Crispian_J_Hotson

Is that a 316i? Has it got rear wind down windows or were they all electric? Got a shot of the dash? Sooo many questions, all in the name of research! Whilst I don't think my touring is bASe I have passed one with wheel trims and it was super clean!

Someone called this an estate? Lol, it's a touring mate, like an estate but... Well... er... It's an estate.

Hey, nice weelz man. I so nearly bought that leather on the bay for mine, flip up rear booster seats??? = Special. Can't bring myself to fork out that amount for something I put my arse on. Hope it's worth the effort saving it. When these came out, admittedly, I hated the sight of them... Where did the trademark round lenses go? Felt like BMW was loosing it's identity but it's taken some time and now to me, the E36 seems to have something about it... those classic edges have aged really well and the prices have long bottomed out- the only way is up.

Buy one today, highly useable vehicle, I rag mine daily but this morning it got spat at by an A5 TDI estate which was embarrassing, don't know what injin they have but the 20y old 1.8 tried to keep with it, then I stopped before we got into licence loosing speeds. At least it had a go. Makes me proud it does.

Do you have the cd changer in the back of the newly acquired machine?

Mine was on 205k when I sold it in 2014.

 

Current diesel Borat is touching 140k; CX still on 79k.

You dodged a bullet then because another 10k may have seen terminal brake system failure and then it would be dead for 6 months and in 100 pieces... Just like mine is now! 

Only went and saw one of me favourites didn't I? Mk 1 TRANSIT VAYNNNN! double rear wheels too, heavy duty shite! I think...I think, I know a fella who's old man owns it as it had his surname signwritten on the sides, may need some further investigation and blag a free ride...

Does it move?

It was properly bastard windy last night and in a massively unsurprising turn of events all the zinc fucked off from the apex of my roof, so today I took a brave pill and went up to fix it. I tied a safety line onto the pickups towbar over the roof and wore a harness with a one-way cam thing.... Classic example of all the gear and no idea as I hate heights and normally do everything I can to keep myself as close to the ground as possible...I'm sure that a little bit of pee came out.

Anyway, a sheet and a half of zinc, a load of screws and six tubes of sikaflex later and it's done.

Back in the '87 hurricane we came home (on top of the third highest point in Essex) and the chimney stack on our ancient house was blowing back and forth, most people would gtf, but not my old man... Up he went and dismantled the fucker. I certainly do not take after him, getting wobbly knees halfway up a ladder!

Yeah, was going to repaint it but it's way too cold for all that caper.

Missis rams all the kids scooters and bikes in the back too, it's not worth bothering with really. I might brush over it with shoe polish or something if I get bored one day... (Laughs out loud to self...)

Today was a very silly day. The main event was preparing the discovery for its MOT! It's not so much of a daunting task if the car is regularly checked over, like last weekend when I checked all the lights and all were operational. I checked them this morning and BOOM! A number plate light bulb had blown, there are 2 which simply unscrew, pull down and change the bulb... Refitting is reversal of removal ​except for when someone has been there before!

What this ''someone' had done involved removing the plastic shroud housing the lights and upon re-fixing, trapped a live feed to the light between the shroud and the tailgate. This meant that I was unable to pull the lamp holder down enough to well, do anything really. Then a rotten spring clip fell off and it was reaching that point when the job is a bit of a false starter. So off with the door panel and removal of things commenced to free the trapped cable.

Along the way I found the 2 subs in the rear tailgate to be fucked.

I also found the washer fluid bottle bricked with ice and washers innop. Took some pipes off to clear and a heater under the washer bottle whilst I messed about elsewhere.

Washers still not working, no sound of motor... Checked fuse, blown. Anyone got a 20amp? Robbed one from out of the 635's spares collection, motor worked! Still iced up though.

Shot off to halfords to be robbed, which I was. I got neat screen washes for the disco and the touring ( god, I'm getting tired of having frozen washers!), some top up oil and coolant for the disco. I also bought some cheapy replacement speakers which came with tweeters things and mini crossovers...

Which will look like this...

I wasn't going to fit the Tweety ones but thought sod it, what could possibly go wrong? Drill, drill, drill, hammer, hammer... More agro than its worth... Hammer, screw...

They sound a lot better than what was there that's fosho! Got me tunes blaring and all fixed up and off to the test...

Sweeeet... It's a straight A for the disco! Then it snowed...

Were the side door mouldings available only with a certain spec? Some have them, some don't.

Disco 2 door handles are a remarkably shit design that are guaranteed to freeze solid. "Carplan" finest* deicer is also shit, if you leave it in the car the pressure drops so it just trickles on your hand.

