ChasR
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Nice! I'd have had an E91 if I could've found one in the spec I wanted at the money I wanted, but I love the E90 I ended up with. Looking forward to seeing where this thread goes, I should start one for mine at some point... Cheers! Truth be told, E91s aren't the best estate when compared to a Mondeo, yet they are brilliant in their own right, and for most folks with only 1 kid. You may not like where it goes, but I'll keep updating this. I have a while to catchup on this car until the present day. Anyway, back to the talking. So, what was the deal with this model. We have that the 325 has a bit of a lineage within BMW, following the petrol and diesel range. Furthermore, this is a mislabelled car, as BMW enjoyed doing since the early 80s. It actually is a detuned 3.0, which I kind of like. The 325d to my knowledge was the last car to have an M57D30 fitted to it, even several LCIs. The range to which the M57 ran is as follows 325d : up to 2010 (I think) 330d : up to 2008 ; Some M57s may exist as an LCI, but not many I'd imagine. Post 2008 cars got the N57. While I fancied an N57, I did like the reliability and well, personal fondness of the M57. Sure, it's no OM606, but it has its own chap, and place in BMW's journey in the game of diesels. This one in particular, is an M57D30TU2. Alot of characters but that can be broken down as follows: -M57 ; The engine -D30 ; Diesel 3.0 litre -TU ; Technical Update -2 ; 2nd Technical update Yup, this was one of the final revisions of the M57. The biggest thing they did for the TU2 was to go for an Alloy block. Not keen for most folks, I know, but it doesn't half make a difference to how the car drives, with me coming from a 535d with an M57D30TUTOP (TOP basically meaning twin-turbo). Sure it didn't have the 535d's pace; it wouldn't with a 60BHP deficit or missing turbo, but my E91 didn't feel like a Suet pudding. It felt agile, and keen to take the corners. Very undiesel like. But we'll get to the handling later. As I said, the car had its issues when I got it, it was needing a clean. But, besides checking the car over, my friend also did me another favour. He threw out the badly painted Silver interior trim that was black, and put in its place a rare and desirable Bamboo trim. This may be out of an LCI, but frankly, I couldn't care, when it improved the interior so much. But, it's fair to say, even with the interior trim replaced, the car still looked like a mosh pit had been inside it: So it was time to clean it out, before I put it into daily use. After cleaning the seats up, carpets, along with the mats, the smells inside the car improved. Once I threw in a set of mats, was then left with something a little more inviting, and BMW like: After this, I went to finish off the 'de-chavication of the car. It came with some nasty front grilles which would have look great with me leaning against the car outside a kebab shop. But there's no way they were going to stay on the car. My friend had changed the lower items, as part of the deal, but he hadn't go around to doing the upper parts, due to a lack of time, and issues with the trims. Only the pre-LCIs have this 2 piece arrangement. Peeling off the carbon fibre wrap was just lifting off the chrome trim, which made for it looking poor: With one side changed, it improved things alot: The other side had a problem : the threaded insert for one of the trim bits had cracked, meaning that it couldn't secure the trim down onto the bonnet. While the 'carbon' part had issues of its own, the carrier was salvageable. So I went about making a good(ish) part out of the trims, using the : -Chrome top 'A-Surface' from what I had been supplied -The carrier from the old carbon trim. Eventually I managed to a full set of Chrome grilles: Leaving me with this: Sure, I could have gone with black trims, like many said, but to me -The cheapy items are very variable in fit ; a Neighbour had one grille fly out of his then new F30 320d, yet Matt here has been fine with his cheapies -They IMHO, don't suit the older BMWs, and cheapen the look. It didn't look like a disaster going down the road for once. It's fair to say after a clean, it scrubbed up well. No polishing, clay barring or what not. Just a simple wash, with maybe some help from a Carnauba based shampoo ; Sure, some short term bling of all a week, but at least I could see a vision for the car. But I had plans. Sure, the car no longer looked like a joke, but it couldn't stay on those dowdy wheels. So here is a taster of what is to come.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I've had a 2004 CLK and have known of the car for some time prior to that, albeit not an AMG. Electrics on some of the earlier cars can be flakey due to age or water ingress, but that's resolvable with parts scouring; but the core of the car will work fine. They can be fussy with Cheap sensors, but decent quality ones tend to be the way to go. Rust is a problem, but it wouldn't be a Merc if it wasn't New parts are good quality if you stick with reasonable brands and are plentiful generally. The dealer support isn't too bad either. I'd be tempted to say go for it. A thread on the short ownership of the CLK, which still runs well. forum.retro-rides.org/thread/221095/mercedes-c209-clk-avantgarde-sold
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Did things get ugly? Yup!
