In Heinleins
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, the official motto of the lunar colony is TANSTAAFL--There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Not surprisingly, this ethos turned up in a lot of Heinleins work. Source notwithstanding, they're words to remember well, and they bring me to the start of this review.
The good: I now own a 330Ci ZHP that can probably outrun an unmodded E46 M3. What's more, it has M3 seats, semiforged wheels, and adaptive Bosch headlights. Maintenance history, if not exactly old school, is really quite decent. Brakes are at 6mm front and rear. A short shifter of one sort or another appears to be present. The car corners as if on rails, accelerates with authority (and then some), and just plain works like a BMW ought to. And let's be honest: stick just rocks my world!
The not-terrific: I originally mentioned that I thought the car needed a CDV delete; I no longer believe this to be true. Except at startup, shifts are smooth and seamless (anyone need a Zeckhausen modified CDV?). At startup, the engine stutters (badly) in low gear/at low revs, and is worse as temperatures drop. Once the engine is warm, the problem disappears. Salient facts include a) a small valve cover gasket leak that was apparently known of for more than a year before I bought the car, and; b) a cryptic note from the S/C installer in November 2009 about a failing fuel pump and/or filter. Then, of course, there's the little T-stat open failure that magically manifested itself on arrival to Wisconsin. The brake fluid--ostensibly changed back in May--had become significantly moisture-laden and red(dye?)-colored after three months and 400 miles of driving. The grey M3 seats show significant new wear after ten days (can anyone say 'dye job'? Repeat after me...).
Before anyone assumes I'm whining, let me make something clear: I was at-least somewhat suspicious that my seller is a 'car flipper' before I purchased the car. I am now much more-inclined to that view. That view nothwithstanding, I really love this car. I'm hopeful that a new fuel filter, valve cover gasket, spark plugs and VANOS gasket will work wonders for the cold hesitation and near-stalls. Leather can (eventually will) be re-done. Brake fluid is cheap. And I already have almost everything I need for a coolant system overhaul.
Oh, yeah...here's an interesting thing to chew on, for all you engineering types: per the OBC, estimated fuel economy when I refilled tonight was 32.7mpg after 342 miles. Per direct calculation, ACTUAL fuel economy was 24.45mpg. While several competing theories occupy my little brain, I posit this one to those of you who are technically-gifted: could the S/C setup and/or programming really screw up the OBCs fuel economy algorithm that badly? More data to come as I put more miles on my rocket sled and fix what ails her...
Originally Posted by MsRN
In Heinleins The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, the official motto of the lunar colony is TANSTAAFL--There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Not surprisingly, this ethos turned up in a lot of Heinleins work. Source notwithstanding, they're words to remember well, and they bring me to the start of this review.
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