• Is it true that I will not be able to get mechanical insurance from a private sale M5 (a friend of friend tried this before, he abandon the E60 M5 acquisition because of this)?  E.g. I approach an insurance company after I buy an M5.  I know the pros and cons of mechanical insurance, I don't need convincing using or not using one.  I have used them and also not used them on our cars.  I am leaning towards using insurance for a E60 M5, or factor in the cost of self-insuring a cheaper private sale M5.
• Rod bearing replacement in NZ, I am aware the parts are not astronomic expensive (a good sign).  I can't do this myself, not enough skills and equipment.  I do have 2 good indy shops that does my other cars.  They are willing to do it, but neither has done this job specifically for a S85 engine.  I have seen 1 post here that said Taylor Auto AKL did it for $6.8k, is this true?  Any other M5 owners have done theirs and how much for both parts and labor and which shop? 

I will try to read more in the forums, but appreciate any links that would help me.  I am looking more for NZ specific information, there are lots of E60 info outside NZ.  Again thanks, maybe I will try to get a E60 M5 if everything works out.

thanks!

oh, boring stuff, from Auckland, also into boating, the biggest mistake I’ve done so far was to buy a Mercedes Benz... 

VRSF Catless DP.

VRSF Charge Pipe,  turbosmartBOV.

Thinking about getting bmr 3.5 exhaust(straight pipe) any thoughts on legality?

Bought this 07 335i e90 (not a M sport) in May here Hamilton and have been loving it even even with the few issues i have had 

The power of this car incredible, half throttle will light the rears and have the car matching the speed limit in a few seconds. 

My father drove it once before going out and buying himself a 135i a couple of weeks later 

Car is a Jap import and I am first NZ owner. Being a Japanese import car no history is known 

Have done a few things so far;

Replaced front windscreen rubber, battery and had radio reprogrammed to NZ 

Still have to get air con condenser replaced and sort out the rear suspension / ride quality. The ride is rougher than i would like and the rear suspension has bottomed several times 

l took this to BMW yesterday to look at the suspension , they put it up on the lift and were surprised with the under neath. Front and rear sway bars (both adjustable), springs, front swing arms, most bushings and extra frame bracing  

I am looking for a set of OEM rear springs to see if that will help rear bottoming out. Currently the wheels are sitting just in feeders in the rear so there must not be much travel left. Has anyone had experience with this? 

As someone has spent a lot time / Money modifying this car i wonder if they would have touched the ECU? Would there even be any way to check this without putting the car on a dyno or taking it into BMW? 

I am looking to reach out to other BMW users.

I own the F10 M5 and will be letting this go shortly.

I am hoping to move in to an older M car, preferably the E28 M535i or the E30 325i M.

Cheers

Stephen

Had a ‘99 E39 540i (in Diamant Schwarz) when an active member. Sold that when it started costing too much to keep on the road.  Went back to a 2010 Outback to lug around kids sports stuff. That’s over now!

Now have a NZ new 2011 E70 X5 40d Motorsport in Alpinweiss as my company car. That’s the twin turbo version of the in-line 6 cylinder diesel that puts out 302 bhp compared to the 30d that produces 240 bhp.  Love the smooth ride and the power. Fuel economy is 10.5 l/100 (27mpg), a lot better than the 540!  Never owned a diesel before so it was hard getting used to the noise. Previous owner was my business partner who upgraded to the F15 X5M 50d.

Will replace profile pic when clean and the sun is out.

Mike

So far everything that's needed to be done maintenance wise has been done by the previous owner however there is a little bit of exterior cosmetic damage which will be an easy fix (there's an 02 528i in the orient blue metallic at pickapart that is in pretty good exterior condition that I'll go take panels off soon)... 

Currently on my list of things to do include:

Retrofitting RF Locking system (currently Jap IR Key) 

New head unit (and sound system) 

LED Angel lights and fogs

New wheels or recondition current ones

Possible repaint in San Marino Blue next year

#328 was NZ new and has just clocked up 116k km. If I have this right in 1991-ish the ACS wheels and body kit were fitted and the engine was given a healthy dose of Dinan "love and attention" upping its performance ... Mileage at that time was approx 80k km.

