MOT time!

[Gigsy]

Had the first MOT for the Zed in my ownership today, which is passed of course but mainly down to the fact that it's just had the mother of all services!

I picked the car up last May cheaply and in generally good condition but needing a bit of TCL here and there that I've been meaning to get on to for a while (nothing too serious but the car has obviously been looked after a little bit on the cheap for the last couple of services). However, life's been getting in the way a bit so I finally bit the bullet and gave the job to a local trackday preparation company that I know (http://www.trackdaytoyz.co.uk based in Uffington, near Wantage) and who are the only other people I'll let near my car with a set of spanners.

The list of jobs included:

- new rear dampers
- new rear springs
- new handbrake cable
- new handbrake shoes
- new rear pads
- new rear tyres (well part-worn P6000s for the moment to spread the cost as I'm not used to paying labour! All 4 will be replaced with something new shortly, not decided what yet though)
- engine oil
- gearbox oil
- transmission fluid and filter
- diff oil
- coolant
- brake fluid
- air, oil and fuel filters
- plugs

I have to say, Steve and Lee have done a fantastic job. The car has been with them since Saturday as we've been waiting for a few parts to turn up but the wait has been well worth it - it's like a different beast now and feels almost like a new car and obviously sailed through the MOT.

The change of gearbox oil and transmission fluid has made a big difference - the torque converter was definitely a bit "soft" before and you could feel the power leaking away much like a slipping clutch on a manual. Now it's much more eager to transmit the power through the 'box. I know BMW say that they use "lifetime" fluids but there's no such thing in my book and GM (who make the gearbox) specify an 80k interval seem to agree with me. If anyone has an auto that's getting on a bit then I'd definitely recommend changing the fluids.

The old rear shocks were totally shot (coupled with the fact that the previous owner had only replaced one of the rear springs last MOT [-x - it now has 2 new springs!) and the car used to fidget around a bit - that's totally gone and it's now much more planted. I have the day off tomorrow so I'm looking forward to a proper drive tomorrow... I also have a strut brace to fit which should tighten things up even more!

 

[badman gee]

good stuff, glad its sorted out for you.

 

[Mr-P]

Gigsy,

Saw your car in with Steve and Lee and yes they are good guys. The only people I trust with either my Z3M or my Alpina B10.

Possibly catch you there sometime.

 

[Gigsy]

Steve and I were talking about struts braces and track mods and he mentioned they had another customer with a Z3M... guess that would be yourself

Do you track your car(s) at all? I normally track my Impreza but I quite fancy taking the Zed for a spin at one of the Abingdon airfield days Steve and Lee go to - even if it's an auto, a bit of RWD action wouldn't go amiss

Just been out for another quick spin - it's a "tad" wet out there with lots of standing water and even though it has P6000s on at the moment, the car is so much more stable and planted. All it needs now is a new set of boots and some polybushes at the rear!

 

[GazHyde]

Gearbox oil change is definitely a good thing, despite the claims of "sealed for life" etc. Had mine changed on the first service I had done, and it was a big improvement. Mines due a service again (or rather I can't remember when it was last done), so will probably get it done again as it's relatively cheap to do.

 

[Gigsy]

Mine's a slush box so I can't comment on any change of feel for actually changing gears but I'm told the oil that came out was definitely past it's best.

The change of transmission fluid in the torque converter is definitely noticeable. Before, the care felt more like a CVT (i.e. lots of revs, not a lot of acceleration). Now it's just picks up and transfers to power to the wheels much more effectively. Only another couple of hours work and then I'm hitting the B4507... just hope the rain holds off so I can get the roof down too!

 

[Gigsy]

Managed to find a window in the weather this afternoon to get the roof down and test the new rear suspension out!

It's made a massive difference to the way the car handles - it now tracks properly through corners, is much more predictable and I don't have to fight the car to stay on line any more... all in all, very a very happy Zed'er!

A snippet of today's little jaunt for you delectation (apologies about the dirty lens - was following a van for a bit)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARfVnnXQyeQ

 

[Mr-P]

Steve and I were talking about struts braces and track mods and he mentioned they had another customer with a Z3M... guess that would be yourself

Do you track your car(s) at all? I normally track my Impreza but I quite fancy taking the Zed for a spin at one of the Abingdon airfield days Steve and Lee go to - even if it's an auto, a bit of RWD action wouldn't go amiss

Just been out for another quick spin - it's a "tad" wet out there with lots of standing water and even though it has P6000s on at the moment, the car is so much more stable and planted. All it needs now is a new set of boots and some polybushes at the rear!

Yes it is me.

Yes I do track it ( I can hear some people groaning LOL)