Shamaz Majid

Thanks guys. Asked Kwik Fit if they would do it and they ran a mile! Said it was too complex for them and I should go to a small independent garage. If I buy the parts, what should labour cost? 2 hours worth?

No chance!

I think the rear is probably low enough, but the front certainly looks a bit high.

Here's an interesting debate! Before I continue, this is written purely for interest, and is an entirely honest view and not meant to provoke anyone. It is also important to point out that I have been a mega Z and Nissan fan since I was 15 (1989) so any negative comments are certainly not derisory but simply opinions and made with good intentions. As per various previous posts from me, I bought my Z almost 2 weeks ago, after what seems a lifetime of being in love with the car, but for one reason or another, not getting round to owning one. As a result, my expectations were extremely high although I did of course take in to account the fact that the car I've bought is 16 years old, an NA and therefore not exactly an accurate reflection of a Z in its prime. The benchmark against which I will compare it is a 2000 W-reg Mercedes E280. I have had this for the last 6 years. It's got a 2.8 V6 engine (just over 200bhp),tiptronic auto gearbox and is the Avantgarde 'sportier' model. It also has 165,000 miles on the clock. Although it may not seem a sensible comparison as the Z is a sports car and the E class an executive saloon, some of the areas of comparison are nevertheless very interesting. LOOKS - No debate of course. Even today, the Z32 is one of the most beautiful cars on the road. It has aged magificently and I suspect it will look equally stunning in another 20 years. Winner - Z INTERIOR - The Z's interior, like it's exterior, is still very beautiful and modern, however there are areas which disappointed me and give away the fact that Nissan also makes Micras. - The interior rear-view mirror looks cheap and nasty and is the same as the one in the 1990 Micra that my mum used to have. The Merc on the other hand has a very expensive looking mirror. It also has intelligent anti-dazzle glass, but that is probably a sign of the times as the technology may not have been available in 1990. - The door kickplate is a typical plastic affair, the same as a 1990 Micra. The Merc has a nice chrome piece fitted. I think Nissan could have at least had something better installed as it's one of the first things you see when the door is opened and an attractive kickplate would have looked very nice. - The signal indicator is very thin and flimsy. I was scared of breaking it! Again, looks like a Micra parts bin item. The Merc has a nice thick solid stalk which looks and feels very good. - No space for even 1 can of coke or bottle. Probably a sign of the times. - The interior door handles are the same as my wife's 1996 Micra! Great in the Micra, not in a car that in today's money was sold for £50-60k! The Merc has nice chrome handles which as expected look and feel great. - The Z glove box is much bigger and better than the Mercs. Winner - Z (the beauty outweighs the other issues). ENGINE - The engine bays on both cars look fantastic. - This section is not worth covering yet as my Z seems to have a problem which is robbing it of power so it's unfair to compare the 2 at the moment. - For the moment, the E class is much faster, smoother and more refined. In fact, it feels the sports car more than the Z! I'm sure however that this is due to the engine issues I currently have. Winner - None. BRAKES - Even taking in to account the age of the Z, the brakes on my NA are nothing in comparison to the Merc. The ones on the Merc are awesome. Not only are they huge, but they are very, very strong and when the Brake Assist System is engaged (BAS), they can stop the car dead in a few metres. It simply clamps all 4 wheels and stops the car dead. Violent, neck wrenching but very effective and stable. Again, this may be a reflection on how things have changed over time and how braking systems have generally improved. Winner - Merc QUALITY - Cannot compare the finish as although the Z is in good condition, it is older and therefore clearly the finish is not as good as the Merc. However, even now, the fit is far better than the Merc. The shutlines are tighter and more accurately cut. Very impressive but not unexpected as it's Japanese. - The Merc has a more quality feel though, which considering the Z was a very expensive car in its day, is surprising. The doors feel tinny in comparison and I have already commented on the switchgear which feels like it's from a Micra. Winner - Merc (just) BODY - For those that don't know, the E-class has a very serious corrosion problem and as such is a huge embarrassement for MB. From far away, it looks pristine but a closer look shows that it is rusting all over. The Z by comparison is very clean. Fantastic. Winner - Z RIDE & HANDLING - My rear shocks need changing so this cannot be compared yet, but when all is well, I would expect the Z to be awesome. Winner - None (yet).

Hi guys, I need a new pair of rear springs and shocks on my NA. Where is the best place to get these replaced, assuming I buy the parts. By 'best' I mean cheap but competent. I live in Basingstoke... Pervez

I know you want it to look different but you can't beat blood red Ferrari.Looks awesome. Yellow is also nice. BTW, how much is a typical re-spray? I'm tempted...

Whatever it was, I'm pleased to say it's gone. Got rid of it this evening and things are starting to look normal...

So it sounds like I can get rid of it then!

Excellent. Where did you get it?

Finally, thanks to zx-eyes, here as some pics of my Z.

Just bought a 300ZX NA, with this strange contraption in the passenger footwell. Any idea what it is?

