gjm

Another one last night... 5.2, near Stewart Island.

The flasher unit isn't normally the problem, but if you have a spare handy (or can borrow one) and cleaning the bulb connections hasn't helped, then yes - try swapping it out.

Lol. No, but I wouldn't buy a Hillman Minx. I might go for the Armstrong Siddeley, though...

It's an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 346. (Not sure if I'm the Graham you were thinking of, though!)

Check the connections to the indicator bulbs, especially the rear ones. They can corrode, but even a dirty connection can cause a problem. The flasher unit contains capacitors and transistors. A transistor is a voltage controlled switch, and the capacitors fight to prevent changes in voltage (which is why they are used for smoothing in some applications). When used together, the capacitor controls the voltage in part of a circuit, and when the voltage exceeds a certain level it allows current to flow through the transistor. By cycling the charging and discharging of the capacitor, it allows the transistor circuit to open and close. If the speed of this cycling changes, it means something in the circuit has changed, allowing the time for the capacitor charge/discharge cycle to decrease. It could be the flasher unit that is causing the problem. Maybe the alternator and battery voltage is too high (less likely, but easy to check), or the resistance of the circuit has changed. The resistance can increase because of a failed bulb (which you've already checked), or dirty or corroded contacts somewhere in the circuit, including relays and so on. Something else to check is that all bulbs have the correct power rating. The E30 has (I think) standard 21W bulbs.

That's my recollection, too. Possibly less. Currently selling for 18-25k GBP.

That's got to be about $10k more than when they were new! (Around 33000 euro.) Damnit. Another investment opportunity missed...

I'm a bit disappointed I missed it. Looks, from comments in the auction, that the seller accepted an offer subject to inspection, something that wouldn't happen 'til today. I was interested cos we may be moving house soon, and the larger load area, and the towbar, would have come in very handy indeed.

It does. Errmm... (Question from a naive one!) Is that a bad thing?

I wonder what Turners paid for it in their 'cash now' program... And who had the job of deciding what it was worth? The engine would be good for someone with very deep pockets - it'll be a spare for a race car somewhere.

Max - yes please. I'll send a PM.

I lived there long enough that I thought I might need dipping in phosphoric acid before I'd be allowed into NZ! It takes a long time to dry out the sogginess caused by many years in the UK... ;-)

This one claims to be rust free... Have a look. http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C367339

I've been looking at E28s lately too. Prices seem high, here, certainly by comparison with the UK at the moment. OK, so there are fewer here, but there's one in particular I found for sale in the UK advertised as a 1987 M535i (with an auto box? Can't readily check as no VIN details available). Looks to be in great condition, and has an asking of (equivalent) $9k. OK, there's shipping and associated costs to account for, but for a very good car perhaps it's not so ridiculous?

Changing the oil at 100k might be recommendable, but only because 100 is a good arbitrary number and easily remembered. 110,000km isn't much. It does sound as though the problems you are experiencing are unlikely to be entirely attributable to use; the diff in our 320d has a little very smooth noise at low speeds, but that's far more acceptable under the circumstances.

Our Touring had the right amount of 'oil' in the diff, but calling it 'oil' may violate the trades description act (or similar). It was thin, watery, and pretty much lacking in any sort of properties normally associated with lubrication. However, it had been there for over 11 years, and covered around 350000km, a time and distance that probably equates to manufacturer's lifetime expectations. How many kms has your car done? Could it be considered high? If not, it is curious why the diff should be noisy... Obviously annoyance and a desire to get it sorted come first, but it'd be interesting to find out. Repair is possible, but replacement will be quicker and simpler, even if shimming is needed.

Has the fluid/oil level ever been checked? "Sealed for life", says BMW. That's b*ll*cks, says anyone who knows anything about cars... If you can find one s/h, get it checked before fitting. I've never played with one that new, but whenever I've swapped diffs there has been a need for shimming to ensure correct meshing and minimal lash.

But... But... But... I might have to drive a 1998 4-door VW Polo 1.6 automatic along 40km of SH1!!! I have been looking at bikes. Suzuki GS1000 (I used to race one), or maybe an air-cooled GSXR-1100? (I commuted from Norwich to Paddington, London in the UK on one - never quite got below the hour for the trip, but it was 124 miles... ) A Yamaha FJ1200? Or there is a BMW R1100RT sitting idle next door?

The seller has accepted an offer, probably $2k (at a guess). Wasn't from me, although that's what I was thinking of too. Anyone on here?

I think the M20 blocks are the same. The differences lie in the crank, rods, pistons (and bore), and head. M20B20 & M20B23 have 80mm bore M20B25 & M20B27 have 84mm bore The location of the water passages on M20B20 and M20B23 blocks prohibit the use of a bigger bore as in M20B25 and M20B27. This does suggest there are differences, but I don't think they extend to the sump. The B20 and B23 head is the same, and will fit on a B27 block. It's got to be worth a go.

I had 2 GTVs - a 'Strada' which was the 2-litre, twin cam model but fitted with all the nice trim, suspension and brake parts from a GTV6, and a South African race-spec GTV6 3.0. Only ever had two issues with them (aside from the usual look after them well) - rust, and adjusting the parking brake. Fabulous things.

It's certainly cheap enough. If I get a chance, I'll have a look this weekend. We could do with a 2nd 3rd 4th 5th car, especially if it has a big load area. Mrs GJM could use the 320d for ferrying duties, and I'd use this to go to and from 'tron.

I don't like the guy at all - probably bearing a grudge since the Adelaide GP in '94. Still hope he pulls through.

For example - it happened with this post! ^ I clicked on post, and 30 seconds later the forum hadn't confirmed. Opening a new window and clicking the 'View New Content' link showed my post to be at the top of the list. No problem. Just close the window where you had entered your post.

There have been a number of multiple postings over the last few weeks. I've noticed that when starting a new thread, or replying to an existing one, it sometimes seems to take a while for the post to be... errmm... posted. However, if you think that your post hasn't been accepted, try opening a new browser window and see if your post is one of the most recent ones. It probably is. So rather than click again (causing the multi-post), have a look first. The issue isn't with posts being accepted (it more than likely has), but that the forum isn't coming back with a confirmation.