B5 in Heroic Rompenkreig
Discussion
derestrictor said:
8-5-0... 
How is it, btw, Al? We gots to see.
Interior totally stripped and all leather cleaned and re-connelised, or whatever they do with German leather ... top half of engine stripped, checked, everything that might need replacing or looking a bit tired, replaced. After two years of not running it started first time and ran perfectly on all 12 cylinders. Compression all bob on.How is it, btw, Al? We gots to see.
Now has all brakes and suspension off. The new, freshly arrived from the US, lowered and stiffer Eibach springs are significantly thicker and lower than the Motorsports that were on. We also have Bilstein race dampers from the States ready to go back on. New pads and discs all round with braided hoses amd new brake lines (the existing ones are fine but were a bit wiggly where they had been fitted with a clumsy hand).
Unfortunately, before Michael (Talkwrench) went to Mallorca for a week he had the engine up to full operating temps and while he was away the main crank case seal showed itself to be leaking so ... whole engine will be coming out along with gearbox, and all the seals replaced as well as replacing the gearbox oil and cleaning the filters. So every cloud has it's silver lining I guess and far better for the seal to go on Michael's workshop floor than my newly white tiled garage floor
It is going to be early october at the earliest ... I am hoping to have it to test on the BMW track day at Croft. The only sticking point is locating an M5 diff to go on it. With that, and all the various other tweaks, we have a conservative figure of 405 horses, which will be ok for now
Trust me, as soon as I have anything to show you, you'll see it
That sounds great, Al, I really admire the approach you're taking, it will a fabulous beast when it's done - what colour was it? If it's anything other than silver, I'd love my deatiling guy to spend 2 or 3 days with it (www.offyourmarks.com) a finishing touch to round off what sounds like a stunning semi restoration project.
Cannot wait to see this car!
Lancscum.
Cannot wait to see this car!
Lancscum.
The B5 I'm buying has an aftermarket Quaife LSD fitted by Birds, should improve traction a lot and it's only about £1200 fitted.
http://www.birds.uk.com/1-PDFs/E9233928336.pdf
Guy
StuB said:
Dunk, you have a different car to Der.
Well, yes, I'd sort of noticed that.In essence though, all Alpinas are the same these days - it's a more civilised, oft faster, and generally softer different opinion to the ///M cars. They all suffer from the same intrinsic drawbacks - auto transmission, no LSD, soft suspension compared to the ///M brethren.
Dunk76 said:
StuB said:
Dunk, you have a different car to Der.
Well, yes, I'd sort of noticed that.In essence though, all Alpinas are the same these days - it's a more civilised, oft faster, and generally softer different opinion to the ///M cars. They all suffer from the same intrinsic drawbacks - auto transmission, no LSD, soft suspension compared to the ///M brethren.
If I wanted my 5 series cars to be hard and sharp I'd have bought an M5, but I prefer a B5 for daily use, just like how my wife likes her 545i. If I want to drive a focused BMW then I drive my M3 CSL, which makes an M5 look like a sloppy barge in everything apart from straightline grunt (and I'm lucky enough to have another far faster car to satisy that urge).
DeR is particularly well versed to speak on this subject as he also has an M6.
Guy
Did you read what originally prompted the comment though?
I simply stated I'm having a lean period in my love for all things Alpina - and that whilst I have a different car, the same premise applies, as all Alpina cars are built with the same philosphy.
No reflection on the B5 per se, just my current 'out of love' mood with mine...
Bear in mind that I have neither the space, finance, nor inclination to have a fleet of cars to suit my mood or purpose. If I used the B3 purely for mooching around in, supplemented by a CSL and one of the fastest road cars ever built for when ragging is the order of the day, then I suspect I'd be over the moon with the thing.
As an only car, the Alpina is an uneasy compromise at times.
I simply stated I'm having a lean period in my love for all things Alpina - and that whilst I have a different car, the same premise applies, as all Alpina cars are built with the same philosphy.
No reflection on the B5 per se, just my current 'out of love' mood with mine...
Bear in mind that I have neither the space, finance, nor inclination to have a fleet of cars to suit my mood or purpose. If I used the B3 purely for mooching around in, supplemented by a CSL and one of the fastest road cars ever built for when ragging is the order of the day, then I suspect I'd be over the moon with the thing.
As an only car, the Alpina is an uneasy compromise at times.
