Mark

We had a stupid promotion at work (radio station) where schoolkids sent in their ideas to paint a car with their school's colours. The car's paintwork is now covered in the colourful handprints of 30 intermediate-aged children.

The car (an '85 Ford Laser) is an absolute minter and it was offered to a workmate for free cos he doesn't have a car at present.

Is there a cheap and easy way to remove the paint without removing the paint (if you catch my drift). We thought about turps, nail polish remover, Jif.... any other ideas?

Cheers, Mark.

I tried this yesterday.... my first gear jerk is still there, but I did notice the gearbox is happier to kick down than it was beforehand and it's got a bit more go around town.

On the bad side, I forgot to write down my stereo settings and spent the next hour re-programming it!

Big-ass piece of velcro?

Bring back the bottlies!

Nah, looking good bro, I like it.

Hmmm... I have the "Auto Correct DST" option ticked.... but that doesn't seem to work. Is there something I'm missing?

Just noticed this! Can it be changed?

Nothing is ever in my boot.... it ruins the "factory" look!

Welcome fellow Chch bimmersporter!

I suggest painting the skirt kit for sure! Oh, and get rid of the wood trim grandad!

Trademe is the best place to get Motorsport-esque lights.... $305 to your door (I have my eye on some once finances allow!)

- Mark

Very nice... Boston Green FTW!

Here you go lads.... have fun!

BMW E36 Head Unit Installation

I tried this a while back... but it freezes on me before I get to play....

Apparently it has support for the steering controllers with a clutch pedal and everything, sounds oh so sweet if only I could play it!!!!

When it comes down to it, it's simple statistics.... The U.S has 250 million people....we have 4 million.

They are BMW's biggest market worldwide.... Take a look at the new Mini Clubman for example: It has one rear door for backseat passengers to get in & out through. This door is on the right hand side of the car so that Americans can step out onto the footpath. In RHD markets the door stays where it is (this is potentially dangerous as passengers step into traffic) but Mini didn't create a model with the door on the left because it would've cost too much money and, who cares, because they sell the most cars in the U.S anyway...

I visited America recently and everyone though I was from England or Australia... no one knew where New Zealand was, we are but a blip on the map!

OT: Gratuitous pics of me and my mate with two of the girls from Hooters Hollywood... whom we took out on a date...no bull... I'd tell you what happened next but this is a family website. (or is it?) 

key has 2 buttons on it, pressing either the red LED on the key flashes. looks like there is a light for it too, although hitting either button does not illuminate it - whether the bulb has gone i don't know? the fact that the red LED flashes indicates to me it should be keyless!

Did a search on Bimmerforums..... found this:

"Check the little switch under the hood on the passenger’s side. (edit: might be on drivers side as this is American site) There should be a little metal arm sticking up that closes the switch when you close the hood. I have found that when I'm cleaning or working under the hood sometime I bend this little arm at it doesn't activate the switch and the locks don't work except manually."

Apparently the keyless entry system is housed behind the glovebox.... do a search on Bimmerforums.com, there's heaps of info on the subject.

Side issue - I was told my 2000's Jap head unit is the "big plug" version - can someone clarify this in terms of what it looks like, what to ask for if I want a replacement OEM head unit (with normal radio band), and what iPod hookup products are compatible?

cheers.

You shouldn't need a new head unit - yours can probably be re-programmed to pick up NZ frequencies...

See this article

Hope that helps.

sh*t, that is GOOD. I was quoted $850 a year by one place to insure my 325i and that was after the girl on the phone consulted with her superiors!

In the end I got full cover for $380 a year from State....phew!

Your car may not actually have keyless entry... Is the button on the key itself? If so it may just operate a light so you can see the keyhole at night.

Lookng mint with the ACS bits! You say you bought them both off Yuen?

Hey Yuen; " Yuen" are you getting some more??!! Ha!! Or where can I source some from?

They look like Hartge's (replicas) to me... but I'm no expert.

Do a google search on "Icelink" it's an adapter that allows an ipod to run using the CD changer controls on your stock head unit.

Think there's a bit of info about them on here too.... do a search.

Testing 1,2,3

Nope...not legal.... but most peops on here will tell you they've never been pulled up.

I used the mounting frame on the back plate cos I didn't want to drill more holes into my boot lid (jap bracket holes were in the middle of the plate) and using tape didn't appeal either.

Not an E39...but pretty bloody nice all the same!

Trademe

I think you'll need a fairly sophisticated editing program to pixelate the number plate in a video clip as this has to be done frame by frame. Or so my brother - who works in this field - tells me....

The only easy way to do this is probably beg for another test drive of the R8 and then cover the plate before you do anything dodgy!!

So I downloaded this hot M3 wallpaper:

Then I thought.... I'm really bored and I've had 4 Oranjebooms, let's make one using my car haha!

Yes I know I'm a Photoshop noob.... but practice makes perfect.

A 323 has the same engine as a 325.... (2.5 litre) the only difference is when BMW released the 328, they decided to restrict the power output of the 2.5 because it made almost as much horsepower as the 2.8 (albeit with less torque) and that looked sh*t on the spec sheets!

So in essence.... as 323 is basically a 325 with a restrictive exhaust system on it. Whip that off and you're on a level playing field with a 325.

And yes I think all cars after 93 had VANOS (correct me if I'm wrong guys)

I own a 325. Test drove many 323's and 328's when I was looking for my car..... you can feel the difference between them but it's negligible.