gjm

Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe I'll do some radical stuff over Christmas. See if I can take something that's working anyway, and try to fix it.

My view on affordability is probably slightly skewed. In the UK, maximum mortgage lending is calculated based on income, as it is here, but the upper limits tend to be around 3.5x, and not 5+. Difficulties with getting on the ladder are much the same, and while I have been thinking housing prices may be lower, I'm probably comparing a more regional figure with that of one of the fastest growing cities - Auckland. As for the sale of first time buyer homes - conversations recently with more rural agents (who will still have a better view of what is going on in the city than I do) suggest that the sale of ftb-type homes has barely faltered. The difference is that investors, speculators and landlords are stepping in, waving wads of cash leveraged off their current property portfolio, and snapping up ftb properties whenever possible, typically at well below advertised price. They can do this because a sale is a sale, and the real ftbs can't get the funds together. I think it was the governor of the RBNZ who suggested the problem with lowering the deposit requirements now would cause a sudden influx of buyers, and push prices even higher. Of course, had the 20% deposit threshold not been instigated, we might not have the log-jam we currently do! Or, conversely, maybe we'd be worse off... I'm not an economist. The new CVs are interesting. Realtors have for some time been citing that CVs are out of date and bear no relevance to property prices, and that buying at 30-60% over CV represented good sense because the CVs were going to change, and dramatically, upwards. That has happened in some areas, but much of Franklin has seen little change in CV. So the realtors are saying the properties are even more of a bargain now that the councils have undervalued them! I think I need to get on that bandwagon. Just need to exorcise my soul, first.

I've lived in worse! I'd not looked to see what was available. Was Henderson/Waitakere a chosen location, or just where the properties happened to turn up?

Nothing to report. Sorry. Get in, turn key, start, drive... Buy RUCs, put fuel in, drive... Repeat... Another service due in about 2500 miles or so. Just before Christmas, then.

Sounds a little like a justification for the actions taken by the National party, and an upbeat 'prices will rise' diatribe. Which, coming from the MD of Barfoot & Thompson, is to be expected. You could rewrite parts of this to give a completely different slant, by changing just a few words. For instance, "it represents what people with the ability to do so are prepared to pay to obtain the property of their choice in the current market" could just as easily say "it represents what people with the ability to do so are being forced to pay to obtain the property of their choice in the current market." Similarly, the notes around first time buyers could as easily say that ftbs will have to wait a long time before affordable property becomes available in Auckland. For anyone trying to buy a house, the numbers are scary. stuff.co.nz said, around the time the 20% deposit instruction came down (I know there are dispensatons for smaller deposits, but try and get one...) that all it would take is saving for a little longer. Hmm. Let's see... How much can the average person/couple save in 12 months, bearing in mind that at 12% increase per annum (quoted by Mr B&T) the price will have gone up by nearly $50k (based on a $400k property). Obviously they don't need to save an additional $50k - they need $10k more. Not impossible, but frustrating. For reference, Stats NZ quoted (12 months ago, and only provided a mean as opposed to a median which may be more relevant) the average hourly wage at $27.55 an hour, or ~$55,000 a year based on a 40 hour week. ANZ suggest this income (single person, 1 car) could support a $315000 mortgage based on a 5% ($17k) deposit. You could buy something down our way for that, but I don't know what you'd get in Auckland for ~$330k.

Not enough fuel, or too much? What's the economy like - any worse than when you bought it? How much oil does it use? Is it losing any coolant? Does the engine overheat at all? Any white smoke on start up? The 250t has the 2.5 twin cam engine, and can be prone to head gasket failure which (on the twin cam) manifests as bubbles in overflow reservoir (this is gas from combustion), an oily residue on the walls of the coolant overflow reservoir, and occasional engine overheating. It's not as easy to diagnose as the gasket fails 'internally' - there's no obvious outward signs of failure, and any symptoms can be difficult to reproduce. If it is a head gasket problem - check the radiator cap. Actually, do this anyway. These fail, allow too much pressure to build up in the cooling system, and could cause the original problem. If it is overheating at all, get it sorted ASAP. Repeated overheating will crack a cylinder head, and in the case of the 2.5, possibly the block. See here for more info on this. Of course, it could be something else entirely.

I was in 'windy' Welly on Thursday and Friday. Thursday - hang on to your hat. Friday, sailing in the harbour may have been difficult. You'd not have got your craft to move. Oddly it felt warmer on Thursday than Friday... Anyone see 'The Block' last night? 3 bedrooms on under 400sq m of land, selling for $1.5m. Crazy. Nice location for some, perhaps, but crazy.

If you have studs and can 'hang' the gasket, don't use a sealant. I don't know the technical reasons, but I've found that using a sealant in situations like that can actually be counter-productive. Carb to manifold, fitting a water pump (and similar) I'd use a sealant (normally Hylomar - if it's good enough for Rolls Royce turbines it's good enough for me) but not on a manifold to head joint.

I have these for sale... Not quite the same and I appreciate they may not be what you're looking for. But very cheap!

I have 17x7s from an E46, but appreciate they may not be wide enough.

See here: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/50039-bmw-airbag-recall

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'.