Olaf

@GorGasm I’d previously used generic product from Repcacheap, and they seemed kinda citrus. And I had to do it more than once. The Auto Glym, by contrast, seems to have sorted it with just one application, strictly following the instructions. Ive changed over to Auto Glym from Meguiars, it’s better in value (goes further), and looks better. The two cars I washed yesterday were *filthy*. After Auto Glym shampoo, rinse, and Rapid Dry towel they looked nearly as good as last time I waxed them. And in today’s heavy rain, they're beading beautifully. @Young Thrash Driver product is fairly neutral, and airing the car out for ten minutes after the procedure it’s largely gone. Drove it yesterday arvo. This morning, no smell before or after aircon use. Result!

31 February 2019. 172???kms 1. Washed and dried, vacuumed interior. 2. Cleaned and deodorised A/C with Auto Glym Air-Con Cleaner. Ahhh, less stinky!

there are coffee meets, cruises, road trips, visits, and overnighters... the Thursday thing is just part of the programme. You even have a theme song! Buddy X by Neneh Cherry ? yes it's true, it's Olaf's cheese hour...

Welcome, Alan! There's a lot of enthusiasm here for the e9x 335i, and a good deal of experience too. Not looking at anyone in particular Mr @Herbmiester ? Suggest you take a look at the Wellington meetups room and subscribe, we join up with any most of the BMW Car Club NZ events run around the lower north, including a mobthly pub social night first thursday of every month in Johnsonville. cheers Olaf

jeez, if they're worth 50k USD, what's my original dealer brochure worth these days?! ?

pics or it didn't happen!

I use a Garmin GPS in my ex-Japan e60. I can get by with Google Maps on my phone, but the Garmin is better and gives me more notice for turns.

Welcome, Kevin! Nice M4 ?

Agree, lose the wing. Not my style, but pretty well-executed. a Singapore Special.

Your grammar game just isn’t up to it. Your BOT game seems reasonable, though. Paying *after* the vehicle has gone? You’re having a laugh.

was about to say the same. zsensible Porsche instrumentation from Zuffenhausen. ? here's a 1970 917... image from Classic Driver via google search

I'll take them. IM'd.

Today’s adventure with the e46. Went to put fuel into it, as you do... do you think I could release the gas cap? No f#*king way! It was ‘in’, ratcheting to clockwise. But could not get it to budge a anticlockwise. Even using two hands and a wide grip (as you do). Gave up and drove home. Later this afternoon, I gathered up a rag, my trick Knipex Cobra sliding jaw multigrips, penetrating oil, screwdrivers, and parts. I sprayed some penetrating oil around the gas cap, and left it to soak. It was still stuck. 1. Replaced the hood struts. They were getting a bit dubious on cold days. Re-seated some of the seals under the hood. 2. Went to check the state of the fuel cap. It came open easily! Inspecting the seal, it’s compressed, hardened, and cracked. Time for a new gas cap, or at least a sealif it’s available separately. I cleaned around the flange of the fuel filler, and cleaned the cap sealing surfaces thoroughly. here’s a pic for reference A world-weary e46 fuel cap, this afternoon.

Good save, Jon!

? yeah, the air was craning for the best view! Imapct? I think so. The first one (last year), I know I hit a pot hole on SH2 that was a fair impact on the front left. This one (right rear) I have no memory of. I don't drive up or down kerbs, don't recall a pot hole on right rear... could have happened years ago and slowly weakened. Recently Jon Mechaniker remarked some of the rims seemed a little our of round, as did Kelvin when he first mounted the 003's. Yesterday when we were inspecting, there was a slight flat-spot on the inner rim bead on one section. Overall these wheels/tyres have needed balancing more regularly as the tyres wear (around 6000kms), as I'm sensitive to them going out of balance. I think the car driving so smoothly and with all the suspension work, it really shows up the state of the wheels/tyres. In reality it's an old car despite the care and maintenance I lavish on it; it's coming up for 15 years old! I'll figure out the best condition rims and take them to the wheel specialists in Porirua, or perhaps Rim Rite in Palmy. This work is a bit beyond the cosmetics from Wheel Magician.

