350Z GT4 - Ultra Yellow
Discussion
Phew - a far overdue update. Apologies for the block of text, but there aren't any new piccies, other than with grinning children sat in the thing.
Basically, I've had an excellent summer in the 350. It's been a totally capable companion and not missed a single beat which is excellent. We've been up to North Wales, over to West Wales and got my OH's six year old niece and two year old nephew to a point they ask "where's the yellow car?" if we're not in it! I'll say one thing up front though. I have massive respect for the car and it's a great thing to drive. Muscular, lots of fun and very little downside, but I haven't bonded with it in the same way I did my Imprezas, or indeed my old MR2. It's a head over heart car. I wrote the same a couple of years ago on my Caterham blog, but bought one anyway. I don't regret owning #170 for a minute, but I am surprised it's not grown on me more than it has.
So, ownership - I must admit I struggled to get comfortable, but I've got piddly little legs and I like quite an upright driving position normally, however after a few weeks of fine-tuning I got there and haven't looked back. I added about 50bhp (possibly 75 as it's at a jaunty angle) with the addition of a PH smiley on the rear number-plate and have had one or two spots from fellow PHers, but then a bright yellow car does stand out.
A couple of unexpected things I have found: Firstly, people really do seem to like the car. I get a lot of courtesy at junctions, which makes a change from the Audi and before that a Subaru classic Impreza complete with burbley exhaust. Secondly, it forces you to drive very sensibly. Not because it's 300bhp and rear-wheel drive. Because it's the only bright yellow sports car in my area, and if I drive like a bell-end, people know it's me.
I mentioned last time I'd be looking at tyres, but having had the car on a four-wheel alignment rig after the banana-arm bushes, the wear has been minimal, which is really good news. Seems if driven sensibly, you don't moke tyres every few thousand miles.
Actual fuel costs have been bearable, but then I do less than 800 miles a month. No doubt it's not an A4 TDi, but the computer onboard suggests just under 26mpg and it's capable of over 30 if you keep the speed sub-70 and consistent on a motorway run.
Now, there have been a couple of niggles. Firstly, I keep managing to hit the warning light switch with my arm. It's mounted on the centre console and you think I'd learn, but I probably ping it once a month or so, then realise the lights are still flashing when I cancel an indicator and there's still a click-click-click-click. Secondly, the in-car storage really is woeful. Good if you like a tidy car. Not so handy if you want to keep a few bits and bobs in the car, but tucked away. There is some, but when the "glove box", located behind the passenger seat, and means your OH has the get out, into the rain, so you can extract directions/your post/gubbins, it gets a tad irritating. However, the major irritation is the sounds from the exhaust. Apparently, from the outside it sounds great. In a tunnel with the windows down, it's brilliant. But day to day, it's too muted. "Get an aftermarket system" I hear you say. Indeed, it's an option, but I don't want it any louder on the outside. I just want to hear it more on the inside. There's enough blooming road-noise getting in, so why no sonorous V6? Depending on how I feel about the car, I may put an aftermarket system on it next year, but I'm undecided as to if it's going to stay much longer, so we'll have to wait and see. If it does go, I suspect it'll comfortably be the cheapest GT4 in the country, with other examples weighing in with a heady 50-60k miles!
So what next? It's time for some love, so I've just had a full valet again - the hard wax treatment used last time meant even five months on it was really easy to wash, so I've had that again as a top-coat to help protect it over winter. MOT and a major service loom, so it'll be heading to Jez at H-Dev in the next couple of weeks for a P2 service, plus coolant and gear and diff oils. I'll also look to get the headlights adjusted as I've noticed that the pool of light they deliver is quite short. Be interesting to see what the MOT says, if anything. Other than that, it's been eight months of excellent motoring. A roadtrip to Aberdeen beckons shortly, so keep an eye out.
