Tomrdy's Nardo grey 3.0i (Thank you and farewell!)

[CrazyBaptie]

I am trying to get them to replace the weatherstrip back with an OEM one due to the fit being quite off. Well Done!

Hmm the weatherstrip might be a hard/impossible thing to swap over - it's glued/stitched into the top itself. If they do agree to it though do update us on how it goes!

Ahh I must look at mine I thought the weatherstrip was an individual part - id the OEM one also attached to the fabric?

[Jakg]

Initially hated it as soon as I put it on but now I'm undecided after driving around for a bit more. If you're used to palming your knob (hehe) it doesn't feel great.

Definitely a 3 finger operation (bottom 3 or top 3).

The shape actually makes the shift distance a lot different, even though the length of the shifter itself compared with a ZHP is a very small difference. My hand is basically shifting from the bottom of the .. shaft and makes me feel like I can slot the gear in faster. Also could be because this actually has some weight to it as opposed to my ZHP copy that's only plastic.



mmmmmm

The BMW Performance one looks good but doesn't really feel great in the hand (to me at least). I've got a knockoff ZHP one (bought as genuine but wasnt, so ended up with it and a refund). which is better than stock but I keep thinking about getting the real deal.

I think a proper round knob would be the best though.

[tomrdy]

id the OEM one also attached to the fabric?

Yep the rubber is attached with adhesive and stitching from what I can tell. Took a quick pic for you as my OEM hood is sitting next to my foot right now haha.

The BMW Performance one looks good but doesn't really feel great in the hand (to me at least). I've got a knockoff ZHP one (bought as genuine but wasnt, so ended up with it and a refund). which is better than stock but I keep thinking about getting the real deal.

I think a proper round knob would be the best though.

That sucks about the knock-off bait-switch! Lucky you could get a refund.

I'm trying to like the Performance one but tend to agree that it doesn't feel as good as a ZHP in the hand. I think I'll end up changing it back by the end of the week to my ZHP rep.

Like you, I also keep thinking about getting a genuine piece - though shopping online for it seems like a precarious endeavour (as you already know! )

[tomrdy]

Took the car out to the country side over the weekend for a friends wedding. Grabbed a few shots outside the cottage we were staying at.

Really pleased with everything about the car right now . Probably needs a clean but makes me smile so much every time i look at it with it's new cloth.

The spacers also really complete the car aesthetically. I may have run out of things to do on it... for now











Day 2 going down the dodgy road (not the Z - my mate's Kia was the sacrificial lamb!)

[paulc_bkk]

Looking very smart!

Run out of things to do?

I’m sure you’ll think of something else, or other board members will suggest something

[tomrdy]

Looking very smart!

Run out of things to do?

I’m sure you’ll think of something else, or other board members will suggest something

Well there were a couple of things I was mulling....

oh god. It's like an addiction.

[MrPT]

Looks great - enjoy it for a bit.

[tomrdy]

This just showed up today

[tomrdy]

Supersprint Y pipe + Powerloop in!

Will do a more detailed write up about it later but so far really enjoying the burbles! There is a bit of drone around 2k but its acceptable - hopefully it will settle down a bit as it the muffler breaks in.

Install was an absolute no no for DIY. Turns out the AUS models's rear section are attached - unlike on RealOEM's diagram - so needed to be cut. Wasn't possible for me without more stands and not enough room for my cutter. Didn't feel all too safe either.

There's a long story about the install but it's not that interesting. They ended up needing to adjust the hangers A LOT as it sat way too low. One of the hangers was heated up and bent, the rear one they chopped off and re-welded it. They've pushed it as far up as possible, leaving only a few MM from the sway bar mount. If I want it picture-perfect height, they can grind down some of the excess on the sway bar bushing carrier (there's like this excess flappy bit) - but I'm happy with how it looks so we left it.

Overall, I can't vouch for Supersprint's fit or quality. The owner of the shop did ask me "Supersprint ITALY or USA?". I replied Italy. Apparently that is not a good thing.

[tee.gilding]

Absolutely loving that colour you've gone for. So unique, but suits the shape of the car perfectly!

[tomrdy]

Absolutely loving that colour you've gone for. So unique, but suits the shape of the car perfectly!

Thank you! It's a nice conversation piece - every shop I go the guys always ask about it. Then I tell them it was DIY and earn street cred

[tomrdy]

Turns out I ended up really liking the M Performance knob (though mine is a rep) over the ZHP once I got used to it - the ZHP felt too bulbous when I went back to it. I do have dainty hands though

I added a little customisation to the knob today. Friend of mine kindly cut out a H pattern I drew from the M Performance cap (without digits) into some faux-suede vinyl. Then she cut the reverse out on some iridescent vinyl which I used as an inlay (I couldn't just do the iridescent layer as a full coverage as the stuff she had would not stretch at all to the curve).

Probably not to everyone's taste but I really love it!

Side note: I'm going to ... cut my nails right after I post this ...







I may see if we can cut some inlays out of some orange glow-in-the-dark vinyl which I think could look really good at night.

[tomrdy]

The Supersprint powerloop is developing nicely! The sound is becoming more growly - it seemed a tad "airy" straight after install. I honestly didn't think breaking in an exhaust was a thing, but now I'm experiencing it first hand. So far the car has done less than 100km since install.

Some points about this set up:

- Subjectively a very lovely sound
- Legal and not obnoxiously loud
- Burbles and occasional pops on decel
- Better looking tips

Pretty much exactly what I was after so I'm a very happy chap

[tomrdy]

Installed an extended clutch stop today to eliminate the dead space at the end of the clutch travel.

Initial impressions are it totally transforms the shift sequence. It seems like a small thing but the difference is kind of surprising.

Original reason I got it was actually for pedal positioning. I've always adjusted my seat so that my left leg can hit the clutch to the floor while its 90% extended. However to do so, meant my right leg was a bit cramped on the accelerator + brake. I've always thought this might be why I've had aggravated back pain after driving the car for extended periods.

Anyways, really happy with this so far after the 5 minute or so drive! Worth doing and in theory, should make shifting much more direct and quicker.

For some comparison, when I drove my friend's BRZ, I told him the clutch felt really direct and "button-y". Sort of on/off bam-bam but I didn't know why. Seems that the dead space may account for some of that as I'm getting that same feeling.

Tis a positive thing for me

Sorry for the crummy pic!





The one I got from a local seller didn't come with a locking washer - though I've wound it in as far as it will go and it's gone TIGHT so perhaps not needed. I'll try and find one regardless just to complete the job and probably a washer for neatness around the carpet.

One thing to note the padding on the stop is a bit spongier than OEM - not sure how i feel about that but easy to change later.

[tomrdy]

Finally found a bluetooth/aux dongle that works perfectly and auto-pairs! This is a game changer for me as I've been living with a pez one that needs to be manually selected again... and again....

Now I switch the car on and it's already sorted. Can definitely recommend this one from Baseus. Was only around $15 AUD shipped so peanuts.



Took the chance now that I'm happy with my extras (dashcam, BT, halo wiring) that I decided to finally tidy up these mess of wires. Pulled out the lower panel and glovebox to neaten everything up instead of a maze of wires sneaking between bits of the glovebox.



ALSO had a look at why the air-recycling mech was making noise. Nothing seems broken (no skipping gears) but one of the arms does seem misaligned. It's bumping into place when the metal rod slides in which is causing my sound. Resolved to leave it until it becomes worse in some way.

Finally, popped in some LED switch bulbs into the foglamps. They toggle between WHITE and AMBER. Probably a bit gimmicking but I wanted to complete the LED swap anyway and figured... have a go