DTA (UK)

Hi mate - apologies if I came over a bit "strong" - didn't mean it. Have had some bad news this morning regarding a court case I'm pursuing so am just a bit short tempered at the moment. :( Because the tracking is out of whack what happens is (besides pulling to one side) that the wheel(s) will start to rub. You won't feel he result of this until you hit a certain speed when it becomes apparent and usually manifests itself as wheel wobble. It's almost like resonance from an exhaust. Under a certain rpm/speed everything is calm but as soon as you hit as specific rpm there is a drone ... Same theory with the tracking vs wheel wobble. My suggestion is that if you have driven the car a fair few miles in this condition to not only get the tracking/alignment done but also get the wheels balanced again as excessive rubbing may have changed the balance. Good luck mate and apologies again. Regards, Dan

Hi! Just a quick note - yes, you need to get the tracking done again. As I explained to you when you bought the kit, it is best to put the shims on whilst the car is having it's tracking and alignment done. This way everything is set properly and you won't end up with the car pulling to one side or wheel wobble (which can also be due to misalignment issues). I suggest you get the alignment and tracking sorted ASAP. Dan PS - you'd have had the same issues had you put on adjustable camber arms without getting the alignment and tracking done at the same time so it's not the shim kit.

If you want to take the engine and gearbox out as one you're better advised to get the car on a ramp, undo everything that needs undoing, rest the engine and gearbox on something solid and then lift the car up on the ramp. If using a hoist you'll have to angle the engine/gearbox at a dangerous angle. Might as well drop the gearbox and then lift the engine out.

You would need both the male and female consult plugs which are (a) difficult to find and (2) when you do find the company that makes them they are extorsionately expensive. We at DTA have searched the globe for a company that manufactures these plugs and finally found one. To say that the cost per plug is rediculously expensive is an understatement. However, the idea of an extension lead is good. Will speak about this with Eric and see what his thoughts are. Cheers! Dan

Correct, the horn push is on the same disc as the cruise control buttons. Wish I had a pic to show you but haven't taken one of this particular kit :headvswal Regards, Dan

Our Daikei boss kit works with HICAS and cruise control (buttons on a disc to be fixed in the centre of the steering wheel - ie where the horn button is) £95 delivered. Regards, Dan

Hi Bilky, I'm sorry but I no longer have any stock of these shim kits. I've had 5 kits sitting on the shelf for over 2 years and only managed to sell the last one last week. I'm afraid I won't be restocking these. Best way to go is to get a set of adjustable upper arms from Smithy. Regards, Dan

Hi Mark, We're just waiting on a new batch to arrive and provided the quality is consistently good we can start converting headlights. At the moment I'm looking for this to be done at some point in June. The idea is to provide a two tiered product/service: (1) Full headlight (cleaned, new adjusters and HID's pre-mounted) (2) Inserts only (customer to fit him/herself) Regards, Dan

Hi, I've already responded to your PM but with respect to that American company - I believe they had serious quality issues with the finished product. I haven't got a link unfortunately but they have been mentioned over on the 300zxclub (USA) quite a few times (I don't think it was very positive either ...) Regards, Dan

The AID (additional Injector Controller) is one of those gadgets which you really do not require unless you are running very high BHP and know EXACTLY what you are doing. This system controls the injector pulses from within the cabin which means it is VERY EASY to set it wrong and BLOW your engine ... If you are looking to stir things up a little and make the car more driveable then I suggest you go down the following route: 1. Get a major service done (ie change cambelt, ancillaries, water pump, oil filter, fuel filter) 2. Get it on a ConZult and set all the parameters back to standard (ie idle, tps, timing, fueling, throttle balance, etc) 3. Make sure it is running absolutely spot on 4. Replace stock air filters with A'PEXi cone filter (£65 @ DTA-Motorsport UK) 5. Replace standard ECU chip with performance chip (£65 @ DTA-Motorsport UK) 6. Add an electronic boost controller (A'PEXi AVC-R, Blitz SBC, etc - contact DTA-Motorsport UK for options) 7. Replace stock exhaust with stainless steel cat-back exhaust (contact DTA-Motorsport UK for options) 8. Replace cats and downpipes if you really want to open up the exhaust gas flow (not recommended if (a) your car is post-1992 or (b) your turbo seals are on their last legs) Alternatively, get all the above done with exception of the performance chip. Take the car to a reputable rolling road operator (ie Thor Racing in Warwickshire) and get them to custom map a chip specifically for your car. HTH Dan Ps - once you've completed the necessary power upgrades you need to then sort out the suspension and brakes.

