E30 to the Arctic Circle for it's 20th Birthday

[tusker]

My 318i is 20 next year and because it's economical, in rock solid condition and totally reliable (good old M10 engine), I thought I'd take a trip to the Arctic Circle to celebrate. Reckon I can get to Tromso and back in 17 days.

Now what I'd like from you zoners is a list of what spares I should take. Given that this car has never once let me down (touch wood) I have no idea of what could break!

Any thoughts on tyres? I'll be doing this in the summer so don't expect any extreme weather.

If anyone has done anything like this before, do you have any words of wisdom for me?

Any offers of sponsorship gratefully received!

BTW, it's not my daily ride, has 85k miles on it, FBMWSH and has just had its ServiceII.


Cheers.

[JOSEMI]

Wow that is great mate, all the best and good luck to you

I would take xtra oil, water and and tyres

Other zones will come up with more !

Jose

[kam-325i]

Spare fan belt....
Windscreen washer fluid.
Antifreeze.

[Gwynleym10]

Just hope that you don't over heat! lol...

How many miles do you recon it would be? I have always wanted to do something like this...big road trip!

Before you go replace things like the accelerator cable and all the water pipes- all cost about Ԛ£80 from the dealers.

In terms of tyres you want a pretty hard compound, something that wears well, snow chains (and knowledge of how to use them.. maybe usefull, even if there shouldn't be bad weather there are always suprises!)

M10 engine i would think is the best engine to do this in.

[Widge]

I would suggest taking a spare car!
Always when organising one of these trips the minimum group size should be 2 cars, there are so many squeezes you can get yourself out of if you have 2 cars that on your own would leave you stranded. Also you don't have to take an extra battery as you can jump off the other car etc... the list is endles.
Also it'll be more fun

I have a great book calle Cape to Cape, about a guy in the %0's who drove from the north cape to Cape town, but the had to drive to the north cape first, makes interesting reading.

[Gwynleym10]

idealy you would want another car a similar as possible, i.e another m10!

Which way are you thinking of going? Sweeden or through finland+eastern europe...

If your going through eastern europe, its possible to get to prague in a day.....

[tusker]

Thanks for your ideas guys. This is my current itinerary:

Route out:
Dover (UK), Calais (France), Dusseldorf (Germany), Bremen, Hamburg, Kolding (Denmark), Copenhagen, Stockholm (Sweden), Tromso (Norway).

Total out: 2278 miles.

Route back:
Tromso (Norway), Trondheim, Oslo, Copenhagen (Denmark), Kolding, Hamburg(Germany), Bremen, Dusseldorf, Calais (France), Dover (UK).

Total back: 2281 miles

Total trip: 4559 miles.

I can't spare too much time off work so it'll be pretty full on - 8 days driving, 1 day off in Tromso and 8 days back. This is pretty conservative though at 250 miles a day so may make up some time.

I'm struggling to think of a co-driver let alone another car, I'm 46 - my son might be up for it. Anyone with another M10 E30 interested? However, I've done 17,000 miles in a Landrover across Africa single handed and there's always someone to help when you need it. Just got to take a leap of faith there.

So to summarise:

Before leaving: replace accelerator cable, water pipes

Take: Spare car! Spare battery (or jump leads), hard grippy tyres, snow chains, fan belt, antifreeze, windscreen wash, oil, water, spare tyres

[Widge]

HT leads, Spark plugs, an oil filter, a core plug! Spare wheel nuts, and extra spare wheel, but you'll know all this if you have been across the Sahara. JUST be prepared for anything!

[Gwynleym10]

Thinking about this, I think its the non serviceable items that you need to wory about. Im pretty wure you can buy wiper blades in norway....but if a wheel bearing or even a propshaft donught or something died it would be a whole lot more difficult to replace.

Do you know when any of these items where last replaced?
Things to think about...

Wheel bearigs
Brakes, including lines
Propshaft
Gearbox seals...
Water pump (easy on an m10)
thermostate (Ԛ£12 from dealers)
Viscous fan
Fuel pump(S)
Condition of suspension/ stearing

You probably realise that you should just replace everything, but check everything and think, does this part have another 4500 miles left in it?

