gjm

This. Far too sensible for today's economy-driven production, though.

Aye. Concours gets nuts. How you park the car, with the (matching) tyres all lined up so the writing reads the manufacturers name at the top of the tyre, and all the valves are in the same position. Ever seen someone cleaning the inside of the tailpipe with a cotton wool bud? And whatever you do - don't polish something that shouldn't be polished! It might look nice, but it'll lose points.

1st Sunday of the month, Gt South Road... May as well be given how clean some of the cars are!

Really? You can get a new cover - not a mat - for $3-400. To restore to original condition may be a different story, but I don't know of anyone doing that commercially. I'm keen to know if anyone is doing that. The $700 price was based on someone selling a mint condition dash, and the amount they felt they might have to spend to find another in similar condition.

I was going to say that they're HUGE, but looking at specs suggests they are no more than 10mm longer. It's probably the roofline and flat back that makes them look big. The Stagea is typically reliable but the engines do have some annoying quirks, and they are a mission to work on. Something to consider. The Infiniti EX / Nisan Skyline Crossover looks interesting too, but the same old $$$ issue applies.

A voice of experience? My brother can tell a similar story about something in an Audi A4 Avant... Having looked a littl emore, your story follows a fairly common theme. Having owned a Legacy wagon or an Outback, a lot of people buy another one. And another one... We'd be looking at a late Gen3 or early Gen4. I'm not interested in the optional fancy lane departure warning and similar kit that is available on the later Gen4 and the Gen5 (and they're too expensive for us anyway).

It's something we have to ask... Is it big enough? Probably... Stick a towbar on it and the carrying capacity becomes less of an issue. I have looked at goo-net with regard to a self import. Some real bargains could be had there, compared to normal NZ prices... Assuming they are good cars, of course. Never having gone down that road I'd be asking for guidance and suchlike from someone who has imported before and has knowledge of such things.

A little light research into H6-equipped reliability... This from 2003: "I am a Subaru mechanic, since the 3.0L came out I haven't had 1 problem. [This would have been in 3 years from launch of the 3.0 H6.] The 2.5L engine has timing belt tensioner problems, crappy Champion stock spark plugs that misfire, oil leaks. I would rather have a 3.0L engine any day over the 2.5L. I like the valve in the intake mainifold and the muffler that open at around 4,000 rpm for better flow. Plus the 3.0L has platinum plugs and coil on plug ignition, instead of the 1 coil and wires on the 2.5L." The writer now drives a 2006 Subaru Legacy with the 3.0 H6 engine. Comparing to the Volvo 4wd wagon: "I feel that the engine is as smooth as they come once warmed up, it provides good acceleration, and is pretty quiet. I also feel that the all-wheel-drive is superior to that used on the Volvo (or anybody else's for that matter). The drivetrain is laid out in a simplistic pattern, which is less complicated, and thus more reliable than other setups. I have heard that Volvo reliability is not what it used to be since they have become a Ford company. The H6 also benefits from better fuel economy." There are reports of issues with the 3.0 H6 engine, but they are typically with engines that have clocked up more than 250k miles. I have read the word 'bulletproof' many times in connection with the H6.

Thankfully we're not in a hurry to change! The Subaru option is becoming more thought about. If we did go for a Legacy or an Outback, it'd be with the 3.0 H6 (EZ30D) engine, in a car produced between 2000 and 2005, encompassing the late 3rd generation and early 4th generation cars. The later (larger) engines are too new and prices too high at present, and the 2.5, while a good engine, has well documented 'issues'. The 3.0... Not so much. That does rather leave the question of Legacy vs Outback. (It'd be a wagon we'd look for.) Neither is an out-and-out offroader, of course, but that little extra ability from a slightly raised ground clearance may be useful. The Outback is a little taller and that may be good for Mrs M. I suspect the question is a similar one to the Audi A6 Quattro Avant vs the Audi Allroad - neither is necessarily better and it is just a case of which do we actually need. The Legacy is likely to be slightly more economical and handle slightly better than the Outback. (Apologies for thinking out loud here!)

