2007 Nissan 350Z 313GT
Discussion
In March I sold my much loved SEAT Leon Cupra R, which after 33,000 mostly trouble free miles had grown too long in the tooth to viably keep. Regret in selling her is perhaps too strong a word, however I do wish I had the means to keep her on as a second car.
In any case, she went off with her new owner (who I hope has looked after her as well as I tried) in order to make way for my new purchase:
A 2007 350Z 313GT. With only 35,000 miles (now 38,000) covered after seven years use, and a mostly garaged existence (a habit I'm ashamed to say I won't be continuing due to the masses of crap that fill my garage), she is in near perfect condition with only a few minor scratches, paint chips to the front bumper and mildly corroded wheels - which is to be expected of the RAYS fitted to these cars as they are notoriously corrosion prone. There are none of the gremlins associated with these cars - BOSE stereo packing up, duff window motors, clicking CV joints - and the built quality is rather good, especially considering the poor reviews in this area of the earlier cars.
She has come with FSH, a stack of receipts and a fresh clutch fitted 5,000 miles prior to my buying the car. With a £1,000 bill attached to changing the clutch, I'm pleased I have managed to find one with the work already done! Unfortunately, being a 2007 car, she is in the top VED bracket. However, sometimes you have to look the other way with these things or you would never drive anything remotely interesting.
Having moved from FI to NA, I can say that I think I prefer the characteristics of a turbocharged engine. However, that's not to say the NA lump in this is without its merits - she loves to be revved, something the 1.8T of my previous was particularly averse to, sounds fantastic across the rev range and can be quite brutal when applying the loud pedal on bends(!).
Plans for the future? Those wheels will need sorting at some point. Whether I will stick with the silver or opt for another colour has yet to be decided. I'm looking at lowering springs and spacers owing to the fact that the wheels do look slightly lost, however I don't want to ruin the geometry of the car which I fear I will do by doing this. Some have suggested a louder exhaust. I don't think it needs one! The standard item sounds great when you need it to, and even when just driving through the gears. It is also very quiet when on long drives, with no droning whatsoever. In fact, the car is very quiet in general when it needs to be and I don't intend to change that. Other than that, I intend to enjoy her and drive her whenever the opportunity presents itself. While the fuel bill is somewhat higher than my Leon's, which itself wasn't cheap I might add, I am seeing 27mpg owing to the majority of my miles being covered on A roads and motorways. A long 50mph average speed stretch of road to and from work also helps matters considerably!
Anyway, here are some poorly taken photos for you to look at. A photographer I am not; the only camera I own is attached to my phone!
Thanks for reading.
In any case, she went off with her new owner (who I hope has looked after her as well as I tried) in order to make way for my new purchase:
A 2007 350Z 313GT. With only 35,000 miles (now 38,000) covered after seven years use, and a mostly garaged existence (a habit I'm ashamed to say I won't be continuing due to the masses of crap that fill my garage), she is in near perfect condition with only a few minor scratches, paint chips to the front bumper and mildly corroded wheels - which is to be expected of the RAYS fitted to these cars as they are notoriously corrosion prone. There are none of the gremlins associated with these cars - BOSE stereo packing up, duff window motors, clicking CV joints - and the built quality is rather good, especially considering the poor reviews in this area of the earlier cars.
She has come with FSH, a stack of receipts and a fresh clutch fitted 5,000 miles prior to my buying the car. With a £1,000 bill attached to changing the clutch, I'm pleased I have managed to find one with the work already done! Unfortunately, being a 2007 car, she is in the top VED bracket. However, sometimes you have to look the other way with these things or you would never drive anything remotely interesting.
Having moved from FI to NA, I can say that I think I prefer the characteristics of a turbocharged engine. However, that's not to say the NA lump in this is without its merits - she loves to be revved, something the 1.8T of my previous was particularly averse to, sounds fantastic across the rev range and can be quite brutal when applying the loud pedal on bends(!).
Plans for the future? Those wheels will need sorting at some point. Whether I will stick with the silver or opt for another colour has yet to be decided. I'm looking at lowering springs and spacers owing to the fact that the wheels do look slightly lost, however I don't want to ruin the geometry of the car which I fear I will do by doing this. Some have suggested a louder exhaust. I don't think it needs one! The standard item sounds great when you need it to, and even when just driving through the gears. It is also very quiet when on long drives, with no droning whatsoever. In fact, the car is very quiet in general when it needs to be and I don't intend to change that. Other than that, I intend to enjoy her and drive her whenever the opportunity presents itself. While the fuel bill is somewhat higher than my Leon's, which itself wasn't cheap I might add, I am seeing 27mpg owing to the majority of my miles being covered on A roads and motorways. A long 50mph average speed stretch of road to and from work also helps matters considerably!
