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After a twice round Nth Island in a month with the car, it performed perfectly. Amazingly. Great to get on the open roads and mix it up with the locals and other fast Euro cars, new RS6's, new M4s and give them a taste of the 1M. While moving away from E85 stations, I tried octane boosters in the fuel tank. While it worked for the engine, it was bad on my health, the stench and irritation with fumes coming back into the car with windows down was surprisingly bad. Anyways, car cleaned, LED lights installed into the cabin, external LEDs installed and coded and Blackline tail lights installed. The rear 275's wear showing minimal tread depth, time to try something a more chunky. Enter 295/30/19 Conti Sport Contacts. 2.3% less circumference, meaning it'll be like changing the diff ratio from the 3.15 it is now to a 3.22. The tire fits, but its getting tight. Could potentially do a 305. Its on a 10" wide rear rim, so fits the rim better than the 275 did for sure. The extra width should help with grip. Still waiting impatiently for some other parts to turn up for the fuelling upgrades, but not a show stopper for now.

Back on topic... Yesterday at 158190kms I had Page European drain my trans and refill with their brand of full synth DexVI (I think they're using Titan, now). Also installed one of my new door seals (acquired from @BM WORLD)... I've been too damned busy to get to that job myself. I asked what the fluid was like that came out of it was like. 'used; brown (not black), not burnt smelling but certainly "used" oil'. Sounds like we're lucky with the timing. When it's black and burnt smelling you've lost friction material from your plates, and it's suspended in your ATF. I've only driven it home, first impression was that it was shifting a little smoother. I'll know better when I've driven it from cold (later this morning). It's the first step in Trans service, in a couple of weeks time it goes back to have: drain drop pan replace mechatronics sleeve seal new pan/filter/magnets/bolts refill with fresh Dex VI. It's gonna take me a couple of weeks to clock up 500kms, I've dropped the big daily commute now

Change of plan with the drivetrain being reverted back to S54 at the request of the new owner. Interesting conversion - manual to smg along with brembo brake upgrade.

