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I'm thinking late Feb, early March would be a great time for a drive.

My engine is in and running. Brakes completely rebuilt. Wiring for my dodgy lights are done.

1st week of Feb the rear subframe is changed to e28 as the e12 never came with a speed sensor in the diff. I need the speed sensor to get out of limp mode. Mind you limp mode is 250hp.

So who's up for a drive and were/when. I'm thinking something we can really stretch our legs on and, please let's not pick the summernats weekend.

Josh

Hey Josh

I'm free on 21/22 Feb and then from Sunday March 8th. In between those weekends, my old dear's out from the UK late Feb/early March and I've organised the entertainment. I might get special dispensation for a drive on 28th Feb/1 Mar. Snowy Mountains?? Decent run with good / windy roads...see what your beast does. Looking forward to it.

Cheers
Andrew

G'day Fellas,

If you're heading down to the the Snowy Mountains I'll tag along.

It's a mighty long way from where you're starting though. Alternatively down this way is Wee Jasper, which is an excellent condition winding country road and probably a more reasonable distance if you're looking to do something in a single day.

-Ellis.

I was thinking down your way Ellis. Has been a long time since we headed that way and you are always kind enough to head 3 hours north before joining a drive. I'll see what I can dig up for down in the ACT region and then we can refine the drive.

When gertie is ready, feel free to try her out on the run for a leg or two. Should scare the pants off of you.

I need a baby seat for the 6'er though. Isaac is coming for sure!

I getting licence back on 23/4 so may do a drive Anzac Day weekend. Not sure if the car will be back on road or even started for engine work. Depends when Matt gets his shit together. I can always use the superchaged 540i.

Hi guys. There is a run organised for the week leading up to Easter and the BMW Nationals heading down towards the Snowy and some great roads including Beechworth. Have a look on the BMW NSW club website for details. Organised by Qld club member. You may be able to do a couple of days or the whole run if you're available.

Hi Guys,

I'm good for most of Feb, need to behave but as I've had a bad run with revenue collecting bastards over the last year.
Snowy's sound good, maybe drive down Sat and home via Sydney on Sunday?

Trev

Okay,

Let's look at a few drives. For me, I love hammering through a forest but, am keen to get towards Canberra so Ellis jumps at the chance to come and play photo-wingman!

Bowral (we've met for breakfast here before) to Kangaroo Valley and back up to Nowra. A nice drive. Then, just south of Nowra head west through Morton National Park to Nerriga along Braidwood Road. Is it tarmac? No idea. Then to Braidwood for lunch and across to Bungendore (where the Ewoks live?). Ellis could then head back to Canberra and Sydney guys can head north.

Here's the google pic.

Separate to the above. If I wanted to just hit forests for a day, I'd head to Canberra to meet up with Ellis and then do something like the below, assuming not too much of the road is dirt.

Gday Josh,

The first route's a good drive. Kangaroo Valley we know well, and the stretch of road from Nowra to Nerriga is also a great run. A lot of that roads is a scenic sweeping highway that's only about 5 years old so its all in really good condition, and there's a good little pub at Nerriga for an eat & drink. Nerriga to Braidwood however still has around 10 or 15kms waiting to be sealed. It's not too bad, and its used a lot by all sorts of traffic to and from Braidwood to the Nowra area. I've done it in the 6er a few times and it's all fine, but...

A good alternative is to travel from Nerriga to Tarago via Oallen Ford Road. Its a very old road, potholed and tired, but its got only about 1km of dirt. Tarago to Goulburn is nice & quick and you're back on the Hume. It avoids Bungendore and therefore no Ewoks, but there are wombats everywhere so stay alert on the bends.

This is the route I suggest:
http://goo.gl/maps/QvmkQ

The second route... that's quite the trek buddy.
The section west of Wee Jasper is forest trail - too rough in the 6ers. I don't know how long it goes for before it joins up with sealed road, but its mostly good for logging trucks, dirt bikes and 4WDs. I made a start on it once a few years ago in the 6er but decided it wasn't worth it and I don't really want to put my car through it.

