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Right, well a few evenings spent on the car, and then today being Saturday just a wee bit more. Front jacked up in the air, to remove the lower steering linkage. Didnt take any pics of this sorry. Has a lot of play in one of the two universals so it is out so i can rebuild it. got it half out and realised it is a wierd universal i havent seen before, and i havent had expereince rebuilding one before. When you do an M52 swap, or indeed any motorswap, its necessary part of the conversion on a Right hand drive car. typically you would also convert to an E36 or E46 steering rack too. What i usually do is remove and drop it all off an Howatt Engineering in Naenae to do, so i havent had experience doing it. still deciding if i tackle it or find a shop to do it. Remove the right front wheel as it has a puncture in it. Jack up the rear, move the left rear wheel to the right front. Temp bolt on right front to the left rear. Lower Jack. Get front off Jack stands and onto the two good tyres, jack up the back, and remove both rear wheels. the right rear, and the left rear (which was the right front) both have punctures / slow leaks, so those into the 500 to get sorted out. Start on removing the Subframe. Right off the bat, i knew this was going to offer up some surprises. subframe removal on an E30 is usually a piece of piss. 1,5 hour job max. I was advised by a local "buddy" (canadian for m9) to start on the rustiest stuff first so you know how your day is going to go, and also buy a flame torch, it will be your new best friend, so i brought a propane torch, (quite right in hind sight, awesome tool. no pics of it but you will probably see it in the back ground of the below picks) right then, crack off the subframe main bolts then. the 22s came off easy, to get to the 8mm allan bolts for the support i needed to half remove the side skirt. and bam, just like that, 5 minutes in, first problem. on the left hand side, one bolt completely snapped off (prior), on the right hand side, both had gone, so bracket offering no support at all. Okay, no problem, i can order that. removed the brackets so i had them on hand for ordering (there are two types so good to make sure you get the right ones, and then just put a few threads onto the 22 and gently loosened the subframe so i knew it would come away. cool. Move on to the exhaust which comes off easily, then remove heat shielding and then the drive shaft bolts. i wasnt really thinking, this stuff should be easy since the car has had an engine conversion, so not 30 years old, none the less, needed to be done. next step, remove the lower shock bolts. easy enough, but found the right rear shock is totally blown. i have never seen a shock with zero resistance before until now so thats up for replacement. and then disconnect sway bar, and then remove the spring. Here is the the bad news... spring on the left comes out just like normal. one on the right falls out, with the upper locating pin still in the spring. wtf. look a bit more carefully and what do we have here. picks taking after probing about with a screw driver. whats worse is there is f**king gorilla foam in there so someone knew it was there and did a bodgy... not happy, but such is life. fortunately the body seems to be alright, but the lower piece is no longer avalable from BMW. i did actually think about using the head from a jack as a replacement, as it would be a perfect shape..... Move on to loosening the diff mount. at first i was like wtf somone has put an imperial bolt in... never mind, some of the bolt head crumbled away, turns out it was a 19 all along... also loosened the brake lines and ABS sensors (yes it has ABS, the E30 was the second BMW to have ABS after the E28 5 series), and was happy the assembly was ready to come out. In the shower cleaning up i realised i forgot the hand brake cable so will do that when i get back to it. Right off topic for a bit, but what i been up to none the less. (goes back to E30 soon!!) next day, decided i better work on the Cinquecento since i did say i would do it while missus is away. It hasnt locked since she got it , that was a door card off and a tiny black clip that wasnt seated right, and back on and good to go. and onto replacing the rear brake pads. "babe my car is making a bit of a grinding noise in the back recently" take it to work and barely got out of the street before i knew the brake pads had all they had to give taken and then some..... have you ever seen brakes so smol?? realised the 500 was the same bolt pattern and center bore very close as the E30 