Joely P Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Nice Vig, I’ve been meaning to get mine up and retreat it but can never find the time, I may give these guys a go to give mine a spruce up! ? Just one thing though, jacking on the pinch welds! ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 1 hour ago, Joely P said: Nice Vig, I’ve been meaning to get mine up and retreat it but can never find the time, I may give these guys a go to give mine a spruce up! ? Just one thing though, jacking on the pinch welds! ?? Yes, I did notice that but unfortunately only in the photos after the fact so little I can do about it now ? Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkysi Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 On 28/01/2023 at 10:23, Gaz 300 said: I must say I do like my gel plates on the BMW. Not a great pic of the plate but they do look better than just printed flat plates. Gel / 4D plates are really cheesy IMO. Nice E90, I had an E90 M-sport with the Motorsport wheels. Lovely drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz 300 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 48 minutes ago, Funkysi said: Gel / 4D plates are really cheesy IMO. Nice E90, I had an E90 M-sport with the Motorsport wheels. Lovely drive. 2006 330i M Sport is a real gem to drive the wheels are BMW light weight BBS motor sport alloys off the limited edition 320si. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja93 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 9 hours ago, Gaz 300 said: 2006 330i M Sport is a real gem to drive the wheels are BMW light weight BBS motor sport alloys off the limited edition 320si. Sorry to hijack Vig's thread but I thought it was a 320si with those wheels. Nice clean car that ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz 300 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 7 minutes ago, Raja93 said: Sorry to hijack Vig's thread but I thought it was a 320si with those wheels. Nice clean car that ?. Very like one but better engine. Sorry Vig can do a thread clean if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 6 minutes ago, Gaz 300 said: Very like one but better engine. Sorry Vig can do a thread clean if you want. ? Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted February 5 Author Share Posted February 5 (edited) Having only a single garage which resides at the bottom of a rather steep drive, I looked into alternative solutions to keep the Zed safe from mischief. I did consider renting a garage / lockup but nothing was available within a reasonable distance. I soon came across CarCoon and the several review videos I watched on YT convinced me that it was the way to go. It seemed Demon Tweeks are the only supplier in the UK so I duly submitted an order back in July 2022 for an original delivery date in September. A day before the delivery date I received a notification that it was being rescheduled for a month later...and on each subsequent month I would receive the same reschedule notification til in December (when they pushed it into Jan) I decided enough was enough and cancelled my order for a refund. In the interim I found a company based in Germany who were providing essentially the same product for pretty much the same price. So I submitted an order for an Outdoor Shield with InTheGarage. Order placed at the end of Dec and it arrived this past week. Duly assembled today (in less than 20mins) after my morning at the SCM meet at MB World...photos of before and afters. So far it looks pretty good and solid. It took about 2-3mins to fully inflate! I haven't yet connect up my trickle charger but will do so soon. My only remaining question is what I do with the cover when I'm out in the car....it would be a pain to have to roll it up and store it each time but also conscious of the fact that it could be stolen pretty easily if just left on the drive! Edited February 5 by sumshiftyguy 6 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 (edited) The past year has flown by and it's MOT time already! Went for it last week and to my surprise, it failed. Nothing major or sinister but a split steering rack gator and no rear fog light. The latter was a shock as it passed an MOT prior to being registered in the UK but after a bit of investigation, it was supposedly fitted with a temporary item to get through the MOT. It is slightly annoying that I wasn't told all of this as I would have had a whole year to sort out the rear fog install but c'est la vie. With support from @AndrewG, we managed to wire in a switchable rear fog light which was connected directly to the front fog, so operated via the standard fog switch. Went for gator fit and re-test today and sailed through. Hoping to now have problem and worry free use of the car over the warmer months with lots of events lined up! Some photos of the rear fog install, for posterity. Edited March 30 by sumshiftyguy 5 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardS Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Nice work Vig..... And Andrew!! 