Mikan

Hey! Yeah. Sort of. I have been trying not to jinx things with an optimistic update, but it looks like the vanos seals sorted it out. Still took a while after they were replaced (a couple of commutes) for the light to stop flickering, and a few weeks after that to accept that it was truly gone, but I'm comfortable it is sweet now. Idles great too! Tempted to switch back to LL01 (heavier oil was one of the cheaper 'try this first' fixes) and see if that triggers it to get an idea of how marginal things still are with the engine.

Pmd mate - I'll keep Kyu's thread pure.

Like this one?

I saw it last week in tawa town! Thought it might be this one given the area https://www.thesurgery.co.nz/detailing/travelled-through-time-for-a-great-detail/

Changed out the driver's door window regulator. Actually changed it out on Saturday, then again on Sunday while I worked out why the new (aftermarket ) regulator wouldn't work, and finally today, when I sucked it up and got a used regulator from a wrecker. The used part might be 15 years old, but at least the drive pulley isn't made of cheese.

Yup, only hot, and only at low revs (generally coming off idle from stop-start traffic).

Thanks mate, yup, oil checked and changed for a thicker weight. Have replaced oil pressure switch, but not level sensor - do you think that would impact pressure? Have had a gauge on the engine, and blocking vanos off did show an increase in pressure, so we hoped that refreshing the (petrified) seals would get it over the line. Jon at Auto 38 who has been slowly working through the list of remedies from cheap to ruinous for me said he saw enough metal in the (three month) old oil to suggest that the true cause was main bearing wear.

Sadly not.

Got the vanos seals done. Idles very smoothly now, and hopefully I have seen the last of this jingly little fellow.

Thanks man! Was surprised, but pretty much no discernable difference to the eye at all. It's is nice to be able to drive over a bridge expansion joint without holding my breath though.

Booked a tow truck for it tomorrow morning. Pic for @Young Thrash Driver

Sure thing. I'll grab one after work when it is is a bit lighter.

Took the e39 in to Jon at Auto38 to install new rear shocks (and mounts), and sort out some bugs with the front end after the front shocks were replaced by a less cultured hand in December. Also replaced the oil pressure switch in a (sadly unsuccessful) attempt to stop a STOP: LOW OIL PRESS warning from sounding after any time spent at idle. As always, great service and chat from Jon.

Great afternoon wandering around the twin rivers car show in Christchurch today. This pastelblau 2002tii was my mvp.

Good God man. Welcome. Pictures. Please.

Plenty of nice drives over the hill. If you're in Masterton, I like the dreyers rock loop - out through te oreore, north up whangaehu valley, over dreyers rock and back south through mauriceville and opaki.

Naw, the coolant expansion tank split, so a simple fix, and nothing to worry (or even be surprised) about. I'm just stoked it happened during a work day and not halfway up ngauranga gorge or over Christmas holidays or something. Thanks though Kyu

Arrived to the carpark after work yesterday to this terrifying sight. A surprising amount of interest and sympathy from people passing by (had the bonnet up) and had a sweet yarn to the towie about his M5 on the way to Auto 38 as the car dropped its remaining coolant over the bed of the truck. Massive thanks to @Jono51 for seeing to the car on such short notice this close to Christmas!

The car has definitely sung for its supper over the years, and has a rich tapestry of stone chips on the bonnet and windscreen (which were significantly added to by some prizewinner hammering through roadworks on SH32 last weekend). The paint has some water spot staining, which I'm not experienced/brave enough to tackle, but I had a go at the spotting on the windows today. Not sure how well the photo will show the difference, but the return is pleasing for the right combination of product and elbow grease (which I'm now all out of).

First impressions are extremely positive. I'm used to an e30, and I was a little worried about the step up in size to a 5er touring. Once I was in the drivers seat though, it was like an optical illusion, feeling astonishingly nimble and compact. The power of the 3l is a significant improvement for me, and the roadholding and handling are really pleasing. Picked up a nail through one of the rear tyres on the journey home, unfortunately it was too close to the sidewall to repair the hole. As the fronts were near their wear indicators, I went for a new set. Would have loved some RE003s like all the cool kids have at the moment, but the staggered 66s are apparently getting low on options. I'm sure the Falken FK453s will be far more than I need anyway, I'm always happy to have new tyres on a car. Other than that, I'm trying not to get to carried away with it for a bit. Had a huge win finding this old post, couldn't believe it was that simple! Stoked I don't have to dibble about with a band expander or whatever.

After weeks of successfully ignoring the classified, I finally cracked and messaged @qube about the car. He was extremely patient with my questions, at first general, then specific, and finally random as it became increasingly clear that I was very keen on the car. I had a yarn on the phone with @EUROHO, whose enthusiasm for the car tipped me right over the edge. My father-in-law and I flew up from Vellington last weekend, and Kyu picked us up from the airport. We chatted with him and his dad in a supermarket carpark before shaking hands and promising to treat it right. They were both gentlemen, and it was a pleasure to meet them. We filled up at a motorway services on the southern motorway. I was impressed that when we got home the obc still promised 150km of good times in the tank. We stopped at Good Union in Cambridge on the way - a lovely church that has been converted into a great pub/restaurant. Apart from a leg stretch in Bulls, we knocked the drive out in one from there, and had a great drive, SH32 from Cambridge down to Turangi was a lot of fun.

Flake was selling some 14" basketweaves on this forum recently too.

Had an awesome time driving this beast down the island today. Cheers Kyu!

Looks great. I love that tread pattern on the seat cushions!

We took in a piece of rollcage pipe after we cut it out and they matched it off that I tried to quote him the paint code for inka orange over the phone and he said the numbers meant nothing to him, bring it in. Maybe give them a bell and suss it out first.