CamB

If you think about how a diff works, single wheel donuts is absolutely raping the poor little spider wheels. That's why it died. Mine's an LSD, and has been modified for higher lockup (and is pretty tight) - I reckon that puts less overall strain on the spider gears - so I am hoping it will be ok....

Andrew - I hope you're right about the small case diffs, coz that's what I've got and I'm hoping for 250ish hp (turbo)...

I think it might have been a 318i or 320i to start with, so medium case only if he changed it (nevermind I searched and he has a medium case - all good)

That's hawt. Should go well! What size diff you got? Medium case or small case (blow it into smithereens).

Yeah, no victory donuts for them.

Factory is 25% lock if its still doing what is advertised (ie isn't worn out). I'm not sure what some of the guys do (remember the E30 class is open diff only). I do know what Mal Clark at By'gone Autos does (he's done 5 or 6 recently): 1) Re-shimmed with an extra clutch pack on each side, which involves disassembly, machining out inside of the housing slightly, reassembly and check (then remachining or shimming as required to get the right lockup). 2) Machine a slightly different ramp angle, which changes how aggressive the lockup is on acceleration (1.5 way). For drift you'd probably want both sides machined (2 way). He also replaces bearings as needed (unfortunately not necessarily cheap). You can pick any sort of lockup you like. If you were lucky it might be $500 in parts and labour, but you'd need to be lucky.

We've discussed that car several times already (and as with most discussions on the price of E30 M3s, there are ... ummm ... "diverse" views on values)! That particular car has been for sale for as long as I can remember. http://www.autotrader.co.nz/View/Used/BMW-...08+4294967139+0

A Ford Atlas ZF one might be the same (have heard conflicting info, so I doubt it. Even if the plates etc are the same, the splines and crown wheel bolts etc probably aren't), as might others from other Euro cars (but same proviso). But you'll have the same problem - they'll cost $700-1000. The only cheap ways I know of are to either: - be good with fabrication and fit something cheaper - buy a BMW with a medium case LSD for a good price and either part it out or swap to a non-LSD and resell.

I guess my point is that a viscous LSD is close enough to useless for what you want, so just because they are cheap doesn't mean a proper LSD is cheap. So the BMW ones aren't a bad price at all - they're certainly not gold plated!

You shouldn't **need** a radiator (if its the big 325i one), but you never know. I agree with Mattzy about the oil cooler. Which turbo is that? Are you going to run a rising rate fuel pressure regulator (it would be safer and probably run a bit better)? How will you retard the ignition under boost? A RRFPR and boost retard together would possibly cost as much as a second-hand Link or new Megasquirt from Trademe (about $500). Then you just need to sort out a trigger for it (facelift or pre-facelift 325i?), and dyno time (or borrow a wideband a/f and DIY). (ok and you'll also need an air inlet temp sensor and to sort out a throttle position sensor, but neither are big $$$)

$700 is cheap/normal for a clutch LSD for Nissan/Honda/etc as far as I am aware. To be good for serious work (eg race or drift) you kinda need to spend another few $100s to get some more clutch packs in there.

I believe its EGR - the exhaust gas helps it provide a nice lean reading for emissions (even though it is BS).

www.e30tech.com - danmartin's build thread. Sold while still running fine. He did have about $5k of manifolds (intake and exhaust).

You could always raise your car. (Note this is specific to JiB - I am going to make him raise his car. I'm not hating on low cars - just his one, LOL)

Hey - random question ... how did you plumb the oil catch can?

Given car taxes, owning some of those in Singapore is a sign of pretty serious wealth. In other news, I like their taxis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Comfort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Crew Imagine with a 1JZ or RB25 respectively. Mmmmmm boost and ugly.

More details please! You are such a tease.

It would clean out fine (kinda) - the problem is all the wear associated with it, and maybe to the extent it can't be cleaned out of small, important orifices.

