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Finally have some time to make a thread for my M3. I won't backdate the stuff I've already done on here because there is too much and not all of it is very well documented (list is below though), but I might as well make a thread to put all the dumb stuff I waste away my weekends doing. Bought the M3 in July 2019, never intended to get as carried away with it as I did but that's what happens I suppose. I was always a huge fan of the M-Texture interior prior to owning my M3 but I was not very involved in the M3 market, and assumed that there were none or very few in NZ. I purchased my car not knowing it was actually a factory F2AT car that had been retrimmed to black leather, and when I found out I became a little obsessive over returning it to that spec. That has been the most consuming project of this car, with the engine rebuild being a close second. Main list of things that have been done to the car is below: Engine: Fully rebuilt by Kayne Barrie to OE Spec New OE piston rings/hone/main bearings/rod bearings/injectors/rebuilt head/all gaskets replaced/bunch of other ancillary stuff done at the same time Vanos rebuilt with complete Beisan kit - seals/anti-rattle kit/oil pump disc/timing chain tensioner Rogue Engineering updated high pressure vanos line CSL style carbon airbox - running off OE CSL engine management with Kassel MAP Sensor Suspension/Steering/Trans: Ohlins road & track coilovers Ground Control street camber plates Eibach rear control arms Purple tag steering rack CMP solid steering coupler Fresh OE clutch/flywheel/bushings/etc Body/Chassis: Status Gruppe CSL bootlid - Really good fitment, as close to OE as I've seen Status Gruppe CSL diffuser - The opposite of good fitment. Rubbish. Waiting for a karbonius/Mile End diffuser to become available Complete CMP topside subframe kit with front mount extension and underside plates. OEM facelift tail light conversion IR>RF conversion - Much better range remote key Wheels: Style 260M square set (18x9.5 ET23) Michelin PS4S 255/40/18 square TMS 75mm stud kit Interior: Factory spec M-texture interior Recaro Pole Position ABE's debadged and trimmed in M-texture Brey Krause brackets on factory E46 manual sliders Alcantara shifter+boot/e-brake+boot MirrorJohn redesigned mirror glass (Doesn't crack and leak)

Can't wait for the seats to be installed.

Does it get any Better

Starting to remove the black and the Japanese. Front and rear euro sections arrived last week and am waiting for the bodyshop to paint them. Original grills bought last week from a wreck as original are ridiculously expensive and the euro plates arrived today. Just have to decide whether I use the euro front and drill holes in the plate or get another set of euro plate holders. I think I'm leaning towards the first, paint the holder, drill holes in the plate and get covers for the screws.

https://www.carvaluation.nz/ Talk to Leon from here. He did a valuation for me via photos.

Newest acquisition: Recaro Pole Position ABE's de-badged and trimmed in M texture to match. These will do nicely... Breykrause brackets on their way to mount to a set of OEM manual sliders.

Afghanistan is becoming a war zone, Haiti is having earthquakes, wildfires in a few cities around the world, NSW’s cases are blowing up, and this is what New Zealand is doing over lockdown.

Fitted some new seatbelts

Looks like one of those portaloo type things the Aussie Police put on the back of their utes to pick up the drunks on a Saturday night..?

Hey Team Long time no post. its been a while still the last post, almost a year. I can tell you all that the projects are still alive and kicking, I've just been busy toying with other cars, wheeling and dealing and just been a bit lazy with the posting but definitely still wrenching with the bimmers. So another one offically done and dusted. The X5 4.6is 6 speed is finally wof, rego and certified Had to add a couple more things to make the certifer happy. Fitted the car with some adjustables, did a rear muffle delete (myself) looks a bit horry but was free piping so I cant complain sounds bloody grunty though. I also managed to get the rev issued sorted. Thanks to DUDMD from the States. He did a remote tune to the dme by reflashing it to a e39 540i manual then reinstalling the 4.6is software. Runs a treat now with no rev hang or reving issues. I had to get the spring seats modified as i felt they had nothing hold them and the spring to the lower arm. Had to get the cross member modified to have a 4 point of contact with the chassis. We added two front bits if you can see in the picture. Had to make two driveshaft hoops too. So also purchased this new Daily/tow car a 2006 X5 3.0d which i did an egr delete, no swirl flaps (must be because its nz new) and i got a remap done by promo. Car runs and drives awesome now. Also done some preventive jobs, waterpump, thermo, pulleys and belts, oil and gearbox fluid change. So now just the e34 wagon left to go, I did pick up this writeoff 4.6is a while ago. I'll be using this motor and 6speed to swap into the wagon. I've already got DUDMD to send me a ews delete dme which has had the same stuff reflashed on like the X5 manual car. This will make my job a little easier gettting the car started. Fun times ahead. will keep you all posted. Thanks Team

