Quick rant thread.

[gjm 3258]

Working too hard. Sooo tired. Actually had a half-decent start to today and planned to get outside and do something. Motivation was there and even the spirit was willing... The flesh was so weak.
When it started to rain there was a definite mixed bag of relief that I had an excuse not to go and do something, and regret for not having got out sooner and got on with it.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Some things I have learned recently, relating to the Topaz touring I picked up:

-if you break the remote positive terminal bolt on the intake manifold, BMW will want to sell you a new manifold as they do not stock the bolt.

-when replacing the boot struts, the glass hatch struts must be installed before the main struts

-when replacing the CCV gubbins (cold weather version), lots and lots of Vaseline is the only way to get it in

And now for a quick question- I sent the silver touring to Coombes Johnson for a WOF and it came back riding very high on the left hand side, what gives? I am assuming the fault lies with the front shock and the rear airbag/ SLS system is just copying the front. I thought maybe the spring had twisted off it's seat but nup.

[LemonHunter 583]

On 18/06/2017 at 2:29 PM, Olaf said:

7.9%??  Sod that, they're taking the p!ss

I'm about to sell my Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR lens... $1450 incl GST, they'd be netting about $112 from me for the pleasure.  Time for eBay to enter the NZ market.

They have market dominance,they will keep cranking it up till a viable alternative appears then they'll wind it back a bit, ala Hoyt's (or isnit event?) and Readings in Christchurch, was $16/$11, $18/$11 for years, then recently Hoyt's dropped to match them at $11, so readings dropped to $8.50, hoyts matched them almost immediately.

I'd say comfortably 12 different start ups have burned millions trying to take a meaningful slice of Action off Trademe, but the only thing that's still viable against it are the Facebook for sale groups, it's only a matter of time till some kind of auction system appears on Facebook, perhaps through an acquisition of an existing platform.

[NZ BMW 368]

Amazon's entry into Australia and hopefully NZ will pressure them on some of the brand new products they sell. 

Edited July 11, 2017 by E30 325i Rag-Top
quote previous post

[allan 295]

Charlie,take the $112 trademe would get and see what it will buy you in adds etc to sell the lens you mentioned. Not a fan of tar me either but NZ is limited so go with what gets it out their and reaches the most people. It's not only the 7.9% fees they take you have to keep your account in credit or zero balance as well. Dealing with the DK Heads is another pain in the bum also surely their must be some sort of photo club with like people that would be interested in such things. 2 cents

[LemonHunter 583]

There is a buy sell photography group on Facebook but it's slow moving, the owner of the group started a photography based online website/auction thing i think, i looked at it for a few seconds but also seemed very slow moving.  If I saw more value from trademe, like customer service that provided customer service, or a feedback system that wasn't inherently flawed, i'd feel less raw about it, I use it, because there are no alternatives, and I'd say I conservatively contribute 2k or so per annum to their coffers in success fees,  I don't see how they can justify a fee so high for high value items, ostensibly the cost to them to list an item worth $10 and an item worth $1000 are about the same, I'm sure they have a cost per click as well, they used to have a sliding scale I'm sure, around 8% for low value dropping to something like 3.5% back when it was still under Sam Morgans leadership, at least they don't charge for more than one photo any more, but to say I benefit from $112 of 'advertising value' forgets that i've already probably paid $20 in extra listing fees to give myself a better chance of selling said high value item...  the money goes off shore too, i think that pisses me off the most.

Edited July 11, 2017 by E30 325i Rag-Top
quoting previous post

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

People that put up a complete quote of the previous post to respond to it, aaaahhhhggg! It makes the thread twice as long as it needs to be, especially on a phone reading it.

It it is NOT needed if it is the immediately preceeding post, only if you are replying to a post back in the thread somewhere.

Driving me nuts...

[LemonHunter 583]

23 hours ago, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

I did kind of ask for someone to do that didn't I?

Luckily I have the power of ADMIN!!! Bwah-hah-ha-ha!!

I agree.

The quote box is a little chunkier on this forum than the old BB types.

Edited July 12, 2017 by E30 325i Rag-Top
You so funny.

[M3AN 4016]

This new forum software makes any type of reply painful. I'm not surprised people don't bother editing quotes, it's a crap shoot.

 

[Olaf 3314]

5 hours ago, EURO V8 said:

The quote box is a little chunkier on this forum than the old BB types.

yep

19 minutes ago, M3AN said:

This new forum software makes any type of reply painful. I'm not surprised people don't bother editing quotes, it's a crap shoot.

change can be challenging.  keep trying.  It took me a few tries, I got it in the end.  you can do it too, Dave!