Basically, I've had an excellent summer in the 350. It's been a totally capable companion and not missed a single beat which is excellent. We've been up to North Wales, over to West Wales and got my OH's six year old niece and two year old nephew to a point they ask "where's the yellow car?" if we're not in it! I'll say one thing up front though. I have massive respect for the car and it's a great thing to drive. Muscular, lots of fun and very little downside, but I haven't bonded with it in the same way I did my Imprezas, or indeed my old MR2. It's a head over heart car. I wrote the same a couple of years ago on my Caterham blog, but bought one anyway. I don't regret owning #170 for a minute, but I am surprised it's not grown on me more than it has.
So, ownership - I must admit I struggled to get comfortable, but I've got piddly little legs and I like quite an upright driving position normally, however after a few weeks of fine-tuning I got there and haven't looked back. I added about 50bhp (possibly 75 as it's at a jaunty angle) with the addition of a PH smiley on the rear number-plate and have had one or two spots from fellow PHers, but then a bright yellow car does stand out.
A couple of unexpected things I have found: Firstly, people really do seem to like the car. I get a lot of courtesy at junctions, which makes a change from the Audi and before that a Subaru classic Impreza complete with burbley exhaust. Secondly, it forces you to drive very sensibly. Not because it's 300bhp and rear-wheel drive. Because it's the only bright yellow sports car in my area, and if I drive like a bell-end, people know it's me.
I mentioned last time I'd be looking at tyres, but having had the car on a four-wheel alignment rig after the banana-arm bushes, the wear has been minimal, which is really good news. Seems if driven sensibly, you don't moke tyres every few thousand miles.
Actual fuel costs have been bearable, but then I do less than 800 miles a month. No doubt it's not an A4 TDi, but the computer onboard suggests just under 26mpg and it's capable of over 30 if you keep the speed sub-70 and consistent on a motorway run.
Now, there have been a couple of niggles. Firstly, I keep managing to hit the warning light switch with my arm. It's mounted on the centre console and you think I'd learn, but I probably ping it once a month or so, then realise the lights are still flashing when I cancel an indicator and there's still a click-click-click-click. Secondly, the in-car storage really is woeful. Good if you like a tidy car. Not so handy if you want to keep a few bits and bobs in the car, but tucked away. There is some, but when the "glove box", located behind the passenger seat, and means your OH has the get out, into the rain, so you can extract directions/your post/gubbins, it gets a tad irritating. However, the major irritation is the sounds from the exhaust. Apparently, from the outside it sounds great. In a tunnel with the windows down, it's brilliant. But day to day, it's too muted. "Get an aftermarket system" I hear you say. Indeed, it's an option, but I don't want it any louder on the outside. I just want to hear it more on the inside. There's enough blooming road-noise getting in, so why no sonorous V6? Depending on how I feel about the car, I may put an aftermarket system on it next year, but I'm undecided as to if it's going to stay much longer, so we'll have to wait and see. If it does go, I suspect it'll comfortably be the cheapest GT4 in the country, with other examples weighing in with a heady 50-60k miles!
So what next? It's time for some love, so I've just had a full valet again - the hard wax treatment used last time meant even five months on it was really easy to wash, so I've had that again as a top-coat to help protect it over winter. MOT and a major service loom, so it'll be heading to Jez at H-Dev in the next couple of weeks for a P2 service, plus coolant and gear and diff oils. I'll also look to get the headlights adjusted as I've noticed that the pool of light they deliver is quite short. Be interesting to see what the MOT says, if anything. Other than that, it's been eight months of excellent motoring. A roadtrip to Aberdeen beckons shortly, so keep an eye out.
I am just three weeks in and loving my 2007 (300) GT convertible, gunmetal grey.
I love the coupe but had to have a convertible but both are pretty special, that noise when you start it up, mine now has a Cobra exhaust as the original had broken at the back box to mid pipe flange.
I need to get some better tyres as the Previous Owner decided to fit a full set of ditchfinders but will get some use out of them, means I can learn the handling at lower speeds.
