JJ0063’s current steed - Life of an impulsive car owner [N47 CHAIN GANG]

[JJ0063]

We’re going on holiday Easter Monday down to Dorset for the week and I’ve always been slightly conscious with this car having no spare wheel and running non runflats.

Thought I’d have a look if there was any BMW’s being broken on FB I could rob a spare from and stumbled across this BMW fitment ‘Road Hero’ spacesaver kit which comes with a handy bag and also a kit bag with everything from a jack, wheel brace, 5 wheel bolts, head torch, hi viz, kneel pad, even a rain poncho! 
 

Nowhere to store it in the car due to the dog guard being in the boot but handy enough to throw in the back if we go on a long journey for the sake of £70! 

[JJ0063]

Also with these brighter evenings I even got the chance to give it a quick wash, looked nice with the sun getting low this time of the evening. 
 

 

[Matty]

I'm rapidly coming to the depressive conclusion that I'm going to have to join Facebook. Marketplace seems to be far better than ebay for parts 😭

[JJ0063]

Just now, Matty said:

I'm rapidly coming to the depressive conclusion that I'm going to have to join Facebook. Marketplace seems to be far better than ebay for parts 😭

I don’t have an account, I use Mrs JJ’s 😂 can’t stand most social media’s. I have an instagram but don’t have much on it!

[Matty]

16 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

I don’t have an account, I use Mrs JJ’s 😂 can’t stand most social media’s. I have an instagram but don’t have much on it!

Currently buying a diff using wife's account. Yes brother 🤣

[Matty]

Sorry JJ, I meant I agree. Balls to joining Facebook ill just use her account!

[JJ0063]

10 minutes ago, Matty said:

Sorry JJ, I meant I agree. Balls to joining Facebook ill just use her account!

I pressed the wrong reaction while stood in the kebabby! 😂

[JJ0063]

Smashed my eBay special splitter as it’s made of the shittest plastic known to man. 
 

Bit the bullet and ordered a genuine BMW one from eBay, they are over £500 new  but managed to get one from a breaker for £80 and it’s made of way better material which has flex in so should tolerate the abuse! 

[JJ0063]

And on

I like the fact it’s second hand as the odd marks on it keep it fitting with the rest of the car. The old one I had was gloss black and brand new so stuck out like a sore thumb. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

47 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Other than that it drives really nicely, got a front end knock over bumps which I’ll have a wiggle with the pry bar and try to fix, air con isn’t very cold. 

I'd put good money on failed drop links on these. I don't want to talk about how many I've changed on the Skoda.

[JJ0063]

Haven’t washed this in weeks, it’s been used and abused but doing great. 
 

Im probably a bit weird but I actually prefer the look of most cars with roof bars fitted. I always buy a set for my cars as I often find myself moving random stuff so when I saw a set of genuine BMW ones on eBay the other day at a sensible price, I grabbed them. 
 

Must give it a wash soon.

[JJ0063]

Nice evening so managed to get a wash done, scrubs up well for 171k!

[JJ0063]

Little bargain grabbed today. 

5 x genuine BMW 16” steels with winter tyres, 4 Bridgestone Blizzak run flats and a 5th brand new steel with a Continental  ContiWinter Contact on it. 
 

Doubt I’ll have much use for them but for £50 and being down the road I couldn’t say no. I would like to get my alloys refurbed at some point so even just as a spare set of wheels they were worth grabbing. 

[Tayne]

Blizzaks are brilliant winter tyres, will 16” wheels clear your brakes?

[mk2_craig]

That’s a proper barg. Does the car have room under boot floor for a spare? Mine didn’t but I don’t know whether any of these F30 series 3ers could be specified with that. 

[JJ0063]

1 minute ago, Tayne said:

Blizzaks are brilliant winter tyres, will 16” wheels clear your brakes?

Yeah they are actually proper F30/F31 spec wheels luckily! They wouldn’t fit over the M performance (blue) calipers but mines poverty spec standard ones luckily!

Just now, mk2_craig said:

That’s a proper barg. Does the car have room under boot floor for a spare? Mine didn’t but I don’t know whether any of these F30 series 3ers could be specified with that. 

Annoyingly it doesn’t, I already have the Road Hero space saver kit in the back but luckily we never have rear seat passengers. Would much prefer a proper place to keep it! Can’t just chuck it in the boot either because of the dogs.

Ive never used winter wheels before, I certainly wouldn’t have gone looking for them but when I saw them on FB marketplace, £50 just screamed out a bargain so I had to have them!

[JJ0063]

Still trucking on, hit 173k this week!

Been making use of the towbar.

This car is just great, does everything I need it to without complaining.

Must clean it soon.

[JJ0063]

Visited the local hand car wash today as I just didn’t have the motivation to do it myself.

This thing seems to just be plodding on, do get itchy feet every now and then but soon realise it does all I need.

[Matty]

21 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

 do get itchy feet every now and then but soon realise it does all I need.

Don't you bloody dare 🤣

[Matty]

Joking aside, have you ever given any thought to taking something on a bit older. Bit of a project. Gives you an interest in your work so to speak and the 3 series can just be the boring modern so no reason to get fed up with it 

[JJ0063]

2 minutes ago, Matty said:

Joking aside, have you ever given any thought to taking something on a bit older. Bit of a project. Gives you an interest in your work so to speak and the 3 series can just be the boring modern so no reason to get fed up with it 

We had an E36 come towards us today and Mrs JJ started saying how nice it was, I said I’d love something like that to tinker with. 
 

I feel like I’m past my ‘modifying’ stage in life, I get told I’m too old for that now 😂 but yeah I’d love one day to get something as a bit of a longer term project. 
 

On the flip side, as cliche as it is, I’d absolutely love to have a proper Only Fools replica van. I genuinely plan to one day.

[Matty]

13 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

On the flip side, as cliche as it is, I’d absolutely love to have a proper Only Fools replica van. I genuinely plan to one day

Now that'd be a proper enjoyable thing to do!

[SiC]

If it wasn't for my project cars, I'd be changing my moderns every few months.

Oh wait... 

[JJ0063]

So I found some quite rare loot. 
 

Marmite choice but I bloody love it. 
 

Coral red heated leather 

The camera makes it look a bit brighter than it actually is. I think the red/grey combo looks great. Well happy and was worth the 6 hour round trip to Birmingham to collect!

[JJ0063]

Some better pics after I cleaned and conditioned the leather, and hoovered the car. Bloody love it.

 

[Mrcento]

That is magnificent!, All the yes's to that, ooft 👌🏻🔥

[JJ0063]

So Mrs JJ’s best friend was arse ended by a Ranger pick up in her VW Up! yesterday and seeing the reality of what could happen, she has straight away said she wants us to have a proper crash tested crate in the boot for the dogs. 

So, listed the current setup for £200 and it sold within half an hour:

And have then purchased a TransK9 crash tested crate for £350, just need to drive to bloody Sittingbourne on Saturday morning to collect it. Oh well, peace of mind and can be transferred between vehicles I guess..

 

 

[JJ0063]

Not sure how but I can’t help but feel my car ‘suits’ having a kayak on the roof. Maybe I’ll make it a permanent feature.

[JJ0063]

And collected, with it split in two it’s a bit small for the lab on one side IMO but I think it’ll be fine for now. He’s only a small lab and if he happens to get bigger we’ll have to just take the divider out and put the pug in the back with a seatbelt harness on!

[Matty]

On 14/07/2024 at 18:27, JJ0063 said:

Some better pics after I cleaned and conditioned the leather, and hoovered the car. Bloody love it.

 

How did I miss this?? Superb that, very impressed!