I'm new to the area and new to owning a 350Z (love it every day). Can anyone recommend a shop for general maintenance (oil, tires, overall inspection) at a fair price somewhere near Culver City/ Santa Monica?

On a separate note, has anyone had issues with the rear hatch not supporting itself after installing a custom spoiler? I have one-too-many bumps on the back of my head from loading groceries and getting a little surprise from above.

Also, what mileage can one expect driving in the madhouse traffic of southern California? I'm finding that if I'm spending most of my tank between home and work (quite a bit of stop and go, on and off freeways) then I'm averaging between 14 and 18mpg. Other Z-owners' experiences?

Thanks!

 

yes, it's a common problem. there's a couple fixes, i think.. there's some sort of penny fix, i'm not sure if it fixes this particular problem.. search for it though, it's interesting. also, there are replacements for the hatch support that do a better job than the OEM parts. PM some of our vendors for info
unfortunately, that's how it works. sucks how much money i spend on gas. but what can you do, ya know? pretty much spend an eighth of a tank on the commute to/from work every day, which is 16mpg.

 

Thanks onedirtyz, that latch fix with the pennies is another problem I hadn't thought to mention.

Reading some other forums, it looks like I'll need to purchase some new (stronger) hatch struts, but just not sure yet where to get them, what strength rating, or what to expect to pay.

Also - any thoughts on WestSide service locations worth recommending?

 

hmm if you're willing to drive a little bit, take your z to ed @ precision z in canoga park. he's having an open house on the 15th, you can come by and meet him and his crew
https://my350z.com/forum/southern-california/339898-dyno-day-open-house-at-precision-z-3-15-08-a.html

 

I installed the nismo spoiler and my hatch also failed to stay up. I installed the heavy duty struts from nissan and it fixed the problem. If you'd like to purchase a set, let me know.

Ed
Precision Z
818-716-6744