scathing

$15K would have been in total. I don't know how you could spend $15K on just suspension without having almost everything custom made. But, with the car being relatively new, bits aren't cheap I'm heading out to Wakefield in the near future, and I'll have a more consistently-driving mate go out and see what mine will do. If the pro drivers can dip into 1:12 around Wakefield in an OEM car, I'm hoping he can get into 1:11 with all my mods.

"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what? "

Info on the Smartuki

Yep.

Depending on how far you want to go, the issue is more balance than anything else. I've had a couple of guys drive the car, and if you're keeping as a purely street driven vehicle then just replacing the swaybars and tyres will be fine. The main thing is to get rid of that stock exhaust (if you still have it). It doesn't sound particularly good, and it really chokes the engine.

To my mind, a "driver's car" is something that is about the experience. It doesn't necessarily need to be insanely quick or powerful. For example, the original MX5 was gutless in a straight line. Compare that to an Audi RS6, which had so much grip and grunt it was near impossible to not pull a good time out of it. But the RS6 was so heavy, and remote, that aside from the acceleration you'll get punching out of corners onto the straight it won't leave you with the same amount of fun that chucking an MX5 into a series of corners will......if that's your thing. In that way, driving a Z33 was more fun than driving the G35. And driving an S15 was more fun than driving the Z33. The Z33 still carries too much fruit for me to consider it a "proper" sports car. All that sound deadening, electric heated, seats, big stereo, etc, and 1470kg kerb weight is anathema to a what a FR sports car, especially NA, should be about - lightweight and engaging. I never said that the Integra and Silvia were a racer's first choice, but they're still more enjoyable to drive. To make an analogy, an Excel is more of a driver's vehicle than a bus. I think the 03 and 04 350Z's share the same suspension. By 05 they'd revised the spring rates a bit, and in the 06 the spring rates and swaybars have been adjusted. As for owning one every day, the fact that the V35 has rear seats makes it a clear winner over the Z. The seats are also far nicer. You don't need the extra noise and steering response when commuting, but being able to carry your mates and the more noticably comfortable experience.

From what I heard, Sumitomo are the manufacturer for quite a few brands out there (Dunlop, and a couple of others that I can't remember). I'm not sure if they just do the manufacturing, or if they part own more famous brands, but in terms of quality control they're no worse than more famous brands people are happy to endorse on reputation since it comes out of the same factory.

If you have a look at the top of your browser window, its the stupid in Australia that the topic you're posting in is referring to. Context is a wonderful thing.

I'm upgrading my status from "maybe" to "yes".

Dude, unless its snowing where you live it you should always be on a "summer" tyre. Summer and winter tyres have specific heat ranges where they work in. Summer tyres harden up too much in cold weather and stop gripping. Winter tyres overheat when being driven at reasonable speeds in temperate climates. You'll be lucky to be able to get $500 per Michelin Pilot Sport. They are a fantastic tyre, but you will pay a premium for it. They're not in the same class as Sumi's. My mechanic also resells Sumitomo HRTZ-II tyres, and he says they work pretty well. They're no racing tyre, but they're a good for street use. Quiet, reasonable life, and reasonable grip. I'm up for new tyres now, and I'm tossing up between them and Falken FK452s.

I didn't find the Z to be that snappy when I first drove it. I found that it was the other way, too ponderous and slow to react (but I did come out of a hot hatch, which is much lighter, and had been test driving S15s). It does understeer though. A lot. But most factory cars do. I drove an auto V35 350GT coupe when I took my Z in to get some work done, and I found it a much more muted and remote experience than the Z. My Z wasn't stock by then, but I found the V35 felt like a luxury car. The Z feels like a sports tourer. Its still weighty and civil, but more of a driver's car than the coupe. Neither feel anything like a Silvia, Integra, or Evo when it comes to being a "proper" sports car. And I haven't driven a GT-R yet, and its been years since I've driven a GTS-t, to compare it with them.

Yeah, I'm a fan of those E30 3 series. They're a lot less porky and soft than their executive car descendants.

Just had a new bumper and guards installed last week, which were painted.