so why not chuck them on for a nosey...... Local constabulary dropped by for a yarn. they either drive Ford Expeditions (think Escalade or Suburban size), or they ride Harleys. and they are called the OPP here. every time i hear that i cant help but think of the irony since OPP also means Other peoples property in the rap song from like the 90s, which of course gets in my head every time. Strawberry then got a detail down at work. in the back ground is the CN tower, and the yellow building is the pub i sometimes go to after work. and yes going off topic so will come back to what you came here for lol. We are up to today now. Subframe removed. Crusty old bushings. nasty, Now normally you would press these out properly. I do have the proper BMW in my garage, but thats 14,000km away and cost about $450 or so to buy. since i expect this to be the only time i do this job, i decided to do it the Hori way. its pretty well documented that this way works, and i had everything i needed already to try it so thought why not. FIRE I would imagine this would work for many of you guys so i will detail the process. 1/ Turn on Rock Music 2/ Grab a can of low rent beer, or something someone else has left in your fridge. 3/ Soak bushes in WD40. 4/ Make sure your partner is not home, and if pre planned, buy her some new oven trays because you will be using two of hers. 5/ aim gas torch at bushes. how long it takes them to start going depends on your flame. mine took a good 2 or 3 minutes of heat before they would stay alight on thier own. keep the loose stuff clear by flicking it out onto the tray. remember, the objective isnt to burn every last bit of rubber, just to remove the bush. When they start popping and crackling, they are hot enough to keep going on thier own. Once they are lit, have some of the beer. Man has created Fire. after your second one is lit, go back to the first, you will find the center part has melted enough you can clear out and knock out the center with a screw driver or some such. bear in mind that the flame will increase at this point as a lot more rubber is exposed to oxygen. the center piece that falls out onto your tray you can put out using some of your rubbish beer. Eventually the outer race or whatever its called for a bushing cannot withhold gravity and will fall out by itself, giving you a nice empty housing (well after you clean up the last little bits) On to the control arm bushings. basically the same process although they are only an inner and rubber with no outer on an E30. they will start spewing themselves out, three of mine spat the center out by themselves, one needed a bit of persuasion. next step is let them cool. its probably lunch time by now anyway. then press in your new bushings. on an E30, the subframe bushings do not go in all the way to the collar. they are only supposed to go as far as the top of the housing is level with the top of the rubber part of the bush. in hind sight the photo i took isnt the best, but if you look at 4 o clock in the photo you will see its level. 2 oclock is still down as its got an indicator on it. this means there will be a 10 mm or so gap at the bottom. you will find that they wont want to go any further as they flare. Originally, this was designed so it could be leveled in situ, but even BMW removed that from the service advisory, the part was never updated. as a side note, if you were to do poly bushings, they do not have this gap, so you MUST fit E36 compact lower braces (the rusty brackets i mentioned above) which are stepped rather than flat. trailing arms arent complicated at all, if you have a brain. One of the great things about Canada is that the weather and the seasons are very decisive. if it snows, it snows. if its sunny, its 30 degrees (as it was this morning). and if it suddenly gets cold and there is a clap of thunder, you have about 20 minutes to pack your sh*t up and get inside before god turns on the hose. so quickly threw the subframe back together with the new bushes, packed up and got my ass inside. I was intending to take photos of the assembly together, and also one showing the trailing arm bushes . VERY IMPORTANT to just do one or two threads on the trailing arms to the subframe so they are very obviously loose. this is because they must only be tightened when the suspension is loaded. This applys to all BMWs, and most probably all cars in general. this also applys to contral arm bushings in many models. I will try to remember to take pictures tomorrow. and then a pic of me when i saw myself in the mirror. LOL i guess it was all that black smoke!!!! 'til next time