Dont intend to mod it much further than the exhaust, come next summer I will refurb the wheels as there is a bit of corrosion and the PO wasnt very good at avoiding kerbs. I am hoping to own it and just have to tax, mot, fuel and insure it, modding is an expensive and slippery slope, will keep the money and then move up to something faster, not that they arent fast, fairly quick as standard.
Surprised more PistonHeaders dont have a 350Z, 300 bhp, rwd, noisy, decent handling, lsd, they are practically the PH party line.
I love the coupe but had to have a convertible but both are pretty special, that noise when you start it up, mine now has a Cobra exhaust as the original had broken at the back box to mid pipe flange.
I need to get some better tyres as the Previous Owner decided to fit a full set of ditchfinders but will get some use out of them, means I can learn the handling at lower speeds.
Dont intend to mod it much further than the exhaust, come next summer I will refurb the wheels as there is a bit of corrosion and the PO wasnt very good at avoiding kerbs. I am hoping to own it and just have to tax, mot, fuel and insure it, modding is an expensive and slippery slope, will keep the money and then move up to something faster, not that they arent fast, fairly quick as standard.
Surprised more PistonHeaders dont have a 350Z, 300 bhp, rwd, noisy, decent handling, lsd, they are practically the PH party line.
Glad to hear there are other owners out there. Rarely see a 350 round my way, though saw several today.
Thought it was worth reporting back on the EBCs, which have proved faultless over their life so far. I have read a fair bit of negative press and perhaps I'd try something else if I was tracking it (I've kept the Seven for that...), but for the road, they work.
Just a word of warning on the ditch finders - as it gets colder you'll find they really do get overcome very easily. About eight degrees and below was when mine became noticeably easier to spin up. Thankfully, the few times there's been an out of shape moment for me, the car's handling makes a gather up straight forward, even for one with fists of ham like myself.
One other point that may not be readily apparent is that letting the car warm for 30 secs before pulling away makes the gearbox smoother than diving in and heading off. It mentions this in the manual, but I doubt many do it.
Thought it was worth reporting back on the EBCs, which have proved faultless over their life so far. I have read a fair bit of negative press and perhaps I'd try something else if I was tracking it (I've kept the Seven for that...), but for the road, they work.
Just a word of warning on the ditch finders - as it gets colder you'll find they really do get overcome very easily. About eight degrees and below was when mine became noticeably easier to spin up. Thankfully, the few times there's been an out of shape moment for me, the car's handling makes a gather up straight forward, even for one with fists of ham like myself.
One other point that may not be readily apparent is that letting the car warm for 30 secs before pulling away makes the gearbox smoother than diving in and heading off. It mentions this in the manual, but I doubt many do it.
Smitters said:
Glad to hear there are other owners out there. Rarely see a 350 round my way, though saw several today.
Thought it was worth reporting back on the EBCs, which have proved faultless over their life so far. I have read a fair bit of negative press and perhaps I'd try something else if I was tracking it (I've kept the Seven for that...), but for the road, they work.
Just a word of warning on the ditch finders - as it gets colder you'll find they really do get overcome very easily. About eight degrees and below was when mine became noticeably easier to spin up. Thankfully, the few times there's been an out of shape moment for me, the car's handling makes a gather up straight forward, even for one with fists of ham like myself.
One other point that may not be readily apparent is that letting the car warm for 30 secs before pulling away makes the gearbox smoother than diving in and heading off. It mentions this in the manual, but I doubt many do it.
Yeah, in the wet it tried to go sideways in third the other morning. The back end seems quite predictable and it doesnt take that much provocation, just need to decide what tyres but I also want to refurb the wheels, just want to do it in the right orderThought it was worth reporting back on the EBCs, which have proved faultless over their life so far. I have read a fair bit of negative press and perhaps I'd try something else if I was tracking it (I've kept the Seven for that...), but for the road, they work.
