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The Shark Build


Stutopia

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First big maintenance job today, trip to Grinspeed to fit replacement clutch and DMF. Not bad considering I've had her nearly 2 years and she just ticked over 50k today.

 

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Thanks to Clark Motorsport for providing the parts, OEM for a change as I quite like the Zed's clutch feel and shift. The pedal has gone right from the top to the floor :) and weird DMF noises have ceased :yahoo:

 

Thanks also to Stevie and Lee at Grinspeed who had the box out, bits replaced and back together in just slightly longer than it took me to clean and wax my wheels whilst The Shark was on the ramp. Very impressive work.

 

Speaking of wheels. It's always nagged me that the centre caps don't quite match my refurbed alloys, so I took the opportunity to swap them out.

 

Before.

 

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After.

 

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Actually quite pleased with this super cheap, tiny mod :)

 

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Last but not least, said goodbye to this little guy - doesn't feel right without it :(

 

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All done. The Zed still looks well even at 10 years old, if I do say so myself.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks to some "helpful" comments from fellow members ;) , combined with a weather break, I got round to cleaning up the headlights. Properly this time, remembering to seal them after :lol:

 

Used the same menzerna power finish (203S) as last time, but a better Lake Pad and a Flexipad backing plate. Worked much better than the previous combo and soon cut into the lights :scare:

 

There's a few persistent marks that I daren't lean any harder on, but I couldn't even photograph them, so they can't be that bad.

 

Well pleased with the refresh :yahoo:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

More maintenance and no mods for mods sake :(

 

Some winter rubber as the rears were going and I've never tried winters before, so seemed like a good time :)

 

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Got an advisory at the MOT for blowing flexis so cobra y-pipe fitted.

 

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Really nice piece of kit the Cobra y-pipe. Big thanks to Cougar Store for getting this out to me in double quick time, helped me out of a tight spot. Thanks :thumbs:

 

She's cost me a few quid in the lat couple of months but I don't mind too much, because when she's running spot on it's a real pleasure to get behind the wheel. Hopefully that'll be it for a while now until the service after winter. Then I'll have to decide what the long term plan is :ninja:

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Thanks, I'm well pleased with the repair as the chap was very honest and said the colour match might be tricky to pull off. I was happy I needed to check the first photo to see where the repair had been done :lol:

Edited by SuperStu
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  • 1 month later...

It's been mainly maintenance of late but I managed to squeeze in a cheeky mod or two in the latest round of upkeep. The bumper was suffering from the usual stone chips and coming off worst in the battle versus speed bumps at work, so it was time for a freshen up. Whilst she was in, I got thinking why not drop the plate onto the grille and deal with the holes from behind the plinth :teeth:

 

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A little before and after action. It has't moved far in yardage but I much prefer it down there, cleans the front end up nicely. No idea why I didn't get it shifted ages ago when the lip went on :shrug:

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I had a small scratch on the offside spat properly resprayed after the less than fantastic job I did after the back lost a fight with a gate post. No picture, but there's nothing to see, so perfect really!

 

Then for a mod that I have had my eye on almost since I first bought the Zed, but never fancied splashing the cash on until a GB from Tarmac - thanks his :thumbs: I couldn't decide for ages whether to go gloss black or body colour, but finally made my mind up and had these Stillen louvres fitted and painted. I know they're not for everyone, but I absolutely love them :teeth:

 

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For me, with the glossy back roof and the glossy black wing mirrors, I think they work really well as a glossy black trio :yahoo:

 

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I'm definitely done with exterior mods now, so that is a partial Zeditis cure. Except maybe wheels, one day...

 

PS - when I got to the bodyshop, it was being washed with one bucket and a sp... I can't even say it. Please don't tell ilogikal1... ;)

Edited by SuperStu
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Thanks mate. Incorrect about the plate, but other than that you're right ;)

 

Shiny is down to harsh car park strip lighting and the excellent AMMO Skin Defense (and the new one bucket, sponge wash process :lol:) which is now sadly empty :(

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Thanks mate. Incorrect about the plate, but other than that you're right ;)

 

I'm never wrong. I'm not always right, but I'm never wrong. :lol:

 

It does make the bumper look a lot cleaner, but I still think plates look slightly out of place down on the grille personally. It doesn't look terrible by any means, it just doesn't quite look... perfect I suppose. Might look better if you trim down the 6 feet of white space at either end of the plate. :p

 

Shiny is down to harsh car park strip lighting and the excellent AMMO Skin Defense (and the new one bucket, sponge wash process :lol:) which is now sadly empty :(

 

Just as well you discovered WetCoat recently then ;) just keep White Diamond/Black Hole stockpiled to make up for that new wash technique. :lol:

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Thanks mate. Incorrect about the plate, but other than that you're right ;)

 

I'm never wrong. I'm not always right, but I'm never wrong. :lol:

 

It does make the bumper look a lot cleaner, but I still think plates look slightly out of place down on the grille personally. It doesn't look terrible by any means, it just doesn't quite look... perfect I suppose. Might look better if you trim down the 6 feet of white space at either end of the plate. :p

 

Shiny is down to harsh car park strip lighting and the excellent AMMO Skin Defense (and the new one bucket, sponge wash process :lol:) which is now sadly empty :(

 

Just as well you discovered WetCoat recently then ;) just keep White Diamond/Black Hole stockpiled to make up for that new wash technique. :lol:

 

Vis-a-vis the WetCoat it arrived today from Ultimate Finish, but with no spray head?????? Does it usually come with one? I'm guessing it should as it's a spray on product. GRRRRRRRR.

 

PS - I take your point on acres of white on the number plate :)

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Vis-a-vis the WetCoat it arrived today from Ultimate Finish, but with no spray head?????? Does it usually come with one? I'm guessing it should as it's a spray on product. GRRRRRRRR.

 

Yeah, unless you've bought the 4 litre jobbie it should come with a trigger spray head. They do come separate rather than fitted to the bottle though so it's possible it's just been overlooked when packing.

 

Drop UF an email, they used to be* fairly decent to deal with. *They've adopted some... let's say "questionable" business practices recently so other things may also have changed.

 

The standard spray head isn't all that great though so if you've got a spare one laying that will fit it, it'll probably be just as good anyway. If not, for the princely sum of £1 delivered one of these will be ideal for WetCoat as you can adjust the spray as desired.

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Not sure on the plate position and definitely wouldn't work for me with the intercooler/oil cooler down there but still doesn't look too bad.

 

Very nice seeing your Zed now sporting the louvers on the rear quarter windows though, ...nice little mod & not very common either. B);)

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I did say "it doesn't look too bad", ...small front plate should look much better though. B)

 

Although what do I know I still have the plinth & everything on my front bumper. :surrender::lol:

 

What's the point of charging, but having all that excess plate plinth and rear wiper weight on there? Get it stripped down because racecar :)

 

I originally bought a square plate for the front, but it wouldn't fit in the grille recess and the plate people wouldn't do me a smaller oblong plate for legal reasons, so it's not entirely down to you two naggin'

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