Lugy's BMW 740I and friends
Discussion
J4CKO said:
Loving the Saab, used to have one the same colour but mine was a 5 door, looks much better in 3 door form, classic shape.
I had a cooking spec 9-3 5 door a couple of years ago and would tend to agree, I think the 3 door is still a great looking car IMO.PowerslideSWE said:
Love the color combo on the E38 and the stance, stock ride height?, and boy., she cleaned up nice, need to give mine a good polish and an engine wash aswell, but to be honest I'm a bit scared to take the hose to the V12 in my case.. 
Might leave it to a detailing professional, then it's their problem if the thing doesn't start haha.
Yup, standard Alpina suspension, I'd imagine the Sport would have the same setup? Do you have a machine polished? The paint on mine is rock hard, would hate to attempt it by hand! Might leave it to a detailing professional, then it's their problem if the thing doesn't start haha.I was a bit skeptical of doing the engine, I usually do it on my cars but this was a bit scarier. Fortunately the M6x V8 has a great big plastic cover over most of the sensitive bits and generates a massive amount of heat to dry it off.
This might be of interest if you do decide to have a shot yourself; http://youtu.be/LESRJrB1L5I
sparks_E39 said:
How's your E38 doing for rust? I'm still after one. Apparently the earlier ones don't suffer as much.
For a 17 year old car it's really not bad at all, there's some slight bubbling on the front arches and one of the rear arches has a bit crusty-ness. It's going in to get these bits sorted soon while it's not a major issue. My gold one has been lying outside for a year and a half covered in god knows what and to be honest it's rusty parts have hardly got any worse. Time for a sort of monthly update….
No disasters to report which is good, let’s start with the BMW. July started with a trip down to Thirelstane Castle for the Borders Vintage Rally, I had been entered with the Cavalier but as it needs work I swapped over to the BMW. It seemed to draw some positive comments which is always nice.
Next came a running repair. Occasionally after a cold start the car would run lumpy for a couple of minutes, then continue to run smooth as normal. No codes were showing so the next diagnosis was an air leak. There is a straightforward fix on Timm’s Meeknet site; http://www.meeknet.co.uk/E31/BMW_E31_840ci_Inlet_M...
You can see the washer added in the second picture.
Carry out this 10 times and hey presto, no more lumpy idle! Some weren’t great to get to but a simple enough job.
I’d booked my car in to get the rusty front wheel arches and rear offside arch sorted out last month so 2 weeks ago I dropped the car off, went on holiday and came back to find a lack of rust!
I’m very pleased with the job, the rust was ground away, the inside of the front wings were coated with stone-chip and then painted. It’s not perfect but it’s as good as I’d expect from a painter (by not perfect I mean it needs a light polish – I’m just being anal!).
I also joined the BMW Car Club and attended my first show with them at Moffat, again the car drew lots of positive comments.
And one extra photo, taken one nightshift as the sun was rising.
And now on to the Saab, which has been brilliant so far. It does actually feel quite sporty to be in and although it’s Cavalier based it’s actually really good to drive. It’s been treated to a little love too.
First of all I replaced the vacuum hoses with silicon, some of which were a little perished, it’s not turned it into a racing car but it’s hopefully prevented in future issues.
Next up I gave it a bit of a tidy up, nothing major, just a good clean inside and out, with the paintwork getting some Poorboy’s Black Hole to fill in some swirls and a coat of nice wax. I also tidied up the rear arches though this wasn’t the best job ever, I’ll need to revisit that! It’s still better than it was though.
Finally I fitted a service kit. I forgot how easy these cars are to work on, everything is a doddle.
Obligatory mid service shot.
So that’s it for now, both car’s are due their MOTs next month so both need a look over, the Saab needs a couple of tyres and I have a couple of cats to fit to the BMW. Hopefully if they’ve not emptied my wallet I’ll get the Saab Noobtuned too.
No disasters to report which is good, let’s start with the BMW. July started with a trip down to Thirelstane Castle for the Borders Vintage Rally, I had been entered with the Cavalier but as it needs work I swapped over to the BMW. It seemed to draw some positive comments which is always nice.
Next came a running repair. Occasionally after a cold start the car would run lumpy for a couple of minutes, then continue to run smooth as normal. No codes were showing so the next diagnosis was an air leak. There is a straightforward fix on Timm’s Meeknet site; http://www.meeknet.co.uk/E31/BMW_E31_840ci_Inlet_M...
You can see the washer added in the second picture.
Carry out this 10 times and hey presto, no more lumpy idle! Some weren’t great to get to but a simple enough job.
I’d booked my car in to get the rusty front wheel arches and rear offside arch sorted out last month so 2 weeks ago I dropped the car off, went on holiday and came back to find a lack of rust!
I’m very pleased with the job, the rust was ground away, the inside of the front wings were coated with stone-chip and then painted. It’s not perfect but it’s as good as I’d expect from a painter (by not perfect I mean it needs a light polish – I’m just being anal!).
I also joined the BMW Car Club and attended my first show with them at Moffat, again the car drew lots of positive comments.
And one extra photo, taken one nightshift as the sun was rising.
And now on to the Saab, which has been brilliant so far. It does actually feel quite sporty to be in and although it’s Cavalier based it’s actually really good to drive. It’s been treated to a little love too.