I will concede that on my iPhone it's horrible.

[M3AN 4016]

45 minutes ago, Olaf said:

change can be challenging.  keep trying.  It took me a few tries, I got it in the end.  you can do it too, Dave!

It's not the change per-se, it's the plummet in functionality (no BB Code or raw post editing) that's the problem.

Sure, we get used to it but that doesn't make it suck less. It also encourages the exact behaviour that rag-top (rightfully) deplores.

I post less, I quote less and and don't even bother with complex formatting or quoting any more. Might just be me. That might even suit some people lol.

Edited July 11, 2017 by M3AN

[Olaf 3314]

24 minutes ago, M3AN said:

It's not the change per-se, it's the plummet in functionality (no BB Code or raw post editing) that's the problem.

good point.

[Olaf 3314]

25 minutes ago, M3AN said:

I post less, I quote less and and don't even bother with complex formatting or quoting any more. Might just be me. 

it's not just you.

[gjm 3258]

10 hours ago, EURO V8 said:

There is a buy sell photography group on Facebook...

There's a dedicated Nikon sales NZ group. Not sure if that's the one you meany? The market will be small being NZ-based, which will probably translate to slower trade.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

When RealOEM tells you the part you just pulled off your car doesn't fit it and doesn't belong there

And then you look over to its sibling and it has the same 14 year old part on it too

[allan 295]

Interesting don't us realoem much us bmw fans instead. if you look up a part it will generally have an i beside it click on it This will give you more info on it also what other vehicles us that part ie

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E46-Compact/Europe/316ti-N42/R-N/oct2001/browse/rear_axle/rear_spring_strut_mounting_parts/

take number 3 a protection tube for a rear shocky

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/33521136283/

[LemonHunter 583]

f**king f**k you NZ BMW

Kiwi Plates $1200

Only Available from a BMW Dealer for $1995

Pretty sure I could get a label maker to make me a sticker to cover the stars for less than the $795 Premium they charge for submitting the order form on my behalf.

Unbelievable.

This plates is available if anyone wants it, no charge for the idea.

[gjm 3258]

$1200 for the plate is a rip-off. Where that leaves $795 for someone placing an order is a whole new game.

The whole private plates thing in NZ is a rort. No competition, so prices are sky high. 

[LemonHunter 583]

The $1200 is ridiculous in and unto itself, I agree, but that's the market for you... BMW's surcharge on the other hand...  I think you can get a euro plate manufactured off shore once yo own the local 'normal' plate landed for around NZ$100 or less, technically Illegal but can be done, whether it's worth it for the savings vs potential grief... who could say.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

in b4 Ron  you still don't own the plate- the govt does. You just own the right to use that combination of numbers/ letters. I prefer the US term for these- vanity plate- sums it up well I think

[kiwi535 538]

It is a rort.I cant remember exactly but it was going to cost hundreds just to change my own plate to a "euro" one I think it was $400.BMW NZ presumably had to buy all the BMW configurations so a mark up is their right.Wethr it is "just" is another point.Their overheads are huge

[lord_jagganath 421]

The general grumpiness of tradies don't help when we are trying to help them to find a solution for their clients' needs. Also casual racism about why the Warriors are losing due to having too many brownies is not going to help.

[Jacko 2153]

Getting a $170 35 demerit fine for doing 103kmh in a 100 zone that had flashing 80kmh signs due to rain... while on the way to  emergency with family member on deathbed in hospital.

Some cops are pricks. 

[gjm 3258]

SH1.

Pretty much single carriageway from Rangiriri to Pokeno. Roadworks for the expressway... OK. Blocking off one carriageway for a fortnight so they can install metal barriers alongside the carriageway further down (so if you doze off at the wheel, you can bounce back into the traffic, and if you break down, you can't get very far off the road) - ridiculous. Many kms of cones with no sign of anyone working, or even a works vehicle.

And then... When you come to the end of the cones (with their 70km speed limit), the speed limit lifts to 100km about 200m further on. So, 2 clear carriageways, a 70km temporary speed limit, and a f^&**G "safety" camera van just before the limit goes up to 100km/h.

[Jacko 2153]

Agreed! 

 

I drive that route every day, the traffic management clowns running that project are hilariously inept, its amazing. When you do see anyone working, its an attenuator truck with its flashing arrow telling you to drive into the river.... I made a formal complaint to NZTA after playing 6am thick fog chicane one morning, Im sure they were having a laugh.