gjm

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.

Imagine that at a Hampton Downs Playday...

Just been browsing brakeparts.co.uk. Full rebuild kits for both front calipers (including pistons) and kits for the rear calipers (don't include pistons): GBP 90 ex VAT. Or around NZ $180, plus shipping. Can't find stainless caliper pistons for the 'normal' E46. They're made for the M3, but not for the lower performance variants, and according to RealOEM the caliper repair kits (which would include a piston) are different. Anyone have a machine shop and stainless bar stock and fancy giving it a go?

Unfortunately investors expect a return. A return in excess of the investment. So person X from anywhere other than NZ who buys property worth $1m in NZ, will expect to sell for significantly more. Investor puts in $1m, takes out much more. Net loss to NZ. The same metric applies to shares, bought by overseas investors, in the utilities companies here. Electricity is generated in NZ, transferred through NZ, used and paid for by NZ, and the money goes overseas. Shurely shome mishtake? How does taking money away from NZ help NZ grow? I'm taking a very simplistic view. I know there is a lot more to this than is immediately obvious, or that I am discussing. I'm trying to keep[ things to their essence. And I'm all for older people selling their big family home, moving to something smaller, and seeing money go into their accounts. That's fine. They've earned it, probably by working here.

Passed the WoF with no advisories - the tyres were plenty good enough. I swapped them for a mint set of Michelin Pilot HXs that I'd planned to use on the Merc, but in fairness that was a bit ambitious. They're strictly too big for the Merc in it's current set-up so I'll sort 205-50/16s for that, instead. Besides, no harm whatsoever in putting the good tyres on the BMW. The alignment has been done so the four road wheels are all perfectly in the middle of the specified tolerances. They weren't far out anyway, but let's have things right. Chris at Tyre Tracks wanted to straighten the steering wheel too - it was about 1/16th of a turn out of line but he's a perfectionist - but the track rod ends were going to need heat to release them, an issue common to many cars. To be honest, when driving home I couldn't tell the steering wheel was off centre at all. Only one teensy issue with the WoF - a rear number plate bulb wasn't working. Actually, it wasn't there. And neither was the plastic cover that goes over it. Hmm. It's conceivable that shutting the tailgate has dislodged it at some stage, but that just seems unlikely. Odd. No worries - Greg Hantz replaced the bulb and cover for a very small amount. $5 for the whole job, or something like that. Other than that, no error codes, and the brakes were fine. Another 5.5 litres of Penrite Enviro+ 5W-40 in the engine. That's the last of my stock, so I'll either buy some more, or try something different... Nah. It's good oil. I'll stick with it. And now the search for caliper rebuild kits begins. Anyone know where I can get stainless pistons? I'll be looking in the UK in the first instance.

I apologise - I was stereotyping.

Cue manic laughter...

A remap on my 320d easily raises power from 150 to 190+ bhp, and torque by a similar percentage.

That doesn't sound an unreasonable increase for a forced-induction engine. Bear in mind that you will need to be absolutely on top of all servicing and maintenance, much more so than if your engine was left stock.

Stop teaching kids how to work in a call centre and give them some useful skills.

Internationally, yes, NZ looks like a bargain. Hence the foreign investors buying up property. To those people living here on median wage, property is rapidly becoming an unobtainable dream. I'll risk sounding like Winston Peters, but NZ should be about Kiwis first. Not foreign investment.

Lol Apparently E46s on standard suspension settings have a tendency to wear the insides of the rear tyres especially. Rotate the tyres, and you have four with camber wear.

Changed oil and filter. Passed WoF. Then fitted new tyres. And washed it.

Bought these for the E46 Touring, but have gone back to 16s. Just a case of practicality - the 17s need new tyres, and I had set of Michelins for the 16s. They obviously suit the E46. I think they'll also fit the E36, E34ix, Z4 (E85/E86) and possibly others, especially if you're happy to use a spacer to reduce the (numerical value of the) offset. 4 of them - one for each corner. With centres. Tyres are all Bridgestone Potenza RE050s. All four tyres have some, if not significant, camber wear. Size (not that it matters given the wear) is 215-50/16. Rims are not perfect, but don't have large chunks missing, any flat spots, or dents, and aren't cracked. I can take pics if anyone is interested. I can deliver locally(ish) or down to Hamilton, for a couple of weeks. After that I'll be working in Manukau so heading north, instead of south. No idea what the going rate is. Offers on $150 for the set? I also have a set of worn with camber wear, but WoF-able (didn't even raise a tester's eyebrow), 205-55/16s. 2x Champiro Bax2 (3-3.5mm), 2x FIrestone TZ700 (4-4.5mm). I'd like $100 for the 4 but make me an offer.

True. I retract my earlier statement. Whincup lost, it was his own fault, and his team should give him a good kicking for being an arrogant cock!