The Barbara Chronicles

[Vass 702]

Tackling the cert process was next on the list.

First, got a fresh wheel alignment at the dealership, free of charge due to the previous mishap.

Then, successfully failed WoF. Car passed otherwise but had to ask for them to fail me on the modifications as per cert requirements.

And finally, the nail-biting part of taking it in for the cert inspection. Actually didn't go as bad as I'd feared. Made an effort to prepare as best I could - compiled a fat stack of receipts for all the parts and services I could find and also made a ~40 page booklet (mostly pictures) of the work done throughout the project.

Definitely made the process much smoother. The inspector was impressed and very complimentary of the work I'd done, saying his job would be much easier if all clients came as well prepared, which was nice to hear.

But then still had to fail me on a couple of minor bits. First, he wanted more info on the adjustable camber arms - info I had provided in the booklet that he didn't notice initially. Pointed it out, he took a photo copy of it and that was that.

The other point was the thread engagement of the front wheel bolts. Minimum requirement is 6.5 turns of thread engagement, mine only got 6. The rear wheels were fine. Quite a weird one that with pretty much all components - wheel hubs, rotors, rims, bolts - being OE. Potentially could have argued my way out of it but felt it easier to just do what was asked for.

I thought that maybe the E90 had slightly longer wheel bolts but having looked up the part numbers it turned out that the bolts on nearly every modern-ish BMW were the same, apart from the SUV's. Ended up going to Mag & Turbo who found me some bolts that were roughly 3mm longer than stock, giving me "8 turns of engagement". At just $5 a piece, $50 later I was all sorted.

The dumb thing about it is that even with the wheel off, the bolts start to protrude out the other side of the front wheel hubs at 6 turns in so that's pretty much all the engagement you're going to get, no matter how long the bolts. But what do I know.

Went in for a recheck on Friday, got the wheel bolts checked over and approved, paperwork signed, tag put on and off I drove with a stupid grin across my face.

The one silly part about it was when I went back to the WoF place to see if they'd be happy to issue a new WoF despite the tag not being live yet. Friday was apparently the last day LVV were updating their database this year so I'd have to wait for middle of January at best for it to be online. Gave the WoF guy the paperwork, he called up the cert inspector, verified that the cert had been approved, then he called up some other dude and decided he didn't want to risk it. Bit annoying as it'll be more than 28 days before the tag goes live so I'll have to pay for a whole new WoF recheck but that's just the time of the year I guess. Technically, WoF is still valid until beginning of February so I'll just drive around with all the paperwork on board until then.

I was under the impression that certification only picks up the bits that go past the modification threshold requiring cert - in my case that's the increase in engine displacement, modification to the brake pedal, 330i brake conversion and adjustable rear camber arms. But in fact he picked up everything else as well - slightly lowered suspension, solid subframe bushes, solid steering coupler, front strut brace, even the RACP reinforcement. Not an issue as it all passed but I was surprised those things get noted down as technically you wouldn't need cert if those were the only modifications.

The other annoying thing is the wheels. Even if I went back to Style 68's or some other stock rims then technically it should be a WoF fail since the car was certified on the Style 193's. Bit absurd that but that's the weird cert system that we have - even if all you're doing are minor modifications, once you go for cert the car is then considered a modified vehicle and is basically treated like a hot rod that was built from scratch, so every little thing needs recertification. If I ever were to change wheels then I'd need to go for a recheck, they'd have to road and brake test the car on the new wheels at a cost of roughly $600. Whether that would actually be a thing you'd fail a WoF for in reality would I guess be down to the inspector's discretion.

[Cement 782]

Congrats, a milestone for sure !! I'm just going through my second cert (1st update) now and WoF set to expire the day after my booking this coming week at BMW 😕 At this point I just tell my cert guy I'll see him next time 😅

[Eagle 1522]

2 hours ago, Vass said:

even if all you're doing are minor modifications, once you go for cert the car is then considered a modified vehicle

Yep waste of time and money for what you have done. Insurance purposes are the only good reason to have it that i can think of.

