I bought this car as a daily driver a couple of months ago from Team Mac, and have been learning a bit about it and chipping away at a few things since. The plan is to go to BMW driver training and learn how to drive it properly, then attend some track days. I'm more than happy with the performance and have a bit of a 'wish list' for future parts. Having come from owning a variety of Hondas (and an Audi), it's nice to pick up a car that requires next to no modifications to perform...! The paint is in great condition, and overall the car has been well looked after for it's 77,000kms.

The first things on the list to replace were the wheels & tyres. It came on a set of 20" rims, which gave the car a bit of a 'rollerskate' look that didn't really grow on me. Plus, the ride was quite firm for a daily on 25 profile tyres. The rears were 10.5in wide, and just fit inside the flared guards - although it looked great from behind, it simply wasn't practical.

It also came on H&R springs, and AFAIK standard shocks - may look into replacing the rear shocks. I picked up a set of 19's in CSL-size staggered fitment (apparently the best standard fitment), and on they went.

Comparison:

The front kidney grill was already a black-paint item, so that saved me replacement parts. I inherited a fitting p-plate shortly afterwards, which used to reside on a family member's Z3M Coupe.

The muffler is branded as 'Supersprint' - turns out to be a pretty good piece of kit. I was initially keen to change however have grown to like it. The only complaint is that it makes a bloody racket when it's cold, but that doesn't last too long I suppose. Excuse the residual crap on the tailpipes in the pic below

I want to keep the car standard engine-wise, mainly due to the extended warranty I picked up (and the fact it can out-perform my ability currently). I have noticed there are some subtle nice aftermarket aesthetic parts that can be acquired from Oz, so keen to hear from anyone that imports bits and pieces. I want to stay away from the glaringly obvious carbon fibre bits like bonnet and boot (no offence intended to anyone that has these, it's just not the look I'm going for).

Wish list (in no particular order):

- Replace the standard clutch-stop with an adjustable item

- Fit a bloody euro-sized plinth thing for the front number place - Bought, need to paint and mount when I get a sunny arvo.

- Replace rear lip spoiler with carbon (style) lip - Not 100% sure whether I want to do this or not, it's lying in my garage at the mo'.

- Carbon front lip (direct bolt-on/off) - Mainly to save the paint at the bottom of the front bumper... it'll probably cost almost as much to repaint the bumper cover as to purchase the aftermarket lip spoiler.

- Replace fog lights with HID items.

- Replace rear shocks (a top aftermarket brand is apparently the best option here)

- Hard wire in a radar detector of some description

- Carbon rear diffuser (replacement part)

- Re-cover touch surfaces. There's a couple of little chips off the steering wheel, and I don't want the driver's armrest to wear. I'm pretty picky tho, so this is down the list.

- CSL airbox (in the distant future, chances are I won't go this way however. They're freaken expensive)

And that's about it. Not a 'build thread' as such, as there's no real building going on. I'll update as I install bits and pieces. Suggestions and comments are most welcome.

If there was one thing that my E39 530i taught me it was that one E39 is not enough.

I loved that car. It rode beautifully, was uber comfortable and had a silky smooth straight six. But it was these exact things that I disliked about it too. It was too comfortable, too relaxed and too quiet. It rolled around corners, the standard seats had little support and I quickly grew used to the 230BHP/220 lb.ft power figures.

Then a 540i came into the picture. NZ new, facelift, fully original, great spec and genuine motorsport. While not in my favourite colour for the E39, and not without issues, the spec and price won me over. 

So, here it is:

After hunting around for a nice E46 M3 for quite a while I finally found one worth taking up. Usually I buy my cars in original condition so I can do my own thing to them but I feel this one was worthy of an exception. This used to be Charl's M3 as some of you will know (not sure if he's a member or not). The interior colour scheme isn't exactly my first choice but it's actually growing on me! I'll add some of my own photos this week but will post a few below. 

