ChasR
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Lovely car, I'm enjoying this thread! I've got a 2005 E90, same colours - Monaco Blue / Dakota Beige, with the same N52 engine, although mine's the smaller 2.5 and is mated to a manual box. I might start a thread about it sometime... They are a nice place to be inside eh? I do like my E91. I got a little bored with it last year. Ironically, having an S124 230TE made me appreciate the 325d again! It just works so well as a daily. I may also start a thread.
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ChasR
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Garage Floor Paint optionsChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I’ve had an extension done recently and had to do the garage floor. It was fresh concrete, so I used the concrete sealer and left it to dry for over a week in the summer as I was on holiday. Bought the “No Nonsense” floor paint from Screwfix for ~£25. Followed the instructions to the letter, did the two coats with a week inbetween for curing, and left it for another two weeks before even walking on it. Dropped a bit of wood on it from a height as I was putting up a shelf - took a chunk out of the paint. So yeah, cheap paint, paint twice (or more depending how clumsy you are) Your floor sounds a little better than mine. Mine was MEGA dusty. I used the Floorsaver Epoxy paint. It's been almost a year now. Observations. Overall good, but it has flaked in some places, albeit not many. Ironically, where the car goes on with stones and all, it's perfect! I did do the following -Use Floor etcher and brick acid to attempt to get the latience off the floor. -Pressure washed it -Painted the floor when it was damp. I probably could have given this a little longer. However, compared to what it was before, and the abuse I've given the floor, it's held up very well, and it's a HUGE improvement from the dusty floor I had before. It was awful before. The jetwashing removed alot of latience. I probably could have gone thinner with the coats in between painting the floor, which didn't help. But it's overall, holding up well. The 4 places it has flaked up are less than a 5p piece, even where I've dragged heavy things across it. My neighbours floors in their garages are not as good as mine. Ideally, if you were putting a floor down, you'd powerfloat it.
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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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Dec 18, 2023 10:56:48 GMT
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It may be worth checking what battery is fitted, and what battery the car thinks it has fitted. If you know of someone who has
-Carly -ISTA -Snap-On Solus -Another setup which can read the battery data on the car ; I'm mainly aware of the above. Foxwell and Delphi may do ones which can read that deep.
You could see if there is a mis-match.
Some reckon the IBS (Intelligent Battery System) needs programming when it's changed, others don't. I've both fixed the issues in the short and long(ish ; I've not kept the cars for long enough) term via registering even a used battery correctly on these Beemers.
As you say, it's a joy of something newer, albeit most cars from 2010(ish) require some form of registration of the battery. The joy of more creature comforts in a car and ever-tightening emissions requirements.
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ChasR
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Dec 17, 2023 18:58:30 GMT
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With the CG, I actually bought it like I don't normally buy things. I checked it, I didn't ride it, and checked out the paperwork. But then again, it was relatively low mileage and in very good condition, with one owner on the clock. I didn't even haggle alot. It was also 2 miles from my house. From not riding a 125 for over a year, I then would do 40 miles on the day within the day I bought it. It would then be time to do some work. The first thing to do was to get my detailer mate on it. From having a mega dirty drivetrain, despite me cleaning it previously, he cleaned it. While it is hard to tell due to the flash overwhelming the shot, the bike was super clean! The hub was silver again, the rear wheel actually had the chrome shining, and it looked great. The way he cleaned the bike however, would have folks cringing! So here it goes: -MotoVerde drivetrain cleaner on the dirtiest parts of the bike, as well as the chain (alot of it!). -MotoVerde bike cleaner elsewhere -A bucket full of microfibres, and two washmits (one for greasy areas, and one for the paint). -A pressure washer (I know, I didn't want to use them until we washed it) -A detailing lance but with the green nozzle. His theory with pressure washers was to not get close, and to bear in mind the pressure. With a green nozzle, you can put your hand in front of it at a good distance. With the wider spraying white one, it's more than fine to have your hand in front. No way can you do that out of a car window, which is what a bike is likely to see in the real world. So I saw his way. When I got back, I ACF-50'd the bike and I was good to go. However, despite the bike having 17k on the clock, it was already on a JT chain and sprocket. The sprocket was always loose on this bike. More will be said when I next update this . Oh, and while it looks like scooters are out of my life when I had the 125, you'd be correct. They were...
