CamB

I'm not sure about that plan, so I wouldn't go near anything with either metal polish or sandpaper yet. The wheels will be painted silver (not clear over polished metal). So you want to treat them as you would any other painted surface (ie you want something which is stronger than the baked on dirt but not going to damage the paint). I've tried heaps of options over time. The strongest was industrial strength citrus based degreaser (basically undiluted simple green - effective, although probably not that good for the wheels). Like the other posters say, once you get them clean, they're easier to keep clean with something less aggressive, and even easier if you can be bothered waxing them after the first serious clean.

Random 935 coolness (for some reason I have always found this extra tuff): Titanium spool (differentials are for pussies) http://www.flickr.com/photos/retro-sport/2...57603162623302/

Looks good! So what size / offset / tyre size in the end (front and rear)?

Halfway down your post I was all "not a 4.10 - its a race car, go shorter!". I see that's what you want, so Definitely find a 4.27 (with 7,000rpm you could argue shorter, although you might genuinely be getting close to shorter gearing than the car's top speed, especially if you wind the wick up). Ideas on where to find a 4.27: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index.php?showtopic=6465

Better than 10l/100km on the open road, about 15l/100km around town (as in, no motorway at all). Haven't taken it to the track yet, but can reasonably assume its crappy.

The instructions just say to wire-brush, treat with rust kill then rinse with water, allow to dry and paint with POR-15. (edit - its still paint, so won't stick to unclean or overly smooth surfaces) It does dry "hard" (its almost like ceramic), is easy to apply, is permanent on exposed skin (haha), and quite expensive compared to other options. I've used it before but probably not on anything that I can give a realistic view on whether it lives up to long term exposure to harsh conditions (like under a caravan).

This is my over-riding impression too - its much worse with TV shows in HD (probably just less spent on production). I also noticed you were painfully aware of all the light sources (eg lighting from two sides when you wouldn't expect it naturally), and somehow it made actors look like ... actors.

I make no comment on whether they're good - haven't tried anything else - but when I bought the car 25k km ago it had slightly worn T1Rs on the back which are now about done, and I put new T1Rs on the front to match and they don't even look half worn.

I don't really know I sort of bid what I thought it was worth on impulse. Its quite a lot of $$$ for "impulse". I sort of have a project in mind, but no time (or, at the present minute, garage) to do it in. Hopefully that changes soon. With a chunky turbo I have tucked away, there's enough there to start the process of turning something boring and cheap (eg a 325 or 328 auto) into something cool ... it might just take me a while to get to it.

Its the good one too - supposedly the 2nd generation tamed the first generation's bias towards leaving the road backwards.

For $9k I think you get an engine too.

Do you mean where 1 passes through 5? It can corrode in place. Or do you mean to get 3 off? Remove the spring and its easy (removing the spring isn't - I've done myself an injury doing that when the tool slipped).

Fixed:

What tyres are you using?

Agree on roof wing. The exhaust pipe is a little, errr, bunghole-looking.

I dunno. I can't get my head around paying for the rarity ... but it (should?) would retain that value so its not as simple as saying "get a normal 02 and pimp it out". I'm not sure I dispute that its worth that kind of price, just not to me. Short answer - I love 2002s but above $50k (which for a 2002 is into Turbo or this Alpina territory) I love pre-74 Porsche 911s more.

Ultra-rare is right! Mind you 37k pounds is a lot of money for a 2002...

I sourced a two channel Mitsi igniter from pickapart for $35, including the wasted spark coils ... - could you use two of them? (edit - from a 4 cylinder GDi Lancer)

I had a look a mine - its a bolt threaded down to the correct* height and a nut that's used to tighten it in place. * mine's correct - you can see the throttle plates are moving 90 deg. Of course I checked by myself so I don't know if full pedal travel gives full throttle at the TBs.

That's definitely much worse that I had then. I lost about half of that skin just ahead of my watch wrist strap and pretty bad blister on my hand - it was the steam not the hot water...

Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmm. Is very tempting. I honestly can't see how it will look anything but crappy. It'd look better than gold with Homax Yellow but not much better.

Owee owee (from experience - a 325i expansion tank and mine was only about 2/3 of that skin damage).

Have just photochopped it. Can confirm its horrible. Would look mint on white, black, red, blue, etc etc

Hmmm, while I really want - am sure I need some of these in my life - I think gold and Byzanz would clash in a horrible way...