DTA (UK)

Hi, I was just wondering if any of our members also run a GT-R35 or know anyone who does. Reason for asking is that before I closed the business down I invested in the tooling to make silicone coolant and ancillary hoses based on the MY2009 car. I've still got about 20 kits in various colours (red, blue, black) sitting on the shelf which I'd like to shift at a heavily discounted price. So if you know anyone who would like a coolant and/or ancillary hose kit at a cracking price then please get them to contact me on dannyzaat@yahoo.co.uk. The coolant kit will fit any R35 but the ancillary kit only fits the 2009 model. Many thanks! Dan

Just to put rim size and tyre prices into perspective, the following prices were obtained this afternoon from a national tyre merchant and include mail order delivery and VAT (note, these are customer prices, not trade prices): 19-inch rims / Toyo Proxes T1-R: F: 235/35ZR19 @ £160.31 each R: 265/30ZR19 @ £185.24 each Total cost for set of 4: £691.10 18-inch rims / Toyo Proxes T1-R: F: 235/40ZR18 @ £138.76 each R: 265/35ZR18 @ £218.28 each Total cost for set of 4: £714.08 (NB: I'm not sure why the 18" rear tyre is so much more expensive - must be down to supply/demand). As for tyre wear, this is entirely dependent on (a) suspension geometry setup and (b) your style of driving. For reference, I don't exactly drive like a granny nor do I rag the t*ts off the car and with the suspension set up relatively aggressively (dialed out understeer, lowered by 30mm all round and with the Stillen adjustable anti-roll bar set to setting 2 out of 3) I managed to get approximately 26,000 miles out of the rear tyres with the fronts still having nearly 2.5mm thread left. NB: the above is purely for information purposes only. I only checked the prices of Toyo Proxes T1-R tyres as that's what I had on my car for a number of years and I rate them very highly for all weather performance. I merely wanted to illustrate that 18" tyres aren't always cheaper than their 19" equivalents. HTH Dan

Mine was on 19's and I think it looked fab! Certainly didn't affect the handling or ride quality adversely and got a lot of positive feedback from passers-by and other forum members at the time as well. Really wasn't too big in relation to the car (see attached pics.) Please note, in the pics the car wasn't lowered yet. Car has since been sold but the rims are still up for sale: Kahn RS-C 2 piece, deep-dish (235 front / 265 rear) If anyone is interested please drop me a PM. All the best, Dan

Yes, more torque low down so will initially out-drag a e60 M5. However, once the V10 gets into it's stride it's a different ball game. Perhaps my initial wording was a bit misleading - apologies for that. One of my former suppliers had a M5 and she was very surprised by how well the 535d accellerated - questioned her wisdom of having forked out for the M5 ...

DMS Automotive. THey have branches across the UK. They tuned my e60 535d a few years ago and it was absolutely phenomenal! Ended up with near enough 340bhp and masses of torque - faster than a e60 M5, I kid you not. DMS is probably the most expensive tuner out there but they wrote the book on diesel tuning and I highly recommend them.

No problem. The 555 chip will not be speed limited but I'd have to ask Eric (Lymon on here) what the max RPM is. Will get back to you. Regards, Dan

Hi Mark, I can't speak of the ebay pulley set you've linked to above but having sold lightened pulley sets through my business in the past I can tell you that if any of the pulleys (but in particular the crank pulley) isn't completely balanced at the production stage then it "could" lead to serious and expensive engine problems. I used a UK based company for the production of these and they worked to an extremely tight tollerance which meant that the finished product was near enough 100% true balanced. I have seen an awful lot of these kits come over from China and the quality was abominable. Sharp edges which will shred the belts, uneven grooves which could make the belts skip off the pulley and most of them were very unbalanced. Having said all the above, I do know that a number of members on here have purchased ebay pulley kits of Chinese origin and have had no problems at all. For the price quoted I'd say it's very competitively priced seeing as how my complete kits used to cost nearer £210. However you get what you pay for and my suggestion is that should you buy these through ebay that you check them very carefully before you install them on the car. If anything doesn't look right send them back and ask for a refund. It is not worth ruining your engine courtesy of a set of cheap pulleys. I also suggest you use new belts (either genuine Nissan or Dayco belts). HTH Regards, Dan

You're most likely experiencing data comms problems through the USB adapter. I can definitely confirm that the DTA ConZult software (both the free and full-fat versions) will only work 100% correctly with certain USB-Serial converters. It's to do with how the converter modulates bi-directional data flows, etc and most off-the-shelve / ebay converters will not handle this correctly. We used to supply the correct USB converter (and driver software) with our kit but I'm completely out of them since I closed the business down. I would require at least 10 confirmed orders before I can speak to my old supplier to see if they're able to send me some. Price wise I believe they were in the region of £15 per converter. Pricey, yes, but at least it's guaranteed to work with our ConZult software. I can't confirm that it'll work with every other type of diagnostic software/kit though.

