Olaf

13 Oct 2018. 258,101kms It's been to visit Jon Mechaniker at Auto38 in Newtown, for some further diagnosis. Jon gave it a thorough going-over, stethescope and all. If you're in Wellington, bring this man your business! I enjoyed the pickup, had a nice talk to a local gent with a e61 550i; we shared notes on the lovely V8. Back to Grey Thunder. The good: the engine's a 'keeper'. Shiny cam, good oiling [edit: with good compressions]. The not so good: It needs a rad, there were more smallish things it needs, and it needs a wheel bearing, and some other bigger stuff. I already have the clutch kit and some of the cooling stuff, and the stuff for the rear bar, but still need a top hose and a radiator, as well as a bunch of small items. And the cambelt kit. And a wheel bearing x2 (I guess best replaced in pairs?). Today, I: Changed the spark plugs. I already had these, so not your secret sauce recommendation sorry Jon! Bosch FGR7DQP+. Now it idles when cold! And pulls well. And runs far more smoothly at motorway speeds. Happy days! ? Checked the air filter, and found it's close to brand-new. A Hengst E41L. Adjusted the throttle cable. Measured my new rear ARB - it's a 13.5mm, so need to get bushes for it (I bought 12mm Gen BMW) Measured my front ARB: it's 19mm. I'm looking for a 20mm, so if someone has one in good nick please let me know. And if anyone has a Hirschmann power antenna for e30, let me know.

It's not *full* poverty spec; it's auto and has a rev counter, and sunroof! Nice, tidy e30. If you particularly wanted a PFL 318i, it's probably cheaper than fully restoring one. Shame the service history has been separated from the car.

Today this arrived. Like meeting an old friend. I last bought one of these in 2001, it was softcover then. I kept it many years after I sold my e30 Touring. so, reunited?

I had an interesting experience some ten years ago. Bought inexpensive gas springs for my volvo tailgate from FCP. They’re under extreme pressure in that design. 1 year later they sh#t the bed, foul smelling hydraulic oil yecchh. Fortunately I had not tossed the originals. Found the service agents, yes he could rebuild the Stabilus units. He did so in the back of his van, and here we are more than ten years later and they’re still working, and it cost little more than the cheapies. so my recommendation? Buy OEM, or talk to Gas Strut Services Ltd. Dunno if they’re still around in the Wellington region...

30 Sept 2018. 258,046kms ... and today I got stuck into the boot, revealed the no-name electric antenna that needs a replacement mast, tidied up the jack and wheel brace, and also deep polished the windscreen and Rain-X'd it. Little jobs. Now, where to get a proper leccy antenna? Or figure out the generic mast for mine (ALPHA 21-EXD)? Put that one on the back burner, get the mechanicals sorted... it's off for a little more diagnosis this week with Jon Mechaniker.

John, I think to be fair he's seeking a refund on the basis that his consumer rights have not been met, and this is an opportunity to sever that relationship and get his money back. He's lost confidence in that particular vehicle, and has no confidence in the dealer providing remedy to the issues to his satisfaction. I think in those circumstances one would feel galled every time one made a payment, saw a CEL code, or even drove said vehicle. Getting a full refund under the law is the path less travelled, but is ultimately the best. One might then go shopping for a good, trustworthy, reliable vendor, and then find a similar vehicle through their trusted supplier; also the path less travelled! ?

I dunno. I installed the ceramic pads and new (slotted) rotors together back in Sept 2013, done ~75,000km & 5 years on them and the rotors look great.

29 Sept 2018. 258,046kms I've been reading/researching, driving it a little. Accumulating parts. Today: replaced hood (bonnet) gas spring (OEM Febi Stabilus) replaced hood (bonnet) badge and grommets (genuine BMW) Easy, straightforward jobs for the afternoon.

Oh, and impressions of the Hawk Performance HPS, now I've done a few kms (1,038), and some touring.... @GorGasm you were asking previously. I'm happy with them. I think the car stops shorter (when I need to), has more modulation, doesn't take much heat to get working. Not the initial HARD BITE of OEM BMW pads. Much lower dusting, which is a bonus. But if you're needing serious retardation and are late braking before a bend, these are good in my estimation. So, in balance, I like them and am happy with them. They have much better feel than Akebono Euros on my e46; the Akebonos on my e46 take a lot longer to stop when they're cold, lack bite, have plenty of modulation, though don't shorten stopping distance. I'd probably put HPS on my e46 if the Akebonos ever wear out! UPDATE: Jan 2024 I did put Hawk HPS on the e46 in Jan 2023. I'm really impressed with HPS on both cars, when stopping's the requirement they pull you up short. Low dust - less than half that of OE. HPS also on my e30. I'm sold.

29 September 2018. 171204kms WoF. Passed with flying colours. Kurt at VTNZ Adelaide Road is a Bimmer-head as well, we talked about his e39 540i ///M. Next stop: new MBI, as the current one expires on Monday. That'll be my BMW Car Club NZ annual membership paying for itself ?