Getting old and tired of trying to squeeze more killerwasps out of an old Corolla, so decided to start over with a later model car. Had to be RWD, have two doors and a bit of grunt, so I settled on a 2008 335I Coupe. Car is bone stock with 85.000km and really tidy. Liking it so far and enjoying the amount of go faster or go much faster bits that are available for this platform. Here are some pictures from the day I picked it up in Napier... I'm a mamber of the Hutt Valley Motorsport Club and hope to run the BM in a few car club events. It is my first ever Euro car so a big learning curve ahead. First thing I have to do is round up a spare wheel as I don't like being without a spare and tools when I am out and about. Always better to have one and not need it So if anyone has an 18" spacesaver or a lonely 18 x 8 style 189 wheel taking up space in their garage, hit me up. Cheers... John D

Not mine but https://www.trademe.co.nz/2164009238

One for each foot, duh.

Bugger Andy, i dont have to send a IS lip to Canada than. Good score on the car, looking good Good to see all is going well over there. ps truck is finally back on the road.

Well as most of you know i moved up to Ontario, Canada in Feburary this year. While I instantly found the public transport system very good (many people here hate it... i guess you always want what you cant have), of course i would never be able to live without a car. Before i got here, i had already decided or so i thought that i would get something american with a V8 in the front, it would be my last oppertunity do so, Canada and the USA being the last oasis for the V8 engine, with fuel still at $1.30 CAD (not much in it compared to NZD). I had organised a Ford F150 in Blue, V8 of course, 2016 ex lease that i was going to pickup when i got here. What i didnt realise is that, without a credit history in Canada, i was unable to be approved for the lease, basically because they had no idea who i was. No credit history also caused a few other complications for me too but wont go into all that. Suffice to say, no F150, and indeed no leasing at all. given that i only plan to be here for about 18 months or so, there is little point buying a car, or so i thought. anyway, once arriving, one of my first objectives was to find some friends! i joined a few E30 and BMW pages up here, and within a day or two was invited around to a guys warehouse full of E30s. I told my lady before i went round there that i already knew how today would end. And there it was, a hard top for my E30 cabby back at home. they are onobtanium in NZ, in more than a decade around the traps, i know of only one. made a deal with the guy and had myself a hard top to ship home. Then i saw another wee beastie collecting dust in a corner. Oh that old thing, its an E30 Touring, very rare over here. Indeed. They were never sold anywhere in North America, and command exceptionally high prices over here. Might have got the story wrong but it goes something like , it was brought sight unseen in Poland in advertised good condition, and since the guy had Polish Ancestry it was brought, flew over picked it up, and road tripped it back to Toronto, Canada (crossing the Atlantic between the UK and Halifax). While yes very reliable (havent been able to fault it yet), its never been someones baby so scruffy here and there and needed some significant mechanical work. and the owner, once completing the trip lost interest. Suffice to say i was interested, put it up on the hoist to see what i was buying and did a deal. sure, a wee bit more than you'd pay in NZ for one in the same nick, but there is probably more in New Zealand than there are in the entire Continent here. And so became the saga of registering it in Ontario. While they are very lax on saftey here, being no annual inspection and no border compliance etc like we have in NZ, it is difficult in otherways. Insurance is compulsory here, and as i am a 'new' driver by there standards, rates are high. you also need to take it for a saftey inspection (the only time it will ever get checked), although because i already knew of what was needed, it just got a dodgy safety, which is very common here. no body bothers to actually get the car inspected, have heard that from heaps of people! eventaully all sorted and start driving it. got its first bath up at the family home a week or so later, so i could see what i had actually brought under the 2 years of dust etc. youll notice in those pics the rust in the tailgate, as is always the case on Tourings. what happens is the seal at the lower edge of the glass shrinks being 30 years old now, and water gets in and trapped. Also the front valance a bit bent up as well. interior pic shows various bits of trim missing, fortunately all of the touring specific stuff is present! and the engine bay. yes its ugly needs a serious clean, but yes that is an E36 M42 swap, which gets the car moving very well. Coilover plug conversion using M52 coils. There is a lot of