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I've done about 5,000km since the motor swap and this thing has been almost perfect. Just visually keeping an eye on the dipstick, I can't really see any drop in level so oil burning so far has been negligible. It has developed a slight weep from the upper radiator hose, I've ordered one to replace asap, along with a bit of a leak from what I think is the selector shaft seal on the gearbox. Other than that it's been behaving pretty much exactly as I wanted out of a daily driver. I ended up taking it to an exhaust shop and had the resonator removed. I just wanted slightly more noise out of it but didn't want to go to an aftermarket setup which is almost always too loud. Not the prettiest thing in the world but it has made the car sound exactly as I wanted it. Still sounds very stock just slightly spicier. Previously it sounded pretty pedestrian with the fully standard 325ti exhaust system. Next up is getting it WOF'd, we'll see if it passes without a cert.

Quick project today to replace the rubber steering giubo with a solid couple from CMP. In the last little while I've had noticeable deadness around centre. The car tracks fine on the road, but small steering inputs are annoying as you have to steer through the deadness before you can make adjustments. I thought it was likely this was the giubo, but can never tell until you try it. Note: For those of you with LHD please note that you cannot use this item in your LHD car. LHD cars rely on the rubber giubo to account for the slight off-axis play needed in the LHD column. The RHD coupler is different and includes a universal joint, so a solid coupler like this is just fine for RHD, but a no-go for LHD. I recently saw a very sad thread on Facebook where someone asked for peoples' experience with the CMP solid coupler and it was roundly rubbished by a number of people who had used it on their LHD car. Shame for CMP as they make it clear it is an RHD part and sucks to see uninformed customers rubbish a product when they're the ones who have used it incorrectly. Anyhow - this was a pretty quick project. I'd painted the coupler with matte black enamel as I'm not keen on the flashy purple for my build. The removal of the coupler is trivial, dismantling it and rebuilding is likewise simple so long as you take your time and make sure you prepare the mating surfaces well. All up the project took me about 3 hours to do. From reading about others experiences of before and after with a solid coupler I was expecting a mild improvement and no additional NVH. Mine must have been very worn as the difference between before and after was not mild. I could tell as soon as I started manoeuvring the car in the driveway. The rubber was not broken or degraded in any way, but was soft, so the solid coupler has made a massive difference. Steering play is gone and the steering feels more direct and is less spongy. As expected I don't get any unpleasant NVH - just more precise steering control. $100 well spent.

Hey all. David here. Recently purchased a 1987 E30 M325i (diamant-schwarz). It's been discussed on this forum at one point and was on trade me recently. Used to drive an E30 318i (technically it was my fathers in the 90's and he eventually gave it to me as my first car). Loved E30's ever since. Getting cambelt etc replaced soon and exhaust is a bit loud for my taste so getting that sorted as well. Overall it drives nice. The wheels have grown on me. But will prob replace them at some point. Happy with them for now so not in a rush there. Will gradually restore/lightly mod the car over time. Went through the Lachssilber 1989 E30 M325i thread. Tons of useful info there. And the ride looks slick. Nice decisions made there. Also have a soft spot for the 6th generation Galant VR4. Was the second car I ever owned. Had to get my hands on one of these now cause the prices have been going up on them over recent years and I didn't wanna miss out on either one. Was a throw up between getting the E30 or a mint 1990 VR4. Had to go with the BMW in the end. The E30 M325i is definitely my all time favourite car (VR4 second).

Hi All Joined up some time ago, as the marque has always been on my radar, and I've enjoyed soaking up some knowledge fro you guys, but have been distracted by various other things. Have a VW Passat wagon that crushes distance in comfort and a Discovery 3 that has delivered some epic trips to some remote locations. Recently picked up a 2008 135i (almost) sight-unseen off the internet (dealer flicking on a trade-in). Was cheap, clean, had the fold-away idrive i wanted and a glovebox full of receipts from a previous caretaker (HPFP and water pump done). At 130k, suspension is a bit tired, but so far nothing else has raised it's hand for attention. Have given it fresh oil & filters all round and planning coolant flush, brake fluid flush, as well as diff and trans fluid. Looking to replace the old shocks with Bilstein B4's (unless any better suggestions) and still need to check out all the bushings etc. - probably needs all them too.

Yeah im guessing the cost is in the u-joints + RHD tax. Luckily they seem fairly reliable.

Yeah I would imagine that they would be pretty similar, I'm sure a new OE coupler would have given me much the same benefits (at more than twice the cost).

I'm a big fan of the CMP coupler, have it on both my E46s and painted black as well. It's a no brainer upgrade imo. Cheaper than stock, and with essentially only upsides.

New job and commute is much further than the previous five minutes down the road, but thankfully against the traffic. Still daily driving this, and it’s still great. Not sure I’ve had a car that handles better…

Things that haven't aged a day: E39 M5 Clive Owen Madonna

Took this on to Hampton Downs a few weeks back to support the Porsche Club track day. A foggy morning presented an excellent opportunity for some cool pics.

Owned this car for a short period in 2022. I wanted a small manual run around and this felt like it needed rescuing at the time off its owner. Definitely not a fan of the black wheels it’s currently wearing! From memory it had lived most of its life in Wellington and was dealer serviced. I sold it because I didn’t really have the garage space and didn’t enjoy leaving a soft top outside - the car had been garaged its whole life up until I owned it.

231,866km Wheel alignment by Dave Tunley. Rear right (the one i did by myself) was out by ALOT after doing the RTABS. Car is driving very nicely now.