Old Lady to Young Lady Part 1

The more I drive my Nissan Fairlady Z, the more I am annoyed at my inability to shift from the 3rd to the 4th gear. Almost 80% of the time, I hear the gear grinds and I thought I had been making mistakes while shifting. Even when I fully stepped on the clutch, it felt like the gears did not stop spinning and caused the gears to grind. I started to skip the 4th gear and go straight to 5th from 3rd. Nevertheless that is only a temporary measure. I knew I had to get the car properly checked by an expert. I talked to a buddy of mine, who I knew back in my Celica club days because he drives a Nissan Skyline V35 now and it has the same engine as the 350Z. He told me to visit a workshop named Redsun Motorsport and I know a little about this workshop. This workshop specializes in Nissan sports car but it is also famous for being expensive and geared more towards modification. I was reluctant but I knew the owner is the expert that I need and I sent my car there as soon as possible. 

Workshop CCTV image

During my 350Z's first week stay at the workshop, there was no update from the workshop and I only get to see my 350Z's photo from the workshop's Facebook page. One day I visited the workshop, I found out that the De-cat pipe and Y-pipe were removed together along with the transmission. In the beginning, the owner mentioned that there was no need to open up the transmission because after 15 years, most of the gears would have received some damage. However, I came to the shop and found out that every gear was removed from the transmission for checking. I was shown how most of the gear had chipped or missing a tooth especially the synchronizer rings. In the end, replacing the transmission with another unit is the best solution to this. The owner will be buying a replacement transmission and install it. According to him it would take around another week to complete the replacement. 

De-cat pipe with Y-pipe

Transmission Gears

Transmission Gears

Transmission Gears

Besides the main problem with the transmission, I also had the owner look into some other parts of the under carriage of the 350Z. During the last check, the front crossmember and rear M-shaped crossmember require replacement and also the lower arm bushes. The owner looked at it and from his analysis, he told me something that I was affected deeply. Judging from how both crossmember is dented, he concluded that the previous owner might have driven the 350Z of the ground and landed on a divider because both the front and rear crossmember are dented at the exact same spot in a straight line fashion. This damage definitely will affect the car's handling and the lower arm bushes are wear and tear items. Judging from how the rear crossmember was dented, it would require some machining to get to the screw to remove the crossmember. The owner will source for used crossmember for replacement. The lower arm bushes need to be pumped out and replace with new lower arm bushes.

Front Crossmember

Rear Crossmember

Since the gearbox was removed, it was a good chance to take a look at the condition of the clutch disc. During the previous check up with the other workshop, the owner told me the clutch is still thick. He came to this conclusion by driving the 350Z and suddenly stepping on the clutch pedal while driving to test the reaction. However, looking at the clutch disc now, it is so thin that with just a little more use, the head of the screw on the surface of the disc would be shaved off. That is why figuring the bite point of the clutch was difficult. It definitely needs replacement and Redsun's owner ordered a stock OEM clutch disc for my 350Z which is enough comfort for daily drive. No sports clutch needed here and that is good news for my left foot.

Flywheel

New Clutch (left) and Old Clutch (right)

Exedy Clutch

This is just the beginning of the process of reviving my 350Z with many more to come. I know my 350Z is in good hands and I can not wait for this to be done. I was told it would take another week. Stay tune for more update.

Fast and Furious 8

Remember 2 years ago when I put up some post on the Top 3 JDMs used in the Fast and Furious franchise ? If you have not, the links are Fast&Furious:Honorable, Fast&Furious:GT-R, Fast&Furious:Supra and Fast&Furious:WRX STI. This year the franchise welcomes a new addition, The Fate of the Furious, a.k.a. Fast & Furious 8. So, here I will discuss about the JDMs used in this new installment.

