Hey folks, I have just joined your privilege group with a Chrome Silver Performance (maybe I should change my screen name?), the car is incredible and I can't get enough of it, a few test drives don't allow you to appreciate all the good about the car.

Looking for advice on a few issues:

(1) I plan to drive the car in the winter and have the opportunity to buy some Pirelli 18 inch wintersport tires with 4000 km for $900, is this a good deal, how much did most people spend for new?
(2) has anyone taken any steps to protect the car against corrosion with an aftermarket treatment? Is this needed?
(3) what do folks think of permashine? would it better to just put on a good wax quarterly?
(4) has anyone bought aftermarket 18 inch rims for the car?
(5) has anyone treated the leather in their car? if so with what?

any other hints on things that should be done to treat the car right?

Thanks for any advice.

 

Good to hear from another new Z owner , I have a Performance -Silverstone model great car you will love driving it, now to your questions:
If your planning on driving the car in the winter your Z has tire sensors that measure your air pressure if you do not have them in your winter tires the car will beep loudly, because it is monitoring your tire pressure the system can not be shut off.

I have not had any rust treatment , but I am not driving the car in the winter, but it never hurts to get it done and Permashine is fine.I have mine done in a paint sealant twice a year(waxing) .

Aftermarket rims should be no problem , I put on 19's , but remember that your valve stems have to be installed on your new rims so the car is monitoring the air pressure,if your mot sure I have a good source for rims ( Hamilton).Make sure that the shop that does your rims have done cars with the sensors on them ( G35's) because if they break one of them it's $500.00 to replace.
Leather treatment was done when I had paint sealant done.

 

What Mapleleaf is saying is not entirley true. IPersonally mounted Blizzak LM-22's in the stock sizes (will be readily available next year...I was lucky and got one of the 10 sets sent to Canada last year) onto the stock rims and will switch each season. Yes, it does cost about $80 to change up 18"ers, and you are risking scratching the wheel each time you do this, but hey, your driving it in the winter as a daily driver so it is not going to be a show car anyway.
From what I have been told...IF you decide to use different rims in the winter, the sensors will NOT beep. It will just show a line, like when you start up the car. It only beeps when it reads below 28psi, but does not beep when it reads nothing at all.
Hope this helps.

 

My mistake the light will come on , and the sensors will beep only when the tire pressure is under 28psi but that is one pain to look at all the time .

 

Thanks guys for the advice.

BobbyZ how much did you pay for your winters? do you think the $900 is a good deal for the Pirellis?

Mapleleaf which wax do you use?

 

For a bit more you could get the Blizzak LM-22's in the correct sizes. I think it was like 1200 or something for the set of 4. They were great in the snow. I switched back to summers too early and lets just say that the winter tires make this car driveable in the snow, but without them, you will have a hard time in even a dusting of snow.