Recent content by MCompact

Most of my cars have indicated 3%-4% optimistic; the most accurate have been the my F22 M235i and my W205 C43. On most BMWs you can access a service menu that allows you to adjust the computation factors, but the discrepancies never bothered me enough to do anything about it.

I ended up having to get the Getrag 262 4 speed in my Bavaria rebuilt. One of the previous owners had used hypoid gear oil and compounded that mistake by under filling the gearbox. The bearing noise got to the point that I couldn't ignore it any longer. That is the only transmission I've owned...

In 2007 I covered the US launch of the E93 (in Miami) for Roundel magazine. Back then you could do a "drive away" where you took a car home and BMW NA sent someone to pick it up 10-14 days later. While driving it back to Kentucky at least two drivers almost caused accidents trying to get a...

Today's fill up of the C43: 21.2 mpg on Shell 93 (V-Power NiTRO+)

I have a friend on another forum that owns a nice Fintail; he drives it quite a bit.

I have an aversion to mixing motors and makes- traditional hot rods excepted. A neglected Fintail deserves a modern M256 I6; @400 hp would be about right...

I’m fortunate in that I either actually owned or had extensive seat time in a few of my dream cars- E24 M6, E30 M3, E65 B7… As I’ve noted before, I was told repeatedly that I would lose interest in fast cars as I aged- and that I’d wind up in an anodyne vehicle by choice. Well, at the ripe old...

My updated list: 1974 Monte Carlo(seriously modded- really) 1969 Datsun SPL-311 Roadster 1967 Buick Riviera(bought for $5 in 1979) 1979 Plymouth Arrow GT 2.6(fast for it's day) 1972 BMW Bavaria(bought for $150 to supply parts for...) 1973 BMW Bavaria(... my first Bimmer; a rolling restoration,I...

My TJ was declared a Duck Free Zone as was my JLU. I like the Jeep wave; it reminds me of the late '70s and early '80s when BMW drivers flashed their headlights at each other.

I loved my 1999 Sahara; I bought it in 2002 to use as a parade car for an election campaign and when I bought it I fully intended to sell it after the election. It turned my wife, son, and I all loved it so I sold my 1993 Pathfinder SE instead. I kept it for 21 years and I even used for it one...

I had a chance to buy an Iso Lele and stupidly chickened out...

The Pantera and Iso Grifo were my favorite italian hybrids.

It looks like a 1973; by that ime Ford had sorted most of the problems.

The M42 1.8 liter I4 in my Club Sport needs to be wound to at least 4500 rpm to make serious power. Couple that with a Getrag gearbox where 5th gear is 1:1, and skip shifting is rarely an option. At most I might skip 4th if I've really pulled high rpm in 3rd.

I drove with my hands at 9 and 3 long before airbags. I use the same hand position on the track. I also heel and toe on both the street and track. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing.