Olaf

I'll IM you later today.

An MT2 M325i Coupe in completely original condition (NZ new, 50k, 3 owners - the last for 20 years - fully optioned except leather) was quietly sold in Wellington just four months ago. That won't be seeing the market again for a looooong time. Members of the BMW Car Club NZ are in for a treat when the Winter edition of DIXI Magazine comes out.

I mean errr they're fairly good. (before the market explodes) ?

bloody hell of course I have! and it was *so* *much* *better*!!! ?

For something that big, you could look into buying an existing shed or warehouse that needs removal, have it deconstructed, have the steel reloacted to your site, engineering, pour slab, re-errect. A friend of mine bought sheds from the airport years ago, cost him a pittance, he and a mate with a hiab truck made short work of it.

purple tag = 3.2 as Dave says. I know the rack well after 8 years with our e46 Touring. I'd like to drive an e30 to see how it changes/improves it. I think I'm a likely candidate for the swap in my e30, when it comes to repower and certing.

Date: 18 Jun 2020 Distance: 261xxxkms 1. Replaced Tail Light Seals. Genuine BMW part #63211380419. Precautionary replacement; I've read that these are often the source of leakage into the boot. Given mine are thirty years old, I decided to replace them. Fairly straightforward; 8mm nuts (six of). I cleaned out the aperture, no rust (woohoo!), no evidence of leakage. The old seals were in pretty good condition and flexible, though compressed as you'd expect. I fitted the new seals, and applied a light smear of rubber grease to the mating surface. Job's a good un. Rust-free e30 tail light aperture. phew, relief. The left hand side was the same (more dirt built up), though I forgot to take a picture. A new Seal, in Wellington. Not the 90's pop star, though. (the right hand). A new Seal, in Wellington. Not friends with Trevor Horn, either. (the left hand). View of tail lights showing fixings - bulb carrier removed. Note the six 8mm nuts - and the clamping bracket at the outer edge. The loom and connector un-clip from the tail lights with two squeeze tabs. 2. Radiator Support Panel - surface rust remediation. Light surface rust at the bottom of the radiator support panel had been awaiting my attention. Jon reminded me about it while we had it in the air on Wednesday, and today was the day. A combination of wire brushing and emery paper saw to the prep. Normally I'd use rust converter; time (and low winter temperatures weren't on my side. We used Hammerite rust treatment paint (brushed on), after pre-heating the metal with a heat gun. This stuff works well to stop rust and provide a hard coating. Then an hour later (after more heat-gun to move warm air around and aid drying, I hit it with a coat of Rustolleum all-in-one Satin Black, after pre-warming the can in a water-bath. Another coat (pre-warmed metal) 50 minutes later. An hour later (after some more coaxing with the heat gun), it was pretty-well dried, at least to begin curing. Result. Yecch. Unsightly, though not serious. Prepped for surgery (in truth, this was post-paint). Protection. Though not of the Massive Attack kind. How can I resist? I'll monitor this, to ensure the remediation is solid. I may get some cavity wax (or just fishoilene) and spray it into the inside of the structure. If the external remediation shows any sign of continued rust, I'll re-do it in summer when there's better temperature and more time. A couple of disc rotor backing plates in suspension, today. I also painted the backing plates in preparation for the brake refresh job in a couple of weeks. Degreased, keyed with grey scotch-brite, two coats of Rustoleum all-in-one satin black 50 minutes apart (with some heat gun in-between). 3. General checks: - Rain-X'd the windscreen. Twice. It's going to be a very wet roadie this weekend. Pleased to note that cold starting is much easier with the new CTS from yesterday. Result!

... or put a shout-out on the 'WTB' section, seeking help on the Bimmersport Good Bastard Freight Network. Which part of the SI are you in @F10er, and where are your wheels coming from?

Packaging: Wheel Boxes are usually available from your local Mag and Tyre Warehouse, if you ask nicely. They sell so many wheels, and have the hassle and expense of disposing of the boxes. Freighting: I think Mainfreight are really telling you "we don't like freighting wheels. But if you really want to, we'll do it at your risk. (man he must be desperate to use us under those terms!)" I guess even if you strap them to a pallet, they'd need to go top-stow? Find a more amenable courier company. Remember, if they get dropped they could be pooched, so pack in wheel boxes.

what a beauty!! and you can come to e30 Mega Meet this year, too! bonus. Hell, as you were in NPL last year, should have joined us for a quiet beer or two anyway!

ahhh I recognise that spot. Seen a bit of that car lately, good to see. Is it an iS?