Anyway, here are some poorly taken photos for you to look at. A photographer I am not; the only camera I own is attached to my phone!
Thanks for reading.
Edited by Alias218 on Thursday 5th December 18:57
Edited by Alias218 on Friday 6th December 16:47
I'm afraid I can't give you a comparison between the DE, Rev-up an HR engines as I've only driven the HR! It does rev quite freely though, although low down torque can be lacking somewhat even if they did improve that on this engine.
I thought as much with the spacers - I guess it comes down to style over substance. Most reviews, guides etc. I read prior to buying gave a general 40,000 mile window for clutches. You should be nearing your third clutch!
Which 350Z do you have?
I thought as much with the spacers - I guess it comes down to style over substance. Most reviews, guides etc. I read prior to buying gave a general 40,000 mile window for clutches. You should be nearing your third clutch!
Which 350Z do you have?
I'm hoping this will be reliable owing to the raft of upgrades to general quality Nissan made with this final iteration. With any luck it will be just general maintenance! It is due a fairly major service now, so that'll sting the wallet a bit but then she's golden for a couple of years. Plus the need for new tyres is appearing over the horizon, all four of them...
I can understand your pain, cliffe_mafia. They're not very practical cars but hey ho. However, it's not as bad as my C2 which would be full after a small bag of groceries and a bag back!
I can understand your pain, cliffe_mafia. They're not very practical cars but hey ho. However, it's not as bad as my C2 which would be full after a small bag of groceries and a bag back!
Major service time! Oil, oil filter, spark plugs, diff. oil, brake fluid and air filter. Should tide me over for a while. Can any 350Z aficionados recommend a good engine and diff. oil for these cars?
Brake pads and discs aren't too far away (£360 EACH on ECP for the rear discs if I opt for Brembo! Will be shopping around methinks), plus four new tyres are in the not too distant future. Going to be an expensive summer.
Brake pads and discs aren't too far away (£360 EACH on ECP for the rear discs if I opt for Brembo! Will be shopping around methinks), plus four new tyres are in the not too distant future. Going to be an expensive summer.
I'll not be buying the Brembo items as and when the time comes, that's for sure! My Leon had the same Brembo callipers and I never found fault in using Pagid items (I don't do track days so that's a non-issue), so I'll likely stick with them. How anyone could justify £360 for a single steel disc is beyond me, especially a rear.
I'll certainly look at Horsham Developments for service items. Because I work in the industry, I get discount at places like Halfords and ECP (wahoo!) so I'll see how their prices compare. I should really do this work myself, but I hate working on the driveway. Workshop luxurys have made me soft!
Other than that, I love this car! It'll be such a shame when I swap it in for a 330d in a couple of years
I'll certainly look at Horsham Developments for service items. Because I work in the industry, I get discount at places like Halfords and ECP (wahoo!) so I'll see how their prices compare. I should really do this work myself, but I hate working on the driveway. Workshop luxurys have made me soft!
Other than that, I love this car! It'll be such a shame when I swap it in for a 330d in a couple of years
Small update.
Four new Bridgestone RE050As fitted this morning to the tune of £568
Still, that should see me through for a while. Having looked at Horsham Developments, it transpires I can get the bits for a service cheaper through ECP and Opie oils, plus Nissan for certain things. That's next, then the dreaded VED is due!
Not that I'm worried as the noise this car makes makes up for all that, even to the point that I'll have rain in the face just to hear it! Although I did extrapolate my fuel bill across a full year and a degree of puckering occurred...
C'est la vie!
Four new Bridgestone RE050As fitted this morning to the tune of £568
Still, that should see me through for a while. Having looked at Horsham Developments, it transpires I can get the bits for a service cheaper through ECP and Opie oils, plus Nissan for certain things. That's next, then the dreaded VED is due! Not that I'm worried as the noise this car makes makes up for all that, even to the point that I'll have rain in the face just to hear it! Although I did extrapolate my fuel bill across a full year and a degree of puckering occurred...
C'est la vie!
It's been more than 6 months now and it's time for a small update.
Nothing really to add other than my experience with this car is a little jaded. I don't know whether it's because I liked my Leon so much or if it's another factor, but I'm having trouble 'bonding' with this car. It's a very quick car; although it doesn't always feel it. It's comfortable, it's well built, reliable... All of the above basically.
Perhaps I just liked FI driving dynamics too much. I'm coming around slowly, but my one word review would be underwhelmed. The straight line performance just isn't as blistering as you'd expect a 309bhp car to be. I've found virtues are to be found in its handling which vary from unstickable to non-existent depending on what corner it's on and how much loud pedal is applied! Either way, that aspect is great fun. The car looks amazing in my eyes, and she definitely has that 'look back over your shoulder once you've shut her down and locked her' quality (a snappy name, if I do say so), but the performance, or perceived lack thereof, puts a taint on the experience. I've found myself warming up to her now I've started revving her more (the Leon hated it and so I'm loath to rev anything too much!) so perhaps more adjustment to the driving dynamics is required.
