kiwipetrolhead

We're with State. Been okay, but we're obviously paying too much now for an old car doing low Ks. Had a small ding in our Jappa recently and no issues at all with State paying for the repairs. The other driver was at fault. And someone backed into the LF guard on the 540 about 3-4 years ago (while it was parked up) and we had no dramas having State pay up for that as well. So we're happy with them, but just need to do something better for the old girl (the e12) now. We're still waiting on Jeff Gray European to get back to me about the tears they put in the back seat leather in the 540, btw. Getting more grumpy by the day. We're not big customers for them, but I have sold BMWs for them, not they they know this, but I might stop being a disciple for them if they don't get their act together.

Thanks guys, generally seems to be pretty cheap, unless you're being screwed by someone (Jusitn).

Yeah, I think the instructor would totally get on my wick. I like to knuckle down and focus on some quick laps, not listen to a passenger trying to tell me how to drive, or anything else (i.e. complain that I am going too fast) - the owner or otherwise. Give me a few laps in the car (any car) and I would probably look slower than the owner but actually post lap times of at least 5 seconds quicker than him. One of the gripes I have though is, we were told we can go as fast as we like for 8 laps, which was what sold it for me, but clearly that was all a complete load of codswallop (it's 3 laps) - said to us so Shane (the salesman) coud get his sales commission no doubt. And no in-car GoPro allowed to record the 'experience' either!

LOL... So you would do it again, or not?

I don't have FB and never will. Why do some people insist on using FB to promote things, use a proper means to promote and you might get a better outcome. Is it a Track Day in our own cars? Where? When? What cost? What format? Organised by who? etc...

Hi guys, Any tips on insurance for an old car like our e21? We've owned it for over 15 years now, but need to get something more appropriate than we have had to date. Classis Car insurance of some sort I presume. (Yes, it does less than 5,000 Ks per year these days.) Any tips or good or bad experiences to share about insurance on old cars apreceiated. Thanks Paul

Thanks for that the info guys. Well guess what, before coming back here and reading your comments, I have pulled the plug on this drive. I went into my bank to have the credit card payment reversed yesterday, and to make sure, I also cancelled my credit card and the bank is sending me a new card. (I simply do not trust FreemanX.) When we signed up at the Ferrari Festival, the FreemanX chap (Shane) told us we get 8 laps and we can drive as fast as we like. After enquiring more and more, and not getting much sense back (at best) from these guys (usually no response at all, or very evasive at best), they finally told me 8 laps was mistaken, it is 3 laps from pits to pits (i.e. effectively just one full lap). They totally ignored my repeated question to have it confirmed about 'going as quick as we like'. They have been extremely difficult to deal with, quite disorganised, and I started getting suspicious quite quickly, then once they owned up to 3 laps, that was the end. My friend also signed up and is also pulling out. Not happy at all, but lucky we found out before taking two days off work, driving all the way up from Palmerston North, paying for motel and all that, for three Nana laps! Pathetic! Highly not recommended guys, don't throw your money away on this trash. I'll tell FreemanX I am not coming to their drive day the day after I am booked in for. Mess me about and I return the favour.

Did you stop at Rotorua for a Zorbe ride?

Yeah, that is a very good route. I turn off SH1 (turn left before Hunterville) and go over Vinegar Hill, miss Feilding and take the back road through to Ashhurst, turn right just after the bridge over Manawatu river (just after Ashhurst and just before the Manawatu Gorge), but then I stop as you hit Palmerston North because I live off that road (near Aokautere), but you carry on, the turn left into Old West Road (miss Palmerston North) and carry on to Tokomaru-Shannon, and join back on to SH1 just past Levin (you miss going through Levin too). I know a few other good options (great back roads with no traffic or cops) around this area, but how many do you need aye!

My e34 540 tows very well too. The auto trans won't change up when I first start out in the car, but it comes right about 1/2 a K down the road then it's all good. It's done that ever since I've own the car though, which is 10 years now, and it hasn't gotten any worse in that time. I'm still waiting for Jeff Gray European (BMW dealer in Palmerston North) to do something about fixing the rips in my back seat leather that they did when it was on there back in January - I'm getting more grumpy with them now.

Okay, mine are bottlecaps. Still, I can only give them away if I was to find a set if 5 to suit my e21.

I have just booked for 22 May, April was all booked up. I hope they let me mount my GoPro on the inside of the car - I have a suction cup mount so it's quick and easy to set up. Clubman, Yeah, I hope I come away wanting more, but if they slow me up I will go away feeling very unhappy and frustrated. I am 'joe public' but not all joe public have driving skills like most of the joe public. Still, if the man in the passenger seat is quick to learn, he will realise this pretty quick and let me just get on with it I hope.

We usually go from Palmerston North to Auck partly on SH1 - Desert Road and through the new by-pass at Taupo (or not, if we want a stop there for lunch and/or a walk by the lake) and turn off SH1 (turn right, when driving north) at Tirau (go through Matamata) - SH27. If you stick to the speed limit and have no stops, that is about 6 hours driving (P.Nth-Auck that is; Auck-Wgtn is more like 8 hours without stops). Some of the sections of road on this route are quite good really. But yep, when heading south, if you go via National Park, and then the Paraparas to Wanganui (all SH4), that is an okay route, with plenty of bendy bits. It'll slow your trip a lot though (despite the lighter traffic). Another option is National Partk (SH4) then turn left into SH49 (go through Ohakune and on to Waiouru - back to SH1). Or go further out on the Forgotten Highway (SH3 I think) and via New Plymouth. Or another route is SH43 to Stratford (supposed to be good but I have never done it). If you want to go way out of the way, try the trip via SH2 - south Coromandel and around the east coast (Tauranga - Gisbourne - Napier). But really, to make the most of that you'd want to do it over 2 days. Sure, traffic can be a bit of a pain sometimes if you take one of the main routes, but I've never had any issues using the route I most often take (via Matamata, then on to SH1 at Tirau) - I just pass the slow dweebs - but take note, I don't mess about, I pass plenty of boy racer Jappo cars too, not just the Nanas, and you will need a break and Taupo is a really good half way place between Auck and Wgtn for that - in fact, Taupo is the best place for a half-way stop in my opinion.

I wish I knew. To me it looks like something heavy and square, the corner of a toolbox or something. Two identical small right-angle tears, and a scratch mark that wasn't there before. There was a couple of other minor marks there before, but no tears, and the new scratch is bigger than anything that was there earlier.

LOL, so you don't wear a helmet? Hmmm, we were told, "You can go as fast as you like", but I have since been suspicious of that.statement. And your comment confirms it. I've driven a Ferrari before, but not on a race track - that's the point of benig on a track, to be able to go hard isn't it? I hope I'm not disappointed. I know how to pick the lines, drive smooth and quick, and all that, I have been on tracks plenty before in all sorts, raced karts and drien a F/Ford on Manfield - and was way faster than everyone else, timed laps but not racing. Well I'll let you know here how it goes. Might be April when we go.