I havent really put much up about this car to date, probably start something here. Build List 2008 135i N54 6spd manual Jap import Standard N54 3.0 6 cyl twin TD03 turbo engine and 6spd manual, replaced upgraded BMW 550i pressure & clutch plate, stock dualmass flywheel, hard gbox mounts and braces. E92 m3 rear end swapped, subframe, LSD, all suspension arms & links, hubs, m3 front arms/uprights/hubs etc. Hard bushes installed for subframe and a few rear arms. 1m genuine panels all round, replaced via factory BMW repair methodologies AP Radi-cal brake kit all round, 6 piston front 380mm, 4 piston rear 390mm, SS braided lines. Full floating rotors on aluminium hats. KW v3 coilovers, bump & rebound set up, front vorshlag top camber/castor plates set up 2deg neg camber. H&R sways front/rear, adjustable end links set up for lowering 245/35/19, 275/30/19 Hankooks to shred for now. 295/30/19's Continental's ordered for rear, 245/35/19 Michelin PSS Cup 2's for front arriving mid June '17. Rob Beck Next Gen turbos, Billet 15T Compressor wheel/RB Bullet nut, TD04 Thrust upgrade, High flow TD04L 11-blade high aero turbine wheel/RB high heat shield, and RB high flow oil drains. Custom turbo outlet pipe, modified SS section. See photo 1. RB silicon turbo intakes, stock filter placements, big filters from Burger Motorsport VRSF 7" thick Intercooler, RB turbo inlet with HKS SSQV blow off valve. Ordered "Colossus" Intercooler to replace 7" VRSF. Now running full methanol integration via JB4 ISO with CM10 nozzle, 60% meth/40% H20. Running 65 additive on JB4, adding meth at 6lb/in2, or 0.4bar onwards once oil is at 70deg C or higher. Cant stress how good the meth kit works, Any flow restrictions, knock detected or avg ign retard the boost gets brought back by the JB4. Previous to the meth kit going in, the IAT, intake air temps, got really high, in traffic would see close to 50deg C. Took a long time on the M'way to get it back down to mid 30's, which would see the ECU pull timing and boost aggression in the mid range. Now with the meth, each time you floor it, you can watch the IATs drop pretty quick, much better repeatability of power. Means you can spin the wheels over 120. Ive tested the car up to 27lb/in2, 1.9Bar boost, but have settled to 25lb/in2 circa 1.7bar. With this it'll slowly pull in front of new GSXR750's from standstill and easily from 180+ on closed roads. I put into the main fuel tank a blend of about 60% mobil 98RON and 40% E85 from the Gull Forest Hill. I get 300kms from the tank as a daily driver. The JB4 ISO is set up as a piggy back to the factory ECU to control methanol and boost and the full data logging which provides a live bluetooth connection, so the phone is a mini dash too. The ECU is reflashed via MHD tuning (free to DL, then pay for each map). I run the hybrid turbo E85 map or the race flash depending on the percentage of E85 is in the tank. Im limited currently on two fronts in regards to the power output of the car. The turbos are at the limit of airflow efficiency, and secondly the High pressure fuel pump and injector flow capacity. The meth spray is adding fuel which Im using to maintain AF ratios. This used to be considered 'unsafe' as there were little/no warning or safety devices that would protect the engine if there was a failure in the meth delivery. With the JB4 safety systems Im happy to move into meth as a fuel delivery device as well as cooling. I limit boost through 1st and second, 10lb then 17lb then 3rd gear gets the full 25lb onwards. Also, for shits and giggles, it has a 2 step installed, so conveniently I can build boost from a standstill, I can get to about 8lb. With flames out the back of course. Installed is a no lift shift, so just bang the clutch and change gear while holding the throttle down maintaining close to the boost you've just shifted from. I have installed anti-lag but havent set this part up yet. If I've 2 stepped anyone I'm sorry, kinda like a machine gun going off in your face. More so now the custom mild steel rear exhaust has been replaced with a stainless steel one. Had the car in for its cert finally at Fraser Cars Birkenhead via Scott. Mostly required lock washers on parts of the car that BMW didn't think needed lock washers. Annoying, but them the rules. Otherwise the information is with NZTA to approve and get the plate on. Early June, says NZTA are happy bar a bump steer test booked in for mid June. Will be fine as virtually stock 1M front end and offset wheels are used with spacers. The next plan is to install the Precision Raceworks Stage 4 low pressure fuel system (running three intank Walbro E85 pumps), independent & larger low pressure fuel supply/return lines, 6 x 750cc bosch injectors and port injection manifold spacer. This will allow a full E85 even E100 fuel in the main tank and likely the deactivation and sale of the meth system. Simply not needed with higher E85 content, if available. An ethanol sensor (Continental) will be installed in the fuel supply line which also gets integrated into the JB4 for complete fuel integration from E0 to E100. This should net about another 20-30kws without another turbo upgrade.......this fuel kit is due early July.....turbo's hmmmmmm.... Lastly, there are some MMP Stage 3 full TD04HL turbo's that Im eyeing up, which have seen 550 rear wheel kw's on full E85. Pushed, these are the limit of the stock N54 engine apparently, circa 900 crank hp. Incredible that its an open aluminium block with this level of strength. Who says 2JZ's are the strongest? Factory forged crank and miele pistons. N55 are definitely weaker engines. Not saying they are weak ok, just 'not as strong as N54's'. However, I cannot stress the amount of misery there is in changing the turbos out, the main reason Im potentially unlikely to do so again. Took close to a week to change out over weekends and nights in the rain, fuggin misery. E82 LCI Blackline taillights added late May '17 and LED bulb change out inside and at all exterior corners. Error free my arse! So its taken me about 2 years to build it in my driveway, bar the panel and paint. Its cost a fair bit less than a real 1M, minus all the mods. Im guessing currently 410-430kws at the rears going from similar/same tune N54's in Aus. It sort of drives like a combination of a lazy boy and a fast motorbike.

Our latest challenge @ HELLBM: 2007 118i Le Mans Blau M Sport powered by S65 with DCT. Using a 130 shell as a mockup test fitted E92M3 subframe,Steering column with linkage,S65 and DCT. Fitted like it belonged there. Interestingly the chassis dimensions shared with E92 M3 and E87 are identical right down to the extra threaded holes for the M3 subframe. Overall weight difference between the E92 M3 and E87 118i is approx. 400kg with 100kg weight difference between the motors. The finished S65 powered E87 will be approx. 250-300kg`s lighter.

