M3_Power

The info on this is actually a little confusing. Which airbag is it that they are replacing, some report only the passenger side one, some report state the side airbags (ones in the door), and then there are those that state it is the driver, passenger and side (I presume the door airbags as opposed to the A pillar ones)??

Epic : ) I was actually thinking about perhaps doing a project like this as opposed to a race car .... hmmmmm

Actually the P60 has little resemblance to either - the block is shorter (I have an email from the people that run USA PTG that confirmed this as we asked about a spare BMW Motorsport chassis they had quite a while back and he outlined the engine options that were available. Not many P60s floating around, and apparently not many spare parts for it either as it was only raced for 9 months before it was banned). Rumor has it that a genuine P60B40 resides in Australia - not sure how true this is. The S62 I was told by someone related to BMW motorsport that it was based off a Ricardo design F1 motor, but I've never bothered to confirm if that was even close to true (I highly doubt it). S65 on the other hand is basically just the V10 with 2 cylinders taken off.

I was told Geoff Steel has a new carbon fabricator and for some reason he wasn't as good. But looking at the photos they don't look too bad.

Have had one more request for these ... if I get three I'll run off another batch as we usually only do them when the race car guys ask. PM or reply here. Cheers : )

I don't usually reply to direct insults like this, but this is just far too hilarious not to!!! So you sign up to this forum and put this below as your first ever post and you are questioning me about my loyalty to the brand?? Pot calling the kettle black much? At least the length of time I've been around here I've actually gone out of my way to help out forum members with issues whenever it is within my knowledge base or capabilities and I most certainly don't put up first posts and call local BMW NZ dealers selling cars at a profit a "rort". Do a search and you'll actually see that I probably stand up for the local dealerships far more often than anyone else on this forum. But hey welcome to the forum.

I blame the movies

All it would have taken was a sincere apology to say yes they've screwed up once again on the invite or to say no you were never on the intended invite list anyway (and perhaps an explanation as to why or why they lied) but please come and take a look at the car when it's in the showroom and take it for a drive and I'd have been a happy camper.

I wouldn't expect a track day from them given that I've never spent money with them. So bloody nice of them to even actually care to send me an invite in the first place. However I expect at least one actual sincere invite from BMW for an event that I have expressed interests in numerous times over the years in addition to the amount of loyalty, good will promotion I do for the brand and money I've spent there in the last 16 years, and that's not even taking into account of the various broken promises and assurances given (from those directly involved and from the top) that an invite was definitely coming my way for THIS particular event. To only then be lied to about all of it (and this is the part that REALLY gets me). So yes I am a little pissed about it all and they've just lost a customer or three forever. My reason for declining the "false" after thought invite is simple ... these events are usually run in pairs ... two in a car ... can you imagine if I accepted and became the third guy in the car rubbing the other two legitimate invitees the proper opportunity to enjoy the day? I don't want to be that odd one out person at an event I was never even considered to be invited to.

It seems there are still dealers that actually care out there! Thank you Continental Cars!

I'd like to answer that one myself haha .. but I guess we'll all have to wait for DaveO's review when it happens on the 25th this month.

If the replies in this thread itself is any indication (as a public opinion response) then I can tell you there won't be a response to my last email at all. Quite simply because dealerships have better things to deal with - and I get that. Also they'd have considered a late offer is as good as an original - to me it might be substantively different, but to them, an invite is an invite, late or otherwise. I totally understand from their perspective obviously and I have no issue with it, but I am more than within my rights to voice my opinion to them, which they have no doubt received. Whether this puts me in their bad books is immaterial to me now, but you do run the risk of being put there when you act like a perceived brat haha ... oh well such is life. I am obviously not under the illusion that a post like this does me any good or helps with the cause or present some sort of a solution to what 99.9% of the population would consider as a non issue. It's a rant, and I've said it in the beginning, even titled it as a warning ...it's my freedom of speech, I thought still sort of related to BMW so I guess remotely valid in a forum like this (the admins of the forum are obviously free to delete or remove or whatever and they have not yet) - your choice was to not bother clicking on a ranting thread (titled as such) if you didn't care or want to know?? But hey, the flip side of freedom of speech is the freedom to respond, so I am all for your opinion. So if it's any consolation for this transgression of a thread that is nothing but a rant (it's therapeutic sometimes to just voice stuff - I suggest you try it sometime, you might be surprised LOL) - I was actually about to post up another thread (as compensation for this rant haha) about MSS54 and MSS54HP DME tuning and how I was going to provide the community with the free service to flash their DME once I get the hang of it as I now have all the gear needed to do this and a practice DME that I am going to practice on first and trial stuff. So feel free to venture over to that much more interesting and perhaps more entertaining thread for you when I post that one up soon : ) Much like how Honda New Zealand contribute thousands of dollars each year to Honda Cup?? : P Didn't the BMW Club (for which I am presuming most in the race series belong to) used to get some sort of sponsorship or exclusive events hosted by BMW NZ in the past??

