and the car search begins....

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

Here ya go! Have fun reliving the old days of computers too.

Pretty neat how they've implemented these...try them.
http://www.therestartpage.com/

Nice.

Anybody know where I can get a ribbon for an Olivetti Divisumma 24?

My grandfather bought it for his cotton broker business. Adds, subtracts, multiples and divides, with gears. (Placement of the decimal point is up to you, as with a slide rule.)

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:50 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

Here ya go! Have fun reliving the old days of computers too.

Pretty neat how they've implemented these...try them.
http://www.therestartpage.com/

Nice.

Anybody know where I can get a ribbon for an Olivetti Divisumma 24?

My grandfather bought it for his cotton broker business. Adds, subtracts, multiples and divides, with gears. (Placement of the decimal point is up to you, as with a slide rule.)

Looks like you'll have to load your own inked ribbons on that one Art. If you turn it sideways, does it morph into a scientific calc machine?

My grandfather started a produce business back in the early 30s in Winston-Salem, and in the 1960s when we would visit (from CT), I loved to go to his business and play on a mechanical adding machine like that.

It was one of those life experiences you don't forget...I mean some machine that would actually do math for you? Sort of like seeing the first TI calculator a few years later. Fast forward to 1974 and we were required to use a slide rule in Chemistry class; calculators were becoming affordable and proliferating, but no, in Atlanta in 1974 you surely had to learn the life-long skill of using a slide rule...tests and everything. :roll:

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 10:17 am

It's been a while since I posted about car buying. When we last looked at my bad buying habits, I had picked up a nice 2011 e90 sedan as my DD last April. In April this year, we sold our escape to our son and I gave Pam my 2011 since I had purchased my old e36 back. Now we had 3 sedans and became obvious we needed something w/ a little hauling power. Pam had stated she really liked the way the 3 drove and really didn't want another SUV, so we started looking for a 3 series wagon. After a few months of looking we scored a nice CPO 2011 wagon from Chip up at Atlantic. This gives us warranty till Sept of next year or 60k

This one actually has the iDrive and I've learned to like the features it offers. A 3 series wagon is not an easy beast to find, which is a shame. It's a nice looking car, has some room in the back and drives as nice as the sedan. Now I just need to figure out a way to get it back from Pam =)

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:02 pm

3 series wagons are easy to find. Finding a manual RWD is what's tough.

Yours AWD or RWD? Manual or auto?

Here's mine:

CSL knock-off wheels, soon to have some pimpy electronically controlled shocks, a 3 stage intake upgrade and probably header and exhaust.

--Donnie

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:41 pm

auto for the wife and it's x-drive. Neither are my personal preference, but safer for Pam in both respects. Chuck had posted about the intake swap along w/ the tune. If I'm able to get my hands on the car in a few years, I think that's the direction I'll go.

The wheels on mine need to go. I like what you have on your wagon....

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:47 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

The wheels on mine need to go.

One site to hunt around on. If you end up finding Apex wheels you like, note they usually have a group buy in the mid-winter each year where you can end up saving $200 plus get free shipping. 18x8.5 or 18x9 with 255/35-18 is a good size for a non-M E9x.

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 5:38 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

It's been a while since I posted about car buying. When we last looked at my bad buying habits, I had picked up a nice 2011 e90 sedan as my DD last April. In April this year, we sold our escape to our son and I gave Pam my 2011 since I had purchased my old e36 back. Now we had 3 sedans and became obvious we needed something w/ a little hauling power. Pam had stated she really liked the way the 3 drove and really didn't want another SUV, so we started looking for a 3 series wagon. After a few months of looking we scored a nice CPO 2011 wagon from Chip up at Atlantic. This gives us warranty till Sept of next year or 60k

This one actually has the iDrive and I've learned to like the features it offers. A 3 series wagon is not an easy beast to find, which is a shame. It's a nice looking car, has some room in the back and drives as nice as the sedan. Now I just need to figure out a way to get it back from Pam =)

So do you fit in it with a helmet on?

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:09 pm

Chris Halweg wrote:

So do you fit in it with a helmet on?

lol.... no. That wagon and I shall never cross autocross paths, strictly a daily driver for Pam and the occasional cruiser for me.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:11 pm

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

The wheels on mine need to go.

One site to hunt around on. If you end up finding Apex wheels you like, note they usually have a group buy in the mid-winter each year where you can end up saving $200 plus get free shipping. 18x8.5 or 18x9 with 255/35-18 is a good size for a non-M E9x.

Thanks Chuck, good to know. Between this info and the intake, that should make a monster car at some point. Now, given the choice of upgrading the e90 or being able to buy that e46 from Jackie, I'd rather buy the e46. She ready to sell it to me yet?

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Fri Jul 10, 2015 7:53 am

RodneyWright wrote:

Thanks Chuck, good to know. Between this info and the intake, that should make a monster car at some point. Now, given the choice of upgrading the e90 or being able to buy that e46 from Jackie, I'd rather buy the e46. She ready to sell it to me yet?

She might have been about two weeks ago. She was getting a tstat code, and she had replaced the tstat about 3 years back (along with the water pump, expansion tank, hoses, etc, as part of preventative maintenance), but it was throwing a code nonetheless but no overheating or other signs of an issue. She ordered it online (BMW Morristown online parts -- super place to do business with btw, best prices in the country and quick inexpensive shipping), and then did it on a Saturday morning. Fortunately she has a garage in her apartment given how hot it's been. She said that it was very easy to do and only took about 90 min start to finish.

