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Olaf

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Everything posted by Olaf

  1. Olaf

    Quick rant thread.

    I have Apple TV 4k on both TVs, and Amazon Fire TV 4k on both TVs. In both cases, the boxes outperform the built-in TV apps for picture and sound (TV is the latest sh*t-hot LG G2 65" from which I should rightly expect stellar performance, or a 3 yr old Sony that is a UI nightmare with decent picture, don't ask me about apps on it). The Amazon box is marginally better (than the ATV) on some content, it's got more grunt in the hardware. I have no issues with the Apple TV. It plays stuff easily from my NAS, as well as the apps that I use like numerous News apps, AppleTV+, Disney, Netflix. Seems the only people having issues with Apple are folks that expect to be needed under the hood to make things work. As soon as one accepts there's rarely any need to roll one's sleeves up with Apple, life is a great deal easier. It just works.
  2. Pre-Purchase Inspection by someone who *knows* the e60 M5 is essential. There are Autosure discounts as member of BMW Car Club NZ, not sure about anything offered by Bimmersport? You'll have to be cautious about year of manufacture, you could find yourself outside of MBI coverage. The e60 M5 is a very special car, very rewarding to drive. Buy carefully, it could be the difference between very very expensive, or just expensive maintenance. FWIW I was spending "more than a few k a year in maintenance" on my 545i... with an e60 M5 you're at the High Roller's table! You could buy my 545i, spark the joy, and your accountant would be happy too and cash in your pocket Food for thought. Welcome to Bimmersport! PS: mostly made of Aluminium, so not scared of water and not generally plagued by rust (unless a badly executed panel repair). The e60 (all drivetrains) likes to be cared-for, water is your enemy if drains are blocked and can kill a car with many of the computer modules being easily drowned. Regular routine maintenance reduces that risk significantly.
  3. Olaf

    328 CI

    oh and re your suspension refresh, can't go wrong with Lemforder. Shocks and Springs, there's a whole 'nother wormhole. Why not just go with Sachs OE Msport, and the existing Msport springs if they're still good? With everything else sorted (you're being thorough on bushes, rods, arms etc) it'll ride and handle like new, and certainly nothing at all like most of the flogged-out e36s around (particularly those that have had just shocks, or just shocks and springs, and maybe a peppering of poly bushing because still baggy...) I'll get me coat then!
  4. Olaf

