gjm

The bootlid was closed...

And goats.

Naah. No roof rails.

It looks to be a 'real' M635CSi, and Dinan certainly did a 3.8 mod (although it was more often found in the M5). Could be a great car. But why would you have this and not drive it for 2 years???

I suspected that might be the case. Pity.

E36 M43 automativ vs E46 M43TU automatic... What are the differences in gearboxes? Would a later M43TU bolt up to the gearbox in an E36? Thinking ahead a bit... ? (No - not looking for a SxxByy conversion! )

Hmm. Z1 coupe. Immensely practical and sensible car. But looks so much like a 2-door Audi B5 A$ Quattro Avant... Which would also be a great car.

That wasn't a break down. That was sheer bad luck.

A Land Cruiser is just way over budget (as you've said). They're not bad vehicles, but not what I'm after at all. I saw the 4Matic. It's about twice the price it should be, assuming it is any good. However, i am familiar with the engine and were I to feel so inclined, swapping the M103 out and a OM606 in would be fairly straightforward. The 606 is good for an easy 400hp, (5,6 and 700hp aren't all that uncommon) so far more tuneable than I'm after. So a perfect base for my plans. Sadly, even at half price, the W124 is way out of reach at present.

There's a lot of waste in healthcare. One of the things I worked on while working at a DHB was reducing that waste. We were very successful... Sadly, not sufficiently so to have me keep my job. There's a lot of waste in many areas of publicly-funded NZ. It's perhaps another example of following the UK, only 40-50 years later. The UK had huge government departments across all areas, the majority of which are now a fraction of their former size. Getting the money to (be spent) where it is needed is certainly a major issue. Too many comfy chairs, nice boardroom tables, flash cars and high salaries (got to attract the best people) and so on, and not enough nurses, policemen and similar.

It's just complexity that gives me pause to stop and reconsider using a M57. And cost... They're a fair bit more expensive than the M51, and theoretically I could find a rusty Range Rover with the M51, gearbox and everything I'd need. That would present a good starting point (I have a good chassis) and a M57 upgrade could be considered later. You can easily swap the turbo for a HX35 which will spin from 2000rpm, possibly lower. That, and a sensible remap should see a useful increase in power, torque and economy, without stressing the engine. If I could find one, a W124 300TD Turbo 4Matic in right hand drive would suit very nicely! (Lurve the W124s...) Bit tough to find though, especially in NZ. The Cummins is a solid performer but yes - expensive. I've no aversion to the Jeep other than price, complexity, and support. Previous experience has shown that getting info can be tough. Good, capable and comfortable vehicle though. I'll take a look at retrorides. Hadn't thought to look there. There's a few groups on Facebook which are useful, too, including one dedicated to swapping BMW engines into Land Rovers. A Land Cruiser... ? I'll be over there, holding your coat for you... They're not bad vehicles, but older (affordable) ones have taken rusting to a new level. An artform, if you will... And maintenance is something owners of other vehicles do.

I'm looking at a medium- to long-term project, fitting a diesel engine and automatic gearbox into a 4x4, probably a Land Rover-based hybrid tow and camping vehicle. The swap of a BMW engine into a Land Rover is fairly common, and the M51 was used in the Range Rover. I've looked at Land Rover's installations of 200TDi, 300TDi, TD5 and even TDV8 engines. The last two introduce a fair amount of complexity (but are great when working correctly). By comparison, the BMW M57 is a more compact package than the 200TDi (or 300TDi), making for a better subject for conversion into a Series-looking Land Rover. The M51 is recognised as fitting (length-wise) anywhere a Rover 3.5 V8 will go. I'll not be looking for 300hp, or probably even 200hp, but strong torque will be a requirement. Less power, more torque is not just acceptable, but possibly desirable. If pushed for a dream specification, I'd say 200bhp and 400lb ft, but that is very unlikely to be realised. There are other engine options, but keeping this simple means looking at proven solutions with good, albeit likely internet-based, support. Fitments where I'm not at the bleeding edge of engine swap and where (if at all possible) I can simply buy the parts I need to make this work, rather than relying on custom design and fabrication. Does anyone have experience of the M51 vs M57 ? The M51 has an obvious simplicity benefit in having 2 valves per cylinder (vs 4 valve per cylinder in the M57) but the M51 is also significantly lower in output. I quite fancied the idea of a Mercedes OM617 (5-cylinder) turbo swap, but that's a much less common change.

