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Not much to post in here while I'm waiting on parts for the next month. So the seats definitely deserve another few photos on this thread before they go in. I'd be lying if I said they didn't come out every couple of days just to stare at them... Wish I was better with a camera for these. Photos don't do them justice at all. Light effects the way the alcantara top layer looks a lot. Something I did have a go at pre-lockdown was refinishing some trim pieces. Didn't expect it to go as well as it did so unfortunately I didn't take any before shots. My car has a mismatch of interior trim bits, all in various states of awful. The dash trim and front door handles are silver (I think known as titan 2?). These are in bad shape. The handles are peeling and scratched, brings the whole interior down. Annoyingly the finish on these is different to other types. The silver is some kind of aluminum layer on top of the plastic and really difficult to strip off. the rears are even stranger, they are a (very poorly executed) single piece black plastic mold. They are covered in dimples and imperfections in the plastic and are essentially total junk. Probably done by whoever did the leather retrim... I really just wanted a clean set in the OEM titanshadow finish. Unfortunately that proved incredibly difficult to source. Thought I had a couple times but to no avail. Eventually, a wrecked coupe came up at a wrecker yard near me so I went and grabbed the handles. They were in BAD shape. I wish I had taken photos because I really was not hopeful. The finish on the top and bottom of the handles was completely wrecked on all four. But they were $8 each so I grabbed them. Spent a few evenings stripping them down and painting them. They came up way better than I anticipated. Sanding them was a total nightmare and took hours. I found I had to go as low as 180 grit dry sanding to get the bottom sections all the way back to plastic, then slowly stepping up the grit until they were smooth. I think I finished with 600 wet. For the black sections, I just used a basic rustoleum flat black paint and primer. The nozzles on their cans seem pretty good and the colour is a good match for the other blacks in the interior. I did lose the 'soft touch' that is on the OEM pieces. No big loss imo. Just about everywhere that 'soft touch' finish is on the interior has not stood the test of time, it just gets sticky and starts to peel away. The top sections are trickier. No one quite knows what the paint code of the original titanshadow trim is. A friend was able to tell me that GM8573 is a pretty good match, so that's what I went with. It seems to be a pretty good match, but I don't have any new OEM pieces to compare it to atm so I will report back. Really stoked on how well these came out and will be a big upgrade when they replace the old stuff. I didn't get the dash trim out of the wrecked car because someone had replaced it with some fake carbon rubbish, but fortunately all the dash trim pieces and the gear selector surround are all available for super cheap from schmiedmann. They are ordered but probably a few weeks out. I'm just hoping the paint match on the handles is close enough that it won't be too obvious, not sure what plan B will be if they are way off. In the meantime the car is looking better than ever, but the to-do list is ever growing. There is definitely something sexy about an E46 M3 on square 18s...

I think one of the key things to remember here is this is one of only 40 cars so originality is key. I bought mine as a stepping stone into classic car ownership, and to be honest coz I liked the colour. It’s not a powerhouse, but it’s a pretty balanced drive, and it hassled quite a few bigger cars in the twistes on the drive back to Dunedin. Owning it lead to the purchase of an e30 325i sedan, also a manual. The two are chalk and cheese, the 325i has an awesome motor that just makes you want to press the loud pedal, but the MSport also makes me smile every time I drive it for different reasons. A lot of people dis the M44 motors as gutless, but I get just as big a grin from driving the MSport as I do from the 325i.

you have TWO E60 M5s? 20 spark plugs and coils leshgo~

Show yourself out!! That is an E21 good sir.

I have had one of these for my daily driver for 9 years. I also drove a near identical car for 10 years before this one (in another country), so I have been driving the M44 motor for nearly 20 years and 300,000+ kms. It's a bloody great motor and in the E36 chassis has stunning handling and balance, particular with the M-sport suspension and Bilstein dampers. Any idiot can drift a 328 or M3, it takes really skill to drift 318 as you actually have to BE on the limit, not just spinning the rear wheels.

I agree- man there is some sh*t out there gaining faux credibility and causing anything not banged up to be called 'clean'. Same can be said for E30s. These are awesome. Despite not being marketed the same way, they actually did come into NZ in 328i form too; as ZA Motorsport individual models; identifiable by the seat stripes.

Thought it was about time I joined up. I've got two e60 M5's and an e30 AC Schnitzer Have always loved BMW's

Good. I kept looking at it. Like multiple times a day.

