Swindon (new toy inside)

[pogweasel]

Brr, it's cold out there. Just got back from the aforementioned Swindon been collecting my latest piece of CHEAP OLD GROT.

 

Here it is:

 

What do you think?

12 months test, full service history, pretty quick when you want but also v.comfy n the old motorways (also pleasingly used only about £10 of juice to get back, joy!).

 

Bit too shiney/flash for autoshite?

Well it cost me less than a halfway-decent push-bike, so I am pretty convinced.

[retrogeezer]

Looks good...wheels suit it.Sounds like it was very cheap.

[wuvvum]

Nice. GR8 4 DRIFTIN. What engine's it got?Oh, what happened with that Viva, btw?

[pompei]

Very nice - can you get the full tribe in the back without too many contortions?

[Owain-328i]

Oh splendid choice! Its identical to mine (including colour) bar the wheels. Mines an N reg 328i, whats that?

[Guest]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0315349632

 

[bigstraight6]

Nice, I do like an E36 coupe, now tell me it's a big six with a manual gearbox and I turn rather green with envy

[pogweasel]

Sorry!Only an 1800 twink.

[seth]

Yeah, well. I suppose its not pink.

[pogweasel]

Why, you, I oughtta.... etc.

[shite_meister]

Nice, not mad on the wheelage myself maybe they're a tad too large for my taste, I guess if you wanted to you could get a set of boggo standard wheels from the scrapper and flog those to some herbert with bum-fluff on his chin thus making your purchase even cheaper and not costing you big time when it comes to purchasing replacement tyres??I have an E36 M3 tucked away, ironically it gets forgotten about whilst I play with all my lovely shite and comes last in the line. Quite nice cars the E36, soon the barry-boys will be moving en masse to the E46 and the E36 will be seen as the sharpe-suited piece of styling that they are.Are you particularly impressed/disappointed with any aspect of it?I raise my glass of raspberry crusher to your latest purchase.

[andrew e]

You could have built yourself a new van

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vauxhall-Astravan-Brand-new-Mk3-Bodyshell-New_W0QQitemZ200297208940QQihZ010QQcategoryZ10404QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[r.welfare]

Get under it and grease the brake pipes, stat! Most of the 318iS's I've seen on teaBay have failed the MOT on 'em...Otherwise GR8, I do like these, although the purist in me would like a return to the "bottletop" alloys; sure lobbing them big wheels on the Bay would see a profit.

[j-j]

Bit too shiney/flash for autoshite?

- initially yes! but then we find out it's not got the 'good' engine - definitely fits in. You'd probably get all your money back if you sold those alloys and slapped a set of steels on it with plastic BMW 3 series trims - that would make it shite!Good score nonetheless.

[marinast]

Those wheels make that car look like a drug dealers wagon.Get some standard rims on it!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I like the rims that are on it!

[Owain-328i]

I like the rims that are on it!

17" would be better suited. Ive got the 15" bottle tops on mine, and coupled to a 2.8 manual makes for GR8 fun!

[VWPowered]

looks sweet that

[pandamonium]

I like it.

[Mr Lobster]

Yep, cool I'd be more than happy with that.

[Ratdat]

Looks like a pretty good buy to me. They are a good looker if a little bulky maybe. I think the only bit of these I was never keen on it the arches sill/skirt. Looks odd. I'd probably leave the wheels on it myself.. I think they suit it fine.

[Owain-328i]

Yeah the alloys are nice, maybe i need 17" alpinas for mine

[garethj]

Are they Alpina alloys? Agreed that they should be ebayed at once and some standard wheels put on, 195 tyres, standard hubcaps.... you know it makes sense.10 million Autoshite points for going into a BMW dealer and saying "I was trying to find a Sherpa van with knackered head gasket, but this Beemer came up in the meantime. It was my second choice really"

[andrew e]

Trade it for this SPAZ PLATE Pog mobile!

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-ROVER-MONTEGO-LXI-RED_W0QQitemZ200297753548QQcmdZViewItemQQ

[AnthonyG]

Nice car, 'orrible wheels. Unfortunately the march of time seems to have turned this model into the chav chariot of choice. To be honest I would have kept the 325i estate, however I imagine these are more economical and easier to drive in the wet/ice!

[pogweasel]

Hey, GR8 news, this car just erupted in a cloud of steam on my this evening. My own fault really though, really should have stopped & checked the coolant level when the heater went cold... Hopefully won't have done lasting damage, as I pulled over at the first wisp and the needle didn't actually get right into the red. Just need to work out where it has been leaking from.

[Volksy]

Oh dear, sorry to hear that. Seem like you have about as much luck as I do with cars..

[r.welfare]

Bummer. I'd put my money on the radiator (if it hasn't been changed recently, or ever) or leaky waterpump - it never ceases to amaze me why people don't shell out the extra £20 (or whatever) and have it changed every cambelt swap.Fingers crossed for no lasting damage, mind.

[Timewaster]

Bummer. I'd put my money on the radiator (if it hasn't been changed recently, or ever) or leaky waterpump - it never ceases to amaze me why people don't shell out the extra £20 (or whatever) and have it changed every cambelt swap.Fingers crossed for no lasting damage, mind.

Wouldn't the BMW be chain driven?Mr. Welfare, I salute your premptive approach to car maintainance. Personally, I am too lazy and or tight to spend money on the shite.Apart from the odd oil change and brakes, if it aint broke.......A mate who runs his own garage had a customer who would run newish Granadas, say 3 or 4 years old and drive them till they died.He had a theory that a new engine every few years was cheaper than regular servicing!I've never been able to work out if that was true or not.

[r.welfare]

You might be right. Is it an M40 lump? I think that might be chains.Pre-emptive maintenance definitely pays off if you want total reliability, but it ain't cheap. Beware that the 405TD lump needs lots of monitoring and TLC in the cooling system dept. (rad, thermostat, cooling system flush and bleed etc) if you don't want HG meltdown - qv. all the 405TDs on eBay with blown gaskets.