GappySmeg

Welcome fella, lovely looking car! Pretty much true... that's why you can buy M3s with SMG for ridiculously cheap. A recon SMG pump can be had for a grand... but then you've got to fit the bugger!

Sorry but I disagree completely. No need to apologise... it's all just opinions, and mine are based purely on my experience and that of my friend I learnt to ride with. Ultimately, it's horses for courses, everyone learns differently. The ideal scenario would be for the OP to arrange extended test rides on the bikes he most favours... but being a new rider, I can't imagine many dealerships going in for that!

Just my tuppence worth... if you're thinking a new 600cc Sports bike for a first bike, then do bear in mind that they're not always the easiest things to learn on. The engines can be very unforgiving as they lack any torque whatsoever low down, and everything comes in a rush high up the rev range. (That said, the Triumph 675 has some nice torque) Although it sounds counter-intuitive, if you're dead-set on starting on a new sportsbike it's often easier on a road-biased 1000, like the Fireblade. Something like that has bags of torque low-down to make it more forgiving, and you don't HAVE to use all the rev-range / throttle. You're going to have to learn good throttle control at some point anyway

Greetings!

Cool how do you know the bro then, work? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yep, worked with him for ages now. Are you still organising a day at Castle Combe?

Lead Software Developer for a company specialising in Care industry software. I specialise in desktop accountancy software, but also heavily involved in web-based document management. It's as exciting as it sounds!

Have heard lots about this build from your brother Nigel... great to see some actual pictures of it!

Greetings! Stunning looking car.

Now you say it, the feeling is a bit like it's got track pads fitted. Think I'll do a thorough clean with brake cleaner, then find somewhere I can drive like a tool and get some real heat into them... see if that makes a difference.

Nice!

Yep... if you're handy with a soldering iron:

I suppose it depends on budget, and what mods you plan on doing. If you're replacing the bodywork as you said, then that doesn't matter. What are your plans for the engine? If you're not planning on replacing/rebuilding the engine, then your concern should be good service history. Can't see that where you source it from is going to make much difference, barring the fact that you won't be able to test drive from an auction.

Don't listen to what anyone else says... if it's going to put a big grin on your face, go for it!

Still getting used to my new Z, and am relatively happy with most aspects of the driving experience... could do with a few more ponies and a few less kilos, but I always knew that was going to be the case. But, my big problem is the brakes. The pedal firms up nicely when pressed, and the travel itself doesn't ring any alarm bells, but the brakes just don't "bite" like I would like. They're certainly not "spongy" so I'm not immediately thinking of brake fluid or hoses. I guess "wooden" might be the best description. Now obviously to some extent I'm comparing with my previous car... but that was a big heavy 5 Series and the braking was far, far better on that. Will take the wheels off tomorrow and clean the discs with brake cleaner, but beyond that, are there any known issues I should be looking at? Or will I simply have to start eliminating the basics (e.g. full bleed -> new pads -> new hoses)

As I stated when I joined, my Z has a non-dropping passenger window, a rear washer jet that soaks the headlining, and a CD player that skips if you so much as cough. Well: - passenger window sorted, thanks to the very helpful guide on this forum - rear washer jet sorted (dropped headlining, reconnected hose, tested, all good) - new double-din Pioneer head unit ordered, along with trim panel, DAB aerial, and the various wiring harnesses to keep everything working All in all, a productive couple of hours spent

Bit late... but here's a pic:

Welcome fella. I'm a newbie too, and based on my experiences so far, I would say you should check for the following: - that both windows drop a couple of centimeters when you operate the door handle - that the rear washer jet doesn't get the headlining damp - that the CD player doesn't skip like a ba$tard!

New roof?!?!? You've lost me (which is generally not that tricky!) I've dropped the headlining enough to see that there is only 3-4 inches of pipe, going nowhere! Clearly the other end is swinging freely under the headlining, but I've no idea where. Does anyone know what route the tubing takes to get to the centre-rear of the headlining? Also, anyone know a good way of cleaning the headlining, as I reckon I'm going to be left with a slight tide mark.

Well, found some workshop manuals at nicoclub.com... very useful. Have managed to release the headlining enough to get a look/feel, and discovered the hose leading to the grommet in the bodyshell is only 3-4 inches long, and not connected to anything!!! Yikes... looks like whole headlining will need to come out so I can ensure the whole hose run is connected and in good shape. The aforementioned service manuals are a little light on detail, so if anyone has actually done this and can offer some practical advice, I would be very grateful.

New here, so apologies if this is the wrong section. My 350z had been sat for a while before I bought it, and I noticed the washer water stank. So I set about flushing it through with warm water + small amount of disenfectant. This worked great for windscreen and headlights, but nothing was coming out of rear window jet. I perservered like a pillock, until eventually noticing the rear of the headlining was now soaking wet... and it STINKS! So, any known issues here? I obviously need to get at the hosing taking water to the rear jet... does the headlining need to be removed? If so, how? Any advice, greatly appreciated.

Yep found one... it's American market but nonetheless explains much of what I wanted to know, such as the world's most obscure clock setting procedure.

Thanks for the warm welcome folks! Yeah yeah, I'm working on it You lot work quick... someone's already message me offering a lovely looking set of Rays refurbished in anthracite... would look MEAN on my gunmetal z. It was always my gamer name from decades ago... my initials are GAP, but the exact origins of GappySmeg are sadly lost in the mist of time. Just arrived home with the beast... total hoot to drive, and feels in fantastic condition, totally solid, cannot believe how lucky I am. Couple of minor issues to sort: - passenger side window doesn't drop when opening the door... drivers one does... I will have a search of the forum as I'm sure it's relatively common - CD player skips... I understand this is common too... not too fussed about it as I intend to fit an MP3/USB/Bluetooth headunit - the owners manual has gone missing! Can reproductions be had from anywhere?!?