I have a friend who has just moved to norway, not sure where abouts will find out.

Also a few of us probably have a few e-mail addresse of people from the old bmwe30network (BEN) or here who live en-route who may prove useful in an emergancy.

[m-dtech]

colway tyres do intermediates and snow tyres

[Moofles]

Also a few of us probably have a few e-mail addresse of people from the old bmwe30network (BEN) or here who live en-route who may prove useful in an emergancy.

get Ove on the case! he's norwegian, isn't he?

[kam-325i]

i aint herd Ove for aaagggeeessssss....... Brilliant bloke

[Gwynleym10]

Also a few of us probably have a few e-mail addresse of people from the old bmwe30network (BEN) or here who live en-route who may prove useful in an emergancy.

get Ove on the case! he's norwegian, isn't he?

Yes he is!

his website; http://home.no.net/ovekvam/

[bmwe30mtech]

Should be a good trip, sounds realy fun. As said, i wouldnt go alone, a second car will be a huge help.

[tusker]

Thanks, everyone, keep giving me advice

Thanks esp. Gwynleym10 & Moofles, what a good idea. Ove's a bit out of my way but I'll contact him and I'm sure that there'll be some E30 fans on the route.

I've replaced all the brakes (but will check the lines), water pump, thermostat and viscous fan, I'll check out the rest in the service history.

I'm not expecting snow as I plan to go in summer, weather is more likely to be rain and wind - so winter tyres are a necessity I think.

Cheers

[GDBN]

Let me know when you're coming through Copenhagen .... I'll buy you a coffee at the last petrol station before you hit the bridge to Sweden. And Jhonono will surely meet you as you drive past Odense.
Mine will turn 20 in September!!!
G

[tusker]

Cheers G, planning for next summer so I'll be in touch nearer the time.

Checked the SH and as I thought it looks good:

Brakes Discs & Pads 112 miles ago
Water pump 13925 "
Thermostat 13925 "
Viscous fan 13925 "
Water hoses 13925 "
Clutch plates 20977 "
Brake cylinders (rear) 24780 "
Clutch slave cylinder 49538 "

Wheel bearings, brake lines, propshaft, gearbox seals, fuel pump, suspension and steering are all original (current mileage 83000). there's no signs of failure so they should be good for another 5,000 miles I'd have thought.

I'm seriously thinking of sponsorship and will get onto the mags. Coverage however small will whet the appetites of potential sponsors.

[Gwynleym10]

Thanks, everyone, keep giving me advice

Thanks esp. Gwynleym10 & Moofles, what a good idea. Ove's a bit out of my way but I'll contact him and I'm sure that there'll be some E30 fans on the route.


Cheers

No problem!
m10 water pumps can die in under 20 000 miles, Ԛ£24 from GSF (good excuse to change your fluid)

Thermostat, just take a spare.

Viscous fan---not going to be stuck in much traffic are you?!!

You can get "universal" flexible type ones from halfords--useful so you don't have to take them all...

might be also worth taking spare clutch slave/master cylinders, don't take up much room and about Ԛ£25 each to buy. You can easily change these without even jacking that car up. (i did the slave in the dark...)

I would also take a spare bits of vacuum hoses.

If you have two cars you only need one spare set of these things.
I would take some fluids but not much, keep the weight down and save some fuel! You can always buy them on route.

[johnl320]

To be honest mate I would take some spare fluids and a foam tyre inflator can type thing and thats it. RAC European cover is brilliant and ADAC (Germany) is quality.I used to travel from Hannover one or two long weekends a month in a 350 quid nova. Weigh yourself down with a shed load of spares will just ruin the drive ,use more fuel and put more strain on the car. All the countries you are going through are civilised and will be just as able to sort any problems out just as well as the UK.
When you get to Kolding ask for directions to the English Bar , Speak english in there and all the women will want to practice their English on you,I've never seen so many fit birds in my life.
Good Luck
I wish I was going

john