Olaf

your committment to the 130i cause is beyond reproach, mate. Well done @Jacko

Most punters are too lazy or just don't think about what it takes to sell a car - refer to pretty much 95% of listings on FB marketplace. They don't think about the market, they don't put themselves in the buyer's shoes. "what would I want to know/see if I was looking at your listing?" Worked example. I cleaned up the exterior and then interior of my elderly neighbour's car a couple of weeks back. Took it out and made some great sales pictures, wrote him a great advert. I know it was a great advert as he worked in advertising back in the day - he said so! Then he asked if I'd mind selling it for him - he's not confident online having been scammed. We discussed appropriate pricing - he wanted it gone. I listed at 6pm, got a call just before 9pm, they wanted to see it now and were bringing cash in hand. TLDR: Sale & Purchase Agreement signed by 10pm after a test drive, and agreed price in folded $50's in my hand. Happy neighbour. Olaf's handy hints for selling your car. Clean it up real good. Inside and out. Excellent sales photos - and plenty of them. Write an excellent advert - be descriptive. Pick your price - don't be greedy. Remember, the first offer you get might be a little lower than you thought. In the absence of three or four more buyers coming to look, turning down that first offer could see you waiting weeks or months for another. Be available and responsive, be easy to do business with. That includes having your paperwork sorted. It's not hard, it just takes a bit of time and thought to do. Easier to spend the time up front.

Project's looking good, man. Must be very satisfying to get it firmly into the reassembly phase. Wow, a 320i with drum rear?

Hmmm. Able to buy genuine factory part off the shelf for a car that's been out of production for 35 years. USD35. Pretty good value IMHO, given many other manufacturers aren't supplying much for their cars after 15-odd years. IMHO, of course.

have you carefully looked through every page of every document you got with the car? Sometimes you'll find it quietly handrwritten somewhere in ballpoint, just four digits, nothing like "STEREO CODE" or "PIN"... just four digits. Tidy looking example, nice work.

how did I not see this before. @Kees cool sleeper man! and what a score. agree your wheels grow on you. There was a Brabus Smart Roadster near me for a while, I was always curious about it. good on yer for taking a chance and getting something so much cooler than most of the jelly-mould appliances one could use as a daily!

you've answered your own question - why bother asking? I think you're better playing alone.

I'd respectfully suggest there is a difference, and you may be doing business with the wrong shop. Warranty on the repair? I had a window regulator replaced. "Hey my window's stopped working. I'll bring it in tomorrow." "your regulator's shot. We'll replace it." "thanks!" pays bill. Six months later, "hey, window's gone down. Won't go up. Yes the one you replaced six months ago. It's raining, can I bring it straight in?" "sure thing we'll replace it. sorry bout that".

thanks @M3AN and @E30 325i Rag-Top, appreciate your consideration. I'll get some more info and come back.

The blunt view - and understandable - is frequently "do you take your steak to a restaurant to get them to cook it?". It's a minefield for the business too - they get your car up on the hoist, the part you supplied is wrong. Now what - the hoist is tied up with a job that's stopped.... and for what, labour-only charge? It's not worth it. Or, you pay for the job, they install your part. Part craps out. You obtain a replacement and pay for them to change it out. Now you've paid labour twice - if you'd just had the workshop do the job, make their small margin on the part, it becomes their problem - you go back and say 'love the work you've done, it's crapped out - can you take care of it with your supplier please?' and leave the car with them, For want of a small margin on parts, it's a pretty good deal. I think there's an obligation under some consumer act or another that makes this difficult to opt out of. Put yourself in the position of your chef; would you want to stake the reputation of your restaurant on a punter bringing in his own steak?

there's a place for REPCO in the world. Who's open and providing quite possibly the only thing standing between you and getting your daily off jack stands on Sunday night to drive to work in the morning? They're certainly not my first choice, though I do appreciate that they're there when we need em. Edit: Not to mention they're often open on public holidays. Not to be overlooked or underestimated.

Scant info. I know the general line is "Don't". Enquiry from a good friend - hi friend has installed "aftermarket headlights" in his 2011 F20 118i. It's bleating, throwing codes about them. I guess they're making unhappy noises into the CANBUS. What would you folks suggest?? Can it be coded out? Do you need more info about the part? Thanks for your consideration. We have an opportunity to save a non-BMW person from avoiding the Marque forever. Yes I know the PFL F20 was hit with the ugly stick at birth... cheers Olaf

thanks, had heard about this, will watch later.

mate that's not a bad thing!

Yesterday I took my F25 X3 3.0D Msport for a WoF - it flew through. Interestingly they said 5mm on all the tyres. I measured less than that on the rears two months ago. Go figure. Today I gave my e46 Touring a quick bath - it was filthy, hadn't washed it for months. I think it really needs (deserves) a good clay bar, polish, wax. I won't have time for that until September. 😐 At least it's sparkling with Auto Glym Shampoo. Oh, and I thought my wheels were looking nearly black - Auto Glym Clean Wheels and my Auto Glym Wheel Brush took care of that. The kerbing? That's another sad tale.

I wasn't referring to the scaffolding poles on the roof! 😎

I spy with my little eye, something that hemorrhages money:”scaffolding”

Labouring? Ha! You should try life with an M54B25 🤣

Coupe/vert, or sedan/wagon ?

it's a diesel thing dude. I washed my X3 in early feb; got to it again a couple of weeks ago. Not usually my MO - just life got in the way. It cleaned up beautifully, I'm sure yours will do the same. (You think the Hippo might be dirtying it up?)

my pic - manfield a few haircuts ago. Nikon D3

ewwwwwwww

welcome back

Aye, those first couple or five or more years are a tough time - no spare finances - though ultimately rewarding. The Ti will find its way - maybe the BMW universe will smile on you benevelently for your work keeping others alive! Our kids have become adult flatmates - not something we intended - and they still amaze me. Even M54B25 these things go very well - look for thread by @TIM325i (The Incredible Machine) he took a standard 316Ti or 318Ti and worked out all the parts to retrofit and make it a 325Ti Msport, it was very well-sorted and went very nicely.

how're you getting on with this? I know you've had Barbara to keep on developing, and your Tractor too...