First of all I replaced the vacuum hoses with silicon, some of which were a little perished, it’s not turned it into a racing car but it’s hopefully prevented in future issues.
Next up I gave it a bit of a tidy up, nothing major, just a good clean inside and out, with the paintwork getting some Poorboy’s Black Hole to fill in some swirls and a coat of nice wax. I also tidied up the rear arches though this wasn’t the best job ever, I’ll need to revisit that! It’s still better than it was though.
Finally I fitted a service kit. I forgot how easy these cars are to work on, everything is a doddle.
Obligatory mid service shot.
So that’s it for now, both car’s are due their MOTs next month so both need a look over, the Saab needs a couple of tyres and I have a couple of cats to fit to the BMW. Hopefully if they’ve not emptied my wallet I’ll get the Saab Noobtuned too.
sparks_E39 said:
Looking good. Mind if I ask how much the rust repair to the arches set you back? I've got bubbling on one of my rears and want to sort it soon... 
It was £300 so £100 per arch I guess. Now looks like the time to get that sorted out before it gets too bad. Mind and make sure you clean behind the lip on the inside of the arches too, mud building up there doesn't seem to help very much!Time For this month’s updates, starting with the BMW, it started July with a trip down to the VBOA Rally at Billing in Northampton, quite an uneventful trip, with the car covering 750miles over the weekend and barely breaking a sweat. Strangely with the cruise set at 70mph it averaged 27mpg on the way down, on the way back with the cruise set at 95(insert unit of measurement here) it rose to 29mpg. Not exactly scientific and could have been down to the lighter payload (less Estrella!) but still!
Two weeks later the car was pointed south and headed towards Donington for a round of the British Truck Racing Championship. In terms of the racing, all I can say is wow. The TV coverage does them no justice at all, they’re now my favourite sounding vehicle and the racing is proper, the guys and girl aren’t shy when it comes to driving them. It now makes all other motorsport seem quite tame in comparison though.
Again, the car was flawless, even though a boat would have been better on the way back up the M1!
Finally, today it passed its MOT with only an advisory on tyres which was pretty good I thought. The tyres are surprisingly cheap for decent brands too so that’s next on the list I think.
On to the Saab, its MOT was due early in the month so that was my main priority. The dash was showing an ABS warning so that needed sorted, I got there eventually with a new N/S/F ABS sensor and a replacement ABS ECU which appeared to work, there’s a wiring issue somewhere though, which causes all the lights to come on then go off again, it’s very annoying but I’ll get to the bottom of it! It needed some tyres on the front too so it got a couple of Contisports which have made a big difference to how it can corner and accelerate now. After that, it passed with no problems.
Two weeks later the car was pointed south and headed towards Donington for a round of the British Truck Racing Championship. In terms of the racing, all I can say is wow. The TV coverage does them no justice at all, they’re now my favourite sounding vehicle and the racing is proper, the guys and girl aren’t shy when it comes to driving them. It now makes all other motorsport seem quite tame in comparison though.
Again, the car was flawless, even though a boat would have been better on the way back up the M1!
Finally, today it passed its MOT with only an advisory on tyres which was pretty good I thought. The tyres are surprisingly cheap for decent brands too so that’s next on the list I think.
On to the Saab, its MOT was due early in the month so that was my main priority. The dash was showing an ABS warning so that needed sorted, I got there eventually with a new N/S/F ABS sensor and a replacement ABS ECU which appeared to work, there’s a wiring issue somewhere though, which causes all the lights to come on then go off again, it’s very annoying but I’ll get to the bottom of it! It needed some tyres on the front too so it got a couple of Contisports which have made a big difference to how it can corner and accelerate now. After that, it passed with no problems.
2 months updates here....
Another month and yet again, nothing really to report with the cars.
The BMW hasn't really done a massive amount of miles, next month it should do a few more though, we're heading to Spa and then it'll be visiting it's home with a few days in Bavaria. It does need some tyres on the back so they've been ordered. Ended up sticking with the same type of Kumhos that are already on the car, couldn't fault them really, good dry/wet grip, quiet and decent wearing. Also had to order a front parking sensor and I've got some time on a ramp this weekend to fit the new catalytic converters I've had for ages, then a quick check over and we'll be good to go.
In the meantime, here's a couple of shiny pictures. I picked up some Autosmart Topaz from the man, definitely gets the seal of approval from me.
The Saab has been dodging away quite happily too but it's developed an intermittent ABS fault which looks like it's down to dry solder in the ABS ECU. I need to decide whether I can live with it or send it off to someone like BBA, the main issue being that when the fault is happening, it goes in to limp mode and limp boost!
I also had a go at repairing rust on the rear arch, it wasn't an instant success but after some wet sanding and a bit polishing, I'm fairly happy considering it was my first attempt with a spray gun and proper paint.
Picture is before flatting/polishing.
It also got some Topaz, it actually looks quite respectable when it's clean!
And finally, old Ubu the Cavalier was dragged out of the garage, had the new/old wheels I've had for about 10 years fitted and did a few laps of the garage.
Can't wait to actually get her sorted up, looking good and back on the road!
Oh, and a wee group photo....
September's update....
