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A completed E30 project is pretty rare

Riced up the 38, well as much as I will. boot spoiler. Gets a new windscreen on Wednesday to fix the cracked one

I love the ///M fabric interiors in M cars, so much better than leather. That purple and the interior, plus being an M5. So much win.

I've had a few dealings with 3 members on here recently. I couldn't see anywhere where you could give feedback or recommend people - there are a few comments made on some posts in the "For sale" section but thought I'd prefer to give feedback on all three because they were so good to deal with. @Scrambler - pedal box turned up today, thank you. Great communication from him regarding delays (hope you're feeling better now). @OP6 - have dealt with him both here and on TradeMe, both times were hassle free and great communication. @fizzychicken - another great one to deal with, super fast to pay, great communication. I would recommend all 3 of these guys with any dealings.

Hmm, I don't want to piss on your picnic but whilst everybody else is walking around with a BMW boner I'll tell you one thing: - There's not a single BMW ever produced for the road that will give you the thrill of a worked STI. None, not even the 1M or the CSL. Sure, many BMW's can still give you a thrill but up to 180 km/h they'll all feel much slower than your STI. It's a different story above 200km/h but that's rare territory. I went from a trick TME Evo to an E36 M3 (way back when that was about as much BMW as you could get) and, even with acclaimed prowess of the M3 chassis, the Evo would run circles around it all day, every day. The difference, for two cars produced 24 months apart, especially considering one was half the price, is embarrassing. Until you hit 200km/h then the table is turned. Completely. You're not going to get the same experience as your STI in any BMW, especially a modern one. They're simply too big and heavy. You will however get a completely different type of experience and once you're used to it you'll probably find it just as enticing. I still own the M3 for this reason. But I'd love another Evo to sit alongside it.

I thought it was about time I started a project thread to document what I have already done and what I plan to do to my E30. Hopefully it'll give me a little motivation to get thru the list of items that require attention. When I brought it 6 months ago it was running a little rough. After a quick trip to the Park Road E30 Performance Centre, the problem was quickly resolved. The distributor cap had a huge crack so that was promptly replaced and now runs like a dream. Items that no longer require attention: Oil change, Fitted a SA spec boot lining and half a tool kit , Replaced the sump that had a hairline crack, Removed the superlow springs in the rear that were not captive and replaced them with some lows, Fitted E36 window switches, Items that require attention: Insert items listed on back of Heineken box here... Here are some photos on the day I aquired the car. Enjoy

I don't mean the vin number on the left hand side of the engine bay, but on the right hand side of an e46 engine bay there is also an engraved number. Mine is 89456766. I need to know as I'm prepping my engine bay for paint.

PS: what's the point of waiting for "the right one" to dip your toe in the water? Get your ass behind the wheel of a 550i, and a 550i motorsport. If you like it, you can then do your sums, and find the perfect white one to buy. And also drive an e90 330i. I think the complexity and associated costs of a 335i will really scare you off.

I'm pretty sure you're already spending more than $2k per year already on your Subaru. If you're not, it's just another Subaru WRX waiting to hand-grenade at 180k kms, surely? Is an estimate of $2k-2k5 concerning you because you don't currently have a clear understanding of what it costs to run a car year to year? Tax department says around 73c per km this year; I don't have the current AA costs though on previous history they'll be higher (fuel, rego, insurance, maintenance, depreciation). Yes, at 73c/km that's $7,300 a year based on 10,000 kms running, and most people say "what, how'd they get that?", 'cos they just pay rego, insurance and fuel without thinking about it, suck in their teeth when they get a repair bill, and never think about the cost of depreciation. I think you'll find the BMW isn't a lot different to a high performance Subaru needing servicing, diff oils etc, and what about that cabbelt service and sparkplug replacement? They're costly on Subaru due to access issues. Suggest you price the parts for an e60 550i: Retail on Air filter, oil filter, 2x cabin filters, 8 litres of longlife synthetic oil, a couple of hours labour. There's your annual service covered. Now add rego and insurance. Tyres are $1000-$1200 over two years (unless you've got staggered 19's). Add a $350 excess for one unexpected repair covered under MBI. $60 for an alignment, annually. And then add a margin for a service item or two with a couple of hours labour; perhaps it's your suspension end links, or a couple of coils and a set of plugs; these are once-in-100kms items. Might be the year you do the cooing system service, or the brake fluid replacement; each of these is every two years (it's smoother if they are staggered alternate years), they're not drastically expensive but they must be done. Seriously, if that seems expensive, just make "The Sony decision" and buy the appropriate Toyota. That is, in the same way that buying a Sony product will generally get you a reasonable level of reliability and performance in any consumer electronics segment without needing to compare against anything else in the market, you're basically sorted with a Toyota. As my mate says, in any given field: "if you play, you pay". Hope that helps.

The 'annual service' is typically only a few $100 and will get done same time as WoF etc. Excesses on MBIs are either $350 or $450. @Olaf's figure of $2500 is reasonable from a total servicing cost perspective. Good luck with your hunt - agree a 550i in white on black will be nice I really enjoyed my 2 Subbys and very nearly bought a 3rd, but decided something a bit more refined was in order.

Got to hoon around Taupo Track/ Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in a single seat race car today as my 30th bday present, very cool- highly recommended to all! Still wondering where the bit between taking off and the checkered flag went..... PS dont loose track of what gear you are in, trying to exit the hairpin in 2nd instead of 3rd means too much wheelspin will send you off!

cool car, man. and indeed, rare as rockinghorse sh*t. keep at it.