Some of the responses most definitely : P Actually my personal feeling is that it shouldn't just be about what you have bought or how much you've spent at a dealership. They do need to develop new client base afterall. But when you've voiced your discontent with them (because you are told to as that's how you get on the list), then be contacted by various people within the upper hierarchy that they would most definitely have no reason not to put an invite my way for such a particular event - then be promised that I was for sure on the invite - only to then not actually get one and having to have to voice my discontent once again before somebody made contact, that leaves a lot to be desired (and then to have them pretend that I was actually on the list in the first place to begin with). I don't know, call me spoiled or narcissistic or self absorbed or whatever - for me I just call it bad customer service. Josh, I wish it was a case of managers moving on and I got left in the bottom draw - definitely not the case. It almost feels like someone making a dedicated promise and then deliberately breaking it just because they can. I am not entirely sure that relationship with the dealership is the issue here - actually I am not sure what is the issue if I am honest !!! Might just be me LOL!!! My final reply to them: Surely much more entertaining than fb Thanks for listening everyone.

Absolutely LOL ... but these are usually the most entertaining ones aren't they : ) Get your popcorn out? I am well aware that reading this in isolation means nothing and seems pitiful and reflects badly on original posters, so nothing I say will probably change how this reflects upon me, so I won't bother. But those that know me and the background story that lead to all of this will at least get the gist of my complaint - be it deserving or not, either way, just enjoy it for the entertainment factor : ) Money where your mouth is perhaps? I know a good Merc sales, want me to get him to call you? (jokes!!) Haha Roo ... I am starting to think otherwise ... Perhaps the key is to NOT spend any money with them. I don't think anyone deserves to get an invite as such Dave - at least in this instance certainly not me (nor is this what I am implying). But whatever system they have adopted to pick invites to these events is obviously not working, especially when they've known for years that I have not had an invite to such an event (have been told to make as much noise as possible if I wanted to get one automatically and not after the fact) - it's almost like the elephant in the room that they've chosen to ignore. Oh well. A name change via deed poll was certainly on my mind haha : P Fairly sure that's what I said in the email. I am not going to be the third wheel ... the odd one out .. the 21st person in a group of 20 ... the moment I accept that invite everyone else that was originally invited loses out so to speak. Hence why I have declined. Anyways, as per response above that wasn't the point of all of this - long winded background story in all of this that most don't really need to care or feel has to care. So treat it as entertainment first world problem of a crazy ranting owner : ) ^ They know who I am ... I am like the pink elephant in the room shouting "can I get an invite for the last 7 years" yet seemingly not enough despite being told that's what I should do to make sure I get one automatically. I think the issue is in the system that they have adopted - it's not like they don't know I want to attend. I guess am simply astonished that despite all efforts and promises from all corners of the organisation who are very involved directly in all of this that they still managed to miss my original invite. To be honest, it's not the actually being invited to attend that brought upon this post, heck I'd have been a happy camper if someone called and said, "sorry mate, there were only 40 positions this year for the event and we had to give it to those who were "X, Y and Z" because that was the policy this year ect, but when the car first arrives in the showroom, we'll make sure to book you in for a test drive okay?" - that to me is customer service.

So thought I'd update the people that care (many probably don't) ... because this is how you get treated as a so called "valued" customer with BMW and I just really love to share. The M3/M4 experience day (happening on the 25th) had invitation sent out I am sure probably many weeks ago ... My rants obviously got heard and I received messages via my facebook and on bimmersport from people connected to BMW NZ that I was "indeed" always on the invite list and I should hear straight away (actually I was told over and over it would be a personal call or email yesterday). Well nothing happened yesterday (as I am sure they were juggling to see if they could still squeeze one more person in from the "inadvertent" MISSED invite.) So low and behold I get an email this morning to say you are duly invited to this great event ... but wait ... there's only one spot remaining .. and guess what ... RSVP is 15/7 ... really?? You sent out invites to events and expect RSVP within 6 days?? I have never ever seen that with event invites. The Porsche one I got was 2 months ahead!!! To further rub insult into injury ... the glossy email invitation invite was in none other than SOMEBODY ELSE'S name ... Yes sure .. I was already on the list ... They MUST REALLY think I have an IQ of a 5 years old. end of rant. Here's my email reply to the personal invite:

I can assure you that is not how new vehicle warranty works.If you really believe that a service department makes money from changing 4 gearboxes just because they can then you must believe Audi Germany are idiots.

