Olaf

smoking fish is outstanding, though you need to roll them tightly and use special papers. On a more serious note, I covet your smoker. Nice work, Glenn!

That’s what my wife said ?

It's very incongruous this "regularly serviced" and "engine light is on unknown to me why". If your car is regularly serviced, you have a relationship with a workshop, or at least the practice of taking it to a workshop. It's had 8 owners. It's an early one so will be M54 powered. Likely the standard M54 stuff like oil leaks and PCV systemvacuum leaks... and was it a secondhand gearbox, recond, or really new? And nope, that price is not negotiable. Yet they ticked "or near offer" box. ? Plus, the seller has no feedback... thre sort of thing someone might do if they didn't want a feedback stain on their solid account? It could be a cheap X3, but could also turn out to be thrashed, tired, with $5k worth of remedial maintenance. For $7-8k you can get a tidy low-kms example, I think you're better off in that direction.

good result Paul! Re your stripped shaft, ISTR it even says in the instructions "do not use impact tools to tighten top nut" (or similar). Some of these characters can't read, it seems. OE Sport Springs were a very good call, on paper. How's it feeling? First impressions on back of a postcard, please....

Sounds pretty reasonable price-wise, given they’re replacing the S-001?

I’m seeking to establish where “the premise” of replacing *everything* comes from. It’s not been made in this thread, where are you getting your info from?

who said all nuts bolts washers spacers are single use?

Ahhh, the good old Clio. My mate had one (earlier model) as a company car back in '96, all the sales reps in his company had them. His was the fastest in the fleet; as a former mechanic, he knew how to exercise a motor to loosen up and perform at it's best. I remember 115mph (indicated) on the M3 blazing our way back to London, none of the other guys in the office could top 105 and were always scratching their heads how his was quicker across London too. Renaults are generally lightweight, and handle surprisingly well. Here's something left-field...

Only if you include links to Morrisey's whiniest songs. This one's not so whiney...

All the bolts and nuts must be replaced - they're single-use. The strut bearing - definitely. The bump stops, spring seats etc - yes. You can probably skip the perch - number 9. And save some money on some washers. But hey - you get it apart, and find a couple of the bits you were scrimping on are knackered, what do you do - wait another week? Or put it back together and tear it down again? Good luck with your search!

which springs and shocks did you go for?

the 3.0 six was already 50:50.

sorry Christian, I was catching up on your thread, was referring to earlier post with the CF inserts for your steering wheel/?

very impressed with the CF work of your Bulgarian friend. ?

I had a thrash in a Type R back in 1997, it was pretty shiny and new. I'd just come out of 3 years in a GTI 16v Golf. The "VTEC-YEO" was somewhat impressive, certainly making more power than the GTi, and it had me working the calculator for about ten minutes until I remembered borrowing for cars is folly. Looking back I wonder what I was thinking. I'm sure these days a DC2 type R would be like driving with a "please, please pull me over, officer" bumper sticker! (sung to the tune of "please, please please let me get what I want" by The Smiths).

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!