Olaf

Just what is an "ego massaging car", which manufacturers provided this option, and who is the arbiter of best to worst?

Graham, whats the story with the heater matrix? I am getting a whiff of coolant at startup, and am closely monitoring coolant use now. Everything under the bonnet has been replaced except radiator (water pump, pulleys, sensors, thermostat, expansion tank, rad hoses). cheers...

back when I had my e30 325i Touring, my local independent replaced diff oil and gearbox oils (respectively) with the appropriate Castrol Synthetics (of the time - the year was 2001). It was, as Ron says, spectacular. Quieter, and better (slicker, smoother) shifting from cold. I've not tried Red Line, and don't intend this to be a brand x vs brand y argument. You can use Castrol with confidence. Some of our resident idependents (forum sponsors) use others such as Elf, and I personally use Penrite products generally. HTH.

Hi Clive, if you want to avoid the redirect to NZ, you can use a proxy service such as www.unblockUS.com it allows you to select the country you want to appear as using a simple drop down box. I use it for watching UK content. Hope that helps. PS. Nice challenge you have! As a matter of interest, what sort of money are you saving by buying new from abroad? And have you found any issues with servicing your X5 here? I guess there's no 'new car warranty'? Interested in your thoughts/experiences. I take it you've found it worthwhile as you're doing a second... regards

column-shift, nay problem! holdens, falcons, (1st = toward you and down, 2nd = away from you and up, 3rd (top) = away from you and down) even those rubbish brit cars like mk1 and mk2 cortinas (and if my memory serves, 1st = toward you and up, 2nd = toward you and down, third = away from you and up, forth = away from you and down)... oh yeah, HR Holden 3 speed manual, what a hoot.

f#cking autocorrect. my first licence was in a small booklet, and you paid a fee and got a sticker in the back reflecting the licence fee (current). It was issued by the Ministry of Transport.

^^ very good point, that! inter-module protection (or lack thereof) clearly an issue! Mate of mine in UK ran a 545i SE for many years, his steering angle sensor was replaced by BMW dealer.

I don't have much option with my current gig. 35kms each way. Mostly SH1 or SH2. Next gig I'll be able to walk to work again, much more fun. I had a super drive in an e36 318iS coupe manual, back in 1993. It was less than 6 months old. Sure, it was missing 2 cylinders, but I was steering it with the loud pedal, the balance was superb. Did 600kms in it, loved every minute.

I stand corrected. Blush.

Hey, surely that's a trick question. Everyone around this parish knows that anything powered by the N42 4 cyl Valvetronic motor is to be avoided like syphilis. Whether it's auto or manual, considerations of the N42 in a 1 or 3 series are largely academic! Should we engage in considerations of which transmission is best in the context of a car featuring a motive unit likely to consign it to the workshop while quietly emptying one's wallet? /rant. nothing to see here, move along.

as a daily? Hell, if you're driving in traffic, I have to be honest. I'll take the auto these days, they've gotten much better. Going for a "real drive" - and if I ever get an M3 or 911, yes a manual for sure. But how often to I get to drive purely for the enjoyment? Mostly (and I mean pretty much all the time) I'm driving to get somewhere, like work, or back home, or driving the family around, or on holiday. I started to entertain the idea of auto a little over 20 years ago, living in one of the largest cities in the world. Traffic like you've never seen. I had a Golf GTi manual. My boss had just bought an e30 325e auto. It was clear that for the conditions we usually drove in, the auto was far superior. When we got into the mountains, the manual was the go - but that was about 5% of my time behind the wheel. Thankfully autos have improved these days. Being real for a moment, most of my driving is commuting in traffic, so I confess I actually prefer the auto. And yes, I got my license around cars with non-synchro 1st gear, mastered double de-clutching and heel-and-toe downshifts before I was 16... consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool manual driver. Next car I buy will be the first time I select auto by preference. Perhaps I'm getting old!

I'd say Allan (Tim325i) will be keen for those wheels, Brent. I've emailed him...

sounds and looks good, Kyu. I was hoping it was Monocoblau but sadly Schwartz won't pass muster with Mrs Olaf. Damn - this was sounding really promising! Just as a matter of interest, is it still on the original stereo, or has it been 'aftermarketed'? GLWS #8 )

Stunning rally drive by Canterbury teenager Could be one to watch. Love the story where they share why they chose BMW as their rally platform. The cat's out of the bag now!

Hi Kyu, how long have you had it, how many k's in that time, and what servicing has been completed in that time? I'm a wagon guy, have been thinking about a e90 330i saloon. Would I regret buying your lower mileage e91 325i instead? It seems like the more sensible option. Oh, any warranty (eg Autosure) remaining?

collector cars. 3000kms on the clock, like new. bring on the drivers, that are ridden hard and put away wet.

Jeez Julian, I can't keep up with you. You have an e36 Touring now? That's replaced the e30?

he's already considered both of those options, I think the 335i is one of those great 'bang for buck' options that's hard to beat.

come one, where's the details, wheres the pics?

actually I've misplaced your email addy mate, if you're interested, IM me your email addy.

I'll see if I can email you the calcs/diagrams I sorted out, Allan. Dunno if the Ti is much different to the standard e46, but I compared stock 7J16's with 205/55 through the Style 68 staggered 7.5/8.5J with 225/45+245/40, up to the style 194 staggered 8/8.5J with 225/45+245/40 (e46 tyre sizing rather than e90) and it all works swimmingly. Of course if you want to get it as close as possible to a factory Ti, nothing else will do other than a set of 97's. cheers

good to know folks are doing hydro-dipping down here. I saw it on Wheeler Dealers (RX7 I think?), wondered if it would come here... at 5 times the price! certainly looks the biz on your inlet manifold.

Hi Allan I'll keep an eye out. Indeed, they're not too common... http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/97 Have you considered joining the style 194 mafia? They work brilliantly on an e46, and are relatively common...

probably a lucky escape, Hans!

Great idea John, I think we should do that quickly, before you've let the Ci go. I think you'll be impressed with the changes to the touring, and I'd love to see how much further your Ci has come since we went to Samson.