gjm

For sale , North Shore, Auckland.

The M10 is a brilliant engine. Solid and dependable in stock form, but responds well to tuning and very well to forced induction.

I think it is same axle: same rule as radials/cross-plies applies. No mixing on the axle. It's certainly recommended that they're not mixed on the car, but maybe not a defined requirement? Edit: https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/general/tyres,-wheels-and-hubs/tyres-and-wheels

Replaced the headlining in Miss M's E46. More of a PITA job than actually difficult.

As said by others, the P38 EAS (Electronic Air Suspension) is a good system. It's not actually all that complex either, but it is very misunderstood and unscrupulous (uncaring, ignorant) repairers play on this. Simplicity does lean towards springs and shocks (and there are good conversions available) but these will never have the active element of EAS, or provide for multiple, selectable ride heights, either automatically or based on operator choice. A lot of people don't realise the P38 had genuinely active suspension which would detect lean in corners, and increase pressure to the 'low' side of the vehicle, giving it a flatter cornering attitude. It also automatically lowered above a certain speed for safer, more secure higher speed driving, and could be lifted by several inches for off road use.

The one I have here is a 4.6 V8. (BMW EMS. ) Heaven knows what a previous owner was thinking with the bodges they put in place. Probably had someone quote them $000s to sort $50 problems, and so took a long route to not fixing things. Replacing air with steel suspension needs a cert, which is enough to put a lot of people off.

I have enough pain sorting the P38 with 12 months WoF that I have! Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that the air suspension won't work without being manually inflated with an offboard compressor - it really would have been much simpler, easier and faster to have just fixed the problems it had, instead of butchering wiring, air lines, removing the compressor, blocking the valve block, bypassing relays...

The questions do involve the possibility of repowering a Range Rover. I've been offered one with a blown head gasket (4.0, GEMS engine) which probably means other issues. The idea had been to possibly swap in a Mercedes diesel, or possibly an early BMW M57. However, the BECM (Body Electrical Control Module) in the Range Rover makes this very difficult, so I'm going to junk that idea, and settle for useful parts from the donor instead. The BECM ties into everything and messing with it can cause any number of issues, ranging from fuel pump to electric windows. (They junked it in the P38 successor, the L322.)

Thanks. Gosh. Now that would be terrible! Not what I was planning though... This is - might be - something not specifically BMW related.

I sincerely doubt we'd ever get into the 4s with our 320d! I think we saw high 5s after a long, gentle drive, but that could have been a miscalculation.

Anyone got any guidelines or gotchas for doing this? I've been offered a free Range Rover P38 V8 with a blown headgasket - possibly more problems. I'd like to convert it to diesel. Obviously there's all sorts of EMS stuff to sort, but other than that and appropriate fuel pumps, is there anything in particular I need to be aware of? Can I continue to use the same fuel tank, for instance?

Tiptronic auto: A5S 390r, aka GM 5L40e. No swirl flaps, no EGR, meticulous servicing but 500000km.

Odd. 6.2 is very routine economy in our 2002 320d Touring - we'd always get better than 600 miles (UK import) from typically less than 60 litres of fuel in a mix of SH1 and Hamilton or South Auckland traffic. I'll check the figures. (Not been keeping my thread up to date, but not used the car much recently.)

Like the Mercedes R63? Actually a very capable vehicle that drives well, but probably a little ahead of it's time. The performance people-mover market is in it's infancy, but I'm sure it'll come.

Aargh. I could come and sweep floors for you?

When we first moved to NZ we had the use of a Swift for 6 weeks or so. It was a very good car. The only issue we had was a feeling of being 'exposed' in busy traffic. We always felt vulnerable - so many much bigger vehicles who didn't care, and so many fuggin' muppets in beat-up pieces of crap who cared even less. Perhaps it was a feeling exaggerated by driving someone else's car?

Sadly, I gave up on the idea. A decision aided by someone offering to buy the rims involved, so they've gone to a new home.

This. Once you factor in costs for shipping from the US, buying individual parts often makes no sense. And there can be a lot of merit in developing a good relationship with your local BMW dealership. The flipside can also be true... I need a couple of tiny o-rings for one of the Mercs. $7 each from a NZ-based Mercedes parts specialist, and 18c each from the US. Sadly the US supplier uses a fixed shipping solution which costs $30-odd. Still, I could buy a couple-dozen and more than likely make use of them later.

I'll happily vouch for the M43. Great engine, especially if comfortable cruising and economy are what you're after. I put most of 100,000km on an E36 318i manual in 18 months. Troublefree motoring - just look after it - change the oil, and ensure the cooling pipes are sorted every 100000km or so. The only expenses (other than servicing) we had were tyres (still kind-of servicing), and a drivers door window regulator. Currently driving Miss M's E46 318i (M43, again) automatic. Again, great economical motoring. This one had sat for some time before we got it so I'm still investigating things that might go wrong, but so far the only problem has been the expansion tank cap. Economy - we're getting an easy 800km from a tank in the E46; I was getting 800km before the low fuel light would show in the E36. I defy anyone to do that in any 6-pot petrol BMW! Once we get sorted, I hope my daily will be something like a 2001 E46 318i manual coupe. Quick enough to have some fun, handles well, simple, and very economical.

It's a good colour.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Elijah where we discussed his latest purchase. I'm not sure, but saying "When will you ever get a chance like this again?" may have swayed him. It's gonna be great.

Yep - pretty sure the FB Ones are 15". I think they belong to a guy with a dark grey E30 who is at Waikato Uni.