There is no evidence of repair or rust, it's very original and except for the OBC everything works. As I understand it the same guys (guru's) have serviced and looked after it all their lives, which I find particularly cool.

That said it's needed a little recommissioning , new tires have transformed it, leather rejuvenation has made it look like new inside along with a few bits and pieces. The biggest ticket item being a NOS AC radiator.

 Next week it's booked in to spend sometime with a couple of the well known BMW guru's being dyno''d.

I'll let you know how it goes. Regards Julian

New to the group and have just got a 2013 E92 M3. Sold my 325i MSport for this big toy

Gonna go for a service tomorrow  and would love to talk with other bimmers here !

I am new on this forum, and a new owner of the beast aka e60 M5. Just wanting to seek some advice regarding its exhaust. The stock exhaust sounds great but i want to make it sound a bit more louder and exotic. What can I do? 

Thanks in advance

Only purchased this 325i a week or so ago, had to have it even though its a 4dr surprisingly has no rust in the usual areas only real plan for it at the moment is tidy up the engine bay get it a wof and daily it for the mean time while my other car (r32 skyline) goes thru the cert process 

any thoughts/opinions/knowledge is appreciated 

Thank you for accepting me to this group. Happy to be a part of the BMW family. Looking forward to find some answers to some of my questions about this fantastic car. 

Bought my first BMW and first car last August. So far so good. However, I've had issues with the aircon gasket cover as it was leaking oil and had to be replaced. Seems like a known issue as per the BMW guy from New Market. Also I find the speakers little weak. Will check the forums for any recommendations, upgrade ootions etc. Also, I have updated my Gracenote to 01/15 in CIC as it is not up to date. Anyone who has updated version, please let me know. I still use CDs. 😁

Will attach some photos 

New to the group and have just got a 2010 130i M sport and Loving it big time.

Cant wait to have a go on the track  and to meet up with other car loving folks 

I'm excited to join the bimmersport as I can access to so many helpful information.

I'll be grateful if someone can guide me through all the tips on maintenance and things that I need to know.

Thanks, 

I'm Josh from Auckland - a qualified auto sparky by trade. Strangely my love for BMW's really stemmed from working on them before anything else - though that's not to say it's the only reason now.

I've embarked on a project to restore a 1979 E23 733i that I picked up a couple years ago from a chap who blew the motor up and stripped it right down to prep for paintwork, then realised he had too many projects on. The E23 is well on it's way now but plenty more to do!

Cheers
Josh

3 weeks ago I bought @str8_6's 2001 530i and have since fallen in love with her! Nicknamed 'Jane', she is a facelift, NZ new, very tidy car that has spent most of her life garaged. She is in Oxford Green Metallic, with the standard black leather interior and wood trim. At 137,500kms, I have already done over 1,000kms in her and can honestly say I have enjoyed every moment of it! I have never needed any more power on a passing lane, and she is silky smooth at idle. Oh, and don't get me started on that beautiful 6-pot purr! Although I am normally a hardcore manual supporter, I have switched over to the dark side simply because it is almost torturous to drive a manual through Wellington and Wellington's traffic.

I am currently a first-year student at Victoria University and am a diehard car guy. My grandmother got me into cars with her 1998 R170 SLK230 Kompressor (the car in my profile pic - and yes that's me on the bonnet!), I loved that car and still do; she actually still uses it as her daily and has done over 200,000kms in it. I recently got a new job out in Petone which finally justified my intense desire to buy a new car! Previously, I had a 1999 Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 6-speed which was my first car. I loved that car with a passion; I spent a substantial amount of money doing preventative maintenance on it (not myself, although I would like to be able to start working on my cars in the future) by replacing the water pump, cambelt, radiator and a couple CV boots. Unfortunately, after owning it for only 3 months it was written off - not by me though! It was parked outside my high school one morning when a gentleman drove past towing a car trailer which didn't have the safety chain attached. Just as he drove past my car, the trailer bounced off the hook and ploughed straight into my baby. Fair to say I was devastated (and to this day haven't fully gotten over it). It was only a few weeks prior to that that I had sunk many dollars in securing the longevity of my pride and joy. Luckily, we both had insurance and I was paid out for it. *Photos attached*