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ChasR
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2023 Archives : Bicester 2023ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Right, it's time for another photodump. This time, a Spring edition. The Dolly Sprint and the RS 2000. We know which one the Professionals chose, but which would you choose? This 'what if' Capri creation was very cool: And another Capri as a one off build: It's not everyday that you see a G60 Limited. A rare car now. Hip, or too much? That's for you to decide. Maybe a Rallye is more your thing. I do adore an E38, but it is also scary how much these have shot up in value lately. I suppose they are seen as a 'last of' BMW to many, along with the James Bond cool factor in the case of the BMW seven hundred and fifty iL, as Q once said. Who doesn't love a JDM pickup truck? At the next one, a certain member of RR royalty would be along. More on that next time.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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2023 Archives : Bicester 2023ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Liking them all, especially the SC and the Sirocco What's this one ? Don't recognise it 🤔 The Scirocco was clean for sure! Is for this car, I can't remember. It may have been a bitzer, but it was a while ago Very nice selection, if I remember rightly the Aston MGB had an O series engine? I could have done with poking around the engine bay of that 😅 Liking the X type as well, they've been appealing to me somewhat of late Cheers! Yup, it certainly did use an O-Series. I've seen that car at a few large events now. The owner does occasionally open the bonnet for others to check out. That X-Type is quite cool. Since a certain someone started managing the Heritage fleet, it does get used quite a bit! Not a bad shout on getting an X-type, but like my ST220, parts are getting thin on the ground, albeit I'm not sure the aftermarket support is quite as good (i.e hoses on the ST220). But it's just old car stuff really . Scary to think the X-Type will be over 20 years old now. Anyway, I best chuck a few more shots into here .
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ChasR
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2023 Archives : Bicester 2023ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Dec 13, 2023 22:44:12 GMT
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As promised, I said I would put in the shows that a few guys and I went to this year. Some of them will be a continuation where they were monthly gigs while others will be one hit wonders. This is going to be the former, as I did a few. As always, it's about meeting the folks at a number of shows, where conversations just keep flowing and going to depths you never imagined. Naturally, you have to stop, and admire some old tin. Bicester would be a funny one for me. For most of last year, I took the M3 once, and took the E91 325d the rest of the time. I'd change the rhythm a little this year. Mainly, as I got my hands on an old Merc S124 off a fellow Retro Rider. It would be a first kind of car for me, yet a familiar one. It would be the first time: -I owned a 4 pot Mercedes -I owned a Merc with such an extensive history -I owned a car which between a certain car clique I hang around with, all of us had owned! Does that had incest-like connotations? I'll let you decide Either way, it wasn't all bad. RetroWarwicK got to see what a 124 Merc was like. Getting treated to a coffee was nice, or what I recollect. Maybe the fuel consumption put a few folks off! Before we knew it, we'd got down in possibly the slowest Mercedes I have owned, and parked up. You could almost be back in the 90s in this shot: There was some great French tat about, some fancier than others, but I'll come to that soon. One great thing about Bicester is the near anything goes attitude. One example of that was this one-off MGB Aston Martin. Many of us have seen these in photos, especially those who scroll over the AROnline archives, but nothing quite beats seeing such a car. There was even quick Porsche there. OK, 996s aren't for everything but it can't be denied they have a following. Especially one owned by a certain Jethro Bovington, with a few choice upgrades. Not many anoraks laid on the grass to check out the engine, honest! Me? I just liked the package overall. There were more old Porsches. I have to say, even though I'm someone who restores existing paintwork for a variety of reasons, there is something about seeing a survivor car. Even 'bland' stuff from the yesteryear was there, along with with rarities from the 00s. I even bumped into a local friend of mine, with a flying bananca! Along with another banana! This had to come close to the car of the show for me? Would I love to roll in it now and again? Absolutely! Would I live with it for a while? That is potentially doubtful. I know, I know, I'm going soft. Speaking of rarities, one of Coventry MotoFest's lot brought this