IMHO this show is better than the one at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas. I've seen this show (Dubai) from the comfort of a terraced bar on the outside of the Dubai Mall and was gobsmacked by the quality and creativity. What was even more impressive is viewing it from the bar on the 63rd floor of "The Address" (= trendy hotel). You're too far up to hear the music but an aerial view is very impressive. Haven't seen it from the Burj Khalifa yet but am sure it is equally stunning (although you may need binoculars to see it from that high up!) @ Andy sxzx: Dubai is a fantastic place to go for a holiday - so much to see and do. If you have kids I can recommend The Atlantis hotel on Palm Jumeira - they usually have some cracking deals on (especially if you book through Virgin Holidays) and have a massive aquarium and water park. There is loads to see and do in Dubai but how much you enjoy it depends to a certain extent on the time of year you go (weather). September ~ November and March ~ May are good times when the temps are bearable and humidity low. Avoid the summer months (June ~ August) as it is far too hot and humid (plus Dubai resembles a virtual ghost town because most locals & expats leave to avoid the heat/humidity). Also avoid the Ramadan period as this means no food/drinks served in most places between the hours of sun rise and sun set. If you (or anyone else) wants any further suggestions/info please feel free to drop me a PM - I've been to Dubai/Abu Dhabi a lot and am happy to make recommendations. Cheerio! Dan

The full-fat version of the ConZult "software only" package (for use with 3rd party cables) comes in at 139.00 Euros. Compare that with the complete package (ie, ConZult hardware, cables and software) at 269.00 Euros. I no longer sell these (due to closure of the business) so you'd have to contact DTA-Motorsport in The Netherlands (hence the above prices in Euros). HTH Dan

If you're talking about the ones that run along each side of the engine bay then they are M6. I've still got a shed load of these sitting on the shelf (including silver, gold and red cup washers). Let me know if you're interested and I'll sort you out a price. Regards, Dan

I've got 14 of these up for sale (see my parts for sale thread in the For Sale section). These are for Powertrix adjustable arms but **MAY** fit other branded arms as well. The critical measurements are: Internal diameter: 32mm External diameter: 50mm Ring width: 15mm These rings DO NOT come with the appropriate bolts, they are just the replacement rings. HTH Regards, Dan

And just to add ... If you're only adding a strut brace at the front, forgetting for a moment whether it is actually functional or not, you will be "upsetting" the suspension handling of the car. You should always ad strut braces front and rear. If the point of the exercise is to make the car corner flatter and to make any oversteer more progressive and manageable, then you'll have to stiffen up the tops of the suspension by adding front and rear strut braces PLUS add uprated front and rear anti-roll bars. As said above, any strutbrace that has "hinges" will not do anything to improve structural rigidity. Go for a single piece brace such as the Powertrix braces. These were specifically developed to fit under the bonnet of the Z32 whereas 99% of the ebay jobbies will foul on the throttle cover and underside of the bonnet. As for anti-roll bars, the adjustable Stillen parts are the best (IMHO). You pay for what you get, end of. Just my 2p worth ;-)

Thank you very much for all your kind birthday wishes. I had forgotten it was my birthday until my better half produced a piece of birthday cake earlier this morning! :) Suppose it was wishful thinking that I could forget about getting yet another year older ... Oh well, can't complain really - made it through another year! :) All the best, Dan

