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Divorce settlement finalised! Ding dong the witch is dead now it’s time for a midlife crisis Young bird - ✅ Time for a (vehicle) upgrade anyone thinking of selling their e90 M3? will consider e92 - if the colour combo is right

Sandblasted, powder coated, back together, Next mission is a bent style 66 that is part of a set i bought for the E39 530d touring...

I had a 2006 M540I M sport for 4 years and i have just traded it in for a smaller, newer BMW... https://youtu.be/d_6y3sIBFHY

one of many projects I am finally getting time to work on in level 4 is a wheel straightener that I am putting together. I started about a year ago but have actually made some progress now. Starting point was a front hub from an e39 at pick a part, then a 5mm aluminium spacer to take the place of the absent brake disc, the frame is 150 x 75 PFC ( parallel flange channel) and this holds a small hydraulic ram from a panelbeating kit, I think it is a 10T unit. I cast an aluminium block with a radius to suit about a 14 inch rim, and drilled it to fit the end of the ram. At the back of the ram I have a series of coach bolt heads to hold the ram in place while allowing for vertical adjustment, the front of the ram is held in a pipe saddle clamp that will move up and down in 2 vertical slots and be secured with plastic hand nut things. Behind the back of the ram I have a flat steel surface to attach a magnetic holder for my dial indicator so I can check progress as I go. I am hoping to straighten 3 rims from 3 different sets that I currently have in my driveway, including the one I am using for testing (in the photos) and I am hoping to be able to do it without having to apply heat, but that remains to be seen!

Good news and bad news today. Went and had a yarn to the guy at BNT about putting some Redline MTL in the Getrag 240, but after some discussion concluded that my money was better spent elsewhere considering its a street car and struggling to push 90hp. Will probably pick up some Penrite stuff thats on sale at the moment at repco and also hit the 40c per litre fuel saving while Im at it. Picked up a BMW windscreen from a wrecker for $150 that pulled it out of another e30, and I asked about purple tags, which he didn't have. But he offered me a Z3 rack for $450 which I thought about for a bit and decided to grab it. Picked up the required jankey M8 washers to space it out 14mm, and will plan on hunting down an early 2000's Holden Barina/Astra steering linkage. Got the windscreen fitted by the absolute gem's at Hamilton Windscreens. When i went to pick it up, they mentioned that they liked the car, which was nice to hear. Unfortunately, not all is well with the mangled Bilstein that I managed to cross thread. Got a call today from the shop i'd dropped it off to and they said that the threads were beyond repair. So the plan will likely be send it up to auckland where there is a team who can rebuild and replace the inner cylinder, but thats going to be $300 down the drain. Costly lesson learnt, but a lesson learnt it certainly is. On a more positive side of things, the guy I've been talking to from Autolign has gone above and beyond to help me out, so I'm thinking I'll go drop off a box of donuts at their shop tomorrow morning as a means of thanks. To Do list - Get headlights focused and aligned, then finally WOF time!! - Burn some CD's or get an aux cord with a USB-C adaptor. Not sure which way I'm leaning at the moment. The PO left a CD in that I've had on repeat since I got the car working. Im enjoying the analogue nature of the CD. - install Z3 rack (after WOF) - figure out why the power steering fluid is disappearing - Transmission fluid --Would like to do trans seals as the output shaft is showing signs of a leak. Mind you, there are a lot of leaks. One thing at a time. -Odometer still doesn't work Dirty Windscreen Clean(er) windscreen

I 2nd that. And in a month it will be slammed to the ground , with 19" wheels and some "bad ass sounds." ☹️😫 Maybe even some hi-lux fender flares.

One man's meat is another man's poisson. Was the Clio V6 desireable to anyone other than Francophiles who prefer their cars from America? "Everybody would love to have one" - a Clio V6. No doubting your enthusiasm, sir!

This is so cool

"it has to be made in enough numbers to evoke fond memories" Actually - not necessarily. I bought a Clio v6 10 years ago (my forever car. Still have it) at the bottom of its depreciation cycle for ~$35knzd. I specifically wanted a low production limited edition car that was desirable to the masses when new, but generally unattainable due to the cost. They aint making any more, are slowly being written off. Month by month there are less of them and suddenly they are a modern classic and everybody would love to have one. Wait until the lhd ones reach 25yo and can be imported into the USA. Madness will erupt and the rhd's (mine) will be dragged upward in the frenzy. Well, that's the theory, anyway. Meanwhile, it's a ton of fun.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/3266993441 @SmithyInWelly back again for a modest $3550! some new badge emblems and wheel emblems, revinyl the interior trim and you got a lil winner.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. Quick update - managed to source an aftermarket clutch kit and flywheel from a business in Tauranga (assured that it will fit). It is going to be a conversion to a single flywheel, so this is going to be interesting (for me anyway). Kit arrived, quickly inspected by a specialist clutch shop (who had the original kit out of the car), who gave it a 'measurements are looking good and it should fit' when compared. So hopefully will be installed shortly 😎 I went with this option mainly as the kit was in country and the need to get it drivable and 'off the lift'. Oh - and the fact I got an eye watering quote from local BMW dealer with 6-8 weeks ex-Germany! I should really do a project thread... however it would go like this: something breaks/needs replacing -> take car to mechanic -> mechanic diagnoses which parts need replacing -> search RealOEM for part numbers -> copy/paste part numbers into FCP ->, buy parts -> check FED-EX tracking daily -> FED-EX deliver parts in 7-10 days -> take parts to mechanic-> parts installed by mechanic-> pay mechanic -> drive car home. Repeat steps one week later - haha

finally got around to using the engine support i made in the last lockdown, dropped the subframe on the E21 to get the sump off and fix the oil leak, only to discover i don't have the correct sump plug crush washer, or any oil to put back in it!!