out to display, from the JDHT collection. The X400 X-Type that never came to be. However, this example made the cut. A little like Trinity did with the Range Rover many years later. Estate? Good! 400BHP? Good! Red? Good? Sporty nature? Good! British Built? Good? A familiar car of the time, a Tollman 205 GTi was there. At £60k, it's certainly not cheap! But what if you want more from a 205 GTi, and are willing to spend some serious cash to get there? Enter stage left, the 205 Gti 16V! Yup, Tollman looked to keep true to the 205's roots. With a base 1.9 block, the modified 306 GTi-6 head is married up to it. The tricks don't stop there. With a TFT instrument cluster, and more, it really is arguably the ideal 205 GTi. At the time, bar the cost of £100k+, it was the car of the show for me. Maybe not now on reflection, but it was a very nicely finished car. As always, there were other modified 80s cars about: E-Type of Wolfies anyone? After that day of fun, and the first time I had used the Merc in anger, it was time to head off home, and have the Merc meet some BMW rivalry along the way. That's all for now folks, but I'm sure I'll add more to the thread in due course.
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ChasR
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This is a lovely thing.
The touches which are being put onto this are great. It will be good to see how this travels with you.
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ChasR
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77 MGB-K24 swappedChasR
@chasr
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I have to say, some homebrew conversions have never get really my attention at times, mainly for the attention to detail on parts which I felt at the time matter. Silly things like the engine mounting (angles etc), the finish and effectiveness of an exhaust manifold etc. But times change. This is pretty awesome! What started out as a RB MGB Roadster, is now tricked up, and running a K20! Very cool! It's quite nice to break up that steak into small pieces, chuck it into some rice and smother it in soy sauce .
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ChasR
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Turns out that black MGB "jubilee" was done as a one off based on the look of the American special edition www.mgb-register.org/portfolio-item/abingdon-jubilee-special/I do need to get over to gaydon at some point to look around the "new" bit that opened, have only ever been around the original museum previously but the odd prototypes in the other building look very interesting I'm glad you got the link for it, and found out it was a one off customer specification of the American LE. I can imagine what conversations would take place to put something like this in now . If you have your old pass, it will simple for you to go into both sites from an admission cost POV.
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ChasR
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I rarely go to days at the BMM. The Tuesday gatherings I do occasionally, but that's about it. However, finding myself at a loose end on a weekend, I thought, why not? So I went to the MGCC. Yes, it was a little traditional and not quite like an RR even, but there was still some interesting things to see. The museum also offers a great insight into the skunt projects and the projects that never quite got to fruition. Interestingly, well, for me, projects I have been involved in, are there. I suppose, anyone working in the UK car industry will one day play a part in the UK motoring industry, no matter how big or small. So, what was about? We had the MG Spyder, their new electric convertible. If I recall, some chaps have taken one around Europe for a tour. We then had a Jubilee Edition MG. I never released they made these. I knew of the Silver and Golden Jubilee cars in blue with silver graphics, and green with gold graphics, along with the end of line LE editions. This to me looked like an LE edition from the states, as theirs were black. But apparently, this was a Jubilee edition car. We even had a diesel powred MGB, albeit rough and ready! Which diesel? I don't know. I'm guessing it's an L series. Naturally, there were plenty of cars that you asssociate to BL and the Rover Group dotted around. The ZR had a bit of a surprise under the bonnet! I did quite like this MGC. It reminded me of how I wanted to modify an MGB or C, for years. Traditional, yes, but with some proper sized wheels and handling improvements, while getting the car 'right' condition wise. It's hard to see, but you can just about make out the camber arms on the front wheels, giving the wheels a bit of a negative camber. Another limited edition from MG. I can't think why they did these! It was then time to go into the 'skunk' building. I had seen what had lead the car industry to being where it is in Britain today. It was time to come up a little closer to what else was about. The Project 8 was outside. This