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Righto, so just about a year since I posted above, and I'm sorry to say it, but sold the M3 a couple of months ago ? I loved the car but for the following reasons I sold it: I wasn't using it enough. Bought it mainly as a weekend car/one for the longer trips, but unfortunately the ladies in the house didn't like doing the big trips in it...they preferred going in the Odyssey ? Even when I had the odd big trip by myself, I often took my stage 2 Polo GTI instead as it would use 60% of the gas, was just as much fun in its own right, and I didn't have to worry about clocking up miles and wear and tear on the special Bavarian. I ran out of garage space, so the M3 was parked outside, which I was none too comfortable with. Didn't want to build another garage at that stage. I like to work on my own cars, but as this one was NZ new with only 70 something thousand on the clock with full service history, I felt compelled to have to stick with dealer services (I sold it before it was due a service). For the above reason, I never took it to the track. Constant unease about the rod bearings and too tight to drop the coin into replacing them...read above re preferring to do my own mechanical work. Apparently my front disks were getting down and a BMW dealer told me it would be thousands to replace them...WTF?? I struggle with that. It was some freaky blue/black and just never looked clean (read lack of garage space not helping). They really are an awesome car on the right roads, like through the twisty stuff heading north from here on number 3, through the gorge and up Mt Messenger...I have never driven anything that makes you turn so evil, but of course we are talking some pretty antisocial driving and you're only going to get away with that for so long. Would I own one again? Probably, but only once the arse has dropped out of them (during the recession?) and I find one I like that I'm happy to tinker with and take to that track, which is really where it needs to be to get the most out of it. So qube, just buy one already ? Bucket list and all...

Update: Have got the car going runs really well. Oil & filter done Leaking frost plug changed Power steering fluid changed and bled Brake fluid changed and bled. Drove it home and spent saturday polishing it up with the mrs. Came up better than expected. Starting to like this car more and more. Especially with how little its costed me so far.

dont forget the E23 745i ?

#bringback3pedals

To all those who don’t believe in the E92 M3 and those contemplating buying one, just do it, after you find the right one of course. Searched for almost three years for my NZ new Competition Pack, found it, bought it, love it. I have just completed a 2200 kms road trip in 96 hours around the North Island. Loved every second of it; main roads, back roads, cruising, hooning. The car is capable, quick and an absolute pleasure to drive. The last sector of my road trip was Mercer to Whangarei - 215 kms at cruising and ‘slightly’ over legal speeds. 18 litres of 98. Unless I’m mistaken that’s 8.4 l/100kms. That is hard to believe from a car with grunt to burn, a noise to die for, and an M3 badge on its tail. Don’t know anything about the 335i but this I do know, as my BMW mechanic tried to push me that way as well, a 335i is not and never will be an M3.

Nice black E39 touring

In BMWs case they aren't flaws, they're features! I think I need to get a Japanese car again next to remember what it's like to have a car that never needs any work.

It sure has that thing was a nightmare

You'll need to get it scanned again, fix the fault and reset the system. Will be occupancy sensor, wiring harness or seat belt receiver.

That's a good idea. Yeah wish I had the inflation option.

More to the collection this week 17x8 and 17x9 style 32s, wanted these wheels and waited a while, coincidentally found some in the north island with tyres LSD arrived, 3.46 ratio on it, also have a 3.64 medium case for it to go into so will swap the ratios as I think the .64 be too high Will be coming off the road in a couple months to start the swap. Have a detent tool kit coming from member modz, and will get a kit from FCP to do that while its out

A few people do the delete and it does look good. When I was waiting for the new motor I was considering leaving it off but the first rain convinced me otherwise. The low pressure zone at the rear of the car just sucks in too much crap. Here's the link, unfortunately the free shipping offer seems to have ended (but it's still only NZ$16): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1000006623345.html

Rear wiper has a fundamentally flawed design, common problem (check yours if you have an E81/7): Fixed with a NZ$70 pattern part from China, arrived in less than a week with free shipping. Over NZ$350 for a BMW one that has the same flaw so will just fail again. It should be illegal to sell something with a known design flaw. Oh yeah, it is illegal BMW. Tisk, tisk.

From what I understand with Steve the issue was a general one with other posters disagreeing with him, rather than the admins. Might be wrong as I was not directly involved. 3pedals is not banned or blocked from what I can see, pretty sure he did storm off in a huff.

The funny thing here Dave....... it’s not the first time something like this has happened. I believe a similar thing happened to another extremely valuable member of the forum several years back. maybe there needs to be a changing of the guard?

No, just buy one already

The one I use is a clear, about 1.5mm thick gel like tape with a red backing, used by signwriters etc, it will pull the paint off your doors if you're not careful! I got mine from Bunnings, we get it at work through Primepac in much larger rolls.

I love it, its boring when you worry about every little thing that can wrong.

It is a bit silly I’ll admit - I just wanted more sound and a mild tune. It sorta escalated after that?. But the car feels like a different animal. It feels as if it’s lost a few (hundred) pounds and sprints off the line just tickling the throttle. Wet roundabouts are taken very cautiously indeed and if it breaks - I know I had fun in the meantime. These cars are mad fun unleashed.

Separately (grab new boots too)

Wow, belsee looks great but the system is old. I am currently looking at a similar XTRONS car stereo with the latest Android 10, I think I will go with it.

This thing just keeps getting better, and my smile wider. The pretty slick auto with these paddles seems to me to be the best of both worlds, with a bit of imagination it's both an auto and a manual, a poor man's SMG if you like. The new shifters are from https://www.nelsonracingwheel.com/ and I had to take a bit of a punt as they never got the e87 or the 130 in the US so compatibility was a risk. In the end I opted for the "pre-LCI" ones for my LCI and they proved to be the correct ones. You disassemble the existing paddles, swap in some new framework and attach the actual aluminium paddles - all of the original BMW electrics and micro stitches are reused. Then you swap the down (push) wire on the left and paddle into the up (pull) terminal and voila right is pull up, left is pull down and you can't press either paddle. Took me about 40 minutes. The action is firm and has a satisfying dull 'click', the aluminium paddles both look and feel great, I couldn't be happier. They felt immediately intuitive to me, I'm already comfortable reaching for them with opposite hands if I'm turning the wheel a lot. New lock nut set from @Lewis91 turned up in less than 24h, how sweet is that? A few more small things still on the way, it's working out well for me so far. Edit: oh and bonus, any BMW or aftermarket DCT shift paddles will work with these new switches, pull existing ones off, slide new ones on, 60 seconds.

not much to be gained in performance with that model. if you want to go fast sell it and buy a 335i. otherwise spend money to do maintenance, good oil and filters, transmission service, and drive it normally. good daily car.

Yeah, if it was going to be a long term love affair, I would have closed my eyes and shelled out for new bearing shells. I don't know what sort of money you'd pay for that job in NZ...no doubt double what it would be in the US or UK as that is how the Euro Garages seem to operate here unfortunately. I used to warm it up for a good while before heading down the road. They have an 8 litre sump which doesn't help. This is one of the reasons why it wouldn't be much use to me as a daily (work is 5kms away). You're right about not knowing how previous owners have treated them. My boss has a lovely new RS4 which he jumps in and thrashes straight from the get go, no warm up. He's not mechanically minded at all and at the end of the day, he'll be in the next new car before the factory warranty runs out. I just shudder and cringe every time he does it and just pray that the M3 didn't have an owner like that.