The BMW started the month needing some new back tyres, ended up getting a pair of Kumhos the same as what was on, decent price, good wear and good wet/dry grip. Also needed a new parking sensor on the front so that was seen to as well.
Then just a check over and we were on a wee roadtrip to Spa for the Historic Masters, Zolder for Truck Racing and a few days in Bruges.
Drove overnight to catch an early ferry...
Then straight to Spa, got stuck near Brussels in the aftermath of an accident for quite a while but still managed to get from Dunkirk to Spa in about 4 hours.
Didn't really take any pictures at Spa but got a couple of videos....
One here; Spa Historic Masters - YouTube, more uploading.
Zolder was quite a cool circuit though not too spectator friendly with high fences in most places.
Some impressive airbrushing on some trucks on the in-field;
Parked beside the "Atomium" in Brussels....
Bruges was quite pleasant, bit expensive though our hotel had a happy hour!
"It's a fairytale town, how can a fairytale town not be someone's ****ing thing?"
Then pointed back home where the car found a friend.
And waiting on our boat to come in.
All in we covered 1500 miles, the car was flawless and as you'd expect uber comfy. It even managed over 26mpg which was quite acceptable given how quickly we covered ground at times....
Back home, it wasn't looking so shiny so went back up to the garage and spent a couple of hours on it.
And a couple of stickers
The Saab has been plodding away as always, did need another ABS module but that's given me full boost all the time and no intermittent speedo/warning light problems.
I did go out for a wee run with some other Saab hoodlems, took this picture at the Cairn O'Mount somewhere near Aberdeen. I've got to say, for all the bad press the old 9-3s get, I'm really liking this car!
Another month and yet again, nothing really to report with the cars.
The BMW hasn't really done a massive amount of miles, next month it should do a few more though, we're heading to Spa and then it'll be visiting it's home with a few days in Bavaria. It does need some tyres on the back so they've been ordered. Ended up sticking with the same type of Kumhos that are already on the car, couldn't fault them really, good dry/wet grip, quiet and decent wearing. Also had to order a front parking sensor and I've got some time on a ramp this weekend to fit the new catalytic converters I've had for ages, then a quick check over and we'll be good to go.
In the meantime, here's a couple of shiny pictures. I picked up some Autosmart Topaz from the man, definitely gets the seal of approval from me.
The Saab has been dodging away quite happily too but it's developed an intermittent ABS fault which looks like it's down to dry solder in the ABS ECU. I need to decide whether I can live with it or send it off to someone like BBA, the main issue being that when the fault is happening, it goes in to limp mode and limp boost!
I also had a go at repairing rust on the rear arch, it wasn't an instant success but after some wet sanding and a bit polishing, I'm fairly happy considering it was my first attempt with a spray gun and proper paint.
Picture is before flatting/polishing.
It also got some Topaz, it actually looks quite respectable when it's clean!
And finally, old Ubu the Cavalier was dragged out of the garage, had the new/old wheels I've had for about 10 years fitted and did a few laps of the garage.
Can't wait to actually get her sorted up, looking good and back on the road!
Oh, and a wee group photo....
September's update....
The BMW started the month needing some new back tyres, ended up getting a pair of Kumhos the same as what was on, decent price, good wear and good wet/dry grip. Also needed a new parking sensor on the front so that was seen to as well.
Then just a check over and we were on a wee roadtrip to Spa for the Historic Masters, Zolder for Truck Racing and a few days in Bruges.
Drove overnight to catch an early ferry...
Then straight to Spa, got stuck near Brussels in the aftermath of an accident for quite a while but still managed to get from Dunkirk to Spa in about 4 hours.
Didn't really take any pictures at Spa but got a couple of videos....
One here; Spa Historic Masters - YouTube, more uploading.
Zolder was quite a cool circuit though not too spectator friendly with high fences in most places.
Some impressive airbrushing on some trucks on the in-field;
Parked beside the "Atomium" in Brussels....
Bruges was quite pleasant, bit expensive though our hotel had a happy hour!
"It's a fairytale town, how can a fairytale town not be someone's ****ing thing?"
Then pointed back home where the car found a friend.
And waiting on our boat to come in.
All in we covered 1500 miles, the car was flawless and as you'd expect uber comfy. It even managed over 26mpg which was quite acceptable given how quickly we covered ground at times....
Back home, it wasn't looking so shiny so went back up to the garage and spent a couple of hours on it.
And a couple of stickers
The Saab has been plodding away as always, did need another ABS module but that's given me full boost all the time and no intermittent speedo/warning light problems.
I did go out for a wee run with some other Saab hoodlems, took this picture at the Cairn O'Mount somewhere near Aberdeen. I've got to say, for all the bad press the old 9-3s get, I'm really liking this car!
A wee update here from the last couple of months, nothing particularly exciting though!
October:-
It turns out that it was a year ago on Saturday that I picked up the BMW, I'm pleased to report that it's been a pleasant year. Strangely, given that it's not an everyday car, I've managed to rack up over 10k. Maybe someone has been using it when I'm not looking! In that time it's averaged 21.5mpg and not actually cost that much to keep running, I'm at a service kit, 2 catalytic convertors, 2 cam cover gaskets, 2 back tyres and a parking sensor so far. Also strange, is that I'm not bored of it, I look forward to going places in it, I still like how it looks and I'm not even bored of filling it up as often as it needs!
