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I've been industrious this evening while watching TV. I popped that new badge into a repainted waffle, and it looked goooood. So I separated the remaining old emblems from the badge backing plates, cleaned up the backing plates, and re-installed the badges into the waffles. I'm liking it. They look flash on the wheels, can't wait to get them on to the car. Cleaned up, emblems removed. Completed waffle, assembled badge, and backing plate awaiting emblem.

If you think a race car only costs the purchase price then you need to spend more time on Google lol. You can have twice the fun for half the price. Period.

Fitted some old door sill trims to the back of my 530 tonight that is in much better condition to the outgoing ones... forgive me purists...

FCPeuro it. Lifetime warranty.

As the title states, have an electronically switchable (economy, sports etc) 4hp22 e30 box for sale. Will come with the auto shifter, switch for shifting and EGS ecu as well as driveshaft if required. No trans cooler lines as they were used elsewhere. Surplus to requirements but shifted absolutely beautifuly when removed. 130k. After $300 ono for the lot. Pick up in Glenfield 02102916373

Quicker around any NZ track... possibly for the first four or five laps (less if its Hampton Downs International or the full Highlands Park track), then the brakes will start to be an issue as you haven't upgraded those in your shopping list, shortly after your road tyres are going to be overheating due to the tread blocks moving about under load, so you'd need a set of semis at least, missed off the list. Then you'd be sick of rolling around like a Spanish galleon through corners, so you would need a new set of adjustable shocks and springs, all times two of course as its for both cars. At which point you then find out how flogged all your bushes are so they all need to come out an be replaced. So now you have an EVO that can stand up to a decent track day, or even race event, oh but wait, the piggy back ecu and tune has now caused the over-stressed engine to blow a foo-foo valve because none of the cooling has been upgraded on the shopping list. So that's a rebuild (or two) and while you're in there you probably want to go forged internals, chuck on a bigger turbo, and do some head work. How much are we up to by now..? Once the engines all back together and been on the dyno for a good few hours to be broken in and tuned, you should be all good to go back to the track, at which point the 250,000km gearbox and or centre differential decides it's had enough of all this extra torque and abuse and lunches itself. It's about now you start to think to yourself what was that expression about fast, cheap, reliable racecars again? Thanks for your input Tony Quinn, unfortunately a lot of those "Gentleman Racers" don't have as much ability as they have available horse power in their cars, so can be almost as much an issue as the Flat Peak Cap brigade in their cheap Evos at Pukekohe track days. It does if you don't take it to the track and just keep it in the garage... but where is the fun in that. Or you can do what I do, and have a racecar that never makes it to the track and still costs lots of money each month, I must be going wrong somewhere?

Anything but an Aston Vulcan or Ferrari FXX makes you a dirty peasant who shouldnt be able to race.

If not a battery issue, I would suggest you have a faulty CAS control unit system failure. You will need to get it scanned by someone close to you . I don't know who you can tow it to close by in Whitianga though. Common faults: Keys, key reader, steering lock and the control unit itself. But you'll have to start with getting it scanned first. https://www.youcanic.com/wiki/bmw-cas-car-access-system

5x wheels 3x 17x8 and 2x 17x9. Fronts are the better condition ones.. Rears are worse with paint flaking but do look worse in photos due to angle. Spare is in perfect condition. 4x Newish Continental MC6 tyres in correct sizes with 6mm tread left. Spare in Dunlop SP with 5mm tread. Prefer pickup but maybe able to deliver them Auckland at some point. $650

Yea to be honest M42 is very is OEM+. I was on the fence for a very long time. Next time you're silly enough to come to Auckland, have a drive of my M52.

? yeah, my declared plan is M42, but I do have a good mate in my ear suggesting M50 or M52... I'm nearly at the end of my list, and wishing good fortune on this M40!

Hey @Olaf... my 316i had the same ill-fated lifter noise and look what happened. Giz a yell when you need a hand ?

Are we even talking about the same thing here...? The M2 race car in the original post? Have spent a bit of time googling to try and find this euro50k factory racer, but with no joy. If it’s twice as fun, for the 50k, it should be a great package!