[Vass 702]

Another nerdy thing I did was to throw together another spreadsheet and finally tally up the full financial damage this endeavor has inflicted. And boy, was I in for a shocker. You don't notice it as much when gradually buying up parts but it was a pretty sobering moment when I hit Enter on the =SUM(...) command in excel. Here's the final tallies:

$1,640 - DONOR CAR
$1,940 - ENGINE INTERNALS (gaskets, bearings, chains, guides, VANOS seals etc.)
$1,420 - ENGINE EXTERNALS (CCV, DISA, coils, sparks, seals, gaskets, engine mounts, belt pulleys, tensioner etc.)
$970 - SENSORS (every single engine sensor)
$360 - FUEL SYSTEM (fuel pump, filter, seals, lock rings)
$860 - COOLING SYSTEM (radiator, T-stat, water pump, hoses etc.)
$5,900 - GEARBOX (conversion, clutch & flywheel, slave & master, detent & shift pin repair, shifter, bushes etc.)
$800 - STEERING (tie rods, pump reseal, hoses, coupler etc.)
$1,430 - FRONT AXLE (control arms, bushes, wheel bearings, strut brace etc.)
$1,940 - REAR AXLE (wheel bearings, reinforcement kit, bushes, camber arms etc.)
$1,400 - SUSPENSION (shocks, springs, mounts, bump stops, reinforcement plates etc.)
$1,880 - WHEELS (rims & tyres)
$690 - BRAKES (caliper repair kits, brake hoses, pads etc.)
$290 - DRIVETRAIN (guibo, CSB, diff seals etc.)
$200 - EXHAUST (hangers, gaskets, nuts etc.)
$910 - HVAC (AC compressor, condenser, heater valve, hoses etc.)
$4,870 - SERVICES (machine shop, welding work, wheel alignments, AC regas, WoF & cert)

All up, that's around $27.5k, which is scary enough in itself. But then that doesn't include the following items that sort of don't contribute to the value of the project:

$1,100+ - CONSUMABLES (paint, oil & other fluids, filters, small clips, random nuts, bolts, crush washers, O-rings)
$660 - SPECIALTY TOOLS (timing tool kit, detent punch kit, coding/scanning cables, piston ring pliers & compressor etc.)
$1,160 - OTHER (head unit, trim bits, indicator lights, bulbs, hood & boot struts etc.)

And the main whopper:

$3,430 - SHIPPING (across 29 separate parts orders over the past 2 years)

Factor in the purchase price of the car and I'm $40k deep in this thing. Could have had an M3 hahah.

Wouldn't trade it though. Have made it my own whilst learning so much along the way. Can never know what life will bring but as things stand I've no intentions of ever selling it so hopefully spread out across a good number of years to come, the costs will start making more sense as time goes on. And as things stand, I've got a brand new 20-year old car to enjoy.

No ragrets.

[Vass 702]

4 minutes ago, Eagle said:

Yep waste of time and money for what you have done. Insurance purposes are the only good reason to have it that i can think of.

Yeah, the camber arms are the only thing on it now that would make it fail a WoF. I could have done without them but going for cert was the intention anyway so that was a "might as well" move.

Insurance is the only real reason I did it for. Currently it's still considered a bone stock 325i and I'm being overcharged and undercovered.

Wonder if any insurer would go with a $30k agreed value?

[Eagle 1522]

If you can get a reputable vehicle valuer to value it for that then im sure you could. Downside is the premiums i suppose.

[balancerider 702]

3 hours ago, Vass said:

Factor in the purchase price of the car and I'm $40k deep in this thing. Could have had an M3 hahah.

FCP / Spareto must love you! I don’t even know if Sreten from M539 has managed to hit that number (maybe on the alpina b7 with 3 engines!) 

[darren_mk 52]

What a thread, and well done for sticking with it and getting it all sorted! Like you say the cost will get absorbed by your enjoyment over the next few years. Enjoy your hard work!

 

[Vass 702]

21 hours ago, balancerider said:

FCP / Spareto must love you! I don’t even know if Sreten from M539 has managed to hit that number (maybe on the alpina b7 with 3 engines!) 

Ohh I'm sure most of his projects go far and beyond what I've put in. The sums appear much smaller when viewed in Euros as opposed to NZD  

Edited December 18, 2023 by Vass
derp

[Eagle 1522]

Sreten would probably never go to the level of detail you have gone to given all his other projects etc. He does good work but certainly a lot of things he doesn't do optimally which i noticed in his E46 builds.   

[adro 1052]

Just think how much you saved on all the labour you did yourself 😀

[Harper 465]

15 hours ago, Eagle said:

Sreten would probably never go to the level of detail you have gone to given all his other projects etc. He does good work but certainly a lot of things he doesn't do optimally which i noticed in his E46 builds.   

