The Continuous Car Thread of S_S - Dream Car #1 Achieved '23

I also have a question. I have had many BMWs, E30/31/36/39/84 (family car is currently an E84) but I have never had an e46. I'm thinking about getting an e46 cabrio once I hand the Panda 4*4 back from lease.

I think* that there seems to be great value in e46 320 cabs here as they have the wrong engine (i.e. not the 325 or 330) and are less likely to have been abused as a result. I must have a six which the 320 does and I'm not too concerned by Manual or Auto as I have the Speedster to "drive" and the e46 would be for family cruises or when I'm working on the Speedster or need to collect both kids (3 and 5) and don't have access to the family hauler.

So, with that background my question(s) are as follows:

1. Is the smaller 2.2 six any more or less reliable than the bigger units?
2. Is the auto considerably lacking in performance vs. the manual?
3. Is the roof reliable or are they a time-bomb (if so, expensive to fix or liveable)?
4. Anything e46 and/or cabrio specific that I need to watch out for?

*hence the question

Boot floor is a problem if there is unexplained creaking and all the rear suspension bushes are ok. Some part of the boot floor was forgotten to be fully welded at the factory..... it’s a bit involved...

surprisingskoda ! help us out of our misery!!

I've not seen a Hellrot and I believe that colour was basically retired at the advent of Imolarot in around 00/01.
I have seen two X5s (both 4.6is models) in Imola. I'm not sure if it was an option on ordinary models but you could always order in Individual spec whatever you liked from BMW.
I've driven a few now and I still remember taking off down a motorway slip-road in a 4.4 with a mate and both saying, No way should a 4x4 be able to go this quick! It felt pretty ludicrous. But they're so unreliable I just couldn't stomach trying to run one. Even that diesel I was using for the last two months I just kept dreading the inevitable whine or crunch from underneath somewhere - and I daily some pretty ropey machinery at times...

Things have happened.

1. E38 finally made it into the workshop for an engine change. Going entirely to plan except it's not, of course. The original engine with knocking big ends was pulled out, and the sump, oil pump and baffle from that engine were supposed to go on to the replacement engine, also from a 2000 728i (which actually was the same car the lowering springs were in before) - but the baffle plate was totally different and doesn't fit. Weird. Then I sold the brakes off it (brembos) because there was a man waving cash at me, and the car was already in the air - and we've got another handful of them in the yard to get brakes off later. Except... on all those other brakes, the bleed nipples rung off. On like 3 sets of them. So those all need tapped out now, sigh. And then the alternator needed changed as it's wasn't charging. But, it's getting there. I'm also going to play with the exhaust and reduce the amount of muffling in it and open up some noise, because, why not. Loud and low.


2. A mate that runs a garage in the next village over rang me needing some Mini parts. The one he was fixing was an 05 and so the early model gearbox I had out already didn't suit - but would would suit was the box from my 06. With a crack up the screen, and my buddy needing a gearbox (and an axle, and some trim, and brakes...) there was enough cause to continue thinning the fleet. I wouldn't have let the Mini go die for any old stranger but I don't mind doing so to help out someone I've known for 15 years.
Last shot as it drove up to be pulled apart.

Not only have I known Mark since he was serving his apprenticeship at the dealer I worked at back in 2005, he also went on to teach mechanical engineering in the local college, where he taught the 24 yr old that runs my workshop. Mark also was the mechanic that did all the work to my first E34 all those years ago, and he's dug me out of a couple of emergency "need a trailer NOW" situations. Look back a page or two, it was his trailer I picked up the Fergie with.
And his head mechanic Jack, also in his mid 20s, who grew up less than 500m from where I grew up, is best friends with another guy on my staff. Some people knock the "everybody knows everybody" familiarity of Northern Ireland, but I love it.
Jack stripped my wee Mini of all it's running gear before I went and loaded the carcass onto my little truck.



3. I said "continue to thin the fleet" intentionally. Now I didn't plan on letting the Mini go, but I had been advertising other vehicles. Not very strongly, mind you, as with current restrictions, viewings are seldom and difficult, plus all my cars are old projects or luxury cars, not cars you'd buy to start using daily for your essential job.
But I certainly didn't mind selling the E39 540i/6 Sport. It needed some bodywork, although it drove lovely and was very presentable. But there were a couple of scrapes and rust blisters on it, enough to need some treatment and paint. It was nothing difficult but just one of those projects that got shelved. Well, a nice young fella who had struggled to get hold of a good one, made contact and came to see this one. It was high mileage and silver, and he'd already tried to buy a low miler, nicer colour auto from England but again with travel the way it is, he decided to buy local and played off the manual 6 speed he wanted versus the silver paintwork that he didn't.
A couple of staff asked me after it went if I was going to miss it. Miss it? Nah. They didn't understand why a 5 series 4.4 V8 with a manual Getrag box and M5 LSD in it wouldn't be an ultimate car for me, especially after having not long sold the other one as well.
I think I like my power cars to be a bit rawer.

