Greetings

Could you post some links? It sounds like something I might enjoy. I don't generally listen to a lot of music but the genre I most enjoy and actually makes me feel emotional (can't describe the feeling, it's rather strange) is 70's and 80's electronic music. Valerie Collective is a great place to listen to these tracks if anyone likes that sort of music. I get the strongest kicks from tunes associated with memories though - various Music Instructor tracks, some Bomfunk MC's and one track from Flying Steps which I listened to a lot during my late childhood.

Funny, my gf sent me that link before we went to the movie and I refused to read it so as not to spoil the experience (I really was expecting something amazing)

Bit of a bump. Went to see Gravity because it received universal critical acclaim and found it thrilling for the first half of the movie. In the second half though it got a bit silly and Hollywood-ish. Didn't read any reviews or watch any trailers before so as not to spoil the effect - I was actually expecting something along the lines of 2001 (silly me). Instead, it was just more scientifically accurate than other films with a space theme but I got the impression that in various moments throughout the film accuracy was ditched in favour of making something look cool or helping the story progress. So yeah, I guess it was definitely worth seeing but it doesn't even come close to Kubrick's picture which was a big disappointment for me.

Yeah, looked like you were on completely the wrong tyres or just getting accustomed to the track. I thought you were getting Yokohama wets? Or were they supposed to be slicks? Edit: On the subject of winter tyres, we do get a lot of snow here and they really are necessary. I opted for the cheapest ones I could buy last year, they were Fortuna's or something like that, a typical Chinese brand. The tyres are absolutely brilliant - I'm sure no match for Hakkapeliitta's but for normal driving and coping with snow they were more than adequate. At no stage did I hope for more grip. This is it (thread/model, not size): http://wintertyreoutlet.co.uk/volvo-xc60-winter-tyres/421-fortuna-winter-xl.html

That looks really nasty Adam, glad you managed to avoid it Nobody got hurt I guess? I'm getting REALLY nervous about the final round on Saturday, championship is still up for grabs and the weather is completely unpredictable at the moment. Plus my main rival has summoned two drivers from his team to take part in the competition and reduce the chances of me winning. And they're properly good drivers, one of them is the champion from last year. It's all getting a bit out of hand really. So for the extra edge I've had to order yet more tyres to make sure I have a set for every possible weather condition and found I haven't got enough wheels. Luckily my mate had these for sale so I popped down and here they are I've wanted Superleggera's for years but could never quite justify paying the price, fortunately/unfortunately I have no choice now but to buy whatever is available So the only problem I have left is how to transport 28 wheels to the comp.

What would he say? "This probrem happies us gigantically"?

This is really bad and surprising news. Koxx was one of the few brands that actually developed new and innovative products, plus they were very strong on design in an aesthetic way. I wonder what will happen with the products/rights to the products they have developed and people who worked on them - will they move on to other trials companies? What I mean by this is - will the trials scene feel a significant blow or will it still get the same products it would if Koxx were around. Seriously bad news Edit: Presumably this liquidation is a chance for dealers and subsequently customers to get a good deal on Koxx and TryAll products. So if someone couldn't afford or justify paying the price before, now might be the last chance...

We don't get that brand over here but I'm guessing it's just a normal wheel cleaner no?

I was contacted recently by a good friend who asked me if she could borrow my M3 for a photo shoot of her new line of clothing. I told her it was pretty battered and she said that's what they're looking for - although upon inspection she thought that the front bumber was a bit much. So today I got the car cleaned and ready, put the white wheels on which she wanted and also a different bumper. I think it looks quite respectable now? Also someone on here will definitely be able to help with this - I cannot get my wheels clean. They're powder coated and it's as if some dirt was embedded in the paint. I've even tried thinners and clay which sort of work but not everywhere. Any ideas?

First clip. EPIC.

Prawn you seem to be taking exactly the same steps as my mechanic did when developing his version of an M3 GTR which is now winning events in the CEZ championships. Their next step was a rear diffuser, a proper one though not the silly things you get on Ferraris and stuff like that. I think it could impair the user friendliness of your A3 but it apparently makes a massive difference. They've also started using side exhausts so as to maximize the effect of the diffuser and allow for the car to have as flat a belly as possible.

