ChasR
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Something I misesed from my earlier comment to this thread was a personal example of missing boat...about 15 years ago I was looking for a new daily and it came down to choice between 1998 E39 528i(about £12k) or a later E30 M3(about £7k). Fearing the running costs of the M(£1k for the timing chains) i went for the more practical 528i. Great car in many ways but I really rue not going for the M3. If you can, then you should. I've put off buying so many cars and missed so many boats I've lost count, though none as fancy as a Aston! I have a limited budget for such things but luckily don't really hanker after super expensive stuff, but still have to get them when they are right in the price trough. Most recently I left it too late for an E39 530 Sport and before that, an E36 323 Sport Touring. In the end, I spent months faffing about looking for an E46 325/330 Sport, as I specifically wanted a saloon/touring without leather and a manual box. In the end I took a punt on a locally sourced 325 and have really enjoyed owning it, plus prices seem to have shot up since and round here they are double what I paid, if you can find a manual, so I'd have ended up missing that boat too. I've been in that boat a few times now. I have however managed to own a few cars over the last 10 years which now I probably would not be able to buy. I'm glad I got the chance. E46 values are strange aren't they? I don't think anyone would consider them to be "retro", or at least not fully fledged, yet if you want a 6 pot Coupe or Touring, they now fetch strong money. It's kind of made me stick with my M3, even if it isn't the most valuable of them. As other cars have moved prices, I can't really think of what else I want at the moment for an attainable amount of cash. 986 Boxsters are probably on a par, but they lack practicality over the E46. I really fancy a Mini, but I can't justify £8k for a nice one when they were £3-4k not too long ago, albeit I moan when they were £3-4k, as I do recall them being cheaper 15 years ago. I guess I'm getting old?
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ChasR
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Chrysler 300ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I believe our akku used have one of these many moons ago.
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ChasR
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You can get yokohama A021R's in 185/70 13 for around £80 each and there are plenty of budget tyres with good wet grip rating out there which probably out perform many of the "retro tyres", I have 175/70 13 yokohama summer tyres on my elan they work brilliantly even now when they are 6 or 7 years old. The EU ratings are not too trustworthy TBH. They're better than nothing but they can't be used for two tyres in the same size. It's all down to how they are classified. A few tests have shown this. www.tyrepress.com/2015/03/tyre-test-results-mock-european-label-ratings/I could explain but it's confusing how the ratings are drawn up. In short from what I remember -A tyre (say a Michelin Cross Climate) is tested in that size with the one in the largest profile, but the thinnest tyre, while remaining to be the same model. That's for the grip ratings -The noise ratings are done in a similar manner. They are tested measuing the noise from outside the car, not inside. This is why some tyres I suspect are only available in certain sizes, and with demand sinking on odd sizes, probably the reason why some sizes have become awkward to get good tyres in. Before anyone says it, no, I'm not a raving Brexiteer .
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Last Edit: Jan 7, 2021 19:22:20 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Reproduction Dealer PlatesChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Seark for Pukar plates or Pukar design. He's not cheap, but he has painstakingly collected alot of designs and sells great quality plates.
Handy as I've had plates off eBay go iffy shortly on a couple of cars.
If you are not fussed about having the dealer insignia, have a chat with the Number Plate Centre in Sparkhill, Birmingham. I've been happy with the service they've given on a few plates I've had off them.
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ChasR
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Looks like a translation from one of the German magazines Autobild Klassik, they often do good quality comparisons it's a shame there's not an english version, What I would be interested in is how they compare to a modern tyre I've always wondered if you are paying more for less with the classic tyres. This. I know some people, including Dougal will say that the retro tyres are better than the non-retro tyres, but it would be good to hear evidence of it. Granted, they do look the business on some cars, but that does come at a cost. On some cars, they're about the only choice without getting a commercial tyre or a tyre that was not intended to be used with that car (e.g the Citroen DS and it's Asymettical tyres, which Michelin still sell). I've heard some views as to potentially their benefit. The most notable ones are as follows: -l - Peugeot 205 GTi - They're a lively thing on budget rubber and I suspect older rubber when they were newer! I remember my friend thinking it was rubbish and he spun ours at 30MPH! hoopsontoast will remember it drifting around the now-gone Coventry Train Station roundabout! But then that's what made them legendary.