Can I please remind everyone that the above cable is NOT a ConZult cable, it will NOT work with any ligitimate full version of the DTA-Motorsport ConZult diagnostic software and we [DTA-Motorsport] will not provide any support and/or warranty for this cable. Furthermore, it has come to our attention that there are various individuals who have illigitimate copies of the DTA-Motorsport ConZult diagnostic software. The software is copyright protected, contains copy protection and we WILL prosecute anyone proven to be using this software illegally. If you have bought a NEW ConZult diagnostic kit you will have been provided with a CD-R containing the full version of the diagnostic software. This is used under the terms and conditions of our EULA (End User Licence Agreement) and by accessing the software you agree to abide by these terms and conditions. The T&C's explicitly state that providing copies to individuals other than the REGISTERED owner is strictly PROHIBITED. Should you have come into the possession of a USED ConZult diagnostic kit you will need to REGISTER the kit with us. Upon payment of £35 for a new SUPPORT LICENCE the new owner will be entitled to (a) the latest version of the diagnostic software (FOC) and (b) full technical support for the duration of ownership of the equipment. We will not be providing Support Contracts or technical support to anyone trying to register an illegal copy of the diagnostic software. The software is linked to the hardware by means of a serial number. The only instance where a support contract is supplied without the hardware warranty is when a SOFTWARE ONLY package has been purchased. This is for use with the DIY consult interface but beware that we will not provide any technical support or warranty for the DIY interface. I hope that the above is clear. I apologise for hijacking this thread but it needs to be said. If anyone has any question please feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to discuss the various option with you. ATB Dan

Because then you'll get a million and one people wanting to have it ported to "their" OS ... We have to draw a line somewhere and for the moment we are NOT doing a PDA version. This is a development which is not very high on our priority list as sales of the PC version is still strong. Besides, there is a very limited number of information you can display at any one time on a PDA screen and as the ConZult is primarily a DIAGNOSTIC tool it would defeat the purpose. There are some other applications on the market which run on PDA's but they only provide sensor feedback - no or limited diagnostic capabilities only. Perhaps at some point in the future (when Microsoft has bought up Palm and Symbian) then we can look into providing a "PDA Package" deal. ;)

Mark, The short answer is "no". The slightly longer version is that it is a "porting" problem, not so much a hardware problem. It is not as straight forward as loading the PC version of the ConZult diagnostic software onto a PDA and it's job done. Unfortunately there are a lot of different "portable" operating systems out there which makes it completely unfeasible to adapt the software to run on all of them. We'd end up with a dozen or so different versions of the software which would completely price it out of its market due to R&D time. For more answers drop Eric (Lymon) a line as I'm sure he can explain it a lot better than I can. ATB Dan

YES! Your normal insurance WILL NOT cover track events (unless explicitly stated on your policy). As for going around the track itself - so long as everyone shows a healthy amount of respect for fellow drivers and nobody tries to be a hero then you should be ok. As suggested, work your way up to build your confidence and to learn the track. I've recently done a track event with a Lambo enthusiast group and got to take a Gallardo around an airfield track. Not my car (obviously) and my first track session ever = mega nervous. However, after 4 or 5 laps of learning the track and seeing that nobody else is doing anything stupid my confidence hit a level where I was really enjoying myself. And that is what it is all about: enjoying the experience. It's not about racing, who is the fastest, etc. It's about enjoying it at your handling level and being able to drive the car home at the end of the day without additional bits of grit, grass or godforbid Armco sticking out of the car! Final piece of advise: bring a pair of fresh undercrackers as you might well need them after the track session! ;) Enjoy! Dan

Lee, Paul Bailey stopped production/sales of 300ZX products back in the mid 90's. BTW - I completely forgot about the before/after HID pic - will send it this afternoon. Sorry :wack: Dan

If you have any problems finding the bulbs then let me know as I've got 3 sitting on the shelf. Need to know soon though because my last posting day is this coming Wednesday as I'm off on my holidays on Thursday! Regards, Dan

Confirmed: H1 = Main beam (ie flash) H3 = Dip beam (UK-spec) H3C = Dip beam (JDM-spec) H3 = Fog light (JDM-spec) 501 = Side lights/side repeaters All bulbs available and in stock - give us a shout if you need help. Regards, Dan

I have seen a couple of lightly disquised DBS test mules out and about on the roads around us here in Warwickshire. They're stunning cars but at £170k (claimed) a pop I think they're a bit optimistic. I know it's only a limited production run (which should guarantee exclusivity) but if you consider that a well specced DBS will cost in the region of £200K - that's Lambo LP640 territory and I know which I'd rather have ...! I also thought that production plans had been shelved following the sale of AM. Rumour has it that the four-door Rapide is the next model to see the light of day.

This is exactly the business I ran when I lived in Spain several years ago. We contracted a OEM manufacturer in Asia to produce SIMPLE mobile phones - big buttons, big screen, no fancy features - just making/receiving calls. Business went well for a couple of years, was subsequently bought by big telco and then closed :( The phones were only sold in Spain, Italy and Greece at the time. Shame really. I may well get back into this as it is a big gap in the market ... Sorry I can't help source one for your parents. Try looking for some of the older and basic Nokia phones. They had big buttons and a clear screen. The one on ebay (see billynomates link) seems good at first glance but the "elderly" need to be able to remember who's number is hiding behind each button! I know my gran can't remember whether she had breakfast this morning let alone whether my number is under button 3 or 5. Perhaps these phones are better suited to people with arthritis.

Mine was the only one in my village when I moved here two years ago. Now there are 4 of us within a 1-mile radius ... Mine's still the nicest thought ;)

Website no worky :( Give me a call on 07044016586 and I'll get it all sorted for you. Dan

Mostly for show but there are some benefits too: (1) no expansion or contraction when under heavy load - meaning a constant air flow (2) no chance of leaking other than via the supplied silicone couplers (3) if you get our proper stainless steel pipes you'll never have to replace them ;) The above benifits are similar for the stainless steel radiator pipe kits we supply. Especially the lower pipe is prone to collapsing in on itself when under heavy load. HTH Dan

£90?? I've got two on the shelf at the moment which I'll "give" away for £70 including Special Delivery! How's about that, Sir?!

There is no such thing as choosing the wrong one so long as you choose wisely. Having dealt with many ZX purchases over the past 6 years (on behalf of clients) I can honestly say that the best way to go about it is to decide what your budget is. Included in this figure should be 1. purchase price of the car 2. first year's insurance cost 3. major service (including cambelt change) 4. refurbishment cost (to get the car mechanically up to scratch, ie new tyres, bushes, shocks, springs, etc) 5. higher than average petrol cost (initially, before the novelty of tearing up the pavement wears off) When choosing between a manual or automatic transmission I suggest you drive both variants before making up your mind. Automatic transmissions in these cars are very strong and if looked after will give years of service. However, you need to remember that they are likely to be 15~17 years old and prone to failure. Same goes for manual transmissions. The debate between whether a TT is better than an NA (or vice versa) will probably never end. Both variants are superb in their own right. The NA only being marginally slower than the TT. I own a JDM 2+2 TT Automatic and am chuffed to bits with it. It is comfortable, quick and believe it or not also fairly practical (wel, compared to my wifes MX-5). I must have seen about 16 cars before deciding to buy this one. I have spent a lot of money on getting the mechanics back to a good standard and have build some performance mods on top of that. She's not cheap to run but for a 17 year old car she can more than hold her own agains much newer sports cars. If I were to do it again I'd probably opt for a manual NA as I prefer the linear power delivery of a non-turbo engine. Plus modifying a NA is a lot more interesting ... (IMHO). Have a look at the cars for sale by our forum members. These are generally well looked after examples. If buying from a dealer/individual ask if a member of this forum can come along to take a look over the car with you. Good luck with your purchases! Dan

The only difference in actual size of the car is when you compare a 2+2 (Long Wheel Base or LWB) and 2+0 (Short Wheel Base or SWB). All UK spec cars are Twin Turbo LWB whereas Japanese spec cars can be both Twin Turbo or Normally Aspirated and LWB or SWB. Good luck with your purchase! Don't buy the first one you see. Shop around and do plenty of comparisons. I viewed about 16 cars before I bought the one I have now (that was 6 years ago). Quality and maintenance varies widely on these cars so make sure you get a good one. Dan