The Best ///M/Barge/General Rant/Look at this/O/T (Vol XVII)
Discussion
sleep envy said:
olly22n said:
Yeah yeah yeah. You are of course right.
But.
I have responsibilities outside of being a petrolhead which precludes spending all my money on a car. Which means I can't just do what the f
k I like, like I used to.
Maaaaaaan, you've changed. But.
I have responsibilities outside of being a petrolhead which precludes spending all my money on a car. Which means I can't just do what the f
k I like, like I used to. olly22n said:
L100NYY said:
sleep envy said:
olly22n said:
Yeah yeah yeah. You are of course right.
But.
I have responsibilities outside of being a petrolhead which precludes spending all my money on a car. Which means I can't just do what the fk I like, like I used to.
Maaaaaaan, you've changed. But.
I have responsibilities outside of being a petrolhead which precludes spending all my money on a car. Which means I can't just do what the f
k I like, like I used to. 
Leins said:
I found the E34 3.8 a pain for small (and not so small) things going in it. I think partly that may have been my own fault though due to lack of continuous usage, but the CSL never seemed as fragile (VANOS aside)
My E34 3.8 Touring was absolutely fine ...... until it wasn't. The engine gobbled the bottom and big end end bearings with a bit of piston slap to rub my nose in it, and being quite rusty from a Cornwall Coast previous life had become beyond economic saving. My 4.6 E34 Touring has had one hiccup in almost 5 years, a rear main oil seal, which after 140k miles I thought was forgiveable.The TVR gobbled a cooling fan every year which compared to the 3 monthly coolant alarm-then-dribble-then-small-leaks-then big detectable leaks on the E39 was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
Edited by E24man on Monday 29th February 22:21
Discussion and cars above fascinating / entertaining as usual chaps. Much obliged for the help with my Mondayitis!
I'm in the (un?)fortunate position of being unattached at present and with no offspring to inflate any latent guilt about spending their wouldbe inheritance. Sadly the car market is not what it was immediately post-crash in 08-09, so lots of the interesting stuff is now priced based on all the cheap cash floating about (i.e. like hyper-inflation is affecting most of the tasty car market).
Always loved M-cars (mainly semi-vintage - gimme an E34 3.8 please!), selected pork and taxis etc. But as I get the train to work I have been seriously contemplating something even less sensible than the AW11. Or possibly slightly more usable and thus going down to one car (which is where I should be anyway, seeing as it's just me and no regular passengers). Thought about an M3 of some description as that would make sense given I've had a 328 in E36 and a 330 in E46 flavours. E46 likely to fit the bill better than an E90, with more scope for mods, although I'd love to sample the E90 having heard a couple on reheat - just afraid is a meat pie to far in the direction of heavy saloon with race-derived engine, with the piss-poor range / consumption likely being more of a bugbear for me than ultimate traffic light GP supremacy (you'd lose to the pizza delivery guy most of the time anyway). Sedan just seems a tough lame given I won't be using it even semi-daily (I really only drive on the weekends / days off - hardly ever for work). A 911 would be nice but only 996s are even remotely possible.
Also vaguely tempted to stick with two but swap out the VW for an E90 330i, then work my way towards a 2 seater built this century (the AW11 was 30 years old last year!).A 986s put on a light diet with some tasty reversible mods might fit the bill as either an only or even a second car, ideally with something a bit more interesting than a 1.4 slowlo for company (taxi duties...
Hmmm.
Need to hurry up before I grow a brain and start thinking about doing something worthy and boring like redecorating / buying furniture (or a holiday. Or food...)
I'm in the (un?)fortunate position of being unattached at present and with no offspring to inflate any latent guilt about spending their wouldbe inheritance. Sadly the car market is not what it was immediately post-crash in 08-09, so lots of the interesting stuff is now priced based on all the cheap cash floating about (i.e. like hyper-inflation is affecting most of the tasty car market).
