DTA (UK)

This is not by any means a scientific way of doing a headlight alignment but here goes: Park the car 7 meters from a wall Measure the height (from the ground) to the top of the headlight Project the headlights onto the wall and adjust until the top of the beam is at the same hight as the headlight. A far better way of doing this is to drop by a local MOT station - they can set it up for you in 5 minutes and will only cost £5~£10. At least then you know it's set up to the legal setting. HTH Dan

The stainless steel pipes will NEVER collapse. There are some inferior quality silicone hoses which are prone to collapsing. Some I've seen have been from Samco, others from "Chinese" suppliers ;). I also do the silicone ones but ours are a minimum of 5-ply silicone plus 1-ply liner making them extremely rigid and much less likely to collapse. HTH Dan

Yep - I sell the polished stainless steel boost pipes and also radiator pipes. Boost pipes (x4): £240 Radiator pipes (top & bottom): £140 Your choice of silicone coupler colour: Red/Blue/Black/Yellow Kits come complete with stainless steel jubilee clips. Postage on either of the two kits is £10. These are made to order so if you wish to place an order expect to wait around 2 weeks (max). I can be reached on 0845 4744-382. All the best, Dan

So long as it is mounted on the O/S of the vehicle the only requirements are that the bulb be a minimum of 21W (or equivalent there of if using LED) and if using a separate switch inside the cabin it MUST light up when the fog light is in operation. HTH Dan

As far as I'm aware the balance bar is there to balance the flow of exhaust gasses from both banks of cylinders. In doing so the back pressure is also equalised which means that both turbos receive the same back pressure. If there isn't a balance bar in place, it is theoretically possible for the exhaust pulses to generate resonance which in turn hinders the flow of gasses. There are two balancing desings - a "H" bar which is litterally a perpendicular section of pipe linking the two exhaust pipes, and then there is a "X" pipe in which the exhaust gases cross over. There are pro's and con's for both designs but a X-pipe is the popular choice as it causes less turbulence. The above is a very simplistic description of what I believe to be the reason for balancing exhaust systems. I could therefore be wrong and will hopefully be corrected shortly by someone who does know exactly what they're talking about ;). Regards, Dan

I've seen lift systems like that before. Even done some looking into some years ago. There is a UK based company called InterGarage (http://www.intergarage.com) who does this. Very impressive stuff and seems capable of lifting quite a heavy load.

Takemetothepub: Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not looking to make a load of money - that's an entirely different plan I'm working on ... ;) Just need to generate enough supplimental income to pay the bills, etc. There are a lot of people out there who are looking to start a new business but don't have the time or expertise to do it. That's where I come in. I can offer the business accumen and they can share in the revenue it generates. Topless: Yes, the property market is always interesting to play. We've already got a buy-to-let flat in Birmingham and we haven't been without tenants ever. We also have plans to buy another one or two flats in the near future but for now we don't have the cash for it. Thanks chaps! Dan

Hi Old Zed, You make some interesting points in your post - many thanks!:) It is indeed neigh on impossible to find a product that has not yet been "exploited" and doesn't require a massive upfront cash investment. You are also right in saying that businesses are hit harder than the average person on the street. DTA-Motorsport, and the products we sell, are indeed quite "niche". If I had expanded into the Ford, VAG or even BMW and Citroen markets I probably would be slightly better off. However, it is very important to me that I know my market and offer the best possible product and customer service. At the end of the day, customers will remember you and come back for more purchases if they received good customer services. With the lack of brand and company loyalty these days it is customer service that makes the difference. Well, that's my opinion anyway. With regard to sourcing and supplying cheaper products - I am in two minds about that. On the one hand it would probably boost turnover somewhat in the short term but how long would it be before "inferior" quality products start to "taint" the good reputation I've worked so hard to build? I don't really want to be known as a supplier of "cheap and cheerful" products. I know that is not what you were getting at but it is something that bears consideration. In any case, thanks again for your comments - much appreciated. I look forward to hearing more of everyones thoughts. Regards, Dan