I went down with my friend for him to pick this car up. It was a little smokey when he started it, and then it would randomly stop smoking.
We couldn't figure it out, but we drove back from Gillingham to Warwick, where it drank coolant, alot of it.
Despite it only using 7 litres of coolant from Gillingham back to Warwick, I still wanted it. I've never liked the E91 styling, but they do suit the estate form better, but then every car does! Mad? Maybe? Had my friend talked me into it, not quite.
The way I saw it, used cars weren't getting any cheaper. My CLK at the time was a stop-gap car, but not necessarily the one for me. Unless I wanted to throw cash at metalwork, tyres, A Bluetooth option of sorts, possibly alternative engine mounts, and some nicer wheels, the CLK would quickly become an expensive car. Not for what they go for, but certainly for a car which I was unsure if I would actually ever gel with more. If I wanted a 3 series touring, this may be one of the last chances to enjoy something of the ilk with increasing demand for pricier and cleaner cars. While I may not be made of mine, life is too short to have cars which don't quite fit what you want to do with them.
So I mulled over the 325d and said to my friend I'd buy it with the following, of which some of you will say I am a mug
-Fix the coolant leak ; we both thought we knew what it was -Keep the 3 MV3 wheels that came with the car as payment for sorting the car out
The leak? It was down to a faulty EGR cooler. As soon as the EGR opened, it let in the steam from the pinhole leak.
He offered me a car a little closer to what I wanted, but it was not for me.
-2007 325d Touring -Le Mans Blue with Lotus white interior -Manual -180k -£1k cheaper
So it was a little shabbier and leggier, but cheaper than the car I got. It was a cheap car full stop. But we both fancied the auto, so, being men of our words, we agreed a deal on the grey car you see above, in its fixed form
It was then time to get to work, since, as some of you can tell, the car wasn't in the best condition exterior wise!
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Last Edit: Feb 16, 2024 7:27:01 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I'd be wary of cheap rev counters if they are the cheapy Cheap items.
I had one on my 2CV, with 2 different ignition setups on it, and the behavior remained with the rev counter. The last owner sung its praises, I thought it was cheap junk. In essence, it registered the rpm vaguely correctly, until it got to 4krpm, at which point, if the counter was to be believed, it swung all of the way to 8krpm, almost as if my 2CV had VTEC. The sound of the engine said otherwise, as did my later ignition setup.
I had the following ignition setups on it.
-Points with the condensor gone, and a Gammatronix ignition box in its place ; the box effectivly made the points a switch, and not load dependant -123 Ignition setup, which in essence, eradicated the above.
Your Hz reading could be down to noise. Have you go access to an RPM meter on a multimeter, to validate for a signal?
