Hello folks - new member and advice required please

[stanski]

Hello everyone - found this site by accident - glad I did!

 

Just wanted to ask if I am being a total idiot for wanting to buy a 350Z roadster!

 

I live in Lancs - and work in Ewloe (Queensferry North Wales) yes I know! 65 miles each way.

 

Currently drive a Nissan Pathfinder - fab vehicle - very comfy and built like the proverbial brick convenience, 18K service intervals £360 average service cost, still on original tyres after 53,000 miles (12 months.) Average between 36 - 40 mpg on motorway.

 

Trouble is I hanker after a fun car again. yes you guessed it - a 350Z roadster.

 

Soooo what to do - mph is likely to be high 20's on motorway and servicing is 9000 miles at about £220 a pop! Sod all luggage capacity (Not a major problem I had an MR2 Roadster for 3 years - theres more luggage space in my jeans back pocket! Good car though).

 

Front is likely to look like a spotty teenager after 3 days with stone chips and I will likely be buying new tyres every other month - so am I being a reet idiot still wanting one or will common sense prevail and I will end up buying a diesel Renault Megane (yaaaawn!)

 

Help me see the light .........

 

(On another note- I see people are not too keen on Mazda RX-8's on this site - shame I had a brand new one of those when they came out - I can tell you its the best car I have ever owned - best build quality - goes like a rocket, runs on rails, sounds like a washing machine on fast spin inside, fab suicide doors work well and the damn things is actually practical) So I am used to dismal fuel econonmy!

 

Does anybody else run a 350Z on long daily journeys on the motorway ?

 

Thanks in advance for your erm advice.

 

Stan

[mbs]

Soooo what to do - mph is likely to be high 20's on motorway

 

Hello & but at 20mph stick with the pathfinder

[lomoto]

Hi Stan and welcome to the site,

 

Sorry I cant help you out regards everyday running of a Zed (I only use mine on high days and holidays , if the weather is nice )

 

But , just get one bought you'll not regret it

[Ian]

 

Mine doesnt get driven daily either Awesome car though

[NWZ]

Hi Stan,

 

I almost mirror your journey! I live in Buckley and my daily drive is about 60 miles each way to Chorley. My pod says I average 28 mpg on my journeys. If I pootle along, no hard revs and stick to 70 each journey costs me about £7 (I tested it the other week to find out, so not bad at all I rekon).

 

But... if you drive it hard then expect nowhere near that...and that's the trouble with the Zed it is so tempting to bury the loud pedal! If I pootle along I can get about 350 miles out of a tank, if I push it hard then it drops back to about 220 miles to a tank.

 

Go for it if you can afford the petrol - you seriously wont look back. The motorway cruise is also absolutely fine.

[GIXXERUK]

[stanski]

Hi Thanks for the replies. - ok so I had a typo - 20 mpg not mph! Blimey if I did 20mph in the Pathfinder - I would probably get 55 mpg out of it!! (And arrested !)

 

Anyway - looks like common sense is going to be thrown out of the window - a friendly bank manager and erm an even friendlier petrol station will be my new friends - there is of course the small matter of coughing up the dosh to buy it oh and the £300 tax and of course the insurance and the worry of some scroat taking a shine to it....

 

Nissan Micra diesel it is then.........not in this lifetime!

 

I hav'nt driven the ragtop yet is it okay on long motorways journeys or is it tiresome - sorry to be a bit Radio4 here but I have to think practical thoughts - its 1 hour in the morning and 2-3 hours drive home. If all I can hear is the engine and tyre noise then I am likely to be either tone deaf or fall asleep and end up in a ditch on the M56!

 

Radiohead - why dont we rent each others houses Monday-Friday and cut our journeys down!!!

 

 

Thanks

 

Stan

[NWZ]

Who's Radiohead -

 

OK,

 

1) Defo no droal when driving on Motorways, even if you go over 70, but I didn't tell you that! Seriously, Zero droal and even quiet as well. To give you an idea, the exhaust doesn't really start to kick in with loudness until it gets to say 3.5k revs, Motorway driving you'll be pushing around 3k revs doing 70-80.

 

2) In the dry the car is sweet noise wise, it's only when it's raining you can hear the water around the tyres but I believe you can Dynomat the boot space to reduce the noise but haven't tried that as it really isn't that bad tbh.

 

3) What's this 2-3 hour drive home? You must be doing 20mph! The roads aren't that bad are they?

 

4) I guess you know there's a Shell garage near Mold and there's one in Chorley so getting V-Power for me is no probs, I also use a Shell C.Card for my fuel purchases and get 5p per litre back for 3 months so seems like a good deal.

 

Anyway, I can tell you now that on your drive to work you'll be getting off at Chester services and taking the B road to work - load pedal mandatory.

 

Oh, and you'll be able to come on our Bala run...... great roads out there.

 

Good luck with the purchase!

[xStric9x]

Welcome to the site Stanski, Stuey lives in Ewloe and a usual meet place is the St Davids park hotel.

You will not be dissapointed if you make the plunge

[martinmac]

 

go for it

[xStric9x]

Bloody show off

[stuey]

yo dude............

 

 

where do you work in ewloe..............

 

i live 1 mile from there...........

[Beavis]

to the forum

[bronzee]

Welcome Stan. If it's an option for you, I'd probably consider keeping the daily driver (that should keep going for a long while yet), and maybe get the 350 as a bit of fun on the side.

[H5]

Welcome Stan. If you can do what Bronzee suggested, I'd do that. Otherwise, you won't regret getting a Zed.

[stanski]

Hi thanks for the welcome everyone thats very kind of you.

 

Sorry Radiohead erm I mean Squarehead - top tip - don't have a few erm sherries before going on 'tinternet!! The spell checker on the site is terrible!!

