the new ride!

[ash00]

Despite getting laid off and still dealing with stupid physical therapy bills...I had to do it..I needed a SOLID Daily. It sucked going to interviews in the mini and coming out smelling like gas and having oil between my fingernails.

I sold the 318is, but stumbled upon yet another dream car: 2004 330i ZHP.

6spd, alcantara interior, and an absolute amazing car with these crazy neat features called "radio" and "AC" as well as this fuzzy stuff on the ground called "carpet".

Now I need an e21 and e36 to complete the lineage!

[dubois]

congratulations on your lay off present! I only got a bbq for mine 18 years ago! E46's are one of the best BMW's in my opinion.

[Grover]

Nice work Aashish. Did you sell Blunt's old car too? Hope the 2002 is coming along, mine is almost done, thanks in no small part to your welding work.

[ash00]

Thanks!

I told my self I'd sell my liver before I sell Blunt's car. I just couldn't crawl in/out of that thing and I don't want to get any more dings and scratches from daily driving. Some SUV scraped its door on the side and that prompted this car to refrain running (quick) errands.

Glad I could help with the welding work- I'm always free to do that stuff!!

[robspeed]

NICE! id like an early e46 myself. 99 328i in that nice carbon gray color would do me nicely...

[Kidasters]

Ash -

Very very nice. I really like my E46. Now it looks like we have 3 cars in common!

How's the mini coming? Mine is coming slow. I've had brake bleeding issues, and have ended up re-building the entire system. New rotors on front. New drums on back. New wheel cylinders, springs and adjusters. Re-built both front calipers. All new brake lines.

Good grief.

Later,

Ken

[ash00]

Hey Ken!

good to hear from you-

The mini is doing fantastic. My friend and I drove the crap out of it during our California Melee event last weekend. it was about 500+ miles through some crazy hilly roads and the inno didn't skip a beat. I did have a little clutch pedal issue towards the end but I might just need to be readjusted. I'm trying my hardest not to sell the thing now but I just got my severence pay which was cut in half from taxes. Great...

Do you still want me to send you those copper gaskets for those bubble flared lines?

[Kidasters]

Hah! Thanks for asking Ash. The short answer - no. The long answer: You wouldn't believe the pain the ass I just went through with my brake system. Replaced all of the flexible hoses with stainless hoses from Goodridge. Bled - air in the system (soft pedal). Replaced the booster (with a new one!). Still air in the system. Replaced the master cylinder (twice) - still air in the system. Replaced all of the hard lines in the car (except the long one from front to back). Still air in the system. Replaced the rear drums, shoes and cylinders. Still air in the system. Replaced the front rotors, pads and re-built the calipers (I even did the cardinal sin - I split them). Still air in the system. But 95% of the brake system is new!

Posted all of my problems on a mini board in the UK. One guy told me to pump the pedal hard, jam it with a piece of wood and leave it overnight.

Did that - and would you believe it worked!

If only he had told me that about $1500 ago!

PS - interested in a Cooper S brake master? I have an extra....

Later,

Ken

[ash00]

Are you sure that the bleeder port of the caliper was on top of the caliper, not on the bottom? I had a friend who double pumped every time for 20 years, and just drove it that way.

[Kidasters]

Yep.

[frittering]

good to see other mini drivers on here.