Twistee

If ever there was a poster child for reliability, a TVR with a S85 😂

Thanks for the input - I didn't know that Supercheap sold 10w60 Supercar, I thought they only sold EDGE as I've never seen it advertised that I can think of. @aja540i totally agree on the oil change frequency, who do you use for the oil analysis? @BM WORLD Thanks, I'll touch base in the near future and grab a couple of containers.

I have had a hunt through Bimmersport and for the life me I can't find a thread / raging argument on what oil to run in an S85. Castrol 10w60 EDGE, Castrol 10w60 Supercar aka TWS? BMW branded version, Shell/BMW version, Anything 10w60 as long as it is from a reputable brand and fully synthetic? I think I have read more on oil opinions than anything else about S85 engines, im not looking for some cheap alternative snake oil, I'm just wondering if the attitude has changed at all towards using anything other than 10w60 Supercar? Cheers.

Big thanks to the members who assisted me here, it's great to know that Bimmersport is a well rounded (although BMW obsessed 😁) group that are always willing to help out. When I told my wife that I wanted to buy a cheap daily she used that as leverage to get other outstanding house items addressed, ain't marriage great. Once the kitchen is in then I'll get back to the daily hunt. Anyway cheers all for the help, looks like we might be getting this sorted.

Yes I know this is not directly car related, but indirectly it is as the M5 is stuck outside while the garage is home to a kitchen in waiting. Long shot but does anyone have decent contacts at Harvey Norman, I've been trying to deal with their commercial division through my kitchen designer and the pricing was more than retail. I resorted to going to my local in Pukekohe (via phone) and have been trying to a simple quote that I can accept and get appliances ordered before Christmas but it appears that they are also allergic to money and despite many days of assurances nothing has come back. The sooner I get appliances and the kitchen installed the sooner the M5 goes back into garage. Like I said, long shot but I though I would try. Mods - if this is beyond the scope of off topic then please delete.

Update, been a few weeks and one wash since the original application of the Mothers CMX. The wagon spent the last few days outside and I grabbed this shot after the night of rain - so water beads....The hydrophobic action is pretty impressive given the small amount of effort required to apply the product, the first time I reversed all the water from the roof ran off in no time. As I'm out of the Mothers and the Meguiar's is on special in a kit at Repco I'll try that out next next.

Totally agree, had an insurance job done through their panel shop. Went back 3 times then went to another shop. I can't imagine that the transport wing is any better.

Thanks for all the advice on shipping, glad to hear that I'm not the only one that has had issues with transport companies - they are just impossible to deal with when things go wrong and they are clearly at fault. I had an engine incorrectly delivered on a crate an address 500m up the road rather than where I was. Then they denied it, I had to drive around the neighborhood to find it and I was left to get everything out of some poor guys driveway and they had smacked the sump. If we were not locked down I'd be on a plane and just drive it back. Got to get the sale first though.

$958 delivered, so I'd need to get most of that out of the current asking price to make this happen. I can only ask the seller how motivated he is to sell it. If it's sat for the last year I doubt he is a rush to move it, but $5k is at the pointy end for that car.

Cheers I'll try that.

Yes please, need to work out the man maths on justifying this over something local. Thanks @Camberley

So hypothetically, what is shipping on something like this worth between Nelson and Pukekohe ? Any change out of a $1000? Other than what is in the stable at the moment I've always wanted an E39, my father inlaws "green" one was used at our wedding..... Where it promptly shat the alternator 😁 luckily that was post the I do bit.

Jay Emm is OK (most of the time), he's a lot better than a lot of car influencer types on YouTube. And that video is actually what made go window shopping for a 530. Looks like it will be next year before the WuFlu learns how to read the new traffic light system and anyone will be able to go car shopping outside Auckland.

Lots of miles on this one, but it just looks so clean. I really like that paint colour. On the face of it someone has looked after it. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/530i/listing/3309124308?bof=0V09Hj0Q $5k ONO

Thanks @Michael. I think the rose tinted glasses are coming off on old 540 ownership. I need a low maintenance machine, so an E46 or newer 3 series is definitely the place I'll keep looking. Cheers.

Thanks @Kees and @Eagle , the red and gold 540 on trademe is interesting and with a rim change could be a tad more acceptable. I hear what you're saying about the cost of bringing an average one up to a good standard. And yes I'll keep looking for an E46. cheers

So which part silences the wife? I'll take a set when you crack the solution. 😁

What is the current reasonable sale price for an E34 540i , I know it's condition dependent. I was leading the auction on one a week ago that closed for just over $2k , in the final hour I had a work issue to deal with and completely forgot about it. So now I'm back browsing around and at present there doesn't seem to be anything under 8k available. Assume that I'm looking for something that is not a complete basket case but it certainly doesn't need to be a show car either. At present I'm torn between an E34 or an E46 as a run around, and until something turns up that ticks the boxes I may as well keep exploring options. Cheers.

If this is still around when Auckland gets out of lockdown, in 12 months or so then I'll be in touch. Best of luck with the sale, it looks very nice.

Thanks @CSET, there is some really useful advice here. I hadn't even thought of wearing a respirator when applying the coating. Having travelled a fair bit you get the idea that outside of nz and increasingly Aus the idea of UV damage is largely ignored and seen as a minor issue, here we get baked.

I bought a mobile table / bench to dump all my sanders and reno gear on so I could just move it from room to room. Always measure twice .....FFS!! it's 50mm wider than the doorways. So the shed gets another bench

Looks fantastic.

So I'm happy to nominate myself for stupid question of the day, but what is the recommended way to wash a car once it has had this type of ceramic (ish) coating applied? Am I now tied into the you can only use the Mother's car wash or I'll just remove the coating? Typically I use the Autoglym foam soap.

Yo dog, I hear you like spark plugs.... That is an amazing piece of engineering, I had to really look at the valves to work out what was going on.

Added another coat last night, finished it off with a wool pad. It's sooo clean, I just can't handle the thought of driving it in the rain - spring time in Auckland is just great. Mind you with level 3 point something lockdown I have got no where to go anyway. I also ignored the CMX polish instructions and tried to apply it with a wet applicator pad before completely writing it off, it worked significantly better. So anywhere that I had small blemishes I touched up with the polish before using the ceramic (ish) coating. Polishing aside, I thought I would include an image of the danger sticker on my (baby) drill press that always makes me smile - health and safety first Back to the coating - I think the additional application has made a difference to the depth of the gloss. I need to buy some touch up paint for the rear of the wheel arches that have a bit of road rash, if anyone has any suggestions other than the obvious go to BMW please let me know. Cheers.