Olaf

By lower performance do you mean less fuel economy? There's plenty of potential to make more power with the higher blends of ethanol.

I found this to be a good read talking about water absorption

http://epa.gov/OMS/regs/fuels/rfg/waterphs.pdf

by lower performance in the VF Commode I meant much more sluggish response to throttle, more difficulty in accelleration. Much worse than trying to run your BMW on ULP91. Had me wishing I'd spent more on PULP, as I was about to drive 600kms.

The corn lobby in the USA has done brilliantly with ethanol. Another product for the glut of corn grown in USA, besides feeding livestock. Hardy, relatively easy to grow. Never mind planting crops that people need to eat!

I had an Alpine 3516 back in the day, running Alpine 3-way 6.5". Couldn't afford an Alpine head unit. Bought it from the first incarnation of the Car Stereo Company on Willis Street. Happy days.

I don't like Gull as the mix ethanol into their fuel.

Mobil also mix Ethanol into their fuel. Accordingly I steer clear of Mobil & Gull. Boat users specifically told to avoid Ethanol fuels. With greater amount of water in fuel tanks due to condensation, filling with Ethanol blends is a *bad idea*. The ethanol emulsifies (makes 'mayonaise') with the water, sinks to the bottom of your tank, clogs your filter, f%cks up your injectors, stops your engine. There are plenty of BMW service bulletins on-line from the US detailing this phenomenon as well.

I use Caltex 95 or BP 98, FWIW. No ethanol. I don't know what Z uses; and I don't know what the acquisition of Caltex by Z is going to do to the fuel.

BP 98 is good when you can find it; bloody hassle in Rotorua recently, found BP station on my GPS, then found they didn't carry 98, so had to use website to find right station etc etc. /rant.

Perhaps you can use Ethanol blends in your modern (as in very recent) BMW. I avoid a world of pain by avoiding Ethanol blends.

Slightly off-topic, in Oz last year I tried different Ethanol fuels in my rented VF-SV6 Commode (it could handle all the way up to e85). lower pump price, way lower performance.

cheers

awesome, Glenn. You're understandably very proud. She makes it look easy.

I'd like to offer an alternate view. I think that - in light of the pedigree of your fine e28 - that you should find a circa 1989 or 1990 quality cassette stereo. Perhaps an Alpine, a decent higher-end Kenwood (better), but really, work a little harder and get hold of a Blaupunkt or Becker out of Europe.

Then you need a decent cassette deck to record on, and some tapes. If you've never heard a Nakamichi, you don't know how damned good cassettes can sound.

Build your system around this head unit. By all means, use a pair of later amps, and some more modern speakers. Be retro - all the cool kids are discovering the joys of analogue through Vinyl, and Cassette is making a bit of a comeback as well. It's all in-line with your most excellent vehicle. You can use a cassette adaptor to play iPhone etc.

I've just been fiddling around with a couple of Naks I picked up nearly two years ago. One for my workshop, one's going to work for my desk. Tapes on a Nak - recorded well from a great source - sounds better than an iPhone with spotify, or crappy MP3s.

Go to it!

Oh - get the car running and on the road first!

inspiration:

looks awesome, Josh. thanks for the pointers on spraying, particularly how you shimmed the trigger, started spraying on the floor to avoid the spatter, and rolling (your wrist?) at the top. I'll give this a crack one day. I think I've pretty much clocked roller painting, getting an even better finish on top of level 5 plastering would be a cool acheivement.

removing your spring pads will probably introduce noise such as creaking.

treating just springs and shocks on an older vehicle is only doing part of the repair. If they've never been replaced, you'll also be needing strut bearings, bump stops, nuts, bolts, dust boots, probably the factory tower reinforcement plates, sway bar end links, and sway bar bushes.

Consider these parts as you do your research. If you've got the suspension in pieces fitting new shocks and springs, you'll find the original bump stops will be knackered.... as will the strut bearings. Best be prepared, this will transform your car.

Swedes start 'practicing' driving at 16, with a full license available from 18.

Median salaries are comparable - NZ ~$51000, Sweden ~$53000 (equivalent). Swedish income tax is 29%, but taxation is a combination of local and national taxes, so this is an approximation based on median salary.

Even alcohol consumption isn't that different: NZ 10.9l per year, Sweden 9.2l per year. (Pure alcohol, aged 15+. Source: Wikipedia.)

Let's face it. We're pretty crap over here.

hmm, I started 'practising' in NZ at 13, and sat and qualified for my full license at 15, a couple of months before I turned 16. I drove mostly off-road or on dirt before I turned 15. Back then you weren't allowed to drive (on the roads) until you were 15. No learners license existed.

yeah call me conservative, I reckon the drop you have already looks good.

you're right about matching struts to low springs. Suggest you safely raise and support your vehicle, get under it with WD40 and a rag, you should be able to find the part numbers. Same with your springs; somewhere there (under the grime) should be a reference that you can google with. Hope that helps.

If you're brushing...

I always thin my paint for enamels. Master Painter I was working with taught me to add a little thinner (water or spirits depending on the type of paint), mix, and watch how the paint runs off the stirrer - it should be the consistency of cream. The amount, as Glenn mentions, is dependent of air temp and humidity on the day.

Don't put your paint back in the tin/bucket. Just place a damp (with appropriate thinners) cloth over the top, add to it next coat/day, thin again, you're good to go. Take excellent care of your pricey brushes.

Use thin coats, flowing out as you go. The water-based enamles flow nearly as well as oil-based, and go off quickly. Apply with a quality brush (Tynex bristles best). Use inter-coat sanding with 220grit to knock off the nibs, and tack-wipe before next coat. Count on doing three-four coats (on top of your primer or undercoat), with the final coat a little thinner again. You should be able to get excellent gloss levels and a great finish, with care.

Josh, I'm interested in interior spraying. What's the overspray like? Do you find you need to cover a wide area to control overspray?

thanks bro, will get it checked out on Monday

Hopefully you'll be using one of our generous sponsors, such a, well, Botany Motor Worx Ltd, or other companies listed here #8 )

Mind you don't unwittingly pull people over whilst you're cruising around.

ahhhh, this brings back memories. Thread subscribed. I had an e30 325i Touring, 5sp and sunroof, still miss it.

re your damp carpets, ISTR leaks common from cowl around the glovebox area, I forget the detail so use google and check yours out.

Very interested in your swap, keep up the great work.

what are you aiming to achieve? Are you looking to stay flat at 200kph on the curves of SH20? Provide convenient excuses as to why you can't carry passengers ("sorry. with my superlows I can't carry your fat ass in the back; it'll just rub out my tyres and hit my exhaust. you'll have to walk.")?

Look for something TUV approved. At least that way you'll have something considered, test and approved by German engineers that it won't totally compromise the safety and practicality of your vehicle.

mmmm, windyfires. I guess they'd be good for the skidpan. Ooops, wrong forum! #; )

I'm not sure. There was a tyre discussion recently and he didn't wreck it with irrelevant, misleading, ill-informed supposition. He might be indisposed.

I have little experience with the X5, only sharing the road with them. My opinion is very simple. They're two tons of pretentious, inexcusable rubbish. Have some consideration for other road users and get a station wagon instead.

that's really not helpful, Dave.

come on lads, this is not new.

consider, if you will, the e23 745i.

Oh! It was a 3.2 or 3.4l six with a KKK hairdryer on the side. Turbo gave about 1.4 x displacement.

Whatever - it's just a rationale. You were comfortable with it previously. It seemed to make sense. What does it really matter?

it's reverse psychology at work. BMW are expecting more punters to check the 'badge delete' option on the order sheets.

Performance (mostly the torque) in the 535d is phenomenal, I'd imagine in an X5 would be great.

It wouldn't be doing any great km's so the economy of the diesel isn't really a benefit once you factor in the higher Reg and RUC's

Aaron, 15ltr/100km is bloody good towing a boat!

that's what my 855-T5 does around town #8 o no boat!

superb progress, Andy. What's left to do, and where are you at wrt budget?

looking sharp. And good on you for taking care of your old boy, it's what every good son should do. #8 )

it's interesting, in the 60's and 70's it was pretty much 'mind how you go'. Nobody will argue that alcohol - in increasing quantities - does impair judgement and performance behind the wheel.

Until just over a year ago, our limit allowed a certain amount of impairment. There was no reporting or evidence to suggest that many accidents were caused by people driving in the region of the old limit - that is, above our new limit, and below our old limit.

There was certainly much coverage of recidivist offenders driving at multiple times the (old) limit. And many accidents indicating a major contributing factor was impairment well over the (old) limit.

What they have done, is used an elephant gun to kill a mouse. They've legislated to make you and I - or your neighbour, or your workmate - criminals. We used to enjoy two - perhaps three - glasses after work, perhaps with some food, and drive carefully home. Or not! Now, in the same circumstances, we're all criminals driving at that level of 'impairment'.

What has changed? Has this reduced the number of recidivist offenders, or the road toll?

The f#cking idiots who were driving pissed before, are still over the limit. Me? I take an Uber, or walk. I didn't have accidents as a result of responsibly driving with three beers after work.

How great was the risk that this law change was designed to manage?

Hopefully Ron (3 Pedals) will be along shortly.

I discussed this (what's an X5 like to run; what are the areas of concern) recently with my local independent; expect in the region of $2k/year maintenance, and be prepared for the occasional big (up to $5k) year. Not an inexpensive car to run. I like the idea of a diesel. I'm not game for this much risk, though. Need to qualify further, and am pleased you're asking these questions on your thread.

Re autos, I think this applies to all BMW autos. Lifetime fluid is a crock; fluid and filter changes are essential to maintain the transmissions.

HTH

Olaf

And David Coultard

That could be good. Did you ever read CrazyDave parody on Sniffpetrol?

Chris Harris is brilliant, Sabine Schmidt is uber - in that ring-taxi way (see what I did there?), and even Evans can be funny. He has exceptional taste, evidenced by his love of Fezzas and formerly of Billie Piper. It should be a riot, given a little time to settle in.

I'm off to sort out my Amazon Fire.