Olaf

I know what you're talking about, I was in a similar position. I went to Sears and bought a Craftsman socket, the workshop I went to (in a rough part of Mexico City) we like "you sure you want to do this to this nice socket? We're going to leave grinding marks, it's not going to look pretty...". Yep, thanks. Explained what I was up to. When I collected the socket, they said 'go see our neighbour, he's just around the corner, he car swap out your shocks without even taking the wheel off. Tell him we sent you, he'll look after you". They were bang on the money, he had a big f*ck-off lever tool, and showed me how he did it, I came back with the parts, and he had it done in no-time flat.

Folks, I've just bought some parts from Nathan (from this e46), and you should too! He's excellent to deal with, the parts come well-packaged and in the condition described. As they say, 'would trade again'. "bump".

I think I used an offset ring spanner, and an allen socket on a 1/4" extension. Years ago (for my VW Golf GTi) I had an engineering shop in Mexico weld a large nut onto the top of a spark plug socket to acheive the same thing. Still got the socket. I like the idea of grinding flats onto a socket.

today I got a puncture repaired, and all four wheels rebalanced. much smoother on the highway, now. And my new rear springs have arrived, so looking forward to those being fitted on Tuesday.

you got a thread for this, Nathan? I'm keen to have a read. Would this make my 325i feel less like the 330i's poor cousin and more like it's little brother?

what makes you think that? #; )

Yesterday, new OEM ATE rear brake hoses fitted, and of course new brake fluid and flush. Thanks Page European! Gotta note, one can certainly feel the difference at the pedal with different fluids. I'd been using BNT's inexpensive RBF (broadly similar to the Motul RBF600) previously - much firmer pedal that standard 'Super DOT4'. I understand you're up for greater risk of rust in the system with RBF and it needs changing more frequently (something to do with less rust prevention??) than standard. Looks like my new springs have arrived (thanks Nathan), so they'll be fitted Tuesday, along with new spring pads. Double Orange Stripes FTW.

Just re-read my post, John. My reference to M3 parts wasn't springs/shocks. What I meant (but didn't make clear) was that you can retrofit the front control arms and the rear control arms (FCP do a TRW kit) - going from folded steel to forged alloy in the case of the rears - which is allegedly quite an improvement for each end. Quoting FCP: "Upgrade the handling performance of your non M E82/E88 1-series or non M E90/E91/E92/E93 3-series with components originally designed for the E9X M3 and E82 1M To start off, the non M and M designed suspension are similar in terms of design philosophy which is not surprising when you consider that BMW's M division is working off what BMW already designed. However, there are numerous changes made to the M version control arms which drastically improve handling performance. Because the suspensions are almost identical in design it allows for the 1-Series M and M3 control arms to be installed in their non M counterparts without modification. The tension struts (big curved control arms) feature a solid rubber inner bushing which reduces deflection and eliminates the hydro bushing weakness which is tearing and leaks. The solid rubber bushing is stiffer which helps tighten up the front suspension without being overly stiff and unforgiving. The lower wishbones (straight control arm) features a sealed inner bearing, also known as a monoball, that allows for the inner part of the control arm to rotate more freely when compared to the non M rubber bushing. This design change also allows for added durability in the long run. The lower control arm is slightly longer which adds approximately .75° of negative camber helping reduce under steer and drastically improving turn in response without having a significant impact on tire read life." and "Significantly improves handling, a great modification for non M E82/E88 1-Series models and E90/E91/E92/E92 non M 3-series models The rear control arm suspension is drastically different on the E9X M3 and E82 1 Series M when compared to their non M counterparts. The non M upper control arms are rolled steel and feature traditional rubber bushings in both the inner and outer position. The "hollow" design of the OE control arms are weak and flex a lot, particularly under acceleration. The M3 version of these upper control arms are made of solid aluminum and are light in comparison to the non M variants. Similar to the front wishbone, the upper wishbones use a monoball mount which allows for free movement of the control arms under all conditions. This helps keep the suspension stable and planted under all conditions."

the wrong kind of excitement, eh? Glad you're here to complain about it, Barry. The 'Takas could be a challenging place for a blowout. Indeed, it appears they're not runflats; the combo of rim and tyre was supposed to give better performance for the (comparatively) lower profile, and be less-likely to peel off the rim in failure. There was (apparently) a TDX (different rim and bead profile) that gave some runflat capability. cheers

yes, I certainly appreciate what you do here, Glenn, When it comes to advice, you know what they say: "you can lead a horse to water.... but you can't make it THINK." button back a little, take it slower, hopefully the passion will return. best regards Olaf

hey, I'm impressed with 470,000kms, Dion!

wholly sh*t Barry, was that recently?

what's the context of that photo - a worn-out OEM shock next to a B6 that's new? B8 is, apparently, the go - with the right spring match. What about simply replacing the Msport (226A?) shock with Sachs OEM 226A replacement? Another thing to consider for the e9x, is using the M3 components in front and rear. This may be 'worth' as much as an awesome spring/shock package in terms of enhancement... so many options #8 ) are you close to getting a vehicle, John?

you can certainly source a large selection of shocks/struts from abroad. Sachs (OEM), Bilstein HD, Koni Sport... I'd be plumping for the Koni Sports I reckon, you won't be feeling as 'naked' after the Ohlins setup, and have some adjustability.

Hmmmm. It's about choice, yeah?

^^ listen to Nathan, he knows from experience. Think of a lighthouse... they're there to warn you away from the rocks, prevent shipwreck. That's what this thread is like. You've got the Sirens, enticing you to the rocks with their beauty... and the lighthouse breaks your reverie.

I'd only take it if they *paid* me $500 to take it away. "could" be a "good" project car? That all depends on your definition of "good".

there were smoked tail light covers?

http://www.velocity.com/tv-shows/all-girls-garage/ it's on Discovery Turbo.... need I say more?

go on Justin, you know you want to!

this may well be the *ultimate* (non-M3) e30... it looks even better in the flesh, and sounds awesome too. Good luck with the sale, John. I trust this finds a good home. Olaf

I'm watching "All Girls Garage". Of course, they're fixing up an e36 coupe, that's my excuse. Guilty pleasure.

^^ yeah I did this many years back on my Volvo 850. PITA when they're not working as intended, and eventually you'll get pinged for it at WoF time. Good job!

or better still, a write-up!

can't fault your logic, Kyu. When I was in my 20's, I'd have said the same.