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Olaf

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Everything posted by Olaf

  1. More updates for the to do list, before e30 Mega Meet (in no particular order): 1. Stereo (above) 2. Horns (have parts, need to wire in). 3. Fog lights (need lights and switch) 4. Cooling System - replace all hoses and clips, new coolant (again). Query thermostat housing. Have all the hoses, clips, and coolant are waiting and ready to go. 5. Wheels. New hubcap badges have arrived, Paint is ready to go. Just need time. 6. Wind roar driver’s door 7. Cluster (refresh and tacho), analogue clock for Centre. 8. Dashboard? 9. Align wiper arms. 10. Front iS lip. Paint bumpers and mirrors body colour. 11. Acquiring parts for rear disc retrofit (after Mega Meet I reckon) 12. Upholstery refresh (I've given up on finding e30 sport seats in need of refurb). 13. Strut Brace 14. Small case 4.10 LSD 15. 15" basketweaves with 205/55R15.
  2. Olaf

    Quick rant thread.

    PS: what happens when you don't fill in the form and it's over a grand? weeks of misery, if it's coming in through NZ Post or UPS!
  3. Olaf

    Quick rant thread.

    you read up on the NZ Customs website, and find all that info. www.customs.govt.nz I used that to good effect to register an NZ Customs Number for my company. Once you've submitted the forms, and got a number, you select a decent carrier like Fedex, and life is easy. Calling Customs for guidance on this process is pretty pain-free. As long as you've included your NZC reference in your shipment's addressing, you get a call from Fedex before the parcel has even left the USA (or other market), and you're emailed a letter with details, and if you pay within 1 or 2 days there's *no delay* at the border, it comes straight through. Sweet eh?!
  4. it was certainly looking good yesterday, Alan! Images missing from this thread!
  5. You are clearly of discerning taste. The A45 is akin to the current mad hot-hatch Honda, both of which look like they’ve been taken to by a teenage art student with scissors, cardboard, and Colour-matched duct tape. This is a very worthwhile journey you are embarking on. ?
  6. certainly seemed fast when I drove one.
  7. have you tried your BMW dealer? You might be surprised.
  8. If you need so much more power than the 300hp these come from factory with, budget for an LSD.
  9. @E30CHCH ignore the prices, they're arbitrary USD prices. You can either enter the last 7 digits of your VIN, or plug your way through selecting your car at the front end of realOEM.com which give you access to the parts diagrams, part numbers etc, by logical group. I plugged in info for a 1990 318iS as I knew the 14" Style 5 is an option. Hope that helps.
  10. yes, BMW dealer. Find the part number on realOEM. In fact, one moment caller... EDIT: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=AF92-EUR-01-1990-E30-BMW-318is&diagId=36_1392 I think for the 14" you're after 36132225622 - check it out on the parts diagram. Unsure if the badge is included - looks like it is? Hope that helps.
  11. Looks very tidy! How about getting it up to snuff? Your rear subframe rubbers are now 30 years old (unless they've been replaced); similarly, fuel hoses, ball joints, diff mount, gearbox mounts, engine mounts are all 30 years old. You'd be surprised what going through and replacing them with new OEM or Genuine parts will do for your ride and handling. While you get to know the car, you can figure out what you want to do with it. You need a lower lip on the valence. Reminds me of my old one, I had a 1989 325i Touring in Alpinweiss with shadowline trim, sunroof, and factory manual box.
  12. around $120 from the dealer, I think. Good luck. This probably comes down to whether or not they tightened it correctly, whether it held well anyway (they're pretty loose and can come off), or whether it was nicked elsewhere. What can you prove? Hard lessons. Yep, when I was nineteen I was sold a sh*t pair of retreads (tyres were very expensive back in the 80's!), and the car pulled, after an alignment. Re-checked. Still pulled. Told the car must've been bent beforehand. Swapped the wheels over, side to side; pull followed the right hand tyre. Told them tyres faulty, got told to f**k off. Still, I'm sure that Beauripaires manager didn't go far, and the company hasn't had any money from me over the last thirty-plus years!
  13. Olaf

    Gull 98

    I understood the greatest risk with fuels containing ethanol is that it emulsifies on contact with water, eg the condensation in your fuel tank. The emulsion sinks to the bottom of your tank, and f#%ks up your fuel system. Very bad news for boaties of course, frequently with large alloy underfloor tanks. How fast can you say 'expensive outboard rebuild'. Still, my BMWs are not boats, not even the e60. I'm open-minded and very interested to read the 'real oil' on Gull's 98, though. It's not like I'm a petrochemical engineer!
  14. well yes, you're correct. There I am generalising, Ohakea is sort of near to Palmy, eh. ?
  15. just when we thought "Ponsonby Paul" had stuck, you could become "Palmy Paul" again?
  16. It's been a bit busy lately, and focus has been on work or the other vehicles in our fleet. I have managed to get out a few times in Grey Thunder, and have enjoyed every moment. Regardless, there are a couple of things bubbling along. While I get started with the wheel refurbishment, I'm looking at a couple of interior items. Sound and Vision, if you like, with a nod to Mr D Bowie. Or more precisely, the car stereo, and getting a tacho and small analogue clock installed. To this end, I've picked up a cluster, which I am researching before proceeding, in order to avoid it transforming into a cluster f%#k. And, I've also acquired - courtesy of one of our number here - a Bavaria C Reverse. And later, I bought a harness - which doesn't fit. So here's some car stereo images. My to-do list: Get the *correct* harness Get some front door tweeter pods (to go with those rear speakers and amp I picked up a while back). Install it. Record some 80's music onto cassette. From vinyl, and CD. BMW Bavaria C Reverse RDS, this morning. I like cassettes, I do. Question: Does anyone know what the correct harness is called? This is the rear connector on the Bavaria C Reverse RDS. Beautiful harness out of the USA, but sadly the wrong one! Probably brilliant for connecting to what's there. I guess I should pull the current Blaupunkt that Shelley BMW installed back in April 1990, and see what's in there. I may be lucky and find exactly the plug I need. Though as the Blaupunkt uses non-standard connections, my hopes are not high. Oh. That looks rather like the one on the stereo. Bugger. Detail shot of the BW-01B harness. Cluster images in a future post.
  17. Olaf

    2004 545i

    welcome, Graeme. Would be helpful to know which part of the country you're in - please update your profile. How many kms on the 545i? If you're new to the 545i, important to check and verify state of the valve stem seals (common failure on this model), and whether there are coolant leaks (the coolant tube that runs front to back in the Y of the block). Both of these items are expensive if you're paying for the work to be done. A well-sorted 545i is a joy to drive. 333hp and 50:50 weight distribution and 1650kgs, they're a great tourer, yet surprisingly nimble with Dynamic Drive suspension and Active steering. If you're interested in the long-term experience and different repairs and maintenance I've done, take a look here:
  18. Welcome! if you’re not using a BMW dealer for service, do find a good reputable BMW Specialist.
  19. Olaf

    Quick rant thread.

    Specialist retailers are an exception. They deserve your consideration.
  20. Olaf

    Quick rant thread.

    Nothing is cheap in NZ, when you’ve lived outside the matrix.
  21. Olaf

    Radar Detectors

    hmmm. Unplugging the detector has the disbenefit of removing the 'taking oneself rather too seriously' filter. As I said in my original post, anyone travelling in a line of traffic in a 50 zone on a long straight road can easily find themselves doing 56 or 57, along with everyone else. Bad driving? Or considerate for the conditions and other human beings using the road.
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