I still enjoy driving the old girl and am hoping the experience of 350Z ownership is like an oak tree: slow to start off, but given time will grow into something great. Plus there's always the eye wateringly expensive option of supercharging to toy with...
Must buy a house first. Must buy a house first. Must buy a house first.
Anywho, since taking ownership she's had four new RE050A's, and a complete service, minus plugs, including a complete fluid service, new filters and new brake pads all round (Brembo stock for only £65! Bargain). Fitting them in a jiffy while the sun still shone saved a couple of quid too. She developed a rattle since my last post which after literally 5 seconds on inspection on a ramp transpired to be where excess metal where the solid exhaust pipe meets the flexi had corroded and caused rings to separate from main body of the exhaust. These jingled around until I unceremoniously chopped them off. Rattle gone.
Next on the to-do list: sort out the wheels and repaint the interior door grab handles. Why Nissan decided to colour them in using marker pens instead of using actual paint is beyond me.
N.b. sorry for the late reply 8bit, didn't realise you had replied. It wasn't an easy decision selling the LCR, but it was a long time coming. She was on 93,000 miles when I sold her, too high a mileage to use as a reliable daily in my book. As stated, if I could have kept her as a second car, I would have. To be honest, I was equally surprised when you sold yours!
Nothing really to add other than my experience with this car is a little jaded. I don't know whether it's because I liked my Leon so much or if it's another factor, but I'm having trouble 'bonding' with this car. It's a very quick car; although it doesn't always feel it. It's comfortable, it's well built, reliable... All of the above basically.
Perhaps I just liked FI driving dynamics too much. I'm coming around slowly, but my one word review would be underwhelmed. The straight line performance just isn't as blistering as you'd expect a 309bhp car to be. I've found virtues are to be found in its handling which vary from unstickable to non-existent depending on what corner it's on and how much loud pedal is applied! Either way, that aspect is great fun. The car looks amazing in my eyes, and she definitely has that 'look back over your shoulder once you've shut her down and locked her' quality (a snappy name, if I do say so), but the performance, or perceived lack thereof, puts a taint on the experience. I've found myself warming up to her now I've started revving her more (the Leon hated it and so I'm loath to rev anything too much!) so perhaps more adjustment to the driving dynamics is required.
I still enjoy driving the old girl and am hoping the experience of 350Z ownership is like an oak tree: slow to start off, but given time will grow into something great. Plus there's always the eye wateringly expensive option of supercharging to toy with...
Must buy a house first. Must buy a house first. Must buy a house first.
Anywho, since taking ownership she's had four new RE050A's, and a complete service, minus plugs, including a complete fluid service, new filters and new brake pads all round (Brembo stock for only £65! Bargain). Fitting them in a jiffy while the sun still shone saved a couple of quid too. She developed a rattle since my last post which after literally 5 seconds on inspection on a ramp transpired to be where excess metal where the solid exhaust pipe meets the flexi had corroded and caused rings to separate from main body of the exhaust. These jingled around until I unceremoniously chopped them off. Rattle gone.
Next on the to-do list: sort out the wheels and repaint the interior door grab handles. Why Nissan decided to colour them in using marker pens instead of using actual paint is beyond me.
N.b. sorry for the late reply 8bit, didn't realise you had replied. It wasn't an easy decision selling the LCR, but it was a long time coming. She was on 93,000 miles when I sold her, too high a mileage to use as a reliable daily in my book. As stated, if I could have kept her as a second car, I would have. To be honest, I was equally surprised when you sold yours!
Edited by Alias218 on Thursday 30th October 08:55
amusingduck said:
8bit said:
No worries 
I actually tried to buy my LCR back recently but the guy I sold it to had sold it on already. Oh well.
Sorry to hear you're not so enthused on your new car though. N/A and S/C delivery are very different to turbo, I spent the first while in my Jag wondering if I'd done the right thing as the lack of that low-rev whack of torque made the car feel slower than it is. Took me a good while to start driving it properly, i.e. keeping the engine spinning quickly enough to be making lots of torque.
Know what you mean about being afraid to rev an engine though, after some of the issues my LCR had I was almost too scared to drive it!
