Got her back today. Front and rear bumper assemblies replaces, smashed collector box replaced and all fittings, inserts in front bumper. She looks a beaut. I treated her to a boot lid spoiler at the same time.
The exhaust will last a few years yet.
Alpina wheels next...or reversing sensors...or Sat nav...where do I start!
Hiya
sorry i've been out of touch. Had the car in for accident damage repair, took longer than expected. had a 316 estate courtesy car during that time and was too embarrassed to log on.
I've got her back now, looks stunning. had the spoiler fitted too.
John, if you do come down, lets all 3 meet up. There are quite a few 8s in Cornwall these days, there's another one in Camborne, one in redruth, 2 in Penryn/Falmouth, one in St Ives as wall as me and Steve.
We should get a Cornwall E31 club going!
Pete
I'd steer clear of second hand, reconditioned or re-coated alloys. The damage that can happen when one breaks doesn't bear thinking about.
Some of the bigger Halfords stores have some really nice alloys (and some really awful ones too). prices for 17 inch can be around £600 for 4 including tyres.
I'm saving for genuine 18 inch Alpinas, they look far better than any replicas I've seen. Another year I guess.
I've had these lamp warnings too, in my case on Fog lights when the fog lights weren't on. Recharging the battery seems to have fixed the problem.
I had the problem on the rear number plate light a few days ago, today the bulb blew. Perhaps the system can sense a malfunction before it actually blows in some cases.
I'm having problems on brake linings now, but I think the new pads fitted recently may not have had the connection into the computer fitted correctly.
Also (God, I didn't realise how much problem i was having) windscreen washer level warning wouldn't go off at one time, replacing the sensor fixed it (about £18 GBP)
Peter
It never feels the same though, does it, after a car has been stolen, even if hasn't been damaged, it feels kinda dirty. These s**ts seem to have been as careless as possible without being downright vandals. I hope it can all be tidied up. Are the marks to the leather repairable?
Not much use having a tracker system if it can be stolen from the car!! I was planning to get one fitted. Come to think of it, how come the tracker system didn't lead plod straight to the car like the adverts would have us believe. I think I'll save my money.
Good luck though, I hope it can all be sorted out. What happens to the villains? Nothing more than a slap on the wrist I suspect. no doubt you will sue for damages.
good idea. Sorry I've not put my mind to it, work has become chaotic.
Wow. what a relief! What stupid car theives!! Well, it takes all sorts. Glad you got it back though. Hope all is well
Peter
Sure, but Robs original post suggests that he bought the wheels knowing they had been damaged, but didn't know how much, then had them re-coated.
All I'm suggesting is that the damage may have been worse than appeared, and if my BMW contact is right, then that might be the cause.
Peter
It could be that BMW are right in extreme cases, eg a CSI owner whose wheel had a bad knock then refurbishes it and drives the autobahn like a Formula 1 car. It may only be such extreme cases that cause the type of failure I was told about. But if you own a performance car and want to use it, it needs to be safe.
Whether the failure reported here is of the same type is impossible to know without further research. It is worth looking in to though.
Peter
I was talking to my local BMW dealer body shop about wheels. My plan was to put Alpina wheels on and keep the standard 16 inches for spare. One of them is a bit damaged, nothing serious, so I asked about re-coating it. his reply may be relevant here. BMW do not recommend refurbishing and re-coating alloys because of some wheel failures. One incident in germany of a wheel failure on an 850CSi at 250kph killed everyone in the car. So BMW refused and recommended against repairing the wheels.
Something, I am assured, to do with atmospheric chemicals in the exposed magnesium alloy being tapped by the new coating and corroding it from inside, whereas in an unrecoated damaged wheel that doesn't happen.
that may all be a load of salesman's bull to get me to buy the Alpinas, but I had already led him to believe I was buying them anyway, so he had nothing to gain.
For what it may be worth.
Peter
Thanks for the tip, I'll pass it on
Peter
Geneva? maybe we could meet up when I'm out there sometime. Was there last month, flew from Luton, and while driving to Luton airport I hit a lorry tyre that nearly put me in orbit. Gee, these 850s can fly!!
Anyway, joking aside, I go to Switzerland 2 or 3 times a year, sometimes flying to Zurich, sometimes to Geneva.
Peter
Thanks for the clarification. It seems that we were not talking about the same things after all.
To be fair, my mechanic was discussing and describing the situation to the parts supplier who probably had a parts diagram on screena t the time, and they knew what they were talking about. I just picked up parts of the conversation.
Anyway, for what it's worth, the front suspension parts I needed can be supplied as an arm with pushings, or the bushes can be supplied separately.
I had a quote for £70 for a pair today. Are we talking about the same things? I'm not too mechanically minded, so perhaps not. I overheard the mechanic speaking to the local BMW dealer, and referred to them as "rear suspension arm bushes" though they are on the front wheels. Confused me, but I guess they know what they are talking about. My front nearside wheel has about an inch of movement when the brakes are applied, much less on the offside.
Apparently the arms can be replaced for about £120 each, or the bushes for £35. I decided to get them both done, hence £70.
Peter
Hello 007,
I agree. Some parts are very difficult to get to though, 1 way systems and all that. Maybe around Pitville Park, or Leckhampton, do you know it well enough?
Anyway, what's with the 645 as an avatar. C'mon, play the game!!
I suppose. Hell, I just looked at a map and thought it was fairly central and away from London. If anyone knows Gloucestershire well, I'd open it up to them. I've not lived there for 25 years!
Suggestions from anyone who knows welcomed before I say any more.
sounds like a simple database job to me. Tell me what you think will be involved.
New sensor cost £17. Now I can start up and switch of in peace.
Sounds good to me.
Gloucestershire, November works for me, providing I have a usable car by then...