We all know that the main character, Brian O'Conner has been the one who drives JDMs consistently in every movie that he is in. It is also understandable that with the passing of the late Paul Walker, his character had to be retired. The whole scene where Brian is happily playing with his son, Jack and along with his wife, Mia by the beach was heartwarming and the last ride with Brian and Dom which ended with them driving off towards different direction was just sad. The franchise had to change and that means there will be a significant decrease in JDM appearance because the other characters are not fans of JDMs. Han was also driving JDMs throughout the movies he was in but unfortunately, he too died. However, lucky for JDM fans, there is a new character in this movie that drives JDMs. We were introduced to a new special agent in-training/assistant to Kurt Russell's, Mr.Nobody. This character is played by Scott Eastwood and he not only drives one Subaru but two Subarus in this movie.  His first ride was a modified Subaru BRZ and if you read my previous post on Fast & Furious, you might remember that this is not the first time a BRZ was featured in the franchise. The BRZ's first appearance was a brief one in Fast & Furiuos 6 and was not driven by any of the cast members.

Inside the BRZ

By the WRX STI

From the outlook, we could see that the BRZ is equipped with a Rocket Bunny bodykit. This particular bodykit has been trending and I have to admit, I am a fan of it too. The fender or wheel arches are widen with an add-on, making the stance wider. In the spoiler department, instead of a huge wing attached to it, it only has a ducktail spoiler. On the inside, there seems to be a green, full body roll cage, sport seats, blue harnesses and an aftermarket steering wheel. This car is definitely ready for the track or drift course.

We first see Scott's character in the BRZ when the team formed a blockade in front of the now, bad-guy, Dom Toretto. Then, he made a rookie mistake which allowed Dom to escape and the chase began. So, the whole team was on the streets, chasing and we got to see the BRZ drifts a bit, alongside Deckard Shaw's Jaguar F-Type Coupe. Dom had to loose the BRZ and he drove into some construction poles, which then began to fall. Scott's character was too focused on chasing Dom and it was too late to brake. This resulted in the sacrifice of the Subaru BRZ under the fallen poles. Although I must say, that is better than getting blown up by explosives like how most cars get destroyed in the franchise.

Drift !!

Drift !!

When he realized he is doom.

R.I.P. BRZ

In the next act of the movie, we were transported to the icy terrain of Russia. The team is here to stop Dom from helping the bad guys steal a nuclear submarine. When things went south, the bad guys remotely controlled the submarine and tried to make an escape. So, the team rushes out on ice, in their new rides, hoping to reach the gates before the submarine escapes and disappears. This time Scott's character drove a Subaru WRX STI. This is the latest model of WRX STI and at a glance, it might seem like the only mod is the GT Wing and rims but actually, the front and rear bumper and front lights are aftermarket parts. It is safe to say that the WRX STI is also equipped with a roll cage, sport seats, harness and aftermarket steering wheel like the BRZ. However this time, all we see is the WRX STI just driving around, mostly dodging missiles, bullets and explosion. Surprisingly, not a scratch was made on the car and remain like new. This is so unlike the Fast and Furious movies I know, where most cars were destroyed. The WRX STI made it out in one piece. I am happy it was not sacrificed in the movie but felt like the WRX STI could have a bigger part.

There you have it. The only two JDMs that were driven by the cast member in this year's Fast and Furious 8. I hope that in the next sequel of the franchise, more JDMs could be driven by the main characters. Although the amount of JDM was low in this movie but there is a an extra scenes where JDMs could be spotted but not driven. This scene was when the team just got attacked by the bad guys and needed to get some equipment after. They arrived at a facility where all the impounded cars were kept a.k.a. the Toy Shop. When the scene opened, most of the audiences must have their eyes on the Bentley Continental Coupe, which would be driven by Roman Pierce in the first chase scene. However, keen JDM fans like myself would be able to spot some JDMs on the racks by looking at the side view. In the same scene, a yellow, Honda S2000, a blue, Subaru BRZ (Scott's car) and a white Nissan Concept could be spotted on the left rack. Meanwhile, on the right, fans would notice a blue, Nissan GT-R R35, a grey, Toyota MR-S and a red, Toyota Supra MK IV.

