elmarco

Think i remember Glenn saying it was a diff out job - but cant be sure.

Joe Gregory perchance?

If you consider that aluminium work hardens like crazy as well you'll be steering well clear of cheap knock offs & anything that has been repaired like it has the black plague. There is so much to potentially go wrong with aluminium wheel manufacturing its scary (with big consequences for failure as well). Everything from porosity, casting defects, heat treatment, machining defects etc. Scary how many replicas with mo name, pedigree or approvals there are out there - bit like people buying cheap no name tyres.

No but it looks like it shattered on impact. The best ones are forged, while replicas are typically cast & then machined.

Christ - i got hammered for nothing.... One of the most boring races i think ive seen.

My understanding is that the aisin 6spd slushbox auto (not DSG or CVT) is also used in a number of japanese cars as well... Pretty much all new cars are a bit of a minefield. Practicality wise, theres no comparison with the E46 (or E90 for that matter) - the Golf is much better thought out inside. Ive owned both & the dubbie shits all over them.

My wife as a 2.0 FSi with auto. Have heard similar things about the transmission - but never clear evidence as to which one they are talking about. Have heard it called a multitronic which it isn't (these are CVTs & do have a bad reputation - don't think they ever used them in the golf), and the later ones are DSG (as are all the diesel autos). Ours is a proper aisin 6spd auto with torque converter. The DSG can give problems with the mechatronic unit if not serviced properly - and i believe the oil grade is critical. Worst things we have come across are: - cracked oil filter housing - fuel pump failure (which seems pretty common) - knackered dogbone mount (which i still need to get fixed) - fading pixels in the dash in the summer heat (again pretty common) Ours drives beautifully for a car thats done 150+kms, has more airbags than your average plastic surgeons office, better stereo std than my E90, pretty economical & gets off the line like a cut cat. Also has a great turning circle for city driving - unlike the E90 which is more like the Exxon Valdez to park. The seats are more comfortable than most & interior space & ergonomics are much better than the E90. Its a safe car & that was my main concern for the family. Its such a good car that im still mulling over flicking the E90 & getting a GTi.... They are complex mechanically & electronically so tread a little carefully or it could be a bit of a money pit.

Yeah im struggling wth the dark background too... I am using a tablet & still cant read a damn thing... Lighter background was better if you ask me.

Parts of it, yep sure did. Very small parts to be fair (wiring harnesses), but i also did the Vanquish, maclaren slr vision, porsche 996, smart roadster & a bunch of much less exciting but much bigger volume stuff like CRV, Primera, SAAB 95 etc....

I always liked the XC90, but i believe they a bit of an orphan in NZ. I'm told that the auto trans can be a bit fragile, but apart from that they are a good wagon. You might even see my handiwork in the headlamps, tail lamps & rear fog lamps Edit: sorry, just realised it was the XC70 you mentioned.... I hate these new forum colours which mean i cant read it properly

Pre-series is effectively their production ramp up before full production release with the final process timings, final sign offs on purchased materials & tooling etc. The europeans use the word control where we would say quality check. So in short i believe this actually referring to additional production testing / checks before production release of the line & has no bearing on the actual spec of the car.

Huh? Have you never watched the americas cup? Its entire history is rich guys doing whatever they can to win (including getting the lawyers out) & this one is no different. The NZ public has been fooled into thinking its a nationalistic sport - its not. ETNZ had a wealthy backer as well. Ive always been a fan since Australia II (with the exception of the legal wrangling) and must admit i was skeptical of this regatta when only 3 challengers fronted up. But the finals racing has been nothing less than spectacular - i'd happily watch another series of AC72 racing. ETNZ choked - but not when everyone assumes it was at the end. They had their chance & needed to shut the door when it was 8-1 & there were a few tactical errors that really hurt them in the end. After Oracle started coming back the writing was on the wall I'm afraid & the last 4 races were just inevitable after they had found the boat speed. Would have been awesome to see it come back again - but i think the Oracle team have done a f**king great job winning it after staring down the barrel.

Who - Pablo?

It will be the diff mount not the gearbox.

They can be thirstier than a thirsty thing in the desert. Have heard of a couple of auto transmissions going south, but probably no worse than average. Brothers one seems to go well apart from its drinking habit.

Special K + morphine + 2 nurses. Sounds like a party! Bet your average unlicensed pharmacist doesn't provide that kind of service

You mean it was the crap Mobil didn't want to put their name on....

Epic.

Now that deserves to be transplanted into another project. The engine tone alone is worth $20k.... V10 4wd VW beetle?

Might be good for a project like Tony's but looks like the insurance company wrote it off for good reason - it's forked.

CK Be?

Yellow & amber have different definitions & different colour coordinate ranges. The US SAE rules are quite specific on the colour (although they call it yellow), as do the ECE regs for amber. As long as the bulbs have an SAE or ECE approval marking on them you will be fine. Make sue the bulbs are low UV & a brand you recognise. I do question how much impact the bulbs by themselves will make - normally they are combined with coloured lenses.

It sounds like Jeff Gray are being very detailed but not very useful if they have not actually shown what they actually mean. The problems listed are not unexpected for a 10 year old BMW & themselves are fairly common - did they give you any other comments on the condition? The cracked diff mount is the same for almost every E46 I've driven & rubber components age on all cars so I don't think there is anything to be overly concerned with. However, the price is another thing altogether... For $17k you are close to E90 money. I would have thought it was more like $13 - $14k tops - I sold my 330ci with similar kms for $12k 8 months back & pretty sure they haven't increased in value since then. Edit: looks like Dan beat me to it....

That's the international standard for automotive supplier quality management systems - not a nz standard, & not something you can certify a product to. The product itself must meet SAE rules or have an ECE certification (which is an independent test against the relevant ECE standard).

If you have a written quote & paid a deposit I don't think they can vary the terms of the contract. I'm not a lawyer but I have doubts as to how legal that is. Just because someone f**ked up & it costs more isn't your problem... Maybe ask citizens advice bureau? Or alternatively, someone in the know may chime in.