Maybe so. Maybe not. Seriously the devil is in the details. Think it all the way through: - applies to DPB? - to those caring for sick relatives? - how do workers get to the field? Buses? Cash/tickets for public transport? - does the guy who normally mows the field get angry because his business is affected? - whose field is it anyway? Public field or private field (applies more to retirement home)? Do private companies want indentured labour? Is it right to do it for free? - how do you stop slacking? Big stick? Gun? Withhold payments? How can that be fairly administered? Is it even legal? - can you call in sick? Even if you are really sick? - what's the admin cost? - how do you find a new job when you are busy in a field all day? - do you care that it might be extremely demeaning to have people doing manual labour essentially for the sake of it? For this, lets assume that a minimum of 50% are genuinely out of work And the real key ---> what if unemployment became 10% and there weren't enough jobs to go around (which is implicit in the whole concept of making dole bludgers work - that you believe they are bludging and choosing not to get a job). Do you still want work for the dole? If I was going to do anything, I would consider more dole (etc) if you worked, with appropriate work schemes implemented. Even then I am really, really uncomfortable with this for the simple reason that it interferes with the free market. Either way, a little research might show you that: - there aren't THAT many long term unemployed, although everyone seems to know someone - studies show that "work for dole" type schemes aren't worth it (edit) Put my money where my mouth is - google found me this (I most definitely do not have a history of reading blogs like this - can't stand them): http://www.thestandard.org.nz/nats-would-i...k-for-the-dole/ Yes, its a biased blog, but the stats are just that, stats.

Glenn - I actually mostly agree with you, except ... I just don't think the solution is that easy. A cynic (ie, me) would say that there is no country in the world (now or in history) getting this right, and therefore its not possible. If I could have my ideal, it would be the same as you - a good safety net for those who need it and no-one abusing the system. But I'd rather have the system with abuse and pay the tax accordingly than the alternative. Work for the dole would be administratively prohibitively expensive (making sure people work, etc) and extremely likely to result in work which either takes away from the private sector (bad), or is spent on unproductive/unnecessary assets (also bad). It will be a poor allocation of resources. Everyone loves Libertarian - its a shame it wouldn't work. Find a country where it does?

Well f*ck I wouldn't want to lose a job or have some other misfortune occur around you guys. Geez, its not softcock PC to believe that a social safety net is a good idea. It's common decency.

Couple even enjoy meth. Shows admirable budgeting skills. My problem is I am way too much of a bleeding heart to even consider thinking about work for dole. And wouldn't consider work for DPB, and would clamp down on sickness benefits but "work for sickness benefit" should be an oxymoron. Plus the admin costs would be atrocious.

So do we kick them out? Is that humane? Legal? Forced work? Exterminate? Make them beg? Simply starve? No job, no food? Which bits of social welfare aren't ok? NZ Super? DPB? Dole? Sickness benefit? Working for Families? Accommodation supplement? Waitangi payouts are a drop in the bucket in total, and 5 mins looking for statistics would disprove that "non producers" outweigh "producers" (although if you count children and retirees as non-producers then maybe not).

Lots of people do survive on Super. I think your argument is we need to pay more? Do the other benefits need to be raised too since they're obviously too low as well? Would you rather each individual paid for primary and high school education? That there were no police? That there were no free operations? You own a business - it is risk and reward. Those risks/costs include what you say around holidays, medical insurance, etc. Its your choice ---> the tax system was there before you were. What's the alternative? Flat tax? Massive gap between rich and poor? It stands to reason that for you to be significantly better off (eg flat tax) that someone else is going to be worse off. What's the alternative? Flat tax? Massive gap between rich and poor? It stands to reason that for you to be significantly better off (eg flat tax) that someone else is going to be worse off. I'm not comfortable with that. I've been to countries where that is the case and I didn't like it. As a side note, I think there'd be a lot of crime if that occurred.

The way I understand it, ACC means we don't have the US-style litigation over pretty much all personal injury and medical misadventure scenarios. It's well worth the $$$. Shelley - you don't have holidays once you have new kids, so you can rule out several years there, and the income on the fictitious family will drop to a point where there won't be much left even though there are no mortgage or rent costs. Although again with some irony I would point out the current system would see such a family start to receive quite a bit of government assistance as they have low income and children. It would probably rebate most of the tax. I'm sure you would disagree with that (but hey - they might get their holidays). And 10 years does not go quickly. I've been working about that long and it feels like an eternity, LOL.