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Spent the day getting the brakes back together, taken the whole day, after getting the clear coat and curing for a few days. lots of wire brushing crusty brake bits. Orbital sanded rust off discs. All connected up with hoses so ready to be bled. Used new M12 12.9 cap screws to mount the calipers to the brake mounts

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site, and new to BMW ownership. Just bought a 2008 130i (not sure if anyone knows this one?). Looking forward to putting some kms on it, and advise from yourselves on what to do, not to do, and who is best to do in Wellington region Murray

Hi Team, I've been lurking on here for a while but never committed to writing up a project summary for my Beamer, so here it goes. I picked up my 1993 E34 back in 2015 for the grand sum of $3000 with north of 250,000Km on the clock. It was not running very well, it leaked all kinds of colors and the clutch was poked as was the suspension. The positive points were that it had a manual transmission and an M52B28 fitted instead of the original M50B25. Thanks mainly to the color, the car quickly earned the nickname 'Ronin' after the Dunkelblau M5 'getaway car' that features in the movie of the same name. This Ronin however was not getaway ready, but I think I've rectified that deficiency. The first job was to fix the tired clutch, which I sorted by going to an E30 race series favorite carbon-kevlar unit. I matched the new clutch with a single mass flywheel from a 318i E30 and this combo is still going strong today. To rectify the driveline challenges in the car I have replaced the tired G240 E30 transmission with a G220 E46 unit. This also required the change from a 3.92 differential to a 3.19 ratio unit which results in 2,700Rpm @ 100Kph which feels ideal. After the gearbox swap I put some effort into the shifter connection which required some modification to work with the newer gearbox. I have gone with a Turner Motorsport shift bush kit and an Ruf adjustable short shifter. Topped off with a leather Msport knob & boot it feels incredible to row through the box. Regarding the tired suspension, this received a full refresh as did the steering linkages. I went with Bilstein HD shock absorbers and H&R sport springs which seems to be a good combo for decent stiffness whilst retaining relative comfort. Now that the driveline is sound and the suspension is sorted, it's time for some power. As it sat, the power delivery was very 'lumpy' with holes in the torque band and lost torque. I fitted the larger M50 intake manifold and matched it up with a set of M3 injectors, I then fitted one of those trick LINK ECU E36 G4X computers. Luckily the 93' E34 525i ECU is identical to the 325i E36 which made the LINK ECU a direct plug in job. After a dyno tune I've ended up with a claimed 234Hp and 300Nm, which is a healthy step up from the original output and more than enough to really enjoy hustling the car. Most importantly the power delivery is now beautifully linear and plenty of torque is available from 2,500RPM, so the larger intake manifold has not hurt the bottom end appreciably. I am also impressed with the car's performance considering it is still breathing through a decat M50 exhaust and manifold from the original engine configuration, perhaps something to look at in future. After the engine tuning I decided to finally get the whole thing engineering certified, which it passed with flying colours. The latest round of modifications have been purely aesthetic. I have made up some BMW dealer plate surrounds, fitted some EU spec yellow high beam tints and installed clear indicator lenses. I have also recently fitted some staggered Hartge 17"wheels (reproductions I believe), wrapped with 235 wide rubber in the front and 255 wide rubber in the back. This has been a very worthwhile modification, as the original 225/55 R16 rear tires, even with Bridgestone RE003 rubber made first and second gear difficult to utilize fully without breaking loose. I can now get off the line and give full power in dry conditions without loss of traction, which is very rewarding. Interior wise I have kept the car quite basic. It has full black leather seats robbed from a 540i which are in excellent condition, the dashboard is crack free and the AC blows cold after replacing a few aged components and re-gassing the system. Thanks to all the weight lost from the front end due to the combination of an all alloy engine and manual gearbox, turn in is brisk and the car changes direction with ease and feels very precise on windy roads. It does feel more like a comfortable 3 series than a 5 series when I compare it to E34s that I've driven with either six or eight cylinder power. The modifications that have been made to the 2.8L engine have resulted in enough power to really make the car scoot when needed, but not so much so that I can't enjoy revving it through the gears without losing my license. In all a pretty tidy package and I still enjoy owning 'Ronin' 8 years down the line.. I hope this wasn't too long a read...

Cost? Insured? Location?

Maybe check coolant temperature is getting hot enough to allow better efficiency, and that it is also allowing the DPF to do the required occasional burn-off? (needs to get to over 88 degrees I think). I have an earlier e60 Diesel and it has had 2 x faulty thermostats over 80,00km and that resulted in worsening fuel economy until fixed. You will need to access the hidden dash menu to get readout of coolant temp or a scanner with real-time data readings.

Can highly recommend "Abtec Audio Lounge" located at 49 Hutt Road, Petone. Keep in mind the last time I used them was about 4 years ago, as we no longer live in the Wellington region. But I'm sure they are still great at what they do. :)

That's standard. Can scroll other info or have it blank. With a little more effort on simple cosmetics they could ask that sort of money, but the louder vanos noise could get expensive...

Thanks for the kind words Chris. We had some good times back then. Glad your doing well and enjoying life 👍

Just seen a 1990 318i auto 4-door being advertised locally to me. Some paint peel, no WoF, but does have live rego (currently on exemption). Seller advises it "drives but will need a good going over." Asking price of $3750 almost seems reasonable - I've seen rolling shells advertised for more.

I LEARNT VERY MUCH WORKING WITH YOU AT BOTANY MOTOR WORX, 20 + YEARS AGO AS AN APPRENTICE. TRAINED BY THE BEST EUROPEAN AUTO SPECIALIST I EVER MET. PITY I WAS YOUNG AND STUPID AND NEVER FULLY APPLIED MYSELF AT THE TIME. NEVERTHELESS, IT HAS STOOD ME IN GOOD STEAD IN THE FUTURE YEARS. FOND MEMORIES. I NOW DRIVE A MERCEDES, AND WORK FOR A TOP END CAR RECYCLER. THANK YOU GLEN, AND ALL THE BEST.- CHRIS WILSON.

Lovely Inka Orange E21 323i in Countdown Newtown

Looked at XM5X in person today. It’s a bit rough around the edges. A few of the things I spotted looking over the car quickly, Door sill trims falling apart, drivers door seal split, drivers seat bluster stitching split, windscreen moulding half missing, windshield cowl perished and vanos noise is louder than I’ve heard on other E39 M5s. This car certainly has good bones but has all the usual 20 year old BMW wear and tear. Could be a very nice car with some work. Unusual in Jet Black. Think $59,999 would be fair if it was mint, but would require some $ to get it there.

yep the manual 316i FL is the lightest spec e30, less sound deadening, no electric seats, no sunroof so lower c of g and best of all no rusty sunroof leaking! they are the bomb. give everything on your 33 year old nana car a birthday, rubbers bushes QUALITY tyres fuel lines cooling system shocks fluidsbrakes... wof rego insurance, and go and enjoy the pure spirit of driving an analogue manual car. teach yourself to drive in the wet without losing the tail, learn cadence braking, learn to heel-and-toe double de-clutch. more fun than your first shag and longer lasting too! 😂