Details:

-2002 Factory Manual

-145,000km

-19x10 / 19x9"  3-Piece Work VS

-BC Gold Coilovers

-CSL Genuine Carbon Fiber Boot

-Carbon Fiber Front and Rear Splitters

-AFe Air Intake

-Agency Power Exhaust

-New Clutch

-New Rotors/Pads

After prevaricating, considering the market and options, TermiPete's 545i became available.  The domino effect of upgrading!  I'd thought about X5's, missed out on a 535d Motorsport Touring by 2 days, and thought about 550is.

So I bought this.  It's my SS Commodore.  Just in a sharply tailored german suit, rather than a Drizabone.  And it has a roundel where the lion would be.

And it's cool.  Pete has lavished a bit of attention on this vehicle since acquiring it in Oct 2015.  Now its my turn.

I've already ordered hardware for shock replacement (bump stops, boots, strut bearings, bolts etc)... now deciding which shocks to get.

• Sachs standard (OEM)
• Bilstein: Touring (B4), HD (B6), Sport (B8)
• Koni Yellows

After doing the shocks on three of my last four cars, the last two I've stuck with factory IEM spec Sachs (my Volvo 855-T5 and BMW e46 Touring).  I'm not planning on changing the springs on this 545i and don't want to radically transform or make it too hard.  It has Standrard suspension, it's on 18" conventional tyres (no need for RFT's here as it has a spare), and has Dynamic Drive option (the active computer controlled anti-roll bars) and having driven a near-identical car without DD, I'm sold on it.

Koni Yellows I'm sure would be lovely, but they're a little more pricey.

Bilstein:  tempted to go HD (B6 Yellow), they're said to be made to work with stock springs but are up to 20% stiffer.  I think this would be similar to the addition of KYB Excel+ gas shocks to my old A32 Maxima.  Firmed it up and helped it hugely with roadholding and ride.   Alternately B4 Tourings are said to be 10% stiffer than stock.

Sachs:  The OEM shocks are equivalent to 31316766993 (Front left) and 31316766994 (Front right), and 33526766995 rear.  They'll no doubt "just work".

Would I be crazy to go Bilstein HD B6?

And as soon as the shocks are done, it's time for new boots (and panties).

Photos soon.

A heap of fun with the SSG box and something just a bit different... it goes very well... had to run the software for the SSG bleeding and adaptions.

Things sorted include; OFHG leak, slave cyl leak, new WP, Thermo, plugs, CCV hoses, idlers, exp tank, engine and trans mounts, full underside clean, new road wheel, replacement steering wheel, new gearknob, curb rash, headlight fog, bit of paint, trim, emblems etc etc etc...

After a breather, may get into a bit of painting... 

Be keen to know of any detail as to how many clubsports may be around?

Car 1 is a 2001 E53 V8 Sport Package in Stahlgrau  

Car 2 is a 2005 E60 M5 in Silverstone II

The car has just ticked over 200,000 km's.

Here's some photos of it in it's new home.

Things I'm intending to do as time and money allows:

OEM Msport style 66 wheels (hurry up and post them @oldskool 😉 )

New tires: Potenza RE003 235/45/R17 Front and RE050A 255/40/R17 on the rear.

Bulbs: Angel eye bulbs and H7 low beam bulbs

Thermostat and coolant. Has had cooling system overhaul at 180,000 but thermostat seems to be all over the shop.

Chain guides and timing chain + waterpump.

Thrust arm bushings - has a strong vibration around 90+ km/h

MAF - randomly when stopping at an intersection or lights it stalls and today it was hunting like it had a vacuume leak but then later on it idles perfectly.