Hi all, Please forgive the business nature of this post but I am doing some [personal] research. Basically, I am looking for new ideas to launch a business or two in the next couple of months. A lot of people are suffering the effects of the current banking crisis and have had to adjust their spending habits accordingly. Inflation is higher than anticipated; mortgage rates are higher than they have been for many years; The cost of living has gone up drastically. All these (and many more) are having an effect on how and where we spend our money. Businesses are not immune to this either (as is evident by the number of redundancies and high unemployment figures). Point in case, DTA-Motorsport (UK) - the company I set up five years ago - is currently turning over 70% less than this period last year (which in turn was 38% down on the year previous). I am having to pay higher wholesale prices and am being squeezed on profit margins (due to competition and global sales channels like ebay and chinese manufacturers). To keep the business ticking over I am having to work three times as hard for a single sale that yields (on average) 15% less profit than last year. So, what am I looking for? I am looking for something to sell (a good or service). Something which fares well during economic down turns. Some ideas already offered (and rejected) include an online pawn service, debt collecting (:0), selling items on ebay for third parties, etc. Why am I asking you for your input? In a nutshell, I am looking for a large group of socio-economic diversity. People from all walks of life who have different expectations, spending patterns and priorities. I think the 300ZX Club membership represents this type of diversity quite well. All feedback is gratefully received and if an idea proves fruitful there may well be an opportunity for you to share in the revenue (subject to an agreement of course). Many thanks for your time and I look forward to reading your responses. If you prefer to keep things "private", please use the PM facility. Regards, Dan

Hi Taff, It'll be £140 for the ancillary pulleys. I can get the anodised in any colour but will need to check on pricing as I haven't had that done before. If you're interested I can investigate for your. Regards, Dan DEAN - good job!

Yes, I do indeed! They are in fact 3-piece and not too bad to get pressed back in as they do come with "lubricant". I would need to order these in but expect around the £40 mark for a set. Regards, Dan

I can offer you the following quote, which includes import duty & VAT. Unfortunately, most of the parts will need to be ordered in but I have a large shipment of parts coming in about 10 days time and could include these for your: Detonation Sensor - £125.00 (INCLUDING harness) Turbo oil feed line RH + LH - £55.00 ** assuming stock turbos ** 60K timing kit - £295.00 (120K timing kit - £385.00) PCV system kit - £75.00 Heater Hose 1 + 2 - £42.00 ** assuming you mean heater matrix hoses ** Sprocket adapter - unsure what you mean Total - £592.00 + shippig fees £15.00 (for 120K kit total - £682.00 + £18 shipping) Can send items directly to Andy as I do for quite a number of his customers. Let me know if I can help. All the best, Dan

Or try this: http://www.smithys-place.co.uk/headlights.php HID's can be found here: http://www.smithys-place.co.uk/hid.php And finally, all your other bulbs (including "silvertec" bulbs) are here: http://www.smithys-place.co.uk/bulbs.php ;) Regards, Dan

Sure ;) I can be reached on 0845 4744-382 during normal office hours. We can produce a chip to your exact specification and also provide an ECU socketing service. Chips are from £65.00 Socketing is £30.00 Look forward to speaking with you. Regards, Dan

Hi Tony, Am glad you're chuffed with your HIDs! It really is one of the most sensible upgrades you can make to any Zed. Couple of things - 1. If you want colour matched (to your 6000K HIDS that is) LED side-lights then let me know as I stock them (see: BLB014 on http://www.smithys-place.co.uk/bulbs.php) 2. Because of the inherent design of fog lights (ie, they cast light wide but not far) you may find they are next to useless in foggy conditions if equipped with HID bulbs. Dip beam HIDs will project straight into the fog and cause a "white wall" just ahead of the car due to the frequency and brightness of the light. HID equipped fog lights will just exacerbate this. This is not critisize, just a word of caution (from experience). Other than the above - good luck with the conversion! :) :dance: ATB Dan

