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Today I took the 320d out for a coffee and to meet some of it's peers. Talked to some folk about possibly filling another car-sized space in the drive. Got home, thoroughly cleaned some Style 73s, wired up some excellent lights for the garage, and scored brownie points with Mrs M by buying baskets for firewood. And chopping wood to go into said baskets. The sun shone. The coffee was great, and so was the company. And I achieved something. It's been a good day.

Even Brosnan would agreed, he was clearly enjoying his in the back seat:

I get what your going for but dont rule out the E32/38's too quick. I think you'd be nicely suprised at how much fun an E38 can be with the right suspension and performance chip. One of my workmates has a R34 Skyline and I kick his a#se in the corners and on the straights. Honestly. Find one for sale and take it for a drive. The shorty's made for a driver not a passenger. Or if we're ever at a meet together at the same time I'll let you take mine for a drive. Once you've gone 7 you'll never go back..lol

Okay so i know some of you guys are into switching stuff on and off and changing things around on your BMW's electrical system etc. resetting gauge clusters. syncronising modules. Software updates. etc etc. Have been doing some reading, but it all seems to be a bit too far above my head, there is a missing link somewhere! Like for example i want to know how does one actually communicate with thier BMW? Both in a hardware and software sence. ADS. MAN. ZCS. etc etc what the? anyone got a link to my first baby picture book? This is a realm of the BMW world i have absolutely no knowledge of! Cheers Andy

Seeing all the various BMWs today at the monthly Sunday meet got me thinking about what project options there are to work from. Rather hypothetical, but I always like to spin ideas around in my head until I get bored and move onto another idea. I'm still most pleased with my Soarers but I feel a void missing without a BMW to tinker with since selling my E36 V8. I suppose these are my options and my brief thoughts: 1 Series E87 - Never been a fan of the styling... quality is typical of an entry level BMW. 3 Series E30 - Do like them a lot, but easy to become massive resto projects depending on condition and spec... 3 Series E36 - Been there and done that, not a fan of their styling anymore or the way they feel on the road. 3 Series E46 - Coupe and Touring are smart looking machines even in non M spec... plenty of potential. I've always thought they have aged very well, I regret not doing my 1UZ V8 conversion in an E46. I've always like the touring E46 shape too, a well balancing looking car, better looking than the sedan and most people go for the coupes from what I've seen. 3 Series E9X - I'n not so much a fan of the bland styling, even on the facelifts, just a bit too uninspired. The interior quality seems less than of the E46s too. 5 Series E34 - As much as I like them, they are pretty dated and do need good overhauls, I've had a 540i and 535i so kinda been there and done that with both so I don't think much is to be gained playing with those again. 5 Series E39 - I did like them at one point, while I like the interior, the exterior doesn't excite me enough... nor does the prospect of various odd issues they like to get depending on their engine and year options. That said if I had a good one I wouldn't be unhappy. 5 Series E60 - I like some of them, the LCI facelifts seem like decent cars, not sold on the interior styling over the E39 interior though, possibly too new 'era' for me with all the I-drive stuff etc, I think they will become quite problematic in the coming years too, but who knows. 7 Series E32/E38 - Great looking cars but too big, fairly complex and not really a fun weekend project car you can take for a good drive - I'm not a chauffeur! 8 Series E31 - As cool as they look, they are complicated aging cars that need a lot of TLC. Not sure I want a big 2 door cruiser either. Having thought about each series, I think that just brings me back to the E46s again. Probably the easiest choice out of the lot, pretty simple cars too, similar to the E36 in many ways which is a car I understand well. Of course they have a few more electrics to get around but other than that seem like a sound choice. Between a coupe or Touring, I think a 6 cylinder touring would be a good base having the thicker axles and 188mm diff from factory. Of course I would be inclined to change the engine to make it fun, but what to run is always the question. While I like the S52/S54 and S62 - sweet engines a with a reliable track record and as good as NA motors can get, they are expensive options. That said it's ideal to have an OEM engine in an OEM car and would add to the value when it comes time to selling. Otherwise I feel there aren't many other BMW engines that interest me, not so keen on the M6X V8s or the M5X engines having seen where they can go wrong. So it leaves a few Toyota engine options out there: 2GR-FE 3.5 V6, same spec as a S50B32 output, but could be mounted further back being a V6. On the flip side I find V6s a bit boring but they are a compact modern 230kw powerhouses so end up being a bit more exciting than your average one. V6s don't sound as good as V8s either which means they are probably a no go for me. 1JZ/2JZ Turbos - Well proven engines with reliability and easy to get more power out of. Obviously the best choice for outright performance but I'm not such a fan on turbocharged engines and don't really want more than 350hp. 1UZ-FE, 4.0 V8, Good engine but a little old now, no vvti or modern features so don't really make enough power without being supercharged or turbocharged. 3UZ-FE 4.3 VVTi V8, The last and best variation of the 1UZ, 4.3L with 320hp/440nm out of the box, reliable as anything and can be had from 2001-201X so still modern engines in the used market. Easy to run a manual gearbox behind one too. 1GZ-FE 5.0 V12 - A motor I've always been interested in but they do need a front sump setup due to the way the oil pump and timing chain hangs down. Not sure this would work in an E46 chassis due to the subframe positions. Most expensive Toyota engine choice too, reaching stock outputs of ~ 330hp/481nm, pretty high scoring for the unique factor, not many quad cam V12s about! Having thought about the above I reckon an E46 touring, 3UZ V8, manual w58 5 speed, some nice M3 suspension bits and an similar style RS4 V8 exhaust with dual mufflers out the back would make for a fun practical machine. From my past experience the trick would be to making it all integrate easily, and making sure it was a good daily driver with all the comforts like A/C retained etc - Factory themed (with a Toyota motor) Another key is to keep an eye on the budget, so easy to over spend if ones not careful!

