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Can you please make up you mind? I did point out that advertising was not allowed and that was why the post was deleted - as it would have been if it was any other vehicle dealer, importer or seller other than private sales in the for sale forum. Then you and another user decided to get involved, and this is where we are. Quite happy for the company in question to clarify, rather than advertise which is why the posts are now visible. You do realise this is a totally not for profit web-site don’t you? And no-one is paid to post or administer or moderate on here? So I’m not sure how I’m supposed to be “unprofessional” and just so we are more than 100% clear here - these are my own personal views being represented, so please don’t read more into it than that. I was not questioning the ethics of said company, if you have read it that way then I aplogise that was not the intent. I am asking them to clarify and be transparent so any users reading this thread are informed. I am not aware of any questions raised about anything I have posted, I’m sure the other admin or owners would have mentioned this if it were an issue. My conscience is clear, and I would go so far as to say a press release is not advertising (where is the call to action? Pricing? Terms & conditions? Details of who to contact to purchase said vehicles) and I am 100% confident that I have never posted any information that is either above the line marketing material not below the line offers, ie advertising. Strangely enough, as this is a BMW Car forum, I thought users would be interested to hear some of the latest news from said car company. It is all freely available from a wide number of sources, so nothing deceitful or Mis-leading there.

Fair enough. Curiosity satisfied. I guess I struggle with the pricing because I have had so many E30's. And I just don't see them being worth more than about $15K. Well I feel sorry for those that missed the good old days when they were sub 10K.

Mr Tyler is my father, please call me E30 325i Rag-Top! Interesting you have chosen to edit your post after I have responded. Not sure what you mean by privilege, are you saying that I’m not allowed to post on here? As I’ve clearly stated, these are my thoughts, not Bimmersports. If any other mods have a view, they all have my phone number and know where to find me. Oh, and please play the ball not the man, your issues with me are nothing to do with this thread.

Not sure about others but if you really want to know then I’ll explain. Here’s the thing, I’ve always really liked cars. I grew up watching JDMs and muscle cars in films and have always been fascinated by them. But, I have never been able to justify buying anything beyond an economical hatchback import as I felt like money could be better off used somewhere else. I’ve recently had a change of heart as I really enjoy driving, want to learn how to drive manual, and want to learn more about cars in general. I thought, why not tinker around in a car that I’d want to keep and aim to drive daily. I did a bit of research, read up on some cars, and among my list of cars that I liked and that wasn’t too expensive, an e30 was one of them (if you’re curious, I’m also looking for an e36, 635csi, golf gti, MR2, AE86/BRZ, and if it really doesn’t work out then a hilux or a mx5). I’m as fresh as they come to all this and it’s just my luck that the cars that I like have also started to become more expensive + all of the other ones that are just out of reach (260z/280z, 911, old muscle cars, etc...). Other people have suggested 130i which I’m aesthetically not a big fan of but have yet to drive one so don’t want to count it out yet. 135i was also suggested. If you or others have any other suggestions then let me know - will be off-topic for this thread though. At the end of the day, while I really want an e30, I don’t “have to have one”. I would’ve bought an overpriced one if that was the case.

no mate, they've spent it all on housing rennovations, boats, cars, or rental properties... and e30's.

I’m correcting your comment that Autoport is just an “agent”, who takes no risk or responsibility and just runs a currency converter! We’re a full service RMVT offering cars online direct from the source. Also, no attempt to advertise here - just advise what is included as standard for Autoport, since that was in question. I’m sure you know the answers to your questions given your position, but happy to answer for the community. All those questions and more are answered on our site. We offer cars for sale from our network of authorised suppliers in Japan and the UK and we have companies setup in both those countries for quality control and admin efficiency. We have a physical office in Auckland for clients to visit and collect cars from - clients only deal with us. Cars are complied, serviced, registered, prepared and valeted by us. Being online means we can be mitigate any issues at the inception of any deal with several inspections prior to shipping. It also means we avoid depreciation and the cost of funding an inventory – both usually add to the cost for the customer. Clearly there’s no option to test drive, but that’s why there’s a robust process and a money back guarantee. While some see a test drive as important, some can’t be bothered and see it as a way for the salesperson to get some one-on-one time with the perspective customer to see what makes them tick and get closer to selling the car. We are challenging the traditional dealer model by being online. Clients pay no more than the agreed price at the inception of the deal, and secure the car with a 10% deposit. As for negotiation, Toyota and Honda stopped that years ago and from next year I hear that will be the case for Mercedes Benz. Do you know when it will be the case for BMW? And while our service isn’t for everyone, there seems to be a growing number who are quite interested. Hope that helps.

Lil Car porn for you from the Brit and Euro show in Pakuranga today:

I do hope not, the classic car market has always been fraught with danger as an investment idea, with many “crashes” leaving investors well out of pocket. Any vehicle with an internal combustion engine in it is an extremely risky proposition right now, I can foresee the lunatic greenies only being happy once all such cars are totally banned from use. The ban on sales of such new vehicles is only the first step. I have seen E30s and other classics converted to electric, but this is not a cheap process and takes away from the classic feel for me. I have been thinking about a possible ethanol (or similar) conversion on a petrol engine but as this still produces CO2 emissions I don’t know if this would be allowed either. Pretty sure this would have a massive effect on the value of classics, as even if they are garage queen’s, driving them now and again is still part of the point. There are very few cars that could be considered as art and hold value just to be looked at.

