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She's going to be a BMW driver - it would have been one about indicators

Gauge rings...

I asked that guy if I could test the bullet proof windows before purchase, and he said I could. Sort of wish I went and did it.

Benefits come also from the later suspension set-up of the E36 / E46 rather than just the bolt pattern. Much wider availability of coil-overs, shocks, etc, no need to weld struts. Other benefits you have mentioned, yes you can weld and drill some but not all rims (also cost). Yes you can use top hats and remove able rotors but off-the shelf are easier and much cheaper. If you are running bigger rims / tyres then a bigger and stronger wheel-bearing and spindle to match is a good idea. With the scarcity of E30 M3 suspension parts the prices are in the moon beams area now and not going to come down if something breaks later on, so I would suggest the other options.

Replaced the gearknob in Miss M's car with one received from Kopua Cowboy (thanks ever so much). Now looks like this: Getting the old one off was interesting. "Give a good tug" is the normal instruction, but I suspect that works best when they've not been fitted using insulation tape, black mastic, some sort of superglue... This is what I removed: The new knob does need something to stop it rotating, but it doesn't need that much stuff!

Installed these last night and am very happy with the result. Was a real PITA and even cost me some blood but job done. They're aluminium (rather than plastic) with a nice dark chrome finish. Similar to that seen in the Z and later M cars. Got rid of that hideous idiot sticker for the fuel grade as well. Before: After:

New windshield wipers and a nose job. Before : After : Fitment is spot on. Not bad for Made in Taiwan

Love the look of those wheels.

Oh oh, you said it now.... This thread is now doomed.

I dont think there is any point in comparing this to an e39 m5 or an M coupe. anyway, that fjord grey is amazing

Haha yeah i saw that was you. Maybe he tested them himself and realized they weren't, hence why he never re-listed it.

Assuming it has never been in accident and had a repair! Or been submerged, or driven on salted roads, or parked at the beach, etc. Galvanizing is good but its not magic unicorn good, still pays to check.

If anyone is interested, I have a new version of bimmersport at 114.31.212.141, you can test this by changing your hosts file. If logging in, you have you use your screen name rather than your account name. When I do the change for real I will select username as the default and this will become your screen name again if you changed it at any time in the past. If you don't know how to do this or what I am talking about, here is a screenshot:

You probably want to look at the E46 M3 or the 330D, from memory both have a large case diff so likely to have the larger flanged inboard CV's. The E46 doesn't have flanged outer CV's so not sure how you plan to get from the diff to the CV (or drive flanges). By the sounds of the diff your going with I'm sensing some animal action will be imposed on the axles, making them a consumable item... Do so researching / cross checking on RealOEM (Online BMW ETK parts catalog), as you may also need the corresponding trailing arms that go with the Axles (Outer CV's)

Those photos certainly don't do it any justice either. For a car like that and at that price you'll need to do a better selling job than those potato photos. Those rims are totally off for an 8 Series and also detract from the car, quite badly in my opinion.

Working on getting a new car cover for MTOY at the moment, given I have a big bit of scaffolding over the back the current cover just won't do. I've partnered up with Covercraft to supply premium indoor covers to NZ, check out www.nzcarcovers.com (disclaimer it points to my website haha). Will post pics when it arrives.

I went back to click the buy now and they'd gone lol

That was the other M5... Sorry Russell !

No more sikaflex!

Would you sell the chrome ones? I am desperate to get them for my 540i Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

^ Nice work Graham - saw the original on Sunday and couldn't imagine Miss M being happy with that!

love everything about this car.. except for the fact that its not sitting in my garage..

How stinky is the re-spray? Obviously you spray it out of the car but how bad does it smell after re-installation and a day in the sun?

I was told mine was the most expensive because the whole key needed to be replaced, not just the transponder(?). Early E46 keys will still start the car regardless of the door controls still working. Sorry haven't done a whole lot of research on keys, more something I like to leave to the professionals. The place is around the back of 930, there's a garage and a big 26 above the door. If you go there, you'll find it easy. It's not worth ringing, but after seeing some of the stuff he was working on (VW's that even VW NZ couldn't get to start), I have no doubt he'll be able to do whatever you need. Don't want to disclose the price as I assume every job is slightly different but as I said earlier, I didn't have to pay the $350 I expected to pay. Cheers.

That would be a very viable option. I wasn't going to miss out on another set of RS' so jumped at them.

Now the fun starts. Miss M has passed her driving theory test, and now has a learner license. She got 34/35. Let's hope the one she missed wasn't too important!

http://www.expresskeys.co.nz/

Went for a drive, new seats are awesome. Nice and snug without being full-on race seats. Would recommend. IMG_60961 by Christian Taylor, on Flickr

They should have got a "proper" E38 and gone all out for the Protection version, the police would have had trouble stopping all 3.5 tonnes of one of those. There is a BIG difference between the double glazed windows (which are 1/2 inch thick and not bullet proof) and the bullet proof windows (which are THREE inches thick and in special door surrounds with protective coatings on the inside, which not surprisingly are), then there are the bullet proof tyres, steel plated armour, etc, etc. NOTE: This is not condoning criminal activity, merely pointing out they bought the wrong 7 Series for the job.

Andy is right about cutting the bottoms off - It much safer, as they clog like anything! Even Dads E30, that spent most of it's time locked away, and not parked undfer trees when it was allowed out, used to nee a clean once a year - There's anways be a stray leaf or something. I guess they were "valved" like that, to stop engine smelled being sucked in, but it reality, it doesn't happen (unless your engine is externally lubricated).

offset and what will and will not work depends mostly on the width of the wheel in combination with the offset, you cannot look at offset on its own. for example et35 on a 6" wheel (i.e. more or less the stock dimensions) will have 110mm between the mount face and the back of the wheel, and 40mm between the mount face and the front lip take the same off set et35 on a 8" wheel, and it will have 135mm between mount face and the back of the wheel and 65mm between the mount face and the front of the wheel. remember that a guard can be modified, as can the water shields inside the wheel well to fit more outside width into the car (may also need steering rack limiters). however the strut and hub face does not move. generally as the width of the wheel goes up, the offset must go down. find a good visual calcutlor on the internet that has a graphic you can punch in the OE rim size and a tyre size, and then lay your intended size over the top and see how it matches up. in there rear there is much more room to play with. 17x8.5 et13 AC Schnitzer Type 2s are known to fit, you could get away with wider still if you did some guard work.

sh*t mate, you have gone grey very qucikly! Good to see you can fit in the new car now though.

Need a wanking one for 3pedals and his spreadsheets

also, FYI (might be off topic) Brad from here in wellington is making up some adaptors for those people that soley want bigger brakes, if i remember right they use E34 540 calipers in the front and Audi TT disks. you then bolt on E36 compact rear disks/calipers which are already much bigger than the stock E30 parts.

I need popcorn

Small progress engine rebuilt and engine bay painted , Now to find motivation and crack into it