The last time we visited her I mentioned again that I bet you'd be ready to buy that car if/when she wants to sell it. She just laughs and then asks me what would she would replace it with. I have no clue, new or used; neither does she. It's hard to compete with a no sunroof, no fold-down seats, 6MT Imola red E46 ZHP sedan with Turner front and rear sway bars, Ground Control Koni coilovers and camber plates, Alcantara interior, 8.5/255 all around, etc. It actually rides decently but man it's like a go kart to drive everyday. I think anything "new" would be too soft/refined/isolated lol.

By the way, the water pump on the 6 cylinder E90s is electric, hard to get to, more expensive, and apparently somewhat prone to failure after 100k+ miles. My wife's E90 is 9.5 years old now (can't believe that we've had it that long) with 132k miles and still on its original pump, so who knows.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:16 am

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

Thanks Chuck, good to know. Between this info and the intake, that should make a monster car at some point. Now, given the choice of upgrading the e90 or being able to buy that e46 from Jackie, I'd rather buy the e46. She ready to sell it to me yet?

She might have been about two weeks ago. She was getting a tstat code, and she had replaced the tstat about 3 years back (along with the water pump, expansion tank, hoses, etc, as part of preventative maintenance), but it was throwing a code nonetheless but no overheating or other signs of an issue. She ordered it online (BMW Morristown online parts -- super place to do business with btw, best prices in the country and quick inexpensive shipping), and then did it on a Saturday morning. Fortunately she has a garage in her apartment given how hot it's been. She said that it was very easy to do and only took about 90 min start to finish.

The last time we visited her I mentioned again that I bet you'd be ready to buy that car if/when she wants to sell it. She just laughs and then asks me what would she would replace it with. I have no clue, new or used; neither does she. It's hard to compete with a no sunroof, no fold-down seats, 6MT Imola red E46 ZHP sedan with Turner front and rear sway bars, Ground Control Koni coilovers and camber plates, Alcantara interior, 8.5/255 all around, etc. It actually rides decently but man it's like a go kart to drive everyday. I think anything "new" would be too soft/refined/isolated lol.

By the way, the water pump on the 6 cylinder E90s is electric, hard to get to, more expensive, and apparently somewhat prone to failure after 100k+ miles. My wife's E90 is 9.5 years old now (can't believe that we've had it that long) with 132k miles and still on its original pump, so who knows.

Once she gets over laughing at my request, I'm still good to go on it. As for the water pump, yeah, I heard that along w/ the starter is soft points on the car, but otherwise no other common issues I'm aware of.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Sat Jul 11, 2015 7:37 am

RodneyWright wrote:

As for the water pump, yeah, I heard that along w/ the starter is soft points on the car, but otherwise no other common issues I'm aware of.

[Rodney voice]HA![/Rodney voice]

e46 have plenty of other weak points. Bushings that wear out frequently (ZHPs are a little better about this), the entire electrical system, potential chassis sub frame issues, the list goes on...

I am growing to like mine a lot, but it baffles me that no one has beat them at their game yet. BMW's formula is simple, someone just needs to copy it while taking out the ingrediants "complicated for no gain" and "fragile".

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Sat Jul 11, 2015 7:58 am

Michael Westerfield wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

As for the water pump, yeah, I heard that along w/ the starter is soft points on the car, but otherwise no other common issues I'm aware of.

[Rodney voice]HA![/Rodney voice]

e46 have plenty of other weak points. Bushings that wear out frequently (ZHPs are a little better about this), the entire electrical system, potential chassis sub frame issues, the list goes on...

I am growing to like mine a lot, but it baffles me that no one has beat them at their game yet. BMW's formula is simple, someone just needs to copy it while taking out the ingrediants "complicated for no gain" and "fragile".

Michael,

I think Rodney was referring to the E90/91 platform since I made a comment about its electric water pump. Having owned both, the E9x is vastly more reliable and durable than the E46. Stuff like suspension bushings (which wear on the E46 is you so much as think about them) are substantially improved on the E9x. My wife's car at 132k miles, for example, needed none of them replaced other than the tie rods which I recently replaced when I put on new shocks all around. RTABs were still fine with little/normal play, front thrust bushings seemed fine, etc. I think on my E46 I had to do the front thrust bushings at ~50k miles or less, and then they were replaced again since Jackie has owned the car at some point.

Regards,
Chuck

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Sat Jul 11, 2015 10:20 am

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

Michael,

I think Rodney was referring to the E90/91 platform since I made a comment about its electric water pump. Having owned both, the E9x is vastly more reliable and durable than the E46. Stuff like suspension bushings (which wear on the E46 is you so much as think about them) are substantially improved on the E9x. My wife's car at 132k miles, for example, needed none of them replaced other than the tie rods which I recently replaced when I put on new shocks all around. RTABs were still fine with little/normal play, front thrust bushings seemed fine, etc. I think on my E46 I had to do the front thrust bushings at ~50k miles or less, and then they were replaced again since Jackie has owned the car at some point.

Regards,
Chuck

What Chuck said. I was referring to the e9x platform. Seems BMW got their crap together and fixed most of the soft spots. All the reviews I've read on the e9x are pretty favorable, especially with the NA motors. Early turbos have some issues....

Judi Westerfield · **Posted:** Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:47 am

So I log on for the first time in a long time and what do I see.....Rodney buying a different car!

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