(Allegedly) It showed a stable, quiet 135mph (on a disused runway) the other day too, but then that's what it was designed to do I guess! It also never fails to impress those who set sail inside and even holds it's own on the twistier stuff.
Anyway, enough babbling on....
Not had to really do anything to it this month, just regular cleaning and another coat of wax (Dodojuice Blue Velvet this time).
Went along to a cars and coffee breakfast meet yesterday, took quite a few photos but most were rubbish (see my camera thread! Lol). A pro 'tog took this one though, my new favourite of the car and one I'll be buying from him!
And another from a recent BMW meet;
Now, you may remember there's a fourth car in the fleet, old Goldmember the original 7 series, I set myself the ultimatum that I had to do something about it so, the engine is out, I've got a big box of bits I've kept and now it just needs loaded onto the trailer so the wheels can come off then it can go off to the big scrapyard in the sky. Or China. I do still feel a bit guilty but it's sat so long that it'd need so much to put back on the road it's not really viable.
The Saab has been doing great as usual. I even made a couple of improvements.
Something that's been annoying me with this car has been the dash insert. It's a carbon one but as you can see, the 'carbon fibre' part want to part company with the plastic.
£6 was spent in the local breakers and now the dash looks like this;
I'm not the biggest fan of wood effect but this is miles better than what I had before and makes the interior less tatty!
Next up was new brakes all round, Mintex's brake box on the rear and a Brembo set up front.
Before....
I used some paint called 'Coo-Var' on the calipers which seems pretty good stuff but stupidly expected Hammerite spray can black for the discs which turned out crap. Should have stuck with the pound shop stuff I normally use! I'll most likely need to repaint them soon. Anyway, not the best job ever but better than rust. And they're red so it's faster. Or slower....
Before....
After....
Even before they're bedded in they seem better than the cheap crap it was wearing, hopefully my brake judder when they're toasty will be cured too.
And some final photos....
Hopefully, next month I'll have brought the Cavalier inside and made a start! In the meantime, I've been stocking up on tools and welding supplies for when I do.
November's:-
Time for this month's update, the BMW has been soldiering on as per normal, well mostly. Last week I used the car daily for a change but on Friday it took quite a few attempts to start, it would run for a couple of seconds then switch off. Eventually it got started and after initially running a bit rough it went back to running perfectly. Plugged in my computermibob which showed up a camshaft sensor issue. Good quality sensors are quite expensive but an easy fix! Few!
I've also swapped in a couple of bits from the Gold car (RIP!), nothing major but little touches that make a difference.
The original headlight switch had gone funky so changed that;
One of the rear doors was missing a lense for the puddle light;
Not anymore!
I also fitted the undertrays that had gone missing but forgot to take a picture.
And probably the best part, I stuck a PAYG in the phone and....
:lol:
I've started to come up with a plan to do some maintenance over winter too so will start to get in about that at some point.
The Saab has been running fine, it even managed a trip down to Brands with no complaints;
It got dirty;
It got cleaned;
I got some mats from the breakers, the cat wonders why I got cream ones;
And I treated it to a new head unit;
And finally, with the Gold car out the road, I brought the Cavalier back inside, with a view to getting it sorted.
Unfortunately the rust mice have been at it and seem to have had a good feed. I knew the rear sill areas on both sides needed attention but what I thought was a case of patch up the inner sills and weld on new outers has become somewhat more complicated.
It's much worse than anticipated, not great photos but you kind of get the idea;
Basically, it needs inner arches, outer arches, inner sills, outer sills and the sides of the floorpan rebuilt on both sides. That's before I inevitably find more problems, I know the floor pan at the front is soft.
I really don't know what to do, it's obviously going to be a substantial job to repair it properly though not impossible. However if I was going to go to that effort then I'd rather do it on something more desirable than an old Cavalier. I've thought about the reshell route but then it wouldn't be the same car. To be honest if I did condemn it, it would be fair to say I've had my money's worth out of it!
October:-
It turns out that it was a year ago on Saturday that I picked up the BMW, I'm pleased to report that it's been a pleasant year. Strangely, given that it's not an everyday car, I've managed to rack up over 10k. Maybe someone has been using it when I'm not looking! In that time it's averaged 21.5mpg and not actually cost that much to keep running, I'm at a service kit, 2 catalytic convertors, 2 cam cover gaskets, 2 back tyres and a parking sensor so far. Also strange, is that I'm not bored of it, I look forward to going places in it, I still like how it looks and I'm not even bored of filling it up as often as it needs!
(Allegedly) It showed a stable, quiet 135mph (on a disused runway) the other day too, but then that's what it was designed to do I guess! It also never fails to impress those who set sail inside and even holds it's own on the twistier stuff.
Anyway, enough babbling on....
Not had to really do anything to it this month, just regular cleaning and another coat of wax (Dodojuice Blue Velvet this time).
Went along to a cars and coffee breakfast meet yesterday, took quite a few photos but most were rubbish (see my camera thread! Lol). A pro 'tog took this one though, my new favourite of the car and one I'll be buying from him!
