Olaf

if you're lucky, there'll be a courier service that isn't aramex, and your NZ Post driver isn't whacked-out and driving past your delivery point with your parcel in the back. They deliver! This is where your BMWCCNZ starts to pay back, with your 10% off parts... I think last time I bought blue it was about $24 per.

thank you for that rather idelible image. never been particularly taken with the X6; that description sticks! 🤣 .... I think you've clocked the internet today, Matt! kudos @balancerider

BMW Blue, from your BMW dealer. 1:1 with deionised water.

my pic, June 2023, CSL - what else?!

Just an underscoring of the pecking order and work strata of the UK. Back when I was there, when a company was trying to convince me to join as a perm, the company car list would come out.... Audis, BMW e46 or e39, hobbled Jaguars, small Mercedes, Volvos... or most of the standard repmobiles were on offer, in addition to Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault etc. You'd pick your car, a small perk tax payment each month, it'd sit in your driveway most days, and you'd have full use and company fuel card, servicing. Pay a little extra per month for some spiciness - really feeding that status hunger. I couldn't see the point as I'd give it back in three years. It seemed odd to me as a perk given I usually flew for business rather than drive. Or if I needed a car, a rental would be delivered to my door, and retrieved when I'd finished with it. I think the whole company car gig in the 90's/00's UK was a big tax rort for the companies. Changes in tax laws and emissions penalties came in after I left the UK.

Are you sure it's not the ZF6HPyy?

Date: 29 Nov 2024 Distance: 215742 kms 1. Battery Replacement I've had a headlamp bulb out. A couple of times the vehicle has spazzed-out while running when I turned from sidelights to headlamps - dashboard-reset with a BeeeEEEp tone, clock resets, trip meter resets. I thought it was about 7 years since I replaced it last? With the help of @Autoglym we metered the batty during start - 11.3v. A new Koba batty was sourced. The old AA3772 (720 CCA, 140 RC, 80 AH) was in fact 2013! I recall when I last replaced the batty in 2013, the original date-marked 2002 BMW battery was in there. So 11 years per batty - nice! The Koba SE57510 was a case of 'nearest avalable' in-stock, 730CCA, RC 125 min, 75AH. It's slightly shorter in height than the AA, so a couple of bits of rubber beneath the sole of the hold-down plate had it sorted. Figures 1 & 2: A Koba batty, amidst the chaos of my sub-floor area, yesterday. Yes it's true: I am a closet hi-vis vest wearer - at least when changing a tyre on the roadside, or photographing. The previous AA install in 2013 was swings-and-roundabouts. He'd used Permatex Battery Protector & Sealer, which foams up and dries in a purple colour - brilliant stuff - and all was clean and intact. PS: Does anyone still distribute this in NZ? It seems to have gone unobtaneum. Unfortunately he didn't reconnect the battery breather vent. 🤯 So the bottom of the battery compartment was a little crusty. I vacuumed up any loose scale and gave it a couple of liberal coats of Brunox. That'll slow it down until I can get in there and paint it. Figure 3: the artist formerly known as crusty, now tramsformed with Brunox. Figure 3a: Brunox. The gold standard in Europe, particularly loved by the folks on retrorides. Figure 4: battery breather vent now reconnected. Car now starts more snappily. (8mm socket for the interior frame. 13mm for the hold-down. #2 phillips screw for the clamp tension. 8mm for the battery clamps). Battery lifting by messrs tricep, bicep, & latismus dorsi. Remixed by paracetamol and codine for us old geezers. Next to order a couple of Xenon bulbs. I didn't have bulbs in my spare headlamps.

yes. diesel crank needs the nose machined up - shortened - and a keyway, I think. All the M42/M44 mods seem to require $$ machine costs, for moderate increases in power/torque.

those rotors look good John, nice work.

From what I've read, the M42 crank is forged, the M44 is cast... if you want to head to 8k rpm I think the forged crank is the one... This is an interesting read on M47 cranks... there are variants. 90mm piston and you're on your way to more torque & 2.1 litres woohoo! http://m42club.com/forum/index.php?topic=1921.15 I've just got to get mine done, decided to pop it in stock.

no diesel stroker crank?

did you solder? or just left them twisted?

nice looking iS! I drove a near-new one for ~1200kms in Australia in 1993, a memorable drive.

I see 'JC' 😞 Jaguar has been tithing owners wallets for decades 😁

Their new car is said to be built to compete with.... Porsche's model that is almost sales-proof and depreciates faster than an unwrapped Mars bar laying on a beach in the sun. Are they mad? Quite possibly.

Date: 21 Nov 2024 Distance: 215468 kms 1. Replaced side repeaters I noticed the amber side repeaters were significantly dulled. 22-odd years in the sunshine'll do that, particularly the UV down here. I noticed these aftermarket TYR units at a particularly reasonable circa 5 euros each during a parts order from Spareto, so dropped them into my order. They took about 12 mins all up to install. A quick wipe over with detailing mist, pop out, clean up, SRP, install.... figure out why they weren't working. Oh, bulb carrier included, though not the bulb! Uninstall, remove bulb holder, install bulb from original, re-attach, re-install, test okay. Fig 1: At the start... fig. 2: Job's a good one. Second time round, at least! Of course, after that the left-hand was swift. Not Suzuki. Quick! FIg. 3: Left Hand, dulled by years of sun Fig. 4: Removed, ready to retrieve bulb from bulb-holder FIg. 5: Left hand done, shining like a diamond in a goat's ass (as that feller from TX says). Hint: you don't need a screwdriver or spludger tool. Just push horizonally toward the rear of the car, then then gently lever out the front edge (against the clip - see Fig. 4 above). I did it without tools. To disconnect from the vehicle wiring, press the lever on the connector. To remove the bulb holder from the fitting, twist approx 30 degrees. Right then, on to the next one.

@Mad_Max Geordie mate, how is that B11 coming along, have I missed updates?

that wrap was very, very impressive.

FWIW I run 245/40R17 on my rears, Style 194 on e46. it's the right circumference and fit for e46 staggered setup on Style 68. 245/40R17 probably the closest thing with a few more options than Bridgestone RE-050 runflats in 255/40R17. Unless you're running with a spare tyre, you will want runflats again. Another option is to get square setup rims and whatever the standard tyre size is for E9x with factory square setup.

You don't want 225/45R17 on the rear - it's a stretch. On the 8.5" wide rear you want the 255/40R17 as recommended. Why would you not want 255/40R17?

no question the v8 reportedly has the best balance and greater simplicity than the V12... but if you want it, you want it!

man that's cheap. what specs does it cover?

I like it.

Good move. I sourced a new Denso compressor from FCP for our e46 some years ago (six or seven?), 'the real mccoy' far more reasonably priced than local options. Touch wood it has been faultless.