Dean, If it is any help, I had a set of lightened STOCK-sized crank pulleys mad up by a company who do a lot of work for various race teams. Their equipment is very impressive and the pulleys are all balanced to the highest level (I forgot exactly what the figure was but it was better than the Unorthodox pulleys). The advantage of using a lightened stock sized pulley is you can reuse your ancillary belts (unlike when fitting an underdrive crank pulley). I've got all the other pulleys in lightweight material as well if you're interested. Price wise you're looking at: Lightened crank pulley (stock size): £125.00 Lightened pulley set (stock size crank, P/S, A/C, waterpump): £265.00 Ancillary belts (full set TT): £26.00 Ancillary belts (full set NA): £34.00 Our crank pulleys have a timing mark on them and has been fitted to about a dozen or so cars to date without any problems with installation or running. Let me know if the above is of interest to you. Regards, Dan

No worries Chris - I'm always glad to help. Speak to you soon! Dan

If these are the old "Smithy's" indiglo sills then please give me a call on 0845 4744-382 to discuss. These sills have been discontinued when I took over Smithy's last year but I might be able to get you a fix. Regards, Dan

Sure, no problem. If you can sort out payment by tomorrow 12 noon then it'll go out via Special Delivery which means delivery before 1pm. Can send it direct to garage if that's preferable? Total cost = £10.85 including delivery, etc. Can take payment via credit/debit card, bank transfer or paypal (ID = paypal@dta-motorsport.co.uk) Let me know if this is any good to you. Regards, Dan

Why not stick to a Nissan OEM filter? Cheap as chips and usually on the shelf at all dealers. I've got one on the shelf for £7.00

Hi, Yes, I did this when I lived in Birmingham. It was one of those multi coloured posts that's secured to the ground and folds away. I think it cost me about £70 to buy and took around 30 minutes to fix to the floor. It's more of a visual deterent than anything else as proven by my other half who reversed over it and bent the pole the "wrong" way. Problem was that she couldn't see it when she was in the car ... Anyway, so long as you're aware it's there it does what it says on the tin. But, it is only as good as the method used to secure it and the locking mechanism. I'm afraid I can't remember where I got it from (was an online store) so can't help with that. Good luck with the house move! Regards, Dan

Hi Steve, Hope you're ok mate. Wheel size is a very "subjective" thing and what is optimum for one purpose isn't necessarily so for another. There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding what is optimum. For example, unsprung weight, off set, rolling diameter, etc. I'm sure you're aware of all that. If you look at your average track car, it usually runs on 17" or smaller diameter wheels. Reason for that being it influences accelleration as well as handling (less weight than say 18 or 19"). However, a wheel that is too light for the suspension setup can be detrimental to handling just the same. In my experience, the best setup for "fast road" and "track" use is a 17-inch setup. Fronts around 225 width, rears no larger than 255 width. It is difficult to explain exactly why I think this but having driven cars with this setup as well as larger and smaller diameter wheels I "feel" that the 17-inch setup was right for the car I was driving (incidentally, it was a SWB TT). If you really want to do it right then once you've got the wheels on the car make sure you get the geometry and alignment done to your specifications as well as getting the "corners" weight. The latter can make a big difference as it can reset the weight distribution back to a neutral handling scenario. Anyway - lots of info but I'm not convinced it all makes sense. ;) All the best, Dan

No worries mate! I've just spoken to Phil and we've solved the problem. As you are using both the Skyline discs AND Brembo calipers you won't need the caliper relocation brackets. I'll be sending Phil the appropriate bolts this afternoon. Regards, Dan

Hi Lee, I did just PM you but I think what Phil @ Blackmoor Service Station is getting at is that the R33GTR discs are larger (324mm) than stock TT discs. That being the case you'll need caliper relocation brackets to push the caliper out sufficiently. I've got those in stock but will phone Phil first in the morning to get confirmation of what the problem is. Speak to you tomorrow chap! Dan

Lee, Just checked and part is good in stock. Need you to give me a call with payment details please. Thanks! Dan