1 Quote I have something to say............ It's better to burn out than to fade away..... :tt2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealNips Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 I cant tell you how many times I have taken an interior in and out of a zed. I swear I could do it blind/asleep/telepathically 1 2 Quote 1990 Black MT NA LWB = 2014 - 2020 (Sold) 1991 Red MT TT LWB = 2015 - 2017 (Stripped & Scrapped) 1991 Red MT TT LWB = 2017 - 2021 (Sold) 1991 Black MT TT LWB = 2018 - 2021 (Sold) 1989 Red AT TT LWB = 2021 - XXXX (Kept) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobHowl Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 How easy is the front seat removal? Wanna do it so I can properly wet vax all the interior. Was only 4 bolts per seat in my old MX5, easy as pie! Quote #1. 1993 Twin Turbo Manual LWB in black (2022 - ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealNips Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 1 hour ago, RobHowl said: How easy is the front seat removal? Wanna do it so I can properly wet vax all the interior. Was only 4 bolts per seat in my old MX5, easy as pie! Same, four bolts. Just remember to unplug the electric plug before hefting the seat out. If you don't, you either look a Burke or you snap the connection. Oh and the black plastic bolt covers/caps fit perfectly in the diameter of the hoover tube and are a bugger to get back out! 1 2 Quote 1990 Black MT NA LWB = 2014 - 2020 (Sold) 1991 Red MT TT LWB = 2015 - 2017 (Stripped & Scrapped) 1991 Red MT TT LWB = 2017 - 2021 (Sold) 1991 Black MT TT LWB = 2018 - 2021 (Sold) 1989 Red AT TT LWB = 2021 - XXXX (Kept) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 (edited) My car came with what I believe to be a very rare Tommy Kaira cat-back exhaust system. I liked the look of the oval tips but the sound was a little too subtle for me. I wasn't after an ASBO exhaust but I did want more of a sense of occasion when driving it. I had heard that the Veilside Evolution was the one to go for if you could have any but those are rare these days so I had consigned myself to having a custom system fabricated. My V8 F-Type R had an inconel system and was by far one of the best sounding exhausts I've experienced so I started looking into an inconel custom system. If you know anything about these things, you would not be surprised to hear that my search ended pretty quickly once I found how how bloody expensive that would be! Stainless steel is would be then! I started corresponding with a few fabricators via social media, where I could see several examples of their work to give me some level of confidence. Costs weren't too bad and I was almost ready to get serious about it but one niggling thought kept popping into my head - "how would I know what it would sound like before it was made (and costs sunk)??". Anyway, fate struck and at the right time, an ABFlug Power Superior system became available in the UK. I hadn't actually heard much about them previously but some quick digging and chatting to those who know (much) better led me to understand that THIS was the system to pick and was actually very similar, if not identical to the Veilside Evolution. More importantly (for me), I was able to find one solitary video on Youtube of this system fitted to a SWB TT in the US....and it sounded glorious! I wasn't too enamoured by the look but it would be worth it. I think. Fast forward through a few months of it sitting in my office in bubble wrap, waiting for better weather (and time to polish it!) and it was finally fitted last week. I had timed the fitting to coincide with a planned drive this morning with my car club to Kingsley Range Rover and I love how much better it sounds. The car really feels like it has so much more presence! Neither system had any whisper of a drone but this one has a lovely deep boom and burble that you can definitely tell that I'm coming now. All this on a stock engine with cats in place! It also doesn't look all that bad, though I'm still not a fan if looking at it from a certain angle but I won't have to do that much! I made a view comparing the two and posted some photos of them fitted below: https://youtu.be/q5dbxJS3QSU Edited May 6 by sumshiftyguy 1 6 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz 300 Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Two great exhausts Vig. Love them both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 Despite owning a 300zx for almost 12yrs, I've never had a fully working sound system. I wasn't too bothered as I quite like taking in the sounds of a full throttle driving experience but with a Euro road trip coming up and lots of motorways til we reach our destination I decided now would be a good time to replace the redundant Japanese system with something more modern. I had attempted to modernise my last 300zx as well, identifying the components I'd need for my build and even having someone fabricate a double din android tablet holder but I never managed to finish the job before