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The aeros quite subtle! https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/130i/listing/5254891721

A couple of years ago I saw a little white 2004 E46 316ti for sale on the side of the road near where I live. Asking $2500. But it had some panel scrapes down the left door & 3/4 panel, although not too obvious at a casual glance. After a test drive in the hills nearby, I offered $2000 and drove it home. A few days/weeks later I noticed puffs of smoke when driving around town. Sometimes quite a lot. One time waiting at the lights outside a packed Sprig & Fern it tried to lay down a smokescreen. Checking later I found the oil filler cap full of creamy gunk. I thought I'd blown a head gasket. A bit later the starter motor failed completely close to home. It was off the road for a few weeks as I sought instructions to take it out, and had to order some torx ring spanners from overseas to get the top bolt out. $400 for a new starter, and $100 for a new CCV valve with insulated hoses, I eventually got back on the road. $300 for a couple of new tyres, new WoF, and I was back on the road. The transmission is a bit of a reluctant up-shifter, and sometimes goes into diagnostic mode on cold mornings. I ordered a transmission filter from Latvia or somewhere, but it arrived with a damaged gasket. Got a refund without sending it back, and ordered another one from Aus. Got the Caltex oil waiting for me to feel in the mood for getting dirty. In the meantime I've got quite a nice little non-smoking motorcar. Not much poke, but heeeeaps of fun on a winding road like the Takaka Hill... A couple of days ago I saw a little silver 2006 E91 325i for sale on the side of the road near where I live. Asking $3000. But it had a slight ding in the driver's door and a couple of very minor defects, although not too obvious at a casual glance. After a test drive in the hills nearby, I offered $2600 and drove it home. Sh*t I hope it goes better this time...

Seat rails need to be customized and a emulator to get seats to work.

Well, in its own market it would be the preferred engine.. though not sure why anyone would want a convertible with a diesel soundtack. "This car was imported new from the UK "

Oh dear. And I see it’s our old “friend” 1quad1 back again. Thought they had got chucked off TradeMe..?

E46 M3 2004 Cabriolet S54 SMG + E46 `02 M Sport Oriental Blue Touring. Pics will tell the story.

Disassembled the front seats in the E30 as there were a few niggles, sorted all excluding the stuffed backrest shocks, which will be replaced one day. The drivers side backrest bolster had broken and missing plastic piping and a split wide open seam for a few inches. I sewed a new run of piping using the original nylon core around some spotlight vinyl, then sewed that into the two parts of leather using the existing holes so as to not make a ‘tear here’ line(leather needles have a blade which cuts as opposed to separates the fibres). Happy with result.

I’ve recently been in the Far North, and where better for fish and chips on the beach. Having recently been on a trip through the Central Plateau, the E53 is fast approaching 400,000KM. We will be driving from Auckland to Wellington via Waitara, Waverley, Wanganui and Paraparaumu, and then back to Auckland via Coromandel; which should do it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’re heading to the UK on April 22nd after which the car will be for sale, no expense has been spared on making her safe and reliable for my family and I’ll be sad to see her go. If you or anyone you know is in the market for an E53 then please sing out.

9 weeks later, brace off... went for a drive. Now a few months of physio

Having given up on finding a reasonably priced EV / Hybrid that wasn't completely thrashed I changed tack and found this : A phone call on Saturday, a one way ticket to Wellington on Sunday and 8 hours later it was home. Please ignore the headlight fluid, I topped that up after finding the rubber boot lying in the engine bay. For the $4k I spent on this I'm very happy, other than needing a service and fixing some of the vacuum lines that have perished it's in great shape for a 19 year old car. Being a 2 door, it just feels stupidly small and with the remap that a previous owner had done it's plenty fast enough - according to my OBDlink it's turned up from 8psi to 25psi of peak boost. Best of all it's a manual, so I get to row through the gears.

Love a VOLVO! Great stuff, looks awesome. I often find myself checking trademe for V70R estates 🙂

If anyone is curious what I'm driving round in now, did a bit of a write up. It's not a BMW 😅

Never knew the guy but I recall his posts here and there. It is always heartbreaking when someone from our community passes. My deepest condolences go out to his friends and family. RIP Sanjay, fellow BMW enthusiast and valued Bimmersport member.