gjm

What size spacers are you running? Would you consider including them? Ta.

Sounds similar to the 'Tom Thumb' one I found on TM - that was a SCA listing. I may have a look tomorrow, if I can be bothered to go out on a holiday weekend!

Hmm. Curious. It's in the 320d, so a 5L40E. I have a Tech Service doc citing 8.5 liters capacity from dry. Maybe they aren't including the torque converter?

Yup. I'll drill a hole in the top of the ATF bottle, fit a rubber grommet and make sure the pipe is to the bottom of the bottle. The grommet should hold it secure. If I need to hold the gearbox end, I'll get some help. 8.5 litres total capacity, although some will be in the cooler and some in the torque converter. (Not sure yet if I can drain that - it's easy on the Merc.) Just need to check how much I need to put in before starting the engine - it's full when the fluid is 90-125 degrees F and just starting to leak out of the fill plug hole while the engine is running, the car is level, and the gearbox in Park. In the meantime I need to stand on my left foot, place the index finger of my left hand in my right ear while rubbing my belly anticlockwise with my right hand and chanting "Filled for life, filled for life..."

You will probably find it is cheaper (and it will certainly be easier) to buy a car with a manual gearbox fitted. Converting an E30 isn't the most difficult, and it has certainly been done before, but it will cost at least twice as much as you think it will. You say it's your first car, but not if you've done much driving? If you're new to the roads, don't get hung up on manual vs auto. Concentrate on getting some miles and experience first.

Same thing, cheaper: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=835032001 No idea what the quality is like. So long as it works it's not really all that important!

Although this might do the job just as well: http://catalogues.repco.co.nz/#view=product&itemId=67071039&saleId=6707

I have found the sort of thing I was looking for: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=835937440 $37 seems an enormous amount for what this is - an empty 1 litre plastic bottle with a pump top! Still, it's a lot less than the $200 or whatever to take it somewhere and get the job done by someone else. And this way I can hopefully ensure the sump gasket is correctly fitted, the bolts are correctly tightened, and that half the underside of the car doesn't get covered in trans fluid. Actually, half of the underside didn't get covered last time... It took more than three weeks before the smell of fluid dripping on to a hot exhaust dissipated.

I have a set of Style 73s. Style 32: Style 73: Mine aren't perfect and the tyres are on them to protect the rims, but they are cheap.

Given my slightly dissatisfying experience with a gearbox specialist in Hamilton, I thought I'd change the trans fluid on the 320d myself this time around. In fairness, I would probably have done it myself last time had I had time and the weather been favourable. The E46... Well, our E46... Doesn't have a dipstick or filler tube for the trans fluid. This isn't uncommon (any more) - there's a plug on the side of the gearbox through which the trans is filled. The joys of a 'filled for life' implementation. This creates a bit of an issue - you have to pump the fluid into the 'box. Not under any great pressure of course, but the source container is likely to be below the fill plug. Anyone who has worked on diffs may have come across this, too. Back in the UK I had a couple of litre Castrol gear oil bottles I used for jobs like this. Nothing unusual in that, except one of them had two tubes - the normal one from the top of the bottle, and the second was inside the bottle. This meant that squeezing the bottle pumped the fluid from the bottom of the bottle rather than the top. I've not been able to find anything like this over here. Obviously there must be a way to do this! Does anyone know where I can find such a bottle? Or does anyone have any hints or tips that don't involve going out and spending anything like significant money on a dedicated fluid pumping system, or is that likely to be the best (only) solution?

I would so love to have this! And I'd teach my daughter to drive in it. Perhaps a bit noisy inside for a daily, but there's ways to deal with that. It'd be easy to say $9k is a lot of money for an E30, but it doesn't take long to add up what it would cost to build something like this. Good value, imo. Damn. Despite having been careful over Christmas I don't think it is practical (for us) right now.

Be interesting to see if the distance covered has increased in that time.

Good for at least 5 years, provided it's in the original, sealed containers. Heat from sunlight won't affect it (sunlight is more likely to damage the container) although extreme cold might.

I saw a Ute with a bumper sticker that said "I am a vet. I drive like an animal." It was only then that I realised how many gynaecologists and proctologists there are on the roads... ;-)

Black Kia small(ish) SUV on SH1, northbound, yesterday. Locked into the right hand lane at 80km/h. No, 85... 90... Brakes! 80km/h... 85... 90... 93... Brakes! 80km/h... Chinese woman driving it looked absolutely terrified.

Any older car which can show an extended period of individual ownership with related regular maintenance, care and attention is obviously a reasonable buy. Value? What someone is prepared to pay. Much more tricky. Location narrows the market... Not from a collection perspective necessarily, but when 'good' money is asked for a vehicle, regardless of how good that vehicle may be, there is a requirement to thoroughly inspect. That's more tricky if significant distance and time is involved. My gut says price is still a little high, but if it is as good as it's described to be, it could well be worth it. The updates are a matter of personal choice, but there's nothing offensive (unlike some cars we see offered!) and nothing irreversible should a new owner choose to do so. GLWS.

It puzzles me that so many people just seem unable to drive with anything approaching a level of competence. The police enforce the speed limits, as they are told to do, but they're not stupid. The traffic cops see all manner of bad driving on the roads, but there seems to be no attempt by the authorities (not the police, perhaps) to improve driving skills, or address what is an increasing problem.

http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/51770-very-cool-e30-buy-now/

I've used Air NZ parking a few times. Seemed OK. A friend in the UK had his Porsche 928SE, 1 of only 42 cars made, written off by British Airways Express Parking while they were 'cleaning' it.

Sounds like it is little different to any other 80s/90s 4wd system fitted to a car. (FF in the Jensen, excepted, of course...) Newer systems are better in many respects, except possibly one - modern systems are far more complicated and all-but unrepairable at home. That impression trickles down to the older systems, leading to them being deemed uneconomic to repair. That said, I know nothing of the BMW iX system. I've had 80s/90s Audi Quattros, and they really aren't complicated. Outside the knowledge of most DIY people, but often not outside their ability.

I preferred Alderney (those who don't know will have to look her up!) - she was a babe. 'Wombling' certainly describes many road users so well. I used to describe such people as 'bimbling obliviously', but may have to change that.

I was thinking it's a shame it was a water loss issue.

I liked the Wombles! I think Tomsk was my favourite.

It may be short-lived. Anyone else noticed how the pump price of fuel has started to drop again, following a seasonal 'spike'?

Dunno if that is the clip I've seen before, but one of these saw the operator of the parking facility trying to claim that it was unfair and an invasion of privacy that a video had been recorded of a paid driver abusing a customer's car.