issues. For the gauge matter - checking the new part code, they got sent an Air Con pressure senor instead of an oil pressure sensor? That's why the gauge was showing nowt. They ordered a genuine Nissan one even though i advised they could get it £40 cheaper from Clarkmotorsport.co.uk yet this would arrive Tuesday now at best, so again i left carless from another 3hr round trip but it was my own fault as i should have waited for the all clear instead of trying rush matters. Fair play to the garage as they said the car to their knowledge is going to leave without issue as they're putting the gold warranty on the vehicle (which i did have to use twice, more on that later) and makes no sense for it to come back a week later for more repairs - against my better judgement i purchased the 350z and took home a 7k owners handbook and file of paperwork.
After JAE 2015 in my 92' Nissan Sunny 1.4 *lots of fun btw, i received the call on the Wednesday to say the car was finally all ready. Prior to leaving empty handed the last time we agreed that the older brother of the family business and another driver would deliver the car to me, which at that point made sense. The following day she was home at long last it seemed, with its new and BEST owner its ever had.
The daily/grocery getter for all you classic lovers. My ride overnight went up by 2100cc nor bad.
More to come and if you read all that, go to sleep and if you're still reading....................... STOP it.
David
