Dug Nichols

@Eric P is it a 121 head? (i'm guessing so)

My wife's e46 daily is BMW gray green metallic. It shows differently in different light, for sure, going almost blue in hue in certain light conditions. I find Mintgrun looks different on almost every car -- here's mine in various lighting (and at various points in it's life including 2002 when I bought it in CA).

I've got calico coco mats in my Sahara and I like them

That's a sweet looking car. I love Nevada.

Yep, the look is nearly identical in terms of ride height/where the tires sit in the arches between #2 and #3. But the ride is night/day different. Unfortunately I don't have exact same angle shots across the three "eras" of this car. I wasn't a Sahara lover prior to this car either. But it has definitely grown on me.

Three iterations for my '73. Bilsteins and 185/70 r13 Kumho Solus throughout: I1: Stock springs w/ spacers removed, stock rims I2: Stock springs cut 2 coils up front and 1 in back, stock rims I love the look. The ride was a bit harsh on bumpy Minneapolis pot-holed streets I3: H&R Progressive Sports, 22m/19mm sway bars, IE Fixed Camber plates, E21 Turbine rims excellent handling in the twisty mountain roads smooth ride around town i understand why many swear by this setup (with Bilstein HD)

Anyone have experience with a side-by-side comparison between the Vredestein and CN36? I'm (over)due to replace my Yokohamas and am looking for the best driving experience when pushing the car hard. My understanding is folks love the CN36's and consider these to be the best performing tire available today. TIA

Glad you figured it out. I am having a similar issue -- I ended up cutting my downpipe with a sawsall in order to get the motor out, and then was able to PBR + heat + vice grips the stubborn ones. All but one anyway, which I ended up cutting the nut off at the edge of the manifold. now with the manifold off and the block and head on a motor stand I can get it sideways and have pbr soaking the remaining stud. Hopefully heat + vice grips will do it.

Thanks for the love and tips y’all! I got Carolina home today. Will begin the sorting on the engine….after some rest.

All good. My eldest and I used a tow strap and got it to a well-lit gas station where they are fine with it overnight. We crammed all five us into the other car and kept heading North. Will be back home in Mpls by 10p and I’ll rent a trailer tomorrow and go rescue her.

Just siezed the motor on the way back from Mid-America in our '73. Super bummer, especially since overheating is an avoidable problem with an experienced driver, but alas my crew are not.... Anyway, the car is on I35 near exit 70 in West Des Moines and I'm hoping to get it towed off of the freeway and somewhere safe until I can come back down in our truck with a trailer. Any suggestions very welcome. Thank you Dug 415-350-0608

Bummer! I saw multiple posters posts recommending this test so I did it. I hope I didn't mess it up. I opened up the sending unit and the wire broke on one side, so it's completely disconnected. Also the inner part pulled out separately from the outer housing ring, which I'm guessing isn't supposed to happen. Smells like a new part for this job.

On my drive out to the vintage, at one refueling the fuel gauge took about 30 minutes to climb from 1/4 tank to full after a refuel. Then it was fine every refill for a while, popping right back to full. Then suddenly on the drive back after a stop to refuel the gauge just sat at the very bottom, not getting any level at all. The gauge cluster has been grounded previously and for quite some time. I've had the car for 5 years and never an issue until this past week. I tested at the sender by grounding the non-ground wire, expecting to see the gauge go to full when I turn on the ignition. BUT, when turning on the ignition the gauge spiked to top and then fell back to lifeless. On subsequent ignition-on, it would give a tiny little movement. I swapped in an alt cluster I have in my parts stash, and the fuel gauge did a similar tiny blip of movement. (note, I'm not 100% certain of the gauge in the parts cluster's condition) If I'm reading previous posts right, and what my limited electrical logic tells me, the gauge should pin full and stay there with the ignition on when I'm bypassing the sender, right?? Also, any other tests I should run given the diagnosis at this point, before resorting to opening up the fuel sending unit? TIA

