gjm

I love these.

I saw a post on Farcebook earlier where someone had been quoted $60 to have a new key cut for his BMW - he had the chip, but had broken the key stem out of the plastic fob. He was hoping someone could suggest somewhere cheaper.

There's a feeling I can empathise with... Pulling the turbo off the 320d to find that 'someone' (probably a nice man at a garage) had done it before, and used exhaust paste when reassembling. Fortunately no detrimental effects, but all the same... Has me questioning everything when I come across stuff like that.

<chuckles>

EPS... Expanded PolyStyrene? I'm not fully versed in NZ building regs but I suspect they require underfloor and in roof insulation. I think they do require double glazed windows which means that our plans to save money by re-using the windows in the house (which are in excellent condition) is a non-starter.

That was my thinking behind going for a concrete foundation for the extension. it'd be a reasonable size extension - about 40sq m - which would increase the size of the house by around 50%. The land is over 0.3Ha so we'd not be over-developing. Another consideration is recladding in plywood. In this scenario it is very, very strong and would tie everything together. Downside is that I don't like the look.

I think power has been dealt with, but I do know there is a tree at the front of the porperty that wil require attnetion - the power lines run very, very close to it's branches. Drainage is septic, water supply is tank. It's actually a little further from other houses than I would like, but that does mean noise isn't an issue. From the look of it, no additional works (other than the outbuilding construction, which was consented) have been done. Thanks for the advice. I've worked with asbestos, and written safety guidelines on it's use and removal. There's a good chance, given the age of the property, that there is asbestos within the cement/concrete tiles on the outside of the property. Again, a building inspection should reveal this. My biggest concern is the piles. I couldn't see them, and have no idea what their condition is. The current owner has been there for 10-15 years and hasn't touched them. We would be looking to significantly extend the house and while piles would match existing building infrastructure, I'm tempted to go for a concrete foundation (if it is suitable). If we opt for piles, I'll need to check to see if the existing structure needs to be updated to current code (assuming it isn't) as a part of the extension works.

I was going to say M10s are awesome, but it looks to be a facelift so it'll have a M42. This. It'll need work. However, at 2.5k for a WoF'd and rego'd manual E30 it's priced pretty well provided it'll not fold in half from rust. You could very, very easily spend $5-6k and more on something that looks and sounds nice, but still needs everything doing. Go into it with eyes open, expect the worst, and you could be pleasantly surprised. Rust is the big issue. Anything else can be sorted.

Oh, that's not the garage... That's a playroom. There's also a double garage.

A location would help! Waikato. Not out of the question for someone in Waiuku, but unlikely to alleviate any grumpiness!

Long shot, but does anyone know of, or can recommend, a building inspector? We're looking at a house. Older, probably 60s, fibre cement clad, on piles. Looks and feels good to our uneducated eyes, but obviously best to get a professional inspection done. It's a small place and we would be looking to extend in about 6 months to a year. This is a part of the attraction (for me) but I really am not letting it be the only reason for buying it!

You can hear them now. "Not much demand for those at the moment... We could take it off your hands for [small fraction of market value] but very little more..."

Stopped a leak from the screenwash bottle on the E36. A smear of blue Hylomar around the bung that the pump pipe passes through seems to have done the trick. Probably need a new/replacement pump though - the driver's side doesn't so much squirt on to the screen as produce a well-meaning dribble. Then gave the car a wash. Cordobarot is a really nice colour when you get the dirt off it!

Hardly 'high' ks!

Sorry - been out'n'about today. Saw your message earlier but couldn't easily reply from my potato phone. Replied now.

Not perfect (close-up of damaged area included), and I suspect for a manual car. No leaks, no rattles, no loose bits inside.

I'll have a look, check it is correct for an auto, and take some pics in the morning. (It came out of an auto but with a 30-year-old car that's no guarantee of anything!)

Think I have one here - came out of an '85, but shouldn't be any different. Not in HB so maybe see if you can find one a little more locally before we get into shipping?

Fitted new window regulator sliders in the driver's door of the E36, and adjusted the regulator so the window closes properly. It's amazing the difference the new bits of plastic make! Removed the front seats to hoover the carpets in the E36. Found $1.50. Result. It's nice getting into a car with clean-looking carpets.

Not so late that we've bought something! We're going to look at a house on Sunday. If we decide to buy, a 4wd car will be a sensible choice. As might something with a winch if we slip off the road leading to the drive...

5/8" slogging spanner and a lump hammer. Sounds harsh, but it is effective.

The 16mm bolts used for holding calipers on? A 5/8" ring spanner typically fits better than a 16mm one.

Replaced the stock solid discs (and associated calipers) on the E36 with some from a 328i. Bolt on upgrade - vented discs and bigger calipers. Usual assortment of tools required - 16mm for the caliper bolts, 14mm for the flexible hose, 7mm(!) for the bleed nipple... Anyone noticed how 16mm is a spanner size not normally included in a set? Whoever changed the pads last time (not me!) belonged to the 'lean on it' school of bolt tightening. The caliper bolts should be tight, sure, but these took some real work to get them undone.

Fixed the door mechanism and central locking on the E36. It now locks and unlocks on the remote. Never did that before.

That's nearly 2cm different in rolling diameter (when compared to the metric size). It will do in a pinch but a 205/60-15 is much closer if one can be found. 205/65-15 was a standard size on the E34. That's 0.6cm different in diameter to the metric 240/45 x 415. Of course, this relates to new tyres manufactured to a tolerance. A worn tyre could have a diameter of 1.2cm less.