gjm

Gavin at EuroItalian, or Paul at MillAnd for fast turnaround on locally sourced parts. FCP Euro in the US are good too, but tend (in my experience) to have less parts available for any 4-cylinder engines.

The 4 biggest banks in NZ aren't NZ banks; that makes much of this an Australian problem. (We'll leave aside the $0000 per hour those banks take out of NZ... ?) Approaching the actual Kiwi banks - Kiwibank, TSB, Co-op etc - does sometimes work. When I've done this, professionally and privately, they seem more flexible and open to suggestions.

I'm now told this also happened 12 months or so ago. Engine turned over, but wouldn't fire. Apparently a jump start fixed it that time... Cars, eh?

Three good thumps under the fuel pump near the tank and it started first time. Seems to be running smoother, too, although that could be my imagination. I'll check the fuel filter.

Miss M's E46 has (apparently) had a slightly low or slightly rough idle for a while. Today, having driven to the supermarket with no issue, returned to the car and it won't start. Battery is good, half tank of fuel. Turns over fast enough and occasionally almost fires but then stutters and refuses to run. No.. We've not read codes! Supermarket car parks aren't known for such facilities! Fuel pump relay, perhaps?

E30 320 Touring rolling shell on bottlecaps. Some rust in the firewall. Live rego. Asking $10-12k.

I do like a Z3 coupe, but given this Z4 manual (with folding hardtop) is less...

The more I drive it with the new tyres, the better it feels. Acceptance of familiarity bias, or some sort of running in benefit? Certainly I've reflected on some of the characteristics of the old tyres and wouldn't want to go back.

Constructive, balanced and detailed criticism is always welcome. ☮️ I'd written to Falken asking for their recommendation for my car before posting here. The reply didn't come through until this morning. First - load rating. The 91 rating should by definition be adequate, but it turns out that was a typo - the tyres are rated 96. 710kg per tyre at correct inflation; 2840kg for the set. The 7" rim. Skinny? Apparently not. Optimal fit for this tyre is said, by Falken, to be on a 6.5" rim - bear in mind it is a 60 profile. 7" is absolutely fine, of course, and while I did scratch my head over that (I too thought it was a little narrow but was happy to follow industry guidelines), LVVTA recommended rim width for a 225 on a 15" rim is always 6.0-8.0" (or less) from a 50 through an 80 profile. Now, I didn't say they don't feel good, only that they felt different, and that was after one brief drive in pouring rain. And they are different. A cruise out yesterday showed that. They are much quieter than the previous tyres, and seem to roll better; an extremely unscientific lift off coasting deceleration test suggests more speed is retained than before. There may need to be a little pressure adjustment but they feel pretty good. I have wondered if there is sometimes the slightest delay in turning in, possibly a slight sensation of understeer (compared to before). It does take quite a bit to provoke that, though, and it's far from an issue. Just... Different. And altering driving style means it doesn't happen at all.

Check No Cams. https://nocams.co.nz/

A canvassing of other W126 owners displayed the expected vast array of preferences. What did come out was other than an obvious preference for the very best Michelins (etc) that money can buy, Falkens were very highly regarded. So... Our 500SE now has a set of 225/60-15 Falken Ziex Ze914 91W tyres. The load index is correct for the model of car, and the 'W' speed rating is a bonus. While obviously wider, the 225/60-15 is designed for a 6.0-8.0" rim (ours are 7"), the sidewall is 0.1" taller and the rolling circumference is a bare 0.4% more. The difference is astonishing. Whether that is due to the slight change in width and profile, or different manufacturer/style/design, is another matter. Is it better? Probably... But having noticed a difference, a streaming wet road probably isn't the best place for a first drive to perform any sort of test. Not a premium tyre, but certainly not a budget one, and from what I have read, Falken are often regarded as the best of the non-premium manufacturers. Reviews often place them ahead of much more expensive alternatives.

Missed a couple of days so thought I'd post a couple of pics.

Could be one needed... NZ roads are slowly claiming another victim. Not urgent - yet... But a cross-shaped crack has appeared just out of the area swept by the wiper blades. And there are numerous other pock marks, tiny chips, and so on. So... Where to get a replacement screen? Let's start by not going to Smith & Smith or Novus for one of their soft-glass Chinese screens, as recommended by insurance. We want a *proper* screen. Side windows are original BMW Armorplate. The windscreen is BMW Shatterprufe. Both are indicative of the cars heritage, coming from South Africa - I think German-made BMWs would have had Sekurit glass. What are the options? Talk to BMW NZ? Talk to BMW ZA? Or is there a NZ-based supplier who supplies good windscreens (but who is probably ignored by most insurance companies)?