In the photo below, audience get to see the same cars from the front view. This confirmed the cars that I noticed from the side view were exactly the cars that I mentioned before. I would say this is a very good collection and I would like to have this many cars in my garage, if I have a garage.

The photo below shows the Nissan IDx concept car that was revealed in 2013 in a show. A lot of fans have been asking Nissan to make a production car out of this fine concept. However there are no plans for that to happen. Many speculations were made and most of them said that this could be either the new Silvia or the new Fairlady Z. I personally think this would suit the Silvia badge more. Let us hope Nissan will make use of this concept.

I did manage to find one more hidden gem and that could be a Lexus LFA, if I am not mistaken. Sorry for the blur photo.

SuperCircuit

I roughly got the idea of the condition or the work that is needed to be done to my Nissan Fairlady Z after the first check up. I also noticed the brand of the exhaust that is currently used by the 350Z and I think I know its location. So, I gave the place a call and booked a time to visit. I mentioned to the shop regarding my situation and they said they would take a look at the whole exhaust system. When I arrived, I realized that not only does Supercircuit makes exhaust systems, they are also the sales representative of bucket seats maker, Recaro. Straightaway I knew I am going to learn more about my 350Z and maybe more from this visit.

As usual the car was loaded on the ram and raised, so it could be inspected and I had to wait in the waiting room. After around 20 minutes, I was asked to look at the car together with the technician. The exhaust manifold could be their product but he is not so sure. The De-cat and Y-pipe is definitely from them. Meanwhile, the connecting pipe with the resonator and the titanium muffler is not from them. So, the first problem the technician noticed is the way the Y-pipe and connecting pipe is joined. It is being held together with engine gasket glue instead of the right way. I was told that, when it gets hot, the glue will evaporate into a poisonous gas and I asked is there anything I can do about it. He said he could clear the glue and reconnect the pipes using the proper way but it would be too difficult with the amount of glue and since it does not affect the car's performance, I should leave it as it is.

I complained that the sound of my exhaust is not consistent. Sometime there is a flapping sound. Sometime it is louder than usual. He found there was a leak located just after where the connecting pipe and muffler meets. Then, I was given a lesson in the difference between a titanium exhaust and a stainless steel exhaust. The main detail is the thickness of the material. The titanium used is much thinner than its steel counterpart and that is the reason why it leaks often. Also because of the thinner material, the sound of the exhaust is louder than steel. This could be the reason why many car owners prefer titanium pipes over steel pipes. Even many famous parts maker in Japan produce titanium mufflers and it was a huge trend back in the early 2000s. Having realized the cons of titanium pipes, Supercircuit stopped production of titanium parts since a few years ago. Now, the question is, can the leak be fixed ? Certainly, it is possible with a little bit of welding but there seems to have some difficulties. Titanium bits are expensive and requires a lot of it to weld a small hole. In summary, it will be expensive, requires some working hours and a lot of elbow grease. All which the technician is unwilling to do and told me there would not be a problem if I continue driving. Only the sound will not be consistent and will be loud. 

Now that the exhaust part is done, I wanted to ask the technician more about the Nismo seats in my 350Z and the Recaro SR6 I have in my room.  In my mind, I wanted to see if the Nismo seat bracket is compatible with the SR6. I prefer the SR6 due to my experience with my Toyota Celica because the seating position is much lower and sportier. The technician checked on the seats and told me he had good news and bad news. The good news is the seats are authentic Nismo seats and its value is around RM 10,000 per seat. While the bad news is the design of the chair is the seat is welded to the bracket and cannot be separated. So, if I really wanna put the SR6 in my 350Z, I would have to buy a bracket. However, since my goal is to make the seating position lower, the technician advised me not to use the SR6. He explained to me, the SR6's bottom cushion is 2 layered that makes the position higher. Meanwhile, the Nismo seat is based on Recaro's protoype design where the bottom cushion is only one layer and that is also why the bracket is welded together. The Nismo seat maybe lower but as it is, it is still pretty high. According to him, there is only one seat that could lower the 350Z's seating postion and that is the Recaro Sportster which is very expensive.