things in here that is pretty hows your father, it pains me to say though that it is actually reliable as anything, starts first crank every time. I will talk more about the engine in a later post when i get to addressing it And that last picture is my first tools here, brought for me for my birthday! Next up, found a job, and while not in the industry i want to be in, it was a real stroke of luck. It is a body shop, part of a chain of 150 or so stores, the biggest in Canada, and owned by an American company which is the biggest auto body chain in the world. what better place to land a job when you have a 30 year old BMW that needs some love! Another wash. yes i did that a bit. money was very tight before i got a job, as i didnt intend to be buying a car! but good to actually be able to detail it in a proper place with all the resources i needed. Put my ETHRTY plate in the back window which came over from NZ with me in my case. was intended to go up on the wall here, as i said, never expected to actually buy an E30 here! and of course a BMWCCNZ sticker added to the rear window! as it turned out, purely by luck, one of the other body guys is actually a BMW guy two, and owns an E30 himself, and also the E39 540i 6 speed you can see in the background there. very cool to be at a workplace and meet someone like that! He actually liked the black kidneys on my car, which i didnt like. i asked him if his were chrome, he said they were, so at one point, he brought in the silver ones from his car and i swapped them over, so all the photos from here on have silver grills. that was the first mod i did, and more of an anti-mod ha. Went to a classic car show, swap meet and second hand collectables show (all in one) absolutely enormous event (as is anything here). spent the day and still didnt see everything, but i did manage to pick up these to add to my collection at home. All 4 are North American spec so diving boards etc but interesting all the same. The guy also had E28 E32 E34 and E36 ones as well, i tried to bargin for the lot but he was a tight old prick and i think he was one of those 'f off we are full' types and didnt like my accent. oh well, whatever. Mid April by now, Finally managed to find a house. unfortunately doesnt have a garage which is a bit of a pain, but Toronto rent is much like any other major city. if you want space and carparks you are out of the city already, and you want a garage to, thats just not in the budget as it turned out. Time to get cracking on the car ! First order made, door handles for three of the four doors. never understood why they break over seas and yet never seen that at home before. it was explained to me here its so common because of the cold, the locks frequently freeze, and so the 30 year old plastic breaks trying to release the frozen metal. of course, we rarely get sub zero temp at home so thats why! drivers door hinge bushings, to get rid of the aweful squeek and slop in the hinge meaning often had to close the door twice or three times. not a job i had done before, but BMW sell a rebuild kit, very straight forward to complete rear brake pads. the hand brake is also totalled as well but will sort that at a later date. various interior bits and pieces pod filter for the engine so it actually has a filter.... those dodgy Poles. you'll notice the dent in the right rear door as well. after that photo and while the door card was off i sucessfully heated with the missus hair dryer and pushed it out with plam of my hand from the inside, so very happy about that. also the tool collection as you can see has started to grow.... Took the following photo of what i came back to after i shop at Walmart. lucky no contact to my car, but how the hell do you walk away after parking like that and think boy i really nailed that park. Have look at the X3 to the left, the Volvo in the back ground, and whatever the crossover behing the Pontiac is. also the Pickup and the white car right at the very back. not one of them are parked properly. This is every single day in every car park here. and they are always scratching thier heads why thier insurance is so expencive up here. I thought the standard of driving was shocking in NZ, but its excellent compared to up here. ohhh i do enjoy when the courier comes Mostly that is parts for a 2002ti that i have been doing some work on for a guy i met online up here, though there are bits in there for re hosing my fuel tank as it was leaking abover 3/4 full. It would appear i didnt take any after photos, if i remember right my iPhone died because id been listening to spotify all afternoon, so just imagie the above pics again with all new hoses, pump o rings etc, and also sanded what i could see of the tank and rust covertered it in hopes it wouldnt need a new tank itself. Luckily, i have filled it maybe 3 times since this and its been fine! doesnt leak at all! th biggest leak was coming from an undersized o ring around the pump cradle. also fitted a tech1 wheel i