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More bl----dy photos added

Back on the Gissa Job wagon again... this is like Groundhog Day. Got a couple of contract extensions last year thru to the end of September which coincided with the discovery of a lump which turned out to be melanoma in lymph nodes... followed by successful surgery, then some radiation therapy... now pretty much recovered and back into the job hunt! Time for a bit of a change me thinks... maybe go back to something permanent - anyways, let's see what comes up in Wellington (or Nelson...) in the next while - I've broadened the search to incorporate pretty much anything (within my rather broad set of skills and experiences of course lol) ?

Decided to blow some money at the old girl - Birds B1 Dynamics full kit - Bilsteins/springs/swaybars/quaife LSD (about time on the LSD front!) SuperPro Bushes on everything, including rear subframe, new spring pads/tophats/bumpstops/shock mounts/Meyle HD links etc etc and everything inbetween E92 M3 LCAs etc New SMF and Clutch, deleting the SAC and CDV, new centre bearing and guibos New Waterpump and thermostat (232k on the clock of the original, and got a canbus com error with it last week) Upgrade/Rebuild shifter And decided to say F work for a few weeks and do it all in the carport Might be a lil bit interesting pulling the gearbox with the car on jack stands. The only thing left to order is the tool for the subframe bushes, still screwing around with either just buying it (and probably selling it) or just making something. Pics to come!

Hi All, My partners E30 is up for sale. $4500 ONO WOF: 18/07/2020 Rego: 08/09/2020 Odometer: 277904 kms Odometer did not work for a period of time. I would estimate total kms over 300000 kms. Odometer has been fixed. Reg: ZF2265 VIN: WBAAD220503885101 Australian Import Date of Production: 01/03/1989 Year of First Registration (Australia): 1989 Date of First NZ Registration: 09/06/2000 Positives: -Strong, healthy motor and drivetrain. -Extensive servicing and records up to date going back to 2010. -Inspection I completed 14/02/2019 267256 kms -Oil Service completed 08/10/2019 276932 kms -Smooth suspension (Bilstein Shocks) -Paint in fair condition. -Electric sunroof works as it should. Issues: -Aircon inoperative. Compressor clutch is not engaging. System is still pressurised. -Rust area on sunroof panel and boot lid by spoiler. -Front leather seats cracked through to foam on bases. Seat covers included. -Head unit inoperative. -Original front floor mats missing. Rears included. -Rear window motors are getting weak, still work, just slowly. -Rear swaybar removed, can be included.

Changed my mind for the near future, enjoy it way too much. Just going to make it faster now.

Installed a BMS 'hot air' intake ? Actually really surprised at the improvement in throttle response. Huge difference. Sounds pretty good too

Hi! Sorry I've never replied. it is an e36. I am actually going with m54b30 with manual gearbox. Engine is out and am waiting on the harness adapter to use the chassis harness with the engine one. You can follow it in bmw.anunziata.nz or https://www.instagram.com/bmwupgradeproject/ Cheers

If not then get free ones from NZ Post and cut off the NZ Post branding strip. They look better unbranded (even BMW) IMHO.

Yeah I will be, but not until Friday 31st of this month. If OP can hold onto them until then...

I know of an IT-based firm looking for a business consultant, based out of an office in Wellington. They have a gorgeous harbour view! "This role will require you to be responsible for the business configuration aspects of software implementations, upgrades and ongoing support working alongside other consultants in the New Zealand Professional Services team. Key activities include; workshops, business analysis, prototyping, solution configuration, training and end user support." PM if it might be of interest.

I'm on the hunt too. Primarily IT based. But also relationship management. However Wellington is a strange market. Very much who you know. And all the recruitment has turned on Lazy Mode and automated the first step of application viewing. So if you are sending out applications make sure you include as many key words from their advertisement as you can.

Go to your local BMW dealership, they should be able to sort you out for free

Productive day. Ls sump that I've ordered is 50mm to high. The Holley one would be here in 2-3 weeks. Would fab mounts, relocate ABS pump, look at steering shaft and start Ls in the ground....that would get the eager & excitement juices pumping?? 20200106_183556.mp4

What a gorgeous car. Worth doing the hard yards of maintenance to get the most out of it.

You're welcome x2 (recommendation to check it out and previous owner) ?

My father in law loves showing up to bike events on his RD350 and RD400. That 2 stroke rasp is a real head turner. Sadly a few weeks ago a lady in an oversized SUV took a racing line into her driveway. Moved to the center line to take and unnecessary wide line into her drive way. Didn't indicate. FIL thought she was going right. Locked up and went into the side of her car. Freshly restored...