Picking up my new car tomorrow. NZ New with 78k. Weekend driver for the next 15 to 20 years. My contribution to the classics of the future. My brother has one as well. He's lucky cause he has the optional M seats and steering wheel fitted. I don't! But I want! It's awesome! Impossible to source... if anyone has a lead, anytime with a wrecked M Coupe or someone who's going track and therefore will change their setup, please let me know... anyway excited, it's 2:55am, can't sleep.... looking forward to pick her up! Photo is not great, as she is not silver but rather SILBERGRAU METALLIC which is fancy for gun metal grey or dark grey... Regards Coupe classic.... love the 240z.... suppose this will eventually become like that.

Hey everyone Managed to get some time this afternoon to get some more cleaning done. A lot of elbow grease to get them pistons looking shiny. By the last piston i had managed to get it cleaned in 15mins compared to my 1st one which i think took 45mins. Gave the crank a light scrub and the end caps. Just have the main bearing caps left to do.

@eliongater just came across this ... Hamster time!

I can't really compare it to any other aftermarket computers but I really like it it. Much better than the standard R32 computer it was previously running. Only running around 200kw on 6 pounds of boost. More than enough to have some fun and get used to driving it. Need a new wastegate and a few other bits and pieces to run more boost but my goal is 300kw in this car.

A decent 530 Motorsport with 200km sold on TM a couple of days ago for $3k... there's also a very nice 540 Motorsport here on the forum absolutely begging for someone to grab it, a steal at 4.5k!

I've driven a standard 328i convertible, kinda cool, but when you push them on our crappy roads, ughh, scuttle shake!! Good nice road cruiser with power and style however, if you like showing your bald patch around the resurfaced roads of Auckland City...

I'll be coming to these once my car and insurance is sorted... Went to the 20min intro special and it was so fun, but my brakes couldn't cope

Couldn't have said it better. I'm not sure why you'd pay that much money for a car that is so close to brilliance but misses the mark by being floppy and heavier. If it was a hardtop and 5k cheaper I think it would have been snatched up already.

photo is outside bm workshop in east tamaki so i would say hes in auckland unless hes from down the line and picking it up from akl! anyway welcome and nice z4 coupe!

congrats on the house sale. Nice e39 Msport 530i Touring showed up on face balls yesterday. though you know I'm gonna say 545i is the solution #8 )

cool! you must let us know which inbuilt beltronics you have, too.

Just picked up a DFR7 so keen to see how that works compared with the inbuilt Beltronics I've got in the Audi which is a few years old now, sounds like the R1 steps it up again, keen to hear how it performs when you get it back to NZ

To revive an old thread, I recently purchased an Escort Passport Max (expensive piece of kit but worth it) Compared to my old V1 this has been way better. I think these are the way to go although watching the video on the Uniden radars, they look quite good!

the wooden wheel's a bit gauche; it has an aftermarket stereo (no bad thing)... other than that it looks clean and tidy. It's not an M-sport, the 20th Anniversary is like "all of the luxury options"... You really want a V8, eh.

Those wheels tho'...

I'd pay less for a vert over a coupe personally. Just seems like a catch 22 having an E36 with all the goodies, then no roof so it's floppy and you can't drive in the same way you can a coupe.

If people don't want their plates made public then keep the car locked up where it can't be seen. Forever. It's silly that this can happen but it's even more silly to suggest the solution is obscuring license plates in photos. If your car is somewhere I can legitimately take a photo of it and you've not obscured your plate then the working assumption is you don't give a toss if anybody can see your plate. If a mate asked me to obscure their plate in a photo I took and posted online I'd look at them sideways, decline and suggest they came to their senses. But yeah, it's a bit crazy that this change of ownership thing could even happen, that's a process deficiency.

Now with these wheels:

Now a 6 speed with : KW coilovers Supersprint exhaust Racing Dynamics Strut Brace F10 M5 reps in 19'' with a 275 footprint. Snapped a few pics at dusk-