Just a word of warning on the ditch finders - as it gets colder you'll find they really do get overcome very easily. About eight degrees and below was when mine became noticeably easier to spin up. Thankfully, the few times there's been an out of shape moment for me, the car's handling makes a gather up straight forward, even for one with fists of ham like myself.
One other point that may not be readily apparent is that letting the car warm for 30 secs before pulling away makes the gearbox smoother than diving in and heading off. It mentions this in the manual, but I doubt many do it.
Cheers for the gearbox tip, will give it a try.
Previous owner here. I loved mine, took abit of time to gel but I was gutted when it came to sell. They are utterly reliable and will take the mileage, I literally just serviced mine and swapped consumables.
I fitted a kakimoto titanium tipped exhaust to it and it sounded amazing.
For a slight increase in noise the best two systems I heard (and I went to plenty of Wales runs with the 350z owners club) was the Nismo and Scorpion systems. I would recommend one of those.
I fitted a kakimoto titanium tipped exhaust to it and it sounded amazing.
For a slight increase in noise the best two systems I heard (and I went to plenty of Wales runs with the 350z owners club) was the Nismo and Scorpion systems. I would recommend one of those.
I've had mine a couple of months, it has a scorpian back box as the previous one had corroded, I like the sound but apparently it sounds similar to standard. I recently purchased some berk hi flow cats, which I haven't had fitted yet but are suppose to improve the sound.
The only other mod I have done is eibach wheel spacers, which make the car look great but I wouldn't recommend them as they have diluted the steering feel so I will take them off.
The only other mod I have done is eibach wheel spacers, which make the car look great but I wouldn't recommend them as they have diluted the steering feel so I will take them off.
Cheers for the exhaust tips. If it goes through the MOT clean (in the bay as I type...gulp) and the service doesn't reveal anything unexpected, I'll have to have a listen on youtube and at some meets - cars need rewards too!
It'll also need new rubber in the next six months, so I'll have to have a think and a search on that too. As I wrote initially, the OEM fitment does get good reviews, but I've not read anything on 350Zs wearing Continental SportContact 3s, though they won the Evo tyre test last year. I'll have a chat with my tyre guy and see what he reckons knowing the weight of the car, but they seem like a good all-round proposition.
What have other folks had good (or bad) experiences with?
It'll also need new rubber in the next six months, so I'll have to have a think and a search on that too. As I wrote initially, the OEM fitment does get good reviews, but I've not read anything on 350Zs wearing Continental SportContact 3s, though they won the Evo tyre test last year. I'll have a chat with my tyre guy and see what he reckons knowing the weight of the car, but they seem like a good all-round proposition.
What have other folks had good (or bad) experiences with?
Did you fix your clicking issue on the rear axle.....I looked into this and replacing the CV joints but haven't got round to it yet. its interesting reading your posts as i experience many of the same things. I had no cats when i brought the car, the sound was glorious however EML constantly on and MOT time was a bit of an issuer....also taking them on and off is not the easiest of things.
Have you also experience?
Rubbish handbrake,
Bose Sub cuts in and out (simple fix)
Airbag light flashing (trying to find a fix)
Have you also experience?
Rubbish handbrake,
Bose Sub cuts in and out (simple fix)
Airbag light flashing (trying to find a fix)
Well - MOT passed. You know a car should pass, but it doesn't prevent a little worry creeping in. Thankfully, nothing too serious - tyres, which I knew, handbrake, which I knew and had listed in the upcoming service and a very slight play in one of the front ARB droplinks, so will have those replaced too.
On the tyre front I've decided to give Continental SportContact 3s a go. As ever, Chris Mullins in Gloucester proved excellent, coming in at a better price than I could find on the internet and the same level as the Falkens that get good reviews. Seems it still pays to ring your local chap.
So, in response, yes to the handbrake, but no to the sub or ABS. I don't even get much skipping from the CD player, except on roads where I'd expect a tape to skip, frankly. Or, in other words, the whole sodding county I live in.
