Biffo

Gav, Go back to the Doctor's and tell he/she the pills you've been prescribed are too strong for you, and they're having adverse side effects on your mental well-being!

I do like a pristine clean car myself Gav, and give them the TLC they deserve. The neighbours think I'm a few pills short of a full prescription, but I know which car I prefer looking at on the driveway! I know my recently purchased E36 is 18 years old, and the black paintwork requires attention, but, unless you're up close and personal, it still puts their later models to shame for exterior and interior condition.

Thank you, I told the wife I'm not the only one who does such things!

Yeah, I know what you mean Gav. If I could afford to own such beauty, I'd have it in a glass case and build a house around it. But then surely that would be to experience only half the pleasure, for ones-self and a privileged few, instead of bringing pleasure to who knows many people. It will certainly be one of those moments in life which I'll never forget, that's for sure. (I really like cars, by the way!) :D

On this warm and beautiful evening, as I'm on my way way to Warrington to fit a tracking device to a lorry, when what do I see coming in the opposite direction - a vintage BMW 328 Roadster, in cream with blue wings, and the soft-top down. The grey-haired gentleman driving looking like he was the happiest person on the planet. It's the oldest BMW I've ever seen on the road. What a thrill; it made my night I can tell you. And if the gentleman in question should happen to be reading this post, I'd just like to say thank you for making this Anorak very happy. :D Apologies for the image size, but the thought came to me as I was writing this post (and according to the wife, thoughts don't come naturally to me) that a picture of the car would be nice, and it was the only one I could find at the time. Apologies too if I've broken any copyright on the image, but in my defense I can only say I was still so excited at seeing such a rare and beautiful vehicle: I trust the moderators will do the right and proper thing if they believe I have transgressed. I found the image at... 'ultimatecarpage.com' where, since I've had time to view the site, there is some excellent information on the vehicle.

Yeah, thanks for that Dabsy.

Do you remember that phenomenon from the 80's with hot hatches... the "Black Death", and hence the development of synthetic oils... mmmmmmm!

Yeah, Dabsy, working for a main dealership for a well known Swedish Truck maker, I did the same in my 3.9 V8 Rangie. And why? Because they only specify the highest quality engine oil due to the high loads diesel engines, and in particular, the turbochargers are subjected to. Use a thin oil in diesel engine for a while, especially one with a variance of '30' between the lowest and the highest figures ( more polymers added to acheive the 'W' rating, while still trying to meet its high temperature viscosity) and check the results. Black burnt smelly oil, depositing itself who knows where in your oil-ways. I've only ever used top quality oils (Castrol) because cheap oils are usually recycled oils, with the additives put back in. Where do you suppose all those thousands of gallons of used oil from oil changes goes. A tanker comes in and takes away to the engineering equivalent of a maternity ward! My yardstick is "If you're not sure, don't do it". All the information you could ever want is at your finger tips. Go look. Cheers.

To be honest, I'd be wary of using anything not recommended by the manufacturer. Remember, they perform extensive testing on their products before releasing them to the market, and they make recommendations for good reason. Beside lubrication, one of the main mechanical properties of a oil is its ability to resist shear stress. Another is to remove heat from component parts, i.e. the underside of pistons, etc. If an oil is too thin, its ability to resist shear stress is reduced, it will break down, form a film, burn and accelerate wear. Think of the pressure the big-end and con-rod bearings are under every time the fuel ignites in the cylinders. At 1500 rpm, those bearings are resisting that shear stress at 25 times per second... a lot of work. I haven't got the energy right now to write a full explanation, but try this article, and see what they say about thin oils and diesel engines. Sorry, tried that link and it didn't work, so try Googling: www.jeepfan.com/tech/motoroil - faq.htm My link Good luck.

To be honest, I'd be wary of using anything not recommended by the manufacturer. Remember, they perform extensive testing on their products before releasing them to the market, and they make recommendations for good reason. Beside lubrication, one of the main mechanical properties of a oil is it ability to resist shear stress. Another is to remove heat from component parts, i.e. the underside of pistons. If an oil is too thin,its ability to resist shear stress is reduced, it will break down causing a film, burn and accelerate wear. Think of the pressure the big-end and con-rod bearings are under every time the fuel ignites in the cylinders. I haven't got the energy right now to write a full explanation, but try this article, and see what they say about thin oils and diesel engines. My link Good luck.

Beemer318, go for it, I doubt you'll regret it.

Thanks for the welcome Beemer318. Yes, I think I've made the right choice here; in fact the more I'm around this car, the more I'm convinced it was one of those "Right place, Right time" moments. As for the performance, well, the engine seems to pick up nicely, the gears snick positively from one ratio to the next, and it goes where you point it, with no vagueness in the steering. Hooking up bends, apex to apex, is sheer joy. Yes, I have to say, I'm delighted with it.

Yeah, keep a small tin by the garage door, just in-case I have unexpected visitors!

Cheers Caz, Yeah, shiney, shiney spanners... I've also been advised that what I'm doing with a half in ratchet isn't legal under English Law! It's good to be on-board.

Hi AndyG72, Thanks for posting the link. It appears to be a really useful site and if the example pages are anything to go by, just the thing I'm looking for. Cheers.