All that area to the south is great - Tumut down through Talbingo, Cabramurra, Khancoban, Thredbo, Jindabyne etc are all great roads and countryside. But as far as I know, and if you're travelling via Tumut, you've really got to head to Gundagai and along the the Hume to get to Yass on reasonable roads, and miss out on Wee Jasper all together.

Another option is to go down the Monaro Hwy via Canberra, Cooma, Jindabyne and then do the Alpine Way loop. I did that recently on a motorbike and stayed overnight in Jindabyne, as just doing that route itself is a full day trip.

Regards,
Ellis.

All makes good sense Mr. E.

I'm happy to run with your amended route subject to comment from others. Looks like great fun. Breakfast in Bowral, lunch at a pub in Nerriga, some forest for me, a little dirt for Rallye-Art Paul, all nice.

So here it is; preliminary run for March-April? I'd like to hit the mountains later and Rosie is taking little Isaac to Brazil for 3-4 weeks in April-May so may head down for a weekend run then. Company would be good as well.

The current run:

Wow! They missed Mardi Gras?!

Ellis,

Cotter road run? Had a great write-up in a current car mag.


Josh

Shipper 01 wrote:Ellis,
Cotter road run? Had a great write-up in a current car mag.
Josh

Yeah, its a good road. It surrounds the outskirts of Canberra and you can be on it within 15 minutes from the centre of town.

Making a loop can include Cotter Dam, Mt Stromlo Observatory, Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station, Corin Dam and Googong Dam, like this:

http://goo.gl/maps/gdNm1

Which magazine? Where's this write-up?

-Ellis.

MrE wrote:

Shipper 01 wrote:Ellis,
Cotter road run? Had a great write-up in a current car mag.
Josh

Yeah, its a good road. It surrounds the outskirts of Canberra and you can be on it within 15 minutes from the centre of town.

Making a loop can include Cotter Dam, Mt Stromlo Observatory, Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station, Corin Dam and Googong Dam, like this:

http://goo.gl/maps/gdNm1

Which magazine? Where's this write-up?

-Ellis.

I like that run as well. Short but worth doing. Do you have a preferred run and a few preferred dates???

Was a 2014 wheels or motor magazine. They drove the 199kw Peugeot RZ around it. Looks very scenic!

Is your car on the road yet? And do you need to run the motor & everything else you've had done in a bit first before taking it on a 1,000km roadtrip? Other than the weekend of March 7/8 I'm not really fussed on a date, but what we need is your car on the road & running!

Yes and no, which I guess is a no.

Car is ready, e28 subframe in rear, race exhaust manifold, twin race exhaust, 275kw/430nm, lights work, indicators and brake lights sorted, modified power steering box, 540 radiator, new control arms....... list goes on


but


The oil canister for the S38B38 has a crack in it. Matt has ordered one from Norway, should be here now or next week. They are a special S38B38 only canister with oil cooler lines. So I'm awaiting this quick swap and then we are driving. I'm in Melbourne Tues and Weds next week so will confirm with Matt then my ETA.

I may be driving back next week (10% chance) or more likely, in two to three weeks. Matt wants to drive it for a week to ensure all is good then a Melbourne to Sydney drive should ensure I have 1200km plus on it before our drive.

So late May early April?

Oil canister found. Matt's working on the car next week and hopefully we're right in the next 7 to 10 days. Hopefully heading down in 2 weeks to pic up car from Melbourne. Fingers crossed.

Josh

I fly down to Melbourne Saturday June 6 to pick up the 6'er.

Engine in and running? check

New race extractors on? check

New high performance exhaust on? check

New e28 rear subframe in? check

New military grade bushes all around front and back? check

New 3.45 LSD in the back? check

New control arms up front? check

Wiring fixed so I don't make Mr. E dizzy when I go to put my right indicator on and my left brake light flashes? check

Master cylinder rebuilt? check

Brake boosters rebuilt? check

Landzer High Performance Chip ready for dyno run June 6 or 7? check

Expected rear wheel horsepower? 315 to 325hp.

Expected flywheel hp? up to 396hp as a maximum assuming 18% loss.

Expected flywheel torque? up to 440nm

Dyno sheet to come.

Driving up Monday of the long weekend. Will be hideous re traffic but time to get the car back so we can hit some runs.

Will confirm I'm in Melbourne Sat June 6.

Josh