was a car I had a very minor amount of involvement in, but that car until recently, I didn't realise had links with, -Rootes -Peugeot -JLR today with respect to where it was built. Some history, and to the owners, quite coveted. This is a relic you've probably never seen. Yes, it may be a little new, but it's something which I suspect will be forgotten. The iPace Trophy. When JLR were doing well in the Formula E, they felt it would be a good idea to have a support series, with stripped down iPaces. It was interesting seeing these getting built and the challenges around making a quick car nimbler and more agile. That said, nothing stirs the soul, like a Jaguar XJ13. You could argue this time frame represented peak Jaguar, with its models, quality of sorts, and emotion. The Ingenium engines? I played a significant part in getting the parts for these to the line, and it's where I learned alot about manufacturing and what other OEMs do. Quite fascinating. Not cool for you, and definitely not for Stealthstylz here! But nonetheless, it's something being showcased. A petrol version and a diesel version This car is one which the manager of the BMM quite likes, whom some will know on here. the X400 V6 Turbocharged contraption. The car that never quite made it. A shame, but I think I can understand why unfortunately. Speaking of cool estates. And more XJs, from end to beginning: Including the lovely Coupe! I always find more things I haven't seen in the display. Maybe it's me not paying attention, or the BMM bringing out new things to display. It's basically a 5 cylinder Rover engine. You could see the weld marks on the head and the block! Still, quite a cool thing to see as part of BMC's history. 4 pot XK lump anyone? It looks similar to the MG Twin Cam... A cool Pug. You could tell it was an MG day. Look at that oil slick! So yes, a pleasant day all in. For those who fancy a day out at the BMM, put something in the meets section. Maybe we could get an RR collective once more. I have a number of mini meets I've been to, including the local Dub Club meets close to me. It's about time I showed what turned up there on here soon (y).
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Last Edit: Dec 1, 2023 10:17:22 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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It's been a long couple of weeks. But for some reason, I'm feeling awake again. Sounds odd, but I have just lacked energy for around a year, with it coming back and forth. Do I think certain things are to blame? Definitely, but that's not for here. Does that mean more car stuff is coming onto here to bore you lot? Most likely! Anyway, what stuff have I done this week? -The E91's heater pretended it had a witch dying in it for around a month; it's been vibrating at random times before that however, ever since I got the car. Last month, it actually kicked the bucket a few times. I tried to salvage what useful life was left of the heater, with the usual dirty tricks being tried, like oiling the shaft (stop sniggering you lot!). Deciding that this was futile, and that a heated seat wouldn't get me through the cold times, I went to buy one. ECP wanted £180 for a branded item, with GSF wanting more. A used one I wasn't going to gamble on, as it's not unknown for these units to go bad. With a patient wait from Autodoc, at a more reasonable £70, I threw that in, and for the first time ever, I had a near silent heater. I know Alistair will be jealous of a heater now, but I did feel his pain earlier on! -I also threw some winter wheels on. Luckily, when I got the CLK, my mate gave me some winter tyres. Winner. After I got some shonky rims that were cheap and uncracled, but rought, I got them refurbished, ceramic coated and then thrown onto the car. Just as well, since 3 of the 18s are now buckled thanks to our roads, and 2 tyres are in dire need of replacement. -I also did Gaydon. I didn't realise a French show was on, but I did spy some French chod dotted around. The MG Car Club also held their event, which looked a little odd! I do however, enjoy walking about the second 'skunk' building however. Anyway, less chat, more pics! The old fan vs. new. Someone had been here before, as the regulator is not too old. I switched this across and I was back in business with a working heater The crappy wheels when I got them: Post-refurb. Maybe they were too bling? The old wheels on the car for the last time this year: The new ones. Yes it looks worse, but it rides nicer and the winter grip is a welcome bonus, especially this week! Even the electric MGs sweat oil! As much as the MGCC day was a little bit of an Alan Partridge show, I may actually do a thread for the shots, and show what the second building has in the BMM, for those who haven't been. I may also begin to put up shots of the other shows I've done this year. It would be a pleasant way to wrap up the end of the year.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Apologies for taking over before!