i think everyone would agree the E38 was the last drivers 7 series. share a lot of stuff with the E39, itself a very good car too, facelift 530i motorsport mmmmmmm

^jesus that is one crazy car.

would be somewhat inclined to agree with E38 comments... the short wheel base is a big car, but its not only A6 size, same size as E60 5 series, etc. if you are engine swapping you would probably want to start off with a 728i, less stuff in it, otherwise the 740i is the no brainer.

As posted in the 'What did you do...' thread I finally got all of the BMW diagnostics and coding software set up on my computer. It's archaic software that's both configuration sensitive and very temperamental and took countless hours to get right. But I'm there now and am impressed by the amount of information and control it gives you. Just to check the DIS software out I bled the ABS system and ran a VANOS test (passed thank goodness!) which is all quite impressive, activated a few switches and relays, cool. Cleared all of the historical and shadow codes, took her for a drive and checked codes - zilch! - can hook this up to any E36 with a 20 pin round connector in the engine bay for those interested in a free scan.

Needs cord for extra retro cool - plus you can strangle annoying passengers with it if necessary.

I had seen videos about this product online and it looked to work well, so I ordered some. (From United Car Care). All I did is spray on, wait 10 mins, hose off, did all of my 3 cars at the same time. My cars have not been cleaned in months, (never have time) the wheels were all rather dirty.. Obviously it hasn't done a perfect job using this method, but it still made quite a difference. Before: During: (The Iron particles etc are converted into a Purple Liquid). After:

I've wanted to post about this for over a week now but didn't want to put it out there that this car was avaliable for tender. So I've been very impatiently waiting for the tender process to finish. lol Over 2 years of searching and I had given up hope and was in the process of buying a wrecked 750il so I could build my dream car. A E38 750i I found my donor car on a Turners wrecked/end of life car auction.A 98 750il with bad frontal damage. Then I thought I'd have a look at what other BMW's they had up for auction and OMG, guess what I found. My dream car. The elusive 750i. Considering that between 1998 and 2001 there were only 1032 750i's produced I really never thought I'd find one in NZ. So today it was confirmed I was the winning tender so I can shout out to everyone about my new toy. I now have to be even more patient as the cars in Hamilton and I'm not. Have to wait till my next days off work which isn't till next Wed. So so far away. I dont have pic's at the moment but can post up the Turners listing. The car doesn't run and has the ugliest interrior color I've seen. lol.. The motor was running when taken there. They just cant start it now so I'm not too concerned. And I can always change the interior to a more suitable color..ha ha. https://www.turners.co.nz/Cars/Search/BMW/750i/13961577/ I'll take some pics when I pick it up and edit this post then. I'm also going to start a thread in the projects section for those interested and to keep a record for myself of the work that will be done. First up will no doubt be to get it running. Then a thorough grooming will be in store. After that I think it'll be new suspension all round. It's sitting stock at the moment so I'll definately want it a bit lower at the front. Oh. Not to forget the interior color change. That blue will do my head in..lol

