davey_83 Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share Posted December 23, 2021 100% pal, aids the wax/sealant application no end. After washing, the surface isn't fully clean nor is it as flat and as smooth as it could be. Spending the time to quickly go round with a cleaner/cleanser also helps with removing any remaining water spots too. It's the condition we have right...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 (edited) Tour of the Peaks today in the Z, absolutely fantastic weather heading out. 6:45am start being followed by the sunrise heading up North to do a clockwise loop. Edited January 3, 2022 by davey_83 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azurez33 Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Factory wheels still looking good even 16years on! Just like the rest of the car 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 23 hours ago, davey_83 said: Love this pic. Makes the OEM rims like an aftermarket offering 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicktZZZ Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Hi Im new into a Z, and somehow stumbled onto this thread think I was reading about camber arms .. anyhow have just spent my lunch reading from about page 16 🤣 must say your car looks mint and your dedication certainly shows, this will be my go to thread when it comes to finding how best to clean and detail my car 👍 ps wheels look sweet both AM and OEM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 Cheers @MicktZZZ thanks for the kind words, she is rather lovely. Congrats on the recent purchase and very well done on the group buy for the replacement w brace. Any questions always ask, it's a great club 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Schwier Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 Nice to catch up with this thread, hope you're keeping well! Really look forward when everyone has their cars back on the road 💨 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 (edited) Cheers fella, can't complain this end - hope you well also. Yeah better weather appears to be finally with us at long last. Had a clicking / tapping and then later knocking noise on the 350z which occured with wheel rotation and didn't seem to be coming from just one wheel. Sounded like when you get a stone in the tyre tread but would go away when turning right. Absolutely struggled to diagnose the fault alone. Roped in @350Butcher for a second pair of hands and found the front lower arms inner bushes on both sides had gone. Didn't look there, as didn't seem to fit the symptoms as I had been looking at the rear axle. New parts ready to go on EPMAN billet lower control arms JDM Garage track rod ends Whiteline adjustable ARB drop links Daystar polyethylene dust boots O/S out, the word is toast N/S was worst Old split pins, no match for daddy mole Fitted these over a few occasions when time allowed, unloaded the suspension, set the ARB drop links length before fully tightened up all bolts. Anxiously went out for a drive and... the clicking noise was still there argh!!!!!! hhhmmm looked around on YouTube and came across a fella in Malaysia who by the sounds of it, had the same issue. In the end his fault was said to be with his wheel spacer studs. He had those replaced, cleaned up the wheels, hubs and all mating surfaces and that sorted the problem. So set about doing the same, less the stud replacements. Thorough cleaned up of all the old crud, plus the wheels and spacers haven't been on the car for 2 years so probably added to the corrosion of the grime. Of course cleaned the wheels after removal back in 2020, however neglected to clean the all important boss. Threads de grim'd also Reassembled, went out for a spin and clicking gone, completely quiet. Couple of drives to make sure all was well, prior getting a wheel alignment. Can't resist an under shot or two Edited March 12, 2022 by davey_83 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Looks so clean even underneath your car. Wheel barrels look brand new too. Just had the anti roll bar links replaced on our family car on Friday. I had no clue they were shot until they showed me the split as it always handles like a wallowy bus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azurez33 Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Looking good mate! Very clean as Andy said! how did you get on with the lower arms? I hate doing a/r links in general but find the 350 has some o the worst ones I’ve done! so good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 13 hours ago, HEADPHONES said: Looks so clean even underneath your car. Wheel barrels look brand new too. Just had the anti roll bar links replaced on our family car on Friday. I had no clue they were shot until they showed me the split as it always handles like a wallowy bus. Cheers Andy, not bad for a daily driver. When they get too bad they knock like a pig too. 9 hours ago, Azurez33 said: Looking good mate! Very clean as Andy said! how did you get on with the lower arms? I hate doing a/r links in general but find the 350 has some o the worst ones I’ve done! so good work! Nice one Dean, did as you said and use an washer to make up the difference. Used an opened up Transit subframe washer in the end. Straightforward job once you load up the ball joint and get an impact wrench on there. The front ones were ok, poor access doing them on axle stands however I've heard the rear ones are worst to do. The coilovers that replaced the 16yr old OE dampers, felt great even working in conjunction with tired lower arms, now they feel amazing!!! After all the bits and a geo, the car feels mega. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted March 30, 2022 Author Share Posted March 30, 2022 (edited) Annual service, summer wheels swap over and Spring refresh. While it was up I thought it prudent to combine a few jobs. First time using the ally undertray and while the hatch is a fab idea, I didn't enjoy the experience. Full details here Ally undertray review Gearbox oil change next. Old v new with a tube of moly slip mixed in beforehand. On to the brake fluid change. Worked furthest away from the ABS pump, inner then outter bleed nipples. Mucky stuff done, now on to much of the same. Never realised that panel came off. Front weren't looking to bad. Fuel pipe trim cover. Arches left to dry over night before undersealing. All four aches inspected before masking off. Both rear side skirt traps were also cleaned and rust treated at the same time. Rear bat caves protected. Found a cheeky panel by the rear spring seat, cleaned and treated. Fuel filler pipe cover cleaned and dressed *front and back. All arches protected and trims where later treated with CarChem trim dressing. My idea of topping up ones protection. Old side steps had served their time well. The wrap had started to fail in areas and I had cracked the NSR when jacking up previously. Still a great investment for £38 all those years ago. Oddly the self tapper that had the cover on was more corroded that the one without, retention of moisture no doubt. New item to go on but not before a quick polish to bring up the finish. 50/50 Greased the bolts in situ and offered the skirt up to make a template, almost there with the pre markers. Almost.... The rusty grooves on the discs needed attention. Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 turns black after curing, not sure how it'll deal with the heat if at all but only one way to find out. Discs were sanded prior to fitting wheels. Replacement rear fitting kit as the old ones had pitted. Neglected wheel boss 50/50 Autoglym Magma iron fallout remover, left to dwell for 10mins, agitated and rinsed. Clean with Turtle Wax car shampoo to help neutralise any remaining fallout remover and rinsed. Protected front and back with TW hybrid spray sealant. Decent innings: - Engine oil and filter change - Castrol Edge 5w30 - Gearbox oil change - Fuchs Titan Race Synchro 75w90 with moly slip - Brake fluid change - Mobile 1 dot 5.1 - x4 wheel arches clean, protected and dressed - rear side skirt traps cleaned and treated - x discs groves rust treated - new rear brake fitting kit - New side steps refined and installed - 19' ES2 cleaned, protected and fitted Next engine bay, bodywork, door shuts and interior....... Edited March 31, 2022 by davey_83 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormtrooperZ Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 Loving your work mate! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 Wow.....what a comprehensive list of jobs you got through 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 Been a week or so and up she goes to do a final check over of the underseal as you can't really gauge coverage on the day of application. Few small areas needed a go over, however thus far I'm pleased to confirm that after a short drive the idea for the brake discs grooves work. You can see they are fairly well rusty as per usual after a wash and yet the grooves are still black. A longer drive needed to fully clean up the discs, but so far I'm impressed. Coming out of Autumn/Winter a check of the suspension behind the coilover socks also peaked my interest. As fresh as the day they went on, lock ring once loose can be spun by hand with easy. Highly recommend these particular socks for anyone who has coilovers, a no brainer as it's called in showbiz. Wheels, Chassis & Brakes - UPDATE Varrstoen ES2-19’ 19x9.5 & 19x10.5 ET12 Continental Sport Contact 6 245/35 R19 & 265/35 R19 TS Neo Super Tuner Lug Nuts WAT Racing Coilovers 14/6kg EPMAN billet/poly bushed front lower control arms MOOG compression arms SuperPro anti roll bar bushes Whiteline anti roll bar drop links Whiteline Z33 differential poly bush kit UltraRacing W brace Tarmac Sportz rear camber arms Tarmac Sportz aluminium engine undertray Brembo 4/2 pot calipers MTEC 40G brake discs front/rear Mintex brake pads Mobile 1 dot 5.1 brake fluid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 (edited) Been a few years since going to Japfest and it's rather overwhelming if I'm honest. You wouldn't get around half the cars on the club stand in a day, let alone the show itself. If I'm completely honest, I rather a club meet/drive out where you can actually see and chat to everyone while looking around a handful of cars properly. Obligatory show entry picture and a couple our brother took 👍 Edited April 12, 2022 by davey_83 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Car's looking so low in that first pic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted April 14, 2022 Author Share Posted April 14, 2022 Both driver and passenger had a BIG breakfast that morning 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azurez33 Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Think you’re right tbh mate, these past few shows at japfest have been humungous and feel like it would be better as a two day event! the bit that gets me is that because everyone has their own clubs you can have all the cars want to see in every corner so why venture all the way to the outer rim! Your car is always look incredibly clean! but somehow looks cleaner currently? 