Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Bench seat all day long - love them.

How thorough where you checking all of the normal things people recommend you check? All the reading and youtube research I've done makes it a little daunting.

Not massively thorough. I don’t mind trying to fix mechanical stuff so I just checked the basics. I don’t do welding so I did look underneath, footwells and bulkhead pretty good. There’s some rust but not too bad.

The cabin idiosyncrasies include a 12” red leather Mountney, which makes driving quite a physical experience. And of course the paint-pot mounted temp gauge - a rare factory option.

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Thanks, I look from the kitchen window to the drive and think exactly the same.

I’m in Oz, I now want a V8 ute

I'm in Kentucky. I now want a V8 Pickup.

Problem here is that you apparently need to pick either Vauxhall (Holden) or Ford, and then declare eternal war on whoever holds the alternative allegiance to you. Seems like a lot of effort.

Honda makes two types of cars.
Things in beige for old people who like velour , and mad boxes that rev like sewing machines for lunatics who are trying to get an ASBO for malicious driving.

That or some mad 70s car with a huge engine swap for the sole purpose of going through tyres
https://www.whichcar.com.au/events/2019-australian-burnout-championship-gallery

When I was over there, any time it rained, if you went out an hour later there were tyre marks everywhere

Finally got the Z4 back yesterday, a damned good job done by a main dealer, not that I care about someone else's insurer's costs. The Audi TT has been despatched back to the salon, unloved if efficient. A great day to be reunited with the Z4, instantly manufactured an excuse for a 90 mile drive. Marvellous to have the wind in my bald once more......

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Man I love these with their Bangle 'flame surfacing' design. I remember them being hated looks wise when they were introduced. They're aged remarkably well and still look unique.

Awesome, what engine's in that? I've been wanting a series for a while now.

Wouldn't do an xr6t?

A ute would be pure indulgence, a van would be far more suitable. That said, if I did go the ute route it’d have to be a crew cab of some kind, else it’d be far less useful than the C55

WRT utes I think we’re all hoping that the Rivian comes to fruition...

Shirley it'd be a ford ranger raptor with a turbo Barra swap?

An LS-swapped 130 Defender is surely the answer to this, whatever the question is?

Just in case anyone is still hanging on for the resolution of the boring Qashqai issue that caused it feel as the brakes were stuck on, it turns out one of the brakes was stuck on. Also turns out that driving for 100 miles with a brake stuck on does quite a few pounds worth of damage.

Also big props to the numpty Green Flag sent out last week when I first noticed the issue who diagnosed it as an alternator fault and sent me back out on the road. Bravo.

Might give them some serious shit about that actually, If I hadn’t driven it 100 miles home after that I might not be the best part of a grand out of pocket now. Not to mention the fact that I drove all that way with babies in the car with dangerously malfunctioning brakes.

I love these, seen a few tricked out ones over here... And loads of shitboxes...

They're an acquired taste, hated them at first...

It’s the 2.25 petrol. Runs sweet, quite willing with a twin-choke Weber and nice burbly rasp through the exhaust.

Seller made a vid, for shits and giggles:
https://youtu.be/FbgT7hsbWhM

Anyone have any experience retro fitting cruise control, either the third party new kits or breaker parts from a higher specced model?

Also the new 1-series beemer being so far removed from everything that made them fun, do you reckon the 1st gen cars might be due a small surge in demand?

I did it to my mk5 golf

With a kit or dismantler parts? Was it a reasonably achievable DIY job for someone who’s generally handy but often finds cars a headache?