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Id say that applies to just about N series engine from a cost point if compared to the older M series stuff - more complex\less reliable\cost more to maintain (not to mention all the non engine related stuff). N42 marked the beginning. It feels like they borrowed design tips from VAG and combined them with their own stupid ones.

In E39 adjacent news, both in terms of location and enjoyment I have added a new 2-wheeled machine to the garage. I have got my hands on a Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 "Urban Scrambler" This bike is replacing the reliable, fun (but now considered by me) slightly underpowered Aprilia 125 Motard The new machine, a single cylinder ~43HP is an interesting beat to get used to and I really like it. Having had big V-twins before the lumpy engine is familiar and will benefit some light mods (may fave :). namely a smaller front sprocket and Fuel-ex light to even out fueling particularly at lower revs.

Penis or genius? So e39 has sold and gone, so have bought a e90 335i sight unseen for $1000 with no wheels or key. Finally arrived and laid eyes on it last Thursday and whipped the dme and cas out of it to get a new key made, which should all be back tomorrow to see if it’s a runner or not. All I knew was it was black and had 17x,000kms on it. wish me luck!

NZ New 2-Door BMW E30 325i 180,433km. WOF expired 3 August 2022. Rego expired 1 June 2022, and is on hold. Interior in excellent condition. Getrag 260 gearbox, fitted with short shifter. 3.64 ratio diff. Tinted windows. Alpine stereo with Sherwood speakers. Comes with additional wiring supplied but not fitted for hands free microphone and auxiliary devices. Manual sunroof. Electric front windows. Pop-out rear windows. Air conditioning fitted but not operational. I have not investigated what is required to get it going. Textured plastic dash cap is fitted on top of cracked dash. No rust. No diff, gearbox, engine, steering oil leaks. The pictures don't show it but the paint is starting to fade. No clear coat pealing. Engine 2.8 litre, managed by MegaSquirt fuel injection. Ported aftermarket head. 288 Shrick camshaft. Quite a lumpy idle. 12:1 compression ratio which means car has been tuned on BP 98 octane fuel. I would not use lower octane fuel if you want this engine to last. Engine revs incredibly quickly, has incredible torque, and is a lot quicker than the standard M20B25. Engine professionally built. I do not know by who. Unsure of km on new engine as previous owner had it built, at a reported cost of $12,000. Extractors. Large twin exhaust. Not obnoxiously loud. Electric radiator fan replaces mechanical fan. Newly machined flywheel, and new heavy-duty clutch fitted. Suspension Bilstein B8 shock absorbers. Jamex springs. Solid rubber lower control arm bushes. Factory fitted rear sway bar. Adjustable rear castor. Replaced: diff oil, gearbox oil, engine oil and filter at 179,426km, rocker cover gasket and camshaft plugs, coolant, cam belt at 179,426km, front engine oil seals/o-rings and gaskets, thermostat, radiator expansion tank and level sensor, wiper blades, fuel filter, bonnet insulation, clutch master cylinder reservoir, brake fluid, brake booster, oil return tube o-rings and intake/cylinder heads gaskets, rear sway bar drop links, 8x seat gas struts, clutch master and slave cylinders, driver seat belt with new one. Wheel alignment. Car does not come with the basketweave wheels pictured. Car will come with refurbished bottle cap wheels fitted with warrantable tyres (the wheels and tyres it got its warrant of fitness with). The fuel economy gauge does not work because it’s no longer running the factory ECU. The engine no longer is fitted with an oil level sensor. Not sure why, perhaps the engine has a windage tray or crank scraper which interfered with this. Have to go old school and use the engine dip stick if you want to know the engine oil level. Hasn’t used oil since I have been driving the car. I stopped using the car when the clutch started slipping, which has now been replaced. The car has been sitting about a year. I think the brake calipers need servicing because the brakes are pretty weak now. I can’t see any reason why the car won’t get a WOF when this is addressed. The last WOF was from Coombes and Johnston BMW. I don’t have time for it at the moment. $16,000 takes it away. No trades or deals. Test pilots will not be tolerated. Car is in Whatawhata/Hamilton.

I understand that solid flywheel is not the way to go got my 6cyl manual conversion, does anybody have a dual mass for sale in Akl/ NZ new or I suppose low km used? It is for a 3.2L motor. cheers Nath

Just bought my first BMW, a Japanese import 323i. It was looked after really well, until it wasn't. Under the rubbish, parts of the carpet were immaculate. The headliner is sagging and the door skins, no surprise (I went into this with full knowledge and denial of what I getting myself into). However the rest of the interior is in fairly good nick and the stereo is bluetooth integrated. The boot lining and plastic panels beneath had been destroyed by the weight of the old transmission in the boot and the black oil leaking from it. It only needs two tyres, they are bald (massive understatement) as for the running gear I haven't had a close look yet but it seems goodish. The engine idles rough but is otherwise good, I will find out more after I figure out why the Transmission is in limp mode. I've put a new battery in the remote and replaced the fuse that got the central locking working and now I can programme the remote. Reading all this I feel like I paid too much, but I'm stoked every time I see it and hear the doors close and figure out something new on it and I spend most of my spare time watching YouTube videos on e36s and all associated repairs (its cold outside). I've bought a user manual and I'm ready to get my hands dirty. Wish me well on my journey

