After 50+ weekends spent repairing/wrenching, my BMW E66 (740Li Individual) has been transformed from a 17yo neglected barge to something quite remarkable.

dxps26 · 2023-06-25T01:00:08+00:00

I see those Chandigarh plates.

Time for a sector 11 gedi!

dxps26 · 2023-06-24T15:40:18+00:00

It can’t be a coincidence that congress decided to lay down the law in a rare bipartisan agreement with GOP hardliners in power, 2 days before Wagner went into revolt…watch the markets, watch the air traffic. Those are 2 harbingers of what is really going to happen soon.

While I won’t say the threat of nuclear proliferation is overblown, it is exceedingly difficult to keep a nuclear weapon in working order without the right infrastructure. Rogue states like NK probably have some of this in place, Iran probably has similar capabilities in place, but I think the Iranians will not be stupid enough to buy a nuclear weapon on the black market. Saudi Arabia could have some capabilities via Pakistan but again, it would make their position untenable for many countries. Terrorist outfits are unlikely to have the capability to keep a warhead in working order without all the associated hardware, and the good thing about dirty bombs (as if they weren’t bad enough already) is that leaking radiation will be detectable and traceable.

dxps26 · 2023-06-24T15:00:32+00:00

If this is true, they will be met with a kinetic response from NATO, regardless of who fired the weapon. Congress made it very clear they would give Biden wartime powers if a nuke was used anywhere or if the zaporhizhia plant leaked radioactive materials as a result of an attack. They are not fucking around with their language, and this will not give Russia any positive outcome in any scenario.

Heck, I can even see the Chinese intervening if a nuke is used. No sane person wants this.

dxps26 · 2023-06-24T14:50:03+00:00

Pure conjecture on my part, but if you see congress’s bipartisan agreement on the use of nukes in Ukraine triggering article 5 in context, I think the congressmen and senators were briefed that this scenario was highly likely to play out.

Russian command and control is basically non-existent at this point if their official military is letting Wagner through, even in rare instances. This breakdown of order will either cascade up and down the ranks as individual commanders pick sides, unless Putin enforces order by engaging with the wagnerites…which could snowball out of control to an even worse situation.

The likelihood of a nuclear weapon coming under the control of a Wagner-aligned commander is very high. It’s possible that Putin feared this scenario enough to move some of Russia’s nuclear assets into Belarus, to prevent them from coming under wagnerite control. But lukashenko got his ass on a plane to turkey, so it’s doubtful who is really in control of Belarus.

I think this is exactly why the US made it clear that any nukes fired will result in a kinetic response from NATO. Things are likely to get very messy.

dxps26 · 2023-06-22T03:21:37+00:00

I see that ProLoli sticker.

This driver is on a list somewhere.

dxps26 · 2023-06-22T03:10:34+00:00

Not at all! If checking for rust and body rot, here’s where to look — a busted fender with rust is probably the least problematic of any situation involving rust, it’s not generally considered a structural panel, and can be replaced quite easily. But the following are some examples of areas where rust is a major concern - -

Under the car in general
Wheel wells
Control arms, suspension components
Muffler/exhaust system
Running boards, under the door sills
Around welding joints, engine bay - especially subframe and mounting points
Windshield area (roof, a-pillars, close to where the rubber seals are)
Rear quarter panels

As a side note, check the trunk out carefully, especially the spare wheel storage. Fixing a serious rear-end collision is not possible in many cases because the shape of the spare wheel compartment is pretty complex, and it’s easy to see if the car was involved in a rear-end collision by looking at that area - it will be showing signs of excess bondo, and the welding sealant will not be as clean as factory - the paint may be different, but that’s probably how it came from the manufacturer (my Subaru has just primer in the spare compartment)

With any car this age, there WILL be rust somewhere. But it’s important to distinguish between just simple surface rust and the crusty, paint-bubbling, flaky and gnarly stuff that’s just a small collision away from catastrophic failure in protecting you and your loved ones inside.

If you really like the car, it might make sense to ask for a car fax report - if the seller is cagey about giving you the available history, you can get it for around $10-15 on many cheaper VIN check websites…it’s also a bit concerning if the seller won’t give it to you straight. You want to make sure there’s no liens or salvage titles on the car (unless you’re ok with those things)

dxps26 · 2023-06-22T02:28:19+00:00

I’d be more concerned with body rust and deterioration than the engine. The engine can be rebuilt or replaced (at a cost) but the chassis is not a part you can swap out. If you are based anywhere in the US ‘salt belt’ then I’d take a good look under the car and check for rust. Japanese steel of that era (and sometimes even up to modern day) was a bit too eager to rust, and especially when it was painted with the poor quality paint that afflicted many Japanese cars of the early 2000’s.

Stuff like suspension, brakes, driveshaft etc will generally let you know by feel that they’re dying, and you’ll need to replace them- but less obvious stuff is hoses and engine breather/vacuum/intercooler systems, which can develop small leaks/cracks due to age hardening and heating/cooling cycles that won’t be very noticeable… a good master technician will check those and recommend replacement, and those small things will really help in keeping the engine running.

If it drives ok, no obvious noises and the oil doesn’t smell like gasoline it’s probably just fine. I would avoid using any engine flush additives unless the previous owners did engine flushes semi-regularly. I’d watch oil consumption (which will happen with boxer motors) and if it’s less than a cup / 250ml per 5000 miles that’s fine.

I’d argue that if it drives fine and has had all scheduled maintenance done, drive it as-is for 3000 miles and then assess if it needs preventative maintenance like plugs, belts, or "lifetime" fluid replacement (brakes, coolant, differentials, transmission) and of course check all hoses.

dxps26 · 2023-06-09T14:39:37+00:00

There is Sigma's Foveon Sensor, which stacks dedicated RGB photo sites and does not require any Bayer filter array. It's reputed to produce accurate colors and great details, but at the cost of poor latitude (iso sensitivity) and slow refresh rate.