And another from a recent BMW meet;
Now, you may remember there's a fourth car in the fleet, old Goldmember the original 7 series, I set myself the ultimatum that I had to do something about it so, the engine is out, I've got a big box of bits I've kept and now it just needs loaded onto the trailer so the wheels can come off then it can go off to the big scrapyard in the sky. Or China. I do still feel a bit guilty but it's sat so long that it'd need so much to put back on the road it's not really viable.
The Saab has been doing great as usual. I even made a couple of improvements.
Something that's been annoying me with this car has been the dash insert. It's a carbon one but as you can see, the 'carbon fibre' part want to part company with the plastic.
£6 was spent in the local breakers and now the dash looks like this;
I'm not the biggest fan of wood effect but this is miles better than what I had before and makes the interior less tatty!
Next up was new brakes all round, Mintex's brake box on the rear and a Brembo set up front.
Before....
I used some paint called 'Coo-Var' on the calipers which seems pretty good stuff but stupidly expected Hammerite spray can black for the discs which turned out crap. Should have stuck with the pound shop stuff I normally use! I'll most likely need to repaint them soon. Anyway, not the best job ever but better than rust. And they're red so it's faster. Or slower....
Before....
After....
Even before they're bedded in they seem better than the cheap crap it was wearing, hopefully my brake judder when they're toasty will be cured too.
And some final photos....
Hopefully, next month I'll have brought the Cavalier inside and made a start! In the meantime, I've been stocking up on tools and welding supplies for when I do.
November's:-
Time for this month's update, the BMW has been soldiering on as per normal, well mostly. Last week I used the car daily for a change but on Friday it took quite a few attempts to start, it would run for a couple of seconds then switch off. Eventually it got started and after initially running a bit rough it went back to running perfectly. Plugged in my computermibob which showed up a camshaft sensor issue. Good quality sensors are quite expensive but an easy fix! Few!
I've also swapped in a couple of bits from the Gold car (RIP!), nothing major but little touches that make a difference.
The original headlight switch had gone funky so changed that;
One of the rear doors was missing a lense for the puddle light;
Not anymore!
I also fitted the undertrays that had gone missing but forgot to take a picture.
And probably the best part, I stuck a PAYG in the phone and....
:lol:I've started to come up with a plan to do some maintenance over winter too so will start to get in about that at some point.
The Saab has been running fine, it even managed a trip down to Brands with no complaints;
It got dirty;
It got cleaned;
I got some mats from the breakers, the cat wonders why I got cream ones;
And I treated it to a new head unit;
And finally, with the Gold car out the road, I brought the Cavalier back inside, with a view to getting it sorted.
Unfortunately the rust mice have been at it and seem to have had a good feed. I knew the rear sill areas on both sides needed attention but what I thought was a case of patch up the inner sills and weld on new outers has become somewhat more complicated.
It's much worse than anticipated, not great photos but you kind of get the idea;
Basically, it needs inner arches, outer arches, inner sills, outer sills and the sides of the floorpan rebuilt on both sides. That's before I inevitably find more problems, I know the floor pan at the front is soft.
I really don't know what to do, it's obviously going to be a substantial job to repair it properly though not impossible. However if I was going to go to that effort then I'd rather do it on something more desirable than an old Cavalier. I've thought about the reshell route but then it wouldn't be the same car. To be honest if I did condemn it, it would be fair to say I've had my money's worth out of it!
sparks_E39 said:
I'd love that 740i, if you ever fancied a swap for a 530i drop me a line 
If you'd said last Friday when it wouldn't start then I'd be all for it Edited by sparks_E39 on Monday 23 November 23:35
. But then once it was working I remembered why I love this car!I have actually been considering selling it but I can't think of anything I'd want instead. Would love an 840 but the borkage potential seems strong and more expensive than a 7!
alistairolsen said:
Migweb circa 2004-2010 ish! I had a white nova.
I have no use for the fleet, but the 740 I have a severe soft spot for, especially with those wheels.
Yeah, I remember going to a rolling road day at Dastek you were at, I had my white Nova which was very similar though you had EFI, I was running a Pooburg. IIRC I made a few horses more I have no use for the fleet, but the 740 I have a severe soft spot for, especially with those wheels.
. Them were the days, not a care in the world .Didn't you start a Locost build or am I confusing things?
I'd definitely recommend a 740, everything seems 'right', I doubt we'll see any cars built like it again!
alistairolsen said:
Aye! I later found out the cam timing was out by a tooth following an awkward 4th to 5th but actually third shift....
I did indeed, went from the nova to an XE corsa and then the locost project alongside various odd dailies (rover 620 on LPG, volvo T5, vectra sri, some cavaliers) and then started a zetec conversion into a jago jeep, built a corsa for autotesting, then my bora, an MG ZR for the mrs (top end rebuild, who'd have thought) and a trackday clio. Four jobs and three flats/houses later I'm finally in a position to get back on with the locost and the Jago!
Aye, it's one of the few relatively inexpensive V8 options that actually make sense as cars! I really like the looks too unlike something like an LS400!
You have to love the old 8v Vauxhall engines, relatively bombproof but if it did break it only cost pennies to fix. Would love a 1400 Nova again, twin 40s, lumpy cam, nice exhaust and an F13 close ratio box would do me nicely!I did indeed, went from the nova to an XE corsa and then the locost project alongside various odd dailies (rover 620 on LPG, volvo T5, vectra sri, some cavaliers) and then started a zetec conversion into a jago jeep, built a corsa for autotesting, then my bora, an MG ZR for the mrs (top end rebuild, who'd have thought) and a trackday clio. Four jobs and three flats/houses later I'm finally in a position to get back on with the locost and the Jago!