This tragedy occurred in September of last year, and ever since I have been longing for a replacement, but have never been able to justify it/find the right replacement. And then Jane came along. I have always been a BMW enthusiast, with my mother owning an E36 when I was growing up and an E90 now, and am very glad to finally have one that I can call my own. I keep her in a parking garage in Wellington's CBD, and use her 3-4 days each week to drive to and from Petone (although that hasn't stopped me taking her out most days just to go for a cruise!) and occasionally to drive back home to Whanganui (2.5 hrs). 

Unfortunately, after only owning the car for 2 days, my radiator sprung a crack while I was visiting home in Whanganui. I got this replaced by our family mechanic easily enough, but it was nonetheless a pain!

In terms of future plans for the car, I have bought some euro style licence plate surrounds which I am yet to put on (couldn't justify spending $299 on the real deal - maybe one day), I am considering putting a tasteful tint on the windows to preserve the leather and parcel shelf which is surprisingly un-faded, and am currently looking into installing an aux-cord into the stock stereo setup. I am leaning towards a Grom unit which plugs into the back of the stereo since the stereo will be pre 09/2002, but am open to recommendations. My only requirement is that the stock head unit remains - I'm big on OEM. Obviously, I'm a first-year uni student so don't have heaps of money to burn (and the parents won't pay for it ;)) so affordable recommendations of any kind will be much appreciated.

This is turning into a bit of an essay so I'll finish it up here. I've joined the BMW Car Club and will be attending the Cars and Coffee meet this weekend. I really look forward to meeting more of you guys and gaining insight into BMW ownership and any pointers on working on my car myself (this is hard, however, since I am in a hall of residence and don't necessarily have the capacity to do much work myself). This is such an exciting community and I am thrilled to be a part of it! 

Cheers,

Boston.

Just got to NZ a couple of months ago from Dublin, and picked up a mint E39 530i. Hoping to import my E46 M3 in a few months time once I have some bills cleared up. Do get in touch if you have E39 Xenon headlights and M Parallels/ Style 42s for sale!

Anyone from Northland floating about the forums?

Best Wishes

R

My name is Tony, I am 47 years young and have lived in New Plymouth for around 18 years now.

I've owned a 540 and a 730 in the past, and have now recently purchased a Japanese i650 off trade me in as is condition since the gearbox didnt operate. $7000 later with the car getting transported all over NZ trying to fix the SMG transmission the car is now all go...ended up been the clutch sensor. I also replaced the clutch while the gearbox was out of the car...made sense.

 Car goes very well but rather a hard ride on the butt but sticks to the road like glue

Due to the petrol taxation, I went for a more cost effective option in the form of an imported F10 523i 2011

Still haven't had the chance to give it a decent clean but here it goes:

Just wanted to say hi and will be great if anyone can point me to a decent place in Auckland where i can get the standard Jap to NZ (radio/maps) conversions for some mate rates

cheers

Just became the proud owner of a 2006 E85 Z4 with 35k on the clock. It is a real minter and myself and a mate had the privilege of driving her down from Auckland to Christchurch last weekend. This is the first performance car I have ever owned and my second BMW - last one was short lived and over 30 years ago. It is a real minter and I am one very proud owner. I am not looking to do to much but want to turn on all the hidden extras, try and re-purpose the 6cd changer and get NZ maps on the NAV system.

I have very useful neighbor who changed the nav display to English and the tuner to Oceania in about 3 minutes flat when I got home with it on Sunday, but will be looking for pointers and advice around unlocking any other features that car may have. I have found this site https://www.bcables.com/  but am not keen to make any purchases until I am sure that I am getting the right gear.