The E6x and some engines get quite the wrap for not living up to their successors. Yes, they have issues, but in reality, they are not too different to their predecessors, which do now love to rot anyway.
A nice fix on the dash (y).
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ChasR
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BMW E46 M3 : That's the ticketChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Nov 29, 2023 20:07:23 GMT
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Of course I lowered it! Lowering the rear however, was easier than Stretten made out. Albeit this was done to one thing. Remember those top mounts I bought? I sure do! Since they allow the damper to be removed from within the wheelarch, unlike the factory mounts, It was just a case of undoing the dampers top mounts so as to relieve the tension in the platforms, so that the rear of the car could be dropped down. Spot on. Eventually I hit a height I was happy with, where I also set the damper firmness to 3 out of 10 possible clicks, with 10 being race-car hard. With this done, it was time to finish off packing the car for the RRG weekend. Was this a classic deadline fitting strategy. Of course. But we all know, as that Baskar Steel helmeted man said, "This is the way..." The way of a madman maybe. It will be something to talk about at RRG right? So after doing the bi-annual M3 task of making it a van, I set off. It was then time to drive to meetup with fellow RRers, the two Richs, and Olly. Fergus, unfortunately, could not make RRG this year. A shame but it is how things roll sometimes. Initially the car felt firm! Very firm. It almost felt like the suspension didn't have any give, except one thing. It didn't bounce or shuffle over speed bumps. It was controlled. Very well controlled. It's hard to say, but it literally felt like it went right over the bump, as if there was no give, except you knew there was to a degree, since the bouncing etc. you get with no give in the suspension wasn't there. There's nothing quite like a road test to the destination you are travelling to, with no pre-run. Just test the car on the fly! As part of this road test, I then hit the motorway. A certain bump on the M69 I do know about is one place I know how a car feels, right next to the M6 turn-off, going Northbound. The car once again, fell into the bump, but then came out, with a firmness of the suspension. Previously, it would have gone into the bump in a comfy manner, and then had a whack in the front, as the front dampers had no compression. Other cars? -Mondeo Mk4 of my dad's : A wallow fest from the rear -325d, a softer, but similar amount of firmness to the above, with a slight, but liveable and pleasant wallow. I then went to do an overtake, as I was attempting to make up lost time on the M69. Wow, the car had unbelieveable control! There was me thinking it was too firm, and then I looked down at the speedo! Whoops! It seemed I was being more critical of the suspension than I thought! I then met up with Rich, and Olly, near Completely Motorbikes in Hinkley, where we finally set off to go to RRG. In the bends, the car was wonderful. I actually never remember the car being this good in the bends. It's been good in the past, but not with this sharpness. I then turned in to go towards Mallory Park. WOW! The turn in was unbelieveable. Somehow, it stayed flat(ish) in the bend, and just gripped and went down the country lane brilliantly. Rich just about managed to keep up in the Alpina B10, albeit with some 'ahem', shortcuts on the country lanes, where I stuck to the lines so as to see what the suspension could do! Was I smitten? You bet I was! OK, I lost some 'comfort' to the old suspension, but I always feel I tend to, when I go from really shot shocks, to fresh ones. I did on my Mondeo Mk4, when I went to fresh Ford shocks on that. Maybe I'm being picky. So what improved in a nutshell? -No more chatter over 'mid-quality' road