The NZ health system (a term I'm using to encompass medical care and all other aspects) has been run down over the last 10 years or so. It's a monster which is growing and while I thoroughly disagree, National's unsaid policy of promoting private health care is a model which could work in NZ. We have significant immigration, and many of those people do have significant health issues. (Ask me how I'm getting on with moving my brother here... ? ) This adds up to an unsustainable (current) health care model. More people requiring care, but not so much expansion in the funding available (and I'm not talking about government cuts - the money just does not exist) means a lowering in quality is we are to continue the availability. National did run the health care system down. Sure, they kept throwing money at it, but that money came with caveats requiring it to be spent in specific areas. This meant the foundation of the system crumbled, while some aspects received a gilt edge. Too much money is paid to very senior people in the health service. Not enough (proportionally, or any other way) gets to the lower echelons. Many DHBs are now dependent on volunteers to be able to maintain any semblance of community service. 'Crown Jewel' projects look great and may provide benefit to a small area, but suck funding from where it is actually, desperately, needed. We've been lucky. Our (so far) rural area has a very good Healthcare system. However, we have seen timeframes blow out here too - in 3 years, we have gone from being in the fortunate position of being able to see a Doctor same or next day, to possibly being able to get an appointment in a week. MASSIVE residential development has been approved by the District Council and is underway, but plans for the supporting infrastructure are still in the very earliest stages. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better... If it gets better. The same is true on a NZ-wide scale. Labour will try to throw money at health, National will shout about waste. If Labour get in at the next election, we may start to see some improvements in healthcare, but possibly at the expense of other areas of national (small 'n') importance. NZ is a small country in terms of population, with a widespread demographic and a significant self-imposed resident responsibility overhead. There aren't enough people in NZ to supply the taxation needed to maintain the level of services we have hitherto enjoyed... At least, not without fundamental changes. Compare with Norway. 40% greater land area with similar geographic and residential dispersion issues, but less than 10% more people. They've made things work, but their way of government is very, very different. Sadly, NZ is probably suffering as a result of British influence and the 'old Empire' way of doing things. We need a massive shake-up. None of that helps Tom. Damn, I feel for you, and sincerely hope you're now on a good path.

Prrrobablyyyy...

Good to know. I'll bring the car up and see what we can sort.

Perfect. Set up an autobid, go to sleep, and wake up to owning a new car!

Center console - the piece between the front seats that hinges back? Cubby box under driver side, by where your right knee would be?

Martin's post: had me thinking. Leaving aside the apparent negation of the pre-existence of a M5 before the E28 (go on - search BMW M5 and see what you get!) what would you consider the pre-cursor to another model? For me, the E24 M635CSi (I think the Uhmer'cans and Japan received a ar called the M6) was a fabulous car. I had one, in Delphin Metallic. A 'Highline' model. I feel this was the inspiration for the E31 8-series - I had a 840Ci and the experience was certainly similar. Certainly a similar ethos and target market. Agree... Disagree? Any others?

Not ideal conditions for first time out on a track! You're absolutely right - all about the fun.

"francoisv cannot receive messages"

M43 wasn't sold in the US (as far as I know). Not enough cylinders... Had the car stood for any length of time? How many kms has it done? Most likely issue would seem to be a stuck or sticky hydraulic lifter. What's the idle like?

Fine by me!

I've got one available that came from the factory with a manual gearbox!

Tom Cruise in M6 - Make Me Many Millions More Money. That's enough to put me off...