Aye, it's one of the few relatively inexpensive V8 options that actually make sense as cars! I really like the looks too unlike something like an LS400!
I admit to appreciating the Lexus for it's reliability but such a dull car. Reminds me of an old Honda Legend inside and out. Only needs beaded seat covers to finish it off!
The 7s needn't cost the earth to run either, parts are reasonable for what it is, you're fairly handy with the spanners and Tim Meek's site; http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/ has a run down of pretty much every job on these cars!
sparks_E39 said:
Haha well if you ever do want to part with it do drop me a PM 
Noted!
Davie said:
The pictures of the Cavaliers sills and what lies beneath makes me nervous... very very nervous!
It is worrying how something can look so good on top but be so bad underneath, I suppose they are British though!The executive decision has been made I think, calling it a day with the Cavalier, I could spend loads of time and money getting it mint but it'll only ever be an old Cavalier. I've got quite a sorted one already, it's a Saab 9-3
. The old car's done me well though, I'll say that!Things have been fairly quiet round these parts, the most I've done is an oil change and a visit to Costco for some Michelin PS3s on the front on the Saab. With the Forth Road Bridge being shut most of December (my garage is in Fife!) and me being drunk more often than usual I didn't really have much "car time", apart from buying a new RC car!
This weekend we went up the north west for a trip as part of my birthday and stayed the night in Oban, we took the BMW, mainly because it's ideal for the job!
We had planned to go on to Mull, but baw face here was looking at the Summer timetables and only discovered the error once we got to Lochaline. Instead we had a wee explore around the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, somewhere I've not been in quite a few years before heading back to Oban, where I found a great steak pie and had a few beers.
On the way back we met the Scottish BMW Car Club folks at Stirling for the monthly meet (and another steak pie).
First photo stop at Loch Lubnaig....
It was a bit chilly but definitely made for great scenery....
At the Glencoe view point....
On the Ardnamurchan Peninsula....
The roads were quite narrow....
Probably not the best roads for a 7 series but it still coped fine....
Wild goats?!
The car looks so small!
Stopped at Taynuilt and took some pictures on the way home, the water was quite still!
And one that Neil from the BMW club took at Stirling....
All in, I think we covered 350miles and as always, the big car never put a foot wrong!
Hopefully I'll start cleaning it up in prep for the summer time (if we see it!), give it a yearly service and do some preventative maintenance over the next few months.
That's all for now!
This weekend we went up the north west for a trip as part of my birthday and stayed the night in Oban, we took the BMW, mainly because it's ideal for the job!
We had planned to go on to Mull, but baw face here was looking at the Summer timetables and only discovered the error once we got to Lochaline. Instead we had a wee explore around the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, somewhere I've not been in quite a few years before heading back to Oban, where I found a great steak pie and had a few beers.
On the way back we met the Scottish BMW Car Club folks at Stirling for the monthly meet (and another steak pie).
First photo stop at Loch Lubnaig....
It was a bit chilly but definitely made for great scenery....
At the Glencoe view point....
On the Ardnamurchan Peninsula....
The roads were quite narrow....
Probably not the best roads for a 7 series but it still coped fine....
Wild goats?!
The car looks so small!
Stopped at Taynuilt and took some pictures on the way home, the water was quite still!
And one that Neil from the BMW club took at Stirling....
All in, I think we covered 350miles and as always, the big car never put a foot wrong!
Hopefully I'll start cleaning it up in prep for the summer time (if we see it!), give it a yearly service and do some preventative maintenance over the next few months.
That's all for now!
The past month or so has been all about the Saab, the BMW has been getting used occasionally but has mostly been kept away from the salt.
We start off with a cold Monday and a wee drive into Northumbria, Cumbria and back home through Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders on some superb roads (still quite a bit of snow around that day though!).
Then another drive on a sunny Sunday into Dumfries and Galloway....
Also got it's first proper clean this year on a sunny Monday, looks better in the pictures though....
By now I decided that it was time to actually spend some money on it and bought it a few presents....
We have:-
Eibach springs
Sachs OE shocks
Meyle lower arms
Meyle ARB drop links
PPS strut top mounts
Some Deutsch track rod ends
Mann oil/fuel/air filters
Genuine pollen filter
Mintex hand brake shoes/fitting kit
Not shown:-
Neo Brothers handbrake cable
2x rear calipers
Old vs new lower arms, the bush wasn't too clever....
Old vs new front shock, I had intended on going for Bilstein B8s but decided that I'd spent enough (my final bill is about £900 :wall....
Front parts fitted, I ground off the worst of the rust from the front leg and badly painted it (then didn't let it dry properly before refitting it all
). I plan on sorting out the crusty bits at some point soon so will see to it then ....
Also dropped the sump, it was fairly immaculate but still attacked it with the brake cleaner....
Old hand brake cable was a bit knackered....
Now, after having new park brake shoes fitted and adjusted the hand brake sits at a pleasing level....
And the new rear calipers that are still unpainted....
Wonder if these parts will last another 140k? Everything I took off was Saab/GM branded so could have been original....