One thing I did notice when it got really cold last winter was the boot release springs not quite doing the job. Seems to be a combo of cold weather, marginal gas struts, a massive counterweight in the bootlid and springs lacking a bit of, er, spring. Given life is getting more wintry again, I decided to remedy this with some help from the internet. The fix is on the budget end - it costs 2p and takes a similar number of minutes - remove the rubber gaiter that sit over the spring mechanisms on either side of the bootlid, drop a penny into the bottom of the gaiter, refit said gaiter and bask in your own magnificence.
So, new wax, new MOT, new boots, full service and a new car for the missus all in one month. Turkey Twizzlers for Christmas it is then.
On the tyre front I've decided to give Continental SportContact 3s a go. As ever, Chris Mullins in Gloucester proved excellent, coming in at a better price than I could find on the internet and the same level as the Falkens that get good reviews. Seems it still pays to ring your local chap.
So, in response, yes to the handbrake, but no to the sub or ABS. I don't even get much skipping from the CD player, except on roads where I'd expect a tape to skip, frankly. Or, in other words, the whole sodding county I live in.
One thing I did notice when it got really cold last winter was the boot release springs not quite doing the job. Seems to be a combo of cold weather, marginal gas struts, a massive counterweight in the bootlid and springs lacking a bit of, er, spring. Given life is getting more wintry again, I decided to remedy this with some help from the internet. The fix is on the budget end - it costs 2p and takes a similar number of minutes - remove the rubber gaiter that sit over the spring mechanisms on either side of the bootlid, drop a penny into the bottom of the gaiter, refit said gaiter and bask in your own magnificence.
So, new wax, new MOT, new boots, full service and a new car for the missus all in one month. Turkey Twizzlers for Christmas it is then.
james_gt3rs said:
Love yellow cars, really suits it!
Cheers. Glad to hear some love. I idly offered it to a dealer as a trade-in against my girlfriends new car to see where he'd go and he spun a line about yellow being a really unpopular colour. I get that it's quite marmite, not everyone wants to have a shouty stand-out vehicle, but I'm sorry, the number of Minis, new Citroen DS3s, Fiat 500s and so on in yellow, including one on his own forecourt makes me a little sceptical. If anything, the last few years have been about car colour palettes getting more and more interesting. Made me glad the trade-in wasn't a requirement of the purchase - just me being opportunistic. With a big service and new tyres close at hand, the right trade-in price would have been worthwhile, and put me into an S4 Avant for the winter...roadman said:
interesting....thanks...... how about your rear drop links? are they squeaky/creaky
mine will be replaced by the end of the year . .. another fun DIY job
Mine are fine. The car's had a very cosseted life, despite the miles. The fronts don't make noise, but it makes sense to look after the car. After all, handling is what stops me hitting trees and I like to stretch it's legs a bit on the right road now and then.mine will be replaced by the end of the year . .. another fun DIY job
LordGrover said:
It's well worth removing the ballast from the boot-lid too. It's a five minute job if you have th trim removal tools. Mine took about three pennies IIRC.
Enjoy - fun cars!
Duly noted. I don't have the tool, but understand they're not expensive. There's a trimmers down the road, so I may swing by and see if I can borrow one for a few mins.Enjoy - fun cars!
Pierscoe1 said:
good to hear updates about this car... as it's always on the list of possible next cars.
oh, and why is there extra weight added to the bootlid!?!? The car's a little on the rotund side anyway!
As for why it's there, I think to add to the engineered feel and character. The boot is nicely weighted against the struts, so opens and closes easily, but retains that satisfying "thunk" of something solid and dependable. If I do get it out, I may well shove some dynamat in instead, just to dull the sound a little and retain the illusion a bit.oh, and why is there extra weight added to the bootlid!?!? The car's a little on the rotund side anyway!