managed to pickup. needs a refurb, but at least it doesnt twist around the rim like the orginal one did. skip forward to Mid May, Right thats enough of nuts and bolts. by now i have been working at the body shop for about 6 weeks and so i asked if i could take some time to paint up some bits and pieces for the car on a Saturday or whatever and pay for the materials. dont be silly they said, call it part of your training! not having to pay for materials and whats more doing it on company time was great! they said they would rather i screw up my own stuff than a customers car anyway. Real priveledge actaully because its a side of the auto industry i know nothing about, and it is totally different to all the other branches. anyways, first up was the front valence. sourced a 6 cylinder and/or A/C type one with the dual slats. i prefer the look, makes the car look a little higher specced than it is. Paid a pretty sum for it. non-rusty parts are exceptionally rare find here in Canada. First step, mix up some paint. Found Diamante Schwarz Metallic on the computer and mixed it up from the base colours. interesting to see what it looks like when un mixed! Didnt take a before pick of the Valance, but basically i sanded it back, and applied rocker gaurd which is a Canadian made product a lot of cars here have applied to them below the lower trim line. not uncommon to see the texture, even on newer cars. basically it is a heavy rubberised coating that semi hardens. think of roughly half way between Plastidip and toughdeck spray on liners for utes. While that was drying, i was trained how to take my valance off LOL yeah right as though i dont know but hey! next step is the sealer. unlike all the other steps, it is highly toxic so must be done in full protective gear. this was the only step that was done for me, just for hygene reasons what with only one face mask. next is three layers of colour (just because i made too much paint, usualy 2 would be fine) ... and then a few coats of clear and bake in the oven for about 20 mins or so. ... and then all installed, with all new hard ware, also clips and iS lip i picked up, and also mounted in the brackets and loom etc for fog lights, not that i have found any yet, but its all there ready to go when i do. just a pic of the 2002Ti i have been doing work on as well lately, just finished it up Thursday last week. Caught up with my buddy with the 540i again (he moved on end of April). his mate came along with that yellow Dodge Dakota R/T Super Bee. pretty rare apparently, it is the size of a early 90s 2wd Hilux etc, but with a 5.9L (360) Magnum V8 in it. about 250hp despite such a massive displacement, BMW was getting more than that out of a 4L at the same time ha. still. not my thing but pretty neat little wagon. Popped by another guy i met onlines place for a yarn. has an E30 and Golf Mk1 in the shed, and also the E21 in the back ground. This 740i possibly the new daily??, not sure yet, all the same thought i would post it up. this is typical of a 90s BMW up here (makes my E30 look great). yep rust just something you have to deal with on a car thats spent 20 years in the snow, and then the other 6 months of the year in the beating down sun (much hotter here than NZ in summer). compare to an E38 in NZ which i have never seen a single one with a spec of rust on it. this isnt even particularly high kms, only 160km or so. Canada weather is very hostile to cars! Which brings us up to today! Local ariport saved my carpark for me, when i dropped the missus off this morning. Then what do you do when you get to work at 4.30am , work on your E30 of course! 3.5 hours to sort out my tailgate in the piece and quiet. You know the process now from the above run through, just this time with a few body filler steps to full in the rust holes. yes technically metal should be welded back in, but my reasoning is that this gate is so rusty already its not worth spending time saving, just make the most of what you can and hope it lasts for a while. so i will just let the pictures do the talking. and finally, since as i said above i dropped the missus off at the airport this morning, i have her car till Friday week, yep a very manly machine lol but she likes it and that means i can drive what i like. its actually quite pleasent to drive, just very very under powered, definatley a city car. Anyway, since i have it, it means i will be getting stuck into replacing some stuff under the car in the coming few weeks since it wont be on daily duty. so jacked the car up when i got home, and decided actually, after getting up so early this morning i am too tired to get under it today. So i came inside to spend two hours posting on bimmersport instead lol. Thanks for reading, and sorry i cant be bothered to go back through an reread/spell check. its just gone 11pm on Tuesday night so im tired, just powered through typing that last 20 mins ha. BTW sorry i havent been as active on here recently either, i am always reading!!

