stavros240

Just got this email from Prestige Motorsport...looks like Gordon Farkus and his mates are going down... In case you've not seen the news... Coordinated police raids on a number of Sydney dealerships two days ago have resulted in one dealership, "Dream Car City", having its trading immediately suspended. Prestige Auto Centre, Edward Lees Imports and Master Cars at Blacktown were also raided. Those three businesses are accused of digitally altering odometers on at least 100 vehicles imported from Japan and will have to show Fair Trading NSW why they should not be disciplined. Fair Trading NSW have been investigating the dealers for two years, following a tip-off from a consumer who was concerned about their vehicle’s wear and tear, and information from police. A number of people are expected to be prosecuted by NSW Police and Fair Trading NSW in connection with the ongoing investigation. Fines up to $20,000 are in place for odometer tampering, while those who knowingly sell or attempt to sell a tampered vehicle face up to 10 years jail. We feel this action is long overdue and many dealers in other States should heed this warning and feel suitably nervous. Not only does this illegal behaviour hurt the consumer but it damages the reputation of the industry. It also makes it difficult for businesses like ours that only source genuine vehicles and provide all original paperwork including deregistration paper / export certificate. One of the very reasons we started our business 17 years ago was the absence of a reliable source of genuine imports. Some news articles have claimed that deregistration documents detailing registration and km history are not readily available from Japan, however this is not true. For some years now, online services have been providing this document by email usually within 7 days, for as little as $50. We recommend everyone considering buying a Japanese import locally, to obtain a copy of this document independently for their own peace of mind. For those wanting the extra control of sourcing their own vehicle, we recommend using only an industry-recognised and licensed vehicle import agent. With a simple low fixed fee per vehicle, there is simply no conflict of interest in supplying the best quality, genuine km vehicles. We would like to see the upcoming changes to the import regulations require independent odometer inspections prior to import, with the results included on a publicly available database linked to each vehicle's chassis number. That way anyone could quickly and easily access this information as part of their pre-purchase checks. The new import scheme from 2018 must be entirely transparent with independent quality checking to eliminate conflicts of interest, protect the consumer, and ensure only the best cars are imported to Australia.

Hi Gav, I'd be happy to buy a set off you thanks!

Yeah, probably doesn't make much sense given that there's no discount... Thanks for your efforts Gav!

I'm still in...and MSA is fine by me thanks!

Hi Gav. I'd definitely be interested in participating. Cheers!

I bought a brand new 350Z back in 2004 and loved it. I thought it was a fantastic car, and every time I drove it felt like an occasion. Even going to work... Everything about it was terrific, steering, handling and performance (probably in that order too). The 350Z did most things but not everything better than a 240z. It went harder, handled better and was easier to live with on a daily basis. It got plenty of admiring looks, and to me has aged very well in it's styling. The way it drove was fairly unique I thought, as it never felt even remotely similar to anything I had driven before. Personally I think the 350z is a modern day classic. It feels very raucous and raw for a modern car, which I think is very refreshing. The 350 will always be special to me. From what I have read in motoring publications, the 370Z is what the 350Z was, plus more. I no longer own a 350Z, but still have my 2nd 240Z. The 240Z is a classic for a reason. It's a 40 year old car that still performs remarkably well in every way. It gives you that same sense of occasion every time you get in it. The way you sit low in the car surrounded by instruments, with all of the controls falling easily at your hands...it's great. You feel snug, and kind of special while sitting in the cockpit. Then you twist the key and the beautifully smooth inline 6 fires into life. You engage 1st/reverse gear with a wonderfully direct feel through the gearstick. You press the accelerator and let out the clutch, and the way the engine delivers that smooth push in the back with that crisp raspy sound is just totally addictive. The way the needle on the tacho wraps around the dial, combined with the push and noise. The combination of the direct steering and that sensation of being right over the rear wheels whilst pushing it into corners, ohh... I've got to hurry up and put my car back together. I miss it so much! I miss my 350Z, but not nearly as much as I miss driving my 240Z. I think a restored 240 is the way to go...

I can definitely vouch for Jeff, as he did a great job on my steering column uni-joint just recently. He's a nice bloke, and to top it off he used to rally a 300hp Zed...what more could you want?!?

G'day All! I've been looking around here for a while, but thought it was time to introduce myself. I've had various Datsuns over the years...currently I have two 1600's, an HR31 Skyline wagon, and my beloved early 240Z. It's my second early 240, with me selling the original one back in 2002. I missed it so much I had to have another. Currently I'm beavering away getting it into to shape to be reregistered. Hopefully it wont be too much longer before it's back on the road... Steve.