Supercharger would be good though, get on it
I've thought about the possibility of buying her back one day but I'm thinking of keeping the 350 instead and buying a hack for daily duties. It's a shame your buyer sold on so soon. That's exactly what I miss. That shove you get from low revs. While this has more torque, 260lb/ft vs. 200lb/ft if memory serves, you don't get it one lump. As you say, it's more about keeping it the power band up high. I feel antisocial doing that as its so damn loud above 4,000rpm! I actually tried to buy my LCR back recently but the guy I sold it to had sold it on already. Oh well.Sorry to hear you're not so enthused on your new car though. N/A and S/C delivery are very different to turbo, I spent the first while in my Jag wondering if I'd done the right thing as the lack of that low-rev whack of torque made the car feel slower than it is. Took me a good while to start driving it properly, i.e. keeping the engine spinning quickly enough to be making lots of torque.
Know what you mean about being afraid to rev an engine though, after some of the issues my LCR had I was almost too scared to drive it!
Supercharger would be good though, get on it
Supercharging is a distant dream at the moment. Housing in the SE isn't cheap so saving has to take precedent. Once I have a house though...! Doing some pricing up yields costs of around £10,000 for a bolt on kit plus fitting, mapping etc. to £15,000 up for forging the bottom end too and installing low compression pistons. People have stuck on a S/C and run as is fairly reliably but I'm not so sure... The HR engine in the 313 is considerably stronger than the earlier DE/Rev-up engines of the 280/300ps engines but even so.
Plus at that cost the car would have to be a looooong term keeper to make it worthwhile. Not sure if I can deal with that sort of commitment! Perhaps I should just jack it all in and buy the 1970 'Cuda I've always hankered after
CaptainSensib1e said:
Interesting to hear your perspective of this, I have owned both a LCR and 350Z previously.
Both fantastic cars, but very different. LCR was let down by being front wheel drive and very understeery. In that respect I found the 350Z much more fun to drive being RWD. Power delivery is more exciting on a turbo engine, but ultimatley the linear delivery of a NA lump makes it easier to drive.
I always thought the 350Z was a class above the LCR. Suprised you think otherwise, but each to their own!
The 350Z is undoubtedly a class above, but I was so fond of the LCR that it's like losing a family pet and having to adjust to the new one. Sure this new dog is well trained and hasn't got arthritis, but there was something about the old one that was endearing, even of it did sBoth fantastic cars, but very different. LCR was let down by being front wheel drive and very understeery. In that respect I found the 350Z much more fun to drive being RWD. Power delivery is more exciting on a turbo engine, but ultimatley the linear delivery of a NA lump makes it easier to drive.
I always thought the 350Z was a class above the LCR. Suprised you think otherwise, but each to their own!
t on the carpet from time to time. I'm sure I'll come round in the end. Also, I like metaphors.
Edited by Alias218 on Thursday 30th October 14:25
JackReacher said:
Interesting, I haven't really gelled with mine either, although I do enjoy driving it, it is just lacking something I need. It's at home on faster roads and nice open B roads, but when they get a bit more windy it starts to struggle with the weight. I'm undecided what to do, I think I will sell and go back to a hot hatch but I'll miss the character of the zed. Another option is a 3.0si z4 coupe, but need to drive one again to see if I can get over the awful steering feel they have.
It is definitely a GT car. It such a shame it's as heavy as it is. There's an awful lot of aluminium in the cars, makes you wonder where the weight comes from! I've thought about going back to a hot hatch, but I don't want to downsize the engine. Maybe I'll find a myself a big engined diesel instead.Long time, no update.
The car is now approaching 50,000 miles. I'm not quite sure how I've managed to rack up 15,000 miles in one year but there you are. The car has been implacable in its reliability with absolutely nothing going awry thus far. The Japanese reputation is well deserved, it would seem.
The car is now approaching 8 years old and while she doesn't look it, she does need a good old spruce up! First thing on the list of things that pissed me off to my core was the door card grab handles. As I have mentioned previously, the old coating was akin to PVA glue in its predilection towards peeling off. In other words, it was crap. Whoever in the Nissan durability department decided that this material was sufficiently robust needs to quietly take themselves to one side and seriously consider Seppuku.
As you can see, crap. It really didn't take much to have it come off.
Better on the passenger side, but also less used.
Off they came to reveal what looked like (although probably weren't) 3D printed innards. Would be cool if they were!
Off I popped to my nearest painting booth to prepare the parts for new paint (Halfords rubberised black enamel and accompanying white primer, in case anyone is interested).
The passenger side part I wet and dried back, with a bit of general thinners to remove the old primer. It seemed as though the thinners may have been having an effect on the plastic so I promptly stopped that, gave the part a good wash and wet and dried a bit more.
As a result, the driver's side part had to make do with wet and dry, leaving some old primer that I naively thought would be fine.
It wasn't. For the next two hours I chased my own tail spraying primer, revealing reactive areas, rubbing back to plastic and spraying more primer. Eventually I got the prep to a state that was satisfactory. If ever there was a lesson to be learned, it was that preparation is 90% of the job. I administered a slap on the back of the wrist and continued.
Much better!