@qube Kyu, I found the same - fewer top-ups, and my engines ran smoother on HPR5. That and it's less-expensive than Castrol.

thanks @Mikan, you flatter me. Plans afoot for a little more work tomorrow.

Date: 17 Jun 2020 Distance: 261xxxkms 1. Replaced Blue Temperature Sensor (CTS). Bosch part #0280130026. And new aluminium crush washer. This is where specialist knowledge rules. No stripping the inlet manifold. Remove the airbox and surrounding area, and you can sneak in with a long extension. It's made a really nice difference to how the car runs. I think it's been running rich for years before I got it. EDIT: it's nippier, climbs through the rev range a little faster. I think it'll be more economical to boot! There's the little bastard! A pale blue Bosch coolant temperature sensor in it's natural habitat, this afternoon. Plug is disconnected in this image. 2. Replaced Three Exhaust Hangers. What a shitty job. Best done on a hoist. They weren't f@#ked, a precautionary replacement. The old ones were getting a little crusty. Job's a good 'un. I mean, who wants a dropped exhaust they have to wire up on a country road? First Exhaust Hanger. Adjusted hanger bracket. P/N 18211105635 (Vaico VAI-V200055) Outboard Exhaust Hanger (Doughnut): P/N 18211712838 (Fischer Plath) Inboard Exhaust Hanger (Doughnut): P/N 18211712838 (Fischer Plath) 3. Replaced Rear Inboard Brake Hoses. Jon noticed one of the hoses was a little dimpled, and they were starting to get a bit weathered. On the basis of 'it's brakes, we don't dick around here', we replaced them. It was another shitty job. Bled the brakes afterwards, topped up brake fluid. Inboard Brake Hose: P/N 34321159878 length 222mm (Corteco). - the old hose pictured. 4. General checks. Bled and topped-up cooling system. Topped up engine oil (0.5 litres). Checked gearbox oil level (fine). Checked differential-mounting bolts to subframe. Re-tensioned drive belts (power steering had been squealing on initial cold start). Thanks Jon! 5. HT Leads Cleaned #3 HT lead connection at cap (again) - emery cloth, and brakeleen. Checked all other connections, clean and dry. 6. Gleamy I also gave it a wash on Sunday, it's looking good and ready to take to Castlepoint on the BMW Car Club NZ trip this weekend. Spic and Span on Sunday. Should have taken a proper camera. A big shout out to Jon and Keren at Auto 38 in Wellington! I can turn a spanner... mostly, but the skill and capability of a craftsman mechanic is streets ahead. If you're in Wellington (or the lower North Island), you'll get excellent workshop service. Plus parts nationwide. Next steps: Front Scuttle Panel: Clean surface rust from front scuttle panel, etch, prime, repaint satin black. Tail Lights: Replace tail light seals (in parts stash) Electrical: Install the dual horns, Install foglights, Investigate remote mirrors not working Audio: Front tweeters, rear parcel shelf, Sound deadening under rear parcel shelf, rear premium speakers, power feed for sub & amps, install sub. Dashboard: repairing SI, dry joint brakepad warning indicator, adding RPM, fitting analogue clock, precautionary odo gears replacement. Rear end brake overhaul and spring pads (in parts stash). Update: rear trailing arms blasted and powder coated. remaining items: repaint backing plates, strip paint, and overhaul rear callipers. Bodywork: Get new driver's door waistline trim and clips.

I gave up on Castrol Edge (used to run 0W40), I prefer the HPR5. I don't recall 50% off anything in NZ - except at Briscoes ?

@_ethrty-Andy_ Usually worth asking for the 20l price for HPR5W40. You'll often find it works out at under $8/litre.

I keep buying lotto...

The only agro is the braking. Keep on posting tripe!

Hey @smiddyWayne, what do you have remaining for (either) M42, or even M40 in e30?

Dick move. I drove the car. I was joking with Adro that he hadn't mentioned - when I drove it - that it needed aggresive braking. Keep digging.

Hey, you never said I should brake agressively! (not my style. what's this 'slows for corners' anyway?). It's nothing to do with rotors/calipers/pads. Car drives like a dream, with one minor exception. The shimmy is very subtle. Nothing like an internet forum to 100x magnify something! To his credit, @adro is very sensitive to suspension and running. I'm almost scared to give him my e30 for a blat ?

woohoo! Congratulations Blair, nice one!

sounds like they could be a budget option for e30 when I find some 15" basketweaves. 205/55R15?

I've heard the Laufenn mentioned as great value for money. If RE003 are the benchmark, how much less is the LK01 in terms of road noise, grip, wet weather, and wear, in your experience Kyu?? I've heard Laufenn is an Hankook 'Euro-style' brand?

in 1:43 scale?