** Acme [Akagi] bought a pink estate car - E30 325i project log! **

Thanks bud.

By the end of the year all it will have is a custom stainless exhaust (I already have the headers and X-pipe, just need the rest of the piping and the backbox to be made.) which will include a bonus feature (;)) and slightly lowered suspension.
 
grudas said:
who are you insured with again? :D someone mod friendly right? Admiral was it?
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No Admiral can shove right off, bunch of incompetent clowns. Its on an ERS modified classic policy. Wheels, suspension and exhaust are all 'pre-declared' just in case. :)

The MX5 is still on an Admiral policy, but will be moved off to a specialist policy in a couple of months when its renewal time.
 
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grudas said:
oh really.. what's the reason? Thought you were happy with them back in skoda/celica days?
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Whenever I have to phone them to make an adjustment, I either get put through to someone who has such a poor grasp of the English language that it is completely baffling that they got an English speaking job, or someone who doesn't listen/understand and makes mistakes. Sometimes they fall into both categories. I have had them phone me numerous times to clarify things which I explained to them clearly in previous phone calls, and to apologise for mistakes which they have made and since rectified.

One of the good ones was when I was trying to add the MX5 as a second car, and they said in a strong Indian accent "So the second driver on the Skoda will be called Mazda?" :rolleyes:

Armageus said:
Now I'm scared :eek::confused:

Flames?!?!?
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No, not flames. I'm not quite that mad. :p

The exhaust I have in mind is tubular headers > x-pipe > twin pipes straight through to the backbox, with angled exhaust tips (like this), and somewhere along the pipe before the backbox, twin electric exhaust cut-outs activated by a switch on one of the switch blanks in the front...

I'm not even a little bit sorry. Its just to annoy you lot tbh.

 
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I don't think it will, they are simple engines. I've never heard of anyone requiring any kind of tuning after changing headers/exhaust and so on. :)
 
Poked my head into the garage on the way home from work, parts aren't arriving til Thursday. :( But they said they will do it on Thursday which is good news. :)
 
Period correct head unit (dealer fit optional extra incl loom etc)
t2KOtkqh.jpg

And a set of replacement speakers which are a straight fit into both the front and rear enclosures. Alpine SXE-1235S'
FRGeB7dh.jpg

£60 incl postage for the lot. Head units like that frequently sell for £80~ alone on the bay, and the speakers are almost new and are around £100 for four usually.

Probably not the best mix-match in the world but it will be a massive improvement in sound quality and will fit in a lot better compared to this:

t42Z1xah.png.jpg

Will get a bluetooth FM transmitter thing and tuck it away somewhere. :)
 
The amp won't be better, but the HU will actually suit the interior. Thats the main goal. I don't often use the radio in it. :)

The improvement in SQ which I touted would simply be because the rear speakers don't work at all, and the front ones are unbalanced and buzzy, theyre all shot basically. Not down to the amp.

Didn't know I'd only be getting 96kb/s though... :o
 
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I think I'll be sticking with the FM transmitter idea, I've found one which gets good reviews, and it only needs to sound "OK" which the reviews suggest is the case. :)

So @Jez, are you saying that the quality output by the FM transmitter should be far superior to 96kb/s digital audio? I'm confused as to how this works... :o Is it because its an analogue signal so its "smoother"?
 
Honestly the signal around here is so poor (or the aerials in all of my cars have been so poor, but I've had 6 so I suspect its the area) that I haven't ever been able to compare the two properly, and DAB always sounds better simply because its not all crackly. :p

But that is good to know, thanks. :)

And just to update, car has now been gone 12 days and I haven't heard anything. Starting to wonder if it is in the back of a lorry destined for a Brummie chop shop... :eek:

Will poke my head in again this week and see how its coming along. I did say there isn't a rush, but I didn't expect them to take it so literally.
 
acemastr said:
What's being done?

If you tell a mechanic no rush then he'll most definitely forget about it lol
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Work to carry out:
- Replace sump gasket (modern Loctite or similar solution preferred to OEM cork gasket)
- Replace oil and oil filter in conjunction with the above (Supplied)
- Replace control arm ‘Lollipop’ bushes (E36 M3 bushes which are direct fit, part no. 31129064875)
- Replace drop links
- Replace front wheel bearing (Nearside)
- Repair brake pipes where they are heavily corroded incl. fluid renew
- Replace fuel filter (Supplied)

- Investigate clutch issue whereby bite point sometimes drops right to the bottom of the pedal travel where it is usually high up (pumping the clutch rectifies this) – Possibly clutch slave cylinder? Rectify and renew clutch fluid which appears to be contaminated.

- Investigate issue where brake pad thickness warning is always illuminated. Suspected that brake pads without wear indicators are fitted. If so, replace brake pads with items with wear indicators. If the wear indicator plugs/wires are missing or damaged on the car itself then please ignore this and leave it as-is for the time being.

- If while the car is apart you notice any wear and tear parts which can be replaced cheaply which are not listed, then please do so if it is reasonable/viable to do so. (If parts available etc)

- Similarly if you notice any items which would benefit from replacement which are more expensive then please give me a ring/text/email using the details above.
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There was something else as well which I can't quite remember. Basically just wanted to drop it off and get a load of bits and bobs done to move things along a bit while I'm at work etc.

I have a small heap of bits and pieces to stick on it when I get it back, head unit and speakers, the bonnet, few little plastic bits and bobs... Then time for welding, and I can wave goodbye to it for another few weeks... :p
 
Aside from the sump gasket which requires an engine hoist/support beam and dropping the subframe, which is the main reason it went in. And then I thought I might as well get them to sort a few other things too... :p

But now I do wish I had done quite a lot of it myself... Still, I'm excited to get it back... :)

Aaaaaany day now...
 
Thursday! :)

Apparently the bleed nipple on a rear caliper snapped and he's waiting for a replacement caliper to arrive from eBay because the motorfacters didn't have any, and BMW's price he said was "a bit mental". He said he was going to extract it, but he broke his extractor tool trying to get it out, and then broke his spare one. So he's having a bit of a mare... :D
 
I didn't know about those. Any recommendation? My tired brain can't figure out the right Google search string to find what I want... :p
 
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