Tow bar

Drivers door seal

new water jet hoses

107,XXX km

Initial changes made;

• Europlate
• DICE Mediabridge bluetooth (works with steering wheel buttons)
• Storm Motorwerks V3 SMG shift knob
• Storm Motorwerks smg gaiter ring
• SMG decal delete
• Black steering wheel cowling
• Cup holder centre console
• ['Inspection II' - thanks Ray @ HellBM]

Travelled down to see Dave and take ownership of his very special E38. 1 of only 113 RHD facelifts made, with 24 being individuals.

car is really in great shape and Dave has completed lots of work to get it from where it was to a reliable runner.

in saying that a few battery issues on start up LOL but that looks more like a faulty new battery.

Trip back to Auckland now, having a lot of fun for the first few hundred kms.

Promised to Dave to keep it stock and if the time ever comes give him first right of refusal to repurchase.

Now to carry on the journey and tidy up the bodywork issues.

New front bumper required, doesn’t look worth recovering.

basic paint tidy up and re-spray in the same colour. (Looking for good spot in Auckland for this guys)

Sympathetic upgrade of the radio and music space.

interior colour touch up of the blue to restore

new door card for the drivers door, don’t think that’s recoverable either but we’ll see.

God I love these cars and this one tops it off.

Did I say today was a good day?

picture taken half way home at Taumarunui last night (sad looking Audi next to it keeps sneaking in for the pictures... in for nose correction next week by the way, thanks to a rather high bump stop)

When i first got it i just drove it and enjoyed it alot

Then the opportunity came up to buy a manual pre facelift 323i coupe in a very sad state that Luke (Boost Junky) sourced,

i jumped at the opportunity as this would kick start the manual conversion stage

so after about 3 weeks and hours of work we had completed the manual conversion,

before the manual conversion i started looking around for some nice rims and found a few sets i liked on Trade Me so after a long time of decision making i purchased the 17x7.5 Wolf rims, but i still needed something more to make the car "mine" so i purchased an mtech2 fibreglass kit off www.tyremate.co.nz and sent my car off to Matt who i contacted through Travis (naughty bmw) here in New Plymouth.

It wasn't looking good, the kit needed ALOT of work to even get it fitting on the car (even though it was brand new) so some HUGE hours went into this, while this was happening i got rubber on the rims and purchased a set of 60mm Jamex springs.

Then after getting my car back just over a week ago the new springs went in along with the new rims and the German plate i purchased in the recent groupbuy!

A big thanks must go to Luke for the many hours he spent helping me and also to Matt for the work on the kit

If anyone ever needs fibreglass work or painting done in the Taranaki area i would highly recommend Matt (ROGUE DESIGN)

Heres the finished product

ENJOY

Blair

- I have decided to do a similar thing with my E39.

Exactly four months ago to the day, I drove out of @str8_6's driveway with my first Bimmer, 136,423kms on the clock, and no regrets since.

Over those four months, I have:

- Replaced the leaking radiator, expansion tank (which had previously been glued together at some point 😒), and the upper coolant hose from the thermostat to the radiator

- Fitted a Euro-style license plate surround (couldn't quite justify the $300 for the real deal, maybe one day)

- Received two speeding tickets from the same camera (both within the first week of ownership 😶 ) - cruise control is now used religiously on the motorway 

- Installed a GROM Bluetooth unit into the stock BMW head unit (with the generous help of @str8_6)

- Replaced the wiper blades with a genuine pair from FCP Euro, applied an overdue coat of Rain-X, topped up the washer fluid with genuine BMW concentrate

My family has a habit of forming bonds with their cars and keeping them for several decades; a habit which has well and truly passed on to me, hence why Jane has reached 'girlfriend' status. As with all long-term relationships, if you want to keep them, they soon get expensive. Hence, I have a list of future plans for my girl:

- In the 6,500kms or so I have done in Jane, I have managed to buckle both drivers side rims  . Replacements are needed relatively soon, but I'm unsure of which way I want to go. I love the style 81s that I currently have, so getting a new set of rims isn't really an option. Alternatively, I could either repair the two buckled rims (noting that they aren't severely buckled), or purchase two new style 81s. I'm leaning towards buying two new rims (or maybe just one and using the full-sized spare?), since I'm not totally convinced of the efficacy of rim repairs?? Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

- Following the rim issue, it is time for new tyres. I plan to buy a set of four Pilot Sport 4 tyres to get fitted when I eventually sort out what I'm doing with the rims

- The GROM Bluetooth unit has highlighted how pitiful the E39 base audio system is. This certainly isn't a pressing upgrade, but a decent audio system is a must for me in the long-term. Has anyone on here upgraded the speakers in their E39 with success?