selling. Fast forward to 2023 and there is a lot of choice when it comes to Android headunits which are plug-and-play. The headunit runs Android and can take it's own data-enabled sim but I just hotspot off my mobile instead of having to pay for another mobile contract. My phone also connects via BT for calls, messages, etc. As an Android unit, I can also use all the other usual apps - Waze and GMaps, Whatsapp, GMail, YouTube, Netflix, Prime, etc. I've also installed NDSI for live diagnostics. For speakers, I've kept what was in the car already. I believe the fronts are aftermarket but the rear are stock. I've installed a Cerwin Vega spare wheel (slim) sub which is immense. I contacted CW and discovered that they do not ship or support sales outside the US so I had to do some digging to find a supplier Stateside who would ship to me. In terms of accessories / peripherals, I've installed a USB ODB adapter to work with the NDSI app. It works perfectly except for not reading speed but I'm aware of the fix and just need to get around to doing it. It's proven so shouldn't be any issues there I hope. I've also installed a bullet-style reverse cam fitted in place of the tailgate lock. It's not the highest resolution but much better than expected and is very, very useful. Finally I've installed a wireless charge-pad connected to the quick charge port of the Atoto and situated it in the centre console. The idea is that when I get into the car, I turn on hotspot and then put the phone away in the console, using the Atoto for anything and everything whilst driving. I've been able to do away with the unsightly phone holder and charging cables entirely. Removing the old stuff was also very good as there was a LOT of stuff...the previous owner was definitely running some sort of big AV setup as well as the Japanese told card reader, etc. One thing that has stopped working is the melody box. It must have been wired into the old system but we couldn't figure out how to refit so I'll be looking into replacing that as I loved the authenticity it gave the car...or feeling of! The finished product sounds and performs incredibly well so I'm absolutely chuffed! So is my 2yr old who came for a ride today and was quite content sitting in the back watching Paw Patrol on the HD screen..lol . . . 5 6 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 (edited) Hot on the heels of the AV setup, I also wanted to adjust the stance. I had been looking into BBKs such as the Akebono and when I discovered that they wouldn't fit under my BBS LMs, the thought did cross my mind to replace the wheels but wanting to delay that expense, I opted for spacers. The fronts, as they are running Porsche calipers, already had 10mm spacers on them but the rears were not. I opted to go 20mm on the front and put the 10s on the rear. I think the rear sits perfectly now but the fronts could do with some positive camber adjustment BEFORE AFTER . BEFORE AFTER . BEFORE AFTER Edited August 13 by sumshiftyguy 5 5 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joely P Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 Looks 👌 with that fitment! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz 300 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 Nice upgrades Vig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardS Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 22 hours ago, Joely P said: Looks 👌 with that fitment! Yup - what he said......!! 1 Quote I have something to say............ It's better to burn out than to fade away..... :tt2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 (edited) I've done a few little bits over the past month or so, mostly to get the car prepped for my trip to Switzerland next week! (will add pics to this post later on!...) It turns out that the head unit that I fitted doesn't fully power down for 5mins. Add this to the 1min that my turbo timer is set to and I'm left with 6mins before my aerial retracts. Ordinarily not a problem but as the car lives in a carcoon, it means I have to hang about before I can put it away. Also thinking about potential photo ops on my trip, I'd rather capture the car without the aerial sticking out! The place who installed the system took about 30mins to install a manual switch to cut the power to the aerial - neatly tucked away out of sight so I can pop it up or down at will now. I took the car out for a pretty hard blast down to Brighton with my club and though the car felt great, as we progressed the brakes did seem to fade a bit. I don't know when the system was last flushed and as it was on oem hoses (despite the front calipers being upgraded to Pprsche Brembos) I decided to flush and get braided lines fitted. In speaking with Andrew on some technical aspects, he raised the idea of a master brake cylinder brace so that duly went on the order too! I opted for Castrol SRF fluid, braided lines (oem for the rears and banjo for the front Brembos) and an AMS brace. All fitted but not yet tested out. Finally I took the car to get 4-wheel alignment