surfaces -Superb turn-in, even around town! It feels more hot hatchy, but nowhere near as crashy as many new ones out there -Reasonable road comfort, which going to setting 1 resolves, but the turn in is not quite as sharp, albeit not bad either. -Good composure over nasty bumps and potholes that litter our countryside. With this, I retired for a beer with the lads: It was nice to see a collection of Beemers, and the track, which made for a pleasant view. It seemed as we had inadvertently, had the German collective pitch up next to us! We even some familiar RR company, whom I never realised were RRers! Now this is what RRG is about. It was then time to get the car on the stand. Yes, the car was filthy, but I didn't really care. After a curse word start to the month, with an assault, work being ridiculous, and then dealing with the crappy Saab to fix, while havng to ensure the family beagle didn't kill himself while I was working, due to the families being away on holiday, I finally had this car at RRG, with some great mates, and a catchup to happen with many folks at the site. I simply didn't have time to clean the car. Well, I did, but coilovers and a nicer driving car matter more right? It was brilliant. Oh, and the height? Here it is. Not slammed I know, but it's perfect for fast road, and the occasional trackday. It's the one thing B16s don't do so well, which is to lower loads. Man, I should have switched the suspension a while ago. It's funny, I missed the 944 Turbo on KWv3s, with that seeming like a great handling car, especially to the previous S2 I had. I'd say the turn in was better with the B16s to the KWv3s, but the v3s had some comfort about them. I think this is becoming a car I'll stick with, I'm feeling it's that good. Yes, there's work to do, but which Retro Ride is ever finished? Is the mojo back for this car? Do I fancy taking it for that random drive? You bet I do.
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Last Edit: Nov 29, 2023 20:08:17 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Nov 29, 2023 19:28:39 GMT
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For me, there are a number of things to ask here:
-Is there evidence of the water circulating around (i.e water pump)
-Is the correct thermostat being used? I doubt it would inhibit things too much, but if you need a bypass foot, to stop non-rad fed coolant from circulating around the engine when warm, this is going to cause issues.
-What gauge setup are you using? Do you know if the sensors are calibrated to work with the gauge? Stag ones now overread and have a different tempearature curve. I quite like the VDO gauges with a VDO sensor for this reason or a Smiths capillary gauge
-Where is your temp sensor located on the engine?
-Have you do a HG test with the fluid in it? (i.e a HG tester)
-You say the rad is new and only 3 miles old? Was it brand new or simply new to you? What core design does it have? Most rads of this age can have different cores, depending on who sold it, which can affect things. I doubt it would affect it here, but you never know.
-Where does the rad fill from? If the rad level is below the engine heads, it will be a pain to bleed potentially. A header tank put into the top hose, to try and get around airlocks?
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ChasR
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Nov 27, 2023 17:11:35 GMT
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An interesting choice of engine, and quite a cool one at that.
The value of that is great. Even with the shell out of the equation, in terms of sourcing a shell, the prep, paint and the rest would cost a bit to do now.
The seats ain't my bag but it looks good does the car.
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ChasR
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Nov 26, 2023 17:32:39 GMT
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These are brilliant cars.
