gjm

Naaah... Well, not yet. I'm chatting with someone about multi-map ecu programs (standard, economy and performance), decat downpipes, hybrid turbos and EGR delete kits. It's actually starting to sound practical. I'll keep drinking. Still, 220bhp, 420Nm, and 5.6l per 100km? Probably fry the gearbox.

Right - I've got everything sorted here. Time to go home. Where'd the sun go? It was lovely out, earlier. Sorry Mojo - won't be today. Monday is a possibility, but would it be worth just making your offer and seeing what she says? You know you're in for suspension and/or wheel changes, but the other things you mentioned don't sound like show stoppers.

Weld a coupla fours together - after a few Woodies, no-one would know the difference...

I wasn't sure where to put this, so thought I'd start here. Has anyone had a sunroof 'filled in'? What sort of success did they/you have? It's probably easier to replace teh roof skin, but this is for an E28, and I've not seen one of them without a sunroof in... Well, forever. However, if fitting a roll cage, would removing the sunroof actually be necessary? Lo-o-ong term plan. Maybe.

I'd anticipated the E34 being a bit of a bus when compared to an E36, but I was surprised to find the difference in weight is only about 200lbs.

Mojo is keen on the red E36 coupe, and I've offered to take a look for him as while I'm working in Hamilton and it's in Morrinsville, I'm a sight closer than he is. Sadly, the 'quiet week' at work has been anything but, and it'll be near dark before I get out tonight - I'm still here. I'd planned to be away by 4 at the latest...

6s are for console tables. 8s are for coffee.

Aye... Keep it simple but get it right. I really shouldn't mess with my commuting car. (But the EGR and cat delete are still a good idea.) Naah... All that nocturnal wearing myself out will have to be banked for another time. Having seen Mojo's thread, I quite fancy a caged E36 coupe with a dry-sumped M90 running throttle bodies and an aftermarket EMS...

You're a very bad man...

They've just about finished rubbering Meremere for this weekend's racing, too. Good grief... Rubbering up for a drag race... Back on topic, would it be fair to say an E36 is most likely a simpler car than a E46? (I don't know - I've never owned an E36.) That may be a consideration if longer-term ownership is likely.

Had to fill up again today... Good grief! That's twice over Christmas! Economy is down a bit, probably hampered by traipsing around the hills, twists and turns of the Coromandel, and numerous short trips around the local area. 544.6 miles on 61 litres of fuel, so that's just over 40mpg, 14.37km per litre or 6.96 litres per 100km. I've started investigating the replacement of the turbo... It's not smoking, but under hard acceleration it does make some 'interesting' noises. I've checked the history and there is no mention of there ever having been any work done on it - at very nearly 373000km it is certainly due some attention. Reports I have seen suggest that 200000 miles is about the limit, and this one has likely done over 230000 miles now. There's options, of course. Steve could probably rebuild the existing one, but that means taking the car off the road. I could buy a used one and have Steve rebuild that (would you take a chance fitting an unchecked, used turbo to your car?), but it'll likely have to come from abroad, and by the time it is checked/sorted could cost $1200. The expensive option is to buy a hybrid turbo (from abroad) designed to be used on the M47TUD20 engine. All up cost for that could run to $2.5k. This is usually associated with extracting more power, but I'm told that the reality is simply a more efficient solution, meaning the potential for better economy. (And more power. ) In between the refurb and the enhanced solution lies the new GT1749V purchase, or even buying a warranted refurbished standard unit. Not sure what BMW want for one of those, other than that it'll be expensive. This may well be the most cost-effective option in the long run. Regardless, it'll be done properly (no quick fixes here), and I'll fit a decat front downpipe at the same time. While I've been looking at this, I have come across a couple of suggestions that a swap for the M57D30 or M57TUD30 isn't impractical. Well, BMW did make an E46 330d so that makes some sense, but it still sounds like more work than I really want to get in to.

In 1980s-1990s UK (especially London), BMWs had a poorly stereotyped reputation as being the vehicle of choice for a specific cultural group most commonly consisting of pimps, pushers and dealers. Certainly it did seem at the time the case that any 5- or 7-series in black with dark tinted windows was driven by someone looking like a cheap rapper, living on a council estate and dishing out dodgy handshakes while parked illegally. I'll leave you to work out for yourself what 'BMW' was claimed to stand for... Personally I don't think BMW drivers are any worse (or any better) than drivers of other marques. The difference is that BMWs are still recognisable as being BMWs, while so many other manufacturers now produce models that are so generic as to have possibly come from anywhere. As such, when a BMW is seen to be driven poorly, people comment on it because they can add credence to their fury by declaring the manufacturer, something they can't do in the case of many models from Japan, Ford, or elsewhere.

I'll be i Hamilton tomorrow and Friday (and all next week) if that helps at all? I occasionally go to Tauranga, but don't have any plans for that at the moment.

I'll be in Anglesea Street tomorrow and Friday, and can bring a torque wrench down with me. You're welcome to borrow it and return after the weekend.

She's a good lass, and no mistake. Even stayed married to me after I turned up home with a 1990 Porsche 928GT without having spoken to her first... I did look at that first, but this one being over 600km away makes that a little tricky.

I was thinking the same thing...! Before I enter a second round of negotiations with Mrs M, is there something I should know?

I've used the one in Takanini a few times. They're pretty good.

That sounds quite reasonable. Hmm... I may have to try some nocturnal persuasion on Mrs M.

Cheeky! Looks like Qualitat do a suitable oil filter for about $12. That's a very good start.

Thanks Dan. I've heard a lot of bad things about VAG, but good things too. The Polo should be simple enough to hopefully not suffer so much. I'll give Shane a call in the morning.

I bought oil filters for the 320d cheaper from Cookes BMW in Hamilton than I could from Repco or SCA. I'm looking for service parts for Mrs M's VW Polo... $45-60 for an oil filter, and over $100 for an air filter from <ahem> high street chain consortium - I can buy oil filters from the UK and have them shipped here for half that, air filters are (the equivalent of) $15 in the UK. Not as convenient, of course... So, anyone have any suggestions for where to get VeeDub parts at a reasonable price?

Trust me - I've been thinking about it! So... What is the economy like on a 318iS manual...?

Mrs M doesn't drive stick because she can't. Physically cannot. It's not a capability thing - she has a back injury. She knows how, but doing it could see her in hospital to get her back sorted. Does this mean that some people shouldn't drive nice-coloured cars? OK - a 318iS isn't the ideal candidate for an auto box, and my earlier comment was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. But we're trying very hard to drag ourselves out of a financial quagmire, and still have fun. With cars and driving, sometimes that fun comes from a smile on your face when you see the car, sometimes it is from driving it. This 318iS falls more into the first category, but the M-Sport kit should make it fun to drive at legal speeds, too. It's a good, fun car. As it is.