It's something serial owner and car journalist John Simister seems to have reported in his articles when he tested 205s overt the last ten years. Modern rubber tamed the reputable wayward rear end, which is probably why some folks now wonder what the fuss is about. I know mine drove very differently on decent modern rubber.; Apparently, not that I'm lucky enough to have experienced this, The Porsche Carrera GT handles much better on the Michelin Super Sports over the original PS2s, which I can believe from what I had on my 944 Turbo - BMW E30 M3 - A car which was known for grip. I can't say I'm a massive fan of the guy but it is interesting to hear sometimes what Chris Harris has to say. He was saying that on an E30, modern rubber hasn't helped the legend. They were made to be playable and handle well on the limit, and modern rubber just gives them more and more grip, to the extent the little performance they have today really doesn't seem like much with that newfound grip.
I think the problem is, the market is quite small, and getting a retro which is representative of being a decent breed etc. would make life tricky, and maybe not accurately reflect the testing. A tyre which suits something like an E-Type may not work well on an Elan for example, or a Mini. Now, if someone gives me a retro, a few grand, and race-track hire I could give a half arsed opinion! Maybe a few others here could chip in!
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Last Edit: Jan 7, 2021 19:12:06 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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BMW E46 M3 : That's the ticketChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I managed to make a little more progress with the car. With one line done (no, not that kind of a line!), I was full of enthusiasm, With that in mind, I finally got to the pipes for which I dropped the tank for in the first place. Part of me was tempted to leave this in place, but in all honesty, seeing as the one piece line to the nearside was done, I figured I may as well replace it. It was then time to bend the new line. I agonised over bending it in the car or attempting to replicate it outside. I chose the the latter. Brave and stupid some might say, but it looked so pretty! OK, maybe to a pipe bender! At least the end wasn't crust anymore! Some may already have sensed that there was trouble ahead. In short, the last part was 4mm too short on the bend where it goes from the tank to the join at the subframe. Balls! But I guess it's all a learning game eh? Since I was in a rush I didn't manage to get the shots to show the issue. But that can wait until next time .
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ChasR
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I have at times through a long journey with retro cars which when i was young were actually new cars back then have acquired them when they needed money spent on them. Restored in a mild sense of the word a couple as an hobby never for profit and gone past the point of no return where whats been spent is more than its worth. This got me wondering are there any retro rides members who bought a retro in good faith / did a little work then either through choice or necessity spent more cash than the car would ever be worth then decided rather than take a loss just use it as a daily driver and enjoy the car and not consider its a loss maker in reality. I think bstardchild has hit the nail on the head. All cars cost money. Alot of things in life do. You don't hear golfers moaning about the cost of their clubs or their membership, holidaymakers going on holiday. I'll be honest. I've made some money from some cars. I've also lost a fortune on some cars. The most notable losses being my dailies, Porsche 944 S2, Triumph Stag, and if I were to sell them today, the two cars I own now. The Mondeo for example has consumed £1k over the 18 months I have owned it, with it being 'simple' stuff to many, including cambelt, belts, some bushes, bluetooth upgrade, tyres, full service, a door and mirror after someone did a hit-and-run, amongst minor things I've probably forgotten. I won't even go into the M3, albeit that has taken me on trackdays, trips, and I've decided to personalise a bit to my tastes. Your question in a different way came up with a friend and I. We were talking about the cars I owned. I mentioned how I loved my 944 Turbo. Quite a few people assumed I sold it as I fell out of love with it. That's partially true. The reasons mainly were: -I bought it very cheaply and I made £1k out of it as it was a spec most people wanted including me (minor reason; read on) -After a slight off with it, I never quite trusted it again. I loved the car, but I guess incidents leave their mark with you. -My Stag was haemorrhaging money. After sorting the engine, rebuilding the 'box and getting the interior/exterior sorted, the 'box went again after a trip to a specialist I will never use again. The car owed me close to £8k, and I knew I'd probably get £4k on a good day in 2013; car was bought in 2011. Ouch! Something like a nice Alfa Spider with a bank loan would have made far more sense and probably much less heartache! For anyone wondering, I was honest in its faults when I sold it. I figured any profit from the 944 turbo would help in getting the Stag into a semi-fit state. And so I sold a car which I loved for one which I couldn't stand at that time. As a friend put it, I hated to lose; sure you can lose cash, but selling it for half of the value when £8k back then bought some very nice cars? I sold the Stag eventually for a loss anyway, which made the Porsche sale seem stupid for a very long time. With the Stag, I learned the hard way that cheap cars can bit very hard (almost all of the work bar the interior and 'box was done by myself). However, these days, I've decided it's something I enjoy doing. Tinkering with cars, upgrading them and understanding the reasons around the upgrades as well as making them more your own. Sure, you end up with tasks that seem more daunting than you want, like rust/rot, but otherwise, if you like the car for what it should be, you should stick with it. As said, the hobby element counts for alot. Like some, I really wish I could do bangernomics. However, I like cars to work right to a certain degree, knowing they'll get me to places and generally be pleasant on a journey.