😂 shame you got there so late 😉 would have been nice to catch up haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted May 1, 2022 Author Share Posted May 1, 2022 (edited) Exactly this, there were tones of folks I wanted to chat to but either missed their car completely or saw their car but missed the owner 😃 Pic of mine at yesterday's MidlandZ Club Meet with Marks lovely Z. Edited May 3, 2022 by davey_83 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azurez33 Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 Always love the back shots! Back to back looking great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted May 29, 2022 Author Share Posted May 29, 2022 Few pictures from today MidlandZ Meet Gassed up 🤗 Will most likely lower the car a tad more for the Drive-R Summer meet next month. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted June 3, 2022 Author Share Posted June 3, 2022 (edited) Few updates to the car since Japfest Silverstone. Cars paintwork has always been really good, nice and bright however being a daily driver and being driven properly I was forever picking up stone chips and road rash. Never known a car so bad for it, dozens of times in the family wagon to Cornwall and North Wales not mark. So while I was away on holiday got the car into a local body shop for a front end refresh. Also requested that the bumper be smoothed for a different look and to actually see a change for the outlay. Removed the front splitter and number plate surround ahead of time, to be a good customer. She had to subsequently go back due to a colour bend on the drivers side not being carried out properly. New waterbased paint and 17 year old solvent based paint joys. Marring to the panels can been seen now due to poor washing technique, annoying but I can be remedy at least. Also while it was in asked if a aftermarket spoiler lip that I supplied could be fitted and due to it not being for a 350z (*Mercedes AC Class W177) they didn't want to chance it incase of damage to the original item - cue, driveway solutions 👍 Bit of fettling and encouragement and she was on. Really happy with it and had a sense of achievement as I put it on myself, so probably worked out for the best. Sets the rear off a treat and was exactly what I had in mind. With the front end sporting a fresh new look, I started to seriously look into PPF. Contacted a few outfits and eventually choose Top Wrapz Ltd here in Birmingham, it also made sense to stay locally for obvious warranty implications. They're an official SunTek agent and reading up their Reaction 2 in 1 film is right up there. With the body shop only compounding the new paintwork after baking, I set about refining the finish a my standard prior to PPF. Autobrite DA-12 machine polisher, Menzerna yellow medium cut pad with Meguiar's Ultimate compound, then refined with their black waffle pad and Menzerna final finish. Dropped of for PPF. Not cheap for what it is, however the bulk of the cost is in the material itself, £100 per meter. For a car you'd be looking to keep and use, it's a no brainer imo. It's protected with SunTek's flagship PPF Reaction. The added gloss is amazing. Of course it's self healing and comes ceramic coated to help with ease of cleaning and crazy water sheeting. Knowing I was a hobbyist detailer, I think he was keen to have me finish of the headlight washer covers myself 🤗 2500 wet and dry, polished up, refined. PPF applied dry too, sealed the edges with heat and they're good. Very pleased the the results and should keep her looking great for years and years. Edited June 3, 2022 by davey_83 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hansburger Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 I've got PPF on my Z for more then three years now. Only a few stone chips that went through on my trip in Wales. Works great. Keep the edges from the PPF clean throughout the years. It may get some dirt in it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted June 3, 2022 Author Share Posted June 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Hansburger said: I've got PPF on my Z for more then three years now. Only a few stone chips that went through on my trip in Wales. Works great. Keep the edges from the PPF clean throughout the years. It may get some dirt in it. Nice tip pal thank you. Those stones sound like nothing was stopping them causing harm sadly. With the washer covers off for the first time in my ownership and possibly ever, I couldn't resist a clean up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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