Hertz Donut

This thread is actually making me feel better, somehow it's therapeutic to know mine isn't the only one being trashed. My Stag was mint when I got it. My mother in law then rubbed it against another car at the local mall, putting a dent right on the wheel arch crease. Then my wife ripped off a mudguard molding on a garden edging next to the driveway. Then about 20 mouth breathers put various scratches all over it of varying length and depth. Also I could whip up a pretty decent meal from the food scattered around the back seat, and top it off with a rub of chocolates from the front passenger's seat belt.

If I was buying again I'd go for a PM35 (RWD) due to the greater crossover of parts with G35s and 350Zs. Having said that the only thing that even slightly worries me about my PNM35 is around-town fuel consumption, and now prices are down even that's not such a hassle. They're fantastic family wagons and I have yet to run out of space when taking the family away, I normally find myself looking for more things to put in the boot to stop everything bouncing around.

While I love my M35 Stagea, the big worry that's constantly in the back of my mind is that eventually something is going to fail, and I'm going to have to either fix it myself or pay someone through the nose to fix it for me. Newer cars may mean more creature comforts but it also means more parts to wear out/break/fall off. Accordingly, it's with a heavy heart I've come to the conclusion that my long-term project vehicle is going to be something much simpler, possibly mid-90s or earlier. I may have to replace more parts up front, but they're still cheaper than parts on newer cars, and most are still available NOS. So...+1 for an S15 or similar. I'd also consider a 350Z because the VQ35 is ubiquitous and there's a massive aftermarket for them.

Well, I've currently got the car loaded so much that it's almost tucking tyre on stock suspension and wheels, and I'm about to hook up a loaded trailer (700kg or so, with 38kg pressure on the tow ball) and drive 200km over typically shitty, winding NZ roads, so I guess it's about to get a reasonable workout. I kinda don't want to check it, because being a typical male, if I can't see it, it isn't there.

Anyone know if this only affects pre-facelift models or is it the full M35 run?

You sure the bags aren't for an Infiniti M35? That's the equivalent of a Nissan Fuga, same FM platform as the Stagea but unless they're for an AWD model I wouldn't expect them to fit without modifying. Maybe a G35X setup would be closer. I must say though, seeing what you tow makes me feel better about pulling my little old (heavily overloaded 1830x1350) single-axle trailer around after reading stories of ripped subframes etc. I know it's all in the mounting but I don't tow over a ton with it so my mind is at ease. In fact, I'm loading both the car and trailer up for a 300km trip tomorrow, the boot's so full I'm close to tucking tyre.

Started changing the oil last night with the car on the ground, naturally I fumbled the sump plug and lost sight of it. Ragequit and went back to it this morning. Cue 10 minutes of fumbling round in the drain pan, first with a random piece of bark, then with my fingers, all to no avail. Eventually found it trapped in the top side of the undertray. Sigh. It's still not really burning any oil though, I'm getting out almost as much as I'm putting in despite the enthusiastic driving it gets every now and then.

Take odo readings with a grain of salt, look for other telltale signs like worn seats/steering wheel/pedals.

P-plater tax. They all want an NA so they can have the image, then they can come on here and ask what everyone thinks of them putting "these" wheels and "this" kit on it because it's the best car ever and they will "just put a DET it" when they're off their Ps since it's "just a bolt-in mod". If we're honest with ourselves most of us thought exactly the same way when we were young, and hindsight remains 20/20. Of course, in NZ we don't have the same restrictions, and a 16yo kid with fresh L plates can go out and mod an R35 to within a bee's dick of its life and remain legal, so any Skyline is subject to "RB tax" and is worth moonbeams whether it's roadworthy or not. RB Skyline = D1NZ champion, 47 years running. Allegedly.

You have a mild torque increase across the entire rpm range, surely you'd notice that? Maybe it's so subtle you're using less throittle to achieve the same rates of acceleration and not noticing it, but I guess that should show up as reduced fuel consumption. It's a shame you weren't able to do some before-and-after runs at the drag strip where it might make itself more apparent. Either way I'd be happy with torque and power curves like that. You're right though, for the money it's probably not worth the effort unless the fuel economy has significantly improved.