Just adding my 2.4p (2p+vat): ;) I have sold both the "budget" big brake kit (ie, caliper relocation brackets and GTR-sized discs) as well as KSport big brake kits and the concensus is that the KSport (or D2, etc) kit is the way to go if you want to increase the braking performance. If you are using caliper relocation brackets to mount the STANDARD calipers further out to accomodate the larger brake disc then you will increase the braking performance due to the caliper being further out thereby increasing the rotational force. HOWEVER, as you're using the stock sized brake pads the actual contact area is only 68% on a 324mm (GTR-sized) disc. If you use an ever bigger disc then the contact area will be even less. This poses one major problem: The disc will heat up more on the outside than nearer the hub which can cause the disc to warp and even crack if used "spiritedly" (ie, continued fast road use or track use) It is NOT recommended that a larger pad is used in conjunction with a standard caliper - you won't be increasing the braking performance as the pressure on the pad will not be uniform. This may lead to premature wear to both the pad and the disc and in extreme cases can lead to pad malfunction which can cause a lot of damage to the brakes. I therefore recommend the KSport/D2 big brake upgrade kits. These are made specifically for the Z32 and will provide you with the best value for money. In particular the 356mm/8-pot kits (for the front) are superb! But do remember that you'll need at least 18" rims to fit most big brake kits. KSport big brake kits can be ordered through me (info on http://www.smithys-place.co.uk) I hope the above information has been of some use. Best regards,

Hi all! Just chiming in as my name has been mentioned ;) I have been selling HID kits to the membership of this forum and many others for over 5 years now. 99.9% of the kits I've sold have been 35W/6000K kits and if installed into a cleaned headlight enclosure should project light further and much brighter than the standard 55W halogen bulbs. To date I've not had any complaints about the 35W kits, in fact most customers have commented how much of a difference the kit has made. 55W HID kits became readily available about a year and a half ago and I have sold a few since then. Whereas the 35W kit is approximately 300% brighter than the standard halogen system, the 55W HID kits are another 200% brighter than the 35W kits. However, as Legrath pointed out, due to the increased brightness there is more washout of the light as it passes through the projector lens and then the headlight glass. Although I always advocate that customers clean the inside of their headlights before installing HID kits, the truth is that many can't be bothered. The result is excessive scattering of the light which (a) limits the projection length, (b) influences the cut-off lines of the light and © may cause oncoming traffic to be dazzled. Since a couple of months, there are a number of Chineese manufacturers who are selling 75W HID kits (!) Althought they will be even brighter than the 55W kits I would strongly recommend against installing these because the kit will just emphasise the problems as mentioned above. In my opinion, which is based on running a 35W kit in my own Z32 for over 3 years and feedback from hundreds of happy customers, our 35W HID kit is the best upgrade for your car provided that you ensure the inside of the projector lens and headlight glass are spotless. You will also need to realign the headlights to ensure the beam is projected correctly and not too high/low. Our kits are probably one of the best quality kits on the market. I have personally tested dozens of components to put together this kit with the best quality parts. I did this in conjunction with the UK's biggest HID reseller and they continue to sell the exact same kit as ours. The 35W kit is priced at £99.00 including delivery and comes with a full 1 year warranty on both the ballasts as well as the bulbs (something you won't get from any foreign ordered HID kit). I'm based in the UK so you have a "local" point of contact should you require any information or replacement parts. FYI: for your Z32 you'll need a H3 kit for the dip beam (applicable to both UK-spec and JDM-spec cars). It is not advisable to upgrade your high beam. I hope the above information has been of some use to you. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me on info@dta-motorsport.co.uk or via PM. All the best!

As a side note: I can sort out any replacement parts (ballasts, bulbs and some wiring looms) for most eBay kits of Chinese manufacture. With the new parts you'll of course receive our 2 year warranty :) HTH

LOL - yes, Halfrauds are notoriously bad for (a) referencing the correct bulbs for nearly every car in existence and (b) employing numpties (even a brick has a higher IQ and is by far the more ambitious of the two). For anyone who needs some H3C's (for Jap-spec dip beam), I stock these and guarantee you'll receive them in pairs ;-) £12.00/pair. I realise they are more expensive than the Ebay variety but ours aren't made by an unknown bulb manufacturer in the Far East ... so you should only need one pair.

