RichardS

Welcome to the club mate - and good luck with your new purchase!! Richard:thumbup:

A belated happy birthday Ian - I hope you had a good day mate!! Richard:thumbup:

A belated happy birthday mate! Richard:thumbup:

Considering your first post mentioned a hissing rad cap, with steam coming from it, the rad cap would be my first diagnosis..... I'd start by just replacing the cap - and, considering the age of these cars, do not assume that the radiator filler neck itself is still capable of forming a tight seal. Buy and install a new cap, but do not turn it all the way to the right. Leave it about 5mm short of "fully locked" into place; it is not unknown for the filler neck to wear down at the fully locked position:wink: I had a similar problem a couple of years ago - even after having my waterpump and thermostat etc replaced... And then JeffTT left the rad cap ever-so slightly under-done-up and it's been fine since! Richard:cool:

I did think of the Tiguan a few months back - but for some reason forgot about it this time! And you are dead right about the Cayenne, Touareg etc; I reckon Julia will find them way too big - and will end up scuffing the sides even more in the lanes...:nono: Thanks for the advice mate! Interesting about the Freelander sharing the BMW engine - although it is a 2.2 TDi in the Freelander 2; not a 2.0..... I also like the look of the Touareg over the Porsche - as fast as that V8 beast is, the Touareg has less of a toss-pot image:wink:

Great idea! Cheers Andrew:bow:

Happy birthday Jason - have a great day mate! Richard:happybday:

As said above..... .....just try tightening the hose clips on all the under-bonnet fuel pipes before you do anything else! In colder conditions, the metal contracts and the rubber gets a tad more brittle; so the seal is not so tight until the engine is warm. Normally the problem goes away with a few turns of a Phillips screwdriver....:wink:

Not fussed about that matey - there're only two of us.....:wink:

LOL - don't encourage me Bri..... I know Julia is tiny and will no doubt have trouble seeing out of the damn thing, but the V8 beasty is still the one that comes up in all our conversations surrounding her next car....:rofl:

LOL - brilliant......:rofl: Always loved Father Ted; and thanks for pointing out the likeness Si.....:lol: Richard:thumbup:

After doing nothing since I posted this thread, I've now re-ignited the spark once more - and hope to sort it in the New Year..... So after a some deliberation, I drew up a shortlist: Freelander 2 Another Rav-4 Honda CRV BMW X3 I drove the CRV and Freelander 2 a few days ago - and ruled out the Honda. It's actually not good value - I want leather, navigation and DAB; and the higher spec versions (with 4WD) command a premium over the competition, when of comparable age/mileage. Plus the Honda, whilst "nice," is dull, dull, dull - and simply does not feel "premium." It's not pretty either - shame really; as the Honda salesman was a nice chap and in his past career as a mechanic (for Nissan among others), spoke fondly of working on the 300zx back in the day!!! I'm yet to try the X3 and the newer shape Rav-4; but I really did like the Freelander! It drove very well, seemed quite brisk (in 6-speed manual at least) and felt very well put together; it also had a more prestigious feel - almost like a mini-Range Rover. It was as solid as a "proper" 4x4 should be, yet I reckon Julia will still find it easy to drive.... Once she has driven one and decided for herself, that is:wink: Or should we both give in to the devil in us and just buy an older, big V8-turbo-nutter-b@stard powered Porsche Cayenne...:lol::devil:

I am of this opinion also....:wink:

Same to you Steve....... .....And to all our members!! http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?179825-Merry-Christmas-!!! Richard:hyper::santa::thumbup:

The Club Committee and Moderation Team would like to thank the membership for your support during 2014, and we wish you ALL and your families a Very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2015. :cool3::santa:

Ahhh.... Of course....:sad:

Without getting my handbook out of the car, IIRC the stock UK pressures are something like 34 front and 36 rear - I have run on 33 front and 35 rear on 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 for years now and that feels about right. You don't want to be running at high speed with the pressures too low; as the rubber will flex more, causing heat build-up which could lead to a blow-out. Also as speed increases, so too does the load on the tyres - hence why most vehicle hand-books tell you to increase tyre pressures to their higher recommended setting for sustained high-speed driving:wink:

Can Mike at MJP help with the wing? When I bashed my red Zed, the insurer's recommended repairer bought once from Mike and he delivered it pretty fast.....

Nice car - and quite a rare sight in the UK..... .......Good luck with your new toy mate!! Richard:clover:

Many happy returns Rich - I hope you're well matey....:thumbup: Richard:happybday:

Still looking good there Terry - I hope you do get it finished off ready for the spring.....:clover:

Yup - I agree.... .....I do quite like the Z31 - more for its heritage; and the fact that they looked good in 1982. I hate the interior though, especially the dash - so typical of 1980s Japanese cars...:lol:

Let's just say that for the journey in question, I *might* actually have been doing a little more than that......:whistling:

Yup - load up to 2 tonnes max laden weight; but it also specifically must still be a "car derived" van to travel at 60mph on a single and 70mph on a dual carriageway...... If the max laden weight (including that of the vehicle itself) exceeds 2 tonnes, it is no longer a car derived van....:wink:

Dead right Tony! In fact, even maintaining steady "higher" speeds, say at a steady 3000-3500rpm (I'm sure you all know how fast that is in top... :wink: ), a twin turbo Zed is not the prolific drinker one may think! On a 250 mile journey at (that) speed, my Zed still returned around 24mpg. It was quite a bit more efficient than Julia's Rav-4 covering the same trip at a similar speed.....