Your fleet running reports

[jamcg]

You can get flat stick on led panels intended for motorcycle indicators, could be a simpler way of reducing the size and sticking onto the rubber strip- flush fit look without drilling bumper?

[MikeHunt]

My 5 sailed through its mot yesterday, as expected. It has done almost 20,000 more miles that the Mazda had done on its first mot. It was also due brake fluid, but I decided to do an extra oil change as 2 years seems way too long. I found a specialist in Pershore that seemed to do a decent job.

I did think about changing it, found my self looking at flying spur, panameras and urus (uruses?) and ultimately its difficult to justify the huge jump in cost, feels like diminishing returns; paying so much more for a relatively small bump in usable performance and badge prestige that equates to bragging rights, not a genuinely better day-to-day car. Plus, frankly, I prefer being more under the radar.

I have a few weeks now to decide on the warranty, there is a choice of full fat (circa £1000/year) or slightly cheaper options with reduced cover.

[Mito Man]

Helped my dad fix the F150 sunroof. It had a loud crack and stopped working. Taking a look through the rubber cover I could see the frame had a crack in it.

So we ordered the parts which came from the American city of China.
Removed the glass and found the piece that was causing the obstruction

The new part below is an updated part number - apparently stronger but looked identical. It’s odd, the frame is metal and then it’s lined in plastic, presumably so it slides better or acts as a sacrificial part

All in all an easy repair but don’t recommend working on the roof of a black car in direct sunlight at midday.

[Jobbo]

My 5 sailed through its mot yesterday, as expected. It has done almost 20,000 more miles that the Mazda had done on its first mot. It was also due brake fluid, but I decided to do an extra oil change as 2 years seems way too long. I found a specialist in Pershore that seemed to do a decent job.

I did think about changing it, found my self looking at flying spur, panameras and urus (uruses?) and ultimately its difficult to justify the huge jump in cost, feels like diminishing returns; paying so much more for a relatively small bump in usable performance and badge prestige that equates to bragging rights, not a genuinely better day-to-day car. Plus, frankly, I prefer being more under the radar.

I have a few weeks now to decide on the warranty, there is a choice of full fat (circa £1000/year) or slightly cheaper options with reduced cover.

I’d go for the full fat warranty and keep it for a good while. There’s not much appeal in the new 5, anything like a Bentley is going to attract the wrong sort of attention and make you more conscious where you park, that sort of thing. Diminishing returns and any car guy is going to appreciate an M550i.

[Beany]

Been checking out other options for cars.

Cayman S - probably a bit pricier to maintain than I'd like, risks of bore score that aren't mitigated till they're out of my budget, expensive 'boring' parts like starter motors being £400 etc - and I'm not sure it'd be entirely sensible to park on the street (debatable, but I'm obviously a bit paranoid right now)

MX-5 RF (the retractable fastback one, metal roof) - actually quite interesting, but hoo boy does it have fuck all luggage capacity. Probably also a bit tight. I'd not expect a Z4 to be limo like but general consensus is if you're 6ft or above, ND MX5s feel 'more than snug' which doesn't bode well for the regular 200-400 mile trips I have to do for work...with a suitcase and often laptops etc with me. Think that's ruled it out as an only car for me.

370Z - not remotely special enough to justify the £700/PA tax on it. That, and they have never quite looked right, or sat right with me.

GT86 - mate owns one, so can't. Also it doesn't really spark anything in me. I'm sure they're great cars, but they don't float my boat.

E89 Z4 with an N54 and two turbos - actually similar problem to the MX5, for a kinda similar reason - the folding hardtop I'd be OK with (it's fabric that's the problem, with all the sap, pollen, seeds and rain around here, it turns the roofs into a mobile wildlife reserve if you miss scrubbing it out for even a couple of weeks) but it badly compromises the boot from a capacity/shape perspective, even with the roof up - as it has to have a specific shape to hold the glass - https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/z4/20 ... acticality - too much of a compromise for me given last company meeting I had two suitcases, and a laptop bag, and a backpack and I'm pretty sure I don't want to have half of that in the fucking passenger seat...

Also they really are a bit odd visually.

Everything keeps coming back to a Z4 Coupe as a relatively practical daily that can do 200-400 mile hotel trips without any special prep/thought thanks to it's big hatch and will suffer being pootled around town regularly, is relatively straightforward to run/maintain (the oily bits mostly from £30k saloons with reasonable parts prices), is RWD, and a bit of fun without being horribly compromised in any one particular area like everything else seems to be, and isn't something old enough to be a realistic prospect of turning into a full on basket case and isn't just a warmed up normal car car (hence no E36 M3s etc despite them ostensibly being in budget, for both 'hot normal car' and 'potential basket case' reasons at my budget).