Date: 18 Nov 2019 Distance: 260530kms More items off of the list today. Less than 2 weeks to e30 Mega Meet. 1. Wiper Arm Alignment This had been bugging me since I bought the car, though there was always something more important. With @Autoglym's help today, we re-aligned the wipers to sit lower. Ahhh, much better. Wipers parked, at last. 2. Fuel Filler Inlet Cover and Fuel Cap Seal Six weeks ago I noticed the fuel filler surround was perished. I figured a new fuel cap seal and filler neck would be a wise precaution, thirty year old rubber and all. The surround is fairly easy to replace. If you're driving a 30-odd year old e30, it's worthwhile inspecting this, along with all of your fuel lines, and replacing any suspect parts. Wet Rubber: New Cap Seal (p/n 16111179680) and Fuel Filler Inlet Cover (p/n 51711884358) The vortex of doom (aka where the $$$ go in) Old and crusty, perishing blighter replaced by a younger more supple model. Observe the deterioration, cracking, and areas where spilt fuel can run. 3. MBL8 Additive in the engine oil On start-up, I have noticed one noisy lifter since the last oil change. Concensus was - particularly amongst those of us who don't go for additives at all - that MBL8 is the sh*t. So I sourced some. I dropped the oil, re-tightened the drain plug, restored 3 litres of oil, added 75mls of MBL8 to a remaining half litre and mixed it thoroughly, added to the car, and topped-off. I then drove it for 30 mins. Well, it's smoother! I've decided to do another oil and filter next week, with MBL8, in light of the blackness in relatively fresh oil. I figure the detergent is doing it's job, and having had a good run to Castlepoint and back shortly after it was last changed, it's cleaning out the oil galleries. The additive recognised as not snake oil, yesterday. 4. Other Stuff I've been working on the wheel badges, and a friend kindly gave me one to replace the imposter. Result! I've been prepping the speakers and a later parcel shelf, for the forthcoming stereo install. Next on the list: Underbonnet sound deadening replacement Tail light cluster seal replacement Stay tuned!

Wow, an FIA approved BoP registered factory backed race package for half that price? So, Euro50k? Please post up a link or pm me as that’s in my budget so would be very keen, thanks.

House.. hopefully

Well, that's over. The two top coats of silver, 40 minutes apart, have gone on. Two coats of silver, and thirty minutes later... And 30-odd minutes later, the clear coat went on. I used U-Pol, the body shop said it's the best quality clear you can buy in a can. It's pricey, but who am I to ignore their advice? I'm now praying my workshop gets/stays warm enough with the heater on, to keep the clear from going cloudy. Wearing it's new coat of clear. Tomorrow they'll get into the warmest/sunniest room in the house for a few days. Mount on Friday perhaps?

Fitted the rear window set, 2 pcs today with the kids out skating. 30 mins all up. Hardest bit was getting the old side pieces out after they broke away from the corners. Also, lots of underseal scum was flushed away.

I gave up on the wheel spinner. Too much faffing around. I had spent time with my recipro-saw cutting my office chair down, got it to a reasonable place, and then figured I could waste another hour on woodwork and such - better off painting! So I shot a coat of primer over them and let them dry, had some lunch. I came out just in time for.... rain! Primer Coat, relocated to workshop to dodge the rain. These looked a bit average to start with... then with prep, primer, and a couple of coats of silver... they look better. So I'm painting them in the alclove outside my workshop, one at a time, and returning them back to the 'bake' - an oil column electric heater in my workshop ?The first coat looks okay. My hands are getting sore!

Tackling the staining andsun fade on the clear coat

Here's one that I think will do the trick, it's from 2004 it appears: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2001-02-03-04-BMW-5-3-SERIES-CD-MP3-RADIO-AUX-PLAYER-OEM-65-12-6-943-433/273966678274?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 Then a Bluetooth thingy: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bluetooth-Module-Radio-CD-Head-Units-AUX-Adapter-Cable-for-BMW-E39-E46-E53/183876204114?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 The Bluetooth will plug into the black square plug going into radio, then power red from a switched 12v source in the loom, and earth the same. Google is your friend on pin numbers etc. Also google, you tube the removal and install of head unit, it's done a particular way...

The sport seats had arrived, and just needed to be recovered before I could put them in the car. As soon as the leather upholstery kit was delivered, I dived straight into the first seat. Many zipties were used... Some foam was repaired on the side bolster. The next seat was for the driver side. This one had taken a bit more abuse, and needed some more serious foam repair. The rest of the second seat was the same as the first. The seat rails were cleaned up and repainted. Both seats mostly back together. I still need to do some work on the back covers. I'm stoked with the result. I think they look great, although I may still need to tweak fitment in a few places. Quite happy with the quality of the leather kit, especially for the relatively low price.

nothing wrong with graf or any other decent oem. ebay or fcp euro should sort you out easily enough

I disagree. My wife's daily is a fully (or near fully) specced '06 X3 E83 with M-Sport package (including sports suspension settings). While it's only the piddly M54B25 and lacks grunt, it weighs a couple of ton and still handles like its on rails when going around corners. I wouldn't bother taking it out on track, but it still puts a massive grin when going through the twisties. I'm sure the M40i is built exactly for that - daily duties and the occasional squirt. In regards to its size and shape, I wouldn't say it's pointless because there are reasons why people might opt for a taller car than a station wagon, e.g. back problems, but still don't want the X5 which is much more expensive and considerably larger. FWIW, I personally think the X6 is a stupid shape because you lose the cargo space, but i'm sure there are people who see the appeal of it and love having the option to get what they like.

Oh so very nice. Not sure if it’s a members car but goddamn it’s hot. ?

Looking forward to the M version...

FWIW, as an example, buy 2 Evo V's, add a piggy back with launch control, anti-lag and boost ramp, add cages. Now you've spent half as much as the BMW and have TWO cars that will be quicker around any NZ track and you can race with a mate as opposed to pleasuring yourself. And I can promise you that the Evo's will give you a far safer experience on the limit than the BMW. Bin both of them and you can still buy another two.

I apologise in advance for the nausea caused when looking at this