    328 CI

    @BozzaFC you've been busy, mate. This car just gets better and better! SH2 Akatarawas, BMWCCNZ Wairarapa & Castlepoint trip, June 2022.
  5. At the end of the day it's your money, spend it how you like. Stockmarket investments, reduce your debt, take your family on holiday, Hookers & Blow, a project car that you'll never realise the money you spent on it should you or your family need to sell to settle your estate.., it's all up to you and nobody should presume to give you advice. Except for the bit about driving it unrego'd unwof'd uninsured. You play the odds and won't even have a holiday t-shirt or a sore knob & hangover to show for it if they don't fall your way, for want of a $500 flat-deck ride, and you could have $50k+ of debt for the damages. Madness! Good luck with your decision making, a great first world problem to have.
  6. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    PFL 323i and 328i. LCI 320i, 325i, 330i. Fond memories driving a colleague’s near-new e46 323i on the M40 into London in ‘99 in torrential rain. I thought ‘this chassis is as Top Gear and the motoring comics described it at launch. What a sorted car.’
  7. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    I can't remember where I bought mine from FCP, Amazon, Rockauto, Schmeidmann. ISTR around $400 at the time. If HPS are found noisy, ("terrible noise and squealing"), they didn't bed them in correctly (Read: suffering from stupidity). Have a read of my e30 project thread - I followed the Hawk Performance Bed-in procedure for the pads, and the Zimmermann bed-in procedure for my (new) rotors, and they're quiet and work brilliantly. Same with e60, except I put them on with new Genuine BMW rotors. About the Akebonos: "would not recommend" should do you. That morning that you've not applied them a few times, and then need to stop in a hurry will be your moment of regret. I'd recommend ATE or Textar and an Auto Glym wheel brush instead of the Akebonos, if you're not convinced by Hawk HPS. Amazon often have competitive pricing on Hawk HPS.
  8. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    Akebono Ceramic: very little dust and they last FOREVER. Literally. Mine have been on about 9 years, ~90k kms, same rotors, still tons of meat on the pads, and the slotted rotors are wearing very sparingly. Downside is they have no initial bite like OE Textar/ATE etc, and they need to be warm. Would not buy again, would not recommend. Choose stopping over cleanliness! Just buy the Hawk HPS and be done with it. Reasonsable dust (nothing like OE), great braking performance. In fact - next time, assuming my car retains M54B25, I'd just put Hawk HPS pads on with braided lines and wouldn't bother with the 330 brake upgrade, it's unwarranted. In your case though, going with B30 I think the 330 brake setup is a wise precaution. The HPS are great for street use, I hve them on my e60 and e30. Steering Coupling: Go genuine. It'll last another 15-18 years, and you'll have no issues with increased NVH. Why wouldn't ya? Sensors: VNE are excellent. ISTR it was VNE came off my e60 when exhaust cam sensors were replaced. O2 Sensors: I replaced all four, it purrs like a kitten now. Bosch. Discussed this with a BMW Master Tech (after I'd done it) and recounted what a difference it made to the running, responsiveness, and fuel economy;, he concurred and wondered why more people didn't do this. Again, why wouldn't ya? They're not expensive, and they're part of the DME control. Power Steering Pump LF20: Your car was spec'd with it, why wouldn't you continue with it? Overthinking - quite possibly. New or a good used unit (most have the same issues). @Autoglym you've some e46 Power Steering experience, what do you recommend? Was it the LF30 you found painful? HTH
  9. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    I used reinforcement plates because they were available, factory part, seemed like a good idea - I thought "oh if the factory are making these and they're readily available, must be mitigating a risk? I'll have some of them." I think the ones I used for the rear weren't factory. I used Meyle HD rear shock mounts, and I think lemforder everywhere else (though I used Meyle HD for wishbones and front LCA bushings). HTH.
  10. bonus, less pricey than dealer retail on the Dunlops. Are you rating them?
  11. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    @Vass There's *definitely* different springs for 4 and 6 cyl, Sedan, Coupe, Convertible, Touring. Touring rear springs need a bit more beef, and Convertibles a bit more again - counteracting the extra weight. You can get three or four different sizes of spring pads. Mine's on stock springs but one broke; I bought a pair from a wrecker but he sent 4 cyl coupe springs so it was too low at rear. I found a pair with Orange tags (wagon standard) from a knowlegdable user on here, they've been good but have sagged a little, unsurprising as the car is 20 years old now and one assumes the springs are around that age. The big improvement was the Msport ARBs - 24 and 19 (from memory?) and the style 194's - you get 20mm extra track with 245/40R17 at the back over the stock Msport rims... it really flattened it out and way less input from steering wheel for curves at touring speeds. Still you've got those awesome rims, so 18" lushness. I've replaced rear trailing arm bushes, I forget it we did subframe as well. It's not a car you need poly bushes (anywhere) for IMHO. Re springs, @adro reminded me a while ago that Stretten - Mr M539 on youtube - mentioned that Msport equivalent springs he used on Project Cologne (his e46 touring). I think they're reasonably priced sourced from Rock Auto. I think I'd rather have these than my standard go-to H&R Sportsprings. HTH
  12. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    PS: You realise your Touring has not just a song, but an entire theme album? https://open.spotify.com/album/1QYq1fGyMvbGtvEla84FtC?si=S1ZvsXLrS3anxWUo986lmQ
  13. It's looking mighty fine these days!!! I drove Mini-Me to get these photos, it'd been nearly two years since I last drove it. I know I've said it before, but it's really come further than the last time. It's a really pleasant place to be, the M42 is great, the auto is sweet - changing down automatically, never hunting, shifting quickly without jerkiness - and easy to drive, the suspension is just right for stock ride height, roll is minimal, brakes are very good... The stereo works well, (showing my my speakers are a bit knackered!), it's a lovely car to drive. You're reminded you're driving a 34 year-old car that has no rattles or clunks, and is tight and quiet. You just don't find that in Toyotas with over 200k kms on them.
  14. $46k is a strong price for that car, it's a long long way from concourse and priced accordingly. IMHO.
  15. ///M325i sports have taken a ride on the coat-tails of M3. M3 is still high. Collector-grade ///M325i (how many are there - approx five in the country?) are rarely sold, so unable to suggest these have dropped. In the third division (not msport but high-quality cars), those who *need* to sell will take what they're offered. In the fourth division (what they call grade D in UK), there's dross acheiving good sales. We're heading into a recession, velocity will be slow. Consumer confidence is at it's lowest since 1990. I remember 1990 well, it was bloody austere. Accordingly, people will be leaving their hands in the pockets. Meanwhile those with really solid cars will simply hang on to them and enjoy them, while the market stabilises and either supply diminishes or confidence returns. This could coincide with a change of government next year. I've seen this happen in the 80's, 90's, 00's. Rumours of the demise of the e30 are greatly exaggerated. 😎 Unless all classics (including 80's and 90's Japanese sports, Australian muscles) have tanked, the e30 will still be firm, if slow. Cheers
  16. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    I've just caught up with your project @Vass, very impressed. I like that you're going M54B30, and 5 speed. The extra torque of the 3.0L really makes a difference over the M54B25. I plan on refreshing the suspension on my e46 touring (last done about 8 years ago with Sachs OE and ///Msport ARBs) with Konis and Msport springs, and in future a 5 speed conversion. Subscribed!
  17. if you can build an immaculate 4 dr 325i for under $30k, do it!
  18. what sort of price were the S1 Evo2's per corner, Nick @m325i? I reckon the F25 isn't worth running without RFT's - no space for a spare and jack, and the load space isn't huge to start with!
  19. Given a red coupe with no wof or rego, rust, blown M10, auto, went for $8500 in the last couple of weeks, I think you're wrong. Basically a tidy rolling coupe is now worth $8-10k. A tidy four cylinder coupe is asking around $15-25k. You've been claiming the e30 market is over-valued for years; can't understand why yours is not offered at a price that supports your argument!?
  20. Olaf

    The Barbara Chronicles

    Mine had one in *exactly* the same place! it developed very slowly over about 7 years to about half of what yours is. I got it attended to by the panel beater while it was in for minor damage repair (a small dent and broken tail light). Had ours 10 years now, not parting with it any time soon!
  21. One to steer clear of I reckon. Just doesn't look right, panels not lining up well, adequate but not great paint. Either it's had a huge hit or scrape all down the passenger side, or they've simply forgotten to reverse it out of the driveway and photograph it. Another one for "how not to sell your car".
  22. no, it's an 80's/90's car thing. Check out Toyota Supras, Mitsubishi Starions, RX7s and see how many moonbeams you need for that kit.
  23. Well spotted! It's wearing a PFL door trim painted black, it was on it when I bought it. I have new clips and a good trim, waiting to go on. 🙂
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