Olaf

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?

wow that was quick, congratulations! I propose a new interweb abbreviation, in addition to the "GLWS": NLNWS (No Luck Needed With Sale)! Needless to say this only applies to the most desireable cars, regardless of age or price.

hoy crap that's a very sharp price, Dave. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about it, next change.

did you test the thermostat before installation, Dave? It's non uncommon for them to be coozed from new, could be failing to open. bled the cooling system? Possibility of air lock. HTH

nice work, keep at it. Fulfilling your Brother's wish must bring pride and indeed some kind of catharsis for your family. thread subscribed!

it says "lowered" and looks a bit naff the way its sitting when snapped. Odd he didn't explain more. Probably preoccupied with getting his family jewels back. Yep Allan: "happy wife, happy life".

it is a well-recognised fact that Audis are driven by ICT Infrastructure and Database Admins in team-lead roles, Pre-sales engineers, and junior sales hacks, all of whom run Samsung mobiles on Android, and are on Microsoft's Beta-testing list, and denounce the existence of OSX and iOS.

It's just really, really scared, cowering in fear in your garage... worried you're going to put that roof box on it!

perhaps he meant "handbag proof"

Oh I dunno, a mobius strip will keep an ant ammused for hours... Yes, I too thought the "wife hates colour" story lacked, well, something. Testicular fortitude, really.

John, I don't know about the N54 specifically, can say I've been running 5W40 in my M54 for some time now. I'm using Penrite full synthetic HPR5, works better for me. You can buy in 20L (just rock in to Repco and ask) it runs at a little better than the promo prices on all those 5L packs ($80 retail vs $55 promo?) - eg $205-ish (incl), they don't do promo pricing on the 20L but you're better off with that price anyway. HPR5 meets BMW LL01. My car uses less on HPR5 than on Castrol's 0w40 Edge or 5W30 Professional. http://www.penrite.com.au/products.php?id_categ=1&id_subcateg=&id_products=1 HTH

well... yesterday, I figured it would need rubber to pass it's forthcoming WoF... so I went to Bridgestone Torrens Tce. Rather than cheap out - despite likelihood of selling it soon - I went for Bridgestone RE-003s. Stock size is 205/50R16. Ahhh, better.

it seems Apple would have you think all it takes is an iPhone 7! #; )

Child: "Daddy, that car is creeping me out. It looks like a sort of dwarf X5, like that Chuckee doll in the movies. Please, make it go away" Parent: "Don't be afraid darling, this is not the stuff of nightmares - it's the X3"

here's the link to the advert: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1178291719.htm

certainly a beauty. Not sure I'd part with $60k for it. Looking good for 170k miles.

they're fair, though I'd suggest he should have shot all images from the west facing east to maximise the golden light and turned the car. the photos of the left side are all under-exposed. The processing is heavy-handed and overblown - like instagram filters. Still, if you like that kind of thing.... fussy? moi?