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Last Edit: Feb 16, 2024 7:16:21 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Realistic Metro Values?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I saw a basic 5 door Metro make £6K at a classic car auction recently. They aren't £300 cars any more for sure. £6k!? No wonder the tatty 998 Clubman I was watching went for so much. I didn't realise, especially when other retro/ classics seem to be struggling, Metros were shooting up so much. Especially after some of the comments when I floated the idea of selling my tired GTa... I've got a lead on a 1.1S, but for some reason I can't quite feel the same love for the Rover/ K series cars. While I hear another poster about what they sell for, I've also seen a few sell for reasonable sums, and deal with classic auctions now and again. There's mates rates and what the general public give. As an example, I sold my Stag for £4.8k years ago. If you asked a load of specialists that I knew at the time, they valued mine at £2k or less in 2012. That goes for anyone who deals with the cars alot. Last year, a mate sold a tatty, but solid Moggy for £1k. An owner's club member reckoned it was worth double. With the interest he had, I can believe it. He literally had folks falling over to buy it. Bear in mind that a non-oversilled Mini that won't bleed you dry will be north of £7k, even today, due to insatiable demand. I fancy once, but not at £7k, yet that's what Minis, even oversilled snotters, I've seen go for. Metros are the next best thing. I'd agree that MGs go for £6k, but Turbos are now 5 digit cars in good order. There's none around, it's that simple. When Allegros are making £2k, that's going to set the bar really as for how much similar cars fetch. It's known that in the market, 1275s aren't far off £1k, which won't help values one bit whatsoever ; it's the easiest way to get more power out of Metros and Minis. The days of a £500 MOT'd car are over.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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I debate putting this up, but it seems a few are asking about these here. This will either put folks off, or make them consider one. But like all things, I should start from the beginning. From a young age, I was not a Beemer fan. To me, they were: -Driven by folks who thought they knew best -Driven like they had been stolen -Sounded nice -Had an image problem. This opinion wavered when my dad got a 1995 E36 325tds SE Auto. Sure, it proved that diesels weren't quite there yet as petrol alternatives, with the venerable M51 lump, but it had a character and I liked it. My dad's was like this example, but in Titan Silver. Years went on, and I'd eventually come back into the BMW fold around 10 years later, with a E36 323i Coupe, which I semi-enjoyed, but also found it a letdown for what BMWs were meant to represent, along with the M3, which I've warmed to alot and still have today. My dad even joined in with the fun, and had an E61 535d. Bar the acceptable, but not-so-great fuel economy, as a family car, this was almost all things to all men. I adored it. Classy, spacious, quick, and enjoyable. However, that car would not end up with me. Oh no, I'd end up carrying the lineage of a badge. Y'see, 6 pot diesels had been in the 3-series blood for a while. From the E30 324td, to the E36 325tds, then the E46 330d, which was a bit of a gamechanger, before finally, the E9x 330d. I don't know why, but I fancied either a 330d or a 325d. Maybe the nod to the original engines made me fancy a 325d. There was an issue however. My Mk4 Mondeo was cheap, and great. However, it wasn't the cheapest on fuel, and 200 miles a week to work without expenses pay was becoming iffy to pay for. So that got P/X'd for a CLK off a mate. It was a good car, but not quite for me. Oh no, I needed another BMW and I fancied an E91, for a number of silly reasons -Trying something newer -Old, but new(ish) -An era of nice driving dynamics -Estate, obviously! I was funny on spec initially. I wanted the following: -Le Man Blue, with heater leather -Xenons -iDrive -SE spec (or as I found later, an M-Sport with standard suspension -Parking sensors -Auto : Yes I know, but I was getting sick of traffic jams, and maniacs around town, so I went soft -LCI Obviously, I didn't get one of those. Mainly, as I didn't want to part with £6k at the time, where the cars seemed to be selling. One day, fate would intervene. My friend went to look at a car, and I was his driver to go and get it. The car in question I hear you ask? -Sparkling Graphite, with heated leathers -M-Sport -Parking sensors all round ; a rare option I'd find out later -Auto -Pre-LCI iDrive? No. Standard suspension and non M-Sport? No. Xenons? No. OK, you get the idea. It wasn't my dream car, as Autotrader claims they always are. However, I saw my mate drive it. In the CLK, I couldn't help thinking that I wanted to be in the 325d. Even if it looked this terrible. Was that the worst of it? Of course not. That's to come.
