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As the owner of both an E46 330ci and an E92 335i I thought I might share what I see as the noteworthy points. I have to say that my 330ci is not stock especially with regard to the suspension but as I have also driven a fairly stock 328i Motorsport recently I can hopefully give a fair appraisal. Firstly with regard to engines the N54 is a cracker, now mine is running correctly it's a joy to drive and obviously it has potential for quite a bit more. You can catch it out on occasion and have to wait for the boost to arrive but on the whole the small turbos spool quickly and give a nice linear response. The M54 is a good engine and with 170 Kw it's not a slug but the N54 will hose it. I will say that having driven a few M54B30's they can feel a bit lifeless in the midrange if the DISA and VANOS are not working correctly. Fix those ( As I have done) and the midrange is really quite good and the mellow torque you feel in the M50/52 is replaced by a good strong shove. Both my cars are Auto and the 6HP is definitely a step above the 5HP. That said for winding roads I find using the manual shift option on both cars actually works quite well, better in the 335i of course. Manuals or a DCT in the 335i would be better for press on driving but you pay a hefty premium to shift yourself so you have to factor that in. Interior wise the I think Its closer. The 335i looks more modern and the 330ci looks older by comparison but ergonomics might actually be with the e46 and while the 335i has more adjustability in the seats the E46 seating position is a bit lower and there is a bit more legroom up front as well. The E46 seating position really is very good. In the back the 330ci is a 3 seater while the 335i is only two, as I have two kids and they both fit in there I call this even as the 335i has a bit more rear leg room. The I drive in the 2007/8 iteration is ok but a good aftermarket audio system that you can fit into the e46 is probably just as good an option. The I Drive St Nav works buts it's a bit slow and not anywhere as easy to use as Google Maps. Audio quality is just a shade better in the 335i but the head unit in the 330ci is lower mid range and lacks quality DAC's. Both have big usefull boots and decent lights. There are a few more bits and bobs in the 335i like auto wipers and headlights that turn when you turn but they are small things that really dont have a big influence on my ownership experience. Externally it's a personal thing but the 335i looks more Coupe than the E46 which is to me almost a 2 door sedan. I love silver as a colour and the Blue of the 330ci is not one of my favourite shades of blue so I personally like the look of the 335i better. Chassis wise its interesting, the 335i has active steering and this results in a fast rack, steering in the 335i requires less input and feels very direct, the 330ci rack has more play and is less precise on centre but has a little bit more feedback but that could be down to tyres as the Nitto NT830's on the front of the 335i are ok but they are a touring tyre so they find their limits quite early. The 330ci is obviously an evolution of the E36 (and up front the E30), the rear Z Axle is a proven system and really it could be argued that while the 335i system is more advanced it's only incrementally better. This of course is dependent on how you set it up and the ancient trailing arm setup of the E30 still has its fans even though the mid corner lift off toe changes scare the sh*t out of me. The 335i does have a small advantage when retrofitting with M3 parts as it seems they are easier to obtain and fit. Stock the 335i has a small rear anti roll bar and stiff rear springs, like the 330ci there is no LSD so it's all done with electronics, this can give a bit of a disconcerting feel at times and an LSD would surely help here. This is magnified by by bigger HP and tq numbers. I feel that the stock (Msport) 330ci rear is better balanced than the 335ci rear as it is setup from the factory. Up front I favour the 335i just and to be fair this is mainly about the quick response from the rack and this may yet increase when I fit the M3 Arms and Konis. In push on driving the 330ci feels like it has a lower roll centre and with the Ohlins suspension it's more composed than both the 328i and the 335i. The 328i did exhibit a similar confidence inspiring feel however but its limit was quite a bit lower even though it was running on 18's and Michelin tyres, (The Ohlins Suspension is a bit of an unfair advantage). I will get serious about selling the 330ci at some stage but I have to say chassis wise it's still a very competent car and it has proven to be more reliable than the 335i. The 335i is faster and while there is nothing in it brake wise the 330ci is more confidence inspiring in the corners but as mentioned that may change when I fit the M3 parts to the 335i. My love of horsepower will always give the 335i the win but a quick blat over the Rimutakas yesterday in the 330ci showed me its still got a lot to offer.

