TheRealNips

Does anyone has a lower front arm. mine needs replacing. it looks like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/90-96-Nissan-300zx-Front-Driver-Left-Lower-Control-Arm-FLCA-Stock-OEM-/162370764487?hash=item25ce0d3ec7:g:3osAAOSwo4pYijQY

Ill be coming and representing "the missing paint" crew as usual!

People are too thin skinned these days. We have lost the ability to take constructive criticism and in some cases know the difference between trolling and genuine questions and criticism. Yesterday, Myself and 8 other drivers were standing in the bus terminus in Eastbourne laughing and joking. A lorry driver, who had pulled up in the bus-only road at a bus stop on the other side of the road, leaned out of his cab and started telling us to f**k off, that we were all dicks and c**ts. We hadn't listened to him at this point as we were still laughing and joking and hadn't realised the abuse was aimed at us. It wasn't until he marched across the road, kicked one of the drivers in the back of the knee, then shoved him into the wall that we realised he was angry with us! We found out later, that he had thought we were taking the piss out of him....guilty conscience maybe?! Another example is that road rage incident on the M62 with the lorry driver reversing his pickup into a COOP lorry, smashing the window with a spade and driving off. I get road rage daily while working. People are just getting angrier and I don't know why. Same on forums, Text is never the best medium for sharing ideas as the context is lost so easily. Especially in this day and age of txt-language and abbreviations. In your problem Mondo, I haven't read the two threads you are talking about (i have taken a step back from this forum for a while), but I've seen other threads where someone criticises something small, the other party takes huge offense, lays into the first and before you know it you have a flame war. I cant be bothered with people like that anymore. For example when someone blocks me on the road (happens daily as everyone trys to beat the bus, regardless of priority and right-of-way), I put the handbrake on, turn off the bus and read my book. The CCTV and passengers will record events for you, so just sit and don't fret about things you have no control over. If you feel you really have to say your opinion (everyone does, its a free country) then just be aware it could be more hassle than its worth... I happen to agree with you, If I'm paying big money for a Z, I want it to be spotless. I wouldnt pay £2000 for an 80" tv that didnt have smart and wifi connectivity. Mind you I wouldn't spend £2000 on a tv.... :lol: Ive attached a picture of happy pigs to cheer you up!

Am I correct in saying that, that is the car driven by the japanese secret agent who saves james bond in "you only live twice". They pick the bad guys up with a helicopter and magnet and drop them in the sea?

I blame the scrappage scheme. Its made lots of old cars disappear over night and therefore become rare. On top of that right now what can you invest your money in? Banks are offering 1% if you are lucky.... Property is through the roof and becoming a landlord is a lot of hassle AND there are more fees for the landlord now. so whats left? Invest in an old classic car that you know wont loose money...

My stepmother is american, but shes lived over here for 28 years and has british citizenship (Still cant make a decent cup of tea and doesnt understand fawtly towers...) and she says its a "Gear lever" and "drive stickshift". She grew up and lived first 30-odd years in Seattle, so could be a regional thing?

You mean put a bullet in him right? There is a lovely spot in Texas ive heard... :lol:

I would more than happily lend you my Zed, but I fear it would put people off buying one. Maybe if you had a "this is what a poor zed looks like " section, mine would be perfect! :lol: I would help out (driving something up there, helping out at the stand, etc) but I have to work that weekend :thumbdown:

Guess what! She's back! A 3" pipe at the very back of the engine split and dumped coolant onto the manifold, hence the thick steam. Compression test, oil test, water test, rad check, coolant check all came up clear. I'm going to run her for about 400miles on 99petrol and then get the timing belt and thermostat done. Seems like I've dodged a bullet. Grand total to fix.... £80! Car needs welding and a good clean, but happy she's back!

"Winter is coming" and "you know nothing..." :lol: Im finding it hard enough just to break my car and thats in a container. I might do an interior on the drive, but wouldnt try much more than that at this time of year...

Every garage I've ever been to charges £10 for all the wheels. Its not worth mucking around trying to do it yourself, this is the kind of job that you just pay for.

I used rockauto.com Use the menu down the left side to choose nissan, then correct year, then correct engine and then choose your bits. The timing belt for my NA, including sales tax and import duty, came to a grand price of £108. I had the DAYCO 95180K1S kit. Rockauto were really good, took paypal, posted it the same day and I got it 8 days later, which is quicker than royal mail sending stuff within the UK. The kit was good quality and fitted great, just a shame my Zed died after 2000 miles!

Im interested, but no idea what ill be doing work wise yet and I'm also Zed'less now. Ill find out as soon as I can what im up to workwise

If anyone wants all the pictures, just PM for my facebook and ill add you. Ive got too many to post on here! Here is a few from the break-down: Last picture is the mileage on the BRAND NEW bmw hire car. yes you read it right, 7 miles! The newest car I have ever driven and (I have a suspicion) the newest car I will ever drive!

I dont know that, thanks! Makes sense really. Its going to suck for the next couple of weeks not knowing and ive got no excuse to not ride my bike into work now :sad:

Well we are back in the UK now. However not by the way of a Z... We left Paris yesterday and were making our way to Calais for duty-free, food and an evening out before our late ferry home. As we approached a "Peage" (Toll-gate) I was slowing down and noticed a noise like the de-mist fan was at top speed, as I got to about 20mph just entering the 6'6" wide toll lane the car cut out. We rolled to the machine and my wife took the ticket, I tried to re-start it and it wouldn't. Steam/smoke started billowing from under the bonnet. I jumped out, opened the bonnet and the steam/smoke was pouring out from under the plenum and coming out in the coil pack gaps. We rang for assistant, got towed off the toll lane to a scrapyard that did towing as a side business and the car is still there. The AA got us a taxi to Paris airport, a french hire car (2015 VW golf) to drive back to Calais, then at the port we were given a brand new (and I mean brand new, it had 7 miles on the clock!) BMW M3D on British plates to use on the ferry and to get home with. Got home last night at nearly 3am. Zed is still in France somewhere (we don't actually know where exactly because we were on the toll-road when it happened and it was in the middle of no-where. The scrapyard had fields in all directions as far as the eye could see). The AA say that they have to get the car checked, then assessed to see if it can be fixed, and if not it will be re-repatriated. I was warned that it could take a couple of weeks. In the 30 minutes I had before the tow truck arrived, I had a look around and as there was plenty of golden oil in the engine and the drivers foot well was soaking wet, I guess the heater matrix went, dumped all the coolant, engine overheated and cut out. There was no steam in the cabin, no warning lights on the dash until it cut out and the temp gauge was (and still is) reading normal. I squeezed the radiator top pipe and it felt empty. Its annoying because I checked the water and oil the day before and it didn't need any oil and only wanted a cup full of water. I'm desperately hoping that it cut out before any lasting damage was done and that a new heater matrix and new coolant will fix it, but I cant even try as its about 200 miles away in another country! Not really the triumphant ending to a 2300 mile, 9 day road trip through 9 countries, however the Zed managed 2150 of them with ease, It was a pleasure to drive on all types of roads we used, motorways, fast A roads, mountain passes, etc. My wife spent the 150 miles in the french hire car moaning at how uncomfortable it was and wanted the Zed back. She then got in the BMW, loved it, but said it had no character, a sentiment I would completely agree with! I would happily do it again even with breaking my car. It was an amazing trip through amazing countries and sceneries, The Zed drew attention everywhere it went and outside the Monte Carlo casino it outshone the Rolls Royces, Bentleys and other ghastly cars with their 24" chrome rims! If people are interested, ill plan another rally next year as it was fun by ourselves, but with several cars it would be even better!

And a few more:

Quite a journey today. Freiberg, Germany to Menaggio, Italy via Olten and the Gotthard Pass. Started the day off with 145mph down the autobahn and the entered Switzerland at a more respectable (boring) speed! Took a break in Olten then drove to the bottom of the Gotthard Pass. Took the old road to the top winding through the villages, etc. Short break at the top, before taking the old road down to the bottom. The old was cobbled, so left the car in 2nd and did the whole thing about 10-20mph, amazingly the cobbles were smoother than a lot of our tarmac roads in the UK! We then drove into Italy and into Menaggio. Here are a few pictures from today:

I worked out about £700 on fuel, but please remember my Nissan is over-fueling at the moment due to a thermostat being stuck open and the choke being on consistently. Shes doing about 280-320 miles on a tank. About a tank a day, trip is 9 days. Does depend on how I drive and I did get carried away on a section of autobahn this afternoon. The wife didn't believe there was no speed limit, she believed me when we went 150mph past a police car! :lol:

Havent had much time for connecting to the internet, but here are a few teasers of the car. Nothing very photogenic yet (due to location and mostly my photo skills!) but tomorrow is Switzerland, Alps, Italy and Lake Como, so i should be able to make the car look good!

On the ferry, made a good deal of noise in the ferrys belly! - - - Updated - - - I would be up for that! - - - Updated - - - I would be up for that!

So, after a lot of saving, planning, packing, cleaning, polishing and waxing (the car and wife! :lol:) we are all ready to go! Lets hope she makes the 2300 miles Ive got planned!

Done

"Some find the aggressive 'bottom-feeder' looks slightly odd, but they have dated well." "The twin-turbocharged engine is a muscly, if somewhat characterless unit," "The 'T-bar' targa roof is easy to remove, but is quite heavy," Why would you say things like that? Surely you would be trying to sell the pants off this?

Lovely and sunny down here in the sunniest place in Britain... :D