I find the design too fussy. I don’t like how car designers try to make all electric cars appear as if they are from the future. If it didn’t have the blue accents and possibly in a colour like black might look a bit better?

Pre lockdown, BC coilovers fitted ...

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I can actually see the design inspiration and can admire how they’ve interpreted that on the car. It definitely has the modern architecture vibe. Whether or not it should’ve been done is a topic for another time. In saying that, I’m still not a big fan of the front grilles and also, the surface area of the front/rear bumpers vs the lights just looks off for some reason. A more interesting thought would be what car/design will determine the new trend. At the moment, the design and colour of cars in the last decade or two (excluding supercars) have been quite boring honestly (which is why I’ve resorted to buying an older car). So, as much as this is such a weird design, it’d be interesting to see how this gets refined and which aspects will stick and which ones will get thrown in the bin. I vote that the grilles get thrown. I also wonder if making everything electric/digital will lead to a decrease in the life cycle of a vehicle, just like how most (if not all) smartphones are quite literally built to not last. That will be quite interesting as it will be as detrimental to the environment that we’re “trying to save” by going EV. We already have a lot of waste as it is.

Well done, this looks like a lot of fun.

Jesus there is some mind numbing chat in this thread... does it actually matter what the cost of a battery is? It has a 7 year warranty I assume so it's a non issue what it costs now, ask again in 7 years. New vehicle parts always cost a stupid amount when under warranty and drop down afterwards. Not to mention it's not like you will ever buy an iX, you've made that clear so does it matter?

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)

240kW/630Nm iX xDrive40 Sport - $163,900 385kW/765Nm iX xDrive50 Sport - $197,900. Bottom line though - it's ugly as sin. https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/evs/126176084/bmw-prices-allelectric-ix-suv-for-new-zealand

A unique E21 https://www.ebay.com/motors/blog/this-ultra-nice-bmw-323-c1-alpina-has-a-colorful-story/ and if you've got the spare change https://www.ebay.com/itm/284423407067?ViewItem=&item=284423407067&vxp=mtr

Blue 540 getting closer, brakes tidied up and painted, plus engine valve covers and wiring loom back in...

My first E36 was a 318is, it didn't go past 180 and took an absolute age to get there. Like m325i says, the fruity colours make them a great candidate for a motor swap (Alpina B8 4.6 rep would be cool...)

They are cool / nice. But I remember driving one before I bought a 328i - man the motor is anaemic. Would be a cool base for a project though.

I have found the issue with header wrap is it gets the manifold super hot changing the metals corrosion resistance, it's also a problem if a weld cracks, makes it quite hard to find the leak. Ceramic powder coating and some appropriate head shields are often more practical.

These up spec late term E36 Sedans are really cool, such a contrast to the hideous base models in rough condition that are often floating around.

E46 is still prettier. 1M has some nice angles, but the front has nothing on the clean styling / headlights of a E46 M3

RE003 crew reporting in

I use this site for reference on tyres and rim sizes https://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/tyre-equivalence-advice.html I personally run RE003's as well = on staggered rims with a little more power than a standard 130i Held up well on their first track day 😁

I'll have to start learning how to do some stuff to my car. I guess parts rarity has always made me leave any mechanical stuff for professionals as I am worried I would break some part exclusive to the M60 and then be faced with the headache of trying to find a replacement part with a non-functioning car.

I'm also using RE003's and for the first time. I'm quite impressed with them actually. F: 225/40/18, R: 255/35/18

Having taken apart most of my M60 at the moment, I love what a simple design most of it is, yet nicely made and put together. Everything is so serviceable and relatively easy to work with. I value those kinds of things over efficiency or peak performance.

I'm going to buy one for sure.

It’s one of the big fears of electric vehicles - what if I run out of range? When will the batteries decay? How much will they cost to replace? Will it catch fire? Does it use 5G? Will it give me COVID? Some of these are valid, and are to be expected when people are faced with something that is different to their usual experiences. Unfortunately there are some, including media, who like to sensationalise things and feed these fears. Leading to the more obscure ones coming up and gaining traction.

What's the cost on a X5 transmission? M5 engine? None of these costs are relevant when buying a new vehicle so why does it apply to a electric vehicle?