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Last Edit: Feb 16, 2024 7:35:46 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Feb 13, 2024 23:37:48 GMT
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For me the 107 is your best choice.
Yes, they could be better on a run, but they are fun, economical, and with plenty of parts.
I'd be tempted to say get anything, but bear in mind, most things are awkward for parts now.
IME, the hierarchy for older cars go as below, with the first items being the best for quality and availability
BMW Mercedes VAG Ford Nissan Honda PSA Kia
As examples: -'08 325d. Some spares are pricey but they are quality spares. Many items from the dealer you can get as aftermarket. Filters are a good example, albeit some aren't as good as others
-'08 Mondeo Estate: It's surprising what is NLA for that. Aerial base snaps because someone nicked it? NLA, as you're left without a radio, unless you can get a secondhand one, of which most are snapped -Various wires, if doing upgrades, are now NLA -Driveshafts on some models are NLA
'03 E46 M3 -Most things are available from the dealer and aftermarket, but that is changing -Only one driveshaft is available from BMW; pattern ones exist, but they differ in design -Rubber bits are beginning to dry up to buy
'05 Passat B5.5 -Rear wiper arm is now NLA, leaving pattern only -Door locks are NLA, and Cheap ones are variable in how long they last : A friend of mines goes through 1 a year on his car, of the one he replaced -Panels are NLA : A door got dented, and he struggled to find a straight one. He didn't go down the insurance route, as he didn't want it written off.
The NLA bits you can live with on a second car. On a daily you need to get to work? No chance, unless you have backup transport.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Do all 40+ cars become exempt?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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My Range rover was registred on the 1st January 1987, hoping the same doesn't happen to me as did with my elan when the last Labour Government were elected. At that time it was 25 years and the elan was 24 years old, had to pay tax for another 15 years, cost me roughly two and a half grand! had the blues stayed in power long enough i think they would have reneged 25 years too. mainly because about half a million untaxed cars came out of the woodwork at the launch of the 25 years system (when they had predicted only a few thousand) Indeedy. We also forget things were alot looser then. I knew of several folks who drove cars around with MOTs, and sometimes insurance too. Silly I know, but before ANPR, and copper system checks, how were they going to know? The fact that loads of cars suddenly were taxed would support that. I suspect there were other reasons too, but that's not for here .
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ChasR
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I'll add one thing.
If you are driving an RV there, a trucker Sat-Nav is imperative to have.
We didn't when we hired ours, and it made getting out of New Jersey (near New York) a royal pain. It was annoying as hell, as most of the parkways were height restricted. Sygic did a good one back then, which made going across the 'states and Canada much less stressful
If it's a car, obviously it's not a concernt. Some good advice above however.
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ChasR
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Cars I've "missed"ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I've missed quite a few in my time. So here it goes:
-A 1989 Mini Racing Green, with a 1275 Cooper engine. It was £800 in 2002. I really wanted it as my first car. However, my dad talked me out of it, when I was getting a deposit ready. He didn't want me in what he saw as a death trap of a car, despite him having a Mini 1275 GT when he was younger.
-A 1998 BMW E36 328i Touring in 2011 I think, that was basically an M3 ; Interior clocks, bodykit, wheels, suspension, engine, you name it. It was offered on here of all places for around £2.8k. I was set to get it. However, a phonecall to the insurance companies basically were giving me quotes for how much I was buying it for : I declared the fact that it was basically an M3. So that idea got put to bed quickly!
-Mitsubishi Evo VI : My mate and his wife rebuilt this car. However, it seemed to be a little doomed after the rebuild, that was done by FQ Performance. Random things would go wrong with the car, like a PAS pipe blowing apart etc. They didn't use it much after the rebuild, so they decided to move it on. I debated it, but I had 3 cars then anyway, and selling them for this just didn't seem wise. It turned out that was a smart move. 2 weeks later, they sold the car to chap I'd eventually work with. A week after he bought it, the shells span in the engine. The chap thought my mate stiffed him. In reality, the engine had been badly rebuilt by FQ. The crank had been ground down alot, and the correct bearings were not used. A new crank and a rebuild later, and the car is fighting fit to this day. But I definitely am glad that I was not in that position.