- Tints. I like the stock look without tints, but we're heading into summer and I'd like to keep the interior looking as sharp as possible.

- Suspension. I am at a crossroads when it comes to what to do with my suspension. I have noticed that the driver's side of the car sits noticeably lower than the passenger's. I did some reading online and was met with conflicting theories; some said they were made like that from the factory to balance out the slope of our roads, and others claimed that because of our sloped roads one side will wear quicker than the other. One thing was for certain, I didn't know the answer. After talking to Jon at Auto 38, the driver's side rear spring is quite tired, causing it to sit 30mm lower than the passenger rear. Okay, so that solves one problem: my 17-year-old car with over 140,000kms has tired suspension, I probably could have guessed that. Now, I have a few options, with the cheapest probably being to just replace all four springs with OEM parts. But if I'm going to be keeping Jane for many years, I am considering being slightly more extravagant with my solution. While the ride is superb, the body roll is laughable on a twisty road. Moreover, I could fit another E39 inside the wheel arch gap with the stock set up. I'm thinking a bit of a suspension rehaul. Maybe some H&R springs? But I don't want the ride height to fall dramatically. Looking online, some suggest also fitting new shocks to pair with the springs, such as Bilstein B8s. Again, unsure of the impact this would have on ride comfort?

I'm far from making a decision on this issue, and have plenty more research to do, but does anyone have experience with either of these? Ultimately, I'm after something that will improve the handling and reduce the wheel arch gap (but still respectable - no StanceNation here), but also not ruining the supple ride of the E39.

Here are a couple of snaps from the BMW Car Club's recent drive to Cape Palliser:

130ks between charge with the on board generator in case I have to run off somewhere. Was looking at everything from diesel to hybrid and at the end of the day decided to go full BEV. As I’ve got the 750 and 740 and the boss has a E550, this was always going to be a 50 - 90k a day city car so BEV ended up the best choice for us.

I grin wildly gunning it so not sure I’ll get anywhere near 130ks 🥳

The thing is like a premium go cart, can’t wait to get some ks under the belt and how this BEV journey goes.

I have been a Bimmersporter for a long time but not a regular contributor. I have a long history of BMW ownership - but despite a stint with a E34 535is and a joint ownership of a X3 with my wife, all of my BMW's have been coupes.

10 years ago two of my close friends concurrently owned E39 M5's in Lemans Blue. Their ownership piqued my interest. Currently living in the USA, I decided I'd finally pull the trigger on a E39 M5 purchase. I have been looking for 6 months - seeking ideally a face-lifted Lemans Blue example. Despite 10,000 E39 M5's being sold here (versus 30-35 in NZ), and a 1,000 sold in that hue, I couldn't find one that fulfilled my criteria. The market has gone a little crazy for these cars, and believe me there are ample, baggy examples with inter-galactic mileage that are struggling to find new homes. Decent ones are getting expensive. I finally did a deal on a very rare car - a July 2002 example in Bluewater Metallic - the 2nd rarest colour for the E39 M5 (83 made for the USA and 160 global) (they sold nearly 7,000 global in carbon black). It was delivered with black Ostrich sports leather (05SW) and Titanium trim. it was sold new with Dinan S1 modifications. It is a very quick car - and has a sensational Dinan exhaust note. Probably one of a handful in this colour with Dinan S1 specifications.

