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After selling the E91 and driving the E39 for a while I felt like I needed something a bit newer again and had my sights set on a 135i coupe, looking for the perfect one to pop up. But it was always either not quite right and or a bit too expensive. Then I stumbled across this E87 130i hatchback 2010 automatic and couldn't say no to the lovely 6 cylinder engine so pulled the trigger. Picked it up completely stock and have already started the mods like new wheels (Work Japan 18x8.5), debadged and black grilles etc. Huge list of things I want to do on it but so far very happy with the car and will be replacing the E39 as my daily.

Few pictures from a few weekends ago. Dad and i took the cars out for a wee drive and got a few photos

Nice. I have one of these on the wish list for next car - thinking blue with 6 speed manual.

Everyone start badmouthing Wellington to keep house prices down

I lived in JVille for a while and its ok, the CBD commute is best done on the train as parking post earthquakes is getting tight. I also lived in Khandallah for a while and found the tight streets and limited parking a pain. I would look at the Hutt, two rail options to town and much greater likelihood of a garage. Don't dismiss Upper Hutt either the commute is longer but again the rail option is there and its a good option. Seriously driving into the CBD is a pain in the ass. Driving into the Hutt from Upper Hutt or south is not too bad. Save your driving for the weekends.

Anyone here buy it? Re-shell?

That's pretty incredible longevity, is that mainly open road driving?

Depends on what's an acceptable commute vs whats an optimal rental spend - and also how/where each of you would like to live. Newlands has plenty of reasonable sized housing for the $$$ and is relatively close to the CBD. The other thing you could consider is something in the Hutt near the train line, so your other half's commute is a lot easier, and yours is a lot shorter. There's compromises everywhere it's up to the two of you to decide how they rate against one another.

I've reduced the car count hereabouts a little, having sold the white coupe shell to someone who is going to fit a V8. It was originally a nimble little 4-pot. The remaining E30 coupe, the black one, will get the engine from the white one and I'm very happy with that. But pretty much everyone else wants a 6-pot E30. M20 stroker kits are everywhere, M52s are being dropped in by seemingly everyone. Tell anyone you're deliberately putting a M10 into a coupe shell and people ask "Why?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We really like our Mercedes W201 (190E) with it's 6-cylinder engine. It started as a 2.6, and now has a 3.0 bottom end, so I've gone down the BMW-lovers bigger-6-is-better-6 route. However, whenever you talk to anyone about a 190E, all anyone wants is a 4-pot 16v, 2.3 or 2.5. The 6-cylinder cars aren't exactly frowned on, but people look confused when I try to discuss tuning a 6-cylinder engine. Oh well. I always wanted to be different.

Think the cars are fine - the engines you want in them are a little off Different strokes (see what I did there?) for different folks.

I'm with you Graham, 4-cylinder E30 please. That why I have a 4-pot in the race car - trade off between power and weight / handling. Even with a 4-cylinder up front it is still a bit nose heavy but that could because so much gets stripped out of the rear with a racer. A good M10 in an e30 would be a great car. It is possibly because most people are being "realistic" in what they are looking for, 320i / 325i is still an affordable E30, M5x swap into an E30 is a cheap(ish) swap. 318iS and M3 are very scarce and out of most peoples budgets, so they look for the "next best thing" instead, which is perceived to be the 6-cylinder models. Not sure that argument quite stacks up with the Mercs though as the 2.3 16v, whilst not quite the dizzy heights of an M3, is still a lot more expensive than the 6-cyl versions...

I would first put it on a flow bench, then see how the cam specs relate as not every drop in cam will give a result you expect or even go backwards. Doing porting is fine art however basic things can be done, polishing to mirror finish is a waste of time i rough the ports with 60/80 grit to create turbulence entering the chamber. Never touch the lower short radius on the floor of the port its the fastest way to kill flow, the exhaust power is the one that controls overall power and big isnt best. Port throat behind the valve head to valve dia i would aim for around .88 ratio, measure the valve head dia x that by .88 will give the throat size. Then try to get as much upper roof area to point directly onto the back of the intake valve and reverse for the exh port. Also taking the head to a pro works too

Looks waaaaaaay better with the wheels back to how they should be. Like the wood tone contrast on the interior. Were the lights re-clear coated or just restored? Heard opinions both ways...

mates car is e36 328ti went from 126kw to 166kw after the charger was fitted , this is Rear wheel KW that's with only 4.5ibs of boost my car is a e46 330ti 146rwkw no boost yet

Due to the emergency nature, just dropped it off at Autobahn in Grey Lynn this morning. I was so flustered that I got myself lost, pulled into a driveway to make a U-Turn and crashed into their wheelie bin and the guy happened to outside to witness this.. I go to reverse away with embarrassment and end up jamming my bin against the fence with my car then completely knock it over. That's how my weekend has started haha

Number six rolls off the production line. Another 330ti with ZF 5 spd and all 330 m sport suspension and brakes.

You should have a e39 530i and a 130i. Ditch the CRV. Done.