-A 1979 Mini 1275GT. In 2014, I went from 2 average cars and 1 great car (I regretted selling that car for years:944 Turbo) , to 1 great car ; An S1 Escort RST. However, it was too clean to use on the road, and I remembered how my dad's Mk4 had basically every panel underneath patched over before its 10th birthday. No way did I want to repeat history. So I decided I needed a daily. My mate's E36 323i Manual Coupe should have fitted the bill. But the things that people love about BMWs just made me not gel with it. So that moved on.
So the Mini looked like a good deal. At £2.5k and rising on eBay, I went to view it. I saw a number of the faults and knew I could win them around, as some faults were very obvious. The chap had an offer on the table of £3.2k, but he wanted everything fixing. I said to him, I could go to £2.7k, and take it as a going concern. Yes, I know I asked for a chunk off the other's guy offer, but I saw it as a zero hassle sale, and I knew I was stretching myself at the time, with me (yes I know) being willing to take a 0% credit card hit on it for a while for the extra cash (£300 ; I had a budget of £2.4k for a daily)
I don't think he liked my price! In the meantime, I bought a very clean and low mileage Clio 172 Cup Evocation for £1.5k. 2 days later, I got a message to see if I wanted the Mini. Ah well.
-A 1991 Lancia Delta Integrale. My mate owned the car, but a divorce, and having a child with DS reset his priorities, so the car just sat. I was busy that year, and I couldn't afford his price of £5k : to put it into perpesective, it was 2006, and I owned the M3 at the time, on a low(ish) salary, despite living at home. A mate told me blindly to buy it, and he'd go halves, but I wanted to see the car. Ah, what could have been.
Now? Not many things. I've slowed down alot on the car buying front.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I should probably reply, since I own an E91 325d auto. This is in essence, a detuned 330d ; the engine is the same, but the injectors and map are different. Mine is one of the final iterations of the M57, with an alloy block, so an M57TU2. Some aren't so keen, but I've seen many with big miles, and compared to the iron blocked cars, they do drive alot nicer IMHO ; the weight difference up front really makes them lovely to drive. Mine also be a very late pre-LCI car has the paddle shifters on the wheel, which is a nice touch. The autos start off in second unless you boot them, or you manually shift it to start off in first. Handy for if you want a traffic light grand prix . It's hard to call them a retro (but then I suppose they are dated now), but OTOH, they are not modern, albeit have alot of creature comforts. The oldest example will now be 19 years old, with mine being 15 years old. Mine is the last of the Pre-LCIs, to put some perspective on that. The good news is at this age, you can still get parts, and they are of a good quality. Some bits on my E46 M3 are now becoming NLA. On French and Ford stuff, that story is only worse for similar aged cars. Even B5.5 Passats are beginning to lack quality parts now. I would only go with an auto, but I've also gone soft, and prefer an auto for daily uses, and for lending out to my dad if he ever needs a car. The 6HP auto does suit the car. Mates of mine have owned 325ds and 330ds in manuals and like them. But those who wanted auto dailys went with the autos, the manuals or nothing folks bought the manuals. That said, it sounds like you prefer a manual, so I'd be tempted to say go with that. If you are used to Ford shift quality, the BMW ones aren't the best, but there are a number of ways you can improve them, including a shifter from a 545i, some better bushings, and a CDV delete. The Clutch Delay Valve is something BMW put in since the E36. BMW manual fans do prefer them to the autos however. I echo what giuliettaevo says about the 'boxes as well. If you want to know more about E91s, let me know. I've had mine for 2 years, and have done 20k in that time, with me maintaining it over that period. Regarding leather, get a car with working AC and heated seats. That will solve the issues. I love the heated seats on cold days. Christ, I am that soft, that I end up using them more often over the year (bar when it's hot obviously!) I would want to spend about £3k getting one however. Cheap ones, like any car, will be a moneypit. One day, I'll do a thread for mine, as it will probably help others on here (y). I wouldn't discount a 320d with an M47 either. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer a 325d/330d to one from a refinement, sound and pace stance, but like any car, I'd buy the best example you can afford (y).
