Olaf

Many thanks! It was done with a rub, a bit of olive oil over it, and slow-ish cooked at around 110c and constantly smoked with the smoke boxes. My killer piece of equipment is a digital meat thermometer, to measure internal temp of the meat. No guess-work! I've just bought Bear Paws, make shredding meat easier. Who wants to pull their err pork with forks, when they can use Bear Paws? ? And yes, subtle flash of my trusty Tag Heuer 2000, my wife bought for me in '96. I've challenged myself to be able to do beef short ribs. I don't know where to start. I know I'll need a rib rack. What's the story - anyone have a recommended approach for Gas? Cheers

stone me. wonder how they drive?

my daily beater is a Seiko 007 Pepsi, I'm comfortable in my choice. ?

Sorry I missed this man. I have a couple of full bottles of BMW Blue Coolant could have sorted you out. I take it you've sourced what you needed by now, @Crozzy?

sacrilege.

it's a tough call between the IWC and the Magrette! A Leoncino, nice! I like the Tudor below it, too - never seen that model before.

you guys doing some slow cool smoking, then? I'm just on gas, where I live charcoal needs more committment with the wind. I use smoker boxes with cabernet or shiraz-soaked wood chips, and ceramic flame-tamers to help with the smoking beneath the hood. Mine's an old BBQ factory full-stainless 4 burner that I restored, souped-up with enamelled grilles and the flame-tamers. It works well, and saved me spending a couple of grand that I didn't have to spare.

Excellent thinking. Much of the reading I've done indicates that much of the issue is down to the insanely thin clearance BMW specified in the S85 motor for the rods. There's more than one workshop specifying bearings with an appropriate clearance, and continuing with the oil analysis.

She’s a beauty! I’m after a pair of those seats in the long term, and that fabric too - mine’s plainer, in pretty fair nick (under the seat covers), though I’m after the iS setup. bought mine similarly - overall in honest, unmolested nick, needed some TLC. Work in progress, or a “rolling restoration” as they call it in the UK ?

plenty of software in the Transmission Control Module. Great result; keep an eye on it for a week or two and see how it goes. Let us know how you're getting on!

you guys might enjoy this article I discovered yesterday... ?

I will confess to being comparatively uninformed on Mini! Are they that bad?

result. looking forward to your next surprise!

Moving away from my bias, what about a BMW Mini? they're available for less than $5k, much stronger than an MX5, are popular and reasonably reliable?

and hey, it's your new Swedish boyfriend/girlfriend. You know, the Swedes are known for their permissive views, sense of humour, and generally well-adjusted place in the world. No parent is going to be concerned about you showing up in a Volvo wagon to take their offspring out. Strange isn't it, Rover had the viking symbol on their cars, though they were someone staid and rather pipe-and-slippers. Volvo has quite the opposite, beneath the surface: https://jalopnik.com/volvos-850-wagon-racer-was-all-sorts-of-two-wheeling-aw-1567506405 Image from Amazon.com image from Pistonheads

Is this where I mention it's had - in my ownership of some 11 or 12 years & just 54,000kms it's had plenty of care lavished on it: cam belt/waterpump/tensioner/rollers, total & complete cooling system replacement including heater core and turbo cooling hoses & genuine volvo radiator, shocks & all associated bushes, H&R sport springs, lower control arms, endlinks, drilled & slotted rotors, braided lines, IACV, cam position sensor, crank position sensor, fuel pump relay, front factory rebuilt brake callipers, coil, leads, plugs, cap, rotor, trans flush, mounts, fuel filter, air flow meter, PCV system, CV boots... and a fuel injection relay is on its way from the US of eh. It's not perfect as any 21 year old will remind you; it's well-dressed and well-behaved until you activate the party switch and then it likes to dance. It does like a drink. Show it a trip and you can nudge it under 9.9l/100, though blatting around the urban village teasing XR8/SS/STi and it'll chug 15-16/100. In serious leather, yesterday. (yes, it's a Frank Zappa reference). PS: and for trumps, it has FIVE cylinders. Yes, FIVE. They sound so cool.

looking good!

of course, I'm not biased, but I think you should buy for your sister a beautiful 1997 Volvo 855-T5 Wagon. With a stunning black leather interior. a mere 198k kms, a fresh VTNZ WoF, a new AA premium battery, and a full tank of gas. She can woody it up a-la family truckster, but she'll have the last laugh when she can travel with her mates and camp in the back of it, shift flats and do it all in one load, not be concerned about safety or traction alongside an e36, and never be concerned about theft. Comfort, great stereo, great braking, acceleration to surprise any XR8 or SS commode owner, and the cred of the only wagon entered in the BTCC, and it won races to boot! it's the anti-cool, and you know she wants it. Under $5k to boot.

sweeeeeeeet!

Amen to that, Dave. Our city councillors continue to make questionable decisions. ? .... still, it's all okay, right? We're the only captial city in the world with a FREE ambulance service! ? So when that force-field (inevitebly) fails, and a pedestrian and a cyclist have a coming-together, and the laws of physics prevail (conservation of momentum theorem, anyone?); at least there's a friendly efficient collection from the mighty Wellington Free Ambulance service. They'll scrape the injured off the road, attend to them with skill and empathy, and take them to Wellington Hospital, handily situated approx 7 minutes away in Newtown. ? /rant

take a look at @Jacko's thread here

Welcome Dan, fun car! Do subscribe (follow) the Wellington meetups room, plenty of runs/meetups/BMW Club monthly pub night (Bimmersporters always welcome)... Looking forward to seeing your progress on this, and hope to see you at an event soon.

The dashed lines? They are the carefully designed high-tech force field that keeps pedestians alighting from parked cars - such as your children or your wife or grandmother - from colliding with a head-down-arse-up cyclist doing 50, just 30 cms to your left. It's a f%#king disaster.

I'd take it, but I've been told in no uncertain terms a fifth car is not an option. I'm fairly certain that even if someone bought my 855-T5, a forth would not be a go. Which is sad, as in my opinion, this is a good opportunity.

I agree! He was subtle, funny, could clearly peddle, and he's a genuine car guy with great frontman skills.