I havent really put much up about this car to date, probably start something here. Build List 2008 135i N54 6spd manual Jap import Standard N54 3.0 6 cyl twin TD03 turbo engine and 6spd manual, replaced upgraded BMW 550i pressure & clutch plate, stock dualmass flywheel, hard gbox mounts and braces. E92 m3 rear end swapped, subframe, LSD, all suspension arms & links, hubs, m3 front arms/uprights/hubs etc. Hard bushes installed for subframe and a few rear arms. 1m genuine panels all round, replaced via factory BMW repair methodologies AP Radi-cal brake kit all round, 6 piston front 380mm, 4 piston rear 390mm, SS braided lines. Full floating rotors on aluminium hats. KW v3 coilovers, bump & rebound set up, front vorshlag top camber/castor plates set up 2deg neg camber. H&R sways front/rear, adjustable end links set up for lowering 245/35/19, 275/30/19 Hankooks to shred for now. 295/30/19's Continental's ordered for rear, 245/35/19 Michelin PSS Cup 2's for front arriving mid June '17. Rob Beck Next Gen turbos, Billet 15T Compressor wheel/RB Bullet nut, TD04 Thrust upgrade, High flow TD04L 11-blade high aero turbine wheel/RB high heat shield, and RB high flow oil drains. Custom turbo outlet pipe, modified SS section. See photo 1. RB silicon turbo intakes, stock filter placements, big filters from Burger Motorsport VRSF 7" thick Intercooler, RB turbo inlet with HKS SSQV blow off valve. Ordered "Colossus" Intercooler to replace 7" VRSF. Now running full methanol integration via JB4 ISO with CM10 nozzle, 60% meth/40% H20. Running 65 additive on JB4, adding meth at 6lb/in2, or 0.4bar onwards once oil is at 70deg C or higher. Cant stress how good the meth kit works, Any flow restrictions, knock detected or avg ign retard the boost gets brought back by the JB4. Previous to the meth kit going in, the IAT, intake air temps, got really high, in traffic would see close to 50deg C. Took a long time on the M'way to get it back down to mid 30's, which would see the ECU pull timing and boost aggression in the mid range. Now with the meth, each time you floor it, you can watch the IATs drop pretty quick, much better repeatability of power. Means you can spin the wheels over 120. Ive tested the car up to 27lb/in2, 1.9Bar boost, but have settled to 25lb/in2 circa 1.7bar. With this it'll slowly pull in front of new GSXR750's from standstill and easily from 180+ on closed roads. I put into the main fuel tank a blend of about 60% mobil 98RON and 40% E85 from the Gull Forest Hill. I get 300kms from the tank as a daily driver. The JB4 ISO is set up as a piggy back to the factory ECU to control methanol and boost and the full data logging which provides a live bluetooth connection, so the phone is a mini dash too. The ECU is reflashed via MHD tuning (free to DL, then pay for each map). I run the hybrid turbo E85 map or the race flash depending on the percentage of E85 is in the tank. Im limited currently on two fronts in regards to the power output of the car. The turbos are at the limit of airflow efficiency, and secondly the High pressure fuel pump and injector flow capacity. The meth spray is adding fuel which Im using to maintain AF ratios. This used to be considered 'unsafe' as there were little/no warning or safety devices that would protect the engine if there was a failure in the meth delivery. With the JB4 safety systems Im happy to move into meth as a fuel delivery device as well as cooling. I limit boost through 1st and second, 10lb then 17lb then 3rd gear gets the full 25lb onwards. Also, for shits and giggles, it has a 2 step installed, so conveniently I can build boost from a standstill, I can get to about 8lb. With flames out the back of course. Installed is a no lift shift, so just bang the clutch and change gear while holding the throttle down maintaining close to the boost you've just shifted from. I have installed anti-lag but havent set this part up yet. If I've 2 stepped anyone I'm sorry, kinda like a machine gun going off in your face. More so now the custom mild steel rear exhaust has been replaced with a stainless steel one. Had the car in for its cert finally at Fraser Cars Birkenhead via Scott. Mostly required lock washers on parts of the car that BMW didn't think needed lock washers. Annoying, but them the rules. Otherwise the information is with NZTA to approve and get the plate on. Early June, says NZTA are happy bar a bump steer test booked in for mid June. Will be fine as virtually stock 1M front end and offset wheels are used with spacers. The next plan is to install the Precision Raceworks Stage 4 low pressure fuel system (running three intank Walbro E85 pumps), independent & larger low pressure fuel supply/return lines, 6 x 750cc bosch injectors and port injection manifold spacer. This will allow a full E85 even E100 fuel in the main tank and likely the deactivation and sale of the meth system. Simply not needed with higher E85 content, if available. An ethanol sensor (Continental) will be installed in the fuel supply line which also gets integrated into the JB4 for complete fuel integration from E0 to E100. This should net about another 20-30kws without another turbo upgrade.......this fuel kit is due early July.....turbo's hmmmmmm.... Lastly, there are some MMP Stage 3 full TD04HL turbo's that Im eyeing up, which have seen 550 rear wheel kw's on full E85. Pushed, these are the limit of the stock N54 engine apparently, circa 900 crank hp. Incredible that its an open aluminium block with this level of strength. Who says 2JZ's are the strongest? Factory forged crank and miele pistons. N55 are definitely weaker engines. Not saying they are weak ok, just 'not as strong as N54's'. However, I cannot stress the amount of misery there is in changing the turbos out, the main reason Im potentially unlikely to do so again. Took close to a week to change out over weekends and nights in the rain, fuggin misery. E82 LCI Blackline taillights added late May '17 and LED bulb change out inside and at all exterior corners. Error free my arse! So its taken me about 2 years to build it in my driveway, bar the panel and paint. Its cost a fair bit less than a real 1M, minus all the mods. Im guessing currently 410-430kws at the rears going from similar/same tune N54's in Aus. It sort of drives like a combination of a lazy boy and a fast motorbike.