I am afraid you are going to be even more disappointed if you went down the BMW route ... At least Audi gave you 4 gearboxes for the R8 .... I say that's service with a smile. You'll be completely invisible to them after you hand over money for that brand new car ... Or if you are like me, after having done it multiple times over a span of 16 years and most recently in March this year. I am done being naive to think that they actually care about you as a customer (most certainly not after having owned the following with them .... 328i, 330i, 330i, M3, M3, M3 CSL, M3, JCW, Cooper S, Countryman, X5 plus others). Let me be clear, if it weren't for the awesome service and parts departments from BMW I'd have left the brand a long long time ago, it's the good people that run these departments that still keep me around ... As for the sales and marketing - they are a complete joke and not worth the effort.

Yeah .... after so many years I no longer give a sh*t for the brand. You are crazy for coming over to BMW as they know nothing about retaining loyal customers. Go back to Audi where they actually know what that means. If they gave me one I'd drive it off a cliff.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1632-e90e92-m3-steering-wheel-fits-all-e90e92-3-series.aspx Yep ... and I believe all E82 1 series also. Provided it has the sport steering wheel airbag and obviously similar functions on the buttons ect ... (e.g. DCT steering wheel on a non DCT car isn't going to get your DCT function)

Z3 M rims ??

I now have in possession a BDM reader/flasher - so I am hoping to test it on a couple of DMEs (rather than my own) before I offer the service to locals that want things done without incurring flash counters or better still be able to zero the counter (actually coding index 1 to be precise). All very cool stuff. I already have a spare ultra rare MSS54HP, but I am building a bench tester first, so need to acquire a few things before I can bench flash these DMEs. All the ebay ones seem to be overpriced to be honest, was hoping there's one sitting in a wrecking yard without an engine and being ignored.

Bit of a long shot ... But after a mss54 dme ... I dont want a mss54hp version, just the standard pre-2004 dme. No key set or ews required.

Another Titanium Shadow trim piece test spray tonight with the tint formula above ... real rough and done very quickly without much thought ... again cut and paste from the other thread.

Okay, so I started creating this thread over on CSL register by looking into ETK on what's available ... I thought i'd condense the findings a bit and leave this as an official thread on products available and paint codes ect .. some helpful information for those that want to restore their cars. I've just copy and pasted what I wrote in the other thread, so some of the comments might read a little odd .. but I can't be bothered editing it haha!! First up .. the elusive Titanium Shadow trim colour ... Interesting stuff from the ETK system Glue for the interior felt trims and rubbers

Okay, so over the years I've noticed that if you order multiple parts (both here and abroad) it can take a little while for the parts department to come back with quotes and invoices. Then I realised one day that the whole process could be expedited if there was a little help from my end and to ensure that I ordered the correct parts and correct number of parts. This is where the BMW ETK system comes in. A system used by the parts department of course to view parts and find pricing. This system is usually linked to their own local pricing and invoice system - meaning that once the parts list is generated it is only a few clicks away before the order is put through and you are invoiced. However if you were like me and order for example over 30 components at one time, the poor guy behind the parts desk have over 200 key strokes just to get you a quote - sometimes typing in the part numbers individually if you supplied them - this is both time consuming and tiring and no wonder after a while the parts department can no longer be bothered with offering best prices if you do this often and never end up ordering stuff. So ... I looked into the ETK system and realised that the whole process can be expedited and made more efficiently and the life of the guy behind the desk doing quotes a whole lot easier by a simple .txt generation. Here's how: 1. Open the BMW ETK system (Parts Search, Graphic, Component of vehicle) 2. Enter your 7 digit vin number in box and enter 3. You get this 4. find your part 5. Select the item in the bottom or from diagram and click "Add" - it'll bring up a box, name it whatever you like (this will be the file name later on) 6. When you click Add once it adds one item, click it twice it adds 2, click it 12 times and it adds 12 and so on 7. Finish your selection of the items you want to purchase and the number required and check it by selecting diagram, display of selected parts list 8. You will be shown what you have ordered in this window - check it that it is correct or you can do all the modifications here also 9. Now open parts list, Save/Open, Save as txt file 10. Select where you want to save the file on your system (the name given earlier in step 5 above will be the file name of the txt file) 11. The txt file generated when opened with notepad will look something like this (and be able to be read and processed by ETK) 12. Send the .txt file to your parts dealer and get them to do the following to load the order Open the txt file from location They'll thank you for it when you put through that 100 component order : )