I’ve been using FCP Euro for 11-12 years for the bulk of my parts, with some from the local dealer, and sometimes Schmiedmann. I’ve tried Pelican and found the scant savings (on some items), not worth the hassle compared the FCP’s better service. YMMV. FCP have recently re-signed with FedEx which makes things great for us down here in the shaky isles. HTH PS: Mick’s Garage can also be attractive for selected parts. Brands clearly identified so you know what you’re buying, pricing in NZD, and 5 day DHL from Ireland.

... and that of other road users or pedestrians...

21 September 2018. 170807kms fewer kms over the last month. I've driven the e30 a few times instead. I got the Dynamic Drive system reset/recalibrated. Steering feels better. Sadly no new alignment until next saturday, Kelvin's fully booked this Saturday. I'll sort out a vidjo of it - makes cool noises as it dances like Thom Yorke. Anyway, here's Thom dancing, while ya'll wait for me to edit a video... https://youtu.be/DpVfF4U75B8

guys, look up the vin. it's not povo spec, it has aircon, Msports suspension, sunroof, and even passenger airbag! It's not like they made money on it, I think this would have been around $55-60k australian back then. This example is certainly nowhere near as nice as the near-new iS I drove about 1600kms in in Dec/Jan 1993.

Sure is. To channel Robocop: “I’d buy that for a dollar!” Sharp looking ‘02.

I'd be talking with Jon at Auto38 in the first instance.

M43 with blown HG. Bummer. Certainly cheap!

Right then: 12mm rear bar, and 20mm front bar. On the list. iS spec.

thanks Alister, that's AWESOME! LoL! Yeah, it'll get my customary 'if you're going to do it, do it right' approach. EDIT: Though yes, the e30 parts bin seems to be more 'vin de bordeaux' rather than the 'premiere grand cru' costs of the e60!

or just drive it! Easy daily! With your RC's.

@eliongater

clutch kit ordered. assorted seals, bushes, guides associated with clutch job ordered, along with new badges and a set of plugs. Cambelt done in 2011, just4000kms ago. Do I do the belt only as tensioners will be barely worn? It's an old engine - need to track down why it's a bit smokey on start up. At 257k kms is it getting a bit long in the tooth, or does it just need some good running to clear out the buildup of doing just a few hundred kms a year of village running? It certainly needs new leads, dizzy cap, rotor, and coil, to bring the electricals back up to snuff. and I'm thinking about how to play this. It'll need some body/rust & paint in the new year, to keep her in good order for the longer term. I'm working on a plan to get mechanical remediation (clutch/cambelt/suspension) done sept/oct so I can make e30 Megameet in November. Definitely needs rear antiroll bar. In the mid-term (next three years) It needs to meet it's primary job - teaching my kids to drive mid next-year to early 2021. So a tractible easy-to-drive 4cyl manual e30 coupe. And its secondary job is providing me with a bit of lightweight classic e30 fun... and quite possibly some Surgery Classic Sprints action at Manfield. It's destined to live in storage much of the time, I think. To meet these dual-modes of operation, I'm thinking either: a) stock trim ? This is simple, big on the driver training, low on cost and not much on the sprint action. Or b) 318iS mode ? Basically some suspension first (318iS spec - heavy bars, not particularly low, decent shocks/springs) and a disc brake rear. Then M42B18 in place of M40B16. Relatively straightforward. Hubcaps on for teaching parking. ?Basketweaves for general fun use. At least the 14" rim keeps the tyre budget affordable! I prefer the idea of option b) because it takes care of maintenance, takes advantage of BMW Lego, and yet sticks to the factory formula. I guess a cert would be needed in our modern world. And then there's 2021 onward: Transformation/conversion to become sister car to Andy's MY E30. Collect conversion parts from 2020 in preparation. ? What can you guys tell me about M42 conversion for an e30? Are they still plentiful to source from e36 iS and Ti? Which Motronic would I need? I guess I'd need new engine mounts, the coil-on-plug electricals. Cooling hose and radiator changes?

Today I washed 5 cars, and waxed one. Volvo 855-T5 wagon is going on sale any day now. e46 wagon was filthy, so it got a good wash - though no time for wax. e60 needed a good wash - there's plenty of pollen flying around now. I washed and waxed the e30 (Grey Thunder); it really needed a clay-bar and gentle polish, though no time so simply Super Resin Polish from Auto Glym. The fifth car? I washed my neighbour's starlet. 17,000 steps, I think I've earned a glass of pinot. More news in e30-land, I also researched more parts for the e30, gearing up for the clutch job (no pun intended), cambelt job, and some suspension refresh work. It'll need a pair of tyres on the rear sharpish, one just passed the WoF with 2mm.

Recommendations based on experience: 1. take it to Jon @ Auto38 in Newtown, Indepenent BMW and Euro Specialists. He's excellent, well-known and respected in the BMW community. 2. 2nd recommendation: Page European, Home St. Also Indepenent BMW and Euro Specialists. Both deal with the insurers for MBI policies. Let us know how you get on.

? Volvo looking for a new home. I need to advertise it. Just reinstalled batty tonight after a full reconditioning charge (flash new battery charger), cleaned terminals and clamps, and sprayed with funky purple protectant (to my daughter's delight), it's starting with great urgency.