Well, time for a cheeky update. I've mainly been distracted by a new arrival in the shape of a Caterham, so this is long overdue!
Three and a bit parts to this. First up, I took a weekend roadtrip to Aberdeen. The 350 ate the 450 northward miles easily and if I'd had bigger balls, I reckon it'd have done it on a single tank. The DTE said I could. I've done this trip a few times, in a few different vehicles, at the raw end, a Caterham and at the plush end, the 350. I have never, ever driven over 400 miles in one hit and arrived so fresh. GT car? You bet. An average speed of 68mph and mpg of 30.8 according to the on-board computer, with plenty of use of the cruise-control and heated seats made it a superb experience.
Now, in a gentle segue to part two, I should say the new tyres did play a significant part in this GT capability. The 350Z is a car that communicates a fair bit of roadnoise, in part due to the open boot to cabin set-up. Even when filled with luggage (like bin-bags of baby-clothes in an effort to avoid postage costs!) there's significant ambient noise, slap from cats-eyes, even the patter of stones and water on the arch-liners if you hit a wet patch. However, moving from Avon ZZ3 rears to the Contis has made a significant difference.
So, the new tyres. Continental SportContact 3 won the Evo tyre test in 2012 ( Summary). Importantly for me, the size they tested was very close to mine and although it wasn't on a rwd car, the S3 was of a decent power and not fwd. What really struck home was the capability in the wet, which is encouraging given the 350's tail-led approach to handling. Also, there's no denying it's a big car, so hauling it to a stop and keeping the occupants safe in that regard scores highly for me. I changed out Avon ZZ3s on the rear, and Bridgestone Potenza RE050s up front and went for a moderately wallet crippling set of Conti's all round.
I say moderately, because it's all relative. Chris Mullins was able to do all four tyres for £660. This sat between the perceived "budget" options, Avon and Falken (I'm ignoring the Far East Budget Specials at £3.50 a corner on the assumption no one will be putting these on a 300bhp rwd car and expecting anything over than a hedge in their immediate future) and the high cost of OEM Bridgestones or Michelin Pilot Sport 3. As a bonus, I was able to stand by as the old rubber came off and have a look at the state of the wheels. I'd had a slow loss of pressure from one wheel early in ownership and a refurb had found some corrosion to be the cause, a common complaint with the Nismo wheels. I was pleased therefore to see all looked well, though the chap doing the refit gave the beads a clean-up anyway. I was able to take photos too, which will help allay fears if a buyer brings it up.
So my initial impressions on the tyres? Well, I'm no helmsmith, but having driven a fair bit of machinery, including a few Caterhams, I'd like to think I can at least give a sensible, objective view. After a suitable running in period, initial impressions are positive. There's more rear grip available in all conditions over the worn Avons, and noticeably more in colder or low-grip conditions. The threshold temperature for extreme caution seems to have dropped below five degrees now - it was about eight before - which makes a significant difference. The road-noise has lessened significantly, contributing to that GT excellence, and the compliance is noticeably better too, dealing with the potholed roads in a less crashy manner. The downside of this is a marginal loss of steering feel around centre in comparison to the Bridgestones, which, to be fair, were only three-quarters worn, but it's a compromise that makes day to day driving much more enjoyable until the local council decide to provide race-track smooth tarmac everywhere.
I was able to extract a sensible wear-rate out of the Avon rears, about 2mm in 5000 miles, but it remains to be seen how the Contis perform in this regard. I'll keep an eye out, especially as reportedly, the 350 has a habit of wearing tyres unevenly. A full alignment from Horsham Developments back in February helped but with today's roads, I'll not be surprised if things are knocked about a little by now.
Thirdly, talking of Horsham Developments (H-Dev), I was able to get over to them prior to the 1000 mile roadtrip and have a sizeable service. In essence, all fluids bar brakes were changed, the saving on the brake-fluid, which isn't due until mid-2014, being spent on the front droplinks. Most pleasing was the condition of the gearbox and diff oils which I asked Craig at H-Dev to have a good look at, and which turned out to be nice and clean still. For some reason, Nissan don't specify a service interval for the gearbox and diff fluids, so I did wonder if they'd ever been done!