Recaro SR6 (left), Nismo Seat (Center), Recaro Sportster (Right)

The technician, although was very blunt and some might find him arrogant, once you show him you want to know more about cars, he could teach you a lot. I like him and really thank him for teaching me. On the side note, I found a cool function of the 350Z cluster meter. I noticed the word REV is located under the needle on the tachometer. I read the manual and found out it is actually a rev indicator where you can set a value to prevent over-revving. Just for fun, I set the value to 2300 rpm because that is where I usually shift gears and it would be cool to see the light come on. The light will blink at 2000 rpm and will stay till when it is 2300 rpm or higher. That is a really sporty feature.

Reverse Camera

The first time I reverse my Nissan Fairlady Z was the time I went to test drive it. There is 2 screens in the car, one is the original factory Japanese screen and the other one is a locally fitted touch screen player by Clarion. When I put the car in reverse gear, I expected any one of the screen would show me a reverse camera because I saw a camera sticking out just above the rear car registration plate. However, nothing shows up. I asked the seller and he told me, the camera is original Nissan spec and is linked up to the Japanese screen but unfortunately, maybe due to hot weather, the screen is all cracked up and you could not see properly. So, I had to get this fixed because I have been reversing and parking with difficulty. I have to park and get down from the car to look. That is extremely troublesome and not to mention, embarrassing as hell. It was on my top 3 to do things when I collected the car but due to time constraint, I did have the time to get it done. One Sunday morning after my basketball session, I went to a car accessory shop near my area to have it done. In the beginning I was planning to ask the shop to reroute the camera and link it to the Clarion touch screen. That would have been an easy and not so wasteful way.

Original Factory Japanese Screen

Clarion Touch Screen (Locally done)

At the shop I was told that the camera cable used in Japan is not the same as the one used in our region. In other words, I will need a new camera instead but I still insist on them checking whether I could still use the camera I have. They had no choice but to take a look and it proves to be not an easy task. In order to get to the camera, apparently the rear bumper has to be loosen. First, the rear bumper was loosen and the rear lights have to come out too. Upon looking at the rear lights, the right side light's plastic lock thing is broken and stuck on the car. The guys from the workshop still could not get to the camera and decided to try to reach from the boot. So, out come the covers in the boot and the cushions inside. Only then, did I realized there are these thick cushions in the boot and could these possibly be for sound proofing? It is really a lot of things to remove, all just to get to the camera. At the end, the camera is confirmed to be unable to use and I have no choice but to opt for a new camera to be installed. After physically installing the camera, the guys have to do some wiring work to link the new camera to the Clarion touch screen.

Have to loosen bumper

Plastic lock thing broken and stuck on the car

Plastic lock thing missing

Everything removed

It sounded like an easy task but it seems to be another hill to climb for the guys. None of them had experience with a 350Z. They were having a difficult time to remove the central console to get to the back of the Clarion touch screen. They try and removed a lot of the interior panel to the point where the car look so bare. Luckily, one of them was smart and actually Youtube for a guide to remove the central console. Then, things started to get done. After 2 hours, everything is done and the new camera was adjusted for the right view. I wanted to change the Clarion touch screen to something more fitting but after this ordeal, I have my second thoughts about it and decided to keep using the Clarion until it breaks. That way I do not have to go through this again and I get to save a couple hundred Ringgit. When it was done and I started the car, I realized that the 3 additional meters were not lighting up. Luckily, I did not drive straight away and was able to ask the guy. Turns out the guy forgot to reconnect one of the cables. So, he had to remove the central console again. I finally got a working reverse camera that will help me whenever I reverse. Just need some time to get used to the distance shown on screen.