Guys, I want to fix my jack. Problem - some valve isn't working because as I press the lever, the arm raises but as soon as I let go of the lever, the jack falls back to the initial position. You can feel the weight of whatever you're lifting through the lever. So the fluid in the slave cylinder is working directly on the master cylinder. Where is the one way valve responsible for filling up the slave cylinder? Is it the bit that I've already removed? Other things one can remove on the jack: - Safety valve do not touch (?) - haven't touched that - Bleed screw on the back - 2 screws on the bottom which I think are for draining oil since there's just a ball under them

Yeah, they're Yokohama Advan's - 240/610R17. You have a good point and indeed I've thought about it, but we're comparing a brand new 2013 wet tyre made by an average company to a used, possibly 1-2 year old wet tyre which is top of the line. The rubber in the Hankooks feels miles better but that could be due to the fact they haven't been used at all, the Yokos have rather an uneven thread since clearly they were used on a drying surface - the last laps were probably covered on dry tarmac. Difficult choice. I'll ptobably go with the Yokos since they're a lot cheaper but I kind of feel inclined to try the Hankooks because they're sooo sticky. And it'd be cool if a cheap new tyre turned out to offer high performance. But like you say, the last round is not the time to test these things.

Got a delivery of wet tyres today Anyone used Hankook W51's and can share their opinion? They're pretty cheap for a new tyre, the deal is I either take the Yokohamas or the Hankooks and send one set back.

In all fairness though, is an online drug marketplace such a bad thing? After all that's what it evolved into. People have been using drugs and will continue to do so. SR gave credibility to dealers who strive to offer a high quality service both in the way the transaction is handled and the quality of merchandise. The complaint does mention that the quality of goods sold on SR was very high. This is much better in my opinion than people buying their stuff from nasty people in dark alleys and not having any certainty of what they are actually getting. There are still plenty of places on the dark web that will cater to needs of drug users but they do not offer the credibility that SR vendors did. Personally I've never purchased anything on SR since I'd consider it unsafe (apparently, this is incorrect) but I find the fact that such a place existed very interesting.

Some of you might be aware of Silk Road. Those who aren't - google it. Yesterday the webiste was closed by the FBI. Short story here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-crime-silkroad-raid-idUSBRE9910TR20131002 Since it's late and there's nothing better to do, I've been reading the complaint that the FBI filed against the owner of Silk Road. While this is a long read, it's bloody interesting - offers both insight into how the website worked, how it helped users stay anonymous and looks closely at the steps the agents took to find the identity of the man behind it. The complaint even goes to quote private messages between the owner and a possible hitman hired to take care of a problematic user. Those who fancy a read: http://www1.icsi.berkeley.edu/~nweaver/UlbrichtCriminalComplaint.pdf

Cheers man They're pretty good tyres once they reach the right temperature, still not the best I've used though. If you can get hold of them, look out for some 250mm Dunlop SP Sports. I'm guessing you use 18" wheels so you'd need 250/640R18. Plenty available, I think BTCC use them. On a completely different note, what do you guys think about this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ukdkgLYYbw A bit of background - the RR driver was apparently with his wife and child and stated that the bikers started attacking the car. If he was worried for the safety of his loved ones and himself, I'm not at all surprised he just floored it. To me it also looks like one of the bikers provoked the confrontation by cutting the driver off. After he used the horn, the horde mentality stepped in...

f**k yeah. Managed to win today's comp which I think is my biggest motorsport achievement yet. To put it short, due to a tyre mishap on two previous rounds I would not have enough points to compete for 1st place in BMW Challenge if I didn't win this event. There were 3 special stages and 9 runs in total, after 4 runs I was 7 seconds behind the leader due to poor choice of tyres on one of the runs. I later decided to risk running on racing slicks moments before very dark clouds started to appear, thankfully it didn't rain. Despite the slicks being a medium compound (operating temperature 90C) and the sufrace being -2C I managed to get enough heat into them to start taking the lead. After 22 minutes of special stages, I won my class by just 2 seconds and came 2nd overall. So there's one more round left and it's held on a track on which I haven't lost a single time in over a year. Fingers crossed.

Yeah that's what I've been assuming too. Guess I'll have to get in touch with Samsonas and see what they have to say about this. On a side note, the M3 has a new gearbox (which should make Prawn happy because he's been taking the piss out of my floppy lever) and various mechanical parts have been replaced including hubs. All the wheels before the fix had at least 0.5cm of play with one rear close to about 2-3cm but that wasn't due to the hubs. Fitted DS3000 pads on the rear and a shorter diff. The car brakes better than it ever did, is as direct as it has ever been. It's actually weird because you almost think your way through corners. It reacts to the tiniest steering input. No clonks or rattles either for the first time since I've had this car. Comp tomorrow, using rally tyres for the first time, I'm sure this also translates to higher precision since the tyres have a wire canvas and are only 225 section rather than the usual 250/260.

Random question - how probable is it that one can fit dog clutches to a standard gearbox without faffing about with getting the whole dedicated clean cut gearset? I know I'm not going to get a 100% answer here but perhaps someone has fitted dog clutches and can share their experience?

Got a very important comp on Saturday and I'm down with a cold. f**k this.

Born? Do they have threads?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jUnoWiRqH0o

I think we have a winner. Nothing can possibly beat that.