Mines 11-12L/100km but I've not driven the car much so when I do its with a heavy foot on shorter distances and/ or testing after changing something. So it always needs to be driven through the Italian tune up route up and down the hills. If I'm going 100kmh it's around 8.5L/100km Purchase/ownership of a 130i today would suggest you're more of a "spirited" driver.

Yeah thats what I was thinking, plus it looks to have been owned by someone who is older judging by the photos and profile so it wouldn't have been thrashed like most other cheaper manual E46s.

Oil coming out of the sump on fire is a good one ! Had a few interesting ones, all paddock bashers. Honda civic hatch back, carby model. Revved its tits off while we threw stones and dirt down the carb. Flywheel exploded and took the bellhousing and starter with it. Another honda, rev limiter until engine caught fire. Ran it over and crushed it with a digger the next day. Old VK commodore with Bluetop 202 motor, drained all the oil out and put a couple liters or petrol in the sump hoping for it to spin a bearing, never did. Had the valve cover off and standing on top of the rockers holding valves open while its at full rev hoping for a valve to kiss a piston but never did. 3SFE Toyota corona, back yard hack job we put a turbo on. Went really well till it melted a piston and shot the dipstick out and coated the windscreen in oil. Down to pick a part, brought a replacement piston, swapped it in, re used the old head gasket. Started first pop and lived to see a few more thrashings.

Got the laser cutting on Monday ... removed the mill scale off the large flanges with white vinegar which worked great !! Drilled and tapped the M10 holes on the large flanges and drilled out the holes in the individual stainless flanges plus removed the cut start / stop marks. Have made the call to switch to mild steel for the headers, with a ceramic coat ... will probably work out the same overall insane cost but cheaper up front for the bends and better thermal performance ultimately. Next up I can assemble the bank 1 plastic headers onto a flange and start on the jig proper !! Yay.

I have a glass fully working one from a 540i.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt (open letter). I am now in the witness protection program, living in permanent fear for the safety of myself and my family because there is someone on the other side of the planet who has watched too many batman movies that is sending me mean messages. I can't sleep without hearing the voice of bane from batman saying "I'm going to f**k your mother" and other mean things. All I can think about is what might have been if I had not banned him - I could have been smoking expensive $11 cigars and drinking expensive whiskey in a $2000 E36 while driving around the mean streets of Whangarei doing drifty-doos in the wet, disco music pumping while we talked about how many hot woman we have fornicated with. Oh how my life could have changed for the better - anyway, guess we will never know. This is a man not to be messed with, he is making such huge waves in the SC scene that they are considering changing the name to "Hyde's super duper chargers" Anyway, that was my annual BS post - back to living in fear , please dont sue me for being mean to you online.

Thanks Olaf.

Why? This "moron" successfully designed and produced SC's for multiple successful boosted M5x engines. A bunch of BS righteous pricks gave him a hard time for no good reason and he politely persisted and proved said righteous pricks wrong, I'm not sure if you were one of them. I'm not saying the maths above are right or wrong, most of it is above my simple scan but Hyde has proven his SC's work when many said he couldn't do it, you can't dispute the evidence. Edit: and ffs, it simply looks like he's trying to help here, isn't that what forums are for? If you don't agree with his advice that's fine, just don't say it's wrong without providing the necessary adjustments or corrections.

The exhaust finally sold, booked in and had Hyperdrive come out with the mobile van to fit some Michelin PS4s. Absolutely chuffed with how much better the car looks vs the black wheels.

1. Now, I don't have a lot else on today! 2. Once I have done a bit of tweaking and finishing off. Basically done, need to tidy up the front and trim it a bit to fit smaller rims, then powder coat it. Tested with my 4T pump and got this rim within 1.6mm of perfectly round without heat, I suspect a bit of heat and/or a larger pump will take care of the rest!

More parts keep on arriving for this but nothing too exciting. Have been chipping away and currently part way through wiring to mount the ecu up behind the glove box. Lockdown inspired I wired in a E36 business cd headunit to replace the Sony exploder, in the cd input I wired in a Bluetooth receiver so can Bluetooth a phone to it for spotify etc. Will upload a photo once the headunit is fully mounted. Looks factory though! Am currently waiting on a fcp order which is stuck in Aussie which contains nuts and bolts literally to do some final bolt ups Here's a couple photos when I rolled out on a sunny day. Tyres on the style 32s need to be dropped a profile but this got it rolling as such. Also a photo of when I first got it was picking up deck materials

Forced ?? With a jack ??

Wife is out of town so went for a 'blast' out to Piha today - typically, got stuck behind a line of soft roaders and people movers heading out but got space to stretch the legs on the way back.