| Whatever Tom Shane says about budgeting for a diamond engagement ring seems to be what i'm periodically spending on my Z. This time around: repaint the front end, 3M clear bra, paintless dent removal, new windshield, new trim, new wheels, and new rubber. The catalyst: on the day before going on vacation (Memorial Day weekend) I was driving the highway to work when a car in the lane next to me kicked a piece of metal siding straight into my lane. The sharp metal gouged a hunk of urethane, ripped down the side of the jspec bumper, and broke the fog light. My comprehensive insurance policy covered that one. But since it was going in the body shop, I decided to fix the rest of the defects on the front end. I repainted the front end three years ago, but it was already peppered with rock chips. The local body shop I used back then told me they couldn't use clear bra on the hood because it would get too hot. (I think the installer called in sick that day.) This time around I went to a different body shop and it was no problem. I had the following pieces repainted and clear bra added: center nose panel, hood, fenders, side view mirrors, A pillars, and the colored roof piece above the windshield. I think it looks great. The clear bra is barely visible. Hopefully it will offer some protection. Honestly, i'd like to clear bra the entire car top to bottom but the pieces only come in 18" strips. Denver gets some nasty winds, in addition to the cold winters. Windborne sand and grit is any paint's kryptonite. The one thing I might have pushed harder for was to shave the license plate holder. The body shop refused to do it. But since in Colorado I need to have the front plate anyway, it's not a big deal to me. Next time perhaps... (this is the 3rd or 4th time i've repainted the jspec bumper since I got it) 
Look at that beautiful flawless panel. It's never looked so good. 
The 3M clear bra goes up 18" on the fenders and then aligns with the hood straight across the top. You can't even see it from these photos. 
After getting the car from the bodyshop I dropped by Discount Tire to get new wheels and tires. I went with the 5Zigen FN01RC in silver, 18x8.5 fronts and 9.5 rears. These were on backorder since March and I've been driving on my snow tires since Tim completed my TT swap. They arrived two weeks ago but I couldn't do anything until the paint work was finished. Here's the guy mounting the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 tires. 245's in the front and 275's in the back. Discount Tire threw in a 30,000 mile warranty on the tires (perhaps since it took so long to get them). 
They look pretty good I have to say... I was debating whether this was money well spent (haha) but after seeing these today I really like them a lot. And the manager at Discount Tire was very good to deal with - apologetic about the long wait. Luckily he noticed that the rear centercap was missing even after the crew closed shop. He dug through the boxes until he found it. (Next i'll install the larger 12.75" 350Z rotors with the caliper brackets to fill up some of that space.) 
I have a set (x4) of good condition NA stock 7.5" wheels with snow tires for sale if anybody is interested... The tires still have another 1-2 winters of use. 
So... while the Z was in the shop getting the front end repainted I needed some temporary transportation. Insurance provided for a standard size rental car @ $30/day, which means a Kia or Pontiac "or similar". Lucky for me, the day I dropped my car off was the same day there was a Women's League Softball Tournament in Denver. All the standard size rental cars were gone. The only car left on the lot was this one... '07 Cadillac DTS. Luck on top of luck, the body shop was late getting parts ordered (the adjuster went on vacation), so my 7 day repair/repaint turned into 3 weeks of cruising in the pimp mobile...
I have never driven a Cadillac before, and probably won't until I retire... but I have to admit it was a great ride - big and plush with lots of gadgets. The automatic lighting, wipers, dual zone climate control, and ultrasonic bumper sensors (give a warning front and back when objects are too close) were nice touches. The entry lighting scheme at night is awesome - the way the LED's and dashboard gauges light up. And the gas mileage was surprisingly good for a 5,000 lb behemoth... probably better or equal to the Z. Definitely the roomiest car I have ever driven. If only the Onstar operator flirted with me daily in her sexy female voice... then my experience would be complete.
I didn't mess with these buttons... not even sure what they are for... adaptive cruise control?
 But this was by far my favorite feature... air cooled seats... quite nice and worth the $50,000+ price tag. I used this feature a lot :) 
Since the Cadillac dealership was next to the body shop, I dropped by to see the other cars in the line up... Who knows... maybe i'll ditch the Z one day when i can no longer afford the upkeep. I saw the CTS, STS, and an amazing black '07 XLR-V... supposedly the last one in the Rocky Mountain region. Sticker price $120,000, but the sales guy later said he could knock it down to a mere $110,000. He demonstrated the folding hard top which is a work of art. Unfortunately my 6'-4" frame was too much for such a sleek profile - my head touched the top. Might be worth getting a few vertabrae removed. After checking out the Caddy's I went over to the Chevrolet dealership next door to look at the new Vette. I have to admit it looks awesome on the outside. But the interior is a let down... in the same class as the early 350Z... lots of plastic. And the targa top is nowhere near as nice as our TTops (but a lot lighter i'm sure). The blueish plastic gave the interior a glow that reminded me of those glass bottomed boats that tour companies use in Florida to view the ocean floor. And the curvature of the seats is much too small for anyone taller than 6 feet (in my opinion). It was uncomfortable for me. But maybe i'm an anatomical freak. Oh well, guess i won't be getting a new Z06... the sales person said the waiting list is incredibly long anyways.
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New shoes (and paint and wheels)... another 6K gone. - 
