gjm

I was going to do this a while ago, but life got in the way. Replacing front springs. No worries getting the assembly off the car. However, everythng I've seen says to use an windy gun to get the nut off the top (once the springs are compressed!) Is this really necessary?

Ah. We have mostly Mobil or Gull.

This may sound silly, but where do you find 95? All I've seen recently is 91 or 97/8.

True. The powers that be are more likely to pass a container from a known agent through without inspection than they are to not inspect something from a random individual. And that inspection (if undertaken) will cost the importer, too.

I don't think there's any reason why you can't manage this yourself. However, as the shipment is over NZ$1,000 he'll need a client code. You get this by completing the NZCS 224 form on the Customs website. There will probably be inspections and so on needed, and (of course) duties, taxes and fees.

OK. Not a BMW. Not a TradeMe listing. But it is a McLaren, and that has to count for something in NZ! I want. I want so very much. http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/mclaren/unspecified/1865527.html

This is nuts! I'm not sure when the dealers spoke to their 'customers'... It used to be a significant differentiator between Mercedes and BMW that BMW were more sporty (in general). No manul box, and no sport suspension just means the cars are that much more alike. This sounds so good!

I was going to suggest the Kiwi buyers drop out because they know what they can sell a car for here, and they deem the price being required to be paid at auction as not leaving them enough profit for their new version of whatever they drive along with their extended spring/summer/autumn/winter beach holiday break. However... If the cars just aren't for sale in Japan either, then it's a different matter. The issue is more to do with the dumbing down that has gone on for decades. Us rebels who want to do things our way are a diminishing minority, and simply not (economically) worth catering for. Unless we go back to the situation Ron describes where you go to a dealer, front up a lot of cash to buy a specific model in a specific specification and insist on having that one, then wait months for it to arrive. It can be done - I have a friend with a factory original Land Rover Defender, diesel engine, and factory-fit automatic gearbox. He is handicapped, cannot use a clutch, but still runs a small farm. Apparently that particular order was turned around in under 3 months. Anyway, if you want a late-model car with a manual, you'd best either be ready for a long wait, buy it new as a special order, or arrange to import it from Europe.

Latest reports are 'Joey' will return, on a salary for the 2nd series somewhere between his speculated £500k for the first series, and the (again, speculated) £1m that could have been paid to shouty man. Matt LeBlanc doesn't need the money. He was making US$1m per episode for 'Friends'. Where do I sign up for a job like that?

The heater matrix is the first component used in the build of an E46. This is place in on the floor, and incidental things like the chassis, suspension, interior and so on are then bolted to it. This means replacement is a major job. OK - it's not quite that bad, but to replace the heater matrix in an E46 requires removing the front seats and the entire front dash with all controls and so on. Basically, strip the interior from the front end of the car.

Tell someone with an E30 M3, 190E-2.5 or similar that their car is lesser than something with a bigger engine! However, I do understand the sentiment. A 518i is hardly representative of what BMW were trying to achieve. Of course, manufacturers now muddy the waters by using the exact same engine in a variety of model levels, tweaking the ECU to produce more performance.

Nice idea! I do want to unroll/unstretch the rear arches, but I suspect that'll be a cut them out and attach new ones job. Economy. 1155.6km on less than 75 litres of fuel. That's less than 6.5 litres per 100km, making it cheaper to run than the 320d (once RUCs, extra rego and suchlike are taken into account). Doesn't have the same performance, power or torque, of course. All the same, seriously tempted to find an E46 1.8/1.9 (M43) Touring.

I think clicking on the star or spot next to the post detail in the unread list takes you to the first unread post.

The W124 is a nice car. It's actually a pity it has electric seats and a sunroof - at this level they're more desirable with less spec. Less to go wrong or leak. Looks like a nice car... Just ignore the description! The W126 could be nice but yup - appearances ruined by bling. Dunno if it still up on TM but there was a rusty 500SEC "AMG". The seller said you could tell it was an AMG because the VIN ended in a zero... How I laughed. And laughed... It did have a set of Pentas on it but the car itself would have needed serious work. And it wasn't an AMG.

Had someone run into the back of us today. Picked Miss M up from school, was waiting at a junction for a gap in the traffic when there's a bang and the car lurches forward a bit. The other driver admitted responsibility, and even described how she'd been trying to see around another SUV to see what traffic was approaching. I did politely suggest that watching the car in front was a better idea... I know it's not the best-presented car around, bu there's really no need for that sort of thing. The good news - the bumper impact absorber appears to have done its job, compressing and extending, saving the bumper from serious damage. Not sure if the bumper supports on the leading edge, near the wheel arch, have survived or not. The bad news? The other driver was in a SUV so while she hit the rear bumper, she also rode above it and dented the compound curved piece of metal work under the tail light, in two places. This damage extends to the side where the paint has split, so some remediation is required regardless of whether or not we want to make an insurance claim.

Warm up regulator? Pull the electric plug from it and (with engine off) test for open circuit. With engine running, test for voltage across the same connection - should be 12V, although 11.5 is acceptable.

Aye... An' thass when there weren't lines downt middle oot rud, neither!

I've been having fun in Miss M's 318i. Not even an 'S'. For me, manuals are so much more fun. There's a sense of satisfaction in driving a manual well which leaves me feeling as much passenger as driver in a car with an auto 'box.

Much uncertainty over what will happen re Top Gear. Matt Le Blanc was asked if he'd be back and replied "I don't know. I'd like to. There's nothing officially happening yet. Follow the BBC."

MTA membership is voluntary (RMVT isn't), but if the dealer is a member they will help with advice. They tend not to be biased, so they'll not simply support the dealer.

Was/is the dealer a member of the MTA? If so, call the MTA. Did they display a CIN? You're entitled to have small faults rectified. However, I don't know if you now have recourse after 7 months. If you have continued to contact the dealer, then I think you should have.

Just '80 & '81.

I've found reference to these being made by Kamei for the Euro market. They're known as 'lufthaube'.

I understand what you're saying and I kind-of agree. However, having gone through almost the exact same process a couple of months ago, upgrading another forum to exactly this software, I suspect that had we not decided to 'do it' we'd still be playing, tweaking and testing, trying new things (and this software has many new things!) in another couple of months time! The new platform is particularly versatile (within reason). Give the guys some time - they're fitting this in around real life.