A few coats of the rubbersied enamel (so chosen to emulate the original finish) et voila! Looking good. In reality, this was done over several days to allow for ample drying time. While I tried (and failed) cutting corners in prep, I took my time over the top coat to ensure a good finish.
Back in the vehicle, and much better looking for it. I was quite pleased what £20 and some patience could achieve.
After a month or so of use in vehicle, I have to day that the durability of this paint is being called into question somewhat. While it's holding up for the most part, I can see this being a mid-term solution. Constant use of their products doesn't seem to be part of Halfords' M.O. so a more permanent solution may be required. However, I think you'll agree that for now the finish is far better than before.
Since this, the seats have also been treated to a bit of Turtle Wax Cleaner and Conditioner which gave them back their lustre. I also didn't realise just how filthy they were! Up next is a good service, plus those
wheels still need doing. The house can take one for the team I think, as they really do need restoring!
Any ideas on what finish I could have? I was thinking bright silver outer rim, with darker silver spokes and inners. Anyone who says all black or anthracite can go and join that Nissan fellow in Seppuku corner
I can also declare that I am really beginning to enjoy the ownership of this car! It really is very quick, and the sound it makes never gets tiring. Even over a year on, I can't get enough of it. Plus my mate has bought an E46 M3 which makes for an entertaining stable mate
I can report that the difference isn't night and day as some would have you believe. I enjoy every drive and very much look forward to as many years of ownership as space and funds permit! A house with a garage is on my Christmas list this year.
Here's some gratuitous photos!
Thanks again for reading.
The car is now approaching 50,000 miles. I'm not quite sure how I've managed to rack up 15,000 miles in one year but there you are. The car has been implacable in its reliability with absolutely nothing going awry thus far. The Japanese reputation is well deserved, it would seem.
The car is now approaching 8 years old and while she doesn't look it, she does need a good old spruce up! First thing on the list of things that pissed me off to my core was the door card grab handles. As I have mentioned previously, the old coating was akin to PVA glue in its predilection towards peeling off. In other words, it was crap. Whoever in the Nissan durability department decided that this material was sufficiently robust needs to quietly take themselves to one side and seriously consider Seppuku.
As you can see, crap. It really didn't take much to have it come off.
Better on the passenger side, but also less used.
Off they came to reveal what looked like (although probably weren't) 3D printed innards. Would be cool if they were!
Off I popped to my nearest painting booth to prepare the parts for new paint (Halfords rubberised black enamel and accompanying white primer, in case anyone is interested).
The passenger side part I wet and dried back, with a bit of general thinners to remove the old primer. It seemed as though the thinners may have been having an effect on the plastic so I promptly stopped that, gave the part a good wash and wet and dried a bit more.
As a result, the driver's side part had to make do with wet and dry, leaving some old primer that I naively thought would be fine.
It wasn't. For the next two hours I chased my own tail spraying primer, revealing reactive areas, rubbing back to plastic and spraying more primer. Eventually I got the prep to a state that was satisfactory. If ever there was a lesson to be learned, it was that preparation is 90% of the job. I administered a slap on the back of the wrist and continued.
Much better!
A few coats of the rubbersied enamel (so chosen to emulate the original finish) et voila! Looking good. In reality, this was done over several days to allow for ample drying time. While I tried (and failed) cutting corners in prep, I took my time over the top coat to ensure a good finish.
Back in the vehicle, and much better looking for it. I was quite pleased what £20 and some patience could achieve.
After a month or so of use in vehicle, I have to day that the durability of this paint is being called into question somewhat. While it's holding up for the most part, I can see this being a mid-term solution. Constant use of their products doesn't seem to be part of Halfords' M.O. so a more permanent solution may be required. However, I think you'll agree that for now the finish is far better than before.
Since this, the seats have also been treated to a bit of Turtle Wax Cleaner and Conditioner which gave them back their lustre. I also didn't realise just how filthy they were! Up next is a good service, plus those
wheels still need doing. The house can take one for the team I think, as they really do need restoring!
Any ideas on what finish I could have? I was thinking bright silver outer rim, with darker silver spokes and inners. Anyone who says all black or anthracite can go and join that Nissan fellow in Seppuku corner
I can also declare that I am really beginning to enjoy the ownership of this car! It really is very quick, and the sound it makes never gets tiring. Even over a year on, I can't get enough of it. Plus my mate has bought an E46 M3 which makes for an entertaining stable mate
I can report that the difference isn't night and day as some would have you believe. I enjoy every drive and very much look forward to as many years of ownership as space and funds permit! A house with a garage is on my Christmas list this year. Here's some gratuitous photos!
Thanks again for reading.
Edited by Alias218 on Thursday 5th December 19:05
jr6yam said:
Do the grab handles come off easily?
