Sub Par Cars

[Tetleysmooth]

I saw that one on the beige. Wife only drives autos unfortunately.

If she likes the American driving position have you seen this https://autoshite.com/topic/46683-place ... %C2%A3750/

Thanks for the link. I did see it, but I absolutely detest those 'placeholder' ads.

[SubPar]

Going back to two cars again.

I'll be collecting something from one of the few remaining 'trusted sellers' on the beige on Friday. A certain gentleman who has a big field in Buckinghamshire. He is one person I would definitely definitely trust a car from.

It's a 1998 BMW 323i coupe manual. Black with tan leather, fair bit of recent work, and 13 months' MOT.

I paid probably half what it would fetch on the open market.


I had resigned myself to not owning another E36, then this one popped up and I snapped it up within about 10 minutes of the ad going live. A straight 6 with a manual box has been on my wanted list for a while.

[Hooli]

Enjoy, you'll know if you like it by the time you get it home at least.

[SubPar]

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Woof.

It drives like 75k, not the 175k on the clocks. Goes well and turns petrol into lovely noise.

Bad points: M3 style mirrors are utter wank, lighter socket is inop, so I shall just have the radio to keep me company on the way north tomorrow. You see, I just took my Bluetooth adapter, not my CD wallet.

It also already has a battle scar. I was heading into Tesco Northampton, and as I exited the roundabout, a Fiesta UNDERTOOK me and made contact.

The 323 has a scuff that should mostly buff out. The Fiesta lost a rubbing strip, dented their door and fucked off.

Fucking bastarding cunts.

[paulplom]

Have you a lighter socket in the back? The front lexus one didn't work so I just plugged my bluetooth thing in the back. The audi doesn't like it. It sometimes hisses and crackles like it's loosing it's signal. The audi must lack suppression somewhere although considering the tech in it it's no surprise.

[SubPar]

Nope, just the one in this! It's a small car.

[SubPar]

Home now.

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Aaw, they like each other.

365 miles down and just over quarter of a tank left. Not bad.

Probably helped by the spaceship gearbox. I kept it under 3k rpm in 5th and was still hovering around 75mph.


Could any electrical experts help, though?
I've checked the fuses for the lighter socket and they're all fine, no signs of having blown. Still no life from anything plugged into the socket. I even accidentally pulled the lighter socket out of the centre console, so checked the plugs on it were attached. Yup, all good there too. Still nothing.



Oh yes:



That cunt in the Fiesta in Northampton came off far worse. I could buff that out and forget about it. Hell, I'll probably just leave it. It's still better condition than the other two E36s I've owned.

[paulplom]

I've got a disklok you can have if you're ever down this way. It needs rubbing down and a bit paint as it was left outside for six months. It'll give you an excuse for a blast down the coast.
I'll dig it out of my lock up and take a picture for you.

[SubPar]

For now, I've fitted a Stoplock Pro.

Big yellow arm thing that goes across the wheel and through the spokes, then rests against the centre console. It should suffice as my flat is fairly well hidden from any nearby streets.
It's at the end of a dead-end street buried deep in a residential area. The flat itself isn't visible from the street, you have to go round a corner to even see it, then the car park is even further round another tight corner. You wouldn't even know the car park was there unless I had given directions to it. I've had a few folk come round and park half a street away, not realising they had to go round a couple more corners!

I also fitted a Sony mechless head unit to it. No CD player now, but it has bluetooth and USB. So that means I can play the music from my phone through the bluetooth (and even skip tracks with the buttons on the head unit) and charge the phone through the USB. Sorted.


Edited to add: I should probably take apart the centre console at some point, as the wiring in there must be suspect. Neither the lighter socket nor the handbrake indicator light work. Both the lighter socket and the handbrake light switch live in the centre console in these.

While I may get scolded for some for not getting a Disklok, at least the lock I got actually exists, rather than being on back-order for fuck-knows-how-long. As much as I appreciate your offer Paul, I imagine the lock part of that Disklok that's been sat outside for 6 months won't be much cop!

[paulplom]

Thw lock was fine. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is. I was at the garage this morning and couldn't see it. I was in a hurry so didn't have time to rake about. I wouldn't have binned it. Anyway it's there if anyone wants it.
I've used one on my vans for the last ten years.