4. "continue to thin.." another guy I've known for years got in touch and took a spin over for a look at something else I'd vaguely been offering for sale, simply due to not having the time to get back around to it since overhauling the undercarriage. I've known Terry since opening the business, and he's bought and restored several E30 Sports in that time, as well as Corolla AE86s and a handful of Lancer Evos. So with the knowledge that at least this car would be restored, I let him take it for a little less than it stood me - he is the first person to look at it who wasn't scared by the minor amount of bodywork it needs and who agreed that I was spot on with the value I'd put on the car.
So, goodbye, D-Turbo.



5. Attempted to press red Discovery back into use. One flat tyre, battery very flat. Couldn't get it started on a jump so had to pull battery out to charge it up. I think I've decided to move it on now. I'm very happy with the black one, although it needs piles of work, but the red one clearly isn't needed if it's not being used at all.
They're great cars so I might regret that is 10 years time, but the cash that frees up will be pumped into the black one to renew the brakes and suspension and just go right through it.



Current fleet list then:
1930 Austin 7 Ulster (totally stripped project)
193? Austin 7 Special (totally unstarted project)
193? Austin 7 chassis
195? Ferguson TED20
1978 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (stalled project)
1979 Skoda S110R (just needs wheels)
1985 Skoda 120G Garde Cabriolet (unstarted project)
1985 BMW E28 M535i (about-to-begin project!!)
1985 Skoda Estelle 120L5 (languishing)
1985 Fiat Regata 70 (unstarted project)
1987 Skoda Rapid 136 (unstarted project)
1987 Skoda Estelle 130LSE (languishing)
1988 Skoda Rapid 136 (unstarted project)
1990 Skoda Rapid 136 (languishing)
1992 Skoda Favorit Pickup (languishing)
1992 Skoda Favorit 136LS (languishing)
1993 Alfa Romeo 164 V6 Cloverleaf (unstarted project)
1994 BMW E32 740i (stalled project)
1995 Skoda Favorit Estate GLXiE (stalled project)
1995 Skoda Favorit Estate GLXiE (stalled project)
1995 Skoda Favorit Estate GLXiE (unstarted project)
1995 BMW E34 540i/6 Drift-car (not road legal [yet!])
1997 BMW E36 M3 Evo Convertible
1997 Skoda Felicia L 1.9d (unstarted project)
2000 BMW E38 728i (hopefully in use shortly!)
2000 Subaru Impreza Turbo2000 (in-progress project)
2001 Alfa Romeo 156 V6 Sportwagon (parked on drive, not in use)
2002 Triumph TT600 (ongoing project)
2002 Land Rover Discovery II TD5 (in use as yard shunter)
2002 MG ZT V6 190+ (parked on drive, not in use)
2004 MG ZT-T CDTI 135 (in use)
2004 Land Rover Discovery II TD5 Landmark (in use)
2005 BMW 325Ci Cabriolet Sport (parked on drive, not in use)



And spares cars:
1989 Skoda Rapid 136
1994 Skoda Favorit Estate
1995 Alfa Romeo 146
1997 Alfa Romeo 164
2002 MG ZT V6 190
2002 MG ZT-T 120
2004 Rover 75 CDTI 135
2006 MG ZT CDTI 135


I'm pretty much dailying the black Discovery right now, and/or one of the several E46 330i's I've got sitting in work for future engine donors, and/or the truck or van, but I'm getting itchy feet again, trying not to look for any more project cars when I have the BMWs all coming back into the mix very, very soon...

I know you said you were going to talk about your e46 Cab at some point, I have had searches on various platforms for a while now looking for a Red 325 and this finally came up:



Only downside is the auto box which just stifles the horses to stop them bolting, but it has the hardtop I want. I remember a couple of years ago looking at them and they were around the 2-2.5K mark but since then they have gone north like many desirable BM’s......

May the search continue .....

surprisingskoda , just leaving this idea here...

Skoda favorit
link.2dehands.be/m1662276071?utm_source=android_social&utm_content=vip&utm_medium=android_social&utm_campaign=socialbuttons

Oof. Thats a bit heartbreaking.

I don't doubt you'll get it sorted but that must be a pretty massive hit to the mojo.

There is news. Not all of it is here, but this is the start. Firstly, this is the view from behind the mask whilst I weld the light bar back together on the back of my flatbed truck.
Yes, that is dull. OK, moving on.

This is the black Discovery 2.


And this is the red Discovery 2.


You might notice (probably not) that the wheels have been swapped over. So now the black one has near new Kenda AT tyres and the red one has 18" road tyres.
Yes, also very dull.


Later that evening after that was done, I noticed that the vanity side-bar (not a step) had fallen down.

Pretty sure that was knocked by the jack during the wheel change. The bracket at the back is broken - it was pretty rusty under the mud to be fair. The front of the bar is held in by a moulded socket on the mudflap - there is zero strength in these (hence not being steps) and they've been knocked out of those sockets on both sides before. If I'm getting in there with the welder then I'll likely put a bracket on the front end as well.
Or just remove them entirely so it's got better off-road clearance? Might get a chance to go green-laning soon.
So "part falling off" is also dull. Sorry.


I did buy another car though, another E38. Umm, it's been mostly behaving and it's been used as my daily for a couple of weeks now. It's completely standard, with standard wheels, in blue with beige leather. So it's also dull.

Must try harder... I'll go do something - be back in a while.