elmarco

I've seen that look from ours.... Sits there thinking "if only I was a bit bigger, I'd have you"

Depends on the year of your car... Looks like an old gen radio and may need an adaptor harness and aerial amplifier if you have a new gen car (think the changeover was around the middle of 2001 but could be wrong). It's a CD43 stereo, so should work with the factory E46 CD stacker OK. If it was a Japanese one, you may find it is not a world mode stereo and can't be reprogrammed to NZ frequencies like the later versions. Have you asked Ray at Hell BM?

^ What - higher def porn again??

Does it not come with the wiring harness? The ones I have seen plug inbetween the stereo and the vehicle wiring harness. Maybe PM Hotwire?

Funnily enough, Ross at BM Workshop gave me the same run down this morning. And not cheap problems either....

Too big sadly. I initially tried to push her down the 3 series/E46 route, but she says mine is too big and heavy for easy parking in the city.... I had one of these in the UK as a rental a couple of years back. It was very disconcerting having that long nose - and if I remember correctly, it was a bit of a nightmare to park (tighter parking spaces admitedly, but much more difficult than the E90 I had in Germany the week after).

Don't you just love Microsoft licensing??

Yep - I am interested in knowing more.... You have a PM.

No, mine doesn't have the fold in option either. It does have the angle down in reverse option though. I actually thought it was more of a Japanese thing with their exceedingly small parking spots and narrow streets.

207 ruled out on $$$... Any 307 will be NZ new (with a full pre-purchase inspection by a Peugeot dealer) so I will make sure that it has had all the recalls done (including the trans solenoid).

No - has to be auto/tiptronic. She don't drive stick....

Good luck with that - if they didn't put it in, I would suggest they will say it was incorrect installation first up.

Holey moley! You would have to REALLY want the folding mirrors to justify that! Might be cheaper to lease a larger carpark....

The Swift was ruled out on lack of power (I was so proud I nearly cried!). I had a quick look at the new Fiesta yesterday and it looks pretty funky. Sadly, it is only a couple of months old in the market and still well over $20k. The old one is just a smaller version of the Focus (which didn't really inspire either of us). I still reckon the 206 would be the money if you could live with the engine noise - looks good, good specs, zippy, and in the budget. Not my decision in the end though....

My understanding of the issue is that he has replaced a hard drive, and reinstalled Windows. On activating Windows, he has used a licence key from another machine (a laptop he owns which is DOA) as he can't find the original license key for the particular machine that has fallen over. I still suspect that the license key used was tied to the specific laptop hardware and can't be used for anything except that laptop. Could be wrong, but I have come close to falling into this trap before.... If Glenn has a full copy for $50, that will solve the problem.

Update 2: So we had a look at another couple of cars today... Focus: Nice looking car and the interior isn't too offensive either. Hated the steering wheel, and overall nothing to really make it stand out from the crowd or make you grin. Went OK, was quiet enough, but it really did feel like driving a rental car. Nothing special about the spec that we looked at (poverty pack as that's all they had - steel wheels and all) and I would want something a little better. One thing I did wonder about was the passenger airbag - it looks like you need to replace the entire dash skin after an airbag deployment... Mazda 3: Probably didn't like the interior as much as the Focus, although the steering wheel was 100x better. Again, it was a poverty pack model and while it didn't do anything badly (apart from refuse to start first time ) it didn't really stand out either. Only had 2 airbags vs the 4 in the focus. I was kind of expecting more from Mazda - they have a reputation for being a bit better spec and sportier than their Ford cousins. Also after having a look at a privately advertised Mini, we happened to stop in at Jerry Clayton. They aren't a mini dealer, but happened to have a nice red one out the back. 2002 done 27,000 kms, a nice spec (has the chili pack) and was in spotless condition. Sadly they wanted about $26k for it - outside our budget.... Very nice car though. So, after a weekend of looking at cars, she has narrowed it down to a Mini with the 307 being a second choice. Now just to find one in the right colour, spec, condition, price, and location.... The fun continues - if only she would drive a manual it would make my life so much easier.

