Olaf

I'll ask a couple of mates and come back to you.

more seriously though, you might consider making it a trackday fun car. strip it out, cage it, and use a power train selected on the basis of any likely racing classes/categories you might enter (eg The Surgery Sprint Series)... low-rent motorsport! as far as your pockets are deep.

I'd just keep your e46 coupe, mate! #; ) Or if you're wedded to the e36 idea, you could buy John's S54 motor and trans now he's splitting that mad e30 touring to sell, add that into the e36.... along with beefy brakes and suspension. Or go electric? M10+turbo+nitrous? yep, now I'm just getting silly.

I run Akebono ceramics on my e46. I'd be going Hawk Performance next time. If that tells you anything.

thanks for helping me understand. indeed, yellow certainly helps with contrast in low light. Those Frenchies are clever sods, having done this for so long!

yep, similar thoughts myself. Pros: looks beautiful. the extra money goes into even greater production quality; must have 20 more colour graders on each episode. at least on my Amazone Prime TV box, tech quality on my TV is great. love their silly circuit. "The American" is kinda funny enjoying that their celeb guests never make it to the studio. Errr, tent. Cons: no new ideas, really. just slightly more "scripted" than Top Gear was. Overall I think it's a big one-fingered salute. They've so much of Jeff Bezos' money to play with, they didn't really need to come up with any genuinely new ideas. The Tent, allows them to mix the global travel of the specials, and maintain a format. Amazon is huge in UK, they're not losing a 'mainstay British audience'. Overall they win; a move to streaming before broadcast TV is dead. Guess I'd better go watch EP3?

I've mostly been just driving mine. It really needs a good clean. Today I ordered a DISA valve repair kit. It's down on torque, and I'm hearing a rattle... hopefully this'll improve things. Failing that it could be VANOS seals and rattle? Could be time for another service appointment. Oil and filter next weekend. Nearly 173k kms now.

I'd suggest that if you're in fog and using your high beams, you're doing it wrong! Next time you're in genuinely dense fog, you may find that *just* using your fog lights (and of course the side lights) may increase your vision, due to the low angles. Using high beam usually cuts your vision, with more light reflected back at you. Or did I misunderstand your post? cheers

outstanding.

creating genuine surprise by driving courteously - they're all expecting you to be a complete arsebiscuit. more seriously, though.... the feel. A car whose rear follows either the front, or loud pedal inputs. the fit and finish. but did I mention the feel? back in the '90's, VW ran their "drivers wanted" campaign. They ran this as all the drivers were already gainfully engaged with their BMWs! Did I mention THE FEEL?

all sounds good, Toby. Bear in mind that basically the whole of the eastern suburbs is a windblown salt zone - don't scrimp on the metal for your garage.

natural light rules, I'd always have a window. Toby, you don't need to weld now.... but you will in the future! Get the high-current outlets planned for. A topping slab may be your answer, if the existing slab is strong enough. A number of mates who've built garages have remarked it's useful getting higher quality building paper. Probably helps with condensation. Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay - no issue with condensation, the sun exposure bakes and heats steel garage all year round, you'd be amazed. You'll want high quality galv though, due to proximity to sea/salt driven by the wind. Roller doors take up less storage space. Build it high enough to get a 4x4 inside. HTH

James May's "Jeremy Clarkson Remix of how he got SACKED** That's not like, ass dragging on the ground, breaking sumps each week...

Oh, never mind, I found it myself. http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallresults.cfm?SearchType=DrillDown&type=VEHICLE&year=2002&make=BMW&model=M3&component_id=0&SUBMIT=Retrieve+Recalls&PrintVersion=YES regards...

thanks for the clarification. Can you furnish any recall notices from BMW - in any country - for the e46 Drivers Airbag? I'm certainly interested, as my vehicle could be impacted. However, in the absence of any BMW recall notice, you can appreciate universal skepticsm. regards...

M3_Power. It's a global recall for the BMW e46, and the offending item is the passenger airbag, for certain models. As stated earlier in this thread, if you contact your BMW dealer - or indeed helpful Bimmersport members offering to assist - you can determine if your vehicle is impacted, if the work has already been done, and make arrangements to have the work actioned if it is outstanding. Mine was not an NZ-new vehicle, it was covered by the recall. There is no information to suggest the e46 drivers airbag is included in the recall. I think your post does a disservice to the work of BMW NZ and their dealer network. Or were you, perhaps, referring to models other than the e46?

indeed, that could bring some newfound authenticity and indeed, respectability, to F1. Bravo.

Oh, and looking at the piggybank I think we'll be keeping this wagon another 6 months.

and today I zipped over to my mate's place for a catch-up, and we pulled a new conti sepentine belt from the parts stash and fitted it. The old one was indeed cracking on the inside ribs, thanks VTNZ WoF guys! Checked out my coolant tank bottom hose, found it was bulging - no more Uro hoses, they're sheet. Ordering genuine Volvo hose this time, replacement plugs, a few oil filters and sundry parts... and of course, a replacement conti belt for the parts stash. Oh, and I scored 20L of Penrite HPR10 oil. cheers!

Definitely interest, John. That catch can is a tidy addition to your engine bay. I liked the "don't drop a 5mm bolt into your engine bay never to be seen again"

LOL! Nahhhhh, mine's "true sleeper metallic grey". Couldn't be driving that banana! Good question you raise about the tyres, Ron. What did I do to my volvo recently? Replaced the battery after it failed while I sat on the side of the road for 20 mins on a conference call. sidelights on only. AA battery just out of 3 year warranty. Hey ho. and I repaired the odometer - new gears. And got it a new WoF. Passed with 2 advisories - Oil Leak (hey, it's a Volvo Turbo!), and Serpentine Belt starting to perish. It was last replaced - along with the guides/pulleys and tensioners - in 2010. So I'm replacing it this weekend. Happy days. So I'm back to driving my e46, while my better half pedals the 855 in town.

good for you! now: need pics! You got your Yazoo, Shreikback, Talking Heads, Kissing the Pink, The Clash, New Order tapes then? #8 )

I would... with yours even! (you know, as opposed to "I wouldn't, even with yours")

blimey, that's hugely impressive. what year corolla is it? is it usually towed behind an RV or summat?

buy now, mate, have some ready for next time! Perhaps Penrite's engine flush (or Wurth) before the next change is warranted, if the internals are unknown or it's really sludgy inside?