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the wheels are a very clever marketing ploy. like selling a house, you leave something for the next owner to make their own - like that slightly off colour in the bathroom. it makes them want to buy so they can put their mark on it. The wheels are exactly that, though meanwhile they keep it rolling and are more worthwhile than either metrics (oh god I can't afford those tyres, that puts me off) or fourteens (oh god!). Clever stuff eh? PS - they'll sell in a flash to Commodore owners. Easy money.

I checked my bank account, it said no, despite over whelming want.

I've been riding motorbikes for 40 years and my wife wanted to get her motorbike licence. during the test she fell off. after that, she was afraid of even riding on the back of my Harley Softail. Remembering back to my older days when i had a 1971 Corvette, convertible, i saw that as as close as you can come to a motorbike. Hence we started looking for a practical convertible. My wife's friend had a 70's Mer SL350 but when thieves decided to steal (what turned out to be nothing in the car) they sliced the top and it cost $5000 to repair. My first choice for a convertible would have been a 1974 Jensen-Healey or a 70's Fiat 124 Spyder ; wife didn't like either so it came down to a Merc SLK or a E89 Z4 since they are hard top convertibles. comparing the looks and finish along with the top operation, it was a clear choice. Mercedes is less refined and the roof makes noises going up or down like my back makes when i get out of bed in the morning. we ended up buying a 2010 S-drive 2.3 N52 6 cylinder import from japan for 23k in 4.5 condition with 68k I spent a couple of thousand upgrading it to carplay which integrates with the factory CIC with NZ maps, 2016 side markers, LED headlamps with daytime driving lamps, cruise control ,parking cameras and sensors. And all for less than a 15 year old stock Mazda MX-5. Now in its present form it has every available factory option along with carplay. During my life I've had many cars; a GTS Dino, AMC AMX, a Porsche 911SE,, a 1971 LS 454 Corvette convertible and a 1978 Bandit Trans Am. I've never got more positive feedback as I have with this car. I've had 5 people ask me in the last two months if I was willing to sell it. When I was thinking of buying the E89 I thought it would be a rough riding car like my Caldina GT-four. It's a very smooth GT tour with a top speed a can't disclose here. it has exceeded all my expectations. I just wish it was easier for my old bones to get in and out of. I do have a handicap placard that I do display when i park(since I have one leg) in a handicap parking spot, but people have keyed my car inspite of that. I think they think that no pour person could afford such a car but it's cheaper than a new Suzuki swift. I do have a question about the wheels: they are staggered 19x9.5 in the back and 19x9 in the front. does anyone know the code and paint code for the wheels? I think the are LA Star Spoke.

Brake calipers off, ride height sensors, ABS sensors, lower shock bolts all out, one side down, one to go. I think the exhaust is going to be the biggest hassle as it is one piece from the muffler to the turbo!

Right, time to tackle the rear subframe bushes! I have decided to remove the rear subframe from the car to do this, I have my reasons but the main one is that I have a press to remove and install the bushes, and I want to replace some suspension arms and bushes at the same time, so why not! I may come to regret my decision..... Firstly, up on Jack stands, wheels off, disconnect air springs, so far so good!

Sadly the time has come to move this car on to a new owner. 1986 New Zealand new 488,500km low ownership - three or four Arctic Blue Recent top end overhaul 18x8 MAK mags excellent original condition throughout, still has toolkit, first aid kit, torch etc Perfect dash and interior Appears mainly original paint .Looking for offers somewhere north of $20k 021 744 881

@Contrails that yellow one being a bit of a mutt could be a good candidate for an S54 swap or something similarly awesome and sacreligious.

Sad to see it go, but excited about the reason why!

The pictures do not do it justice. Someone is going to get very lucky with this car. Was a pleasure seeing it in person.

@Contrails it’s been back a couple of times, no change in asking price which is why it’s still there. Three black ones coming off and going back on. The Sunday Drive one has been through quite a few owners in the last couple of years.

Hi Edward, Very nice! I bought the sibling to yours in the middle of last year. For reference, the wheels are off the gen 2 Z4M.

The wheels are a crime against good taste, but the rest of the car looks stunning. Can't imagine there are many around as tidy.