Feels like I was doing the classy, sensuous photo montage, and you stepped in with some porn! ? ?

Hi Guys New here but was wondering if anyone knows how to convert idrive from Japanese to NZ to get radio stations etc. Oh and who is the best to service BMW 335i? Thanks for your help.

I'll see your '02 and raise you an '02 with cage, NZ pedigree, and Alpina! 1971 BMW 2002 ti Alpina: After winning the 1970 Silver Fern Rally in a stock-standard BMW 2002, Paul Adams built this car in 1971 and ran it in three consecutive Heatway Rallies, with a best finish of fourth in the 1972 event. Image linked from, & Text borrowed from www.leadfoot.com

In my quest to smooth out my idle issue, I wanted to remove and check the DME and VNC units. The DME (Digital Motor Electronics or ECU in normal cars) and VNC (Vanos control unit) are both stacked in a little compartment at the back of the engine bay, under the cowling. There are two things that these units are known for; A, getting waterlogged in that compartment and B, cracking solder joints. This is where they live in a RHD engine bay. On the LH side, and on the M3, behind the coolant expansion tank. ALWAYS start by disconnecting the battery. You don't want to short this stuff out. First, the coolant tank needs to be moved. This is clipped in at the back, and hooked into a tab at the front. The rear of the tank will just lift upwards out of its clip and then side toward the rear of the car to disengage the front tab. This allows you to undo the 5 screws that surround the black panel. A 1/4" ratchet was the best for fitting in here. The RH side of the panel is hooked into a little tab. You need to pull the LH side towards the front of the car, whilst holding the loom against the firewall (to unhook it from plastic panel), and then slide the panel to the left. Then you have a big gaping hole with wires and control units in it. This is the point where you can tell if it's been full of water in there or not. Mine, thankfully, looked pretty dry. A bit dusty if anything. On the bottom, with the big connector, is the DME. Up top is the VNC, with a smaller connector. I found removing the DME connector from the DME before sliding the unit forward, was a lot easier than trying to remove the DME first, as there is limited space due to the fuse box. To remove the DME connector, the silver metal locking tab needs to be lifted up, away from the DME. This will allow you to tilt the wire end of the connector away from the DME. The other end of the connector is hooked into the DME and to disengage it you need to tilt the connector away from the DME until it slides out. The DME is then friction fit into its mount. It will slide forward with a bit of pressure, and come out. With the DME out and on the bench, I needed to disassemble it to inspect the solder joints. Normally this requires bending tabs on the bottom of the unit, but my DME has obviously been open before, and these tabs are missing. Then there are a bunch of screws top and bottom. The little ones are Torx 8, which thankfully being an ex-Apple Computer technician, I have T8 drivers just kicking around. With all the screws out (including the four large ones in the below photo), the casing comes off and leaves bare boards Now, the DME3.3 used with the S50B30 is a two board setup joined by a ribbon cable. This is fairly straightforward, only complicated slightly by the fact that one layer of the boards has its own pins in the connector, and needs some specific conditions to remove the pins. The pins are the top layer In the bottom corner of the boards there are two little plastic retaining clips on each corner of the board. These pull apart to release the boards, and then the boards must be carefully prised apart. You need to separate them at least as far as the above photo, if not slightly further. Just don't damage the flex cable between the two. With the two boards apart, you need to carefully pry the layer of pins out of the connector. There are a couple of clips on the back of the connector that need to be undone (pre-broken off on my DME), and then using a little flat blade screwdriver, wedge it between the top of the plastic around the pins, and the lip just above them on the casing. If you have enough angle on the boards, this should allow the pins to pop out backwards The DME should then open out into two boards This is also the same procedure required to chip the DME, which I figure is why my DME has been open before. There were obvious witness marks on the tune chip socket. The chip that would be replaced is circled below Anyway, that's not what I'm here for (for now). What I wanted to check for, were cracked solder joints. Anyone who is a long time reader of mine will likely remember I fixed Nicks Vitesse by fixing solder joints in his ECU. This is the same thing I'm looking for here. A quick nosy around and I spotted a couple of very suspicious looking joints. Most of them were on the large diodes on the main board. I fired up the old soldering station, cracked up the temps, and went to work resoldering the joints. In the end I think there were about 6 joints that I resoldered. Reassembly of the DME is just the reverse of disassembly. Hook in the pins, press the boards together and then reinstall the casing and screws. Next was to remove the VNC. This is a weirder mount; you need to slide the VNC towards the rear of the car, and then down, to get it out. The connector has a tab that slides across to unlock and remove it. A bunch of little screws hold the top cover on, and once removed, reveal the magical guts of the unit that makes Vanos work. And as a reminder of how special these early M3s were, all the original VNC chips have a handwritten sticker on them. This is also the chip that gets replaced when you chip the car (both the DME and VNC need to be chipped). I completely removed the board from the housing, but found nothing out of the ordinary here, so reinstalled and reassembled it. Refitting the VNC to its mount is a pain. It needs to slide backward and up, and then forward to lock it in. The connectors and cover then go back on, and the battery can be reconnected. The result of this work was... nothing. No change at all. Still runs and drives the same, but at least I know it should be more reliable in the future. I now also know how to remove the DME and VNC to chip it if those "Group N" chips on eBay tempt me too much.

OPP was Other People's Pussy!

i dont recall trying it. i didnt really drive that car about all that much.

pretty sure the aerial is in the rear glass not the front, with all the modules behind the C Pillar trim. maybe i am thinking of E38/E39 tho. but even on E46 cabby they have a whip antannea abd the wagons are in the left side window so...

This might work... Retains stock appearance. https://gromaudio.com/store/bt3_adapters/bmw-mini-98-05-bluetooth-adapter-car-kit-behind-the-radio-connector.html I'll investigate Eonon. For Miss M it'll need to work with Apple (which it may well do) - I see it's Android-based. Edit: This looks funky! https://www.eonon.com/Android-Car-GPS/Vehicle-Specific-GPS/BMW-E46-Android-8-Octa-Core-4GB-RAM-Car-Radio-GPS-Navigation-System7Inch-1-Din-Multimedia-Car-DVD-CD-Player-Support-Bluetooth-WiFi-4GDongle.html

