Olaf

abacab

Development vehicle - wow that sounds interesting. Care to share more details of the vehicle?

Table 11-2-2. Approved exhaust emission standards for used petrol-, CNG- and LPG-powered vehicles certified for use on New Zealand roads on or after 3 January 2008 Certified for entry into service Approved vehicle emissions standards Light vehicles Heavy vehicles On or after 1 January 2012 (Note 7) LIGHT VEHICLES: ADR 79/02, or Euro 4, or Japan 05, or US 2004 HEAVY VEHICLES ADR 80/02, or Euro IV, or Japan 05, or US 2004 That's your baseline. If you're not Euro4 compliant, then you need to find the 'get out of jail' loopholes (like SIV). HTH.

hey Will, google is your friend, mate. I searched with a pretty random "vehicle imports new zealand NZTA emissions standards" and got the following string back vehicle imports new zealand NZTA emissions standards which, somewhat interestingly, featured these results: Used Vehicles from Japan Environmental Standards for Vehicles Emissions and Technical bulletin 28 – Exhaust emissions standards compliance Could be challenging. Why not buy a BMW instead? #; ) I'm not biased.

errr awesomesauce with plenty of cheese. thats what makes it a guilty pleasure for me. one wouldn't normally admit to watching something so cheezey. turn brain off, engage SOA, suspend disbelief or expectation of great script or plot, watch plodding "drama" with Harley sounds and occasional gunfights. #8 ) This thread is for any guilty pleasure, not just tv.

keep it clean. 1. Sons of Anarchy on netflix. 2. Wheeler Dealers. 3. boost whistle.

Given it was a rental with about 5000kms on the clock, I'm suggesting 'no, nothing was broken'. If you mean broken, as in 'something was not functioning as designed/built; an element or elements of the system were malfunctioning'. I would not expect a production vehicle that is built and advertised to run on a wide-range of fuels to require re-sets and re-maps; this is the domain or performance modification, as is your case. Interesting that you need to make those resets, though; from what little I've seen of the Haltech ECUs, their flex-fuel sensor tells provides detail of the fuel presented, for the ECU to decide most appropriate map to run. Are they alone in this area of aftermarket ECU tech? cheers

have you driven a VF SV6? They are NO SLUG, and the 300hp V6 was a genuine surprise, free-revving, torquey, and genuinely fabulous in the cut-and-thrust driving to get through traffic for that first 100kms north of Sydney. Furthermore, they're built for Ethanol, up to and including e85. The simple fact is, the Ethanol I put in the tank of the VF transformed it from a quick, smooth, powerfull full-size modern car that was fun to drive, into a slug. Put your biases aside, go drive one at a Holden dealer. After reading for more than 30 years in the Australian motoring press the bullsh%t that the new 'insert new model here' commode was 'nearly as good as an E-class or 5 series', for the first time - in the case of the VF - they're right. I was wondering what they'd done to come up with a transmission control setup that was rarely confused, brakes that were powerful and steering and suspension that genuinely surprised me with its capability and feedback, more BMW-like than any other non-euro that I'd driven. Ethanol could be a great racing fuel where a vehicle is fully setup up for it (fuel lines, filters, flex-fuel sensor, fuel pump, ECU mapping etc); for the rest of us, it's a complete "have", foisted upon us by the corn lobby and greedy fuel companies. Ask any boatie about Ethanol in fuel. They avoid it like the plague.

I used one in the 90's (uniden RD9XL - pretty trick) on my daily commute to upper hutt... was great until they introduced KA band! I also had a newer uniden in the late 90's until some light-fingered asshat stole it from my car. I had gotten out of practice until nearly 4 years ago. After receiving a ticket my response was to buy a radar detector to help inform me when I was about to be targeted, to give me a chance to check my speed. You know how it is, you're cruising responsibly, concentrating on the road and traffic, conversing with your family in the car, and then 'bing' you've crept up to 112 or 114. oooops. Only, with law enforcement in NZ that's "here's a fine, sir" - no conversation. I have a BEL 995, it's very good. Provides reasonable warning for mobile radar, shorter warning for laser, no warning for Vans (I have that turned off). It has provided me with opportunity to check my speed when driving distances; and delivers on that. It's not much chop for instant-on, mode... so I will be upgrading to an sti magnum or an escort redline this year. probably the sti magnum. PS - I really like the audible alerts on the bel and escort detectors. I prefer to run mine in stealth, no lights... so "BlEEEEP BlEEEP BlEEEEP --- Lay-zerrr alert --- is really useful. or "Kay Ay band" #8 )

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.

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.

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?

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! #; )

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?