You walk up to a guy at a classic car market who doesn’t have a clue what sort of a rusted out BMW he’s selling in banana boxes. It’s 1989. The Berlin Wall is still standing, but doesn't look as strong as it once did, so you make the purchase in hope of a brighter future. Obviously. You might be crazy, but Helmut Schlosser is crazier. Not only did he buy a six-cylinder BMW without having all the pieces (or a manual) in those boxes, but he also kept going after realizing the scale of the job, which took the better part of the next decade. But it is a 303, the very first BMW with the kidney grill. It’s the kind of thing that drives normally sane men mad. 1,700 hours and a trip to Switzerland later, he finally turned the key and pushed the starter button.

Right, sorry, need sleep. Regardless, real testament to your boost-related know-how.

So little update for amusement its been dyno'd and front cleaned up, made 487hp on 11.8 psi on 95 pump, stock motor done 287,000km never had the head off. Only mods are the DTM cams and my own intake manifold and exhaust headers, runs A048 for every day rubber which it sort of needs since it makes 1396 ft/lb at the wheels so pulls average i guess. Sits at just under 1400kg's now after fitting fibre glass front yet to do the back, made own billet quick shifter seems to do the job etc. New motor on the stand yet to so in with all the go fast bits in it ill then lean on it harder sadly will need to tub the rear for wider rubber to make use of anymore power ( kills the rears now on semi's in 4th, private road for the PC sensitive ) Box is still a 260G got a bunch of 6 speeds lined up for change of motor, not a rainy day car !

What an epic car! Have you got any more pics?

www.bmwcoding.com www.bmwcoders.com google google google.. it does get a bit techo sometimes, but once you get into it its pretty cool stuff...

there used to be a super mint black 740i or 750i with full ac schnitzer everything around the city back around 2008ish. it was a turkish dude a friend of a friend and it was one of the nicest 7 series and nicest bmw ive ever seen. it was absolutely amazing. too bad he crashed it drifting or something. silly thing to do with such a nice car.

That 100-220kph is insane. Soooo much torque.

Caught a glimpse of your sweet firewood baskets in the back of the wagon.

1999 Motorsport 540i with 132,000km all original suspension. Here's some notes for people considering changing suspension parts. Thrust arms bush was shot, balljoint was good Front straight control arm, bush looked fine and balljoint seemed alright but was a noticeable improvement when changed Swaybar links front were fine Swaybar links rear were shot Both rear control arms had torn boots on the balljoint but seemed ok, noticeable improvement when changed. Rear balljoints were shot Shocks were all dead, fronts were completely shot, rears were just bad. If you get height adjustable coilovers 10kg front and 8kg rear is stiff and as high as you should go on a daily. If you get coilovers then get thrust bearings or similar to avoid coilover noise. You can use 5/8 instead of 16mm as there are a few 16mm nuts and bolts You will need an 18mm socket Thrust arms and rear balljoints were huge improvements when changed Rear balljoint has a 24mm and will need a minimum 1ft breaker bar or large torque wrench to undo Jack up both sides at the same time to remove swaybar links otherwise they will have tension on them. Record your hub to guard height so you can jack up hubs to torque bushes under load. You will need a meaty balljoint splitter for thrust arms, you will need a decent tool for rear balljoints. I went for drives several times during the process so I can provide some feedback on what part fixed what problem. Clunk when one wheel goes over a bump before the other/general loos feeling when going over speed bumps turned out to be thrust arm bushes for me. Rear end looseness and shimmy from the rear when cornering and going over small bumps was rear balljoint for me. The other control arms just seemed to soften the damping, now the rides is more comfortable and more quiet. New shocks don't hiss over bumps, car feels much 'tighter' absorbs shocks now and stays planted rather than bouncing over them. Happy to answer questions or lend a hand, am in hill park manurewa.

