Jack

I think it's ok as it looks like a blanking plate. It looks like the end that fastens to the diff. I've only experience of NA's though, I believe TT's are different - 6 holes instead of 4? If you are having it replaced, won't the people who are doing it for you know? Anyway, you should be doing it yourself. Nice afternoon on your back... What more can you wish for... Good luck Jack

I'm in my 7th year of Z ownership - all daily driver NA's ie jap imports and each year I have trouble with insurance company prices. I estimate that I've driven 2 of those years without insurance co Tesco, and each year I have to shop around to stop a good price rocketing into a stupid price. Currently Adrian Flux is good (for me) 7 years ago they were expensive. Good luck Jack

Andy I had one fail a few years ago. It used to loose water overnight. When it was hot the failing seal in the waterpump was ok, but as it cooled in the evening - or when it wasn't being used, it leaked water. I wasn't sure how long it would last so I kept running it for about 4 months untill it let go big-time. And as you can guess it was on a motorway in very heavy traffic - and in southern France. What I had to do was carry water bottles and as soon as the temp started to rise, stop the car and refill it. It got home ok and a replacement waterpump £54 I think, did the job. It is a long job too and you'll need a set of long reach allen keys. Good luck Jack. ...in answer to your question, just top it up each time you use it via the rad cap.

danny - if you can get a standard nissan TT exhaust then they fit well on a na. The centre box on the tt exhaust is smaller than that of an na so it's a bit louder as a result. You have to remove the 2 restrictor rings on the entrance of the tt exhaust (hammer and screwdriver) easy to do. Many people on here chuck good nissan tt exhausts away as an upgrade so often you can buy them relatively cheaply. Many of the aftermarket exhausts for the Z seem to be for TT's so (to my mind) are too loud on an na as there are no turbos quietening the exhaust noise. Good luck Jack

...seems like I've got one for sale (so Richard tells me) but it's fastned to a manual gearbox which is in turn in a 95 NA that's for sale at £3750. ...at this rate I'll get more breaking the car than selling it whole. Cheerz Jack

Keith - try putting the original Jap clocks back in. See if that solves the problem. If it does then maybe a speed onverter on the original clocks is the answer - assuming it's fitted correctly.

As far as I know a speed converter does not affect the steering as the steering gets it's signal before the speed converter. I've recently fitted a speed converter and ther was no difference to the feel of the steering. ...popular myth? I've also run a speed converted ie Jap Auto for 6 years without any hassle from the converter ...cruise was fine too. Can't tell of HICAS as both cars were na's. Good luck Jack

As you'll have found out, the insurance companies want to see a certificate of professional installation before they'll cover you for theft. Good luck Jack

it is relatively easy, but when you go to buy one from NIssan, or MJP, refer to it as at steering rack gaiter - or is it gator? Good luck Jack

I've a speed converter on my NA and a gps speed trap device (roadpilot) and the speed reading on the (now) 180mph dials is spot on up to 80+ then marginally fast thereafter. Also I've driven NA's without and with converters and to my knowledge they don'y affect the steering - I wouldn't know about the HICAS. Fitting one is quite easy, do a search for Speed converters and you'll find a wiring diagram from Z World (I think). Follow that. And the dial backs can differ from the pictures posted on the Forum, so splice into the wires as these are the same from year to year (in my experience). I bouch a converter from cbr (thanks very much) for £40 delivered. Good luck Jack

Sonix - I've a 97 NA and I believe that from mid year 1995 they changed the cams and got rid of the variable valve timing. I've no knowledge of changing an ECU, I know the TT guys do it, but can you for an NA? Good luck Jack

I do believe that 96 is the last model year that can be imported. You might find a later model year that's been in this country since before the rules were changed. Not sure when the last of the UK ones were sold - I think 94 was the last year. Taking salty roads and the resulting rust, I'd look for a jap as bodywise it'll undoubtedly be in much better condition - no salt on their roads. Also, jap prices being about half what we pay for parts and their strict MOT regs means you invariably get good serviced mechanicals. Good luck Jack PS if you are worried about insurance costs, spend your money on something sensible ...same goes for petrol/mpg.