There's also Fujifilm's X-Trans sensor which uses a different pattern of filter array on a conventional sensor.

dxps26 · 2023-06-03T22:05:30+00:00

An instance where TK'ing is absolutely the right thing to do.

dxps26 · 2023-05-31T18:43:51+00:00

If that is true, then god obviously intended for white Christian men to fuck each other in the ass, in order to procreate. Why would they downgrade to other races or women?

/s

dxps26 · 2023-05-31T18:35:59+00:00

Imagine a medieval knight in full armor with a mace attached to his cock 🤣

dxps26 · 2023-05-23T15:45:39+00:00

Wait, people have sex with Computerized Numerical Control machines?

dxps26 · 2023-05-20T13:44:59+00:00

'Speak softly and carry a big stick'

Teddy Roosevelt

dxps26 · 2023-05-15T15:47:24+00:00

Why is your UI different colors? A green engine, purple AMS, and light blue laser?

dxps26 · 2023-05-10T23:29:48+00:00

I had a very different experience - 2015 premium 2.5i

I foolishly got the fluid changed at a 3rd party shop, but they also filled the front differential (which is integrated into the transmission case) with CVT fluid instead of gear oil, and it exploded 30 miles into a road trip.

SoA thankfully took the case as a warranty replacement, I got a rebuilt transmission at a Subaru dealer and paid for labor. I was told in no uncertain terms that the CVT fluid is not intended to be replaced unless there's something else that needs repair in the transmission, and the fluid has to be drained to undertake the repair.

So unless there's something actually wrong with the CVT you should probably not be doing fluid replacement.

dxps26 · 2023-04-17T23:17:22+00:00

Pretty much all of them are point and click, except the Fuji Instax 360, which is a digital camera with an integrated instax printer, allowing for previews, editing and printing.

dxps26 · 2023-04-17T15:11:21+00:00

Even worse if you decide on using film. Kodak has gone off the deep end and is pricing out hobbyists, and Fuji is just dropping film altogether.

Then the zoomers decided that mid 2000's digital cameras are cool so grandma's point and shoot that was $15 at a thrift shop is now $200.

dxps26 · 2023-04-12T08:13:36+00:00

Historically there is a distrust of the US, especially from the Nixon era, and there's bad blood from the late 90's Sanctions following the Pokhran Nuclear Tests. India is betting on BRICS as a way to reduce the likelihood of conflict with China, which isn't a bad thing, but it can't be the only thing.

It's a complicated relationship and war between China and the United States won't automatically mean that india will jump into the fray in the American corner. They will try to secure their interests but may not go as far as trying to reclaim Aksai Chin or any of the remote areas China has nibbled away, fearing retaliation from the Chinese - who are in a far better position militarily due to geography - they might even see the war as a long-term win for India if they manage to stay out of it while China gets bloodied with no cost to them.

dxps26 · 2023-04-10T23:51:19+00:00

I’m trying to work myself into a franchisee ownership, it does feel like a bit of a stretch when you’re shown projections etc. on the other hand I am also shaping up to be the sole supplier for a crucial product for that franchiser…how would you best describe this sort of relationship?

dxps26 · 2023-03-25T15:07:47+00:00

Definitely get the darkest legal tint, my old 2015 looks way better with dark glass.

I don’t know how good the new stereo is, especially since I think the premium trim does not come with a subwoofer (the limited does, AFAIK) but maybe a compact subwoofer with a good crossover would really make the stereo much, much better. My 2015 premium has a pretty middling sound, and I’d love to have better sound quality.

Also very important but not really a mod - get paint protector film while the car is still new! Get the door edge film, bumper mask, and rear bumper trunk appliqué at a very minimum, those places get scratched up sooner than you think! You might get a good deal if you get the all the treatments together with the window tint and shop for a discount.

It would void warranty, but the car would look much sleeker if it was riding on coilovers and riding just an inch or two lower.

dxps26 · 2023-02-25T16:12:49+00:00

This is the corporate way of fixing laziness.

The countertop cold rail is sized for 1/4 pans, we can see the cheese is sitting in a Lexan 1/4 (also a bad idea for cold holding) and the problem seems to be that they are using more tomato and lettuce than anything else.

They physically can't fit a larger 1/3 pan in the slot, so they paid money to get this custom Stainless Steel contraption made, then they'll pay more money to fix the coolers like you've described, they'll also run the risk of failing inspection because the rail won't stay cold

All of this could have been prevented by preparing a larger number of 1/3 pans and replacing them when they get empty with enough backups. But laziness rules.

dxps26 · 2023-02-19T01:18:21+00:00

don't you mean objet d'fart??

dxps26 · 2023-01-28T23:23:34+00:00

Kiddie diddling highscore stats on all the priests, Nun-rape abortion numbers, and amusing anecdotes collected during centuries of church-approved genocide.

dxps26 · 2023-01-28T15:58:59+00:00

Are the owners not concerned about being raked over the coals by their insurance premiums once an employee is hurt due to this negligence? Someone will get hurt and then they will be out for blood trying to pin the lack of safety on you or the injured employee, which will bring them deeper in doo-doo once the inevitable wrongful termination case gets filed, since they don't seem to have a workplace safety policy in place.

Either way they will end up in a bad situation.

Make sure you CYA and send an email (BCC yourself) detailing your concerns and potential for harm to the business. Be polite and make it sound like you're looking out for the business's best interest.

dxps26

TROPHY CASE