Alright, sorry just wanted to vent.

I've had my Z for a month now - but I have to street park it in Boston.

I went to my car this morning and someone lifted my side Z emblem - with a nice sharp key.

F#$k who does that? Well the emblem is $24 at my local Nissan and I have to touch up the hole and make it look sorta back to normal so it's not the end of the world.

Take the damn emblem, just don't scratch the paint!

Now I'm afraid that this transient will try to lift it every time. If it happens again, I'm going to have to stake out my car with a baseball bat.

I should look on ebay to see who is selling a Z emblem from the boston area, show up at their door

ARGGHHHH

 

Sorry to hear man!

where in Boston do you live.. so I can avoid the area

I'll watch out for any Type R Hondas with Audi HIDs, M3 rear spoiler and Z side emblems

--mike

 

Someone stole an Audi's HIDs? How do ya do that? I heard about an M3 spoiler getting lifted on newbury street at m3forums.com.

I live in theatre district/downtown. Garage parking in my building is $300/mo - I could swing it but it's the principle. That's $3,600 a year I can spend on mods - or save. But what good are mods if they get stolen

I would hafta think that people who steal emblems might be punk kids. I think there are more people that would swipe an emblem that smash a window and steal a radar detector and steal rims. I feel like it's a different level.

On another note, my insurance agent said that "vandalism and theft" claims don't increase your insurance b/c MA is on the whole SPID program....

So if I had track rims at $1,500/ea (MSRP) and they got stolen along with tires, the insurance company would hafta pay out $7,000?? All I'm saying is I was afraid of someone swiping my rims but now I'll feel okay knowing that it won't be a total loss.

And my insurance would stay the same... very strange.

 

Apparently, HID headlamps on A4/S4's fit Hondas.. Everyone that I've known with an A4 or S4 has gotten them stolen at least once.. One guy at work has had them stolen twice.. He traded his car as a result.

How do they take em? crowbar to the hood

--mike

 

That's awful, man...it's so sad to see the stupid punk things bored teens do. Sons o' b!tches.....

 

I'm just glad I don't have an Audi with Xenon's. First off I have no clue why Xenons cost so damn much regardless of what car they are on.

And second off - that thought occured to me too. If I get more acts of vandelism, I'm going to hafta sell my car, start taking the T to work, and have tons more money but no Z

Of course emblems are no big deal, but I am just waiting for the keyed doors, messed up bumpers (street park but always get good spots away from everyone), smashed windows.

Ugh.

 

Maximas HID getting stolen in NY is 1st nature. But I asked my local dealer if the Zs HID get stolen. Well it never happened. Too hard to steal maybe?

 

Wow - this is stuff the regular consumer never finds out about. God bless the internet. On another note -- I got a ticket for parking in a handicap ramp (I WASN'T) for $50 last night. Since I got this car a month ago, I've gotten 6 parking tickets (5 not at fault) and an emblem stolen. I had my Pathfinder for 1 year and 2 tickets - damn flashy car.

 

I heard about the Audi HID being stolen regular basis...I have an 02 A4 with no Xenon lights but how do they know if you have HID or not? All those A4 lights have projection type and can't tell if they are HID or just regular Halogen. I am afraid that they will try to steel my lights only to find out that they are not HID and I am left with damaged hood~

Roy, sorry to hear about your car.....that just sucks.

I, too, street park (for now) and for strange reason, someone always folds my driver's side mirror. I park at night and when I come out in the morning the driver's side mirror is always folded I feel like someone is watching......

 

Damn it Mike, did you have to say "everyone that I've known"? Now I'm screwed!

As far as the Z emblem (or any emblem for that matter), maybe you could attach a wire to the back side of it and once they pull the emblem from the car, the wire triggers a bomb and it blows the bastards up! A "small" price to pay for swift justice!

As far as the parking tickets, that really does suck. In my world, if a meter maid gives an erroneous parking ticket, and is caught, then they would be required to pay all outstanding parking tickets on said car, out of their pocket.

All (semi) joking aside, where are you going to park in the winter?

 

Oh god Anyone2u.... thanks for stressing me out about the Winter!!!!! I'm already stressed out about gettign snow tires. Do you, Leemik, and Celtic Pride all have snows for the winter? It's funny but I think of you three guys as the resident "mass Z drivers on the forum" and you've all chimed in. (Along with Supernatural, who bought his car from the same dealership 3 days before I did)

If it gets bad in the winter, I'll park it at work in Concord - and take the commuter.

And yeah, did anyone ever see the Jackal - where Bruce Willis sprays the door handles with some kind of chemical and the bad guys die from touching it... that should be all over the Z or any other car for that matter. I'll kick some guys a$$ before I mess up his car, a person's car and home are his castle, no need to disrepect.

One of my friends called me this morning b/c she saw some stupid *** lady leaning all over my car - what the F#$K is wrong with people.