I'm pleased to say it drives really good now, part of me wishes I'd just bitten the bullet and bought the B8s but I'm happy enough just now, maybe next year if it lasts.
There's still a few more jobs to do, the clutch is slipping, the turbo seems to be smokey at full throttle and high revs (I hope it's the turbo!) and the exhaust isn't looking too clever. I'll do the clutch in April, along with flushing out the gearbox oil. I'm swithering whether to replace the turbo with another standard one or have one rebuilt with a 19T compressor, this will require a 3" down pipe but could map to ~300bhp if the injectors cope and the **** isn't blown out the engine! The exhaust system part hasn't been decided on, maybe a stainless Jetex/Maptun effort for longevity more than anything.
Next up, the Cavalier. Well it was sold then it wasn't. I've since decided to get Mrs Lugy's dad to weld her up and painted. Not done anything about it as he's been a bit busy. That way I can get it MOT'd and sell it as a 'car' rather than a project. Or keep it :lol:.
Finally, the BMW has still been getting love....
We start off with a cold Monday and a wee drive into Northumbria, Cumbria and back home through Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders on some superb roads (still quite a bit of snow around that day though!).
Then another drive on a sunny Sunday into Dumfries and Galloway....
Also got it's first proper clean this year on a sunny Monday, looks better in the pictures though....
By now I decided that it was time to actually spend some money on it and bought it a few presents....
We have:-
Eibach springs
Sachs OE shocks
Meyle lower arms
Meyle ARB drop links
PPS strut top mounts
Some Deutsch track rod ends
Mann oil/fuel/air filters
Genuine pollen filter
Mintex hand brake shoes/fitting kit
Not shown:-
Neo Brothers handbrake cable
2x rear calipers
Old vs new lower arms, the bush wasn't too clever....
Old vs new front shock, I had intended on going for Bilstein B8s but decided that I'd spent enough (my final bill is about £900 :wall
....
Front parts fitted, I ground off the worst of the rust from the front leg and badly painted it (then didn't let it dry properly before refitting it all
). I plan on sorting out the crusty bits at some point soon so will see to it then ....
Also dropped the sump, it was fairly immaculate but still attacked it with the brake cleaner....
Old hand brake cable was a bit knackered....
Now, after having new park brake shoes fitted and adjusted the hand brake sits at a pleasing level....
And the new rear calipers that are still unpainted....
Wonder if these parts will last another 140k? Everything I took off was Saab/GM branded so could have been original....
I'm pleased to say it drives really good now, part of me wishes I'd just bitten the bullet and bought the B8s but I'm happy enough just now, maybe next year if it lasts.
There's still a few more jobs to do, the clutch is slipping, the turbo seems to be smokey at full throttle and high revs (I hope it's the turbo!) and the exhaust isn't looking too clever. I'll do the clutch in April, along with flushing out the gearbox oil. I'm swithering whether to replace the turbo with another standard one or have one rebuilt with a 19T compressor, this will require a 3" down pipe but could map to ~300bhp if the injectors cope and the **** isn't blown out the engine! The exhaust system part hasn't been decided on, maybe a stainless Jetex/Maptun effort for longevity more than anything.
Next up, the Cavalier. Well it was sold then it wasn't. I've since decided to get Mrs Lugy's dad to weld her up and painted. Not done anything about it as he's been a bit busy. That way I can get it MOT'd and sell it as a 'car' rather than a project. Or keep it :lol:.
Finally, the BMW has still been getting love....
Didn't see your post, Cheers Melv!
Been a few things going on this month....
The BMW got it's annual service, oil/filter, air filter and fuel filter along with a once over in prep for it's MOT in the summer. Everything appears tip top, though the steering drag link has developed some play so that needs taken care of soon - especially before it's trip to Germany in July! Also fitted some ATE discs and pads on the front and stripped the calipers down to stop the sticking, what a difference over the cheap 'Apec' branded stuff that came off.
Full compliment of lights again....
New discs and pads....
It was used daily for the first few weeks of the month, the reason for this will be clear soon, and it also made an appearance at Knockhill on the stand the BMW club had arranged....
So, on to the Saab, well after the work/money I put in last month, it developed a knocking. Turns out the diff side bearing had worn out, quite common on these. So another gearbox was sourced and I cracked on with the job....
Also had a genuine Viggen clutch to fit, along with a new genuine slave cylinder. The old clutch had seen better days....
Got it all back together, bled up and filled with fluid, only to find out the better gearbox wasn't any better. I went off for a cry, then jumped on eBay/Gumtree looking for another 'box.
Well, I did find one, only problem is that it was inside here....
:wall::wall: Yup, for some reason I bought another car.
I don't know what the original thinking behind it was, but it drove really nice, has great history (the PO spend £1k on it's service MOT last year!) and although it was filthy, it was actually quite straight.
The current plan is to run around in it while I sort out the Aero, then we're going to look at paying off the OH's Skoda, selling that and then she can run this - she loves it, pretty much every journey she's driven it!
It's just the 150bhp LPT but it goes well enough for daily use and it's very comfy.
Some initial clean up pictures....
Definitely an improvement!
Finally, a guy I know expressed an interest in the old Cavalier and so a deal was done. Should be going away this coming weekend but here's what should be the final picture of the car. It's a shame about the underside, it looks so good otherwise....