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ChasR
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I'd agree with the above, but bear this in mind.
Not too long ago, folks said to avoid the P38s like the plague. They would ruin your life.
Now, they're said to be OK, and a decent one is now £6k.
My point? It's no different to went cambelts came about in the 80s.
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ChasR
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Webasto/Britax sunroof ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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It's good to hear you seem to be enjoying the M3! I originally planned to keep mine stock. Albeit it didn't work out that way! In came the CSL Rev-Match, the Eventuri, the Milltek followed by an Eisenmann. I never thought I'd pay that much for a backbox! Absolutely ridiculous! But then, modifying and tailoring cars to our tastes is what it is all above. I do fancy some Recaro Sportster CSs! I really want a set! However, I will need new seat covers for mine which will bring the bill to being larger! Mine does now need some love. I'm currently doing the brake pipes on mine, the hard lines leading to the rear in particular. It's also got some rusty wings and an arch, so I plan to deal with the those at the moment. I'd love to give mine to a bodyshop but for now it's about containment. Annoying as I have two fresh M3 wings sat on the shelf. Maybe I will commit to restoring it soon. The values have risen for sure, especially for coupes with the manual gearbox. It seems you can have a dog of the aforementioned example, it will sell well, even if the car is on its knees. I guess that's why the other car went for more (what 'box does yours have?). I came close to selling mine 3 months ago. I put it up for £8k, with quite a bit of interest, with a friend of mine thinking I was mad to sell it at that price, and said his offer for £8k stood. However, some circumstances changed, and I figured I probably wouldn't get something similar for the same money in a year's time. It's alot of fun however .
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ChasR
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They do have their issues, but so do many cars of that vintage. W220 Mercs are not immune either.
I think alot of the issues stem from these being available for lemonade money but ran on a lemonade budget ; the costs have got cheaper in some respects but not all.
As for what I do know about these?
-The iDrive can go wrong, but it isn't the end of the world. Years ago, it did cost £1k to get it done. In pre-Brexit times 6 months ago, I managed send my dad's unit off to Romania to be repaired for £220 ; I think UK Vendors charge £350, with them apparently using this Romanian chap. Even if duty is applied, it may still be £300 to have it done.
-Gearboxes can go iffy on them, but then again, they are not as iffy as the 5 speed ZFs.
-I'll have to check about the supension. If it's like the E61, they're not as bad as some would have you make out. Sure, the air springs may be pricey, but they are miles easier to deal with over coil springs and the compressors of death.
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ChasR
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Webasto/Britax sunroof ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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It was 10 years ago to be fair!
From the way this company spoke to you, you would have thought Webasto were after a monopoly! The fact that sunroofs are less popular doesn't help now. I'll see what I can dig up.
P.S, how is the M3 going?
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ChasR
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Webasto/Britax sunroof ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Webasto bought out Britax quite some time ago now.
I did find one company but I think the parts alone even a few years ago were £600 for a manual roof.
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ChasR
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Another what should I go for... ChasR
@chasr
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I think to get a Beetle with a reasonable body for £2k will be a push. They do have very pricey bits in some areas of the bodywork if you are not a dab hand with a welder ; Heater channels being the main example.