Welcome bud! +1 on pics of the ACS E30 😀

The Audi battery pack being priced so high will be to comply with right to repair laws and places where it’s mandatory to have replacement parts available for a minimum number of years past the sale of the item. Audi don’t expect to sell any of them, they don’t want to sell any of them, insurances companies won’t want to be on the hook for them, but there’s nothing in the legislation as it’s written that says the pricing has to be fair. Samsung also do the same thing.

Lets say for sake of discussion that the usable life of the battery pack is 15 years, how much would you spend on an old fashioned petrol powered car over that time frame, factoring in all servicing, running, and repair costs? Now how does that compare to the cost of a replacement battery? The difference is that the battery is one big cost, borne by the owner at the time, the petrol running costs are a lot of smaller costs, possibly borne by several different owners. This is one of the things to consider when thinking of going to an EV, but it is not a reason to never do it, although I will forgive anyone for not choosing this particular EV, there are nicer looking KIAs!

Yeah very true, my car is a testament to that idea having done 371,xxx km. Can't see many F10s/E60s/E90s doing that!

Certainly not fast by today standards but still adequate for everyday usage. Most F10 550's will be standing still in the wreckers yard in the near future so i wouldn't worry too much about it. Least you got the only reliable V8 BMW has or ever will make.

I certainly only consider my 328 memorable for all the wrong reasons. 😂 Doesn't mean I didn't love it for what it was. My 130 on the other hand is a hoot.

Current estimations are that “useable” battery life will be on average over double the warranty period. It’s still growing though as the data being used for the calculations is from the BMW batteries already in use, mostly i3s of which the oldest is only just over 9 years. On top of that the BMW battery design consists of multiple smaller battery packs, so should there be an issue with one pack it can be replaced rather than having to swap the whole battery out - making a more economical fix.

Nice looking car, I still remember driving a demonstrator when they were first launched, seemed unbelievably quick, which it probably was for the day.

I have had regular servicing and have had many parts replaced. Probably the biggest was this lot. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong struts, ordering front when I needed back 😞 So if anybody wants a pair of front (new) for a good price let me know 🙂 https://www.bimmerworld.com/Suspension-Steering/BMW-Bilstein-Shocks-Struts/Bilstein-B4-OE-Replacement-Front-Strut-21-031199.html The other part I had replaced which was tricky was the Hydraulic Brake Booster/Servo. Could not find a part locally so I ended up going to this guy in the US who sells refurbished ones. https://bigcoupe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=28245 and this page for my model https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNAMHXPczNFUw41FkEwn-Nbowp9BRanHNZwwsl4XES68QWOgM5Y94CIKBMgPW0Nlg?key=YW9ZWnZRVWY5eURHR2YzVld0dXNpZDRQVHlGal9n I then had my mechanic remove the servo, I mailed it to the guy and he cross-mailed me a refurbished unit and held a deposit until he had got mine. Then once he got it, he refunded me and my mechanic installed his refurbished unit and it's still going fine.

Like a squinting Rav-4

Back up for $139, jump in, I just picked up a second. https://www.repco.co.nz/en/globes-batteries-electrical/battery-chargers-jump-starters-leads/battery-chargers/ctek-battery-charger-with-bonus-power-bank-and-accessories-40-358/p/A6115831

Thats not just modern BMW ugly, thats proper U.G.L.Y ugly.

Also" Expensive, ugly AND no extra storage lol

Sreten makes it all look so easy right? And he is usually fairly calm. When he was doing rod bearings on an M5 it made me very anxious but he nailed it! Seems a great guy

Ha yeah I brought a sh*t E34 525td to commute to work in. It's comfy as. Though I have been watching M539 Restorations and I am getting the itch for something a little quicker. Buy the old stuff for sure. But get in there before the prices get silly like with E30's. E.g. E34's. They are better.

I'm in my mid 40s. Sold my 130i to get back into an E36

Jesus, expensive? And ugly. Poor thing lol but people will still buy it

Some energetic early bidding on this one: https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3234749686?bof=fISwBgxI Looks like it would be hard to find one much better than this example!

No LSD as standard unfortunately, however to be fair, you don’t really need it!😊

Something happened when I started with the front shocks..... a toothbrush came out to clean them, then came the realisation I need to clean everything with a tooth brush and replace just about everything of a perishable nature. I'm probably going overboard, but I think it's a nice change to do a really fastidious project. The only BMW I wanted was an E34 540i so it all makes sense to go for it and do it to the best I can.