Day 2: Back in auckland after a near 8hr drive. Stole keys to a private carpark with camera in hand:
http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/60252-first-time-euro-owner-text-heavy/

Day 14: Bullied the SO into taking his MV Agusta out for a little "photoshoot" to hone my skills: Please forgive quality, I compressed them into JPG so its MUCH grainier than the raw files

Day 16: A passer-by heard what could only be described as "gale force winds" in the garage. On closer inspection its source was the mighty Germans air conditioning system. Replacement Final Stage Unit possible? YouTube and forum posts have confirmed this will indeed be a VERY ENJOYABLE TASK. Photos will follow... once I've located a replacement unit.

Bbs rk 002s 18×8.5 et13 

215/35s

Front needs about a 12-15mm more lower...😉

Removed silicon from inner of rear guards-😡.. rolled all 4..

Had to share

119,000 km

H&R sport springs

Koni adjustable dampening shocks

E90 Top hats

M3 CABs

3.73 LSD

Getrag 260 (manual conversion)

I looked for a new car for 6 months, initially I wanted a 335i coupe but drove a 130i and was immediately sold. The handling and power was so much fun I immediately switched to looking for LCI 130i and found this one. 

It's an e81 130i M-Sport with less than 50k kms and a beige leather interior which is basically mint. There has been a couple of things done to it, wheels and tyres replaced by what I understand is the newer 1 series 17" wheels and 245/45 tyres.  It's just had a ceramic coating and detail done, paint does look pretty good. 

Been a wee bit of drama in acquiring this car, when it turned up it was not in the condition it was described and driving it has revealed further issues. That is being dealt with through appropriate channels. 

It's a bit of a WIP now, so we shall see how far down the rabbit hole I go. 

I've had a few things mechanical and electrical fixed on it recently, it's been at Page European twice for diagnosis and repair (shout out to them for being awesome and helpful). I had previously given it a good clean and repaired a non functioning fuel flap, not much but electrical is a bit beyond my skills. It's also been at Winger BMW for a battery cable recall replacement. 

Recent work at Page:

- Trans service/fluid replacement 

- Oil change/filter 

- Vanos Solenoids replaced

- Gaskets replaced

- Door Rubber replaced 

- Various electrical repairs 

- Steering angle sensor fixed 

I plan to change the cabin air filter and regular air filter then drive it for a while. There is still various bodywork bits to fix to get it mint(minor stuff like underbody motor shield, light covers in the boot, jack points and major bits like bumpers) but mechanically it's top notch now and I'll need to save up as the car fund is a bit depleted currently. 

Stuff I had originally planned to do to it:

- 18" wheels preferably Msport or BMW

- LSD/suspension down the road a way

-  A tune of some description 

2015 320D - very impressed with the mix of economy and the performance it delivers. 

This thing sure is fun! Very tidy overall. Loving it so far. Will post some better photos later. 

Got 4yrs mechanical warranty on it

Overall it's pretty tidy inside, Anthracite cloth seats and Oxford Green exterior. Paint has seen better days in places but that's something that will be addressed in the future.

I started the deep clean today, gave it a quick wash and blew all the leaves and cobwebs out, cleaned the interior. Next step will be returning the engine back to stock for the moment. I'm assuming the lift pump failed as the PO fitted an inline pump, I'm going to need to take the HP pump off and reset it as he's turned the pump a little to change the timing. Sounds like it's cammed on idle but seems to run pretty well off idle.

Replace some gaskets and fix all the common stuff like cluster LCD, bonnet gas stays etc etc. 

Have a pair of control arms to do before anything else.

Future plans include H&R's, Style 32's and a manual swap. But I better give the S124 it's time first.....

Hopefully picking up some msport wheels today. Bit of stuff to do to it. Needs some love.

Also open road I'm getting 7l to 100km on 325i !!! Wow!!

I guess I'll lose all that in suburban driving

It needs a little bit of tidying up and definitely a cut and polish but drives nicely considering it's done a few kms. 

Traded my 535i M-Sport Touring for an M5. 

Beautiful day to put some rubber down too. 😎