Damn Brian (Supernatural), I can't believe that about the mirror. I hate people. They are all haters. I was planning on a buncha mods and stuff but without a driveway/garage, it'll just kill me if someone steals it. I mean I park in the middle of chinatown/downtown full time - it gets alot of attention. I did not think my purchase through.

Well off to the dealership for my 3,750 mile oil change (after a month of ownership) and a new Z emblem tomorrow morning. Off to sleep.... Ugh!

 

Oh... these are all small prices to pay. I LOVE the Z.

 

Hey Roy,

Just to chime in about the Audi HID's. My buddy ACROSS THE STREET from me just got his S4 lights taken without a scratch on his car. In other words they knew what they were doing. Makes me real paranoid about parking mine outside even though I'm not right downtown. Thank god we have a rent a cop at our entrance at least part of the time. As for winter if you're not going to drive it I would try to find a cheap self storage outside the city and dump it there all season. I am considering doing this as well. Or looking for a cheap garage. Mine has gone through one winter already I didn't bother getting snows because I have a beater.

Hey do you ever go to Randolph to the movie theater? I musta seen 2 silver Z's there last night. And one pulled over on the way home

PS - can't believe you have to leave it on the street downtown all the time. I've done it twice and it gave me an ulcer just thinking about it . I try to use garages if I can.

 

Haha... but as a resident, I know the "secret" spots that are blocked by a hydrant on one side and a driveway on the other - meaning no parallel parking mishaps... knock on wood.

See if I was going to be a criminal, I'd steal from the government or from a chain store/company - it spreads the damage across alot more people... why steal from people?

Nope I don't go to Randolph - but I'll tell you something about speed traps. Storrow drive is awesome for driving the Z fast when there are no cars, the speed limit is 40mph but everyone goes 60mph. There's a stretch going from Soldier's Field Road to Storrow East where you can take a turn at 75 mph safely, it's awesome the Gs.

Yesterday coming home on Storrow though, I saw a Hyundai Accent STEALTH police car pull over another car. Talk about screaming past a Hyundai in the left lane only for it to put on its stealth lights and pull your a$$ over. Be careful out there!

 

You have HIDs in your A4? I didn't realize they were an option on 1.8t's during your model year. Watch out

I don't drive my car in the winter.. last winter I still had my Audi for part of it anf just took the T all the time.. This year, it might be time to get a $500 beater

--mike

 

I've got 'em...Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22's on all four wheels in the stock size. If you're going to be driving your Z all four seasons, it's imperative that you get a good set of snow rubber. Those stock Potenzas the Z comes with harden into giant hockey pucks once the temperature gets down below freezing. I've never driven on the stock tires in the snow myself, but based on what I've read from other folks on the boards, they're a recipe for disaster.

 

So do you mount the Blizzak's every season on your stock rims?

I was thinking about getting Blizzaks on 4 equal width wheels so I can rotate for better treadlife myself, so I can swap my summer and winter tires at will.

Does anyone know how equal width wheels/tires on the front/rears would effect handling?

I was thinking about going 17x7.5 or 17x8.0 on all four.

 

Yeah, even the guy selling the car didn't mention they were HIDs. I was reading the original sticker when I was checking the car out (it was in the glovebox) and saw them on there - $500 upgrade (pretty cheap!).

Uhmmm, I believe you mentioned you live in the Theatre District/Chinatown (aka Bay Village) correct? Oh boy, all I can say is she (ahem, probably "he") was just earning a living...

As far as a winter car, in addition to getting new tires (a must as Dave/Celtic Pride mentioned), you will also have to worry about a parking space when it snows. I would seriously consider a garage for the "crappy" months (ie Dec.-Mar.) as street parking gets really ugly. First the plow covers your car up with salt and sand flavored snow, then you spend an hour digging yourself out and then when you come home, the space you spent an hour digging out has been taken by someone else.

Sincerely, I'm sorry to depress you again!

 

Where in Boston are you? I'd love to meet up and check out your Z sometime.. it looks absolutely sick.

Ya I live by all the pimps and hoes, but they are surprisingly respectful of the cars (except for the nasty *** occasional condom wrapper). It was just some old asian lady, hopefully she wasn't turning tricks.. lol. The bay village and this area is full of "shehisums" (she/hes).. Friday/Sat. nights get very interesting when everyone is drunk and we have the lounge/bar crowd, the clubbers, the drug dealers, the pimps and hoes. Makes for an ecclectic crowd and funny stories abound.

Ya I need to figure out the winter. Seems to me that I'm going to need to spring for some parking. I swear the "anxiety" I get and extra nuissance of finding "good" parking spaces - it seems that the $260/month might be worth it. But then again.. maybe not.

 

I don't use my stock rims in the winter...I got the Blizzaks already mounted as part of a tire/rim package deal at Town Fair Tire in Shrewsbury. It's a much simpler way to go...when the winter comes, all you need to do is swap in the winter set and you're in business.

I'm not too sure how changing the tire sizes would affect things...I made a point of staying with stock sizes to avoid such problems. I'm sure there's probably a wealth of knowledge on the subject over in the tire forums.