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Last Edit: Feb 4, 2024 19:55:29 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Coil on plug conversionChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 28, 2024 10:17:18 GMT
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You're on Emerald, aren't you bud?
I think a number of ECUs now have 4 ignition drivers in the aftermarket.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 22, 2024 21:30:37 GMT
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So, what happened after the CG? I passed my test, and I did some soul searching for a bike, as talked about [url=https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/222189/retro-biker-bmw-k75s-alternatives[/url] Yup, unlike how I buy my cars, I splashed out and got a Yamaha XSR700. I figured that with several projects, including: -A 1940s house -The M3 -The 325d ; it may be new here, but it is still ultimately a 16 year old daily driver, accruing some mileage each year The last thing I needed was another tired bike like a hole in the head. It's just as well, as the last two years have been mentally busy. Work got ridiculous, and having my siblings having kids naturally meant more of my time was taken up, albeit not quite as much as theirs. Oh, and several friends weddings. I suppose folks wanted to do things after the lockdowns. But, despite that, it didn't stop me tinkering with it. Firstly, I'd change a tyre. Yes I could have paid the garage more, but I figured I'd give the swingarm a going over while I was there. Then, I'd change the spark plugs. It's fair to say this was a much harder task than the CG125 to do the plugs on, and dare I say it, most cars that I've worked on! But I got the job done. It didn't help that the plugs looked new when I took the old ones out! I also did the brake fluid while I was there: Naturally, I did an exhaust later on, when a cut-price dealer option Akraprovic came up. It's funny, I wasn't sold on the looks when I got it, but I am now. However, something more akin to the Velosolex would eventually come along, in the form of this:
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Do all 40+ cars become exempt?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 22, 2024 21:06:46 GMT
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I've had the DVLA automatically send me updated log books when a car turns 40+April so I assume you don't need to change it at the post office unless they forget or the car is somehow "out of the system" Also - for ULEZ, don't rely on the ULEZ checker online, thats not accurate. The accurate way is to add the vehicle to your ULEZ Autopay account and it will tell you what the status is. This is because the ULEZ Checker works off date of registration not date of manufacture so if your car is an import, barn find or some cases a registration transfer car then it gets it wrong. Weirdly there are multiple status for non-payment and I have ones showing "exempt" "compliant" and I think the last one is "zero rate". I asked TfL what the difference was and they didn't know! That's good to know (y). I may just do that going forwards, given that my bro-in-law is based in Croydon. After all, it' good to be sure. That said, the checker has normally been reliable for me, albeit on newer stuff, where things aren't quite so simple, as in Euro 3-5 cars. My 2003 M3 is ULEZ exempt as was my 2002 ST220, but a mate's 2002 Clio V6 wasn't, which if you reference the NOx emissions on the V5, is correct. What doesn't help matters is that the DVLA/Government seem to have their records off, depending on how the computer/personel interpret blank emissions data on the V5s. Alpinas are a very funny one for example; probably since the dealers filled in the forms for them where they may not have put down the emissions data, which the sites go off. Alpina would buy a BMW off BMW, and then put on an 'Alpina' VIN once it had the Alpina conversion, so I'd guess registering them isn't the same as a normal run-of-the-mill car. As examples: -Mate's 2003 E39 Alpina B10 3.3 isn't exempt, as the emissions data is blank ; To be fair, a CoC will see that exempt, as others have done, since it's within the limits for Euro 4 petrol NOx emissions. -Some 2009-2014 E90 and E91 Alpina D3s appear to be exempt, because the data is blank. Others aren't ; It's caused a bit of a stir with the London Alpina community, as I am sure you can imagine, with some rejoicing their derv is exempt, as others being annoyed, and selling up. Technically speaking, none of them "should" be exempt, since they're over the Euro 6 NOx and PM limits ; I may remove this statement just in case