Been a few things going on this month....
The BMW got it's annual service, oil/filter, air filter and fuel filter along with a once over in prep for it's MOT in the summer. Everything appears tip top, though the steering drag link has developed some play so that needs taken care of soon - especially before it's trip to Germany in July! Also fitted some ATE discs and pads on the front and stripped the calipers down to stop the sticking, what a difference over the cheap 'Apec' branded stuff that came off.
Full compliment of lights again....
New discs and pads....
It was used daily for the first few weeks of the month, the reason for this will be clear soon
, and it also made an appearance at Knockhill on the stand the BMW club had arranged....
So, on to the Saab, well after the work/money I put in last month, it developed a knocking. Turns out the diff side bearing had worn out, quite common on these. So another gearbox was sourced and I cracked on with the job....
Also had a genuine Viggen clutch to fit, along with a new genuine slave cylinder. The old clutch had seen better days....
Got it all back together, bled up and filled with fluid, only to find out the better gearbox wasn't any better. I went off for a cry, then jumped on eBay/Gumtree looking for another 'box.
Well, I did find one, only problem is that it was inside here....
:wall::wall: Yup, for some reason I bought another car.
I don't know what the original thinking behind it was, but it drove really nice, has great history (the PO spend £1k on it's service MOT last year!) and although it was filthy, it was actually quite straight.
The current plan is to run around in it while I sort out the Aero, then we're going to look at paying off the OH's Skoda, selling that and then she can run this - she loves it, pretty much every journey she's driven it!
It's just the 150bhp LPT but it goes well enough for daily use and it's very comfy.
Some initial clean up pictures....
Definitely an improvement!
Finally, a guy I know expressed an interest in the old Cavalier and so a deal was done. Should be going away this coming weekend but here's what should be the final picture of the car. It's a shame about the underside, it looks so good otherwise....
It's been a while since I updated around these parts......
Starting with the BMW, it's been to a couple of shows with the BMW car club, starting with the Bridge of Allan show....
Then at Thirelstane Castle....
The car went down really well at both shows, with working in the oil and gas sector, times were uncertain and I'd considered selling it before. After some of the comments I'm glad I didn't make that decision.
The air con wasn't the best so I bought a DIY kit and had a go at topping it up....
It appears to have been succesful and I've had ice cold air since!
Next up, a long weekend to Germany. I'd been using the car daily for the week running up to leaving when on the day before we were due to leave the water pump shat itself!
Fortunately I managed to get one that day and got it fitted outside the flat with minimal tools.
Old pump....
Some pictures from the trip....
The car performed superbly, covering just under 1600 miles and averaging 26mpg by the time we got back, including some Autobahn action and Eifel mountain hooning. We got from the Nurburgring to Dunkirk in a touch under 4 hours without fuss. Quite impressive for an 18 year old Luxury-barge.
Onto the Saab, as mentioned previously, the replacement gearbox had issues so it was time to start sorting it out.
This time, the engine came out....
And the engine bay was tidied up and given a lick of paint, not prefect but better....
The little bush that caused all the hassle in the gearbox, surprisingly easily replaced....
Had to get new oil cooler pipes made up as the original ones were weeping oil....
All back together, along with a new air con radiator....
Almost ready....
Then finished and undercover....
Next up, it needs two tyres on the back and should hopefully go in for some body repairs.
Starting with the BMW, it's been to a couple of shows with the BMW car club, starting with the Bridge of Allan show....
Then at Thirelstane Castle....
The car went down really well at both shows, with working in the oil and gas sector, times were uncertain and I'd considered selling it before. After some of the comments I'm glad I didn't make that decision.
The air con wasn't the best so I bought a DIY kit and had a go at topping it up....
It appears to have been succesful and I've had ice cold air since!
Next up, a long weekend to Germany. I'd been using the car daily for the week running up to leaving when on the day before we were due to leave the water pump shat itself!
Fortunately I managed to get one that day and got it fitted outside the flat with minimal tools.
Old pump....
Some pictures from the trip....
The car performed superbly, covering just under 1600 miles and averaging 26mpg by the time we got back, including some Autobahn action and Eifel mountain hooning. We got from the Nurburgring to Dunkirk in a touch under 4 hours without fuss. Quite impressive for an 18 year old Luxury-barge.
Onto the Saab, as mentioned previously, the replacement gearbox had issues so it was time to start sorting it out.
This time, the engine came out....
And the engine bay was tidied up and given a lick of paint, not prefect but better....
The little bush that caused all the hassle in the gearbox, surprisingly easily replaced....
Had to get new oil cooler pipes made up as the original ones were weeping oil....
All back together, along with a new air con radiator....
Almost ready....
Then finished and undercover....
Next up, it needs two tyres on the back and should hopefully go in for some body repairs.
I really like mine (as can be seen with how much work has been done recently!), it's no sports car but there's fun to be had hooning around in it - especially 3rd gear. Certainly keeps much more expensive stuff honest but could be doing with a stage 3 tune now!
I've always wanted a yellow Viggen but they seem to have been caught up in the 'modern classic' carry on
.
I've always wanted a yellow Viggen but they seem to have been caught up in the 'modern classic' carry on
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