PS: because the 80's are in again, and who really wants to be seen driving an Audi.

Because they want one. Beause they've always wanted one, and can now afford one. Because they rode in one as kids. Their parents/relatives/friends/neighbours had one. Because it's a cool looking car. Because it's a fun car. Because VW Beetles & Kombis - also cool cars - are beyond the reach of most, whereas e30's are affordable. Why does anyone buy a classic or collectable car?! Do their motives need to be validated, pass some arbitrary bar? Why do people want to buy a house in this market? Speculation?

The intent for this and the previous posts is only to correct what you have said about us. Here's the original post... Hi there, just want to clear up what Autoport.nz do. We are not just agents - we are full service RMVT so take full responsibility and risk under the CGA. Hope that helps.

Is it a case of supply versus demand? More and more E30s have got to the point where they are beyond keeping road-worthy, either in accidents or rust / wearing out and gone to the great wreckers in the sky. And there’s no new ones being made. At the same time, the interest has spread from the core group of E30 fans out to a far wider group, to drifters, boy racers even hipsters looking to get some old school cool. Yes, prices seem to have rocketed recently, but they have been climbing noticeably for a long time. Now there is a very, very small pool of good examples of desirable models, being chased by larger numbers of eager buyers. Existing Fans who had a 320i before are now maybe looking to “move up” to an M325i or M3. The knock on effect is that then even poor examples of desirable models (US$20k for a rusted out M3 roller..) and trickle down to other models as buyers can’t find / afford what they really want and settle for something a little lower down the pecking order. All of which then fuels the feeding frenzy.. sounds familiar? Would I pay big money for an E30? yes, if the right M325i or M3 came along. As an investment? No, to drive, and fix, and polish and look at.

No digging here Ron, all USED vehicles are available for test drive in NZ, whether they are auto, manual or DCT. As per the above there is a big difference between a NEW car and a USED one. The discussion here is about used, not new, so I really think you are stretching a point. Also, whether it is new or used, you can’t back out of a signed deal because you don’t like it, there has to be a physical defect in the product. And this again is where things differ between new and used, the expectations of a new vehicle are clear, however the reasonable expectations of a used vehicle are somewhat arbitrary, what the seller may expect to be reasonable of a vehicle that is x number of years old and travelled yyy thousand kms could well be very different to my personal expectations as the buyer. It is this grey area that the disputes tribunal adjudicate on in most cases, with some very variable results.

I painted the stainless steel interior pieces in a gloss back. Came out great, although it’s going to be a bitch to keep clean 🤦‍♂️

Damn, sounds rough - problem with E36 and it’s drift image I think, definitely hold out for the right one if the budget is there man 👍

@Sammo I actually had a look at that one yesterday and test drove it before he relisted it (he took down his original post because the diff was out). There were a few things with the car that didn’t feel right. Exterior looked pretty decent though with just the normal wear and tear (body panels a bit loose, some rust under the wheel arches, but body was straight). Engine bay had a tubing that was either cut or not attached? It looked like it was connecting to the radiator (My car knowledge is very little so not entirely sure what it was). Interior was a bit more interesting, driver’s window not working, driver’s door card pretty much came off when the door was shut close, AC didn’t work so the windshield was fogged up while driving 😂. My mate told me that shifting felt weird, was pretty stiff and gears were quite close to each other, not sure if it’s him not being used to an e36 but another mate who’ve test driven for me before didn’t have any problems with another e36 (I’m still learning how to drive stick so getting mates to test drive for me 😆). Apart from the fact that the seller didn’t even know how to pop the hood open, I have a strong feeling that the motor hasn’t been well looked after as well. Based on what you guys have been saying and other condition of cars that I’ve seen, feels like it should be closer to a 3-5k car so I passed since the lowest he wanted to go was 7.6k. The black one I’ve already seen, I’m waiting on until he lowers down to 10ish. Thoughts? Am I being too picky?

Curious. For those still trying to buy an E30 in this market. Why? Investment?

@Ghost Chip you still looking? tat black one has had a price drop, and this is on Marketplace:

http://www.bidbud.co.nz does it for you 😎 Used it for years. Plus its a more practical interface than the standard trademe one.

What are you correcting exactly, I referenced “agent” as it is hard to name this selling process. A number of other business that operate in a similar way bringing cars from overseas refer to themselves as “agents”, hence use of the term. When I enquired about a vehicle you were offering for sale on TradeMe I was basically told there was nothing you could do on the price as it was set by the dealer selling the car in Japan. Do you own the cars you are advertising? Seems strange that they are still in Japan if you do. Up until very recently this kind of selling practice was specifically banned from TradeMe, but their greed for fees has seen this removed.- Is it possible to test drive any vehicles before buying them, or even look at them, or do you have to pay before you see the goods? Do you have a location where the cars can be seen, or are serviced and prepared by you? Of course you are governed by the CGA, like any trader you’re a business operating in NZ providing goods and services. However, gaining restitution through the act, or even the motor vehicle tribunal process is lengthy and not guaranteed. If I have got this wrong, then happy to be corrected, and I would be interested in looking at the E82 135i coupe you listed recently.