I get so much from this forum, that I wanted to give a little something back. So with my 're' introduction due to an extended absence elsewhere in the world, I would like to share a story, a good read, for that's what we do on this forum so I thought it fitting to share a little energy back. I hope you enjoy something a bit different and maybe have a laugh. It’s hard to pin point when my BMW fanatic craze began. Looking back, it feels like it has always been there. Somehow through a sea of other manufactures options, especially other appealing European alternatives, the twin grills with a Bavarian blue and white roundel shone through like a star. I know many on this forum feel the same way. I was already taken by the obsession long before I had one to call my own. Apart from the various video and images I consumed, the first to truly enter my life was when my Father had his company vehicle lease come up for renewal. Traditionally he could only choose from a small range of select manufacturers, namely Holden, Ford or Nissan. This time however, the deal had changed. In place of a choice now stood a wad full of cash and a ‘sort it out yourself’ directive. Despite the obvious increase in admin duties, this new deal was a blessing in disguise where he was now free to pick and choose, tailor and dress himself up in the automotive ‘suit’ that was his fitting of him. Little did he know that I had already contacted the tailor I wanted and had requested a dress rehearsal. I knew the budget wouldn’t stretch to ‘M’ territory, but we could definitely pick up the latest series with M-Sport options. He had already been introduced to the latest Commodore and Falcon of the time, no need to be re-acquainted again. So, with all my teenage persuasiveness, I pleaded my case, presented the numbers and before long we were heading to the dealer for a test drive. On the drive I proceeded to read out the list of options that would be making their way onto the vehicle. I had picked up a brochure from the dealer after school one day and had spent the rest of the week circling, marking and making lists of all the combinations of series and extras that could go together within the budget. I was always torn between a lower powered base model that we could trick out with all the bells and whistles and the option of a huge powerhouse waiting to be unleashed. After careful deliberation with myself, I came to the obvious choice that I was sure my Father would plainly see, a beast of a machine with whirring twin turbos and enough displacement to make him erase any thoughts of the other unsophisticated options - it had to be a 335i. I had now placed my order during the car ride over and with my Father providing a simple nod and grunt, that was all the reassurance I needed that he recognised my meticulous evaluation and it wouldn’t be long until we were getting pushed by three hundred ponies back home. After arriving and what seemed like an eternal discussion with the sales representative my Father and he nodded – finally it was done. The sales representative said I’ll bring the vehicle around for your test drive, my Father turned to me and said, “This is the only one I’m trying”, I was thinking, “this is the only one you’ll need to try…”. The sales representative eventually pulled around in a shiny, white 3-series. But oh-no, he had definitely got something wrong, this was a 320d. I looked earnestly at my Father waiting for him to royally wave off this imposter in place of our rightful chariot. But much to my dismay my Father greeted the man, took the keys and got in. He wound down the window and beckoned me to get in. My dreams. Crushed. Learning later that he had chosen to go with the 2-litre diesel with M-Sport options galore was a smart move (says my now adult with a mortgage brain). He knowingly pocketed the unused cash too. As many of you that have driven a brand-new base line 3-series out of the box know, they are amazing machines, with more than enough get-go for almost all types of daily driving and with the added extras for comfort and tech for play, they can be luxury on wheels. Needless to say, that despite first disappointment, this was the beginning of my infatuation with BMW, especially the 3-series. I enjoyed every moment in that car as a passenger but also when the opportunity of a business trip and therefore vacant home presented itself, an unnecessary trip to the takeaway store and back. I have now owned four 3-series BMW’s, one in each chassis from the E30 through to the E90. After a brief fling with a family Japanese hand-me-down used throughout my last days of schooling and getting me to classes during university, I swiftly moved onto my first, an E36 318i in green. Unfortunately, like all first relationships, it did not last long with it being abused throughout its life by friend’s cousins and others, it was lucky that they had practically given it away as it spent the remainder of its days helping others in the form of parts. Next came my first love, an E30 318i coupe in glorious gun metal grey. Though it may be seen by many as a step backwards, especially in linear age and technology, this was not the case for me. It was the retro poster child, the grandfather of cool and you need to respect your elders. Still in relatively good shape overall, nothing that I couldn’t DIY, I set upon making it my own and it when the mod bug took hold for the first time. New wheels were quickly followed by smoked lenses all around to remove the traces of amber. Rubber was replaced, as were floor mats, then finally wing mirrors