The boys at GT dropped my car back this arvo. I'd asked them to leave it flat sanded so I can correct it myself; so this isn't a true representation of their delivery to a client! The mystery begins, what could be revealed under the sanding!!!! Ben mentioned there were a couple of surprises he'd left me! Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Into it! Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr I asked Ben at GT to sign the roof somewhere under the clear coat - check this out! What an awesome sig, even includes the year he did the work. Mint. Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr by Christian Taylor, on Flickr A few sets into heavy compounding, starting to take shape. Check out the before/after! Looks like they've worked off a base of black, excellent! This means the roof will look black indoors or out of direct sunlight by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr A few more sets of heavy cutting removed the deep sanding marks. Time for a machine polish & refine. Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Checking with a swirl light, and there's the second surprise - holy sh*t look at that colour I simply cannot wait to get this into the sun, this is going to look spectacular Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr Untitled by Christian Taylor, on Flickr

just thought I would post this up here if there is any interest in a Z4 E89 new shape Z4 35i s-drive Twin turbo 3L N54B30 engine With the 7 speed DCT gearbox Roadster with folding hard top Current shape to 2016 ... Recent engine and trans service Staggered 18" 2013 alloys 3D design coil overs Super sprint exhaust system Very quick and capable car Gearbox is amazing so quick and smooth Can be driven in auto or manual modes Idrive with hard drive for MP3 music storage Bluetooth etc $27500 Cheapest one in nz for sale 021433600 In Papakura

Hi all After my introduction to bmw was cut short by finances and common sense, I have bought something with live plates this time, a 1984 320i. It looks nice and tidy, and the vendor tells me it has been brought up to a nice condition after a period of storage. Driving it home to Wellington from Auckland this weekend - any advice for tools to pack (other than roadside assistance!) or things to check before I set off would be welcome. Cheers CJ

Just cars and was at low speed surprisingly. An old fella decided to reverse past a driveway as she was waiting to pull out of it onto the street. Not sure how he didn't see an whacking great X5 behind him but he was pretty shaken up. She took him back into the office for a cup of tea ! Kids sport takes care of our weekends. I'm out pretty much all weekend with my boys football. He trains 4/5 times a week and we've had one week off the last 18 months. If he has a day off I spend it re-acquainting myself with our two girls. The wife and I were in Napier last weekend (boy had a trip to New Plymouth). She insisted we take the X5 and not the 535is. The thought of Pahiatua one way and Saddle Road the other had me crying. In the end we were stuck behind cattle trucks anyway so I'm glad the old girl wasn't covered in the crap coming out of them. I thought there were rules about what they drop on the roads now. The stench was sickening. My wife is a barrister and specialises in family law. We have an agreement, if it should come to it, that I walk out with the clothes I'm wearing and the e34. She keeps everything else ! Just last week I told her we should trade up to an e70. She's not having any of it, she cant stand how often I change cars.