Edited by Dunk76 on Thursday 13th September 22:54
burriana said:
With that, and all the various other tweaks, we have a conservative figure of 405 horses, which will be ok for now
Trust me, as soon as I have anything to show you, you'll see it
I have several pics of work in progress if you'd like to see a few?Trust me, as soon as I have anything to show you, you'll see it
This rebuild is both mammoth & complex. Its almost like stripping back to the bare shell and rebuilding - and 850's are damned complicated!
Oh, and thats not 405 horses at the flywheel you know, Al.... it will feel as if the engine was putting out 405 horses with the original diff ratio. The higher ratio (lower geared) M5 diff means effectively more power planted on the road. Its the same effect as losing 1/2 ton of weight.
If you took out the back seats and spare wheel, you couldnt really say you'd gained 15bhp, even if it felt like it!
Yes yes, I know it's all theoretical, it is all down to how fast it actually shifts itself, but working out the figures as we did, I am very happy with the percentage increases in real life performance ...
However, this 550 from future blower investment, is that real or theoretical?
Der - the colour is Mauritius Blue with silver Alpina alloys and, I can take no bravery awards here. I would not have gone near an 850 without Talkwrench there to look after it and the risk is minimal, as Michael will not actually take my money for the car until he is happy that it is 100% perfect.
He keeps mentioning something about patience, whoever she may be.
However, this 550 from future blower investment, is that real or theoretical?
Der - the colour is Mauritius Blue with silver Alpina alloys and, I can take no bravery awards here. I would not have gone near an 850 without Talkwrench there to look after it and the risk is minimal, as Michael will not actually take my money for the car until he is happy that it is 100% perfect.
He keeps mentioning something about patience, whoever she may be.
burriana said:
However, this 550 from future blower investment, is that real or theoretical?
He keeps mentioning something about patience, whoever she may be.
Oh, that 550bhp is very real and the accompanying torque is very effective!He keeps mentioning something about patience, whoever she may be.
And patience is that very pretty girl you wait ages to go out with but when you do shes everything you'd hoped for.......
derestrictor said:
The scenery, coming to a side window in your Buchloe romper sometime soon!
No brainer, what?
Front windows have been treated with a heavy dose of Rain X so as not to hinder progress in the damp.No brainer, what?
With the DTC fully disarmed it is a total riot.
It's currently lurking in the garage awaiting it's new custodian.
Edited by 993rsr on Friday 14th September 12:32
Heroic schnelling can be a fickle mistress.
Been in the B5 all week, rolled out the M6 for it's Samedi workout.
Holy Toledo, it's fabulous in a completely different way: so solid, direct, underscored by a fabulous engine/exhaust bark and punctuatable via the blipfest of SMGness with which, once one is familiar, allows the uncorking of much playful merriment.
The uncomfortable reality is that the delivery - ito everything - peformance, involvement, comfort and refinement, does beg questions of the far less dynamic Alpina.
It's one of those realities, M-ness which, rather like forgetting the sublime attributes of a 911 helm, once reacquainted with, does present a rather stark contemplation.
How ever good I thought the B5 might have been over that moorland jaunt just now, in the merciless illumination of the M6's repertoire, it's basic understeeriness was suddenly an issue.
An issue prompting questions not unlike those being asked by our man, Von Dunkenspurter.
The lsd can't come soon enough, that's for sure. I should be better able to contain these doubts but the sheer brilliance of the other car is a brutal impediment to objective appraisal.
Been in the B5 all week, rolled out the M6 for it's Samedi workout.
Holy Toledo, it's fabulous in a completely different way: so solid, direct, underscored by a fabulous engine/exhaust bark and punctuatable via the blipfest of SMGness with which, once one is familiar, allows the uncorking of much playful merriment.
The uncomfortable reality is that the delivery - ito everything - peformance, involvement, comfort and refinement, does beg questions of the far less dynamic Alpina.
It's one of those realities, M-ness which, rather like forgetting the sublime attributes of a 911 helm, once reacquainted with, does present a rather stark contemplation.
How ever good I thought the B5 might have been over that moorland jaunt just now, in the merciless illumination of the M6's repertoire, it's basic understeeriness was suddenly an issue.
An issue prompting questions not unlike those being asked by our man, Von Dunkenspurter.
The lsd can't come soon enough, that's for sure. I should be better able to contain these doubts but the sheer brilliance of the other car is a brutal impediment to objective appraisal.
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