some 'folks' catch wind of that. -Imports are a minefield for a similar reason : JDM stuff especially, but that may be down to those imports being quite common, relatively speaking. I have an early 1980s Y reg vespa, it was first registered here in 2002 as it was imported from Italy, as stated in the V5. Would it still be exempt does anyone know please? On a Y, it's unlikely to be exempt, as per the above comments referencing April 1st 1983 cars becoming exempt this year, as per Slater's comments. Does it say in the logbook waht the first year of manufacture is? Most imports I've had normally state this, which means it's simply a case of going to the Post office, handing over the V5, the staff there then stating it is historic, and then getting the logbook back a few weeks later. I've just had to do the above with a 1979 moped I bought.
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Last Edit: Jan 22, 2024 21:13:53 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Calor Gas - Alternatives?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 16, 2024 19:18:17 GMT
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Annoyingly, alot of it is down to who you meet!
We have a similar issue at work to be fair. Some folks just don't care about getting things done.
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ChasR
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motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 16, 2024 19:14:47 GMT
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Man, that is a pain! If you get stuck for the sockets, let me know.
I have a set of impact ones, which I use on the Saab
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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The time had come to do the sprockets and chain. There was nothing for it. Ever since I got the bike, the chain was being adjusted every time I lubed it up, with it being quite a way out. Eventually, the inevitable happened and I ran out of adjustment. I'm not sure how an 18,000 mile bike would no longer be on its original Honda setup, but who knows? I tried to find an aftermarket supplier for an O-Ring chain and planned to get either some JT or DID sprockets, but they appeared very hard to find, or at a nearly new price from Honda, who wanted £140 for two sprockets and a chain. From the factory, these came with an O-ring chain For a £1400 bike, it seemed pricey. No wonder folks fitted non O-Ring chains, but I also hated the chain going from being within the adjusted spec when I cleaned the chain, to being miles out (about double what it should be) when I came to clean the chain at 500 miles. Adjusting the chain in between just seemed like madness to me. Maybe I want an easy life too much. I need to fix it however, and eventually, I'd find a break. Honda did a revision to the ES7 chain and sprocket assemblies. I found a pre-revised new set on eBay for £75. That was: -A DID chain in a Honda bag -A rear sprocket with a chain 'falling off' ring -Front sprocket. So, let's compare the old and the new: Thew new one actually fitted on nicer onto the output drive of the gearbox, which I cleaned at the same time. The chains side by side. The new DID O-Ring chain looked beefier. The new and old sprockets. I'll come back to these. To some folks, the old ones looked fine, but the teeth certainly look 'pointier' It was then time to strip the bike down. While there, I cleaned up the hub, and checked the cush drive bushes. They looked fine to me, with the innards having zero play present or softness. On the subject of the cush drives, I noticed my rear sprocket had alot of side-to-side movement across the axle. Every CG owner claimed it was the cush drives. I could believe that if it was radial play, but not axial/side-to-side play. As otherwise, how could you even put the sprocket onto the cush drives without hammering them on? Some detective work ensued, and eventually I'd have the answer : The original setup had a spacer I was missing. Enter the spacer. I even made a video to show the differences. Eventually, however, I couldn't just be looking at differences. I'd have to check the bike itself, and so I'd begin the re-assembly stage: It was then time for the test ride. I now had far less drive lash, and overall a quieter chain, when adjusted correctly! My old chain would sometimes made odd noises when the adjustment was correct, so I'd loosen it off from the recommended 15mm of play to around 25mm, which did the trick. This was perfect. Except I now had a slight hum above 15mm in the drivetrain, power on or off. I played about with the adjustments and checked everything. All was OK. It then