It is most likely an OEM license and tied back to the laptop hardware. If so, it isn't transferrable to another PC (I believe it checks manufacturers and serial numbers etc - the serial number is manufacturer specific). Worst case http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/Softwar...n-223488293.htm or you find the original license key (not a label stuck to the bottom of the PC is there?). Edit: if the other hard drive can be massaged into life one last time, you can install Belarc Advisor which will give a list of all the software keys installed....

Yeah - I asked the guys at CCS and they didn't seem to be alarmed at the engine noise in the 206, so I have put it down to engine design and insufficient of sound damping in the engine bay. It wasn't a full inspection as we only wanted to get a feel for what she wants - not inspect individual vehicles so I didn't even lift the bonnet to listen properly. It's a pity because other than that, I thought it was a nice little car (sporty, but not ridiculous). We didn't even look at the 207 as it is well outside the budget ($15k or up to $20k for a mini)...

Was never going to make the cut....

Update: We test drove a Mini Cooper, Swift, Peugeot 307 and 206 this arvo. Have to get to the Golf, Focus and Mazda 3 tomorrow (tried for a Golf, but CCS have a grand total of 9 used VW's at the moment where they normally have 60 - so nothing similar to what we wanted). Think I have gone off the A3 idea for the moment. Mini: Very nice vehicle, with the build quality you expect from BMW. Bit pricey at Team McMillan and they didn't actually have anything that specifically met our requirements, but I can't fault the sales person (Kate if I remember correctly). Very pleasant to deal with - will be keeping an eye on what they get through in the next few weeks. Suzuki Swift: Had less get up and go than the current 1500cc mid 90's Civic automatic that will be replaced (very disappointed with this - I expected some zip from such a small light car)! Surprisingly, they seem to hold their value well - to the point I would have to consider buying a new one over a 3 year old one. They do appear to be a bit rattly (resonance rattles from big flat panels) - but I guess this is to be expected from a budget car. Overall, bit disappointed, and the Mrs said no based on the amount of grunt (or lack thereof) - that's my girl! Peugeot: Drove a 206 Sport (1600cc), and while it ticked most boxes and I actually think it looks pretty good (nice spoiler kit, climate air, good size - not too big or small, handled reasonably well), it was noisy. Plenty of zip in traffic, but at one point I thought it was a diesel! Not sure if this is normal or not - it was certinly the noisiest car we drove. The 307 (2000cc) was quite nice and very quiet. Bigger car, and noticably smoother than the 206, but still not close to the build quality of the mini (lots of hard plastic and looks noticably cheaper). She has neither ruled either of these out, or raved over them, so the jury is still out. I would have been sold right then and there if the 206 was as quiet as the 307 (or had been the diesel with the same noise level)... Must say that it was a reasonably pleasant experience. I hate going to car dealers - but big ups to the guys and girls at CCS (VW and Peugeot - Audi was a fail), Team McMillan and Winger Suzuki. They didn't make me want to strangle anyone, and didn't get at all pushy like some of their kind can. Driving these other cars makes me appreciate my coupe all the more....

Say what?? I have heard of the fruit salad diff (banana skins to stop it whining) and seen MacGyver crack an egg into the radiator to stop a leak but never heard of pepper in the coolant.

What's the hardest part about learning to rollerblade?? Telling your mum you're gay.....

Without checking in detail, I would suggest that you need to let them know regardless of who has done it, and the type of change. The last thing you want is to find that you fall into some grey area (normally immediately after an accident) and some pedantic assessor decides that because the policy says auto and doesn't match the vehicle perfectly, he will decline your claim. Trust no-one... And especially not an insurance company to look after your best interests in the case there are any questions. Edit: I know I am preaching to the choir on this

Jayeezus there isn't much legroom in the back of that!

Yeah I know. And they are getting their styling pretty close now too. Not sure I want to own one yet, but they are gaining more respect. Feel free to use and abuse....