My drivers side has 1 scratch, and it really annoys me
They do come off easily, just be careful not to break any clips. A deft touch is required. Just pull them up from the back at the join with the leather armrest. I took out the armrest too on the drivers' side but it wasn't really necessary. I used a plastic trim tool to get it started and then my fingers to ease it out the rest of the way. The window/mirror control multiplug is a bit of a bugger to release, but don't be tempted with a screwdriver!My drivers side has 1 scratch, and it really annoys me
If you're thinking of doing both sides, the upright handle needs removing. The aluminium trim can be prised off from the bottom (again using a plastic trim tool) and then eased off by hand. There are then two 10mm bolts holding the handle on.
I have thought about bronze, but I wonder whether they'll comlliment the car as a whole. Google hasn't come up trumps with regard to the standard Rays so it's hard to visualise it.
Edited by Alias218 on Tuesday 21st April 11:45
Smitters said:
Glad you're bonding with the 350. I had a GT4 for 18 months and never loved it. I wished I'd bought a cheapo 911 (my plumbs were too small, my pockets too shallow), or my mates M3.
I know wrapping is a dirty word sometimes, but good prep, adhesive and patience, and I think wrapping high traffic parts like handles can give them a longer life. I did the back of my car key as an experiment 10 months ago and that's still perfect. Bearing in mind it sits in my pocket with change, phone, gets chucked about, if done right, the wrap can be very hard-wearing. I used 3M vinyl.
I have thought of wrapping, or (perish the thought) hydro-dipping. Even going to Nissan and buying some new OE items. This plasticised stuff I've put on just doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard. Annoying, but hey ho. Personally I'd steer clear of a cheapo 911 (unless yore alluding to a Boxter/Cayman) as there's a world of ills waiting for you! If something's cheap, it's cheap for a reason. I know wrapping is a dirty word sometimes, but good prep, adhesive and patience, and I think wrapping high traffic parts like handles can give them a longer life. I did the back of my car key as an experiment 10 months ago and that's still perfect. Bearing in mind it sits in my pocket with change, phone, gets chucked about, if done right, the wrap can be very hard-wearing. I used 3M vinyl.
C7 JFW said:
Great to see how you're getting on with the car. I personally view this as a huge step up from a Seat - even if it was quick.
It is better than the SEAT in just about every way, however I did love that car! If I didn't have to use it on a daily basis I would have kept it. Long time no update.
I still have the car, currently on 76,000 miles or so. I've grown to be very fond of this car, contrary to what I said earlier in this thread (and four years ago), so much so that I intend to keep it for as long as I am able or until circumstance dictates otherwise. It is still an event for me to drive it, and while I could buy a newer, faster car - I pondered over a Mustang recently - I feel that they wouldn't do much more than this already does, plus I have a thing for making left field choices when selecting cars. They are also a rare sight on the roads, which I like.
In fact, I like the 350Z so much that I have now taken it out of DD to reduce wear and tear and mileage, as well as to return some of the enjoyment that is lost a little when a quick car is driven every day. It has been replaced by this, a 2002 Ford Focus Silver:
45,000 miles, 2 owners (one I suspect was ex-management, the other owned it for 14 years) and FFSH. While it's certainly not perfect, it is in remarkably good condition and I have to keep bringing myself into check in order to not spend an inordinate amount getting it back up to scratch, although it has plenty of those already. Parts have been replaced where necessary, but I've not gone overboard as the tin worm is never too far from a Mk1 Focus' mind. Not that this has a rust problem, although it is certainly present. Since owning, it's had new discs and pads all round, 4 new Uniroyal Rain Expert 3s, gear stick return spring and a coilpack. It also had an aircon regas, but this promptly pissed back out again so that's where it can stay for now. I'm sure it's the condenser which is utterly shot, but for the hassle I will leave it for the time being. And the drivers' side heated seat doesn't work. Bugger.
Anyway, with keeping the 350Z in mind I promptly purchased a winter home for it in the form of a Specialised Covers' outdoor cover. It wasn't cheap, but it definitely does the job. After the 6 months it was under cover, practically untouched, it came out the other side looking very nearly as fresh as when it went in:
Before
During
After
There were minor scuffs to the wax coating which wiped away easily. Considering it rained, was down a wind tunnel, snowed and snowed again, it held up very well with no moisture traps. Unfortunately, it then sat uncovered for the next three weeks as the jobs I wanted to do were hindered by the never ending rain throughout March.
Eventually it did stop raining, at least long enough for me to whip the wheels off and get them refurbished in a standard silver finish. No photos, but we all know what silver wheels look like.
I also had the steering wheel off to be re-trimmed by Royal Steering Wheels. To say I was pleased with the outcome is an understatement. The quality is top notch, it feels great and it really does change the whole look of the interior:
Before
After
Black printed leather, a bit thicker (ca.1-2mm) and orange stitching to complement the other orange details all over the car.