Like a few others have said, I'd get something like a Moggy, ADO16 or an Allegro.
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ChasR
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It’s in the centre console. Thank you - I'll have a look there tomorrow there are a few people out there who have amazing techie knowledge of BMW code reading - I hope you find one I'm lucky I have someone in Norfolk that is brilliant but it's a bit far for you With a BMW Pin to OBD converter lead, I know for sure the following work, at least on the same vintage E39 -INPA -Carly I suspect most OBD-II readers would work this way, as well as NCS-Expert ; another way to code BMWs. It managed to communicate with all of the required modules . I can see what brand of cable I have inherited if you wish ; the converter cable that is. I've managed to code a friends' '98 540i using Carly too! I'd offer to help 'if I was closer'. I doubt a trip to Norfolk would go do well now!
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Last Edit: Jan 3, 2021 22:29:22 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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VW PD engind issuesChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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It does sound like you have a few faults.
I'd check what codes come up on VCDS, and check the fuel pressure in a few areas. Check the Injection calibration values too.
If the calibration values are off, and it has a low MAF error, it will be the camshaft that is shot. They'll idle fine as the injectors can compesate at idle. As soon as you drive, it will misfire, with it getting worse under load and chucking out alot of black smoke.
Normally, the cam will get noisy at this point, and sound tappety, but if the engine hasn't seen oil changes or someone has put in tappet treatment, it will conceal the noise.
As for the pumps, they work as follows -Lift pump in the tank - pressurises constantly -Camshaft driven tandem pump - Pressurises constantly -Injector ; Each injector has a cam driven pump built into it aka a Unit-Injector. These again are pressurised constantly.
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ChasR
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Where to buy an OM606?ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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They have become rarer, in part to:
-Many being pillaged over the years -Most S124s/210s with them being so neglected that it was not worth rebuilding them when cheap ; yes, even these have limits. -Older E-Classes now becoming more valuable, especially the S124 derived cars.
For as long as I remember, OM606s are now around £1k and have been for some time. The odd bargain can pop up. As for what to look out for:
-Knocking sounds. Unlikely to be the big ends, but more likely the injector nozzles being clogged and throwing off the timing. They are rebuildable however via diesel specialists. Mercedessource do a kit for you to rebuild them with new and improved nozzles, should you want to go that way. -Vacuum Pump. This is a very rare failure ; I don't actually know of anyone I've known with an OM60x engine have this go ; they used the pump on the 200D to the 300D. These are engine driven off a eccentric track on a timing chain idler sprocket. If either the sprocket or the pump wheel wear out, it can destroy an engine. But these rattle long before they go, and a stethoscope on the vacuum pump can rule out it going. Some pattern pumps can be worse than worn ones too. Some Pierburg ones had issues. -Injector leaks. I seem to recall a friend saying these can suffer this. If the injector seals leak, and are left to leak, the gasses can destroy the threads around the injector. The first sign of it being too late is the car smelling of diesel inside, and it coming from the injector area. IIRC, the injectors begin to move. Again, a rare failure, but one to note. It's what killed a friend's dad's E300 S210, but he basically drove cars until they died with little maintenance
IIRC, you might need a gearbox controller, depending on how easy it is to fit the 'box in with the wiring harness. Someone else can advise here.
Given how much the engines go for, I'd buy a complete S21x E300 Turbo Diesel. That way, you can check alot of things, and break the car. You'll have a harness, box and ECUs to get the engine running. The OM606 won't require much in the way of ECUs bar possibly cold running, but the gearbox will need an ECU, otherwise, the changes may be awkward and even skip gear, which is how at least the S124 'boxes default if the 'box ECU doesn't see power.
