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Cleaned and sealed (using up my Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic sealant) both cars as we head into the shitty part of the year - annoyingly the Audi, being fresh off a two stage correction now has a better finish than the E46 😢

Yesterday I got her down off the rack, removed the cover, gave her a quick wash. Headed out to Paraparaumu to GIMS Cars & Coffee, caught up with some of the Welly Crew from BMW Car Club NZ, and some other mates. Event missing the heart of the Southwards Cars & Coffee meets, it seems more 'Fast & Furious'. She started first go, ran like a charm, and gleamed under the cloud. I was able to re-synch to the stereo with my phone, just as well as I'd left the memory stick full of 80's music at home. I did find that pootling along in 5th at 80 on a light throttle and favourable seal indicates 5 litres/100km! Here she is at a tickle over 80 showing 6/100. Yes that’s 2250 rpm - 4.27 diff ratio life! I have a 4.10 in my basement, though I rather wonder if that’d knock the wind out if the B16’s sails. I'm saving that for the M42 conversion, if not an LSD. Cruisin' - like Michael Nesmith? Back at the ranch I connected up the CTEK ahead of tucking her up beneath blanket and up on the rack, and it went straight on stage 3 of the charge cycle. I'd have expected stage 5. I guess that battery - despite living on trickle/float for the last 4 months - is showing its age a bit. It was a couple of years old when I bought her in 2018, so well past end-of-life for a crappy AA battery. I guess I’ll get a KOBA replacement when the time comes. CTEK's wunnerful MXS5.0 intelligent 8-stage battery charger & maintainer, yesterday. The rear axle and running gear is looking pretty tidy, so I clicked a snap when tucked-up. Yes, I should have painted that cross-member. Add to the list of things to do! I'm continuing to amass parts for it. Our kitchen project has extended in time and scope, and won't be done till May/June now. I need to find some time to clean up those brake and fuel lines, and sort out the boot lid seal and spoiler/bootlid. Get a plan together for the engine. I was very pleased to note the radiator support panel/front scuttle is looking really sound since last year's clean-up and paint. No bubbling, surface rust hasn't come back. Result. Tucked-up in bed In summary, great to dust her off and get her out for a drive. Reminds me how much I enjoy her, the analogue driving experience, all the maintenance work that's been done before... the brakes, suspension, bushes, wheel bearings etc... I have to accept we're in a bit of a hiatus at the moment and I'll come back to her in future.

Any reason for the secrecy?

If you haven’t already, check out M539 Restorations on Youtube. His series on Project Cologne may get you more inspired about an E46 325i 😁. I doubt many would go to his level just for a daily driver. Well @Olaf maybe 😎! Seriously though, Olaf does know what he is talking about when it comes to E46 (and E30)! Welcome and good luck.

Destined for the garage and the occasional cars and coffee so the boring owner can get off on strangers saying "Wow it's so original".

Its not a "war", its just TM autobid doing its thing. Obviously they set and forget at the price they want to pay.

The BMW's appeared to be the only understated cars there

Imagine you've just paid cash money for a valuation, there may be some privacy issues. You might also have style and prefer not to brag your car's worth around a forum for every tom, Dick, and harry to see, yet are prepared to quietly share info with those 'in the club', so to speak. You might not want to invite a round of "but they're just not worth that, has the market gone made, oh more money than sense, oh I'd never pay that, oh Covid's done that to the market, oh rich fat cats" as per, oh, "the e30 market"? In case you can't imagine why you'd not blurt it out.

This is the crux of it - at least us plebs will have an idea of what this one is 'worth'

Both cars run best on 98 #8 ). E46 is excellent, the weak-points are well-understood. If you're prepared to put some parts, time, and effort into it to address what is undoubtedly deferred maintenance (these cars are rarely lavished with the care and understanding they need), you'll have a gem. They're a *great* drive! We're approaching 200k km on ours, owned since 112k and 9 years, love it to bits and no plans to replace it (I've asked my better half a few times in the last few years if she'd like something newer and the answer's the same, "no I like this one"). e90 - more complex, safer in crash performance, parts more expensive, good car. N52 at 2006 (I guess), great engine though you're onto electric cooling pump, etc... probably approaching bigger deferred maintenance bills? Drive em both, buy the one you prefer. Be prepared to spend a couple of grand on either to get a well-sorted car. HTH. PS: Well done avoiding the 4 cyl 320i - not BMWs finest hour, and to be avoided. And welcome to Bimmersport, @Mark Baker

To be fair, with the state of the roads, unsealed road works etc. And the retarded NZ tail gating driver who take more interest on their phone than what is in front of them. I'd be hesitant on driving something like that regularly. Maybe on the more quieter back roads. Defiantly not in the cities or on state highways.

It's all the mill does now. Father in law works for JNL. But it means I can hang wheel racks and things from it. They are the only mill that does 3m apparently.

Was thinking the same tbh.

Re rust question.. It's been completely stripped, bumpers, exhaust, gearbox, engine, petrol tank, fuel lines, brake lines, etc, etc and rust removed. New sills, new jacking points up front. Has to be absolutely rust free to pass compliance, they partially strip the car to check for hidden rust. Interior is good.

i did mine a few months ago, like you was sick of the cobwebs dust and leaves that accumulated all the time. I just lined in jib because of the cost. skyine garage the studs were 600 so that worked perfect with the sheets hung vertically so the joints were on studs and 2.4 just made the top plate i came up about 12 mm off the floor incase of puddles from a wet car but I also ran a pine skirting around floor because that 12mm gap was just a trap for leaves and crap that blow in and made sweeping so much easier. If it gets accidentally punctured its a 10 min job to replace a sheet. I also ran moulding around the window frames that finished them off because the jibs weak point is its edges. used a couple of pieces of 75 x 18 pine as mounting strips to hang all the gardening crap off at head height lined area above workbench in ply for a tool board it would have been better in ply or possibly mdf but I did it for $17 a sheet as opposed to $43 I think from memory but money was tight has made a world of difference and even unpainted its 300 % lighter in there, should have done it 10 yrs ago

I lined my Total span garage from new, 12mm ply , I also insulated it with sound deadening insulation, building paper between the framing and cladding (easy when doing from new) and painted it. Mine is 3M hip height but I only lined up to 2.4 to use less ply, the main issue you might have is the spacing of the framing probably doesn't work nicely with 1.2 x 2.4 sheets so you may have to install extra framing or waste some ply cutting it to size. I wouldn't go thinner than 12mm, it will bow and warp, also 12mm is great for hanging things off, and if there is any chance that water will get into the garage then leave a gap at the bottom of the sheets 15-20 mm to stop the water wicking up the walls. It might be a good idea to think about power points at this stage, if you want more ( you do!) then now is the time to run the wiring. I painted my floor with a water based 2 pack floor paint with grit in it, makes it nice and easy to clean up spills etc, but it is a mission to do.

Just to keep the thread going.

also just to mix things up you need to check build date of the car as there are 2 types used in RHD e28 just order new pedals easy az http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E28/Europe/525i-M30/R-M/browse/pedals/pedals_stop_light_switch/ http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E28/Europe/525i-M30/R-M/browse/pedals/pedals_stop_light_switch_2/ just google search the part number see who sells them etc http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E28/Europe/525i-M30/R-M/browse/clutch/clutch_control/#1156002_1 carefull with clutch master as early cars external , later cars internal . pedal offsets different etc holes in firewall are different etc