Jack

I've run NA's for the past 7 years on any fuel I can get (Morrisons) - and never had any problems - mind you, Tesco 99 ron's the best...

...a fuse in the fuse box has gone - the high beam is the way Nissan tell you it's gone... Had the same not too long ago as I replaced one if the lights fuses into the wrong slot - drivers footwell. Good luck Jack

...sounds like (no pun intended) you need new back boxes - isn't there an issue with stainless only refering to the outer skin ie the baffles are mild steel? Good luck Jack

Waxoils great stuff. Thin it down with white spirit and spray it on using a cheap paint spray gun/kit. Best to do it each summer so that it stays fluid longer so that it can soak into the crevices better. Tiger Seal is what you need for the rear lights. It's about £8 a tube from an auto paint supplier. Remove lights, apply liberally and re-fit lights. No more puddles. Good luck Jack

I've a series 4 NA. Remove the drivers side sill protection strip - 4 or 5 screws I think and lift the carpet at the base of the drivers seat - there should be a manufactured date in there. Good luck Jack

...I've had worse brakes. You should try my wife's Saab! I think that the brakes are ok as long as you maintain them. If the cars an Auto, pump the brakes to cool them. don't come to a halt holding the pedal down, the hot disks will contract as they cool and if the pads are masked onto the disk co your right foot, the disks cool and shrink at an un-even rate hence warped disks. Not so much a problem with manual cars as you tend to stop and take it out of gear. Also, take the pads out (always buy good pads) and push the pistons in - do this a few times a year - and your brakes will be ok. Copper ease between the surfaces of the pistind and the pads and any surface that the pads touch (minus the disks) will help too. Sorry to be typing all this - bored at work. Good luck Jack

Tie Rod Bush - but they come complete with the tie rod at about £110 (last time I bought one from Nissan) but you can replace them with Poly bushes from MJP in the traders section at about half price. Good luck Jack

...sounds like altenator to me. Good fun removing and replacing one. £150 new. Good luck Jack

The colder the air, the higher it's mass so you can get more fuel in with the air. That's why Turbos run better in the cold than the war. Sorry for telling you something you already know. ...turn it up, add water injection and go for broke... Cheerz Jack

...high speed brake judder could be knackered tie-rod bushes - low speed squeeling could be fixed by putting copper ease behind the pads. Ongoing maintenance. Good luck Jack

...also, removing a starter motor and stripping it down, cleaning, greasing and rebuilding etc is quite easy. There's a rubber boot in there that collapses with age that messes up the internals. If you think it's the starter, do this first as the 2nd hand replacement will undoubtedly have the same potential problem. Good luck Jack

AndyZ's breaking an NA at the moment - but I think TT and NA starter motors are the same. Spray some silicon lubricant on your belts first - that tends to get rid of squeels on start-up - then tighten the offending belt. Good luck Jack

...my 97 na's got them where my previous 91 na didn't. Nice touch really - I like them. Re MOT, as someone on here told me the indicators are normally tested with the headlights off - so a confused MOT tester won't ever see them lit up...

...if you drive down Bramford Road, watch out for me, I live in Bramford. Midnight purple '97 NA.

..what sort of Z? TT or NA? ...if it's NA, I've been servicing my NA Z's for the last 7 years so if it's DIY i can advise. I'm in Ipswich. If it's general service, replace clutch etc, a TT owning friend always used to use Bramford Motor engineering on Bramford Road in Ipswich - they seem ok, but are generalists as opposed to specialists. There's also Lorven Performance at Martlesham on 01473 610102 - they've a rolling road and do quite a few Z's - highest BHP Z they do is allegedly running 600 bhp... Good luck Jack

there's an oil filter removal tool that is a plastic handle with a thick rubber strip that wraps round the filter and tightens in the plastic handle. They are really good (and cheap) and because it's rubber, it will not damage the paint on the large nut. Get one. Good luck Jack

...some simply unscrew the centre nut and it holds a larger facing plate in place, and under the plate are the standard wheel nuts (or studs).

..all of those things you mention are easy. Do them. You'll be ok. Only thing that's difficult about the Z is access. Engine compartment's tight and it's a bugger to get underneath the car. Other wise it's 'just a car'... I've done all those things and I'm a graphic designer. Good luck Jack

I think that the later series Z's use a 32bit processor in their engine mgt system and it's primarily to aid emissions hence there's no need for the AIVs. But I had MOT's done before removal of the AIVs and after, and there was no difference within the readings. The emissions were always very good, well within the pass spec. So if this is the case, I can't fully accept that the extra capacity (32 from 16 bit) of the management system is only for emissions - it must be a performance mod or fuel eficiency mod too - the series 4 is far quicker than the series 1 (only going on personal experience). Get the valves removed - your car will go faster because of the weight loss. ...good luck Jack

...just replaced both my horns (gotta be a joke in there somewhere) and it's easy. Access is through the large air vent in the front spoiler (I've got standard air box) of the car. Remove old horns (another joke), and replace with new horns. It's a 10 mil spanner and each of the old horns has 2 wires that you re-connect to the new horns. Good luck Jack

...oil leaks from the main seal can be a sign of blocked or poor standard PCV valves - might not be an oil problem. Good luck Jack

...removed the AIV's from my last Z32 (series 1) and cats were still ok 5 years later when I sold it - and bought a Z32 (series 4) and guess what? It has cats but no AIV's... Looks like Nissan gave up on them.

...so reassuring to note that there's all these old guys on here. I've doubted my sanity for the last almost 7 years of Z ownership - I was too old when I bought my first, and now that I'm 55, I'm definately too old. But, there's nothing comes close to the Z so I'll just have to drive slower... to suit may age. Good luck to all those over 50. PS insurance at £285 (Tesco) fully comp inc business miles and no annual limit - used daily, '97NA. cheerz Jack ...do I get the prize of 'oldest git, newest car'?

...I bought a cat back 2nd hand nissan TT exhaust once for a crate of stella. Only part I used was the H section you are talking about, so it cost me about a £10'er... So in answer to your question, yes you can buy the centre section seperately. AndyZ in the traders section was after one recently - he's most likly got 2 by now... Try him... And if you get one, run it till the whole exhaust is shot - they butter-up the wife... Good luck Jack

..buy an NA - £4.3k, lets call it £4500 buys a loy of NA Z. And buy a manual, they are considerably different in character to an Auto. And with all of the money you'll save (fuel) you'll be able to buy a house... Good luck Jack ...don't we always hear of dodgy Z dealers in Birmingham?