The 140-series really doesn't do much for me. Extraordinary cars to drive or ride in, but the looks... Meh. It's known hereabouts that I'm a fan of the W126, but I also like the W220 and (especially!) the 215 coupes. Things got really serious in those cars, with some standard engines delivering 450+kW and torque restricted to 1000Nm. I'm sure maintenance would be a headache, but I hope one day to park something similar in the garage. Not that I have anything against the E31! I had an 840; my brother had an 850. It was an interesting counterpoint to the Mercedes W126 560SEC I had, while he had a 500SEC.

Fitted new cupholders and a coin tray to the 320d. It used to have a small cubby with the sliding/retracting lid, but it was getting difficult to clean, and the lid had broken. The cupholders might be useful one day (I very rarely have a drink in the car) and my wallet and phone will fit in them just as easily as in the tray.

LHD cars have a lot of kudos in Japan. It's a status thing - the driver can pull up to their favourite restaurant/club, and get out of the car on the kerb side so they don't have to walk around the car to get to their destination.

Found this. Don't know if it'll help - I've not had time to read it yet. E36 central locking.pdf

LOL Sounds familiar. On Miss M's car, the right rear door almost always locks independently of the other 3. I have to manually raise and lower the locking pin. The other three doors normally lock from the driver's door. Unlocking... The drivers door unlocks. Sometimes the others do to. Sometimes, unlock the drivers door, open it, shut it again and then the other doors unlock. (Except the right rear.) Sometimes, once the drivers door is unlocked, insert the key in the ignition, turn to po=sition 2, press the button on the key fob and then the doors unlock. (And the immobiliser disables.) The boot seems unaffected. All doors do lock. It's just that it can be a bit of a dance. It's been suggested that it is the DME (I think) that is the problem. I'm pretty sure the drivers door lock is also duff.

Sold, pending payment.

It's been quite a while since I used PayPal to receive a payment... And when both I (as recipient) and the sender got stung, I was a bit surprised. Ho hum. Live and learn.

Interesting... I'm not a business - can/does it work for private individuals?

Oh - and a propshaft! Forgot that bit.

Getrag 240 5-speed manual gearbox and all the trimmings for a M10. It'll fit an M30 too, but I don't advise that. I think everything you could need is included. Clutch, gearstick, linkage, clutch & brake pedals, slave and master cylinders, reservoir. At the moment it's still connected to the M10, and still full of oil. Shifted very nicely, smooth and precise, when in the car. Offering it here because you're all lovely people before putting it up on a couple of Facebook groups. $750. Collection from 45km north of Hamilton, just off SH1.

It's worth a go.

Prolly got cutties, bro.

E21 swissrace.mp4 Originally a 320i E21, now powered by a 2.0 version of the M42, a copy of the 1994 STW engine.

Frickin' PayPal... I sent USD35 to a guy in the US. No problem - he received USD35. Someone in Oz wants to pay me for something a little more valuable, and he gets stung AUD30 for currency conversion fees, and I get over NZD40 of fees deducted before the money gets to me. I wouldn't be bothered if I was making anything out of the deal! Any suggestions for a better way? International bank transfers are reliable in that money gets from account A to account B, but the vagaries of bank exchange rates and bank charges mean that you rarely have an exact idea of how much money will be received.

This is about the size of it. (y) The M43 makes about 115hp. The M42 and M44 make 140hp. Getting that 30% increase from the M43 is likely to cost as much as replacing the engine... And either the M42 or M44 will then tune well beyond that 140. The problem with the M43 is it's design, especially the cylinder head. Getting more air and fuel in there requires some fairly serious work, work that's done for you in the M42/4. I like the M43, and have daily driven one for a few months. It's a good engine. Have a chat to James (thorburn). He'll probably have some ideas that may help, but his question, and "how much [more] power do you want?" will be determining factors.

It's a brand-new Garret GT1749V from Turbo Dynamics in the UK - an like-for-like. Retail on these is well over NZ$1400 plus shipping, insurance and taxes... Fortunately I got this one from Richard in wellington when his plans changed. It's a PITA job. The 320d has one of the most difficult to remove airfilters I've ever come across, and that's just the tip of a rather large iceberg. Mileage hasn't risen much recently. The 320d has been resting while we've used Miss M's 318i to ferry her around and get her some driving experience. She's off to Uni next week and the 318i may well be up for sale - she needs the money!