In addition to this, the door grab handles were repainted. A few years back (and a couple of pages ago) I tried to repaint them myself. At the time, it was quite successful - it looked the part and tidied things up nicely. Unfortunately, the finish didn't hold and within 6 months it had melted, Renault Clio steering wheel style, at the heavy use areas. It also reacted a little on the passenger door grab so they had to come off and this time I forked out for a proper job using a black enamel base with a soft touch laquer:
So far, so good. It's held up and looks very similar to the job I did, albeit for considerably more money. Let's hope it lasts, otherwise I'll be very disappointed!
Finally, I've been under the car to assess the levels of rust. It's my aim to have the underside treated with Dinitrol at a local Dinitrol centre who give it the full works of media blasting the crud off, converting any rust that is present with Hydrate 80 and then giving all the nooks and crannies a liberal application of clear Dinitrol. So far as I could see while scrabbling around on the floor, this was the worst of it:
I did clean everything I could see after this, but the levels of rust in this photo are encouraging particularly considering the cars have a bit of a reputation for rust (which from my point of view is unfounded) and considering the 11 years and 76,000 miles of use. When the car gets hoisted into the air I (they) can make a proper assessment.
On top of the undersealing, I also intend to replace some bits of the suspension assy as required - Bilstein B8 dampers, Tein S-Tech springs, top mounts if needed (I have an odd squeak N/S/F which is hard to pin down) and any bushings that may be past their best. Beyond that, I'm not sure.
More recently, the rear muffler (the only muffler in fact) decided to part ways with the rest of the exhaust, choosing instead to hang by itself and contributing nothing but weight to the car. The effect was two-fold - it was extremely loud (!), but enjoyably so, and I had to purchase in short order a new part. As much as I like the sound, broken is broken, so an OE part has been bought, to be fitted this week along with a full service:
Shiny. Why OE? Mostly because the other options, of which there are many, are crap (IMO). Not quality wise, but they look ridiculous! 120mm tips? No thanks. Unfortunately, I was left with a choice of OE or a Remus part if I wanted to maintain some semblance of 'stock' aesthetics. Despite being twice the cost of the Nissan part, Remus was my first choice, however a lead time of 2 weeks made this untenable as I need the car to be quiet before then for a long journey. I've never been disappointed by the factory noise levels so this is certainly no skin off my nose and it saves me a few quid to boot.
Which brings me to now. Sort of.
Last year I took the car to a very popular German toll road - much like the M6 but with more Lederhosen:
Now, I didn't take the car round the Nurburgring, primarily because it's just too dangerous! The thought of crashing and subsequently declaring insolvency is too much so I resided myself to watching and hitching rides in my party's cars. There's also the fact that I have never been on track and the Nurburgring is a hell of a way to cut your teeth. The surrounding roads make up for this, however, as does the drive to and from. Then of course there are the derestricted Autobahn's...
I'm returning in 10 days (hence the exhaust choice) and am looking forward to some more great roads and of course the Broetchen from Pistenklause which are oddly moreish. I expect the car will perform faultlessly, as it has done these past 4 years.
See you there!
I still have the car, currently on 76,000 miles or so. I've grown to be very fond of this car, contrary to what I said earlier in this thread (and four years ago), so much so that I intend to keep it for as long as I am able or until circumstance dictates otherwise. It is still an event for me to drive it, and while I could buy a newer, faster car - I pondered over a Mustang recently - I feel that they wouldn't do much more than this already does, plus I have a thing for making left field choices when selecting cars. They are also a rare sight on the roads, which I like.
In fact, I like the 350Z so much that I have now taken it out of DD to reduce wear and tear and mileage, as well as to return some of the enjoyment that is lost a little when a quick car is driven every day. It has been replaced by this, a 2002 Ford Focus Silver:
45,000 miles, 2 owners (one I suspect was ex-management, the other owned it for 14 years) and FFSH. While it's certainly not perfect, it is in remarkably good condition and I have to keep bringing myself into check in order to not spend an inordinate amount getting it back up to scratch, although it has plenty of those already. Parts have been replaced where necessary, but I've not gone overboard as the tin worm is never too far from a Mk1 Focus' mind. Not that this has a rust problem, although it is certainly present. Since owning, it's had new discs and pads all round, 4 new Uniroyal Rain Expert 3s, gear stick return spring and a coilpack. It also had an aircon regas, but this promptly pissed back out again so that's where it can stay for now. I'm sure it's the condenser which is utterly shot, but for the hassle I will leave it for the time being. And the drivers' side heated seat doesn't work. Bugger.