Hey Team Long time no post. its been a while still the last post, almost a year. I can tell you all that the projects are still alive and kicking, I've just been busy toying with other cars, wheeling and dealing and just been a bit lazy with the posting but definitely still wrenching with the bimmers. So slight change of plans, I was originally going to use the n62 rear sump setup on the m62 but thought it needed too much work so have opted to modify the x5 oil pump and mount it to the rear of the block and get a custom oil pump shaft made to run the front where the sprocket goes. ( currently at the engineers) So in the mean time i picked up a 2000 manual 318i sedan and decide to throw the dry sump m60b44 with the 5 speed box into it and turn it into a drift car. Everything is all good to go other than the wiring which was meant to go to the auto sparky tomorrow but due to level 4 that wont be happening. Brand new single mass flywheel and clutch kit. got some new engine mounts made just to tidy up the look from the original ones. Also got aother Hamann set of wheels sandblasted and powder coated for the e46 4.6is sedan car. That's it for now but hopefully will start cracking into the 4.6 motor and give it a freshen up. Thanks Team

Most items are normally for sale at the right price

Ever since I got my E34 540i back in November 2020, I had a strange feeling it would have an interesting history. Something about having factory parking sensors….in 1994 screamed that the original owner had some money. I always thought it would be interesting to try and retrace at least part of the car’s history, seeing as it has done over 370,000km. The only clue I had of prior owners was I could see on a report that the car had been registered under a company in 1997. I found the director of the company and googled his name. Up popped some old news articles from 2006 detailing he owned some prestigious racehorses and was even a New Zealand actor back in the 70s. Seeing as he appeared to be the third owner, things started to get interesting. I managed to get in contact with him, and actually went and saw him to ask him some questions about the car. He was more than happy to have a chat but didn’t seem overly enthused about the car which was a bit disheartening. He did manage to remember the name of the second owner, “he was a merchant banker from Remuera”, which was very impressive seeing as he had bought the 540 24 years prior. I googled the second owner’s name and immediately I had a plethora of information and a publicly listed contact number. I decided to give him a call on a Sunday and to my surprise he answered. He was happy to hear the car was still around and owned by an enthusiast. He was also keen to see the car again, seeing as it had been around 20 years since he had last seen it. We then scheduled a time to meet and about 3 weeks later I took the car out to Remuera to show it to him. What he had to say about the car was very interesting. He knew the first owner, who happened to be New Zealand’s highest paid salary earner back in 1994! He said the car was bought brand new from the BMW dealer in New Market and was the highest specified 540i available in New Zealand at the time. He bought the car from the first owner in 1997, but sold it soon after to the third owner, only to buy it back in the late 90s and then sold it to the people I bought it off in the early 2000s (who also happened to be a famous architect). This meant my car had always transacted privately and has stayed in Auckland its whole life. I am only the fifth owner which is somewhat impressive for a 27 year old car. The second owner also had a nice collection of vehicles such as an old Daimler and an F10 M5, and exclaimed that the paint on the 540 still looked pretty good considering its very high mileage, which he attributed to his passion for detailing. He then began to recount some interesting things that had happened to the car under his ownership: The car was always looked over by a friend of his, who also happened to be one of Bruce McLaren’s mechanics. While on Holiday in Rotorua, the gearbox locked up and it had to be pushed by a bunch of people up an incline out of the motel driveway. It then got driven home in third gear as that was the only gear that worked. The car ended up having to get a new gearbox at 70,000km, which he was understandably unimpressed about. Another time he recalls being stuck behind a truck with the car fully loaded for the weekend, so when a nice opportunity arose for an overtake, he gave it the boot to wind up the V8. About half way through the overtake the car decided to blow a coolant hose, spraying steam and coolant all over the windscreen, completely obscuring his view, leaving him no choice but to conclude the overtake with no vision and then immediately pull over to sort the mishap. After hearing all the stories about my car, it’s made me fall in love with it even more.

GLWS, hope you’re selling to replace with something that has a more BMW-appropriate cylinder count

Intagram post, from the bmw culture team of one of my favourite Art Cars.

@curryinahurry if u havent found a set yet these fit e46 perfectly

I've experienced less than great things... They're not bad, but they're nowhere near as good as H&R (for example).

Red plus BBS = plus $8k

Who TF puts Hifly's on a 507hp RWD car. Needs shooting...

My mate didn't even need to send back the (street) brake pads he destroyed in 5 laps at Hampton, he just sent FCP pictures of them and they sent him new ones, no questions asked and no shipping fees either. I was floored. Send them the pics, pretty sure they'll see you right. Now, having said that, some of that damage doesn't seem like it comes from folding alone? I got a rear window seal for my M3 from FCP and it came rolled up which was no problem.

I expect they will make this right, their replacement guarantee means people actually send them used brake pads, discs and used engine oil back and get replacements.

The FCP rear window rubber was replaced after I sent them the photos. It arrived really quickly and in a massive box this time, but it was still bent. Thankfully not enough to stop me getting it on but given the size of the box I don't know how it's been damaged this time.