Interesting take about the E46 vs the E9X models John I came from a E46 325 before I got the 335i , tho my E46 was pretty much just standard so for me the experience was a big upgrade going to the 335i The stock suspension / runflat tires on the 335i is pretty weak imo , scared myself a few times when I was running a tune/upgraded power and a trackday at hampton showed me the glaring weakness of the setup , its probably a fine setup at stock power levels WIth the M3 suspension parts fitted (all apart from the rear M3 sway bar) with KW coilovers, LSD and sticky PSS , I think it handles well now for the power level its at It sucks with the model/year of your 335i john that your auto transmission doesn't support the transmission flash (XHP or Alpina) , to me that was a another big upgrade Also when you run a ethanol map on the car, you'll notice how different the car is , that TQ life These engines are surprisingly strong , quite a few people in the USA have been running 600RWHP+ (with single or upgraded twins) on the stock engine The take from the community is that above 650+RWHP on stock block is when it will go at some stage I've nearly put on 100,000km from my 4 years ownership of the car in my rear mirror ?

So do I haha. I'm pretty sure that it is an EML issue (02 sensors or cats). It actually drives fine so I'm not overly bothered just as long as the dealer gets it sorted. Thanks for the advice and if it this is a recurring issue then I will take it to a Euro specialist and get it sorted properly. X5's are awesome! And I'm sure my one will be awesome-r when its sorted

At least the S engines give you some reward for all your $$.

R888s, DTCs removed reset camber, now all thats left is to give it a clean for the weekend coffee meet.

Any BMW with the engine prefex (N) as in N42, N54, N46, N62 etc having done 100k or more or over 5 years old is a money pit full stop

Booked my cert, 33 days and counting

Hiya Christopher and congrats on acquisition of the classic Look forward to meeting you soon!

Yeah disappointed that my trans can't take the flash but as its a street car rather than a track day car it makes it easier to live with. Even on the street I can notice that the rear is not properly sorted. LSD and a bigger rear bar are on the cards. To be honest I didn't pay much for my 335i so if I spend some cash on it then It won't stress too much.

bummer. nobody hurt, I trust. So does this provide an instant late pass to take the 535iS on the forthcoming roadie, then?

pretty std on all these e34 540i , 535i etc , all my e34's where like that if they had std suspension

I likey... something like this may be in my forseeable future.

according to the NZTA website, you have an obligation when selling a vehicle "You must let us know immediately when you’ve sold a vehicle." Further, "If you don’t let us know you’ve sold a vehicle, you could get a fine of up to $1000 as an individual and $5000 if you’re a company. If you sell a vehicle to a motor vehicle trader, they may complete some or all of the notification process on your behalf. However, you should always confirm that the trader has completed this process, for peace of mind." and when buying a vehicle "The quickest and easiest way to let us know that you’ve bought a vehicle is online. Otherwise you can complete the Notice by person acquiring motor vehicle form (MR13B) at an agent". If you don't advise NZTA of your acquisition, you could be up for a fine of $1000 as an individual or $5000 for a company, have to pay outstanding rego or RUCs, and be liable for speed camera fines and fines for not displaying a current WoF or licence label). In short, don't rely on the dealer to do anything beyond take your money!

^^ I appreciate where you're coming from, however, you're overlooking the point of leaking intelligence that allows complete strangers to link a car or registration with your person, which is a large number of steps to the left of the anonymity of a number plate on a car and no clue to whom it belongs.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11848982 Yep saw that too. What a moron. At the very least, to pull that scam successfully you need to transfer the money overseas and get out of the country. Can't say I'm too worried, I don't think being online makes much of a difference. You can see cars number plates by standing outside, if you need to know the name of the owner just look at your friends or co-worker's cars. Think you would need to know a few more details, address and owners DOB or driver license number? Mike Hosking probably has enough of his details on the internet to do this easily, which is why he got targeted.

Whoops forgot that part, here she is

So managed to install some custom rear spring locators I had made up at the inner diameter of the rear springs was too large for the stock rubber locating spikes, these were milled out of solid aluminium and work perfectly! Now to just book in for cert recheck tomorrow! Also found I was missing my front Diff bolts.... managed to replace them and add locktite, no idea how or why they were able to go walk abouts

took some photos ..