2000+ km of road trips stuck on the old girl over the christmas break, didnt miss a beat, went up and down old taupo road a few times, even got a clean run over the saddle road in manawatu... so much fun. We are on track to knock off 300,000km on the odo this year, and it'll finally be broken in.

Have discussed it with them, DCH will be handling it, thanks

Did the spark plugs today, service history reports them last done 4.5 years ish ago. All 6 were exactly the same condition as the one pictured. no oil on them so that's good. New ones in ready for a burn up to and around Hampton Downs this weekend for Caffeine and Gasoline.

All done, just waiting on the stainless lines now. Cars at 265000km now, thinking the next project will be to get myself a N52B30 long block and rebuild it with MILVS, and some nice headers, and a BPC tune. Maybe even swap engines first and rebuild the current one, it runs mint but Id like to see what a 300,000km N52 looks like inside.

Stickers stuck, clearcoated, and some new hardware on the 6 pot bananas.

New little project to potter away with. Strip, media blast, repaint phoenix yellow and rebuild them as BMWP units.

12 months since the first clean up and ceramic coating, used the rest of the sonax profiline kit up.. the 2nd step gloss coat has run out of propellant so had to cut the can open and do it the old fashioned way. 12 hours later, its pretty shiney. Last application was still beading 6 months later, didnt do the wheels the first time around but did on this go, will be interesting to see how long it holds up.

Dont they need to measure the rotors for thickness, not just if they suspect it?

A few more days of wet and dry sanding, compounding, polishing, realising missed a spot, OCDing, starting again, and its getting there. It also goes now Matt black rear valance looks pretty good (plastidipped), stands out less than the silver/grey standard colour. Engine is actually noticeably smoother with the new engine mounts, I guess they dont last 250,000k. Still have the roof to clean up, was too tall on the jack stands, and then its ceramic coating followed by a few beers.

And probably the first to 300,000 km

probably the most pampered 130i in NZ!

Now all I need is some time.. looks to be quite a bit of work removing the car from the sump. Reasonbly cheap parts though, couple of hundred bucks for everything including all new bolts and the engine mounts. Even the engine support was only $80.

500km on it now, still being gentle on the clutch, but, some thoughts. Its hard to break up whats doing what, since did so much at once - But Turn is night and day difference. It feels agile AF. The front end is so much more reactive, and you can feel the extra camber. Body roll is minimal, significantly less than the M sport sway bars. Gokart is a bit cliche, but Gokart. The ride is different, hard to say if its softer or firmer. It is MUCH more compliant, but can now feel the road. Its like its deleted the potholes, but left the road behind. No more crashiness, however the assometer now senses the pebbles. Back end feels very planted, no more squirmyness under hard (in gear) acceleration. With the clutch still being babied, its hard to say how effective the LSD will be, however in all the wet weather have definitely noticed the lack of the DSC light on the dash flashing at me every 2 minutes. BMW should have talked to Birds when they originally did the suspension setup, probably not the M3 geometry stuff as its a little darty for the average numpty, but the B1 sway bars, springs, and shocks are a thousand times better than the M kit setup as a road car. 3 thumbs up. Have been watching my oil leak, its very minor, can wait until the next oil change and Ill do it and probably the engine mounts when Im there.

Day Tuesday. Box if beers as bribery and got some mates around to install box. Cut the heads off two of the old ali bolts to use as guide "studs" It went in and about 3minutes, all lined up freakishly well. No butchery required, very minor jiggling. The top bolts were again a total nightmare to get in and torque, took about an hour per bolt, other than that all went smoothly. Pic of the extension setup used, and all the tape to hold the head of bolt in socket and the universals tight enough to guide the bolts in. Shifter reinstalled, feels amazeballs. Clutch bled, its all downhill from here! Looking forward to seeing the difference.

Day 108. Shifter bushes all changed, turner motorsport rear bush and UUC bushes on the front. The UUC bushes are too long, but cut down with a scalpel easily. Gearbox seals swapped, pretty straight forwards. Thought the rear nut was 30mm, its bigger, so the rear seal can stay. Its not leaking anyway. Flywheel off, all cleaned up, and the single mass flywheel and clutch in and torqued up. Easy. The original throw out bearing feels like its full of gravel, dual mass flywheel is sloppy as, and the clutch plate is well used... 236k, its done pretty well. CDV removed, the orifice is teeny..Its like BMW intended it to be an option with quick disconnects on each end. Now have a good old fashioned clutch and flywheel. New gearbox mounts, and its ready to go back together.