The 350Z has a pretty mechanical gear-shift. If you've just got out of a modern Ford Focus or similar, it's going to feel wildly weighty and you'll immediately begin to worry about having one thigh larger than the other from the clutch action and one forearm bulging a little more from the manual shift, but you soon get used to it. I was starting to wonder what effect new fluids might have though, as on particularly cold mornings it really did pay to let things warm up or there was a distinct notchiness. It's never been a car that inspires a swift change, like my old MR2 did, but new fluids have smoothed things out a little and made a significant difference when the temperature drops. Peter Tomalin wrote this on the Evo long-termer almost 10 years ago!
And, one other thing (or half a thing), to finish off this unintentionally epic missive - you know that back in the first post I claimed I hardly ever go to the tip. Well, that's true. However, I did recycle all my old Evo mags last week and in a fit of pique, they resisted their expulsion well, and hard, in leaving the home. So much so they caused a little damage to the silver plastic strut-brace cover in the boot. b
d things. This is mainly annoying because I've decided I'll be selling the 350 next year, so I'll have to look at a replacement, or perhaps getting a metal version that's more hard-wearing made up. Call it a winter project.
Three and a bit parts to this. First up, I took a weekend roadtrip to Aberdeen. The 350 ate the 450 northward miles easily and if I'd had bigger balls, I reckon it'd have done it on a single tank. The DTE said I could. I've done this trip a few times, in a few different vehicles, at the raw end, a Caterham and at the plush end, the 350. I have never, ever driven over 400 miles in one hit and arrived so fresh. GT car? You bet. An average speed of 68mph and mpg of 30.8 according to the on-board computer, with plenty of use of the cruise-control and heated seats made it a superb experience.
Now, in a gentle segue to part two, I should say the new tyres did play a significant part in this GT capability. The 350Z is a car that communicates a fair bit of roadnoise, in part due to the open boot to cabin set-up. Even when filled with luggage (like bin-bags of baby-clothes in an effort to avoid postage costs!) there's significant ambient noise, slap from cats-eyes, even the patter of stones and water on the arch-liners if you hit a wet patch. However, moving from Avon ZZ3 rears to the Contis has made a significant difference.
So, the new tyres. Continental SportContact 3 won the Evo tyre test in 2012 ( Summary). Importantly for me, the size they tested was very close to mine and although it wasn't on a rwd car, the S3 was of a decent power and not fwd. What really struck home was the capability in the wet, which is encouraging given the 350's tail-led approach to handling. Also, there's no denying it's a big car, so hauling it to a stop and keeping the occupants safe in that regard scores highly for me. I changed out Avon ZZ3s on the rear, and Bridgestone Potenza RE050s up front and went for a moderately wallet crippling set of Conti's all round.
I say moderately, because it's all relative. Chris Mullins was able to do all four tyres for £660. This sat between the perceived "budget" options, Avon and Falken (I'm ignoring the Far East Budget Specials at £3.50 a corner on the assumption no one will be putting these on a 300bhp rwd car and expecting anything over than a hedge in their immediate future) and the high cost of OEM Bridgestones or Michelin Pilot Sport 3. As a bonus, I was able to stand by as the old rubber came off and have a look at the state of the wheels. I'd had a slow loss of pressure from one wheel early in ownership and a refurb had found some corrosion to be the cause, a common complaint with the Nismo wheels. I was pleased therefore to see all looked well, though the chap doing the refit gave the beads a clean-up anyway. I was able to take photos too, which will help allay fears if a buyer brings it up.
