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Just managed to fit in a quick half hour drive. First impressions are really good!!! The engine feels like it has really woken up, I think the MILVs plus tune has really lived up to the promise. Although it will never be the same kind of gain as a stage 1 tune on a turbo car, it kind of just feels like previously you only had 80-90% throttle and now you've suddenly got access to all 100%, and it is right the way across the entire rev range, right from the bottom. I really notice some extra growl from the exhaust around 3000 rpm too, then it just pulls really strongly right past 7000 rpm. It might be a lot of work, and a lot of money, for not a whole lot of extra power compared to what can be done with other cars, but overall I am VERY happy with it ?

Installed the tune this morning! Nothing to report yet, spent too much time on the car lately to convince my partner to look after the 2 little kids while I go out for a drive ? While I was down in the footwell though I finally got around to installing the aluminium BMW performance pedals. This will be Step 1 in a whole bunch of interior upgrades I’ll be doing... More to come in the coming weeks!

Great painting weather so finished the wood grain delete.

Awesome @BozzaFC! Looking forward to seeing/hearing about the replacement ?

A couple of hours with the carpet cleaner, I must have removed at least 2 full cups of coffee from the floor carpet, plus who knows what else....

Found this quite amusing, but kind of true. Apologies if it offends anybody.

I've got a gen bmw handbrake shoe kit i'll donate to the cause also. Thought I could use for the M5 but appears not.

Picked up my newest old toy today, 1998 e39 530d touring, ex Ireland import, 197k Miles, no wof, no reg, started a list of what needs doing to turn it into a road legal, reliable tow mule, 1) EVERYTHING!! will start with a thorough cleaning inside and out and go from there....

WTB!! Looking for a 330ci in relatively good condition that has WOF and Rego. Will pay top dollar for one in good condition or if it's a clubsport. Cheers!

Just wondering if it actually fully sold this time?

Call to discuss. Regards Ray 0212435526

Yeah, I had to double check when I painted the wood trim, looked like a totally different color, but just horrifically neglected! It needs a solid weekend of work just to clean and polish it decently.

Fully agree. Sadly that appears to be the fate of most 5ers of any age/series; more complex car (than a 3er) with higher parts cost and needing regular care. By the time they're a sub-$20k used car, buyers leveraging costly dealership hire purchase run from "expensive" repair bills ("I told you we should've bought that Camry! Next time I'm making the car purchase decision!"). Three or four more years of neglect, they're traded-in, relegated to beater status, and in the wrecker's yard after a couple of years being thrashed by a twenty-something lad who picked it up for $1600 for something different, fed a diet of used parts.

@Sammo thank you sir! Yes, an M42B18 swap is scheduled for second quarter next year, to give it more torque, and +35hp. It'll get certed too. I'm currently doing research, acquiring some of the basic parts (like I've already got the fluid engine mounts from an e30 iS, and the iS-specific RH mount, another M40 sump, engine support, dipstick), am getting ready to strip it down, then buy the parts and do a careful rebuild (whatever it needs), including rings and bearings, all the gaskets, any cooling system hoses and a new water pump, possibly timing gears and chain - certainly tensioner and probably guides), maybe oil pump... and also ensure it's cosmetically sorted. It'll get a Stromung iS exhaust, and coil-on-plug conversion, and some other bits. At that point, it should have earned the iS badge. But the Cert is a very important aspect for me, got to keep it kosher, despite it all being 'factory'. Edit: To answer your question, I'm certainly enjoying it as it is as 'the momentum car' that it currently is. The power, when it comes, won't be at the expense of balance, or transforming it into a Q-ship. I have performance in my other car(s); with this one, I'm taking 'the road less travelled' ??

Wow this car is taking big strides. I had the pleasure of test-driving it yesterday. It's transformed since I was with Barry for the original test drive. It's now got my old 13.5mm rear ARB with genuine BMW ARB bushes (~5 months wear on them - like new!), and Barry put new Lemforder dogbones on. ...and Rear outer brake hoses... And as Barry has noted, new transmission and motor mounts, LCA bushes, ARB bushes, endlinks, rotors, pads, brake hoses, and a new LH brake hard line. It's very smooth, gobs more torque at takeoff than my M40B16, it's very willing, and there's no rattle at all from the rebuilt M42B18. It's got much better composure now than when I first rode in it, with body roll significantly reduced and managed. It's smooth through the mid-corner bumps, though still feels like a lively dancer as you punt it down the road. It's really getting sorted! And that Zinnoberrot paint is looking really smart. Can't wait to see the next steps in the journey.

Can’t make it tomorrow unfortunately. Will definitely try and get to one of the November or December ones though. Should pretty well have the interior stuff all done by then too!

Passenger seat out, very disappointed, same filth, no cash!

we've not been having too many life is choice moments, for good reason, I guess. I sold the Pulsar today. admittedly way less than what I wanted for it, but one has got to be realistic. it has been a Pyrrhic victory, in that I didn't sell it to those chaps yesterday. Gotta love being petty like this

Sold

Coded my F31 thanks to @promo

Another issue fixed, the rear rh door wasn't opening from the outside, flicked the kiddy lock off and hey presto, chucked some lube at the mechanism to stop it squeaking and job done. This car is one of what I assume are the majority of these, suffering from decades of neglect and ignorance, but has nothing seriously wrong with it. Its a shame that most of them will end up at wreckers because people aren't prepared to spend a little bit of money every now and then.

Side on non touched up photos of the M3 look bad. The front looks tacked on. The rear door / arch "Dent" look shite. The only time they look good is when they are shown in heavily touched up photos where much of the lines are hidden in shadow or when the cars have a color that hides lines like that Primer Grey. Was anyone else confused as hell watching the official release demo video? The one with the young weird people doing weird stuff like cutting a metal fence with a chainsaw.... What a terrible load of tosh that clip was. This crap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTtDaDIydQ Read the comments on the video. Haha

Compulsory E39 headlight polish...

Sold!

That is not actually a bumper, it is a prototype fishing net made of recycled BMW parts and cable ties, the lights are to attract fish....

Gave it a good wash and it came up very slightly less terrible... Also some new pollen filters arrived

Great thread, such a beautiful, simple car with all the little details seen to. Do you find yourself wanting a little more punch sometimes, or just enjoy it as a sweet handling 'momentum' car?

did the rounds of Pick a part this afternoon, got a replacement steering wheel for $29, same 4 spoke wheel but MUCH nicer condition, a few bits of trim, and a donor instrument cluster to change the original from MPH to KPH, I'm leaving the MPG on the economy gage to trigger those who prefer their miles In metric!!

Diesel leak sorted ( hopefully) also removed all the crud from the fuel cooler and its pipe, vacuum cleaner is earning its pay on this one!!

@modz might be nearly done with his build and I *think* he is selling it after? I think he was putting in an M54b30 iirc.. and its a coupe

isnt it funny that the condition of suspension components are basically not a requirement for roadworthiness?

I'd like to donate to the cause, I've got a set of facelift corner tail lights I'll give to you next coffee meeting @aja540i

I would look at your CCV to see if it’s the old loo-roll design, or the newer cyclone type, and how clean it all is. Sounds like it’s been neglected in terms of servicing, and when that’s all clogged up it dumps a lot of oil from the crankcase into the inlet making for the lovely blue smoke you describe.

I bought it.

A quick trip today at lunchtime. Prepped my Covid Tracer app, and hand sanitiser. Packed my work gloves, steel-capped boots, shackles and chains. The invite said whips were optional. Just as well, I didn't have them anyway. Hoped I wasn't taking a knife to a gunfight. We quickly discovered that - despite me trial-fitting other 10mm shackles to my 8mm chain in the store, my 10mm 1 tonne-rated shackles were too big. Super-Barry and bench grinder to the rescue, the the shackles were adjusted (just barely) to fit. Before long we had the M42 chained up.. M42B18 in bondage gear And before you could say 'where's the blindfold', the M42B18 was up on the hoist... And then securely pinned to the engine stand. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we’d completed that task. Many thanks to Barry, and to Aaron for laughing politely at my bad jokes ?