Prompt: how do I fix an oil leak on the back of a BMW m10 engine? My robot friend: Fixing an oil leak on the back of a BMW M10 engine typically requires identifying the source of the leak and taking appropriate measures to address it. Here are some general steps you can follow: Preparation: Before you start, make sure the engine is cool and the car is on a level surface. It's also a good idea to have a set of basic tools, a drain pan, and new gaskets or seals, if necessary. Locate the source: Inspect the engine carefully to determine the exact location of the oil leak. Common areas where leaks occur include the valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, rear main seal, and various oil seals. Valve cover gasket: If the leak is originating from the valve cover gasket, you'll need to remove the valve cover, clean the surfaces thoroughly, and replace the gasket. Make sure to use a high-quality replacement gasket and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Oil pan gasket: For leaks originating from the oil pan gasket, you'll need to drain the engine oil, remove the oil pan, clean the surfaces, and replace the gasket. Take care not to overtighten the bolts during reinstallation. Rear main seal: Fixing a rear main seal leak is a more involved process and may require removing the transmission or engine. This task is best suited for experienced individuals or professional mechanics. Oil seals: Leaks from various oil seals, such as the camshaft seals or crankshaft seals, will require replacing the faulty seals. Access to these seals may vary, so consult the service manual for specific instructions. Clean and inspect: Once you've made the necessary repairs, clean the affected area thoroughly and inspect for any additional signs of leaks. It's important to ensure that all connections are tight and the new gaskets or seals are properly installed. Refill with oil: After confirming that the leak is fixed, refill the engine with the appropriate type and amount of engine oil, according to the manufacturer's specifications. Test and monitor: Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes while observing for any new leaks. If everything appears to be in order, take the vehicle for a short test drive and recheck for leaks afterward. It's worth noting that the BMW M10 engine has been used in various models over the years, so specific steps or considerations may vary depending on the exact model and year of your BMW. If you're uncertain or uncomfortable performing the repairs yourself, it's recommended to consult a professional mechanic or a BMW dealership for assistance.

See you there! I'll be there also in a '73 Sahara, with Minnesota plates.

@kbmb02 I have these exact symptoms and have IE fixed camber plates. The symptoms didn't start exactly when I put the camber plates in, but have gotten steadily worse, to the point now where the return-to-center issue is super annoying. And when I hit a bump or a crack in the pavement it centers up. Are you aware of any solve to avoid this but still use these fixed camber plates? Or is the solution simply "don't use IE fixed camber plates"?

Headline: Today I did the relay install and wiring for fog lights. Woot! Almost ready for The Vintage I bought my '73 Sahara in 2018 from the original owner and it came with Cibie 35 fog lights (rectangle, mounted on top of bumper), one clear lens and one yellow, and wired from the battery all the way into an under-dash add-on switch, and back to the lamps. Baaaaad juju power in the cabin there. Over the winter a fellow FAQ'er offered up a box of Cibie 35 lamps and extras and I snapped them up, as I only had the clear/yellow lenses (one on each). Nice! The parts allowed me to set up dual yellow up front and I could swap to dual clear if I find that's better, and to boot two extra working bulbs in the package. Yay! I found a vintage Hella relay with appropriate patina on Ebay. Via the glorious FAQ articles I'd researched about wiring fog lamps via a relay and a final question answered within a mere couple hours this morning, I was off and running to do the proper install with the relay. I opted to use the Rear Def switch on the dash (rear elements long spent) as my switch, and tapped into the Fuse 4 entry (solid yellow) for the trigger source. The installation was pretty straightforward, aside from a bit of troubleshooting for the passenger side light lamp, and now I've got the job done and it feels great.

I do have the tap above the battery but putting a test light on it (grounded to battery negative), and turning on the headlamps is not yielding signal. Tried with high beams just in case, nada. So I thought I'd tap directly into the fusebox. I'm just not sure if I should tap BEFORE the fuse or AFTER. Before is the solid yellow, after is choosing either the Left or Right headlamp. Also, my #9 fuse is the Heater Blower. I'd be tapping into either 3 or 4 (or the opposite side ahead of the fuse).

I've found some great articles and posts on setting up a relay for adding foglights. I've got a vintage Hella 4RA 002566-11 relay and am looking for guidance on where I should tap into the trigger source that I'll connect to the 86 terminal on the relay. Research indicates I want to get it either from the solid yellow low beam wire going IN to the fusebox, or from one of the two (L or R) striped wires coming OUT of the fusebox. Which one is best? Worth noting as that this particular relay has a fuse integrated into it.

I purchased a stainless exhaust March 23 and the order processed March 29. Arrived April 5. As others suggested, send ‘‘em an email