Always loved M-cars (mainly semi-vintage - gimme an E34 3.8 please!), selected pork and taxis etc. But as I get the train to work I have been seriously contemplating something even less sensible than the AW11. Or possibly slightly more usable and thus going down to one car (which is where I should be anyway, seeing as it's just me and no regular passengers). Thought about an M3 of some description as that would make sense given I've had a 328 in E36 and a 330 in E46 flavours. E46 likely to fit the bill better than an E90, with more scope for mods, although I'd love to sample the E90 having heard a couple on reheat - just afraid is a meat pie to far in the direction of heavy saloon with race-derived engine, with the piss-poor range / consumption likely being more of a bugbear for me than ultimate traffic light GP supremacy (you'd lose to the pizza delivery guy most of the time anyway). Sedan just seems a tough lame given I won't be using it even semi-daily (I really only drive on the weekends / days off - hardly ever for work). A 911 would be nice but only 996s are even remotely possible.
Also vaguely tempted to stick with two but swap out the VW for an E90 330i, then work my way towards a 2 seater built this century (the AW11 was 30 years old last year!).A 986s put on a light diet with some tasty reversible mods might fit the bill as either an only or even a second car, ideally with something a bit more interesting than a 1.4 slowlo for company (taxi duties...
Hmmm.
Need to hurry up before I grow a brain and start thinking about doing something worthy and boring like redecorating / buying furniture (or a holiday. Or food...)
Diesel Meister said:
I'm in the (un?)fortunate position of being unattached at present and with no offspring to inflate any latent guilt about spending their wouldbe inheritance .. it's just me and no regular passengers.
Need to hurry up before I grow a brain and start thinking about doing something worthy and boring like redecorating / buying furniture (or a holiday. Or food...)
I think you should look to that Fantasy Garage list and get the Exige while you can. Need to hurry up before I grow a brain and start thinking about doing something worthy and boring like redecorating / buying furniture (or a holiday. Or food...)
W00DY said:
agreed. that one seems cheap though [for the current market that that is, not for its abilities] so what gives?L100NYY said:
Now ya see, all this talk of petrol vs diesel and old ///M cars that like to rust and/or throw big bills at their ever diligent owners than something like a a thrice pedalled modern hatch like the ST has it's draws.
I have just spent 4 days in a nicely run in Focus ST (albeit the diesel) and as an all round/hassle free/quick/quality item it is hard to argue against.
I actually think that this latest version with the improved dash is really not far off its German rivals for interior quality and it really was a lovely place to spend time and I think they look pretty great and are a lot more grown up than hot hatches that I've run in the past plus that 180bhp diesel is really very grunty which tbh is what I want in a daily.....plus over the course of 4 days with a mixture of driving (and a lot of the time loaded to the gunnels) it returned an average of 57.5mpg!
Astonishing really, admittedly I didn't thrash it as such but there were some bursts and b road driving, but even so that is pretty ruddy good imo.
I can imagine a tweaked petrol one to be a hoot
I have to say that this diesel version has to be one of the best all rounders I've driven in a long time.
ETA
As regards the McDonalds vs Raffles notion;
I almost think it has gone the other way now.....seems to be a lot of youngsters driving around in Essss Line init D'Audis nowadays.
(Unbiased: yes I still have my trusty ol' A4)
It really is a great car. Very much in the spirit of my old RS, but without that final polish to the damping or the clarity in the steering. It is a helluva lot quicker though.I have just spent 4 days in a nicely run in Focus ST (albeit the diesel) and as an all round/hassle free/quick/quality item it is hard to argue against.
I actually think that this latest version with the improved dash is really not far off its German rivals for interior quality and it really was a lovely place to spend time and I think they look pretty great and are a lot more grown up than hot hatches that I've run in the past plus that 180bhp diesel is really very grunty which tbh is what I want in a daily.....plus over the course of 4 days with a mixture of driving (and a lot of the time loaded to the gunnels) it returned an average of 57.5mpg!
Astonishing really, admittedly I didn't thrash it as such but there were some bursts and b road driving, but even so that is pretty ruddy good imo.
I can imagine a tweaked petrol one to be a hoot
I have to say that this diesel version has to be one of the best all rounders I've driven in a long time.
