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Daily driver? Suzuki Swift should be at the top of your list. Very cheap to run and reliable. I had a pink one (2005 suzuki swift), I could do a hand brake turn in front of the cops and they would be looking confused as to where's the Honda that pull the handbrake! Got plenty of attention from all the gay guys. I happily befriended them, only to discreetly sly into their cute female friends.

Don't be scared to ring BMW for a price, they can be the best deal going on a bunch of things. A new tail light gasket would be unlikely to break the bank. A quick look on FCPEuro shows you might be looking at USD27 in parts.

'tis gone to a good home - miss it already but it was time to move it on.

All M cars are equal, but some M cars are more equal than others?

Yeah, I know, I'm just a traditionalist... BMW's M division 'broke' in about 2005 in my view when they succumbed to the 'raw horsepower' movement. I'm sure it was inevitable, doesn't mean I like it. My comments are a little bit tongue-in-cheek and a little bit nostalgic. Probably a reflection of why I own a 20 year old M when I could afford to own a new one.

Definitely get a quote from BMW so you have a baseline price for NZ. Gavin @euroitalian is an alternative OEM supplier too. Euro-Italian Car Parts Ltd stock a large range of BMW and Fiat Service parts, supplying both the wholesale and retail trade throughout New Zealand. We import only quality OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) parts from Europe and all the parts we sell are guaranteed. Owner Manager Gavin Dysart has over 20 years experience in the industry and it is this experience coupled with helpful customer service, realistic pricing and chocolate bars, that has ensured a loyal customer following. Mention Bimmersport when you visit Euro-Italian and receive a 15% discount on stock lines. Opening Hours 8.00 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday Ph: (09) 444 9817 Fax: (09) 444 4755 Email: euroitalian@vodafone.co.nz Address 15 C Saturn Place (off Paul Matthews Rd) North Harbour Albany Auckland

This. Once you factor in costs for shipping from the US, buying individual parts often makes no sense. And there can be a lot of merit in developing a good relationship with your local BMW dealership. The flipside can also be true... I need a couple of tiny o-rings for one of the Mercs. $7 each from a NZ-based Mercedes parts specialist, and 18c each from the US. Sadly the US supplier uses a fixed shipping solution which costs $30-odd. Still, I could buy a couple-dozen and more than likely make use of them later.

T allanson Interesting how about 7.7 per 100k. The trip read 698k and still showed 46 left when I put gas in it tonight. E46/5 speed manual compact with m54b25 a 6 pot. Does a 90k round trip a day of that a third is town running.

Thanks Cory, we are very happy together Once again, the French have surrendered to the Germans...

If you are already familiar with BMW's in general (which I believe you are) then just look for the tidiest example of any model you can find whether it is a 318i or a 330i/ci (probably a bit hard to find a nice one for 4k). My pick would be a facelift sedan 320i which has the M54B22 2.2L 6 cylinder engine if you could find one which has a good balance of power, reliability and good fuel economy. Alternatively, go for something like the 318ti that I picked up for sub 1500 and spend a few hundred on it to tidy up and you got yourself a solid daily that is cheap to run and to fix

so, balancerider, you must mean THIS then............

I do own both of them. I usually only drive them on sunny days. I have owned the M535i for 3.5 years. Bought it without seeing it in person. Never driven one or been in one before. Instantly fell in love with the M30 engine. Sounds fabulous, like a proper classic straight 6 should with plenty of low end torque. I have had lots of friends who have been as passengers in it and commented on the smoothness. I have upgraded a few things like suspension, wheels, brake lines. I do worry at times that it might not brake as good as the modern cars and I might be in trouble one day hence E34 brakes are on the cards. I do drive it hard from time to time and these cars love it. I keep all the original parts. I bought the E30 Mtech1 four months ago. The initial drive was disappointing thanks to the M20. But the whole car feels very light and compact in comparison. The seating is lower, you feel more tucked in. It's getting a few things done atm - injectors cleaned, valve timing, new heater hoses, suspension, wheels, brakes... Pretty much the same as the M535i. The stock E30 brakes are worse than the E28 stock ones. Rust is the biggest problem. No classic BMW is rust free. They either have rust or been repaired. Oil leaks is the second. But these cars are fairly easy to work on. I don't have much mechanical experience, so I rely on the forums and YouTube for help. But I do most of the maintenance myself. Price wise, $15k should be enough to get you a decent one with some minor issues. The M535i are selling for $30-40k in Australia these days.

Thanks I may look at importing from Australia as well, but I am not in a rush. F10 is awesome, it’s the fastest car I’ve been in. It just keeps pulling right through the gears. Only down side is the cost to run. The E60 is cool

What gets me is the race cars have a lot of four doors. So traditional road performance was 2 door , but the E36 STW, and all following WTCC and ETCC beasts. Only with GT3 and Now GT4 have they gone to 2 doors. In my mind the E46 and E36 GTR did it for me in the two doors. "need more flared guards"

My bad, profile updated! In Auckers.

i use gravity 1st , then use a small bottle of fluid that i can squeeze with a rubber hose connected to the bleed nipple and force the air up (which is the way it wants to go) , 2 squeezes and lock off the nipple and you are done.

Not a lot to update, but here are some 'just washed' images 63,000km later.