Bramz fleet. The ever changing procession of mediocrity. Disaster time....

[davehedgehog31]

Damn, sorry to see this one hasn't worked out.

 

You were a braver man than I to even bid!

[omegod]

Have you ran it very briefly, i.e. just moved it off the path and flooded it ?

[bramz7]

No I last ran it about 5 miles the other night, and that was it. I have tried starting it with the pedal to the floor and nothing. It doesn't even try to catch. 

All much of a muchness now anyway, it's clearly very rotten and has been very neglected. 

[lanciamatt]

My last caddy Fleetwood would not start unless you pressed the throttle about 3 times, that some how engaged the cold start. I picked car up from guys house drove home and next morning it wouldn't start, tried all sorts, rang guy and he said, oh ye forgot to tell you about the cold start procedure. Mine was injection but a weird setup. Try that

[BorniteIdentity]

My last caddy Fleetwood would not start unless you pressed the throttle about 3 times, that some how engaged the cold start. I picked car up from guys house drove home and next morning it wouldn't start, tried all sorts, rang guy and he said, oh ye forgot to tell you about the cold start procedure. Mine was injection but a weird setup. Try that

Definitely worth giving the PO a bell (in a non accusing way) and ask “is there a magical sequence to starting her”?

 

Some of this old stuff can be quite idiosyncratic.

[dean36014]

Swap for a broken citroen van lol.

[bramz7]

I've sent the previous owner a message but I got the feeling they never really used it.

It's a bit of a shame. I have made enquiries about another V6 auto to replace this as I have discovered a lust for big old barges, but this really did have my heart in it. Not much chance of getting anything American for so little again really. I did browse the usual sites but it's all pickups and Mustangs.

[Wingz123]

Crikey you’ve got it on ebay already?? Aren’t you going to have someone look at it first? Might be a corroded wire or something silly.....

[eddyramrod]

If I wasn't both ill and 350 miles away I'd be all over this Sam, as I'm sure you know.  Please don't just give up already!  It'll scratch your V6-auto itch like little else if you can get it up and running.  Trust me, I know, I've had similar Yanks.  I've also had V6-autos from other origins, and there's no comparison.

[Wingz123]

If theyre that simple cant you work back? Fuel/Spark etc etc?

[Wingz123]

Fuck it, what are you doing tomorrow...? I do not claim to be the car wizard but I could come over and we could pull the plugs maybe...?

[bramz7]

I'm working tomorrow, sorry. I do appreciate all the offers of help but I have had a bad feeling about this car since the morning I set off to get it, so I think my heart isn't in it.

[Wingz123]

Well....ok. If you change your mind message me - I am around here tomorrow...

[Wingz123]

It could be dollywobblers dacia all over again and the plugs so sooted up it not firing? Don’t know but worth a try and we could clean them up. I have some plugs here (new ones) don’t know if they’d fit though....

 

Your call but I would be kicking myself for you if this was something simple....welding no problem if it were mobile I’ve got a good guy for that and I’ve always got the truck..... I also have a few people of whom I’m adamant would get this going (taken me years to find these people).....

 

Get it running

Sort the rot

CRUISE....

 

Come on man! Believe in the oldy....if it were running you’d be all over it again like me and a cheap suit

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah come on Bramz_toker, it was never going to be hassle-free straight out of the box this thing. Defo got to put a few hours in so that you can actually drive it a bit and evaluate it properly!

[Wingz123]

Leave the key with your mrs and I’ll give it a crack...

 

Wouldn’t go on just fed up of you buyin a car and losing copious amounts of money on it!

[eddyramrod]

I'm too broke, too ill and too far away, but I'm really struggling here to NOT send James a PM to collect it on my behalf!

[Rod/b]

Leave the key with your mrs and I’ll give it a crack...

 

 

See if you can get the car running too

[The Moog]

I'm too broke, too ill and too far away, but I'm really struggling here to NOT send James a PM to collect it on my behalf!

Bucketer delivery would help I am sure !