ETA
As regards the McDonalds vs Raffles notion;
I almost think it has gone the other way now.....seems to be a lot of youngsters driving around in Essss Line init D'Audis nowadays.
(Unbiased: yes I still have my trusty ol' A4)
Can see me adding one to the stable in the coming months - at the very least to act as a backup when that bloody F150 of mine isn't being fixed!
Patrick Bateman said:
The worst thing about the older M cars, well, older BMW's really (e46/e39 and before) is the rust.
Repairs are one thing, at least you know they're fixed, but to have extortionate repairs and then constant niggles of rust, checking jacking points each year etc. is just a ballache. At least it's practically unheard of on the e90/e60.
Constant constant constant. And never ever 'cheap'.Repairs are one thing, at least you know they're fixed, but to have extortionate repairs and then constant niggles of rust, checking jacking points each year etc. is just a ballache. At least it's practically unheard of on the e90/e60.
My plans are still R400 shaped. Less to go wrong!
Very much looking forward to it. Don't know how long I will keep it but it's a long standing itch. Will probably revert to type not long after and buy another M3 despite my previous post!
Edited by Crook on Tuesday 1st March 11:50 because I should read my posts before I submit
Edited by Crook on Tuesday 1st March 11:50
Pennyroyal Tea said:
L100NYY said:
Now ya see, all this talk of petrol vs diesel and old ///M cars that like to rust and/or throw big bills at their ever diligent owners than something like a a thrice pedalled modern hatch like the ST has it's draws.
I have just spent 4 days in a nicely run in Focus ST (albeit the diesel) and as an all round/hassle free/quick/quality item it is hard to argue against.
I actually think that this latest version with the improved dash is really not far off its German rivals for interior quality and it really was a lovely place to spend time and I think they look pretty great and are a lot more grown up than hot hatches that I've run in the past plus that 180bhp diesel is really very grunty which tbh is what I want in a daily.....plus over the course of 4 days with a mixture of driving (and a lot of the time loaded to the gunnels) it returned an average of 57.5mpg!
Astonishing really, admittedly I didn't thrash it as such but there were some bursts and b road driving, but even so that is pretty ruddy good imo.
I can imagine a tweaked petrol one to be a hoot
I have to say that this diesel version has to be one of the best all rounders I've driven in a long time.
ETA
As regards the McDonalds vs Raffles notion;
I almost think it has gone the other way now.....seems to be a lot of youngsters driving around in Essss Line init D'Audis nowadays.
(Unbiased: yes I still have my trusty ol' A4)
It really is a great car. Very much in the spirit of my old RS, but without that final polish to the damping or the clarity in the steering. It is a helluva lot quicker though.I have just spent 4 days in a nicely run in Focus ST (albeit the diesel) and as an all round/hassle free/quick/quality item it is hard to argue against.
I actually think that this latest version with the improved dash is really not far off its German rivals for interior quality and it really was a lovely place to spend time and I think they look pretty great and are a lot more grown up than hot hatches that I've run in the past plus that 180bhp diesel is really very grunty which tbh is what I want in a daily.....plus over the course of 4 days with a mixture of driving (and a lot of the time loaded to the gunnels) it returned an average of 57.5mpg!
Astonishing really, admittedly I didn't thrash it as such but there were some bursts and b road driving, but even so that is pretty ruddy good imo.
I can imagine a tweaked petrol one to be a hoot
I have to say that this diesel version has to be one of the best all rounders I've driven in a long time.
ETA
As regards the McDonalds vs Raffles notion;
I almost think it has gone the other way now.....seems to be a lot of youngsters driving around in Essss Line init D'Audis nowadays.
(Unbiased: yes I still have my trusty ol' A4)
Can see me adding one to the stable in the coming months - at the very least to act as a backup when that bloody F150 of mine isn't being fixed!
Crook said:
Very much looking forward to it. Don't know how long I will keep it but it's a long standing itch. Will probably revert to type not long after and buy another M3 despite my previous post!
I'll put money on you owning the Caterham and an M3. You'll find it very difficult to part with the Cateringtin once the itch has been eradicated.
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