You could always go super extreme. How about a E38, 6 speed manual, v12, twin turbo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XunY7hZWvuI

Haha. Funny you say this guys years ago I thought the idea of a 'track ready' E38 to be quite an exciting prospect, mainly because of the way they look and the whole vibe they have. You're probably right about not dismissing them too quick... perhaps I should take you up on that offer of a test drive. I've not actually driven one! I've always like the way the look, but never looked into them enough to know what the suspension is like etc. On the plus side, two E38s could be had for the price of one E46 touring given typical market prices!

From what I've read on other forums I think it is the E39 pedal box that people are using for thier E38 manual conversions. Plenty of room in there Andy. Pic's from a LHD.

I would love to see a track day e38, full cage , stripped interior, v8 with a 5 speed manual and lsd, but not sure if i would want to own it!

Gave it a wash for the meeting this morning

Loved pacman's post fight speech.

Yeah way to expensive for what I would be willing to spend. As good as the S65 seems to be, their early bearing failures rings major alarm bells... what will happens when they are 10+ year old engines? S85 more expensive again, not sold on the way the V10s sound compared to your V8 options either. Yeah agreed, everythings been done really, but the fun is purely about just doing such work yourself etc. Gotta spend money somehow Haha, but thats the thing, I like the way BMWs feel on the road and the way they look, same with the way they are put together. It's a hard to beat combination. Toyotas just don't have the same road feel I find.

I used some good car wash (no salt) stuff, and an old kitchen sponge/scourer. Loads of elbow grease (plenty in the cupboard, apparently.) Before: After: Far from perfect but a lot better. Would've been much easier with a spray, leave, and rinse solution!

there really arent that many options now thats original and unique. most have been done and done well. cost factor is also important. edit: how about doing the exact opposite and sticking something like an m54b30 or a bmw v8 into a soarer? lol

What about S65/S85? too expensive? They would rock in an E46 Touring.

I luv my current I luv my current E38 740i. Luv the way it looks. Luv the way it drives and handles. luv that it out performs my old 2000 SS Commodore. And the pinnicle of e38's is the V12. Only trouble with that is I'm not a huge fan of the long wheel base il's that seem to be the only V12's avaliable.. 750i is my Holy Grail because it's a short wheel base E38 V12 which also happens to be a very very rare car. Oh, and I dont understand why I got it so cheap. I certainly would have paid a whole lot more for it.

What, you mean its not even ///M model?!

This would be good for weaves. Bloody hate cleaning weaves in all the small gaps.

Got the 'vert re-reged as the Mrs wagon is in for some panel and paint. Nice day for a drive of it, even had the roof down on the way back from son's football this morning!!

I'm not trying to pick a fight but this shows just exactly why the driving is so dreadful in NZ!....

Man, I cant wait to see those on the car. Luved this when you bought it and I'm really luving it even more now.

New badges.

Will look quite different ... that gold should suite the paint colour nicely. The whole package will be a bit of a looker for sure.

Not quite - You don't have any dead pixels yet ?

why does it jump from 1990 to 2000. bloody annoying

Get to work. Smells musty. Workshop flooded, lots of damage. Must have rained a lot when I was away up north. Subaru's. Second engine in six months, same problem, no oil pressure, blown turbo. Standing on side of the road on a rally stage again watching cars go past holding a sign that says OK. Having to reconcile a co-driver who has just spent 10k on a new engine and now faces a rebuild. Could have should have won our class too, some great driving in the morning.

People (usually a truck/ute/people mover/jeep) who feel the need to pass you, even if you are going 120KM and there is actually no passing lanes but dark nz country side highway thats barely lit full of curves and corners.

Changed the intake pipe colour. + =