 

Ok where to start?

 

Thanks for that inside info on motorway life with the Z. Thats the kinda thing I am not gonna find from a 30min dealer test drive.

 

I did'nt know about that Shell C Card - these things are usually just trade are'nt they - will have a look at that next week - that Shell station in Mold is usually the cheapest around I have found.

 

Unfortunatley it can take me between 2-3 hours home as I leave about 4pm and of course hit the worst traffic M56/M60 junction at Sharston then anticlockwise to Sunny Bury - its that extra bit thats a killer - cheadle/Stockport piramid and of course the obligatory BMW driver is doing at least 120mph with just side lights on and oops theres yet another smash - oh well whats another hour - I love sitting in the car for ever! (Sorry I am ranting)

 

I work at the old council offices in Ewloe (Opposite St Davids Park Hotel) - Must be fate! Oh and thanks for posting that pic of the cheeky little black number Z- looks the dogs ! (I just love black cars)

 

The Bala run sounds really good.

 

Ok so far its gonna cost me a fortune - unfortunately I cant afford to keep the Pathfinder and also get a Z - its a part ex job however I will be getting a sub £2K VW transporter van for all my practical stuff(dont ask) so maybe I can use that for work 1 or 2 days a week to save a few bob - you see I am already justifying it to myself - as if I did'nt know posting a question on a 350Z forum - what the answer would be

 

Incidentally already booked a test drive in Jan. Local dealer has a new demo on order so will ring me when it arrives.

 

Thanks again for all your advice its really useful - hope to be turning up in a Z maybe next year if I can get da dosh !

[Trev-the-Rev]

Hi Stan and

 

Enjoy your test drive but be warned, once you've driven a Zed there's no going back.

[Digsy]

I used mine daily to commute and its been fine. Wouldn't take it out in the snow though....

[stanski]

Hi thanks - yes I know what you mean - you test drive it and well next thing your justifying selling your dog to get that last extra £10 to buy it! Fatal.

 

When I had an MR2 roadster - (I know its just a toy compared to the Z) but no weight to it and trying to get it up the slope to my house one bad winter - must have been fun to watch took me 40 mins to get it on the drive!

 

Dont you love performance tyres!

[steve_b]

used mine as a daily drive for 30 miles each way and no real probs.

Get 27ish mpg on normal driving style on the A but could go down to early 20 if going for it.

 

On motorways inc London to Scotland would get almost 30 is staying relatively legal speeds.

 

The seat is not greatest for long journeys, so 6 hours a day may be an issue (after 6-7 in a row up to scotland just wanted to get out of the seat.) But my 1 hour each way to work was never a problem and I am big bloater.

[stanski]

Thanks Steve_b

 

- that was another question I forgot to ask are seats nice and firm keeping your spine upright?

 

Firmer the better I say.

 

Even my dealer (erm Nissan Dealer that is) suggested I save it for special days and use something else for day to day - trouble is I love my cars and I like to use them for what they were designed for - i.e DRIVING!! Okay decision made drive at 55mph , dont put aircon on - keep roof up no passengers and just the ipod for tunes , pump tyres up to 40psi !

 

Now all I need to do is work out how I cant afford one and then buy it!

 

Thanks again for all your suggestions and advice its very much appreciated

 

Stan

[stanski]

Very rude of me but forgot to mention

 

- erm Merry Christmas and lets hope Santa brings me a nice shiny 350Z.

 

All the best for 2008

 

Stan

[polarbear]

Does anybody else run a 350Z on long daily journeys on the motorway ?

 

I have a 110 mile round trip commute and with holidays and business trips taken in to account I end up around 25k pa.

 

I bought a Gunmetal '55 Z in Sept 05 and changed it last Sept for a spankers TO '57. Returns on average around 28mpg during the week with new tyres every 10-11 months. To be honest I don't see the point in having a decent car and using it only when the temperature goes above 20 degress. Mind you, you should see the state of it at the moment after the ice and crap

 

Yes, it will get stone chipped to buggery, but a bumper respray is ~£300. You'll also find that the fronts of the the rear wheel arches get chipped too. I had paintshield on my '55 and it was really great, but now too expensive and too few dealers IMO.

 

My advice would be to got for it - well, what did you expect

[Ebized]

To be honest I don't see the point in having a decent car and using it only when the temperature goes above 20 degress.

 

I agree - it does surprise me how many seem to put their ZEDs away when the weather turns from untypically sunny to typically wet and grey for this country. OK so we have to ease back on the right foot and be a little more wary for the clowns that don't know how to drive in bad weather, but then balancing the car's performance aginst the prevailing conditions is all part of the pleasure of driving and using the ZED as often as I can means more of these .....

[stanski]

Thanks Polarbear

 

I agree - I have always driven my cars everyday - its far too much money to have stored away - oh well if you can aford to do that great - you appreciate the special days out more but the best bit is knowing your driving a cool car everyday!

 

Appologies for the next bit.

 

I used to be into Classic cars - had a 1958 Wolseley 15/50 - and later 1958 Armstrong Siddeley 356 Sapphire (all 16 feet of it). In a previous life I used to work shifts and those cars were used everyday / night as required - sod all heating in them but otherwise great.

 

But anyway there you go - dont keep em in a glass case use em .

 

So far I am doing about 34,000 miles a year- of course I could change jobs but where is the fun in that! This working from home - broadband / laptop lark will never catch on in the business world will it?

 

Looking forward to going to Scotland in the New Year hopefully in a Z ragtop - WesterRoss top scenery up there- just wondering if there is enough space for my waterproofs,hiking boots,jerrycan?

 

I can drive with the roof off and tie the boots to the aerial if need be -there sorted! just open the doors once in a while to let the rain water out.