Today’s episode: ... at least it was only flat on the bottom? The outcome is that the alloy rim from this corner also has a crack on the inside at the bead. Time to dig myself a path through my workshop to the wheel stash. New tyres next month... Yeah, two years and twenty-something thousand kms. I'm happy, I live at the top of a twisty hill so the tyres don't get warmed up before they're into a series of corners. It'll be RE003's again on the basis of great grip, excellent wet weather performance... and any extra budget I had will now have to be spent on wheels.

maaaate, with this car, *everything* works! ...except for the remote mirrors. I'll get to them.

Saw this the other day and thought ‘good buying. Wonder if it’s been cared for, or is it like most of them?’.

And in today’s news, this: ... which indicates I may have driven even as many as 1500km since acquiring Grey Thunder. $ per km based on the large expenditure on parts and labour ?, rather than cents/km. I expect the smiles/km factor to chip away at the balance sheet ??

wasn't that a Pink Floyd album? ?

well congrats!

throw earthing in there.... why not get it back in to Auto38? You've probably enough to contend with planning a wedding.

yeah! that's why next move is the wheels; I'm interested to see how much difference I feel with the extra inch width of the rims (same tyres 195/65/14 Hankooks - don't laugh), wider track, and lower unsprung weight. When you're trotting around on a (spec'd) 102hp, I'm expecting to feel it. I'll get that sorted before the shocks and springs.

Date: 19 Mar 2019 Distance: 258970km Beneath Grey Thunder in dry dock I: stripped nekkid, awaiting new clobber. Empty rack, no ARB or LCAs. Photo Credit: Jon Mechaniker. 1. Steering. Replaced tie rods (inner and outer - OEM), lock washers, boots. 2. Suspension. Replaced Lower Control Arms (OEM) and LCA Bushes (e36 solid). Installed freshly painted 19mm front ARB, with gen BMW bushes. I'll find a 20mm bar eventually. New end links. 3. Shifter. Replaced all the bushes, and a Z3 1.9 short-shifter. New gearbox mounts. And changed the gearbox oil to the right grade. I'd run it on diff oil by mistake... 4. Aligned. It was aligned given so much work on the steering/suspension. Report: It’s been a gorgeous day in Wellington, blue skies, no cloud, warm and sunny. I decided to drive back from Auto 38 in Newtown over Alexandra Road/Palliser Road/Hawker st/Majoribanks St to town. Car is transformed. First impression: the short-shift courtesy of the z3 1.9 shift lever - along with all the other bushings and stuff - is groovy. Very short crisp gate. - The steering is smooth, even, and it tracks straight. No more pitching into understeer. Handling is improved - even with 19mm front bar - though now with new (genuine) bushes and HD endlinks. It's more progressive and the rear end mostly follows the front! The gearbox bushings have improved things, with less drivetrain lurch (in concert with the fresh diff mount from a couple of months back). I'm looking forward to engine mounts. It's much easier to drive, now. More predictable. It's smooooooooooooth. And quieter. Yes, despite my plans and intentions, this job was wallet-mechanic'd. Jon at Auto 38 has done a brilliant job. Efficient, communicative, reliable. I'm just not getting the opportunity to spanner myself. I have complete confidence in Jon and Keren. If you're looking for a great independent workshop in Wellington, give them a call or visit. They'll see you right. Beneath Grey Thunder in dry dock II: New LCAs, Bushes, Tie Rods & Boots, ARB, Bushes, End Links installed. Photo Credit: Jon Mechaniker. Next steps: Prepping and painting the 14" basketweaves. EDIT: and sort out the horns, and install the sport steering wheel! EDIT II: Future job is sump gasket and oil filter to block gasket. Deferred this time.

awesome! you can join us on the road runs etc down this end of the island.