Ekona

Wow, thanks for all the replies! Loads of info here to be getting on with and I've got a much better idea now as to what I'm after and where to look, which was exactly what I was after. Am very tempted by the HPI Trophy 3.5 as it seems to be a decent buy at that price, but will have a look at the Traxxas stuff in more detail before I make a concrete decision. Anyone know or can recommend a shop somewhere near Braintree, or anywhere in Essex really?

I know there's a few people on here into these, so I wonder if any of you gents would be so kind as to point me in the right direction here? In short, I went round to see an old friend at the weekend and we ended up playing with his Tamiya Thunder (I think) buggy in the local park, and it was so much fun even after we snapped the front driveshafts and cracked the chassis that I've decided that I absolutely have to get myself one of these. Thing is, I've no idea where to start! I've looked around the interwebs and there's loads of different names about but I don't know which ones are good and which to avoid. Ideally I really want just a box full of parts that I can build myself from scratch so I can really learn about these things, and I also don't want to be stuck with something that I'm going to get bored of quickly because I can't go out and buy any upgrade bits. Any hints would be greatly appreciated chaps.

There's your answer, women are always the issue when it comes to losing track of money

For sale, one set of OEM 18" alloys encased in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres! 2nd picture shows tread remaining on the rears, 3rd picture shows tread remaining on the fronts. As you can see the rears have a couple of mm left, however the fronts are down to the wear markers so really don't have that much life left in them. That said, they will easily do another trackday or two (depending on how you drive!) and the rears even more I suspect. They are of course the correct sizes for the Zed, 225/45/18 front and 245/45/18 rears. Think of it like this: It's either a set of OEM wheels for you to use while you get your current wheels refurbished somewhere (my original use for them) and a set of tyres, or it's a set of of Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres which are widely regarded as THE best tyres available for the Zed for you to try on a trackday of your choice at a fraction of the original cost. Might even convince you that they really are worth the extra expense over normal tyres...! £100 secures, collection from Braintree (home) or Stansted Airport (work) only please.

For sale, one original ESR K1 exhaust purchased from Big Phil himself! I'm sure I don't need to tell you much about this exhaust but it really wouldn't hurt to say that it really is one of the true great sounding exhausts for the 350Z, and driving through tunnels without the inserts will remain one of my favourite Zed memories forever Speaking of inserts, I do also have the original inserts for this exhaust (not pictured) which have been modified to remove the sharp edges for easier insertion, and also painted matt black with high-temp paint so that they're not quite as obvious when you've got them in. The exhaust was on my car for approximately a year and was only removed as it wouldn't pass Bedford's ridiculously tight drive-by noise regs: I did successfully track it at Anglesey and Woodbridge and never had a complaint over noise. The limits were tested at 103.5dB with bungs out and 94dB with them in. £100 secures, and collection from Braintree (home) or Stansted Airport (work) only please.

Handjob from a hooker or a bag of coke.

Glad I'm not the only one thinking along those lines then. I'm wondering if, much like Greekman's paint change, it's an early warning sign built in by Brembo, just like when the whole caliper changes colour (something I never knew, I must admit).

Bit of an odd/daft one, this. The lettering on the front calipers on my Brembo brakes has turned from a bright red colour (as it comes from the factory) to a deeper mahogany colour, and I'm unsure as to whether this is usual or not. The caliper itself is the same gold colour as it always has been and is on other cars I've seen (and not discoloured like Greekman's brakes were), and this is only happening on the front calipers: The rears are fine. I'm figuring it's still something to do with heat though as I'm no longer on a stock Brembo setup, currently I'm using Performance Friction discs and pads on the front but only the PF pads on the rear along with the Endless RF650 fluid. I figure that this will allow a greater build up of heat before any nasty fade sets in on track (and since I've yet to experience any fade on track with this setup, I think I'm on the right lines), but there is absolutely no degradation in performance on this setup at all. It still pulls up as smartly as it ever has done, and evenly too so no random snatching of corners as the ABS figures out what's going on as I had on the OEM discs with the PF pads. In short, am I looking at any kind of early-warning here? Greekman, did you notice any discolouration like this before yours got to the point of no return? Or is there nothing to worry about as long as the caliper itself remains the gold colour it should be? Would appreciate any opnions/views on this.

Where did the data come from? I only ask I really can't see a 986 S (assuming it's the older version on test) being over half a second slower 80-120 (which in itself is a daft measurement in the real world, but I digress) in 3rd than the 350Z. Not saying it didn't, just that it seems very unlikely to me. *EDIT* Ah, read the graph wrong, that's kph not mph so a very real world test That said, that makes the time taken even less likely IMHO.

