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sometimes 1" makes a big difference

There's no "right" answer Kyu... insurance write-offs are different over there, BUT as mentioned above, they're not in the business of giving money away for the sake of it either. So - it's simply a matter of ascertaining in Aussie exactly what happened (ideally visually), and the process it went through to get repaired, who repaired it (and where - Aus or NZ?), and who complied it in NZ. Of course you must get it properly inspected here by someone who knows the vehicles - and has expertise in vehicle repair... keeping in mind that vandalism may not be simply a cosmetic fix, there's also electronics/coding to consider (which is often where these repaired write-offs fail). The less information you have, the bigger the risk, and in turn, the lower the price should be... consider the worst case scenario (ie: if your buying privately with no warranty and the car fritzes itself) and whether/how you'd deal with that, however unlikely it is; and then if that price (both purchase and your onsell/trade price) is within your comfort/happy zone - then pull the trigger, it's more likely than not you'll have a happy couple of months/years of ownership. And if not...

The saving is potentially about 25% off market value for a highly spec’ed car that is uncommonly seen in nz new or jap import examples. to me this is a pretty good deal for a nice car and as funny as it may sound i am hoping to keep it for a couple of years (long for my standards) and not too worried about the resell value as much purely based on the fact that i couldnt get the same spec car. Car will always depreciate but at least i could enjoy it for the time i own it. driftit makes a good point. What i want to know is what was the actual damage? Keyes paint/panels? Someone smashing the windows in? What is it? I couldnt get these answers. all i am told is that the certification process is stricter for damaged imports and must be repaired to a high standard.. whatever the f that means given that we are talking about people who are dodging all questions and couldnt provide answers to generic questions. its a real shame, as i really like the car and price is very fair. Will see how it pans out. Hoping to get a reply from the first owner to shed some light and maybe take it from there. the learning from all this is, it seems very grey area, i looked at other stat write offs for sale on tm (few dealers specialise in it) and they can spin any story they want - how could i check the validity? I do not know.. e.g apparently an m4 was “near a fire” and was written off as a precaution but there was no damage. Uhh... okay sure.. because insurance companies are actually running a charity apparently now.

Outside of panel beaters I am yet to see anyone make money from these Aussie write offs. There is always more than meets the eye. How good is the repair? And who did the repair? Those are defiantly questions I would want answered.

The Auto Glym Bumper and Trim Gel is amazing

Definitely get photos of the damage, particularly the interior. Who knows what was done to the inside, could cause electrical issues. Try to get something that indicates it has been repaired correctly. Had a customer buy a repaired import and were forever chasing electrical issues either due to the accident or the shoddy repairs

I'll tell you after the weekend when I get out on the open road. Milliy's hopefully going into EUROCARE today/tomorrow for an early Christmas present as I've got a 2 page list of preventative maintenance over due thanks to the cheap-skate previous owner.

There is no money in refurbishing wheels if you are looking to sell one unless they are one of a kind. I picked up some 14inch weaves for $160 with no centres. I wouldn't bother getting centres from USA, just as cheap if not cheaper at the dealer To pay $500 for some 14inch weaves, you would hope they are mint

Replaced the hood and trunk struts on the M3... OMG what a difference. The poor abuse those lids were getting beforehand... ?

PS4s placebo ride a bit smoother than PSS?

Unfortunately it looks like I'm unable to complete my project due to a job move overseas next year. As it sits I'm taking interest on the rolling body first. Buyer will then have first dibs on all parts from there on. Everything else will be parted out. The car is tidy overall and has had the majority of rust work cut out. Spare panels are provided to repair - as pictured in my build thread. Rolling body includes: Reg on hold Power front windows Pop out rear windows No Sunroof (slick top) Complete body as pictured 14" basketweaves Lowered springs all round All interior except carpet and front seats Spare boot lining pieces Was a full running / driving car before pulling the engine out Even had A/C (parts included) Doesn't include: Engine, box Steering rack Front Seats Front carpet Not in a huge rush to sell and will continue to be worked on Car does have M54B30 engine and gearbox in it at the moment which will be removed before sale.