I took mine to an accident repair specialist. They have a jig to set cars up after an accident. Cost £64 to have everything checked and re-set to manufacturers spec. I'd replaced the lowered coilovers with standard spec and needed the car re-set as it'd been set for the lower ride height and was eating front tyres. Interestingly, the accident repair place didn't see it as a specialist job fetching big money because it's a 300 - they just did the job. And it's driven straigh ever since and the tyre wear's non existant - apart from hard cornering. Good luck Jack

You can do the whole lot for free as long as you are chucking away an old sofa... First cut the sofa in half and remove the sheets of high density foam. You'll recognise these as they are primarily yellow and mottled as they are made up of loads of bits of foam bonded together and normally about 30mm thick. Use this foam around the spare wheel in the boot making sure that you cover all of the surfaces. Then remove the panels either side of the rear seats and fill all voids with the foam. Then remove as many parts of the dash as you can and again stuff the voids. Finally remove the front door interior trim and line the existing plastic sheeting with another layer of plastic - preferably the plastic that is used under laminate flooring - just tape it in place and refit the trims. Overall it make a phenominal (sp?) difference. Good luck Jack

from experience of fuel pump failure (on a different car), the failing pump cant deliver enough pressure so the injectors shut down. Normally it's bearings in the pump, and when they get hot the pump dosn't spin fast enough - car stops. If you let it cool down, car starts again but cuts out shortly afterwards. Tell-tale signes are debris in the fuel filter from the pump dissentegrating. Not sure if nissan pumps do this. Of note, my pump rumbles and in readyness for it's failure I bought one from a fellow member for about £20ish... Good luck Jack

Road Pilot Micro or their Micro Go. Micro is hard wired and discreet and comes with a laser detector - which will be outlawed in the UK soon to match Europe. Both are priced at about £200. If you want to spend less than £100 Inforad have just launched their new V3 - it's a really neat design, comes in a choice of colours and is dead simple to use. It's GPS so it's legal - and it uses Road Pilot's database, which is just about to be upgraded to include registered mobile camera locations. How do I know this - I've done their websites - new Inforad going live tomorrow (fingers crossed). Of note, Inforad charge a lot less per year for access to the database, but because it dosn't use an LCD screen it delivers less info - but hey, at speed, you don't want to be reading info on a small screen. Good luck. Watch out for gpsinforad.co.uk - should be up tomorrow...

It should be engraved metal. Clean it up with a wire brush then spray laquer will keep it new looking for years. I'm assuming that you are talking alloy calipers. Good luck Jack

...pulled it apart, cleaned it up, packed out the dome housing with some nylon webbing (bag strap) so that the plastic bushing was tight, greased it all up, bolted it all back together and so-far, it seems ok. A little tight but it'll most likely ease up with use - and if not, and I have to buy a new bush, at least I'll know how it all comes apart, fits together etc... Cheerz Jack

Chris - many thanks for the timely reply - off to the garage to sort it. Cheerz Jack

...so you guys are the experts - what's causing my car to have a floppy gear lever?

...whatever he did it had a new rear seal - and I was told he didn't remove the gearbox. It stopped leaking oil and 6 years later I sold it - still not leaking oil. Who's Christina A?

...before I start stripping it all down this evening? Cheerz Jack

Had the main sel replaced on a Z about 6 years ago - the mechanic didn't drop the box. I believe you can do it (with experience) with the box ''in-place''. Good luck Jack

I like the first part of your answer, but the 2nd part dosn't sound too good - but thanks all the same. Anyone else got any clues? Cheerz Jack

The gear lever has gone all floppy (must be the weather). So what am I looking for to fix it. Is it a fault with the gear lever mechanism or is it a fault in the gear selector rod/gearbox? Anyone got an answer before I pull it all apart? as always, thanks in advance. Cheerz Jack