jeffbebe

I just bought a stack of gaskets really cheaply (around 50% of any cost I got quoted in NZ) from Schmiedmann.com. I've found them to be excellent but know when or two other BS members that haven't had great experiences. Gavin @ Euroitalian is great guy and probably as cheap as you'll get it locally but he can't always compete on Euro and US suppliers even with shipping and tax applied.

Yep, everyone's right, Phil. She's a beaut.

haha!

You need to drive it harder!!

Replaced front door gaskets (the ones attached to the body) yesterday. Was very simple - far easier than the online DIYs I found had led me to believe. DIY for anyone that needs it on my project page: http://project540.tumblr.com/post/54216673...ket-replacement

Haha! How much would it cost to fit an engine like this into an E39, considering I wouldn't have a clue how to do it myself?My goal with the 540 is to get more power than a stock E39 M5 without costing as much as a stock E39 M5, but imagine buying this engine and paying someone to install it - plus the original cost of my car - and I'd be looking at similar $$s to a decent secondhand M5. The VF S/C for the M62 is going to cost a lot less including install.

So the Sikaflex-227 which allegedly sticks to just about anything... Didn't stick to the spoiler. No problem sticking to the glass but didn't like the paint (even though in the prep instructions it said cleaned (with isopropyl alcohol) paint would be sweet. Sanded the underside and cleaned before glueing with with Sikaflex again and a few spots of Urethane adhesive to try and make sure.... F'ing spoiler. Way more trouble than it's worth!!

Such a good looking car, Tristan. Love the Estoril blue and the interior. How have you found it mechanically now that you've had it a little while?

A Le Mans blue E39 M5 parked outside Chapel on Ponsonby Road.

If your camera's a good one you should be able to set the ISO sensitivity to high for shooting in low light without flash or a tripod (though if you use a tripod you'll get better results). If your camera's also got a noise reduction function it's worth switching that on. ISO is the image sensitivity. You'd use normal in good light for optimum shots but you need high in low light so the camera stablises the image and captures as much light as possible with the fastest shutter speed so camera shake doesn't make your pics blurry. Noise reduction helps get rid of the grainy effect you might often see in low light pics. You can't do much in post production if the original image quality isn't up to much though.My camera's got an amazing auto ISO system so I rarely have to do much work myself. Most decent new cameras have this and there should be a button for the auto setting somewhere on the camera body (usually near the shutter release). If not, have a hunt through the camera's menu settings and see what you can find.

Pretty confident AJ will get the paint looking brand new once he's finished. Still got to sand the touch ups and then another final light cut, polish and wax to go. AJ's obsessed with being the best finisher around so he's going all out and, as you say, very reasonable for good as new paint. Don't blame him, if he does a good job it doesn't take long for word to spread. I'm more than happy to recommend him and a lot better finish than Final Touch who I have used previously (still disputing a bill with them because the job was badly done on my 528i).

It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3... Awesome cameras and pretty cheap these days. We got ours a few years ago duty free.Happy to take some shots of yours sometime - they'd make a nice couple!

AJ - The Glossmaster - nice bloke. Dropped me back at work after I dropped my car off and pick me up at the end of the day. I went for cut and polish and full touch up - there were some pretty bad and rusting paint chips - for $300. May also repaint the boot lid which has a nasty spot of rust which touch up will only keep it bay for a while, which AJ's quoted at $140 - seems pretty reasonable and he's done a great job with the cut and polish. Thanks - very happy with it so far and there's still a bit more to do (but I needed my car over the weekend). Good job so far - I took some pics on my way home - http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....st&p=491127

Round 1 cut and polish and paint chip touch up complete... Shiny as f*ck!! It was getting a bit dark by the time I got home though...

ACS spoiler's on and looks good. Fitment is much better on the 540 than the 528 oddly and the Sikaflex has worked an absolute treat. Now perfecting the paintwork so it's off to the Glossmaster for a cut and polish. Looks like I'm going to have to repaint the boot lid at some point too as one of the stone chips has rusted to about the size of an old 5 cent piece under the paint. It'll be good as new soon though. Will review the Glossmaster's work when it's all done and dusted... Or should I say polished.

Just offer to get a full car wrap with the sponsor's name and logo.

Just park like this... That's what I do to stop my beautiful wheels getting rashed!

It's an AC Schnitzer splitter. Heaps of reps on eBay most around $200 shipped and painted but from what I've heard they need a bit of modding to fit and if you want them to look factory the joins will need filling and painting by a pro. Also, do a google search for pics of them. I was thinking about them for my 528i but they don't look that flash front on or from above as they stick out past the sides of the bumper a fair way like the Hamann lip: I'm quite keen on the Strassentech-style lip. It's a bit of a snow plough but I think it suits the front bumper better - whether it's better than stock, I'm undecided:

Ha. Horrendous. I looked at importing a similar red M5 from the UK with the red/black interior. I would have replaced or recoloured black instantly!Love the red M5 though... Dream car!! Ray, please restore it instead of putting the S62 in the E46 M3!!! I'd start saving now for it!! Ray, if the brake kit's intact I'd be very, very interested for my 540. Will email.

I wouldn't worry too much about emails being 'short', Tom. Being half-Scandinavian myself I'm pretty familiar with abruptness from the Germanic peoples. It's partly just a cultural difference and partly English as a second language! In my experience they don't usually say much but generally deliver.Feel bad that you've had a crap experience though as I have always been very happy to recommend them.

If there's a Hyundai that looks and performs like that I'm all over it because it'll cost a fraction of the $265K NZ list price for the M6!!

Hey Darren... If not kicking up a fuss means your good lady doesn't stress, just take it on the chin - then start a below-the-line campaign to f*ck the cretin's business!!

It's a beaut.

Personally, I would get the bank to reverse the charges... He's essentially stolen your money by using your debit card for a transaction you didn't approve if you didn't cause the damage. I hear a lot of stories of taxi and car rental operators taking people for a ride on Waiheke. Of course, us big city folk are a bit more streetwise than you regional chaps hehe

Riveting... But f*ck driving in Russia. Particularly terrifying is the pedestrian at about 1:40 who pulls a gun and starts shooting when a car nudges him!