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50% off 5w-40 @ Repco https://www.repco.co.nz/oils-fluids/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil/castrol-edge-5w-40-a3-b4-engine-oil-5l-3421235/p/A1331904

Happily sitting in my dads garage, having just had a new(er) LSD fitted.

This made me snigger... youtube link "Ask any E30 owner, maintenance is expensive and sucks. In a lot of ways, owning an E30 is like dating a super-expensive high-maintenance MILF who cheats on you and sometimes abuses you, but whom you live anyway." ... should give some idea this is not a *serious* review!

Doesn't even have a wof so who knows. Not sure why the owner doesn't get one?

Got my head back yesterday. Very reasonable price. The old man said the head had nothing wrong with it. Passed the hardness test, pressure test, vacuum test without issues and he even fitted the valve stem seals for me. Very happy with it! Now I’m getting head bolts and timing chain kit…

Good car how it is. As long as it gets you from a to b in this day & age

IMO Prefacelift M325i is less desireable. Even if it is rarer. A prefacelift shell is more prone to rust, and this one looking pretty neglected and having likely sat outside for some time is probably hiding some rust in the firewall and boot. I also notice the facelift headlights, wiring has been hacked to wire them up. If it was with its original bumpers, weaves and houdstooth interior but in this rough state, I could *maybe* see someone forking out near the $30k and spending $5 to $10k restoring it. As it stands you'd be sourcing Mtech1 kit (weitz had a kit 4k recently), chrome bumpers, weaves (2k plus), complete engine overhaul and likely suspension and everything else needing attention you be in the $15 to $20k territory getting it back to an original state, that's not even including finding houndstooth interior.

$35k? "He's dreamin'". @gjm It does rather look like you're selling it. Is he lazy and duped you in to doing this work for free, or just inept and you've swooped in to help out? As the champion of "all e30's are over-priced and not good value", I'd have expected a very different estimate from you!

Ahhh I did wonder if it was the one in question from your other thread but for some reason I had assumed it was a tech 2.

Nice idea but it gets a bit annoying after a while...

replace DISA valve, if it hasn't failed it probably will... dropping the Pin into your combustion chamber. Inexpensive insurance. Have a good look at the high pressure fuel hose supplying the injector rail. They're getting old now - if yours is crusty, replace. Nobody wants a fuel fire under the hood, You're on the right track, taking care of the intake vacuum leaks. cooling every five years. plugs and a full set of coils after your cuurnet work (if you havent already) and it'll be a sweet runner. Jared @Eagle is spot-on about those nipple caps (ooh err), Jon spotted those on mine recenty and we replaced them at same time as HP Fuel Hose. e46 325i motorsport is a sweet drive. They reward if treated to thorough maintenance. We've had our 325i Touring for 11.5 years, no plans to replace it.

@cleanish_e46 I'm biased... if it's not a race car, OE spec rubber is all you need - unless you prefer needing to see your urologist or dental sugeon due to persistent jarring. not to mention the state of our roads these days. I've had all of the bushes you mention replaced in the first two years with my e30. it runs Konis & H&R springs. The whole setup is firm, damped, as you'd expect from a BMW. I've also done the same on e46 & e60. Replacing rubber firms things up and restores control, though not to the point my wife or kids complain. Most proponents of Poly are under 25 or have replaced completely bagged-out bushings with poly, and are of course impressed and amazed at the improvement. By the time you've done everything (each part you stiffen reveals shortcomings of the next bagged-out part), it's the hair-shirt solution. Sounds and looks amazing though bloody uncomfortable to wear. Like I say, if it's a race car, all's great on Poly. Poly has its application. Unless you're certain you need that incrrease in stiffness, rubber is relatively inexpensive and far more durable than poly, and is the right compromise for everyday and sporting street use. BMW test drivers and development engineers logged thousands of hours developing a workable solution for most people, poly does not feature.

Not really sure I understand the question? Should be fairly black and white - if the spec sheet has option code 333 for an mt1, and 335 for an mt2 it's an m325i. All of the m325i goodies were also a either factory option, or available as dealer retrofit aside from one, which is the black headliner - it wasn't even listed as an option if you run the vin of an m325i, so if it's got the headliner, you can be fairly sure you're looking at the genuine article.

Seen M44 conversions, that would be project worth doing if you wanted something with max reliability

You must already know the correct answers to this: 1. My wife is of course perfect, how could one question her eyesight? Now, we shall step outside and discuss this like gentlemen as you've cast aspersions on my beloved wife (note we're not doing Will Smith). 2. The e39 is similar though sufficiently different; have you never witnessed (or participated in) the discussion of the difference between mauve and lilac? 3. In any marriage there is usually an unspoken language, where one's spouse may say one thing but mean completely another. For example the simple premise of 'that's ugly' might be code for 'looks difficult to park' or 'there's someone on the school run with one of these and I'd not be seen dead in the same car; or 'it's really ugly and I simply will not drive it'.