gjm

I used to weld a bit, doing the usual brazing at school (mine was the best milk bottle carrier!) and later learning a lot by repairing a Land Rover chassis. I've never welded bodywork and don't intend to start now. Floors, sills, tunnels and the like have all been fair game in the past. However, I have a masochistic affliction which sees me vulnerable to old, probably rusty, cars. This gets expensive in a hurry if paying someone sort any problem. So, I'm wondering if I should invest in a welder, except it's been long enough that I don't know what to buy. I saw [url=http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=794932198]this[/u] on TradeMe which looks interesting (and I appreciate there's more needed than what is offered in the listing) but in terms of quality, I have no idea what might be good, bad, or 'OK for home use but you'd not want it in a workshop'. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Any secrets are safe with me. Aside from anything else, there could be a time when I need some discretion, too...

Thanks Andrew. I'll send you a message with details.

Agreed.

Troy - I think your mail box is full.

I need to get the wing on the Merc sorted too, so if anyone can recommend someone please shout out!

Kyu - it's for sale, just for you. Would suit you perfectly.

Sorted. Aside from the fact the car is now much cleaner, you'd not know they'd been anything.

Took it into Coombes Johnson in Hamilton today for the recall to have an airbag changed. They gave me coffee, drove me into the office, called back later and picked me up. The service manager and I had a chat about the car and he told me how impressed he was with the mileage and condition, saying when he got in that the recorded distance caused him to nod and think "not bad"... And then he realised it was miles, and not kilometres. An engineer who drove it told me it didn't feel much different from a new one. CJ changed the airbag, of course. They also thoroughly valeted the car inside and out, replaced the number plate surrounds which were getting tired (with CJ ones, obviously), and fitted a double card holder in the windscreen for the RUC and registration cards. They also gave it a thorough check over and found that the transmission sump gasket has a very slight weep. But that's it. Nothing else that they could suggest needed looking at. (The gasket and filter were replaced by Marshalls. Hmm.) Not bad. And (I think) good service.

There's nothing actually complicated in doing that - most of that sort of work is just about being methodical. Rebuilding the brakes is perhaps a little more involved, but even that isn't really difficult. The only proviso to owning and using an older car (on a regular basis) that I'd make is that you need to be prepared to get your hands dirty. Or have plenty of money.

I've been weighing up the hassle it looks like it'll be to find/source/commission stainless pistons, against buying some chrome steel ones and have been coming to the same conclusion. The only potential issue is the unknown quality of the replacement pistons... I'm currently seeing if I can source a genuine ATE piston and seal kit, rather than one from another manufacturer. Will the car be running at 800k? It'd be nice to think so! No real reason why not, but that's a long way off and a lot can happen between now and then. And will we still have it? I think if finding stainless pistons had been easier, I would have happily gone for them. As it is, hard-chromed steel will do just fine. It was good enough for BMW, originally, after all.

I've been offered an E21 320 which aside from being a fun project for me, would make a stunning first car for our daughter. Only problem is it is in Rodney... While that's a 250km round trip for me, it's not really so very far away and if it comes to it, I'll drive up and have a look. However, if someone is just a little more local than I am (as in, perhaps, lives north of the Auckland harbour, at least) and feels amenable, pretty please could they take a look on my behalf? I know it is far from perfect. WoF ran out in Feb this year and it has <ahem> "some rust." Mechanical and aesthetic issues I'm less concerned about, but "some rust" could be minor, or it could be cause to stay well away. Please post here or send me a message if you might be able to help.

I suspect it's a parking light.

And the search isn't <ahem> quite as effective as it might be. Lol But I'm certainly not complaining, I promise. I've upgraded forums in the past. It can be 'interesting'.

320d booked into CJ in Hamilton for Thursday. Apparently they'll groom the car too. Hmm. They've not seen it, yet!

Body shops certainly aren't uncommon... It's sorting the good from the bad that's needed. I thought I'd ask as I need to get some work done on the Merc where a wing was replaced and presumably not painted as well as the original job: the lacquer has lifted along the top. It's the only part of the car where this has happened.

Makes sense. It can be done while standing next to the car before handing over any money. Not just checks for outstanding finance, but prevents anyone using the car as collateral for a loan.

Popped across the road from work yesterday evening to get some bread and suchlike, and saw a really tidy-looking Techno Violet E36 in the carpark. Went to have a look, and a bemused owner coming out of the shop gave me a funny look. I'm sure I'd do the same. We got talking, I mentioned the forum, and he asked about bodywork and paint. Specifically, the bonnet on his car has a couple of areas of fade and a hint of peeling. Catch it now and perhaps it'll be fine? It got me thinking though - is it practical to spray just the bonnet of a 15 year old car, especially one with a more unusual colour like violet? I suspect it must be done for stonechips and suchlike, but how effective is it? Any suggestions for someone who'd do a really good job?

Lol

Thanks gents. PPSR is probably the cheapest option at $3. Carjam is $10-15. For some reason I thought there was a free way to do this, but when I saw PPSR I think that was the site I was looking for. Not free, then, just not expensive.

I'm sure I saw, somewhere, some details of how to check if a vehicle has any outstanding finance against it. Did I dream it, or is there a ready (and preferably, free) way to do this?

I had my E46 WoF'd at a BMW specialist. Not a franchised dealer, but someone who understands BMWs. As far as I can tell, VTNZ have always had a reputation for being particularly tough, but it seems they've also been a little inaccurate. Erring too much on the side of caution, perhaps? Check the tyres yourself, one at a time. If they are definitely, and sensibly legal and safe (and I don't mean will just scrape through in which case get the changes anyway) perhaps rotate them to put the best tyres on the back. Take the car to a specialist for the re-WoF, present the fail sheet from VTNZ, and ask if they could adjust the headlights (if necessary). Most WoF stations are happy to do this - they know private individuals don't normally have the kit required. Give it a wash first. I saw a militant MoT station (in the UK) fail a car for 'poor headlight focus' when the reality was the headlight lenses were just dirty.

Yup - that's the size. I bought the rims a while back, with the tyres fitted. I feel that 215 is perhaps a touch wide and that 205/50-17 would be better. There was some camber wear when I got them and assuming even wear when on my car, that's not going to improve. That said, I was advised that 1990s and 2000s BMWs have a tendency to wear the inside of the rear tyres. I've rotated them - well, swapped front to back - which means (if the wear story is true) they've all ended up the same. Changes were made when I had the alignment done... It'll be interesting to see how the 205/55-16s now fitted wear. You're more than welcome to have a look, but I appreciate Welly is a bit of a trek! I'll try to sort some pics this weekend.

The only supplier I found (in the US) for stainless caliper pistons doesn't hold stock, and their supplier has ceased making them. So standard chromed steel, or locally sourced stainless is the only obvious option.

I'd perhaps look to reroute the exhaust for a more conventional exit, too. But, yes. Definitely.