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Sorry everyone, I have been a bit slack with responding to messages. I have decided to keep the car. I had an offer of $20k (yes you read that right) on the table but couldn’t let it go. I love driving this car too much. I will be listing an E92 335i shortly.

Date: 17 Jun 2020 Distance: 261xxxkms 1. Replaced Blue Temperature Sensor (CTS). Bosch part #0280130026. And new aluminium crush washer. This is where specialist knowledge rules. No stripping the inlet manifold. Remove the airbox and surrounding area, and you can sneak in with a long extension. It's made a really nice difference to how the car runs. I think it's been running rich for years before I got it. EDIT: it's nippier, climbs through the rev range a little faster. I think it'll be more economical to boot! There's the little bastard! A pale blue Bosch coolant temperature sensor in it's natural habitat, this afternoon. Plug is disconnected in this image. 2. Replaced Three Exhaust Hangers. What a shitty job. Best done on a hoist. They weren't f@#ked, a precautionary replacement. The old ones were getting a little crusty. Job's a good 'un. I mean, who wants a dropped exhaust they have to wire up on a country road? First Exhaust Hanger. Adjusted hanger bracket. P/N 18211105635 (Vaico VAI-V200055) Outboard Exhaust Hanger (Doughnut): P/N 18211712838 (Fischer Plath) Inboard Exhaust Hanger (Doughnut): P/N 18211712838 (Fischer Plath) 3. Replaced Rear Inboard Brake Hoses. Jon noticed one of the hoses was a little dimpled, and they were starting to get a bit weathered. On the basis of 'it's brakes, we don't dick around here', we replaced them. It was another shitty job. Bled the brakes afterwards, topped up brake fluid. Inboard Brake Hose: P/N 34321159878 length 222mm (Corteco). - the old hose pictured. 4. General checks. Bled and topped-up cooling system. Topped up engine oil (0.5 litres). Checked gearbox oil level (fine). Checked differential-mounting bolts to subframe. Re-tensioned drive belts (power steering had been squealing on initial cold start). Thanks Jon! 5. HT Leads Cleaned #3 HT lead connection at cap (again) - emery cloth, and brakeleen. Checked all other connections, clean and dry. 6. Gleamy I also gave it a wash on Sunday, it's looking good and ready to take to Castlepoint on the BMW Car Club NZ trip this weekend. Spic and Span on Sunday. Should have taken a proper camera. A big shout out to Jon and Keren at Auto 38 in Wellington! I can turn a spanner... mostly, but the skill and capability of a craftsman mechanic is streets ahead. If you're in Wellington (or the lower North Island), you'll get excellent workshop service. Plus parts nationwide. Next steps: Front Scuttle Panel: Clean surface rust from front scuttle panel, etch, prime, repaint satin black. Tail Lights: Replace tail light seals (in parts stash) Electrical: Install the dual horns, Install foglights, Investigate remote mirrors not working Audio: Front tweeters, rear parcel shelf, Sound deadening under rear parcel shelf, rear premium speakers, power feed for sub & amps, install sub. Dashboard: repairing SI, dry joint brakepad warning indicator, adding RPM, fitting analogue clock, precautionary odo gears replacement. Rear end brake overhaul and spring pads (in parts stash). Update: rear trailing arms blasted and powder coated. remaining items: repaint backing plates, strip paint, and overhaul rear callipers. Bodywork: Get new driver's door waistline trim and clips.

$8-10 a liter is normal price. thats why 320i arent very economical, because they burn more oil than they do petrol

Managed about five months without an e30 after swearing off them 'forever'. A combination of 1) taking a prius up to New Plymouth for an e30 megameet that I had booked non-refundable accommodation for, and 2) an E12 that my family refuses to ride in meant I was missing the fun, comfort and simplicity of e30s, with their plentiful parts, support and community. Idle trademe browsing over the Christmas break turned up a presentable looking jap import fl 318i. A handsome blue, interior mainly intact, and an oil pressure warning light that may as well have been wired directly to ignition. Cheap as chips though, and the aircon was reportedly icy cold. Drove it home between Christmas and New years on a lovely summer day and watched NZ lose the boxing day test on the ferry home. Fun little mission, marred only by the stereo not working and a relentless pirate-ship creaking coming from the front suspension...

For those that want High quality Bluetooth audio (and phone kit) with decent integration to the standard audio systems in Ibus cars.. Check this out: Bluebus I’ve just installed this to my E46 and it’s everything the forums and reviews are harping on about! let me know if you have any questions..

$250 - pick up Christchurch

I saw you the other day on Hillside road and literally starting salivating. That car is so beautiful. I would never let it go if I were you.

what a beauty!! and you can come to e30 Mega Meet this year, too! bonus. Hell, as you were in NPL last year, should have joined us for a quiet beer or two anyway!

@qube Kyu, I found the same - fewer top-ups, and my engines ran smoother on HPR5. That and it's less-expensive than Castrol.

I gave up on Castrol Edge (used to run 0W40), I prefer the HPR5. I don't recall 50% off anything in NZ - except at Briscoes ?

Happy to take it off your hands and put 50kms a day for my work commute if u feel that bad towards the car ?

The valve is there to stop sudden, violent vacuum advance / retard operation in the distributor causing timing and points bounce issues

You could get a regrind done. Place in Pukekohe Franklin Cams could do it. But TBH I think you are better off getting something from VAC.

Gave it wash prior to WOF tomorrow. This is Fusso King of Gloss applied 7 weeks ago, and it was covered in mud prior to this evening. Stuff is really legit, behaves like a ceramic but way cheaper and easier to apply.

It sure is!

Nice black E39 touring

Couldn’t help but park next to this one at work today. Plates even (kind of) match...

New M8 art car, spotted in my lounge. Unfortunately its owner didnt option the carbon brakes as they were a girls colour. and blue is a boys colour.

I was pretty confident that the creaking would be the front shock mounts. I had a similar issue with the e39 that was eventually resolved through replacing them. Luckily, I had just such a thing in the cupboard, courtesy of unfulfilled good intentions from my last e30. All-round good bloke @adro very kindly offered to lend me a hand with this, so I creaked over to his gaff and we tore into it. A morning's work quickly turned into a morning, afternoon and evening. @adro had some msport springs in his horde that we thought we'd throw in to see how it looked (it looked much better). We also got rid of the no-name wheels it came with and threw on some mint condition bottle caps that Adrian had on hand. It's so much nicer wrenching with a mate, particularly one who cracks on with the job after you leave for the afternoon ? Car looked and felt great, and I couldn't be happier. Except for the creaking from the front suspension.

I drove in convoy with this car, early Jan 2020 from around Tirau all the way into Auckland CBD. Was a good and fast blast! If the owner is on here, I was the silver E39 540i

You guys might be interested to see, I'm getting some new wing struts made from 6061 aircraft grade aluminum