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Few pics from yesterday ...

Managed to make it out to a small E30 meet after work.

How will you ever experience the joy of getting $2 stuck in the hinge, and then spending an hour to get it out, simply so you can open the lid and get the rest of the 50c coins.

Clean as wagon, always parked up top of Forrest hill. Anyone on here?

Empty coffee cup. I'm an ideas man.

Hi All, Has anyone successfully attempted an auto to manual swap for an e30 318i 1989? If one was to attempt this, what sort of compatibility do I need? do I need an exact 1-to-1 car e.g. 318i and a donor 318i? can I use an earlier model manual? Would like to know what goes into it. Thanks.

I installed the storage tray replacement for the front ashtray today, happy with the result. Before: During: After:

Agree - and it is probably better than most new cars in 2020! I was thinking of heading over to have a look, it was a pretty good day last year. Will keep it in mind to tag along, it just may depend if mine is fit for display on the day, for me anyway (just booked in for a couple if minor things to get sorted). Either way will see you then ? now back the the OP ?

Nice work! It will be better than a new car when its done! Tough choice what to show at the upcoming British and European day aye ? (that's presuming that the BMW club will be in attendance).

Thanks for that, very helpful. Just miss having a retro car, pissed off at E30 tax, and nostalgic for that turbo sound and feel like the old days. Probably not many people know this but @BreakMyWindowand I were fairly deep in the mitsubisbi/drag/Street shenannigans thing back in the day. He had a ZR4 and it was glorious.

Probably better on Monroes than the 190k + shocks it was on.

Trademe really needs to do more about that. I've proven to them on 2 different auctions, shill bidding had taken place. On one of them my autobid was maxed and the the bidder that beat me had their bid removed about 3 minutes before closing (despite having 100% positive feedback so clearly not one to f**k people around), the person hadn't asked for their bid to removed. The other I contacted the person who outbid me (they had their own car for sale) and they were the flatmate of the vendor. They should roll back any autobids when a top bid is removed.

Lets not forget those prices were at a CHARITY auction at the biggest auction house for cars. BARRETT JACKSON, they were also cars owned by a FAMOUS actor (c grade) so those conditions add up to make for unique circumstances. Lets see those LTWs sell for 200k+ each at a small auction house, not a charity and owned by Joe Blogs.

Hip? No, I'm shooting ducks in a barrel in this case. I don't think mine's particularly special but on your scale of value it's worth $50k if the other is worth $38k. Defending an unrealistic price seems pretty ignorant to me, you have no idea what you're talking about and you've demonstrated that by spilling out misinformation about the LTW's. Stop now. Perhaps stick with your porkers? I'm sure you're an expert in them.

My whole argument here was how the LTW is an inferior M3 and would have little interest outside of the US market. We all know why they are selling for that much in the US. And just in case. Because they don't have the better M3's. Trying to convince me the LTW is just as good by making things up like better suspension and interior... well you should have put your blinkers on and checked your info first.

Great, then mine's worth $50k every day...

But that's my point. The market for them is only in the US. Where they are from. Outside of the US I doubt they would get any interest outside of someone wishing to make money on one by selling it back to the US market. Also it was a charity event so people went mad. Watch the one on BAT for a more realistic price.

Yeah, I've seen it. There's nothing I have seen that says it's worth that much. NO e36 M3 is worth that much unless it has delivery miles only on it. Period. If you slow down a little you'll see that I've acknowledge LTW's are "more valuable" but that does NOT make it great car.

The only things particularly special about the LTW are the limited numbers and the aero kit. Brakes are stock, I don't even think the LTW got floating rotors, the suspension is stock Euro M3, the interior is meh, and doesn't include Vaders which are an iconic e36 M3 essential, the oil pan is stock M3 euro, the fuel pumps are stock M3 euro. Most importantly it doesn't have a proper M3 engine... 3" intake, no ITB's, smaller injectors, weaker bottom end, non-forged pistons, etc, etc. Compared to the US M3 the LTW is good. Compared to anything else it pales. Sure, there are only ~125 so for that fact alone they're rare and (apparently) more valuable but as a car? Nothing special. I'd take the $38k Euro over a proper LTW any day of the week. But I also wouldn't pay $38k for the Euro, that's a stupid asking price, especially given the miles on the thing.

So technically the nz ltw rep was actually a better car ???

Most overvalued ///M car of all time with a corny celebrity tie in IMO.

Some illegal parking for an update.

What about the seat adjust handles? aren't those stuck to the seat itself or is it stuck to the frame of the seat? If they are stuck to the seat itself then can't really use the left for the right since the handles will get in the way.

Disagree. Inferior M3. What part of superior performance and handling do you not understand. Read and study the comments of the guys who have owned and driven / raced one. Nothing wrong with my knowledge base either, its built up on nigh 50 years of sports and performance car ownership across multiple brand platforms.

Interesting discussion. The market spoke on the US lightweight cars, and there were plenty of bidders, so that's where they are in Jan 2020, keenly sought after. And its not like they were isolated sales, normally so many of the same thing on the market at the same time would lead to a slump in hammer price, especially near the end of the item lots, but not so with these vehicles. So obviously of more interest than your ordinary common garden variety 3 or 3.2 litre E36 M3. Remember this chassis was chassis of the decade (1990's) in the US, and has a strong following there. As to the pros and cons of handling and performance, from behind the wheel I doubt if any of us could differentiate between any of the models being discussed using the "seat of the pants" method. Have driven two of the Aus Frank Gardner built cars, no 15 and more recently Nov 18, no 11. Would own one in a heartbeat, if the wallet allowed.