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

Fixed a dashboard cubby on my Alfa last night.... replacement catch was same part as required for Brabantia kitchen bins LOL

I didn't even realise you meant you were looking at the same car but a better one... I'd assumed a newer model. That makes sense now, I would do the same. In fact, if I ever find another low kilometre 306 GTi 6 I will buy it.

i fucking love this car. are you in sweden? just looking at plate/street

57k miles v 135k

I mean 135k is a lot of miles on a car regardless of maintenance.

Obviously your current car is a known risk. But still it's hard to think that it's not going to be a series of repairs.

WANT

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Sounds ideal. How much?

Anyone ever replaced the dryer bottle in their air-con system? Mines leaking and the repair bill was a bit rich for me, but it's a £20 part and I'm relatively handy. There's nothing in the system so no nasty gasses to remove AFAIK, and from pics it looks like a plug and play part. Just need to find the bastard!

(the context that makes me confident in it being a DIY job: the car was rough running, two garages wouldn't even take it on and another quotes £hundreds. The solution? LITERALLY a £2 plastic in-line valve in the vacuum system I replaced myself. Unless it's an oily job i.e. an ancillary system I'm willing to go it alone)

would be great if the wing had been repainted the same colour as the rest of the car.

It should be straight forward enough; just make sure you fit it the right way around - don't mix up In and Out.

Biggest complication will probably be getting to it.

Always an issue on flat red cars. In 99% of other light conditions, you probably wouldn't notice.

Cheers, might have to invest in my first Haynes manual in a loooong time

Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.*

*but you swear in different places.

Lush

Can anyone recommend a product to restore black plastic bumpers? Google is bring up Auto Glym ect.. is there anything else worth looking at?

Subaru Outback? A6 All road? Skoda Yeti?

With a lease, and it being brand new I'd be so on edge about scuffing up the interior hauling stuff around if thats what you need it for mostly. If I didn't have an infant, I'd be driving around in an old defender.

I think there was some chat earlier about Outbacks, after watching some reviews I'm pondering swapping my A4 wagon for one, there's just something about the A4 which has me on edge when the dog gets mucky on a walk.

Just picked the car up from main dealer who alerted me to timing chain noise which it wasn’t making when I took it there. Stared it up and it was making a racket but I drove it until it warmed up and it sounded a treat - this is standard Bmw 6 cylinder under-use stuff, happens all the time, usually vanos solenoids clogged. My wife has been using it for very short journeys only (provinces life). Fucking annoying that main dealers don’t know anything at all about higher mileage faults and can’t be arsed investigating fully.

Anyhow I’ve got it in my head that I’m going to change it for this nicer one now so I’m having a look at it tomorrow.

Random but I've used the cheapest smooth peanut butter I could find - brings up plastics a treat.

Similarly, raspberry conserve gives a good finish to interior leather 👍

And Maccy Ds strawberry milkshake in the upholstery makes a lovely air freshener in the summer

8800€
Not a bad price for France, generally. A bit of a steal for an absolute minter.

Presumably that is adding some oil to it, there must be better oil.

Very carefully use a heat gun.

Dno what “solution finish” is but it isn’t required, it’s worked for me with just a heat gun

Cheers ;) yup we are i stockholm. Are u 2?
They are super nice looking cars (imo as well) but uf u want a sportscar just look elsewhere ;)

Owatrol is what you want

Specifically their polytrol:

https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/polytrol/

surrey, uk. but most of my family are in stockholm :-)

When I drove for a bodyshop the valeter used tyre black/tyre dressing on a cloth or small sponge and wiped over all the black plastic and rubber. Obviously I have no idea how long it lasts but it only takes a couple of minutes.