I noticed the same on his 330 touring project, but I guess that was meant to be something of a budget track build. He also seems to replace a lot of parts that could almost certainly be used again which is supremely satisfying to watch but kind of wasteful.

I still watch every video, his recent S65 rebuild is stuff of dreams.

[Vass 702]

15 hours ago, Eagle said:

He does good work but certainly a lot of things he doesn't do optimally which I noticed in his E46 builds.

1 minute ago, Harper said:

I noticed the same on his 330 touring project, but I guess that was meant to be something of a budget track build. He also seems to replace a lot of parts that could almost certainly be used again which is supremely satisfying to watch but kind of wasteful.

Keen to hear what stood out to you guys. Really loved the lengths he went with the interior. He hasn't done a full M54 rebuild yet but apart from that I haven't picked up many glaring oversights. Granted, most of his E46 content I would have last watched a good while ago now, probably worth a revisit.

One bit from his more recent videos that grazed my ears was when he claimed the torque spec on the trailing arm brackets to chassis being 100Nm when it's actually 77Nm, but that's just me being a nitpicky nerd and it being fresh in the memory having just done that job recently.

Have picked up a few helpful tidbits from his videos that I've added to my wishlist:

• OFH metal oil return valve - have a pair of these now sitting on the shelf. Remember my valve having a slight groove eaten into the plastic. Wish I'd known about this part being available when halfway through the rebuild.
• Xenon refurb kit - looks worth taking on at some point.
• Gauge.S - don't need it but really want it for reasons unknown.

[mmario 23]

best car channel on youtube I reckon, have also been watching this mad russian dude Anton Malar

Worth a look

[Harper 465]

28 minutes ago, Vass said:

Keen to hear what stood out to you guys

I'd have to re-watch the video but from memory the biggest thing was not touching the front of the motor much. Left the front main seal, left the timing cover on so didn't replace the chain guides etc. I think he was on a time limit in order to make a drift day or something though so maybe he will go back and do that stuff. I had my fingers crossed he was going to do a full rebuild on the B30 before it went in since it would be useful timing for me.

[Eagle 1522]

I'd have to re-watch the video too but off the top of my head - didn't reprogram the DSC for the new diff, should of used M3 or better RSMs, better subframe and maybe rtabs for track car, subframe inspection/reinforcement appeared to a bit lacking, did he do strut tower and shocks tower plates?

Bending the subframe trying to push out new bushings made me laugh. Heating them and knocking them out is by far the best method.

[Vass 702]

Installed a clutch stop the other day. Tiny little mod but makes gearshifts quicker and less vague. Screwed it all the way in until it bottomed out and didn't need any adjustment beyond that, ended up pretty much spot on. The clutch now starts to engage as soon as you let off the pedal. Good stuff.

[adro 1052]

47 minutes ago, Vass said:

Installed a clutch stop the other day. Tiny little mod but makes gearshifts quicker and less vague. Screwed it all the way in until it bottomed out and didn't need any adjustment beyond that, ended up pretty much spot on. The clutch now starts to engage as soon as you let off the pedal. Good stuff.

I know this feeling. On par with upgrading to an msport wheel 😃 

[Eagle 1522]

4 hours ago, Vass said:

The clutch now starts to engage as soon as you let off the pedal. Good stuff.

Ive got a custom one made from a door stop or something, but i found the E36 M3 clutch setup engages right off the floor by default, better feel than E46 setup but also needs more pedal effort which isn't the nicest in stop\start traffic

[Vass 702]

Just before Christmas I suddenly remembered Barbara wasn't the only BMW I owned...

I bought a green 320i parts car well over a year ago and it had been sitting in my mate's paddock ever since. Out of sight, out of mind so I managed to completely forget it existed until finally getting around to putting it out of its misery over the break.

Whilst scavenging for parts, I decided to also try my hand at some jobs that I hadn't done before, from smaller stuff like taking off door handles to removing the heater core and the front carpet without cutting it. Naturally, things escalated and I embarked on a learning exercise of removing all of the body loom in one piece - from the boot to the headlights and everything inbetween.

I've got a weird idea of "fun"...

Anyway, I've not got all the spare bolts, nuts, clips, grommets and brackets I could ever need, as well as snagging a few more bits for ol' Barbara.