Wow, that clock !! No wonder Germans have a reputation for being on time

This is a gorgeous example, been well cared-for for many years. You rarely see them like this any more. It presents very, very well, pictures not doing it justice. If you're hoping to buy an e24, this is the one; next year they'll all be $5-10k more.

Maybe of interest to someone. Still sealed. Free excl postage

"Parade Gloss" is better grade of black than standard Nugget. They don't seem to do much of it these days. I'm using Dasco shoe cream on my black leather boots and shoes, best I've used. Apply with a soft cloth to cleaned and dusted leather, work in. When dry, buff off with a quality horse-hair bristle brush. Do it regularly, feeds the leather. Waproo polishes are usually of good quality, buy them from quality specialist shoe repairers. For my Blundstones I just feed em with Beeswax dressing. "Jay-El Besswax Dressing" (I think it's by Waproo) is solid. I'm currently using Footcom NZ Beeswax Polish (beeswax and avocado oil), and it's the best I've used. Like car-care, using quality products regularly gives you a longer life and better finish. PS: Travel Tip. When travelling I take a small mini-grip bag with a small piece of mesh cloth in it with plenty of beeswax dressing on it. It's light, takes up little space, allows you to smarten up your boots quickly to look presentable.

Date: 25 Mar 2022 Distance: n/a 1. Nice Rack! Along with @autoglym and @jonmechaniker, we executed as planned, like an episode of the A-Team (only without BA). A late-model e46 LCI 318i ///msport was prepped for surgery, and together we made light work of a rack-ectomy in-situ. I got it back to the lock-up, steam-cleaned it (thanks Dan!), dried it, gloved the ends of the hoses, and stowed it. Now another key part to my upgrade plans is secured, providing a future source of "nice rack!" comments. We left the e46 inners in place, and I already have new e36 rack-ends, and new boots. My sincere thanks to @Autoglym and @Jon Mechaniker. We had a fun time in the rain in unfavourable conditions. It's a reminder that an important part of these cars is the camaraderie, spending time together shooting the sh*t, taking the piss, and thinking through challenges together. 2. Next steps Now back to research on the right way to connect it (steering shaft), and secure spacers, and a little more research on the pipes/hoses. @Southerner's approach to the steering universal is the one that's made the most sense to me. I need to find an appropriate Astra steering shaft, and get the e46 shaft end. Also consulting the LVVTA manual (with thanks to Jon). And then on to a driveshaft specialist. To close, what's a @Olaf project update without images?! Fig 1. Nice Rack, this afternoon. Fig 2. I fear this is in fact a Magenta rack. My car is turning Goth! Fig 3. Flipside.

Not to toot my own horn, but its a good car. Simple enough to work on that nothing is too scary, and no real common issues like the N series engines in the E46s. Its also fast enough to get out of its own way (and the way of traffic) but slow enough that it shouldn't end up wrapped around a pole. Corollas of a similar age will need similar servicing (bushings, cooling system etc), but BMW parts are generally a bit pricier than Corolla stuff and maybe not as simple to work on. The interiors on Corollas last a whole lot better too, with many 200,000km+ cars looking almost factory fresh (other than the stains on the seats)

There's an E36 318ti just popped up in the For Sale thread Barry. Not sure what kids nowadays would think of that, are they "old school" cool yet?

I've got the caravan set up and ready to go... soyou have somewhere to sleep (again) now

i bought a set of 17"x5 E89 10 spoke BMW wheels with RFT for $350 they are within roadworthy spec so they will be useful for spares.

my leg was was a high tech one replaced by the US NAVY, not the stump supplied to people in NZ. it interacts with my nervous system . not the peg leg offered in NZ. I still compete in Shotokan karate and the new leg is much faster. If i was left with your NZ healthcare i would have a stump like a pirate from the 1700's

BMW Style 230 8x19 225/35/19 9x19 255/30/19 One thing to note is if the tyres fitted are run flat tyres, these rims have a highish chance of getting hairline cracks if you hit a pothole or similar at speed. 19” rims with low profile runflat tyres and nz roads is not a nice combo unfortunately!