Not as much fun on the stock exhaust though

Just go to somewhere you trust. My local Nissan dealer is ace if a trifle expensive, but then I trust them to look after the car as I've got a good rapport with them. They would get my money over an average independent every day. That said, the car is going to DMS next week for a clutch replacement as they're a good £250+ cheaper than Nissan and will do just (if not better) a job: It's only the extra distance involved that means they're not my first point of call in the first place.

If Coops is looking after her, can you not give him the money and ask if he can take it to get serviced for you? Best of both worlds then.

Turbo shove counts for a lot, and given that the 0-60 is about the same once moving the ST will more than likely pull well clear of a Zed. Chuck a £200 remap onto the ST as well and it would leave the Zed for dust. Doesn't really matter to me though as I know which I'd prefer to be driving, but that wasn't really the point I was trying to make.

Nope, because my penis is big enough thanks

Without trying to sound brash, who cares? Every car will be different and you'll never match any time that Nissan quote for 0-60 as you can't hate your car that much. The Zed really isn't about full-on power or nimble handling, it's a watered down combination of the two wrapped in a very sleek (well, for the coupe anyway!) package and that's why it's such a great car to drive. An MR2 mk3 will outhandle it and a Focus ST will out drag it, and yet I know which car I'd rather be sitting in. The Zed in any form is quick enough for the road as stock, and if it's not then I'd be looking for a different car tbh. That little rant over with, and to be slightly more helpful, try using the search function on this site to see what others have posted in the past with regards to times, and it'd be worth looking over on my350z for info as well. Carfolio has just about every piece of tech data you could want as well, although I'm sure all that info is already on the forums.

The only thing CTRs had going for them was the engine. Steering feel was rough, brakes patchy, gearchange passable and they look like breadvans, but not in a good way. I like the looks of the latest version, but again it's a step backwards with more weight and no more power.

Brilliant news, can't wait to see it in June when I go back out there!

Yours is an '05 so it's the older engine and interior. Easy as that. Easiest way is to look where your hazard light switch is: In front (06+) or behind of the gearstick. It was 2006 when they started playing around with bits.

Technically you should get an expert to look at the car and confirm it is or isn't standard. If buying from a main dealer it's not an issue as they will be regarded as experts by any court in the land, independant dealers less so and private sellers wouldn't at all unless they specifically said so on the receipt somewhere. Really we all should be asking for written confirmation from any seller stating what the car has/hasn't got but we don't. Even if they lied and you then got caught out by the insurer, you'd still have legal recourse via the civil courts against the seller for damages. In real terms no-one's that perfect so it doesnt happen, and most insurance investigators don't really care either unless it's really obvious you tried to cheat (bodykit for example) but I certainly wouldn't ever want to take the risk. Almost got caught out in my naieve younger days and I never want to go through that experience again.

Top looks better than the bottom one which looks just about as ugly a wheels as I've seen and would suit something like a Max'd Corsa. Need to see the top ones on a car really.

Must admit I wanted the FRS to be 4WD too at first, but then I realised that Ford did exactly the right thing by keeping it 2WD: All that extra weight needed would've blunted the performance and added thousands onto the cost of the car, and as they've now proved it really doesn't need 4WD to keep 300bhp usable in FWD. FWD can be very fun in the right car (Clio 182 Cup springs instantly to mind as one of the best driver's cars I've ever driven, and it's certainly got a much better engine than the Zed in) so to write it off just because of that seems a tad short-sighted IMHO. I think they're fantastic, and see them more as a budget M3 than anything else. Think about it: All that power, the looks and the handling AND you can chuck the kids in the back? Sounds like a bargain to me, along with the fact that it's still a Focus so repairs and parts will be sensible money.

That's not the point, as the onus is on the owner to declare any mods and ignorance is no excuse. If you've got a few things left to tell your insurer why not just do them all in one go and pay the £25 just once? Surely it would be worth it just for peace of mind?

I wouldn't know as I tell my insurer about everything, and that includes the tyres. Technically anything that a bog standard car doesn't come with is a mod, so if you've got your car insured as a 350Z and not a 350Z GT then you may want to give your insurer a call and make sure everything is sorted... That's an extreme, but some companies can be pickier than others. Personally I see no reason not to tell them about every last little thing you do as then you give them no wiggle room should the worst happen.

It's a modification and should be disclosed. To not do so is utterly moronic considering the initial cost of insurance in the first place.

Yellow is the better colour, but the MY06 is the better car given that they've got the same lump up front. Do you want it for the way it looks outside, or the way it looks inside? Everything else being equal, that's the real choice you're making.