Comments re a few drives in 2014?

Shipper 01 · Post by **Shipper 01** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:59 pm

Firstly happy new year and 2014 to all. I hope 2014 finds everyone fit and well.

Last year for me at least was quiet 6'er wise, with I think just 2 drives. Keen to hit the road this year with the gang so thought I'd see who is interested in a Feb drive?

Best to all.

Joshua

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:57 am

I really love Bimmer drives, as long as there are a lot of 2nd & 3rd gear switchbacks.

Third gear sweeping turns just aren't enough for me.

Good luck,,,,Greg

garyw51 · Post by **garyw51** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:04 am

Hi guys,
I am organising a NSW tour for the BMWNSW club starting Saturday May 3 and taking 6 days. I would like to invite any 6 series member whether club member or not. For a one day run in February we could always do old Hume starting Campbelltown, going Broughton Pass, Picton then Mittagong, Bowral and Berrima then home via Thirlmere. I did this recently and the roads are good - would be even better in a 6 series. As another option we could go to Mittagong then Wombeyan Caves, back to Lithgow and home via Bells Line of road. I can suggest other options for north or west - I would like to get something going as well.

GazM3 · Post by **GazM3** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:15 pm

A few of us Victorian chaps are thinking if doing the great alpine rd in April. Prob abit too south for our northern brothers

StephenW · Post by **StephenW** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:46 pm

I'm keen to go for a drive. Any Sunday or Saturday except the 22nd.

garyw51 · Post by **garyw51** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:22 am

Any updates on a Feb drive? Do we just need someone to give a date and organise the route?

Shipper 01 · Post by **Shipper 01** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 10:18 pm

Am yet to hear from Ben, Paul or Ellis so no idea if they are available or around. Would prefer to see if they check in. also will wait to see if Trevor wants to join us.

Best

Josh

TrevorB · Post by **TrevorB** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 6:10 am

Hi Guys,
Great idea. I need to work around the boss, but 15/2 is OK?
Where do you want to go (somewhere cool with beer)?
Trev

Paul Humpage · Post by **Paul Humpage** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:32 am

I'm keen on a drive, the dog end of February or the first weekend in March would suit me best.

I did a couple of drives last year with communication by email rather than through here as to be honest i got sick of logging on with the hope of someone organising a drive when there was a new post only to find it was someone using this part of the forum as a For Sale. Hopefully if we do more drives in 2014 the for sale items will end up being posted where they should be.

I'd be more than happy to organise something local to start things off. Maybe the Sydney Basin drive we've done a few times around the back, down to Picton and on to Avon Dam or Bargo for a picnic lunch.

I might just put a post up anyway and go on my own if no other bugger wants to go

I had some work done on my front end as i had a sticking wotsit on top of the suspension thingy and a rooted old tie rod that made the 6er handle like a boat with a cargo that moved with each swell that rolled in. A few grand later and it steers like it should so it needs plenty of drives to keep everything lubed and in fine fettle. I don't know about anyone else but my car turns to an old piece of crap if it sits in the driveway. Take it out for a good drive and it's nigh on perfect.

Saturday 1st March?

Regards
Paul

StephenW · Post by **StephenW** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:54 am

March 1 works for me. Gives me time to fix the odometer & the A/C fan resistor

Shipper 01 · Post by **Shipper 01** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:57 pm

Sat March 1, 2014 sounds good to me. Glad you got your whooosymabob fixed before it nuttled the thingamyjig.

I need more drives and less sales as well. My car fades badly if it is not run at least once every 8 or so weeks and as it is on historic reg, I need the runs.

Will see if Rosie wants to attempt to put a baby seat in the car but it may just be the Gu and me.

Josh

TrevorB · Post by **TrevorB** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:39 pm

Helen's going to try and change shifts so hopefully I'm in.

Paul Humpage · Post by **Paul Humpage** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:19 am

Sounds like a plan then. I'll bung a post up over the long weekend after doing a run to check that i remember where we went and that the roads are still there and not buried under some horrendous new housing estate.

Regards
Paul

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:24 am

Good thinking, Paul!

Good excuse for an extra run, too.

hoadie · Post by **hoadie** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:06 am

A belated happy new year to everyone.