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ChasR
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I'm looking at doing a couple this year if I can find something that suits me. I used to do quite a few but got bored of been held up once they got popular and went back to the roads. This depends on the trackday and the trackday operator. The two or three times I remember being held up are as follows. -Castle Combe Taster Day: Clio 172 It was the first time for a while that I hit a racetrack. It's also the first time I took something quite a few would consider genuinely quick on a track. a RenaultSport Clio 172. Besides people not following the track etiquette and either almost totalling cars, or totalling cars, I thought I'd let a 300BHP Sierra Sapphire Cossie past me and a Merc E55 AMG. Both look to be making progress on the straights. Both were on budget tyres from what I remember, and with the Cossie, tired suspension too albeit lowered. You can see what's coming. I then ended up cruising with one hand through most of the corners. Those two cars just couldn't go through the corners quick at all! You'd think they'd leave me for dead on the straights, but my corner speed really didn't give them the chance! After that, I probably have become a little more selfish with letting people past. I figured if they're held up for two corners, they are probably making quicker progress than me. Seeing as it was a session taster, it was a bit of a waste of 30 mins for most of it. Yup, I didn't get let past, and there was quite a queue behind me, with me letter some folks past seeing if they could get past the two cars. They couldn't. -Javelin Cadwell Park Clio 172 Being a narrow track, overtakng areas are slim, especially on a wet day like I went. The day went well bar one chap in an S2000, who would not move over for a few folks. I ended up being a little quicker in the corners, not by much, but similar on the straights. He did this to a few people for quite a few laps, to where a bit of a train formed. Being an open pitlane, I went off the track for a bit, and rejoined later so as to not be held up. Most other people were quite fair and some I had a good time time, and learned a bit line wise etc. Donnington Park - M3This wasn't too bad. Sure, there were a few hero wannabes about with it being an evening session, but it was ok. Except the damned C1 racers! Did they let people overtake by invitation? Did they curse word! It's been cited a few times on a few trackday pages about them causing trains of traffic, especially on the twistier tracks. After all, folks get impatient and you end up with a train of cars. The C1 racers do tend to do this however, as they are chasing lap times on the days, as well as familiarisation of the track. Dedicated days for them are almost twice the price (£300 vs £170 for Donnington for example), hence why a few do that. Of course, it's not really a problem on somewhere like Silverstone, where there are enough straight spots for most things to decimate them on the straights. I know people have paid, so feel it's a right for them to do as they please, but it's everyone's trackday to me, and about everyone collectively having a good time. If I wanted to be in a train, it would after a few whisky chasers, along with a few beers on the way to Birmingham New Street with a few mates during better times. It would be cheaper than a trackday too! Since some may think I am anti C1/Aygo/107, so here's a photo of me taking one around the 'ring a few months ago.
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ChasR
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I think that depends on the track itself. On an airfield day, there's not much to crash into so you can go a little wild. At Cadwell, it's very likely it will be a nasty crash if you happen to lose it on the wrong spot. At the 'ring, you could be talking £000s. Part of the fun there however is to keep on learning the track, and building your speed up, through better techniques, and learning it as a skill. Most people I imagine will push their cars harder on the track than they would do on the road. Most cars are now getting pricey as well. I guess it depends on your definition of pootling about . I don't ever plan on crashing (The M3 owes me too much and years ago, binning a £1-2k car wasn't viable with my income), but I certainly don't potter about. I'd never drive on road as I do on the track for example.
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ChasR
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Some great progress on this!
I'll have to check out the Osram LEDs for the Mondeo, as that could use brighter headlamps. They are the projector style in there mind you.
That's some nice work on the Sub. The handy thing with front mounted subs is that you kill alot of birds with one stone, including: -mid-bass issues, as the sub can partially do these, as opposed to the mids needing to do this -Time alignment issues ; the path length differences are minor now between the sub and the front components -Sound stage improvements from bringing all of the speakers up front.
It's something I've wanted to do in a couple of cars I've had in the past but the cars have either had no room (Merc W108), or I didn't keep them long enough. That or they were like the 2CV!
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ChasR
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BMW E46 M3 : That's the ticketChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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With the old hose removed, would the Cheap bender be able to almost replicate the bends in the new pipe? I'll let the pictures do the talking here. Obviously, I would play a part in where the bends went. I don't think the hose turned out that badly. I was quite impressed with myself for having the patience to do the bends! I could not stand around admiring my handiwork however, as if I were a Uni student who managed to make a great dish, which wasn't beans on toast! And so, the car received the new pipe! It did require a small amount of tweaking to get into place so it didn't hit certain part of the car, but my bends were in the right place, which was a result! So there we have it. One down. two more to go. The two being the reason for why I dropped the fuel tank in the first place.
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