$150 for a complete OEM arm, with bushings? Sounds like a bloody great deal to me! [edit] Or do you mean all the bushings for the arm? [/edit]

Nice work, it's always satisfying getting rid of annoying noises. I keep meaning to do something about the creaking bushes in the front of mine (4WD) but alignment is still fine and it's passing WOFs so I cbf. Maybe I'll just go nuts with some grease when I'm under there changing the oil and filter this weekend. Was the assembly from another RWD M35? I suspect the rears are the same as 4WD ones, would be nice to think they're the same as other FM platform ones too (V35+ Skyline, Z33, Z34, Y50+ Fuga, maybe even E51+ Elgrand).

^Fully agreed, and I'm "only" 41. Getting harder to focus on things close to me these days, aches and pains don't go away quite as quickly, the gut is much easier to grow than shrink...I fear the slide has started. Doesn't help I've stopped riding to work every day of course. /OT

I'm in Hawkes Bay but I have workmates and several friends down there. I've never made it past the airport but I monitor a large network and could "see" the quake rolling through it, taking out devices as it went, which obviously wasn't anywhere near as terrifying as being on the ground there. It also kinda dominated news media for a year or so.

[Off-topic history for those on the other side of the world] Sam lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, 2,500km or so to the southeast of Australia. It was basically destroyed by over 10,000 earthquakes that occured beneath the city between 2010 and 2012. Much of the central city had to be demolished and large areas are no longer able to be built upon due to liquefaction. The roads now range from being completely undamaged to completely impassible, I believe 4WD utes are one of the most popular new vehicles there these days, although it's hard to say if this is due to residents buying something more rugged to get around in or the huge number of workers that have moved to the city to work on the rebuild. I applaud anyone in Christchurch who persists in using a "normal" car to get around, I would have bailed and got a Hilux years ago. Despite the devastation in Christchurch, the rest of New Zealand is still a much better country for driving enthusiasts than Australia. [/Off topic]

In NZ we can only dream of our vehicle theft rate being anywhere near that low, I think ours is somewhere in the mid-70s per 10,000 vehicles, but at least it's coming down, was well over 100 a few years ago, when buying a WRX or Legacy/Liberty turbo was akin to admitting you liked spending a lot of momey on a car someone else wanted more than you. The Police have made a few big busts that have put a dent in the steal-to-order and other professional rings. These days sleeper vehicles hold a lot of appeal to me, basically drive something no one would want to steal. The problem is, even base-spec Skylines are being stolen simply because they're Skylines, so unfortunately this isn't an option for the majority of people on here.

+1. Commonly heard on old bangers but can happen on newer vehicles if the belt has been damaged or is getting dirty.

Ah, the mighty Hawkes Bay, the jewel of New Zealand, holders of the Ranfurly Shield, home of sunshine, viticulture, sparkling beaches and friendly faces. <- Also in the Bay.

I don't know really, I haven't had the chance/motivation to follow it.It comes out the side of the hatch trim and then into the top of it. It's held in place by some stick-on hooks.

I suspect mine failed when it was still in Japan as I have a random cable that runs up the right hand side of my tailgate. Can't think of what else it could be for.

If you're talking cosmetics only, the most obvious difference is the headlights, so if they're different dimensions then stuff like the bonnet, grille, bumper and possibly front quarter panels may also be different. If in doubt, hit up a site like www.rhdjapan.com and see if separate items are listed for M35/NM35 and PM35/PNM35.

Man I need some 18s. It's such a subtle upgrade but makes the wheels look the right size. I found a decent chunk out of one of my 17s yesterday and pointed it out to my wife, who subsequently claimed responsibility. Time to angle for a Christmas present...

I have a similar noise in my Stagea, I'm pretty sure it's just a loose heat shield or possibly the outer wall of the exhaust corroding away and rattling against the inner lining. Not sure if the V35s have a twin-wall exhaust too though. Mine is only noticeable under light-moderate acceleration and always around 2000-2500rpm, suggesting it's a harmonic frequency causing a vibration. I haven't had much time to check everything thoroughly, I pulled away some of the outer wall but it didn't go away. OHNOES!! NEW EXZORTS TIME!!

Stock 2004 PNM35 Stagea (VQ35DE, 4WD) - 9.68l/100km, 600km of the tank was on the open road, zero effs given about economy, I'd rather enjoy the trip.

About the closest thing to a "fun" daily that can tow a decent amount you'll get is a V8/turbo-6 Falcodore. Other than that you're pretty much looking at 4WDs. [edit] ...although there's a few people towing race cars with C34 Stageas. 260RS maybe? [/edit]