The springs are brken apparantly. Well spotted! Mind you, looks better as a result.

I put normal unleaded in mine and fine so far. Ztech also stated that there were no issues.

Damn! That's another unbudgeted few hundred pounds then...

I've been scouring the net for a manual gear knob for my Z but amazingly can't find one! There are a few universal ones that can be secured with screws, but having used one in a previous car, they're useless. I need one that ideally is the original or similar that threads on to the stick. Tried ZCentre, Z1Motorsports, CZP, ebay etc., but no luck. Does anyone know where I can get one or have a spare they would like to sell? Thanks.

Thanks. So 400 miles is possible then...

Thanks Legrath. Would you agree then that the timing belt teeth issue could result in loss of power. There must be thousands of cars o the road with this issue, and I doubt whether they perform so differently, otherwise there would be an outcry. Or am I missing something?

Guys - I think ur both saying the same thing and this is exactly what I do. - Fill do brim; - Do however many miles is appropriate; - Fill to brim again and the amount you fill is the amount used. BTW, what's the capacity of the Z NA tank?

No doubt a dull subject at the best of times, but with petrol more than £1/litre again, worth a discussion. Bought my Z NA a week ago and 180 miles later, thought I'd check the economy. Pleasantly shocked to get 27.6 mpg! This has included 50 miles in town (short, hard driving), the rest on the motorway. Personally, I don't believe it even though my measurement technique is very accurate and I have checked my calculations again. The reason I don't think it's right is: - first week with a new car is all about familiarisation; over revving, hard acceleration, gear changing at the wrong time etc. - town driving is very fuel hungry. My Mer E280 does 15mpg and a brand new company Vectra SRi I had did 22. - the car has had many engine related issues (separate thread) which means that the car has spluttered, misfired and rocked it's way through the week. I was therefore going to be happy with 20! What do others get? Pervez

Finally, here are some pics of my car.

Hi Guys, Visited Ztech today (Saturday). Quite an interesting day and learnt so much in a couple of hours. This is a long email, but hopefully informative and would also welcome your comments/advice. Firstly, I have to say that Chris and Mick really know their stuff, especially Mick. Smithy was interested where they would meet me. Well, first I met Chris and Mick at Chris' place, where they were working on a Lotus Esprit. They also had at least 4 Zs that I saw. From there, we went to their workshop. Now for their appraisal of my Zed. Body & Interior : Agreed that it was a clean example, including the engine bay. (Good news!). Engine : Asked Chris to drive the car. After the first minute, he agreed that there was very little power below 3000 revs and thought that the compression might be very low (i.e. very bad news). We then went to their workshop, where Mick did a compression test. 200 on each cylinder! Mick then declared that this was one of, if not the best NA engines that he had ever come across. WHAT A RELIEF! The fact that they thought it was a great engine was a bonus. So what then was wrong? Mick then proceeded to check everything in a logical and methodical manner. The summary is as follows: - Computer hooked up stated that the engine was in standby/low power mode, caused by the 'detonation' sensor. This explained the low power! - This was duly reset. - Air was also leaking from some of the pipes leading to lower pressure in the manifold. Some of these were tightened whilst a couple will need replacing. - Spark plugs were of the iridium variety, and whilst in good nick, looked 'lean' (?). Anyway, once the computer was reset and the escaping air taken care of, I drove the Z. The difference was immediate and though still not brilliant, was vastly different to the car I had driven to Ztech. Mick investigated further and found the timing slightly out. Whilst adjusting, he stated that the cambelt had not been put on right! This sounded very strange but he explained that it is a couple of teeth out and as a result the variable valve affect is occuring later that it should, hence the great performance after 3000 revs, but average below it (it was poor before 3000 revs when I arrived this morning). They are recommending re-doing the timing belt. I'm just amazed that this could have happened and whilst their explanation is logical, it's an expensive job. QUESTION : What do you guys think? Any advice much appreciated. They also recommended that I get the car chipped as it has a performance 'Amexxi' exhaust and the car needs to be matched to the exhaust. QUESTION : What do you guys think? Any advice much appreciated. RIDE & HANDLING They agree that both the rear shocks are gone and in fact the springs may even be cracked. Both rear springs and shocks therefore need replacing. All in all a very interesting day and it would be great to get your feedback. Pervez

I once had a similar problem on a Micra. Took me months and tried everything that seemed logical In the end, found that not enough current was going to the unit as the standard wiring had a fuse wired in, which restricted the current going to the unit. Cut this off and voila! All was OK.

Regarding the stereo, does the Z have a standard loom/connector (DIN E) that can fit to any stereo in the UK or is it specific to the Z or Nissan? I have found Micras in the past to have custom made connectors and had to chop off the connector...

Thanks all. I've spoken to ZTECH and am planning to see them on Saturday. Let's see what they have to say.

Thanks guys. I continue to be impressed. Legrath - I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the missfire; the more I think about it, the more it sounds plausible. I will definitely contact ztech as they seem to have a good rep. Pervez