OV9

Sundayjumper wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 1:54 pm

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 12:48 pm ...likely an M-tax heavy part of the running gear.

Surprisingly a lot of the parts are shared with all the non-M V8s, so e.g. using OEM Bosch, coils are < £25 each, spark plugs < £10 each, even a whole set of four lambda sensors will just squeak under £200 next time there's a good promo code. The car's done 120k miles and these things are consumables really, so I'm very tempted to replace the lot for peace of mind.

We're heading down to the coast to visit my parents tonight. I'm feeling brave.

Hope the trip goes well, the car looks stonking, and quite the deal (even with the breakdown )

Anyway, if you're wondering how much it costs around here for
Engine oil + filter
Coolant
Brake fluid
Gearbox oil
Diff oil

and MOT

It's about £520.

Which doesn't feel too horrid given that I should only need to worry about oil and filter changes for the next couple of years, maintenance wise.

No advisories - they noted the brake disks were a bit scabby, but I'd told them it'd been sitting on the road for a week and a half so they didn't note it down - just needed a few good stops to sort that out.

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 3:38 pm Anyway, if you're wondering how much it costs around here

I've forgotten where you live, Scarborough?

John wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 4:42 pm

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 3:38 pm Anyway, if you're wondering how much it costs around here

I've forgotten where you live, Scarborough?

Pudsey these days.

Ah yes, brain fart time

As an aside, I visited Scarborough last month to visit a friend for the first time in years. We went into the centre for a bite to eat and I thought I'd stumbled onto the set of a zombie movie

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 2:09 pm OK, my money is on HPFP being the actual problem though

£200 - although there’s two of them because of course there are - and an easy job too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234828996297

Could be £350/pair if they have a 20% promo again soon.

Car made it down to the coast absolutely fine FWIW. Although only 27mpg and I think it’s running rich; the tailpipes are very sooty.

Sundayjumper wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 10:18 am

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 2:09 pm OK, my money is on HPFP being the actual problem though

£200 - although there’s two of them because of course there are - and an easy job too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234828996297

Could be £350/pair if they have a 20% promo again soon.

Car made it down to the coast absolutely fine FWIW. Although only 27mpg and I think it’s running rich; the tailpipes are very sooty.

How many mpg were you expecting?!

Was going to say… V8 twin turbo barge. 27 sounds ok to me.

30 was a target. BMWs are usually quite good on fuel and this was a longish steady run barely going over 70 because of the traffic, so basically optimum conditions. And we know there’s something not right with the fuel/ignition atm. Can do better.

Returning to M-tax, the brakes are *not* shared with other models, and genuine are *not* cheap…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266325452372

Changed the differential on the brush cutter. The dealer here wanted £1500 for the part. After ordering it from America and paying all the taxes it was £450.

Sundayjumper wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 10:18 am

Beany wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 2:09 pm OK, my money is on HPFP being the actual problem though

£200 - although there’s two of them because of course there are - and an easy job too:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234828996297

Could be £350/pair if they have a 20% promo again soon.

Car made it down to the coast absolutely fine FWIW. Although only 27mpg and I think it’s running rich; the tailpipes are very sooty.

Decent enough prices that, I'm sure the F20 ones were reported as being about double that!

Running rich could be metering - IE counting or missing air past the airflow meter. That said I'm not that up on turbo metering, I'd guess you'd be looking for....

ho ho....

A boost leak! ( (c) Domster3000 )

Sounds like you've got an excuse to buy a smoke tester though, check the seals of the intake system after the MAFs.

(the E46 did the same, misfire codes and drinking heavily - and it turned out to be a cracked/perished intake boot, but I'm not sure how forced induction would affect that)

Welp, my Amazon bushes turned up.

Or should I say bush, because instead of a set of four I got one customer services say yes, definitely should be a set of four. Can they send me three more? No.

So I have to send back the one and get a refund - they did say I could keep it with an £11 discount

I have already ordered another set from them due for delivery tomorrow. I’m expecting another single one, but they’re £100 cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere so it’s a risk I’m willing to take…

As we now have a bit more daylight and it wasn’t freezing cold, I drained the coolant and stuck my my twin carb inlet on the Alfa to see what space I have for a throttle linkage.

i took the Lotus out for a quick spin to see how it had faired over the winter. Aside from a little mould on the seatbelts (i’ve ordered a dehumidifier bag) and a few new paint bumps on the spoiler (i’ll probably get a few bits resprayed this year) it was ok. it started and drove beautifully! Even on a 5 minute spin it was so much of an event after driving a van all year!

I have washed the car. Obviously it's still raining so it still looks a bit wet and sad, it just doesn't have a layer of traffic film from being parked on the road.

I'm sure it'll return soon enough, but as the weather gets less shit there'll be less reason to leave it.

This critical update is now over.

Beany wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 8:01 pm I have washed the car. Obviously it's still raining so it still looks a bit wet and sad, it just doesn't have a layer of traffic film from being parked on the road.

I'm sure it'll return soon enough, but as the weather gets less shit there'll be less reason to leave it.

This critical update is now over.

I’m currently wondering how manky the focus needs to be before I wash it. Currently starting to look desperate. Probably should do it……

The layer of grime on both cars hide the sad state of their paintwork.

Zoe will come up nice with a machine polish and buff. If I do that it'll also need new window rubbers. It is a maybe.

On the Galaxy it will just highlight how much work it needs. It just isn't worth the money to do.

Front O/S wing, full side below the roof rail, and rear panel behind the fourth window needs a respray.

All door edges have chips, there's a ding in the N/S rear door, front O/S lower trim needs to be replaced, boot lid needs polishing, there are two dings in the roof, one in the bonnet, and the list goes on.

And if I went to all that trouble then the brightwork needs doing, the windows are scratched, wheels need a refurb, and then we're on to interior stuff.

Mechanically it is fine, and that's how it'll stay. On a good day it might be worth £3k, not worth spending the same again on it.