gjm

Lol I was a couple of cars back. I thought one of the cars in front of me was going to ram the not-so-Swift at one point...

It was alongside a frickin' lorry - not even one with a trailer - for the entire time!!! (Lorry in left hand lane, not-so-Swift in the right hand lane.) I suspect the lorry driver was having a good laugh.

It should GTF out of the way! Slow down a little, speed up a little... Don't the drivers realise they've been alongside the same vehicle for over 20km???!!! If they used their mirrors they'd see a queue of traffic so long it disappears from view!

Why do Suzuki not-so-Swifts need to sit in the outside lane at exactly the same speed as the car they have managed to catch up with? Bottom of the Bombay Hills all the way to the start of the slight incline after Hampton Downs... At between 89 and 92km/h. Aaargh! Grrr... Kill...

I have an older SnapOn one that I've not used - if it is of interest I have no doubt we could come to some arrangement.

That's no KitKat, no sirree... Sooo much better!

And I thought the test in Egypt was easy... At least you had to actually drive the vehicle, even if it was only in a straight line forwards, and then back again!

Ron - can we summarise by saying driving standards in NZ are pretty low? If ticketing vehicles travelling a few km over the limit wasn't so profitable, we might see more emphasis on prosecution for 'driving without due care and attention', or similar.

I think this pretty much sums it up. Border bods are interested in MAF regulations and illegal import/smuggling, and not so concerned with trademark or copyright infringement especially in small, personal use quantities.

Fair 'nuf. I'd seen something about BC coilovers, and even mention of H&R but have no idea of prices. Compressed springs (I don't like the idea. but that obviously doesn't mean it isn't viable) will likely be the cheapest option; certainly worth investigating the price of custom springs. Maybe even something progressive? Other solutions will be available - LEDA (if they are still trading under their original ethos) would custom build anything.

There was stuff on the TV news this morning about someone being banged up for killing a small girl while driving on the wrong side of the road - the driver was (I think, I didn't really watch it) from overseas. The usual diatribe about train was trotted out. It's entirely possible that some people coming to NZ for a hols, and driving a car, do not speak English. (Hell, there's enough people living here that don't so why should visitors be different?) Let's also bear in mind that the vast majority of NZ is not covered by any form of public transport, so if you want to move around you need to use a car. You drive on the left in the UK. The rest of Europe drives on the right. There is continual everyday transfer of traffic across the English Channel. If it can be dealt with there, why not here?

Keith at George Stocks told me they can get Vogtlands. I thought coilovers were available for the E31? Although a (very) quick squint around t'web suggests variations in suspension on the different models. Dunno.

Tunnocks are yum. My mother-in-law has already bought some for me, so they'll be waiting when we get there. Changed the recipe at the factory in the UK? Nooooo.....! I know Sanitarium have messed around with it to make it more palatable to the stereotypical Kiwi sweet(er) tooth, but not the original. Please say it isn't true!

As we'll be heading to and from the UK in the near future, I thought I'd check on the situation with bringing some British food back. Typically, it's OK... However, Sanitarium who licensed production of Marmite n NZ in 1908, have sought to prevent the import of British Marmite (first manufactured in Burton-on-Trent in 1902) on the grounds of Trademark infringement. This restriction has been expanded to include very similar products manufactured under the Marmite brand but with a different name, including Ma'amite. NZ Marmite contains sugar and caramel, not found in UK Marmite. The base ingredients, while originally the same, are also now subtly different. Frankly, it seems Unilever (now owners of Marmite) have a case against Sanitarium for misrepresentation! I think the restrictions apply typically to mass importation of UK Marmite, and not to a couple of sealed jars in luggage. All the same, it seems odd to be prohibited from importing something similar, yet fundamentally different to a NZ-sourced product.

Can't help with the wheels - kinda need them on my car and I head north towards Auckland every day. Out of interest - what tyres do you have fitted? All 4 having high spots sounds unlikely. Not impossible, but certainly unusual. Alignment - I used Tyre Tracks on Kent St in Frankton.

Take the car to a different tyre fitter and ask them to check the wheels for balance - an alignment won't show if the tyres are round. When they're spun up for balancing you'll be able to see if they're round or not. And if they're out of balance, that can cause the vibration, too. What year is your 320i? E46s (in particular) get vibration when LCA bushes need replacing.

Shh! I suspect it could be as simple as marginally low fluid - that would give the two codes you're getting. Take it back, say you've been getting this issue since they changed the fluid, and ask them to check/top up. There are other possible causes, but that's the one which is most easily checked.

722.906 7sp transmission... Does it shift smoothly at low speed? If you slow down to a crawl, then accelerate again? Did the dealer replace the gearbox sump gasket and the filter? (For $600 I sincerely hope they did!)

I'd overlooked the number of 8-series built. My brother and I both had one - mine was an 840, his an 850 - and we knew several other people who also owned and drove them. As you do, when you have a specific model. Our cars were nigh-on stock. I think bruv had some fancy 3-piece rims. Incidentally, my comment re Dobi and never having heard of them wasn't intended to be detrimental. There's a lot of stuff I've never heard of, including (until we moved here) King springs, for example.

Tail lights option 2 will attract less 'unwanted' attention than other ideas.

Hmm. Sad. Lots of positive results on Mercs and other BMWs. Past performance no guarantee of future success? Or replacing worn-out and sagging springs that show a saggy lower height with springs designed to ride lower? Never 'eard of 'em!

H&R - http://www.h-r.com/bin/29583.pdf

Jules - 29583-1? 25-30mm drop front and back, but the price is a little exciting. Over EUR 500. E34 parts are much cheaper. Well under EUR 200. (Prices plus shipping, etc)

Why is the frickin' blower motor resistor mounted in a place requiring contortions that only instructions from the Kama Sutra will help you get to?

Depends how much lower you want to go. H&R do two spring kits suitable for a 525i - p/n 29672-1 and 60672-1.