Olaf

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.

the guy who has bought it isn't on Bimmersport, to continue your thread?

I've stuck with OEM (mostly Lemforder or Rein), or uprated (Meyle HD) where available, for general drivability. I recently read a discussion from a bunch of friends who went through uni together, and are all development engineers for car manufacturers or race teams in Europe. Their specific chat about OEM/Rubber vs Poly bushes was that when they poly'd anything, although it was stiffer and initially handled better, they usually turned to mush under a good development test pilot within an hour; whereas although rubber wasn't quite as stiff to start with and did deteriorate, it was still doing what it should do in the same hours hammering on the circuit. Conclusion - Rubber is still used for a reason. These guys all scoffed at the idea of putting poly bushes in their own rides, BMWs, Audis, classic Porsches. Your mileage may vary.

just move to the north end of the hutt valley, you can fill yer boots with iced up windscreens. Car doors frozen shut? Surely you'd be using BMW Gummipfledge? Stops your door seals sticking to the car in frozen conditions. image credit: from Bimmerfest (I must confess, when I ordered Gummi-Pfledge from BMW Dealer when I was in the UK (circa 2000/2001), they did look at me oddly... it never arrived, and I've never bothered back in NZ)

yep, they beat me to it. Thanks Paul and Kyu. I'd be happy to be corrected; all the BMW specialists I've talked to previously have recommended the BMW coolant, as being superior to your standard red or green coolants for use in your common or garden BMW. There are some coolants around that meet BMW specs - such as one of those available from Penrite. Which happens to be green! BMW N 600 69.0 APPROVED is the spec you're looking for. Useful thread here and here (this one contains output from BMW TIS). as always, YMMV.

Green coolant too - not BMW coolant. it'll need some TLC - and as the others say, don't drive it. Get it repaired by a BMW independent or a dealer. You'll save money by renting a vehicle or taking an uber tomorrow, rather than driving this before its repaired. HTH Olaf

well said, Charlie. Toby, false economy saving $$ on your short block, esp given your intended application. I really liked Charlie's words about having to take it out again in 6 months (or less)...

definitely. if there's water damage on the bores, your rings will also be damaged. Hell, if you've got it apart, rings and bearings, surely? And ensure the bottom end (mains, crankshaft end float), are all within spec. False economy to put it back together with anything less than it needs, IMHO.

or perhaps it'll be a Holden Commode?

Hi Allan here's the short-form can't afford an X5 at the moment. (circa $40k is the entry point that makes sense to me). e60's sound largely disasterous (would be a better option than X5, otherwise), though a 530d is tempting can't afford an F10 5 series ($30-40k) time to move to a newer (read more expensive) car as this one has depreciated to the point where the tax advantage is gone. at this rate it'll be a bloody VW Passat or Skoda diesel wagon! So with that in mind, an e90 or e91 is now beginning to make sense. Still shying away from the 335i for the extra complexity e90 325 or 330 - has an electric water pump, and (usually) active steering. Better trans than e46. Other than that, not much worse than the e46, overall. Same leaks, same need for trans service, same need for suspension updates. It'll be a 2 year car for me, my son will outgrow it, then it's on to a (more affordable) F10 or X5, I guess. haven't been able to think of a BMW around $14-18k that is fun to drive, isn't a massive repair liability, and gets better than 10l/100kms. cheers!

Paul, he can't bring himself to move the driveway sculpture!

so you're saying "looks first"?