I mean I'll take other suggestions but there's not many I can think of at the moment in the "eight to fifteen grand" space.

[jamcg]

Sl500? Some low mileage examples in that price range, and it’s a bigger car than the z4 so slightly more space boot wise. Granted it’s more waft than sports but has added v8

Eg

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 00&fromsra

[Beany]

Not unfair, but a bit too 'old man' for me.

Also, I'd want the one with the twin superchargers, or a SL600, not the mid level MD spec SL500, that's for normal people, not exceptional specials like me.

(well, definitely special, we just don't explain in what way)

(quick edit - also, S-class running costs....)

[Matty]

I should imagine the running costs on the SL would be fairly hefty too. Do they all have that fancy adaptive suspension that costs mega £££ to replace?

More outside choice for V8 goodness with far more respectable running costs in the SLK55. Yes, hairdresser car, etc - but I had great fun in mine (I'm sure someone else on here had one too?) and has decent running costs. Plus, they sound like absolute rolling thunder with an X-Pipe.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 3120041113

Alas, it's another one that falls into the £735/year tax bracket, unless you stretch to the later R172's, which have a better gearbox but don't look as good!

[Beany]

Probably a bit 'risk of big bill' for me, honestly.

Again, second car, not daily, material from my perspective - I don't have that much spare money going around

[16vCento]

I know someone selling a SLK350

'3.5 litre v6 auto in terellium (sliver with a blue tint) and has done circa 84k 2004/5 so cheaper tax then the later cars. It has an incredible service history to back this up and in reality has had 3 owners from new (although the logbook says 5) - one long term female doctor who we bought the car from had owned it since it was at 18 months old. MOT history also shows a mileage discrepancy - I'm was confident enough when buying it that it was an error by the place that MoT'd it that year!

The car never wanted for anything with the previous owner and I have kept this up. Has been regularly serviced, including a new rear subframe last year from Mercedes under warranty. The car has had a new os front wing (ns had already been replaced) and was repainted down both sides by a friend. The alloys were refurbished at the same time and come with good premium tyres (Goodyer front, Yokahama rear). It was painted for no other reason than a couple of blemishes I wasn't happy with. A couple of years on, the car still looks fantastic.

Well spec'd car from new with heated electric memory seats (both) and air scarf.

Price wise, I'm thinking £3750.'

[16vCento]

It's only in Barnsley so not too far either.

[John]

The boot on the ND has plenty of room for soft bags, trying to get a hard suitcase in may be a challenge though.

[John]

And this video may or may not convince you that this is the car for you

[Matty]

I don't see any reason why the '55 would be massively more expensive than some of the Z4 options to be honest - as mentioned, there's nothing overly complicated, no fancy dampers or crazy tech in there. It was one reason I bought it, compared to some of the alternatives.

Although I should clarify I was incredibly unlucky with the gearbox failing, but that could have happened in any Mercedes, AMG or not.

I know someone selling a SLK350

The SLK350 is meant to be a better car than the SLK55 - mainly because it was available in manuel, but also the V6 was quite a bit lighter in the nose!

[Beany]

It is interesting, but I still feel like that's 'second car' territory along with the MX5/cayman, and I don't want to be running two cars at the moment where they're both parked on (a pretty busy through-road) street - two potential mirrors knocked off etc.

I now have a secondary mental list for when I'm in a position to reasonably run two cars, though, IE if I move to a place with a driveway/garage, if local storage drops in my lap, etc.

[integrale_evo]

Clk55s seem reasonably priced for useable v8 goodness. Unfortunately most seem to be cabrios.

Our 350 is surprisingly bmw like to drive. Not the floaty numb old man’s car I was expecting.

[V8Granite]

The 350 is a lovely engine too.

Dave!

[Matty]

It is interesting, but I still feel like that's 'second car' territory along with the MX5/cayman, and I don't want to be running two cars at the moment where they're both parked on (a pretty busy through-road) street - two potential mirrors knocked off etc.

I now have a secondary mental list for when I'm in a position to reasonably run two cars, though, IE if I move to a place with a driveway/garage, if local storage drops in my lap, etc.

Still confused as to why you see the Cayman/MX5/SLK as second car territory, but not the Z4?

[Carlos]

As he has already made up his mind

[Jobbo]

And this video may or may not convince you that this is the car for you

Beany could only dispose of small bodies in an MX5. That’s a real limitation.

I went away for the weekend in mine and the boot isn’t terrible, but the opening is restrictive. And trying to get boxes or solid things in would be a pain.