Olaf

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?

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

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

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.

crikey, I was reamed more than $300+GST when I sourced and replaced mine a few years back. yes OP, you should replace your e39 one - it's all part of the weather protection and design of the car.

thanks for your views. It's not hypothetical; I've been driving for more than 30 years, used to do 1200+kms per week so have been exposed to a number of RTAs, some mine, many more others. I may not have seen it all, though I have seen a lot. It's sad your perspective draws the race card; your experiences are in fact universal regardless of race. I've been there, done that, including the second language. The point I will reiterate is that where you choose to become a pushy ass seeking admissions on video at an accident, you are more likely to experience dismissal by those who count, or worse, end up assaulted. How you conduct yourself has greater bearing on your personal outcomes, after the accident. Denial of liability is natural for some. Car A is stationary. Car B runs into the rear. It matters not what driver of car A or car B says - Car B is at fault. Let the insurers work it out, concentrate on safety, welfare, rehabilitation. There will be plenty around with their blood pressure elevated; why contribute further? Any competent lawyer will destroy your video if it came to court. You'd be portrayed as a technology bully. Isn't that - bullying - what you were taking exception to? regards

you'd be sh*t out of luck with most people. All insurers advise policy holders not to admit liability. The key thing at the scene of an accident is to remain calm. Were you up in my grille demanding admissions of liability on a video recording, you'd find you'd strangely dropped your phone... and somehow it was stood on. Making rash demands and calling police to an accident where damage report to a police station is all that is required, once details are exchanged, just makes you look like a prick. Once the services arrive, you're on the back foot for behaving like one.

yes - clarity. you were stationary at the point that the other car continued it's turn, and hit you. You were clearly travelling slowly enough to stop - which police or loss adjusters will view positively. the other car hit you while you were stationary. you've done what you need to do. Do not call the husband. It's up to insurance companies to sort out. The garage whose loan car you were driving will be accustomed to this kind of thing; you've been clear with them. Contact him when he's back. If contacted directly by the husband or the driver of the other car, just say it's with the owner of the vehicle and has been referred to the insurance company and request they not contact you again. Chin up Graham, nobody was injured, just a little paint traded. A minor inconvenience for all concerned. Embrace 2016! #8 )

you said it yourself - whilst regurgitating the party line - contributing factors. ask: what was the cause? stop drinking the koolaid, ask the questions.

so Francois, how's this coming along? We need an update. Beach Hop creeps ever closer. Is your project gaining inertia? Oh I know, how about a theme tune? Inertia Creeps might do the trick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3mn7EC-skg Anyway, keen to see the V8 swap. regards

there, that's better. having experienced most japanese and australian saloons of the time, read the un-ending assault of the australian motoring press on things being as good as the benchmarks of the roundel and three pointed star, then drove 300e and e34, I was left wondering what it was the motoring press were smoking in addition to their tyres. Sorry, lets get back to the Soarer love.

thanks for the heads-up. M54B25 kit is now on my list of planned preventative maintenance for 2016. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-DISA-Valve-Intake-Adjuster-Unit-Aluminium-Rebuild-Upgrade-M54-2-2-or-2-5-/151042490072?hash=item232ad57ed8:g:usgAAOSwNSxVVRwf Olaf.

sorry for the late response; merry xmas, and best wishes for the new year!