Anyway, with keeping the 350Z in mind I promptly purchased a winter home for it in the form of a Specialised Covers' outdoor cover. It wasn't cheap, but it definitely does the job. After the 6 months it was under cover, practically untouched, it came out the other side looking very nearly as fresh as when it went in:
Before
During
After
There were minor scuffs to the wax coating which wiped away easily. Considering it rained, was down a wind tunnel, snowed and snowed again, it held up very well with no moisture traps. Unfortunately, it then sat uncovered for the next three weeks as the jobs I wanted to do were hindered by the never ending rain throughout March.
Eventually it did stop raining, at least long enough for me to whip the wheels off and get them refurbished in a standard silver finish. No photos, but we all know what silver wheels look like.
I also had the steering wheel off to be re-trimmed by Royal Steering Wheels. To say I was pleased with the outcome is an understatement. The quality is top notch, it feels great and it really does change the whole look of the interior:
Before
After
Black printed leather, a bit thicker (ca.1-2mm) and orange stitching to complement the other orange details all over the car.
In addition to this, the door grab handles were repainted. A few years back (and a couple of pages ago) I tried to repaint them myself. At the time, it was quite successful - it looked the part and tidied things up nicely. Unfortunately, the finish didn't hold and within 6 months it had melted, Renault Clio steering wheel style, at the heavy use areas. It also reacted a little on the passenger door grab so they had to come off and this time I forked out for a proper job using a black enamel base with a soft touch laquer:
So far, so good. It's held up and looks very similar to the job I did, albeit for considerably more money. Let's hope it lasts, otherwise I'll be very disappointed!
Finally, I've been under the car to assess the levels of rust. It's my aim to have the underside treated with Dinitrol at a local Dinitrol centre who give it the full works of media blasting the crud off, converting any rust that is present with Hydrate 80 and then giving all the nooks and crannies a liberal application of clear Dinitrol. So far as I could see while scrabbling around on the floor, this was the worst of it:
I did clean everything I could see after this, but the levels of rust in this photo are encouraging particularly considering the cars have a bit of a reputation for rust (which from my point of view is unfounded) and considering the 11 years and 76,000 miles of use. When the car gets hoisted into the air I (they) can make a proper assessment.
On top of the undersealing, I also intend to replace some bits of the suspension assy as required - Bilstein B8 dampers, Tein S-Tech springs, top mounts if needed (I have an odd squeak N/S/F which is hard to pin down) and any bushings that may be past their best. Beyond that, I'm not sure.
More recently, the rear muffler (the only muffler in fact) decided to part ways with the rest of the exhaust, choosing instead to hang by itself and contributing nothing but weight to the car. The effect was two-fold - it was extremely loud (!), but enjoyably so, and I had to purchase in short order a new part. As much as I like the sound, broken is broken, so an OE part has been bought, to be fitted this week along with a full service:
Shiny. Why OE? Mostly because the other options, of which there are many, are crap (IMO). Not quality wise, but they look ridiculous! 120mm tips? No thanks. Unfortunately, I was left with a choice of OE or a Remus part if I wanted to maintain some semblance of 'stock' aesthetics. Despite being twice the cost of the Nissan part, Remus was my first choice, however a lead time of 2 weeks made this untenable as I need the car to be quiet before then for a long journey. I've never been disappointed by the factory noise levels so this is certainly no skin off my nose and it saves me a few quid to boot.
Which brings me to now. Sort of.
Last year I took the car to a very popular German toll road - much like the M6 but with more Lederhosen:
Now, I didn't take the car round the Nurburgring, primarily because it's just too dangerous! The thought of crashing and subsequently declaring insolvency is too much so I resided myself to watching and hitching rides in my party's cars. There's also the fact that I have never been on track and the Nurburgring is a hell of a way to cut your teeth. The surrounding roads make up for this, however, as does the drive to and from. Then of course there are the derestricted Autobahn's...
I'm returning in 10 days (hence the exhaust choice) and am looking forward to some more great roads and of course the Broetchen from Pistenklause which are oddly moreish. I expect the car will perform faultlessly, as it has done these past 4 years.
See you there!
Edited by Alias218 on Friday 6th December 17:19
SiT said:
What a great thread and a lovely example of the Z you have, eye for detail is nice and will preserve the OEM quality.
Royal do some great work with steering wheels and such like, the new version you have looks very nice indeed!
Keep the updates coming.
Si
Thanks for the kind comment. The steering wheel is really nice, I should have done it a long time ago! Royal do some great work with steering wheels and such like, the new version you have looks very nice indeed!
Keep the updates coming.
Si
Car has just gone in for its P3 service, ready for a long jaunt across Northern Europe.
sainz92 said:
Love this thread mate, it's giving me some inspiration. I love the bonnet from the later cars, it looks so much more aggressive!
They do look great. You can fit them to earlier cars although getting hold of one second hand may be an issue. From Nissan they're about £300 plus paint according to a cursory search. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff