New cars?

[digitalwanderer]

Most of these tracks/speedways actually have classes, and/or a set program for public use. You won't have to twist any arms, you just need to ask where the action is.

Check out your local 'Z' club (I'm sure there's one) and see what events they have. There's also amateur autocross events, etc.

I figure there had to be something like that, I figure the track has a lot of downtime and has to generate revenue.

I'm new to this and all excited like a newbie, its SOOO fun!

I just got off the phone with my wife at work and she had a bit of excitement with the insurance on it. When she called 'em up and told them we traded in the Quest for the Z they told her it was going to cost us $1,400 every 6 months....we were paying $300/6mos on the mini-van! :?

Turns out the lady was looking it up a bit wrong and it's going to be $400/6mos for us for full coverage....but it gave me wife a biiiig scare while she was re-looking it up!

Oh, and that Z forum I've been poking around at and it looks like I will NOT be modding out my Z much with aftermarket performance improvements anytime soon....they actually detract from the car value rather than add to it for the most part. :? The safe ones are a clear bra on the front and the stereo, so I figure I'll get those first.

(Oh, and I got carmats for it. They didn't have any fun "Hello Kitty" or such ones so I just got some generic black rubber ones that look good and claim to be able to hold a quart of spilled water. The big thing for me was just to get something in there that fit and didn't slip, and these fit the bill for under $20us. )

 

[Sonic]

Hey dig, most times people do mods to their carit will detract from the overall value of a car especially when the car is still in production. Plus you do have a warranty on the Z which could be easily voided if they found out you did mods to it. That is another big thign to think about, I would only do mods if you plan to make it more sporty/competitive. If it's just a ride that you and your wife will cruise in then keep it stock. I don't think Nissan goes out of their way to void warranties like Mitsubishi does but if they find out then you might be in for a scare.

What I would do in terms of driving on a closed course is find one in your area. Most tracks I know of offer driving classes that will teach you the ins and outs of competitive driving and will instill a skill in you that will give you a real advantage in the real world also. These classes can be pricy but are more than worth it....afterall it gives you the most important mod you can do....the driver mod.

 

[digitalwanderer]

What I would do in terms of driving on a closed course is find one in your area. Most tracks I know of offer driving classes that will teach you the ins and outs of competitive driving and will instill a skill in you that will give you a real advantage in the real world also. These classes can be pricy but are more than worth it....afterall it gives you the most important mod you can do....the driver mod.

We're going to look into some defense and stunt driving schools for our 10th we sort of decided.

 

[Sonic]

Excellent!

 

[Ty]

You can always choose to go with Nismo mods, those are from and approved by Nissan I believe. Not that I think you need it.

 

[Moloch]

http://www.nismoparts.com/catalog/?section=356
damn that shit's expensive

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Congrats Digi .. Hope the 350Z treats you well .. and I hope you treat the wife real well.

/me is jealous

US

 

[digitalwanderer]

http://www.nismoparts.com/catalog/?section=356
damn that shit's expensive

And there is the other big reason I won't be upgrading a lot anytime soon...

I'm actually thinking about putting in a new stereo and a bass enclosure in the back, we just got the stock stereo and I think it sounds great but if I were to be anal/picky I'd have to say it's a tad tinny sounding....and stereo improvements and bass enclosures DO add to the re-sale value.

Congrats Digi .. Hope the 350Z treats you well .. and I hope you treat the wife real well.

I was feeling guilty yesterday and mentioned to the wife that I was sorry it took her this long to get her dream car...if she hadn't met/married me she would have gotten something like it for her second car rather than her fourth.

She said that I was right, but she would still be all miserable instead of happy too....so it's better this way.

I love my wife, honest to the gods I do! I don't think either of us has stopped being grateful that we met each other yet.

/me is jealous

Don't be, I promise to share it vicariously with everyone. 8)

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Well i'm happy for ya.

US

 

[Geo]

Heh. Reading this thread I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get no love for my new Durango 5.7l Hemi 4x4 with all the goodies. Traded in my 2003 Mustang GT convertible. The gas mileage is only a little worse in real world experience (mine, that is). Moving to Minnesota from California, and this is part of the life-style change (not to mention part of the cross country trek enabler). After my Mustang I wasn't going to give up "zippy" entirely, and the power sunroof is my consolation prize for giving up the ragtop. Got a heckuvadeal (practicing my Minnesotan there) on the price too at the end of the model year.

I was apalled by what/how they drive in the UK when I was there. Rental was a 1.4l Vauxhall that took 1/2 hr to get to highway speeds, and ghu forbid you have to slow down for something and have to start all over again. 5th gear was useless below about 80mph --no bottom end in those cars at all. I think the posted speed was about 70mph, but everyone drove much faster than that . . .first time I've ever had someone honk me out of the fast lane at 90mph. Drove past three or four accidents while we were there. . .tell me, does anyone ever survive those? Looks like those toys just disintegrate. . .one reason Americans like some metal around them.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Heck I was looking at Durangos back in 98, but they don't have a manual transmission option so we laughed and left the dealership.

Besides, I didn't really get a new Z...I got a 98 Pathfinder SE 4x4 5-speed for my mini-van. (Which I'm still deliriously happy about, the Pathfinder roxors!!!! )

 

[Geo]

Heck I was looking at Durangos back in 98, but they don't have a manual transmission option so we laughed and left the dealership.

Besides, I didn't really get a new Z...I got a 98 Pathfinder SE 4x4 5-speed for my mini-van. (Which I'm still deliriously happy about, the Pathfinder roxors!!!! )

The last Datsun that really had my heart was the sainted 240Z. One of my aunts had one. She was my favorite aunt there for awhile.

The Durango was redone for 2004. A little bigger and more refined now. Still no manual tho. Personally, I came to loathe driving a stick in a daily driver commuting into a major urban area. Did it for 8 or 10 years tho. I was ready for a break. I'd rather have my fingers on the underside-of-the-steering-wheel stereo controls.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Personally, I came to loathe driving a stick in a daily driver commuting into a major urban area.

Yeah, I could see getting sick of that in a hurry. I live in suburbia though, and sticks are a blast in suburbia.

Not as much bullshitty stop-n-go, you can always go around it on sidestreets; yet you can also hop on I-94 to cover some distance in a hurry as it runs straight thru da Region.

Damn it, at the risk of sounding egotistical I freaking love being me!!!!

 

[hkultala]

All Nissan needs to do now is release a 350Z Turbo for $40K 8)

that will propably be called "skyline GTR(R35)" and will propably also include 4WD. no idea about the price though.

 

[Sonic]

Skyline will not be 4WD, it will be AWD. There is a major difference. Also that will be based off of the G35 not the 350Z.

If there were to be a 350Z Turbo then Nissan would probably just name it 350ZX.

 

[Ty]

Current skylines ARE the G35Cs (different packages/trims though) I thought.

 

[Sonic]

Perhaps, but the 350Z while based upon FX is also under a completely different code.

 

[davefb]

I was apalled by what/how they drive in the UK when I was there. Rental was a 1.4l Vauxhall that took 1/2 hr to get to highway speeds, and ghu forbid you have to slow down for something and have to start all over again. 5th gear was useless below about 80mph --no bottom end in those cars at all. I think the posted speed was about 70mph, but everyone drove much faster than that . . .first time I've ever had someone honk me out of the fast lane at 90mph. Drove past three or four accidents while we were there. . .tell me, does anyone ever survive those? Looks like those toys just disintegrate. . .one reason Americans like some metal around them.

coz disintigrating disipates the energy !!
i hope you were moving over once you'd used the outside lane overwise no wonder you were being flashed at IT IS NOT THE FAST LANE!!!. unless it was a big blue flashing light ! w.r.t 5th, probably geared so it's a cruising , not accelerating gear...
what scares me the most is the tailgating,, and i'm just as guilty as most people.. but i'm not convinced about the speed, i tend to pass *most* people when going 80,, only a few are going faster , , mind you their either impatient salesmen or professional footballers ( can't find link for dwight yorke doing 110mph) . .

-dave-

 

[Simon F]

it didn't meet the max allowed emmision levels for cars imported into US.

You say "imported into the US". Are they different levels to local US products?

 

[_xxx_]

I would guess so, since the emission levels of Daimler and BMW etc. are definitely much lower than what US-cars have to offer. I mean, a 220D motor from DC needs like 6-7l diesel / 100 km. It has a particle filter, EU4 emission levels etc. I can't imagine that an Escalade or something like Dodge SRT-10 has lower emissions than a 2l-diesel.

Emission levels for new cars (the norm's called "SULEV" - super ultra low emission vehicles or something) are going to be so low, that when you put on new tires, these produce enough emissions for the car to fail the test. So we have to do all the tests with used tires. Not kidding.