I've had 4 124 series cars now, 2 saloons, and 2 estates. They are just great. Favourites were the diesels and the E320. There is just something about a derv 124.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Nov 26, 2023 10:20:23 GMT
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Always liked the look of these, and they can be had for very little money indeed which makes them a constant source of temptation! Often wondered if the straight 6 might feel a little underpowered compared to the V8 models but in a more relaxed GT car, I suspect it doesn't really matter The 6s in these are more powerful and exciteable than their ancestors, so it wouldn't be quite as bad as you think. The N52 makes 255BHP, and I'm sure it made almost 270 in some applications, like the BMW E89 Z4. They're lusty, sound nice and with a careful right foot, can even do reasonable MPG. A mate with an E90 330i N52 was getting 33 doing in excess of 80 to make a ferry from Switzerland. When I took the M3 to Spain, a mate brought along his '09 E89 Z4 30Si. Yes, we were keeping to the speed limits, but he was getting around 35/37MPG to my 30-33 out of the M3! From what I've heard from others, bar Auto Alex, the M54s would struggle to do that MPG, and IMHO are a little flat for what they are. I'm not sure the N62s are bad as folks think. They did do a 635d, if a derv is your thing, which had the twin-turbo M57 lump ; early ones were iron blocks, where later blocks I think were ally, which does make them less of a pudding in the corners. My dad had an E61 535d, and that was a stunning car. It had true pace, and relentlessness. It just didn't feel like a diesel prior to that. The power was everywhere! They map very well, but TBH, even in stock form, they are impressive. The fuel economy isn't however. They'll struggle to do 40MPG on a run at around 70-80ish. My mate who had mine before me was getting 31, but if I am being honest, he did enjoy the pace. Always liked the look of these, and they can be had for very little money indeed which makes them a constant source of temptation! Often wondered if the straight 6 might feel a little underpowered compared to the V8 models but in a more relaxed GT car, I suspect it doesn't really matter You'll offset the lack of power by having a far more reliable engine. The N62 V8s are dog poo. Speaking of, I had a 650i, lovely car to drive, when it wasnt giving me PTSD with the warning BING BONG noise and the near constant failures. The 630i is the one to have, and that one looks lovely in that spec. What colour is it? 630is when you consider what they have are a great choice. Not sure the N62s are that bad. Bear in mind, they are now old, so neglect is always going to play a part. Some issues are pricey to fix on them, yes (the coolant hose seal, and the alternator bracket seal). Same for the iDrive. BMW want £1k for a new iDrive unit. Aftermarket solutions are closer to the £300 mark to fix, which my dad had to do in his 535d. You ain't kidding about the gongs! My E91 is no different! It does have a load of gongs. albeit most are silly/Americanised. From memory, I've had the following go off, with the top ones being the most common, when the ignition is on: -Door open -Tyre Pressures ; these have a passive tyre monitoring setup, which with leaky rims, will always go off, as the tyres will simply be getting flat too soon -Service or MOT due ; it has an interval for the brake pads etc. regarding inspecting them. The MOT one is an Inspection light, albeit that's for the TuV in Germany. With the pads, that was annoying, but I figured a way around it, and knew not to use aftermarket sensors again, which was part of the problem. -Lights being out ; It did this with a trailer I once towed that definitely wasn't akin to a KFW contraption, where an iffy lighting board connector had it picking faulys with the trailer lights, which were as iffy as I expected, fo a trailer that sat doing nothing for 6 years. It also did this when I bought it. I have now idea why folks can live with about 4 lights out on their cars. It doesn't help these do funky things to 'keep' a set of brake lights working etc. so folks live with the light errors on the dash -Glow plug ; This is only when it's cold and the coolant temp has dropped below 15 degrees C, so it's a very rare light to come on. The rest of the time, they work on a 'smart' heating system, which BMW have had since around the '80s from the E30 324td. But most of those aren't any different to the Mondeo MkIV my dad has, or the VAG products. The M3 isn't quite as bad, but it still shares many over the above features in the control centre, like the TMPS, lights, Car services due. That said, I'm not going to say much about the reliability, but then again, these are an old car, and mine has got me back home . Anyway, back to Wayne .
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Last Edit: Nov 26, 2023 10:26:49 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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2005 630iChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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That looks splendid! I was never keen on the look of them initially, but they have aged well.
That looks to be a lovely colour. At least for these, parts availability is good, from both BMW and the aftermarket, unlike their contemporary brands.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,194
Club RR Member Number: 170
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1986 Porsche 944 T. ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Nov 25, 2023 11:14:58 GMT
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It's good to see you make a return Gavin. I hope you have kept well.
It's also good to see the 944 is alive and kicking! It will be good to see what has happened with this car and what the plan for it is in the future.
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