I know this response is a bit late but in the interest of providing a complete picture, here goes: HID Kit for 300ZX: Dip beam = H3 Main beam = H1 (although I advise against upgrading the main beam) Fog lights = H3 Colour Ratings: Good = 5000K (white light, no tinge, OEM Xenon look with excellent light output) Best = 6000K (crisp white with slight blue tinge and good light output) Illegal = 8000K+ : too purple and little light output Approximate costs: Ebay = from £30 (can be of questionable quality and usually poor or no post-sales service) DTA (UK) = £91 (tried and tested top quality kit, 2 years warranty on ballasts & bulbs, UK-based) Legalities: Strictly speaking, retrofitted HID kits are illegal because they invalidate the headlight's E-mark certification. Aside from that, the car needs to be equipped with self-levelling and cleaning headlights. Up until recently, HID's weren't a MOT failure point however, this is about to change. I have it on good authority (although admittedly not from an official source) that in the near future MOT stations will have to fail all cars with retrofitted HID kits. I'm not 100% sure what the technical reasons behind it are but I imagine it has to do with poorly defined beam patterns and ill-adjusted headlights not to mention excessive glare for oncoming traffic and invalidated E-marks. My view: I have sold hundreds of HID kits over the past 4 years and have never had any customer get back to me saying that they failed an MOT or been pulled over on account of the HID kit. I always advocate that the customer ensures (a) the headlight alignment is checked and adjusted AFTER installing the HID kit and (b) that he/she ensures the headlights are kept as clean as possible at all times to minimise glare. One way of getting around the issue of MOT failure is to quickly refit the halogen bulbs for the duration of the test. Our HID kits are completely reversible and require no modifications at all. Swapping back to the halogen bulbs should take no longer than 5 minutes per side. If you've mounted the balasts underneath the headlight panel then you can leave those in place and just remove the HID bulbs. A quick check of the headlight alignment prior to the MOT will ensure the headlight system will pass the inspection. Simply refit and realign after the test. Please note that the above "view" is my own and not that of this Club/Forum. I hope the above information has helped paint a complete picture of what's what with respect to HID kits.

Yep, I supply her with Smithy's stainless steel parts. Reputable company, etc.

FWIW - I sell the original "Smithy's Place" hard pipe kit which is made from 1.2mm polished stainless steel. These were originally designed and tested by Smithy on his own Zed and are guaranteed to fit perfectly. Also, they come with a choice of red or blue silicone couplers and stainless steel jubilee clips (T-bolt clamps available as separate option). These are made to order and can take upto 3 weeks to delivery (depending on how busy the metal workshop is). Prices: Smithy's Hard Pipe Kit (TT): £240.00 T-bolt clamp kit: £35.00 Have sold dozens of these to members on here and owners as far afield as Indonesia, Australia and even a few to Argentina! Let me know (via PM please as I don't often come onto the forums) if you wish to place an order. Regards, Dan

There is a heck of a lot more to changing to a TT setup than meets the eye. If I was contemplating doing this I would first have a chat with Mark (Topless on here) as he's done it to his NA convertible. Then I'd speak to the likes of Jeff (Zedworld) and Mike (MJP) to get a better idea of what all the components are going to cost ... and it's likely to be thousands. Once you've got your eye on a budget, add a big contingency fund because you'll need it. Long story short, you're better off buying a decent TT and spend money on getting it perfect.

The problem lies in that the NA P/S pulley has a different off-set when compared to the TT P/S pulley. If you look carefully at the Unorthodox Racing website you'll see that they list two P/S pulleys - one for the TT the other for the NA. Also, NA P/S pulleys/belts are 3 rib, '90-'94 TT are 4 rib, '95-'99 TT are 3 rib. Nice solution though! :) Regards,

Yep, you can get the full-monte Tuner Version of the Z32 diagnostic software through me. Cost is £150.00 and entitles you to life-time upgrades and support. Payment preferred via Paypal (paypal@dta-motorsport.co.uk). Contact me either via PM or e-mail (info@dta-motorsport.co.uk) for further details or to discuss further. Regards,

Thank you for the recommendation and vote of confidence chaps! Much appreciated. Yes, I can get the radiators because I get them made in the UK. Production is pretty backed up at the moment because the company also produces radiators (of all shapes and sizes) for the Rally and GT racing teams. To make the best of the cost I need to order two radiators at a time - this reduces the fabrication cost per radiator (apparently ...) Price: £165.00 Shipping: £9.00 Availability: usually within 7~10 working days but can be slightly longer at the moment. Our DTA Performance radiators use the 56mm triple core from the KOYO Racing radiators and comes with tig welded aluminium end tanks and a 1.3bar radiator cap. Unless you already have custom radiator brackets you'll also need to consider buying a new radiator bracket. We have a full length, stainless steel bracket (with the Z-logo laser cut out of it) at a cost of £55 but I'll do a deal at £210 for the radiator AND bracket if bought at the same time (plus £9.00 shipping). Unfortunately, the plain radiator bracket (as seen in the attached picture) is no longer available - product has been discontinued. Please let me know if anyone is interested. Regards, Dan