Don't have a bimmer yet. Still pining an e30 2 door 6 cyl hard but the trifecta of good, cheap, and close is hard to match... Anyway here's my Simca 1501. One of 25 station wagon models sold in New Zealand, and one of, I think, only 2 left. I dailyd it for a long time after my Corolla got stolen. It had bad fuel economy, it drove like a boat, the steering was bad, and much more, but I liked it. Good vibes. I guess most of you won't care about this but feel kind of bad for just posting only in the wanted section and want to participate a bit more in the forum.

One of these is not like the other...

Time to sh*t or get off the toilet with this, will consider any serious offers, even somthing dinky Plus cash my way, PM me.

Hoping some one would pick up on that

Certainly not WD40 lol

Well, not strictly my BMW, but perhaps that of Miss M. The 318Ti. Correctly fitted the replacement headunit, with Aux input wiring through to the shelf under the glovebox. Removed, repaired, and refitted the passenger side door card. It'd been removed before and as is not unusual, the push-clips had become detached from the card and become part of the door. Sorted now. Sort of refitted part of the headlining so it doesn't hang over the rear window. Unfortunately it looks as though the whole thing needs doing. I'll need more enthusiasm for that. Replaced the rear hatch struts so the bootlid now stays open instead of trying to decapitate whoever opens it. Little things, but they make for a successful day.

Front wheel bearing and oil change complete. Next step, WOF & Reg. First one since 2012!

only if something goes wrong though..

Welcome, Amrit. Pete has pretty much summed it up, above. My additional comments re e60 V8: PPI esstential: DO NOT BUY without a PPI from either a BMW Dealership or a known BMW Independent specialist. Anyone else just will not know enough about these cars to make the $150-200 you spend worthwhile. Acceleration: the 550i will give you the punch in the back you're accustomed to in your WRX, it just does it in a different way... it subtly propels you to 100 in the range of 5.4 to 5.7 seconds; I think that falls into the "quick enough" category. Info: If you can't find info on the web, you're just not googling hard enough! There's a bunch of fans of the e60 in the USA. There's a pdf from one of the forums that is frequently updated called "so you've bought an e60" (or similar), it gives you plenty of what you need to know about these cars. (I see Pete has provided linkage). DO Continue to ask here though; we're a welcoming community and all are happy to share knowlege and experience. an e60 - particularly a V8 - will not reward you for scrimping on maintenance. You're buying a $150-180k car at around 12cents in the dollar; there's a reason it was pricey, and a reason it's depreciated. Bangernomics does not apply here! Be prepared to open your wallet along with your heart, as the e60 V8 charms the pants off you and cries out for parts. MBI recommended. As Pete says, you should consider a comprehensive MBI from a reputable provider. There's no dissent amongst our ranks that the Vero-backed policies are preferred. You'll read about valve stem seals and the 550i. 5er vs 3er: As for the comment re preferring a 3-series, the 5 series is a far more sophisticated car; you'll be surprised about how capable the 'big' saloon is. True 50:50 weight distribution in the e60. And yes, I'm hugely impressed with the active anti-roll system Dynamic Drive. You should try both a Motorsport and a standard (with DD) and then choose what your butt needs. The 5er is remarkably capable in the bends. Try them both (3er and 5er). Transmission. It's the 6-speed ZF trans, it's a BEAUTY. What it isn't, is lifetime fill as per BMW advertised servicing. at 100k kms you should spend the money, have the trans serviced by a specialist... this requires new pan/filter, new bolts (x21), mechatronics sleeve, and the correct ATF for this trans. Do not f$%k around with the ZF6HP series, they'll bite you if ignored. Do read up on this, it's pretty straightforward - ZF has recommended service periods. Living with it - every time I drive it, it puts a smile on my face. Great brakes, amazing drivetrain package, 50:50 weight distribution, more power than I need, and reasonable fuel economy on a trip. The active steering is superb. People bag the origninal iDrive; I drove a brand new Commodore SV6 for the last two days and although the latest Holden equivalent has continued to improve, it's still nearly impossible to use while driving, in contrast to iDrive. There are a variety of interior finishes to choose from; take your pick. In summary: They're a comfortable, capable, spacious vehicle with excellent safety and a spacious boot. I call mine an SS Commodore in a German suit. They're not cheap to keep on the road, though they do reward. You can hunt out my thread in the showroom that I generally update with maintenance.

got the tranny changed to a manual last week, still only a wee 318i but feels alive now, more than enough for the daily work and school run .. next job on the list sport seat reupholstery ..

call me please

the armourer's dream. Speaking of armour, I saw the US Ambo's offical BMW 7er the other day, can't be sure but did think it was a High Security 760Li. the window frames were very different.

Some person thought it would be a good idea to park this outside work the other day, and then make me drive the bloody thing for two hours.

Surprise, surprise.......... I called this monkey out as a hack job years ago & he had a decent attempt at harassing me through email & PMs Nice to see his crappy 'engineering' is coming back to haunt him! Just a shame he scammed a bunch of people out of their $ in the process

Yeh I went straight to bridgstone store after reading about that deal last week. Of course they don't offer it on any of the performance tyres, also the dude said because the sizes were different between front and rear, the deal wouldn't work on my car no matter the tyre. The guy wasn't keen to help get the deal and it kinda put me off getting bridgestones

Well that's subjective. Many would agree the E34 M5 is one of the most iconic BMWs of all time, inside and out.

It's a good watch, in that Doug-sort-of-way.

What'd I do to my BMW? Nuffin'. Bought some wheels for the 500SE, though.