3 additional meter

Check Up on What's Below

After purchasing and receiving a used car, any used car, the next thing anyone should do is to get the car, a thorough check up. There is only so much a buyer could see physically and feel from a test drive especially since sellers do not usually let you go all out on a test drive. You would be lucky if you are allowed to drive on a highway. So, I need to have do some tests done on my Nissan Fairlady Z by professionals to determine if there is anything that could be potentially wrong with the car. Of course, I hope nothing is wrong because if it is not the case, it would mean I have to spend a lot to restore it. The first problem I have is finding the right person to look at my 350Z. My father suggests I let the workshop that works on his Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes Benz E200 because this workshop usually works on Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Benz, and could easily handle my 350Z. At the same time, my father's friend recommends I see a used car dealer friend of his. I talked to that friend and he is very knowledgeable about 350Zs as he sold a few before. He asked me to let him take a look at my 350Z and he can tell me what needs to be done and tell me where to get it done. Unfortunately, he is a busy man and I could not bring him the 350Z.

Before this, I have already ordered and received new Brembo brake pads as I previously saw the pads were almost gone and to me, it was my first priority to get it done. So, I decided to have the brake pads changed at the workshop where my father sends his cars. I drove down to the workshop and showed the owner of the workshop, my new brake pads. He took a look at the existing brake pads and told me that I was mistaken as the brake pads are still very thick. So, I decided to save it for next time. Next, he looked under the hood and saw that the engine oil is still very clean from the dipstick but there are some oil leaking from the valve cover area. It could be the gasket or seal that has worn out. I also realize that the plastic cover for the car battery lock has broken, the cover for washer fluid and radiator lock are missing. Those are the parts that I should be looking for from chop shops. Then, the owner put the 350Z up on a ramp. Finally, I could see how it looks like under the car. I was especially curious about the extent of the exhaust modification and from the view under, it seems that it has been modified from the exhaust manifold all the way to the muffler. I could see clearly a plate stating the brand "Supercircuit" and I thought I should pay Supercircuit a visit to have the exhaust checked out. I could learn more about the exhaust mod too.

Cable Tie instead of a lock

Supercircuit plate on Y-pipe

After that, together with the owner, we looked at all the mechanical parts of the car. He noticed that there are some dents on the front lower arm bars and cross member. Some of the bush on the bars are worn out too. On the rear, there is a M-shaped metal and that also is dented. Most probably all these dents are caused by the car hitting speed bumps. The long wheelbase and low position, coupe chassis are the main culprits that makes the 350Z prone to hit speed bumps. Everything else looks alright except for a little rust here and there. The car came down and we went for a test drive together. I told him about the transmission not shifting right when going into 4th gear and also the high position of the clutch pedal. He said it could either be the synchros are gone or it has been a while since the transmission oil is changed. The clutch pedal was missing a guard and that is why it is higher than usual. The clutch pump might need to be changed but the good news is there is still a lot of clutch left.  Quickly, I took note of everything he said and I know what parts that I should start looking for. However, since the 350Z have been around for years, parts are harder to come by now. He also mentioned that since the car can still run normally, I should gather all the parts needed and restore it all together. Although we found some issues with the car, I felt relieved when he said I could still drive it without much fear.

I do have a few friends from the Celica Owners Club that move on to either the 350Z or the V35 Nissan Skyline. So, I told my friend the issues that I am facing with the 350Z and he suggested that I let a garage called "Redsun" have a look at my car. The owner of that garage has vast knowledge on Nissan's sports car such as the R34 Nissan Skyline/ GT-R, R35 Nissan GT-R, V35 Nissan Skyline and Nissan Fairlady Z. I talked to the owner about my problems especially the transmission issue and he told me to bring my car over once he is done shifting his garage. He also mentioned that instead of replacing the synchros, it would be much easier to change the entire gearbox. I have to prepare for the high cost of purchasing and exchanging of gearbox. It is also not so easy to find a pristine manual gearbox these days. So, it looks like I will have to wait for time to tell. Meanwhile, I will just drive the 350Z like a normal car and try not to do much damage to the engine.