prepped, primed and painted black, cured and enamel baked in the oven to guarantee longevity. I had put my stamp on it and enjoyed a couple of summers in what I still believe is one of the best vehicles ever produced. They are balanced, nimble and a blast to drive, while the lack of today’s tech allows for a focus on the experience at hand. Impending long-term international travel was the basis for the E30 be moved on, at times I still wish I kept it. Soon after my return another vehicle was needed. Trawling through the classifieds the options were endless – and boring, that was until I came across a well maintained E46 320i, original sale in the country, with one respectful owner. For the rest of the week still searching it was nagging at me. Nothing else compared with those body lines, nothing else presented my nature, or compelled me the same way I have been since the beginning. It had to be a BMW. The purchase was made and another couple of years passed with utmost enjoyment. Because the condition was so good, with a comfortable leather interior, I was not persuaded so heavily to add excessive modifications. A blacked-out grill created a meaner front end, tinted windows for privacy and an additional AUX audio port created the ideal conditions for long term use. Life and finances changed, and although the E46 was delightful most days, my original crush returned to my thoughts. After a brief consultation with myself, there was no obvious reason holding me back. She had to come home. Her name was Three-three Five and she is now mine. Fin. …continued below. I have acquired a 2007 e90 335i in Alpine White as a direct import from Japan, with 70K on the odometer. Although I probably would prefer an LCI for a couple of niceties, the price coupled with the exact specs were far too good to pass on. Upon typing the VIN into the search engine during my search, I was very happy to see that literally ever single option was ticked. Full M-tech trimmings (body kit, steering wheel, door sills, suspension etc), full black leather interior in exceptional condition, black interior headliner, heated seats etc plus many other appointments that are well known so I will avoid a list. But that is to say I was very happy with the aesthetics and condition. Almost immaculate. I really enjoyed the car for what it was, but I knew all along that the mod bug was already in full swing. I am doing one thing at a time, enjoying the journey and the DIY aspect that many here I know do. I plan on keeping her for a long while, with lowish km’s she’s got plenty of legs left. Along with the already instated mods below that I have completed over the past year, I plan to tune to at least stage 1+ MHD, but maintenance first, choosing to get the best result. I also want to improve the suspension with the increase in power. Here’s a final sign off with a list of mods and a couple of questions below, hope to be part of some events esp. in Auckland and chat with you all more here on the forum. Mod list (so far…) – I’ll be adding some of my experiences to the appropriate channels on the forum in more detail with pics etc. 1. Black kidney grills 2. Plasti-dip 335i emblem 3. DIY painted shadowline trim 4. CF spoiler 5. 3D Studie rep lip 6. LED angel eyes 7. LED licence plate lights 8. Replaced M-tech door sills with new ones 9. BMS 15mm spacers rear, 12mm front 10. AFE Magnum Force DCI 11. Forge Motorsport DV’s 12. Secondary oil cooler 13. New battery To must do list includes, coils and plugs, interior LEDs, MHD + xHP. Then a long list of nice to haves. *First main bug bear is squeaky front brakes at low speed braking. Rotors definitely not OEM, pads new from dealer but are rubbish semi metallics with no chamfer or rubber backing. Because the pads were new, I decided to take apart the callipers, super clean and sand them, silicone the guide pins, copper lube the callipers, clip and back of pads. Sanded the rotors and pads, then bedded them in. Quieter for a month, then back to bad again. Read lots of forums, should I just replace the rotors and pads with quality? *The biggest annoyance I have is that the front left channel cover clip broke (near where the door opens. This holds the trim and rubber channel down and is now popping up on that side. A new complete gloss black channel cover is $400+, which even for OEM parts is very expensive for a thin piece of rubber and plastic. If anyone has a clip spare or old channel cover (even chrome) I’d be interested.

Send the member qube a pm, he usually has a few sets for sale... Oh, wait, what...??

Yes. I have recorded using an analogue cable in real time, so a 5 minute song takes 5 minutes etc. they play fine on the two MD devices I have. Even putting a blank disc in the MD slot in the car does nothing, normally MD players would come up saying blank disc etc.

Spotify streaming seems to be the way, these days...

But yellow and asking $40k.

Hi, Is anyone interested in buying my e28... Im moving into an apartment and I just dont have the space anymore for a spare car. Its mint, No rust, I am replacing the sunroof with a new one Ex germany, just had the front resprayed as it was clear faded. the 17 inch style 5's are in good nic, could used a prepsol polish, it has a good modern stereo with sub and amp in the boot. Car has Aircond, but needs regas Hoping for around $7,000? ***Alternatively if someone wants to give me a price to swap a M5X or S5X motor and box in I would look at keeping it, just sick of the constant niggles with the m20, i have a young kid and another on the way so no time anymore.