gjm

No such thing as a cheap E24, or a neglected E24 with "some minor rust". The price is currently attractive and it might be worth it... (At that price.)

Amazon Lightsail (as mentioned above by James) is - I think! - a cloud platform. There are others, with good/better/worse characteristics and price points.

Thanks James. ? I've sent you a PM.

I think an intake filter would be a 'must'. If things go as we hope (different to 'as planned!') then we'll also have access to dam water.

For a whole heap of reasons nothing came of this. One of those reasons was I borrowed a pressure washer to complete the task I had at hand. Now revisiting this... So - higher flow is normally better. I found this - https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2776588436 - which despite my earlier suggestion that a petrol-engined model wasn't essential, may be more valid given we are considering building an off-power-grid house. (Nice piece of land, long way to a power source.) Pressure and flow look decent, and there's the option to vary the pressure being used. Common engine - should be easy to get parts for in the event something goes wrong. Bit surprised the warranty is only 12 months, but perhaps the unit is expected to be used commercially?

If they have more than 4mm of tread, they'll pass a WoF. Probably want to change them regardless.

I was bidding on an E30. I had briefly led the bidding, but wasn't the high bidder. Still, the auction has ended early. I found out while looking to see how high things had got. No email, no reason given, just 'Withdrawn by Seller'.

Just checked with a semi-domesticated LVVTA inspector around the legality/suitability of H-rated tyres on a a car which would have originally been fitted with V-rated tyres. He in not a WoF inspector (trying to find a tame one of those) but he agrees with my interpretation of the inspection manual - - in that the [prevailing] speed limit is safely under the H rating of the tyre, and as such is permissible on NZ roads. That does open things up a bit.

I'm very aware of the problem those 9" rims add! A 255/50 is the only size tyre which could fit both 8 & 9" rims, and aside from not being a great idea to do that, the tyres just don't seem to exist. I've run 17" rims on a W126 before. Wouldn't do it again. Which brings me back to the stock rims and investigating options there.

I might have to paint the calipers, too... ?

I was happy to go to $200 a corner and would hardly consider that a budgetary constraint given the car and type of tyre. The P1s (knowledge gained since first seeing them for sale notwithstanding) appeared to represent a good deal, and normal price is comparable to many other good tyres. (Not silly-cheap rubbish.) The V-rating is proving tricky (if it is legally necessary.) Potentially looking at $300 per corner, plus rim refurb, is at least a doubling in cost, and something to take a moment or two to think about. Skimping on tyres isn't a consideration. I've refurbed rims before. Not ones like these, though... (These aren't mine - I have two black, and two silver rims.) 16x8 and 16x9. Fortunately I'm not running on bald tyres, so there's time to consider options and save some more $ if necessary.

I wasn't aware the P1 was now made in China. Not necessarily a bad thing, but rarely a recommendation. The P7 is a nice tyre, and you've reminded me that I do have a set of 16" rims which I was considering refurbishing for use. However, that takes me from (say) sub-$200 per tyre to $300++, not including rim refurb cost. But there are other options in that size. Need to check rim widths, then look again with a potential 16" tyre in mind.

I'd not regard the P1 Cinturato as a poverty pack tyre. The price is a special offer - they are normally $160-200 per corner, significantly more than the Yoko ES32. This started as a relatively easy comparison, but V-rated tyres being specified for the 500SE makes it more difficult (to me). Tall sidewalls typically mean lower speed rating. Stock size is 205/65-15V fitted to a 15x7J rim. Load rating is a bit trickier to be sure of as it is variously quoted at 94, 96 or 98. Some choice in this size, from Pirelli P1 Cinturato, Toyo C100+, and Goodyear Optilife or TripleMax. (Leaving aside the Triangles and similar.) The rolling diameter is the same as a 225/60-15 (also a legal fitment on the 15x7J rim) of which I can only find Hankook K415 Optimo or Nankang NA1 in a V-rating. (I've had bad experiences with Nankangs.) Struggling to find any other suitable sizes in a legal fitment. The speed rating part is a potential legal/insurance requirement. The WoF regulations say one reason for failure is "A tyre has a speed category that is less than the speed limit for the vehicle or less than the vehicle’s maximum speed if this is less than the speed limit." The speed limit is obviously 100km/h. Or 110, if you're exploring roads south of Hamilton (for example), suggesting an H-rated tyre is entirely fine. (This is contrary to UK MoT legislation where the tyre has to be designed to run at the maximum speed of the vehicle regardless of speed-related law.)

Would be happy with the ES32 but can't find them in a V-rating, only H. I'm unlikely to spend much time cruising at 130mph+ but the car is said to be good for 145-150mph and I think the tyres fitted need to be capable of that?

The Mercedes has chrome or stainless wheelarch trims. It shouldn't have.

Can now find the P1s at under $100 a corner! ? Unless there is something fundamentally wrong with the P1s, this looks like the deal to go for.

This is the sort of thing the "speed kills" advocates just don't get. Driving faster than an arbitrarily posted speed limit, especially the 100km limit, is not necessarily dangerous. However, doing so will now get you stopped and fined. Driving at a speed higher than appropriate for the conditions yet lower than the posted speed limit attracts no attention of recrimination, but is significantly more likely to cause an accident than simply exceeding a speed limit. @3pedals attended crashes. I didn't do much of that, but did work with the TRL in the UK for quite a while. The reports we provided were often ignored, or presented (with exclusions) in a way to meet whatever criteria were required. Typically that criteria was about a war on speed.

?

The Koni suggestion is a 'remove old kit, bolt i new kit' replacement. Coilovers are the main thing which will require welding, crack testing, and certification.

I tried AP springs on a Mercedes - they were cheap. And I got what I paid for.

I have to ask - why? Why is (re)charging a battery now so complicated? Is it a dealership thing? Can they charge for this service?

I think Brent @BM WORLD has mentioned 'battery coding'. I don't know what that is or what benefit it brings, but it could be a factor.