done, having fitted the new spacers. Although it was driving well and straight, the alignment was all over the place! Quite comical. We managed to correct the toe but the camber (neg) and caster misalignment persists as my suspension is still stock and I don't have the ability (or enough of it) to correct it fully. I'll leave it for now as it's not a causing any real problems but I think at some point in the future I may opt to upgrade the suspension. This was the setup BEFORE any adjustment: And this was : . Edited October 9 by sumshiftyguy 6 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted September 24 Author Share Posted September 24 Fresh from my 5day and almost 1700mile trip to Switzerland, my overwhelming takeaway is that the 300zx, even in near stock form is an absolute delight to drive (and drive v v hard!). I went down with a modified R35 GTR and a stock V8 M6 which meant on the straights and motorways, I was nowhere near being able to keep up on pulls but once we were on the Alpine passes, it was a totally different story! The lower power and lighter car, the 300zx was incredibly nimble and at reasonably high speeds. The car never once stepped out on me, even in the wet (except when intended for some cheeky sideways action)! The only problem was a tyre blowout on the first full day due to hitting a rogue rock which had rolled across the road. A huge annoyance which almost ruined the trip and the day but we managed to salvage and get a replacement fitted the same day. It did however damage the rim slightly and I have a very small leak as a result but this didn't cause any issues for the remainder of the trip so I'm not rushing into an urgent fix but am considering binging the refurbishment f the rims forward in my plans instead. I think I may upgrade the brakes at the same time. The only thing stopping me from getting a BBK previously was that the ones I was thinking of wouldn't fit under my 18" LMs but if I'm changing those anyway, then I may as well hange the brakes now too. I'm quite happy with the power but may also sort out an EBC and get it installed and mapped (and the 115mph limit removed!!). There is so much I could recount but most of it is documented on my IG - I'll include some links below with some of the best photos which sum up the trip. https://www.instagram.com/itsmrvig https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxWLqYdtQj9/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxY1xlstQvA/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxbfKsjt4Wq/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgsQgkNl3r/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxjUAf2NS4O/?hl=en Grimsel Pass Furka Pass San Bernadino Pass Zernez (next to our hotel or the night) . Stelvio Pass Top of Stelvio . Gotthardstrasse (just outside Andermatt) Susten Pass . Susten Pass around Golden Hour Arch Dam - Lukmanier Pass - it was blowing an absolute gale so the drone was really struggling. The videos have come out better than the photos . 9 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz 300 Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 Awesome drive and great pictures mate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewG Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 Good fun aren't they! Would you mind posting up a map of your tour? Quote She's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went - Simply irresistible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumshiftyguy Posted September 25 Author Share Posted September 25 1 hour ago, AndrewG said: Good fun aren't they! Would you mind posting up a map of your tour? Of course..here you go! Day1: Calais to Meiringen (830km / 9hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/XDRXabScqPEEbRbg7 Day2 AM: Meiringen-Grimsel Pass-Furka Pass-Gotthard Pass-Tremola-Airolo (120km / 2.5hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/ccYKqsEHfwhWXKgj8 Day2 PM: Airolo-San Bernadino-Julier Pass-Zernez (279km / 4.5hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/6cCAQ9GbKLZyqwXPA Day3 AM: Zernez-Umbrail Pass-Stelvio Pass-Tirano-Bernina Pass-Pontresina-St Moritz (132km / 2.5hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nv8XesjpjAkCVCHA8 Day3 PM: St Moritz-Albula Pass-Tiefencastel-Oberalp Pass-Andermatt-Wassen-Susten Pass-Meringen (228km / 4.5hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXzLsqai8niFvAc97 Day4 AM: Meiringen-Susten Pass / Grimsel Pass-Furka Pass-Andermatt-Oberalp Pass-Lukmanier Pass-Bedretto-Nufenen Pass-Ulrichen (208km / 4hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/qAxkfsQC9Kc3tv4x6 - via Susten https://maps.app.goo.gl/RHaYEtmCiLcWPyBu9 - Grimsel/Furka Day4 PM: Ulrichen-Colmar (306km / 4.5hrs) https://maps.app.goo.gl/3CA8XB2aApV5pbSt5 Day5 AM: Colmar-Circuit Reims Gaux (358km / 4h) https://goo.gl/maps/yCjTEwLiSs7etEoT8 Day5 PM: Circuit Reim Gaux-Calais (273km / 2.5h) https://goo.gl/maps/Gw5ppRweVydNfJoD8 2 3 Quote [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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