The rubber surround on the driver's door was ripped and perished in a few places, something I didn't notice straight away but had been annoying me ever since I did. Brand new ones cost stupid money and most used ones will be similarly shagged by this point. Unsurprisingly, the driver's side one on the parts car was no different, but the passenger door one, obviously not getting as much use, was in much better nick. Luckily, both front ones are the same so fit perfectly. 

Another surprising find was the rear seat sound deadening. The one I had was long perished and only had a few random chunks left of it in a few places. The one in the parts car though - immaculate, all in one piece, no rips or cracks, the fuel pump cutout tabs still intact, as if the rear seat had never been lifted. Gave it a quick wipe and threw it in. Doubt it will make any sort of noticeable difference but does look legit. For the time being anyway.

  

[Eagle 1522]

11 hours ago, Vass said:

I've got a weird idea of "fun"...

I found it quite satisfying when i dismantled my E39 from complete car to scrap metal. Only ended up with a small amount of plastic trims pieces for the landfill.

Rest of the car going to scrap dealers?

[Vass 702]

8 hours ago, Eagle said:

Rest of the car going to scrap dealers?

Yeah already gone, dropped it off at Pick-A-Part on Wednesday. Hardly anything useful left on it, managed to keep hold of the wheels as well. Rims were well kerbed up and tyres were shot but will try my hand at restoring those at some point. 

[Vass 702]

Not much to report on as far as the car itself goes, just some battles on the bureaucracy front.

Had a valuation report done through NZVV. Came out to my place, took some pictures and had a chat, gave me a rundown on the mechanics behind how the valuation shakes out. Settled on $15k. Would have liked it to be higher but probably about right as to the market value if I were to sell it today. Main thing is that the higher the agreed value, the less likely it is to be written off in a fender bender.

Forwarded the report on to Classic Cover who came back with a quote that I snapped up straight away.

$15,000 agreed value, $570 yearly premium, $250 excess.

That compared to the spit-in-the-face renewal letter I got from AA...

$5,800 agreed value, $960 yearly premium, $500 excess.

Make that make sense.

Getting pretty annoyed with the certifier as the cert tag still hasn't gone live. The old WoF has now run out and I can't get a new one until the tag shows up online so the car is out of action. Been chasing the guy up repeatedly but he keeps on blowing smoke up my ass. First he said he'd upload the data to the LVVTA database the day of the cert but said it's unlikely to get approved until middle of January due to Christmas closures and all.

Chased him up 2 weeks ago and he claimed it'd be live later that week. It wasn't.

Called up LVVTA directly to check the status only to find out there's still no records for my car in the system so the certifier still hasn't submitted anything.

Chased him up again on Wednesday, got told that it's "up for processing" on Thursday and should be live on Friday. Sure enough, still nothing.

Not sure if this is just misleading anymore, starting to veer into the straight up lying territory from the guy. Will give it another week and might just show up in person. Getting pretty ridiculous at this point. Have read reports of tags going live the day of the inspection with other certifiers, unfortunately here in Christchurch it's pretty much a monopoly and the dude can just get away with taking your money and then dragging his feet forever. A mate had to wait 4 months from the date of inspection to his tag going live. I don't intend on waiting that long sitting down.

But hey, at least I didn't have to get driveshaft hoops...

Edited February 11 by Vass

[Eagle 1522]

3 hours ago, Vass said:

$15,000 agreed value, $570 yearly premium,

Around the same as mine was with that value. No restrictions?

3 hours ago, Vass said:

Christchurch

Seems to be a recurring theme down there. Do you have any paper evidence or tag to say its been been completed and passed? If so then id be driving in the mean time and putting it on him if i was ever pulled up on it.

[Vass 702]

2 hours ago, Eagle said:

Around the same as mine was with that value. No restrictions?

Not per se. The typical stuff like has to be garaged while not in use and assumed up to 10k km's a year. Not sure how that's policed though. 

2 hours ago, Eagle said:

Seems to be a recurring theme down there. Do you have any paper evidence or tag to say its been been completed and passed? If so then id be driving in the mean time and putting it on him if i was ever pulled up on it.

The tag is on the car and have the paperwork/receipt from the certifier saying that it's passed inspection but doesn't say what it's certified for though. Wasn't enough for the WoF guy. I've still been driving it on occasion with the paperwork on board. I'd probably be able to reason with a police officer if I were to be pulled over, don't think it'd be as straight forward if I were to make an insurance claim though...