You think? A Porsche is more than just its performance. Its a brand with a reputation and an aura that nothing short of an Italian sports car is going to surpass. If people bought cars purely on their technical merits, no-one would buy an "executive sedan" (BMW 3 series, C Class Mercedes, etc). The Honda Accord Euro and Subaru Liberty GT far surpass those cars in build quality, performance, and creature comforts when you compare price points. I think that the next GT-R will have enough problems convincing people to buy it over the M3, which will be far slower, but wearing a much more "desirable" badge. Against a Porsche, it'll only appeal to those that choose substance over style...and at this price brand cachet means more to most customers than performance.

Does anyone know of any detailers in Sydney that use Zaino? My car's just had some exterior bits resprayed so I want to have it detailed and given a heavy coat of good wax.

Can I ask where you got them from? I called a local Tyrepower in Sydney (that's who Falken Australia suggested) and they wanted around $320 a corner on 17"

It also looks like you need a tripod or some kind of camera stabilisation, too My wheels are getting repainted at the moment. I'm getting them redone from titanium to a darker gunmetal (hopefully they'll be the same shade as R32 or R34 GT-R rims). Will post some before and after pics when I get it all back.

The whole point of this cruise was to get rid of that elitist crap that some people bring to "cruises", and another member copped at a recent cruise arranged by another forum. I'd hope everyone was invited to this cruise, no matter what they drive. The only pre-requisite is that you bring a good attitude.

If it works, it works. American cars just have a bad reputation for having bad handling is all. I wouldn't mind seeing some figures for near-stock Camaros / Firebirds, and seeing what times they pull in comparison to cars we have available in Australia to see what comparative times are like.

This is what happens when you let dumbasses think. They tend to think wrong. If we need to warn people that a packet of peanuts "may contain traces of peanuts" (as found on the label), I think they should put put warning labels on footpaths saying, "If you step off me without checking then, God willing, there's a good chance you're going to end up as a smear".

Aren't those things allergic to corners though? The impression I got is that they're after a circuit car, not a drag sled. You could buy an old V8 Commodore if you wanted to go drag racing on a tight budget. Bringing in a Camaro / Firebird would be a hassle, relatively speaking.

I'm with you. They want to "name and shame" young people for doing a variety of stupid things (like graffiti and the rest), and they are doing it in some US states. So if people think that naming and shaming is a good thing (which according to a poll on that bastion of journalistic integrity, the Daily Telegraph, is popular among the idiots that read that jizz rag) then we should also shame old farts who drive under the speed limit in the overtaking lane, drive erratically, and step off footpaths when their light is red and without looking for cars trying to get through the intersection. Pedestrians can go f**k themselves. I don't drive onto a footpath (i.e. onto a driveway) without making sure there are no pedestrians in the way, or they wave me by. And I give way to them because that's their reserved space. If you cut them off then they get the shits and hit / kick your car. If they want to use my road (and yes, my taxes and rego and fuel exise and the rest goes to pay for it, so its more my road than theirs) they can f**king give way to me. Its my reserved space. If I wave them by or the lights are green for them then fair enough, but if the red man is showing or its not even a pedestrian crossing, they can f**king well give way or I should be able to get the shits and hit them with my car.

I just find that comment ironic because all the US guys etc are whinging about how weak the bottom end is, that it "only" handles 300rwkW or around 9psi reliably.

The word is they've stopped selling it in the USA. They've ended their contract with Rotrex to source the compressor, and because they've hit intellectual property issues with their replacement blower they are only selling it in Japan. You might be able to find the kit second hand, or get one imported from Japan. There's a guy in the US developing a Rotrex-based supercharger kit in the US at the moment, but we'll see how that one goes. The HKS supercharger sounds the business, though. There's this massive sucking noise when you get on the power, and it flutters if you lift off quickly. It pulls around 220rwkW with an aftermarket exhaust, which isn't too bad. The power delivery is so progressive, though, that aside from the induction noise I couldn't feel a difference when I drove a 350Z with one (mind you I only revved it out in first).

300rwkW is the accepted limit for what the internals will handle reliably. The APS TT kit pulls that with little effort (that's the number they advertise on the page you linked to), although when you buy it the tuner will set it up to make around 280rwkW at 7-8psi. Still, 280rwkW is nothing to be sneezed at. The Extreme kit does recommend a properly built engine of course. I doubt any factory NA, or even turbo, car would handle 3.5 times the OEM power without some serious support modification.