I've had much success with silicone spray and door handles. Our tailgate handle was a fucker when it felt like it... Not anymore! Same for door seals and freezing to the doors.

 Looking around I've seen a k plate loon for sale for 1500!

https://m.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C859893

And it's knackered!

* goes round there tomorrow with 200 nicka in hand...

Blimey, I'm like 2 streets away from this tomorrow moting the disco. (Long streets, maybe the next town actually)

I don't like the multicoloured red on the rear 1/4 and wonky boot, looks like an old repair. Colour could be the pics tho.

I don't know whether this is a problem caused by the beast...or whether its even a problem at all, but whilst sat outside in the car at lunch I noticed the heaters weren't getting warm.  Even though the engine was well up to temp they were blowing cool.  If you picked the revs up to about 1500 the warm air came through.

 

Its a Mk3 Mondeo ST220 on 130k and i'm wondering if the water pump is getting weak or worn (Plastic impellor pump), the temperature never moves from bang in the middle but this isn't the first time I've noticed the lack of warm air at idle, which I can only surmise means lack of water circulation around the heater matrix. I've also heard trickling water sounds from behind the dash too, but I have no idea what, if anything, that is indicative of.  I may end up just doing it for peace of mind, I don't want it to fail because these engines really don't take well to being overheated and fortunately the waterpump is a really easy job on them.  (one of the only really easy jobs)

The 635 has done this for years. If in traffic a good few revs see the temp go down and heater warm up. Can only be a crap pump as like all my old shit, the levels are checked weekly when in use properly.

For the last 2 days of commuting my temp needle has been a block lower than usual. I like to think it's helping the engine run cooler... (high fan speeds on full heat because I've got the window cracked open having a smoke probably plays a part too...)

Yesterday in -4.5 at 70mph* the temp gauge was struggling to get above the blue section, mpg was also shite, car gauge normally runs at BMW programmed 'halfway' mark. Today it was a more balmy -3 and it ran at 1/4 on the gauge. 

Still gets the cabin up to 24 so it'll do

I think that The Aero has lost a [stick-on] balance weight from one of its front wheels, due to huge amounts of wheel spinning in the snow on the way home from work yesterday morning. At least that's what it feels like.

I thought my wheels were going out of balance after six months as there was a slight wobble at 50 but during some work where the wheels had to come off, I found a fair build up of grey type dusty stuff on the inside of the rim... Cleaned that off and all good

I can't wait for the 'sun from the sky' to get going...

5w oil in, all new filter and seals, -5 degrees... Clankclankclankityclank...hummmmmmmmm

It's back... this morning and afternoon... Dang it! It's got to be a lazy something or other not liking the cold. Maybe try chicken soup? 

Washer jets frozen. Makes my journey a bigger pain in the arse. I was keeping them nice and unfrozen throughout today, got in the car to go home and... Frozen. Wish I had the 635 working, that has heated everything, including the door handles, but then I'd have to take it on the road with all the loons and salt!

Carlton estate... BOOM!

Can think of a few reasons: cuts to services, overloaded services, where there's a blame there's a claim, insurance conditions, cost of living... Yawn...

~ snipity snip ~ ...So why is it when these weather conditions occur the double cab 4x4 pick-up driver becomes a complete bell-end bullying other drivers and tailgating.You can get that close you are nudging my rear step if you want but I am not going any faster even though I'm capable of doing so.

Because the double cab pick up is awesome in the snow and ice. Well, my warrior was... And it had chrome teeth on the front. Was total junk any other time tho.

We rely too much on the weather reports... It's changed again! Is it more accurate now or less accurate? Fuck it... I'll look out the window.

The touring: the tiny, buzzy rattle from behind the dash at 3500rpm- I've looked and I can't find it, I've pressed, hit, lubed, sprayed, pulled, pushed and swore at and nothing has resolved it BUT... if you insert your finger between the door panel and the dash and push it into the little gap... ITS ALL QUIET!

The 635- the brakes binding up when it gets hot... Currently being addressed at long last where if this doesn't work, it's getting sold on. Promise.

The landrover- it's a landrover.

Oh darn...

Some things in life I just wasn't designed to do. Painting out of a can. Simple operation, plenty of prep in laboratory conditions, mindful that whatever I paint never goes right... Took loads of time, built a couple of coats up as per instructions, left overnight to go off and... Tacky. Had to take it all off... Threw the can in the bin, got some other paint off a shelf in the shed, shot it all over it and perfect... In minutes... Just not what colour I wanted, oh well.

I swear, if I took up being a graffiti artist then all my tags would simply fall off the wall.

Too late, the missis' has seen the post so I'm out.