So my initial impressions on the tyres? Well, I'm no helmsmith, but having driven a fair bit of machinery, including a few Caterhams, I'd like to think I can at least give a sensible, objective view. After a suitable running in period, initial impressions are positive. There's more rear grip available in all conditions over the worn Avons, and noticeably more in colder or low-grip conditions. The threshold temperature for extreme caution seems to have dropped below five degrees now - it was about eight before - which makes a significant difference. The road-noise has lessened significantly, contributing to that GT excellence, and the compliance is noticeably better too, dealing with the potholed roads in a less crashy manner. The downside of this is a marginal loss of steering feel around centre in comparison to the Bridgestones, which, to be fair, were only three-quarters worn, but it's a compromise that makes day to day driving much more enjoyable until the local council decide to provide race-track smooth tarmac everywhere.
I was able to extract a sensible wear-rate out of the Avon rears, about 2mm in 5000 miles, but it remains to be seen how the Contis perform in this regard. I'll keep an eye out, especially as reportedly, the 350 has a habit of wearing tyres unevenly. A full alignment from Horsham Developments back in February helped but with today's roads, I'll not be surprised if things are knocked about a little by now.
Thirdly, talking of Horsham Developments (H-Dev), I was able to get over to them prior to the 1000 mile roadtrip and have a sizeable service. In essence, all fluids bar brakes were changed, the saving on the brake-fluid, which isn't due until mid-2014, being spent on the front droplinks. Most pleasing was the condition of the gearbox and diff oils which I asked Craig at H-Dev to have a good look at, and which turned out to be nice and clean still. For some reason, Nissan don't specify a service interval for the gearbox and diff fluids, so I did wonder if they'd ever been done!
The 350Z has a pretty mechanical gear-shift. If you've just got out of a modern Ford Focus or similar, it's going to feel wildly weighty and you'll immediately begin to worry about having one thigh larger than the other from the clutch action and one forearm bulging a little more from the manual shift, but you soon get used to it. I was starting to wonder what effect new fluids might have though, as on particularly cold mornings it really did pay to let things warm up or there was a distinct notchiness. It's never been a car that inspires a swift change, like my old MR2 did, but new fluids have smoothed things out a little and made a significant difference when the temperature drops. Peter Tomalin wrote this on the Evo long-termer almost 10 years ago!
Peter Tomalin said:
And then there's that vibration. If you remember the 350Z we had on Car of the Year (issue 063), you may recall we dubbed it the Ginger Tingler for its lurid paintjob and the vibrations through the gearstick. Well, I can reveal that it's not just the ginger ones that tingle, the blue ones do too. Apparently it's a 'characteristic' - Nissan's engineers could have masked it, but it would have made the shift feel more rubbery, so they left it alone.
And, in a way, I'm getting rather fond of the tingle. It seems to go well with the weighty, mechanical feel of the shift, which in turn matches the meaty weighting of the steering and the muscly ride. Better still, as the miles rack up, the engine seems to be getting stronger and lustier, the gearchange slightly faster-shifting, though it'll never be flick-flick light.
So, all in all, I now have the car in the best possible shape. I'm looking forward to putting a few more miles onto her over the winter and then releasing her to the wild in Spring/Summer 2014.And, in a way, I'm getting rather fond of the tingle. It seems to go well with the weighty, mechanical feel of the shift, which in turn matches the meaty weighting of the steering and the muscly ride. Better still, as the miles rack up, the engine seems to be getting stronger and lustier, the gearchange slightly faster-shifting, though it'll never be flick-flick light.
And, one other thing (or half a thing), to finish off this unintentionally epic missive - you know that back in the first post I claimed I hardly ever go to the tip. Well, that's true. However, I did recycle all my old Evo mags last week and in a fit of pique, they resisted their expulsion well, and hard, in leaving the home. So much so they caused a little damage to the silver plastic strut-brace cover in the boot. b
d things. This is mainly annoying because I've decided I'll be selling the 350 next year, so I'll have to look at a replacement, or perhaps getting a metal version that's more hard-wearing made up. Call it a winter project.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff