aja540i

No different to engine braking in a manual car, especially a diesel. But it is something I try to be aware of in the Leaf if I have a Ranger right up my arse on the motorway (so, every day)

So, an i3 with a range extender, is that a plug in hybrid or an EV under the new scheme? Has anyone got one, i would be interested to see what your letter from the Govt says when you get it?

I can't complain, I've had 5 years of free commuting!! Interested to see how they will apply it to plug in hybrids, I can't see people being happy to pay twice (fuel tax + RUCs) but anything else will be a pain to calculate!

Still up for grabs, engine listed on TM but still in car at present.

Probably easier to find a constant 12v source in the interior light and not far to run a piece of wire if you need to?

I removed the bluetooth unit from the M5 years ago when i installed a Dension unit and now i get the warning message every time i start the car, doesn't bother me but BMW mention it every time i take it in for a WOF or service so im just wondering if anyone can code that option out for me? I would like to remove the button as well but would like the warning gone first.

Had a mission with my insurer over this, long story short insurers will only cover cost of aftermarket screen, you will have to pay the rest yourself (probably)

Have you met Auckland??

So it seems that no one else is as adventurous (stupid) as me and this hasn't been snapped up! so it looks like parting it out is the best option... But in case someone is lurking around waiting for the price to come down i will happily wave it goodbye for $500 as i am sick of mowing around it! Comes with all the spare parts and i can part with the set of style 66 wheels that i have, for the right price if anyone is keen, they need cosmetic work and painting. Have a read of the thread to see what parts have already gone into it. My other half is getting a bit disgruntled so if it is still on my lawn over the Christmas break it will be getting dismantled - possibly for use in a demo derby, not sure yet....

Close but different, mine is currently a lawn ornament that I curse on a daily basis! This one looks mint by comparison! 😂

Drove more than a few in my time working on them, even the 660cc Suzuki powered ones are a blast!

These probably are powdercoated, unfortunately putting clear powder coat over a very smooth surface, like machined aluminium, is a really bad idea! The powder has terrible adhesion to the smooth surface and is slightly porous so eventually water gets through and the aluminium oxidizes, which causes the powder to lift, letting more water in, and so on...

Recommended working temp for this product is 23 degrees so heating it probably won't help, the issue with vacuuming it is that the bubbles have no clear path out of the mould, they are trapped, so I might try to add some risers to the mould to give them somewhere to escape to. Ideally would like to stop bubbles from forming in the first place but that is a challenge when the urethane reacts to the moisture in the air, and I can't afford a seat in Elons space Uber! I have also ordered some more sensitive scales so I can mix smaller batches of product and not waste so much, the kitchen scales from Briscoes ( they were having a sale!) aren't the best for this.

okay, had another go, rigged up a contraption to hold the mould on an angle and rotate it slowly while i poured the product, hoping to get a nice smooth sealing edge. Also purged the mould with argon before pouring to try and displace air / moisture. Unfortunately none of that helped.... i did get the colour right this time though! Bugger. Will have another go with this setup and a slightly different pouring technique to try and get it right, if that doesn't work i will investigate de-gassing...

I think the main issue will be that the shape of the mould directs the bubbles to the edge where I don't want them to be, I have a cunning plan to try and solve that but I may also have to vacuum it if that plan doesn't work out.... the other factor is that the product only has a 4 minute pot life, so no time for mucking about!

Expanding on an earlier post, i need to replace a 45 year old dust seal for the steering rack on the E21, the part is badly perished and not available as a single part, so i thought i would have a crack at making a new one from scratch. Step one, machined up an aluminium mould, 3 pieces that bolt together with an opening at the top to pour the goop in to, took about 9 hours all up but i'm not a machinist so i am just happy that i didn't throw it out of the lathe half way through!! Bought some casting plastic, mixed it and poured first attempt... Had a few issues, first up i bought the wrong product! the part came out ok but ended up being ridgid plastic rather than flexible so no good for a seal, other issue was a few bubbles on the edge that seals against the steering rack housing, so ordered new product and had a second go... This piece is better, although it could have had more pigment added, nice and flexible, size and shape are ok, but still has a few bubbles, Not worried about the small cosmetic ones in the center but the outside edge needs to be smooth and continuous as it forms the seal,, so next step will be to play around with purging the mould so there is less moisture to react with the urethane and cause bubbles, if that doesn't work i will look at vacuum de-gassing.... Under side of original part... Assembled mould ready to pour...

need to make a new rubber seal for the E21 steering rack, so made up an aluminium mould and bought some urethane to have a go at casting a replacement...

Looking for a complete rear subframe with hubs, axles, brakes, suspension, and small case LSD to swap into my E21 project, don't mind if it needs a bit of love as i will be rebuilding whatever i end up using anyway. Will consider taking a whole / part car if the price is reasonable and it has what i need.

Anyone want a genuine BMW wooden box? $3500 and I will deliver it free? 😎

Picked up the new.sunroof for the M5, finally.

Electric power steering, autonomous braking, drive by wire, 360 degree cameras, surely that's all standard equipment on a new BMW, what else does it need apart from software?

I'm about halfway through a 3 month wait for my new sunroof mechanism coming from Germany by sea, too big to air freight apparently, I was told 11 weeks by sea....

Could be the regulator which can be replaced separately, it has the brushes attached so 2 birds with one stone. I did the one on the M5 its a PITA to get at but way cheaper than a whole alternator.

Time to be a bit more ruthless with some of my unfinished projects and this is the big one, thread here with more detail... After $999 as it is with a boot full of spare parts, REG on hold, no WOF,

OK, time for me to get this off my front lawn!! It has been an interesting project but it doesn't make any sense for me to keep pouring money and time into it, and it needs a lot of both!! Preferred method is to sell it whole with all the parts as a project to some other sucker, so i will try that first, if that doesn't work i will part it out. I have poured thousands into it so far but i know that money is gone so i will price it at $999 in case someone is crazy enough to race it! PROs; Reg on hold. Kind of driveable ? Lots of parts with it CONs Everything else! No WOF Rust is quite bad and likely to get worse LCM is insane, so no indicators etc ABS warning lights are back Can negotiate separately for a set of staggered style 66s that have been dip stripped and tidied up, need painting.