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Just got an E46 330xi for $7K, and already it's nearly paid for itself (at least in an intangible sense) by enabling me to drive through snowbanks while cackling at the feeble skies. Last year at this time I was facing a polar vortex winter armed only with a Z4 M. It was fun, but spinning on the freeway in a blizzard gets old. Now I have heated seats. So hey, apparently BMW has decided it's the only car company left on earth that consciously chooses to put manual transmissions in things, huh? To what automotive god should I address my blood sacrifice?
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Nov 30, 2014 21:30
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Is there some kind of home-market groundswell of faithful or something that would justify their bucking the trends? I'm used to the German marques all doing everything exactly the same right down to feature set and price point and even styling; it's kind of weirding me out that BMW's all like "Yeah gently caress that, we're not playing anymore, BTW here's a couple more M cars and the new 3-series will be lighter and go back to straight-sixes and all", leaving Mercedes and Audi to just sort of head off into the horizon on their own.
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Nov 30, 2014 23:16
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Mercedes used to be the "buy 1 and never purchase one for 10 years." and being massively over engineered. Now... it's just a status symbol in the states... they hate to be told they are driving a taxi for the rest of the world. I remember hearing this word-for-word in the 80s, is the thing. When was it ever really different?
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Dec 1, 2014 01:10
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Here's mine: Been dailying it for way too long; just got some new (OEM) wheels for it, but it really deserves a rest from what I've been putting it through.
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Dec 1, 2014 04:22
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Hey, just curious, but nobody likes the current (E89) Z4, do they?
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Dec 3, 2014 14:52
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And not even a thought given to an M version, of course. What I don't get is, if BMW is so set on doing all these hardcore drivers' cars all of a sudden, with new M variants all up and down the line and manuals and straight-sixes and all, what is their plan with the Z4? Are they planning to get it back to its roots at some point?
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Dec 3, 2014 17:19
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Nothing's too low, just go in sideways
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Dec 6, 2014 14:52
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whatup did front brakes this weekend buddy. Mine weren't too badly gunked up or seized or anything, but of course the brake line would have to be positioned directly behind the 16mm top bolt, so you can't get a socket on it without going at a slight angle and risking rounding it off.
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Dec 8, 2014 02:27
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But let's be honest, what car isn't like that? These war stories have a lot in common with saying "It's always in the last place you look". Of course you're going to remember the supposedly easy thing you ended up having to spend three hours on and that gave you a big cut on your arm. E: You want fun, ask me about taking the interior dash console out of a Noble M12. Which has to be done from the driver's footwell, blindly around two corners with sharp metal edges, where your only hope of seeing anything is with an endoscope, and you're only going to reach the bolt head (which is wedged between gauge pods and wires) with a series of wobbly extensions about a foot long. And there are six of them E: Take a look, it's diabolical. Data Graham fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Dec 8, 2014 |
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Dec 8, 2014 02:41
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On mine at least (E46), the angle of the brake line fitting puts it directly in line with where the extension would go. I wasn't about to try to loosen and rotate it around to get more clearance. And I couldn't get a wrench on it for ... some other reason I can't remember now. It only ended up being a minor annoyance, just one of those things.
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Dec 8, 2014 07:49
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Welp, time to rummage for more of those plastic door panel fasteners
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Dec 16, 2014 23:55
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Pretty Boy Floyd posted:I find my e39 to be a bit touchy in starting off in first. A lot of people will drive it and slam the tach to 2k+ while letting it out, because the SAC makes the friction point so far out and the pressure plate itself is so unpredictable. It's been a few months now, so I pull from a stop in first at 1200. One of the hardest cars I've ever had for starting off in first, though, other than an '03 lotus esprit, which had a dual plate clutch. I have an '00 Esprit and it's a million times easier to take off smoothly than my Z4 M (also CDV removed, though that didn't really make much of a difference I've noticed). Been driving that drat M for like six years and I still dread taking anyone driving in it because I know I stand a more or less equal chance of shifting smooth as butter or causing a learner's-permit shuddering jolt and looking like a colossal pud. E46 330 is way nicer and more predictable though.
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Dec 19, 2014 03:27
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Seriously. It's not like there's a shortage of PSS's or anything, is there?
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Dec 20, 2014 05:59
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Shop winter beater is done: I've always felt a car should have a sense of humor
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Dec 23, 2014 18:00
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Yep, plastidip. It's logo colors  Also did the carbon interior, Z4 M shifter, M nose, various other bits. It'll be a downright pleasant winter.
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Dec 23, 2014 18:59
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If you weren't experienced I would think that sounded like the hose blew off, i.e. wasn't fastened properly, rather than just blows.