[bramz7]

I wish I had the will power to keep it but I am weak, and a fool is easily parted with money. I am disappointed, but hey ho, no more yanks for me. Now back to reliable* Italians. Who has a 156 V6 I can swap an FJ policy on to?

[Wingz123]

Not a 156 but a 166 and not far...

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F132741958505

[bramz7]

Probably better it be manual as I've heard bad things about the Sportronic box....

[wuvvum]

Better a 3 litre as well - I think you'd be disappointed by a 2.5.

 

Shame about the Olds - I'm with the others who reckon you should give it a bit more time, but it's your call obvs.  The bonnet release on my one had broken as well so must be a common thing on them.

[eddyramrod]

WTF were GM using for bonnet release cables?  Cheese?  Just between three of us we have 100% failure rates on one Buick and two Oldsmobiles!

[flat4alfa]

 I've heard bad things about the Sportronic box

 

You haven't.  It's a generic 'bought-in' gearbox. You'd get one of those in a Volvo.

 

Either way (2.5, 3.0 or whatever), Sportronic is Aisin (ex-Toyota) and not the Silly Speed you're thinking of

[bramz7]

Oldsmobile gone. Thank god. I essentially should never have listed it on eBay, both the highest and second highest bidders pulled out.

 

I sold it via Facebook to a banger racer. Good.

 

Citroen C5 also gone. 

 

Now I have acquired this slice:

 

received_1027028917457986 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

received_1032303486943998 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

So this isn't my first German, but it is my first BMW. I have driven a couple beforehand, an E46 M3 and an F30 330xd, both owned by a friend. 

It's really nice to sit in and drive. I understand the BMW hype now, it feels pretty assured and very solid. The handling is pretty planted and steady, but I tend to try not to find a cars breaking point this early in. There is no untoward noises in it either. The brakes aren't great, but I was advised the discs aren't in top shape. It stops in a safe distance, nonetheless. It does make me wonder the obsession with fucking about with them though with dropping the suspension and turning it into a drift slag, when the base car is this good. 

 

Maybe I should just use French vintage as hobby stuff and stick with a mechanical German as a daily? E36 prices remain reasonably low from a brief glimpse at current adverts, but you can see certain colours/specs/engines/trims starting to demand a premium, and now I have been treated to leather I am not sure I'd be happy with cloth.

 

I am still really miffed about the 605 damage. I notice I dented the top of the sill and the wheel arch too, so I made a right meal of it essentially. The damage suggests I turned in as a scraped the pillar (yeah sounds about right) and the door won't open from the outside now. Oddly it will open from the inside, perhaps I have damaged the handle mechanism?!

 

I may be attempting an XM purchase shortly too. I know they are big, scary and full of LHM and electrical issues, but I don't aim on buying a cheap one. 

 

If that does come off, the R11 will be for sale. Any interested parties, lemme know. It's a top car, but the 3 speed auto leaves me a bit cold.

[bramz7]

Well a week of E36 ownership and I've not stuffed it, lowered it or drifted it, either intentionally or not.

 

It's a good hack and sounds nice too.

Bit bumpy over the rough stuff but it's done 199k...

 

Also I won an Alfa 156 on eBay today. With red leather and a 2.5 V6. It went very cheap though, so I doubt I'll actually end up getting it.

[bramz7]

Okay no, just got a message back from the seller, collection next weekend. Okay, cool..... good thing this particular Alfa has cost me £780 less on purchase!

[Wingz123]

Absolutely agree with you re german choice - best so far yet!

 

Please give me dibbs on this when you do come to sell!

[bramz7]

Currently hatching a plan to save an early (well kind of early) XM Prestige from the scrapper, as the fed up owner has had the water pump fail. It hasn't cooked the engine or anything, just won't hold water. He wants £notmuch for it,  and it's far, far less than I budgeted for an XM, and a hell of a lot closer too. 

 

It's done something like 65k as well, so barely run in. I did really want a diesel but a full leather equipped one is fine. I suspect it will need a smidge of welding too as it's an XM...but it's all been budgeted for, and maybe spending money on a car will make me keep it.