Captains Log : Stardate 8999.4 Gearbox removal. No one died. This is a big job (particularly on Jack stands). Installed the #savemejebus jack and stands incase i had to get rough and it went pearshaped and tried to kill me. 1 - You cannot access the upper bolts from top of engine. N54 you can, n52 and its intake runners - forget about it. I have some funky snap on ratchets and tools, and none of them will fit. 2 - Its an E14, the starter bolt, E14. Dont believe the internet and spend an hour and a half trying to get an E12 to fit. Youre welcome. 3 - Lower the gearbox, push up on the front of the crank and jam wood in there to hold the engine up and box down. I had roughly 2.5" between gearbox mounts and chassis to access the upper bolts. It doesnt require much force, i did it by hand, but it needs to be held up at the front ( and it also stops the engine dropping onto the sump when the weight of box is removed ) 4 - Long ass extensions and universal joints. The two top bolts are accessed from the back if gear box up to the back of head. Its a mare. They like to sit up there once undone, and not come out of holes, had to make a long ass hook device to pull the bolts out. 5 - The ali bolts come out pretty easily, 3/8th drive no wucking furries. The steel bolts require a big ass breaker bar as the 30 foot extensions like to wind themselves up. You will smash your fingers. 6 - Bit of a wriggle and jiggle and the box came out, lowering the jack and pulling it out in one smooth motion went really... Smooth. Shifter assembly comes out easily, my car had what I thought was a pretty decent shift feel, but the bushes are totally shagged.... Bunch of pics, most are to remind me how it goes back together! (and apparently in no order...) This PDF here was very useful http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19266401&postcount=1

Todays effort, Unleash the parts cannon! Slow going getting the Diff back in, Kayne did a nice job with the Quaife innards swap (quick turn around too!) The bush kit has a big ass washer between diff rear mount and the subframe, its a mare to get in and lined up while balancing diff on jack and jiggling it around to get holes to line up. Shocks and springs fall in though, which is a pleasant change! Back ends pretty much done now, other than covers and exhaust... Just the clutch, box, shifter rebuilt, front struts, water pump, thermostat, m3 LCAs, and an oil change to go now!

Day 4. Bush is a four letter word. So many bushes, takes ages, way worse than subframe bushes. The trailing arm ones in the hub are a bastard, for some reason the ali external clamshell is really soft (brake heat?) And likes to swag its ass all over the place. Peening it all back in and swearing solves it. All the bushes done though. Its downhill from here. Time for a beer.

Day 3... Swaybars are a @*!# BMW must start with the swaybar and build car around it. Eventually discovered best way is to drop both front subframe bolts and play some sort of chinese finger puzzle. For those that want to know - Stock MS rear is 14mm, B1 is 15mm, stock MS front is 23.5mm, B1 is 28mm The GST (Kommen) subframe bush tool is the business, really nice quality and makes it an easy job. Didnt even have to swear. Butchery of the schwaben bush kit makes for easy install of the crush tubes. Pretty sure could do a cars subframe bushes in an easy half day from go to woah. Found some waterbased degreaser (supercheap), can stick it in foam gun. Works mint. All the rear end arm bushings tomorrow, needs more blue PU.

Day 2... Progress. More waterblasting under the car while on a creeper, its messy, got totally covered in crap. Took some creativity with the diff bushes to get them out, particularly the rear one as its pretty large. Ended up using bits of the subframe and CAB bushing tools to get something that fitted. Came out and went in easy otherwise. Shocks out, very tired but still working, bump stops and lower mounts are totally shot. Curiously rear diff mount is shagged, fronts look fine. Drive shaft guibos have some cracking, center bearing feels pretty rattly. Pretty minor for the number of ks on it, and luckily nothing havent ordered parts for already. Subframe bushes and all the rear suspension arm bushes tomorrow, and likely new shocks, springs, and sway bar in.

Day 1 (well 4 hours) progress... Discovered what looks to be the gearbox input shaft seal leaking, good thing some clever bastard ordered full set of box seals! Lucky... All comes apart pretty simply so far, helper dog is lots of help. Unbolt things, clean them up, unbolt next thing, rinse and repeat. Diff out and then off to the Kayne Barrie to install the quaife tomorrow, will probably start stripping the rear suspension and installing the poly bushes as well.

11 years later, it finally gets what it should have had out of the box