My car's been off the road since late September as the SLS had sprung a leak. I decided to order the parts from the US as they were more than 50% cheaper, even after forking out GST and whatnot as BavAuto declared the full price on the Customs form ($1100).

The parts turned up 2 weeks ago and upon fitting, the mechanic has found I need another part. So the wait continues.

So with a bit of luck the additional parts will turn up in the next week and the car will be back on the road well before March 1. I'm really keen for a drive so I should be there.

Shipper 01 · Post by **Shipper 01** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:46 am

Great news Ben, I've got my car booked in for a rebuild on all four callipers now. Hopefully this fixes the woeful brake fade.

Will be good to catch up over a pub lunch.

josh

hoadie · Post by **hoadie** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 6:01 am

Bloody hell Josh, you've had dodgy brakes for years! Get them sorted and you'll be more likely to get it out on the road and do some long trips.

I missed these comments from Paul earlier:

Paul Humpage wrote: I did a couple of drives last year with communication by email rather than through here as to be honest i got sick of logging on with the hope of someone organising a drive when there was a new post only to find it was someone using this part of the forum as a For Sale. Hopefully if we do more drives in 2014 the for sale items will end up being posted where they should be.

All the for sale stuff belongs in the classifieds, not in the Fests section. Period.

Shipper 01 · Post by **Shipper 01** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:31 am

I agree re the for sale stuff.

Before every drive I'd spend $450 plus getting my brakes bled and checked. My mate Greg took it for a drive and said that my front left was locked on! He reckons that it locks on and then just boils the brake fluids.

I bought 4 calliper kits from Walloth & Nesche in Germany and we'll dismantle all four calipers and refurbish per brand new. Hopefully this fixes the issue.

Josh

StephenW · Post by **StephenW** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:04 am

I had a problem with calipers locking on. New master cylinder was the fix.

hoadie · Post by **hoadie** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:10 am

They can be pesky things, brakes. My front callipers were rebuilt when I bought the car, back in 2006. I guess that's a long time ago, now isn't it!

I suffered a catastrophic brake failure in the Falcon in the week between Xmas and NYE. Heading home (east) along the M4 I lost almost all pressure. They'd been fine earlier in the day, but in the couple of mins before getting onto the M4 they'd started getting soft. Knowing this I checked the brake operation before I got to the end of the M4, because even if you get a green light, there's a set of traffic lights about 50m later, and another set 100m after that.

I manually changed gears in the auto to help wash off speed and kept my hand on the hand brake, just in case, but managed to get off the M4 and into the servo that's at the 2nd set of traffic lights. On checking the brake fluid levels I found it empty, literally empty.

I topped it up, gave it a few pumps and it firmed up straight away. I quickly drove to the mechanic. The next day he called me to show me what was wrong. The bleed nipple on one side wouldn't seat and was actually pissing brake fluid. And the other calliper was seized!

So that's all well and good, and you'd think that being a Ford parts would be readily available, but, brake parts are NLA from Ford, and the only option was to get a rebuilt set of callipers, but being Xmas/NYE, everyone was closed down until the 2nd Jan!

That meant I had 2 cars off the road! Thank god for the motorbike and an understanding housemate.

I'm sure there's a moral to this story somewhere or even a point. I'll be stuffed if I know!

Paul Humpage · Post by **Paul Humpage** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:25 am

Frightening experience Ben. What a pisser not being able just to buy brake parts for an Aussie built Ford off the shelf though. You'll be up shit creek when Ford packs up and goes as i reckon they will offer parts for new ones for a year or two and then you're on your own.

Regards
Paul

hoadie · Post by **hoadie** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:39 am

I can't remember what the deal is - I think they are supposed to keep parts for 10 years, and then after that you're on your own. You'll find out with your Saab, I guess.

I noticed a couple of years ago there were some plastic bits and pieces I couldn't get, so ended up getting them from a wrecker. That might have had something to do with their supplier though, which I think was Nylex. The car is now 16 years old so I guess I can't complain too much.

Pretty much anything can get re-built, which is what happened with the brakes. And the alternator and drive shaft on the Beemer. The only things I reckon will be hard to get over time will be cosmetic bits and pieces.