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Jan 9, 2015 18:23
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I could be totally talking out my rear end, but the stalk itself wouldn't be the problem. The relay (if that's what the problem is) is a chunky 1" square box that sits behind the gauges; it wouldn't fit in the stalk. All the stalk is for is to give you leverage to move a switch up and down in the steering column. You need to get to the switch mechanism itself. You shouldn't need to take the wheel hub apart, though. The plastic shrouds that surround the column should come off with a few screws and some nervous coaxing.
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Mar 1, 2015 22:50
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Summer tires time   Those Z4 M wheels (with a new anthracite finish) are just a bit too big, though, so the rear wheel arches will need a bit of massaging before they're totally happy together. But still!
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Mar 23, 2015 00:52
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Yup, they're definitely wider, and it doesn't help that the rear camber doesn't seem to be adjustable.
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Mar 23, 2015 11:53
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Yes 
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Mar 23, 2015 20:55
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Stefan Prodan posted:I mean obviously that's an old one but if you look it up there's no entry for gullibility on wikipedia. There's a bunch of dudes who seriously make a concerted effort to delete any articles that get made about it so that you can tell people there's no article about it on wikipedia and no one will believe you, but it's true. Uh huh
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Apr 2, 2015 12:21
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Just remove to bolts holding the rails to the floor. There should be four, two front and two rear. Slide the seat forward to uncover the rear ones.
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Apr 6, 2015 12:49
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PaintVagrant posted:If you uncork the exhaust it sounds like Godzilla cumming What I pictured was an exhaust that sounds like SPLRBRRBLLLRRBRRBBBRRRBT
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Apr 12, 2015 04:23
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Hopping back into my Z4M after a few weeks in just the E46 gives me a whole new appreciation for the response speed of those ITBs. And the sound of everything. 
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Apr 19, 2015 13:28
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On that note—the plate on an unbadged F30 I saw just now on Park Avenue: M3 LOLJK
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Apr 22, 2015 13:51
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Oh I get it, so when an ankle high air intake is on a BMW it's fiiiiiiine. 
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May 29, 2015 00:28
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I've seen steering wheels/buttons and wood trim half that age with much, much more wear than that. That thing must have never been driven.
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Jun 2, 2015 03:02
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Like, one curse for each day in that time period?
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Jun 3, 2015 05:39
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Okay I'm picturing your HELlo reaction when you popped the hood for the first time.
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Jun 19, 2015 19:52
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SuperDucky posted:That looks like an angry Beetle and that's something I can totally get behind. What's that mysterious ominous clicking noise 
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Jun 26, 2015 04:43
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Lol, just got a recall notice: "Your E46 has a driver side airbag with an inflator that will probably explode and fire metal shards through your sternum if it deploys" notice. With bonus "Don't do anything yet, we still have yet to develop a replacement part, we'll let you know" E: 
Data Graham fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jul 29, 2015 |
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Jul 29, 2015 04:05
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Good to hear Pontiac had its own version of the 500-Mile Email.
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Jul 30, 2015 04:05
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BlackMK4 posted:I want to disagree, but the one time I washed my Ducati it wouldn't start for two weeks. Haha, did you notice how the turn signals on the Panigale are on LED boards just sitting in the open air?
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Sep 1, 2015 12:58
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Nice choice of photo locations, Tahoe/South Bay goon 
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Sep 23, 2015 01:59
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Why do you want an SUV, if you're not interested in sports, utility, or multiple passengers? It isn't because SUVs are the default "car" now, is it?
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Sep 25, 2015 14:32
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Should be pretty simple. Any car seat mounts to the floor of the car with four bolts, two in each side rail. It should be easy to make a little bracket with four holes that you can mount an office chair base into the middle. As long as you don't tweak anything, all the electric adjustments (which are all little linear actuator type motors with worm gears) should still work fine.
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Nov 28, 2015 14:40
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fknlo posted:drat that thing is clean. I mean look at those carpets. 175K miles, in a place where it snows? How do you even do that?
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Apr 25, 2016 14:23
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CornHolio posted:So, the local German Car Lot has a 1991 850i on the lot. Automatic, a little under $30k. I have no interest in buying it, but I'm totally going to stop by on my way home and see if I can take it for a spin. Twelve Cylinders Good. drat, automatic. Otherwise, holy poo poo. Those valve covers 
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Jul 12, 2016 15:14
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drat that's a long time to wait for a quote
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Aug 15, 2016 20:36
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| # ¿ Apr 19, 2024 13:14 |
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I like how you're apparently the only person who has ever taken that compound right-hander about 1/3 of the way through (8a/8b) by going wide on the first curve and shallow on the second, and it gains you like a second Also that low sun must have made things interesting. Wish I could track my Z4M around here but it's a roadster 
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Aug 27, 2016 02:04
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