occurred to me, it could be two things: -The clearance of the sprocket had been taken up, so while the old loose item may have caused different noises before, this probably caused new noises new. Who knows, it may even be part of the reason why the spacer was no longer there. A tighter fitting sprocket will relay some noise accross -The chain and sprockets may be settling in. This is what a bike mechanic claimed. Searching Google alluded to the latter. But the bike had never ridden better. Furthermore, the chain didn't actually need adjusting anywhere near as often. So that was a result. I would keep the bike for another month after this, where I would do my big bike test, for reason I'll discuss next time. But unfortunately, it was time to part company with this CG125. A great bike, which I debated keeping, but with the new bike budget going up and up, and me re-evaluating life choices, it couldn't stay. As Echo and the Bunnymen said, nothing lasts forever.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Just refreshing everything, so
-New pads -New discs if they are towards the minimum specified thickness -Refurbed calipers, done at home -New cylinder -New Flexis
Maybe improve the brakes more than you think. But a bolt on from a 'superior' model will bring some benefits
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Hear me out, as I could be talking rubbish as well, but it's only what I've experienced. While people claim not registering the IBS doesn't make a difference, I have found it certainly reduces any draw, as has a friend of mine who plays with more of these than I do. I've also found not registering a new battery (if the battery is marginal) causes other issues. On my 325d, it did the following: -Sidelights didn't come on when I opened the car on the keyfob most of the time, despite having it set that way -'Rest' function on the heater when the car is off (i.e you go to the shops and want to keep the car warm) doesn't work. -Radio stays on for barely 10 mins with the key out until the 'low battery' signal cuts it. -It would lose around 20 minutes a week in time. Sometimes, I'd get the '--:--' appearing for the time. Which it did to 'conserve' the battery. I've noticed some are fussier with registrations that others. -VAGs seem to be OK, but 'prefer' it -Fords seem to work with it ; they adopted the tech in 2010(ish), to take over from the simpler 'smartcharge'. Dad's Mondeo which I sometimes fix seems to work well. -Mercs IMO probably need it, although folks claim they don't. My sister's car struggles to start when cold, despite having a new starter and battery earlier on this year, and that definitely has an IBS lead like ours. I lived with the above on a battery with 60% capacity left on the 325d. The above did improve with the registration when I registered it, but it wasn't quite enough, as I suspected ; a new battery and registration has the car match fit again. With my other friend, he found a similar deal on his E9xs as well as his E60 M5, which until he did it, always had low battery warnings whenever it was opened. With a new battery, a year on, it's never refused to start. I do also charge it via the dedicated points under the bonnet with a smartcharger when the bonnet is up. On new cars I work with at work, that is actually standard procedure when: -The car is being worked on for anything, unless it's disconnecting say an alternator or battery etc. -Car is awaiting an inspection for checking everything working (i.e an audit of the car, where wipers, radio, seats etc. are all checked) -The car is awaiting to be shipped ; it will be put on charge when we will then chuck it into the yard, where it will be started for 3 mins when it's loaded onto a transporter. Before the battery instructions and testing, we used to throw away £000s of pounds of batteries. It's almost a shame don't anymore, but that's a story for off here . I'm not saying it will fix your problem, but both IMO are worth eliminating, so as to narrow the search, given my experiences on these cars.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Calor Gas - Alternatives?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I don't think many folks will fill other bottles for you. The fact that they won't take the old bottles back however, is surprising. I used to work for Calor, so I can ask if this is the case, and maybe even a reason why. I have a suspicion as to why it is.
FloGas may do something similar, but they may have decided against it as well.
I do have a spare Calor Gas bottle, which I may be willing to do a deal on. However, it's rather large!
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