Prob the strongest spark I can get for the n54. Nissan r35 oem coils, B58/S55 BMW 2 step colder plugs to fit the coils. Modified by changing out the coil stalk with the platinum race products. They're much longer so that they reach and snap onto the plug tip. Plugs have a different tip to the n54 types, hence the change. Needed to stretch out the stalks internal spring so the coil resistor would fit snug. Loom is a universal type from PRP. Coils held down with prp bracket, fits well, sturdy enough. I avoided the anodized purple and went with black

Goes along with mandatory worn gear knob they all seem to have

Yeah, typical. They've also got an "ICONIC M CAR - 6-SPEED MANUAL - CLEAN UNMODIFIED" M3 that was clearly SMG from factory. That, with the swirled up paintjob and horrifically scratched up interior plastics can be yours today at a bargain price of $55k. As an added bonus, the factory strut bar has also gone off for a wander somewhere, because weight reduction.

What the hell is up with those misaligned tailpipes? Cannot unsee it.

Looked at XM5X in person today. It’s a bit rough around the edges. A few of the things I spotted looking over the car quickly, Door sill trims falling apart, drivers door seal split, drivers seat bluster stitching split, windscreen moulding half missing, windshield cowl perished and vanos noise is louder than I’ve heard on other E39 M5s. This car certainly has good bones but has all the usual 20 year old BMW wear and tear. Could be a very nice car with some work. Unusual in Jet Black. Think $59,999 would be fair if it was mint, but would require some $ to get it there.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/4237738968 Listed today, cheaper, facelift and only slightly more kms. Don't think this one will hang around

Looks much better than the duke. Hopefully you dont have any issues.

It just pulls upwards, if you have to remove it completely the knob just pulls off as well, but it takes a bit of force!

Haha, kids. I got my boy a hot chocolate on the way to daycare the other day. Told him multiple times to hold it carefully. 15 seconds after driving off he has tipped it all over himself. Stripped him down in the daycare car park and put on his spare clothes. Picked him up later and he's managed to get his clothes wet/dirty (which he never does) and had nothing to wear.

Priming your engine oil is only necessary if you interrupt the the oil supply circuit such as removing the oil filter housing, removing the oil cooler or oil cooler lines etc. A normal oil change wont require priming. The easiest way to prime the oil is to disconnect all 6 fuel injector's electrical connectors, then crank the engine for 10 seconds, give it 20 seconds to allow the starter motor to cool off again, then repeat 2 more times. The starter motor will turn over the engine which will run the oil pump and prime your oil. Then plug all the fuel injectors' connectors back in and start the car.

Not yesterday they weren’t, both heading south in the morning then back in the early arvo, light traffic both times. So many drivers not aware in RH lane it was beyond annoying, some eventually pulled over to the left but there were still a few that had to be passed on the left. You’re still correct about AKL motorways though, maybe these were JAFAs that had got lost (couldn’t get off motorway??) and ended up in Waikato?

Being a good(ish) dad I grabbed a hot chocolate for my daughter, put it in the cup holder - you can see where this is going. Anyway how to I get the gear selector surround off so I can clean hot chocolate out of the switch gear. Yes it was a FFS moment, can't win some days. At least it's not terminal just sticky buttons, nothing quite as exciting as jamming the DSC off in the rain thanks to some sugary goo in the button. Skids on

Don't get this one... https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/525i/listing/4219089775

Looks more like reduction on large\expensive to ship items rather than cheap\small packages. Spareto still miles cheaper in the few things i priced up.

30 June 2023. 1875??kms I dusted off the e60. Since the WoF, just a monthly start. Covid mkII in April, life has been quiet. 1. Full Tank of Fuel Posterity post. We'll remember when fuel was "cheap". I took the opportunity to fill the tank before our "finance minister" put the Excise and GST (29c per litre) back on fuel during our cost of living crisis. $2.31/l As I type this 20 July Tinakori Waitomo 95 is $.59.9/l according to Gaspy, BP Connect Adelaide Rd are charging $2.999/l, and BP Connect Roadmaster is rewarding big spenders with $3.139/l of 98. Still, a cruise up country at 9.5 litres/100, it's pure pleasure! 2. Fuel Stabiliser Protecting that fuel 'investment'. I figured while it spends a little more time in my rented garage, I should take measures to avoid 65 litres of fuel going off. Penrite Fuel Stabiliser to the rescue! So yeah, you buy this, it comes with a full tank! I used to run it exclusively on BP 98, stopped a few tanks ago. The Waitomo is good.

yep the manual 316i FL is the lightest spec e30, less sound deadening, no electric seats, no sunroof so lower c of g and best of all no rusty sunroof leaking! they are the bomb. give everything on your 33 year old nana car a birthday, rubbers bushes QUALITY tyres fuel lines cooling system shocks fluidsbrakes... wof rego insurance, and go and enjoy the pure spirit of driving an analogue manual car. teach yourself to drive in the wet without losing the tail, learn cadence braking, learn to heel-and-toe double de-clutch. more fun than your first shag and longer lasting too! 😂

And fixing the roads and roadscape. It’s amazing how many roads have power poles or large boulders (King Country especially) only a few feet or less off the driving line. There’s no leeway.

This road to zero BS should really just be driver education and policing.

have asked, nobody has any cameras and nobody saw anything

N series v8 are trash too unless they've had all the issues fixed