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

Heard good things about them, I just didn't explore any further so never got round to trying one

Actual good news on my dumb car journey is that investigating the battery revealed the wrong type of battery has been fitted to my car, which would explain all the random electrical faults

Wipers
Auto box
Cruise control

So ordering a new battery today and hopefully that will cure most of my problems

I'll let you know. Some folks saying they wish they'd just gone with that and not Stage 1.

Hoping to just get over the insurance hurdle as a couple of specialist insurers I spoke to didn't even recognise it as a mod.

How it started

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Smashy smashy

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Fin

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Also

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Big fan of an Octavia VRS, particularly in that colour, but I would have kept the silver grill. Personal preference and all that though.

I've been seeing pictures of the black grille and then saw one in my colour in the flesh at the weekend with a black surround and had mad jealousy.

You're welcome to the bits in my bin, but it's bin night tonight so you'd need to be quick!

ha, I get that! It's all personal preference so you do you! I'd take you up on that but I'd have a hard time making those bits fit my car :/

I've been looking at getting an Android Auto / Apple CarPlay unit for my car (E91 335i) and after a bit of research it seems that the better option is this one:

https://www.mr12volt.com/en-gb/collections/bmw/products/p2000-cicmm

Most other options are screen replacement unit types that send audio through the Aux port which is sub-optimal. I am not very handy at all though and installing this, even though it is billed as plug and play, seems a bit daunting, what with pulling off a whole load of trim and what not. Add to that the fact that I would need to code (or more likely get someone to code) the CD channel in order for it to work.

Does anyone have any experience of installing this kind of unit? I think that's unlikely, so follow up question... can anyone recommend an ICE place/individual that would be happy to install this? I imagine most places would only bother installing stuff that they sell themselves.

I contacted Mr 12 volt after Chris Harris's M5 video the other day, I want similar as you in my E90. It looks a bit of a faff to install it, so asked about fitters in the K.

They gave me the contact details of a guy in the UK who (I think) is the distributer for them here, I whatsapp'ed him and he can firstly sell them a little cheaper that from the website, but also put you in contact with fitters which cost £150 (Harrow) and £120 (East London somewhere).

Message me if you want his whatsapp. It's not a recommendation as I've not used him, but might be of some use.

DM incoming!

Note that the video thumbnail says 2006 – 2011, but I'm pretty sure the E9x only went to CIC in late 2008/early 2009, I know my early 2008 car is on CCC making any kind of upgrade unfeasible 😭 If you do have CIC then hooray, but also (imo) you're driving an uglier car, so it probably balances out.

Ta, mine is a 2011 so should be aight I hope.

I went with one of the screens on the dash options as I couldn't find something that would guaranteed I wouldn't lose any of the other controls in the car. FWIW, it connects to the car via bluetooth still, no need for aux. Just needs USB, which I need to route a bit more neatly that I have done currently.

I spoke to this guy a couple of years ago. In the end I didn't use him as I ended up selling the car but he seemed competent and knowledgable and did me a proper quote. By coincindence I then bought a car that had a very nice Alpine head unit / reverse camera that he had fitted, it has been flawless in my ownership. Based in High Wycombe but easy to get to from the M40. https://www.uniqueintegrations.co.uk/

Senior moment one year ago, I came home with a 2002 3rd gen Toyota MR2 convertible.

Regrets: currently zero.

we need pics! I keep looking at these on ebay

Thank you, appreciate the link. I'll check it out!

Out of curiosity i dug out the invoice.... £2250! Just to prepare you. I only paid £5k for the whole car in 2022

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These are absolute bargains right now and terrific to drive, post some pics!!

Ouch! Mr 12V seems more along the lines of what I want to spend!

worth giving him a call I guess? as you won't need a £700 head unit / £200 Alfa trim unit or a camera or DAB aerial. Really it just astonished me that it was that spendy! (it is very nice though and as I said has been flawless)