Mungous

BMW M cars have generally appealed to those who prefer to "hide their light under a bushel" - an M3 could pass by most people and they'd have no idea what an awesome performance car it is. I like that about it. Same with my M5. The Z4M would appeal to those who prefer to shout about their performance car a bit more (and don't mind having no back seat).

I had the same problem. Once I re-set all my tyre pressures it fixed it. I'm assuming the system works off effective tyre circumference - if one tyre has a smaller effective circumference it alerts you. I don't know how sensitive it is, but I wonder if otherwise identical tyres at the same pressure could trigger it if one was really worn down?

Tempting...

I thought you could only own one of these if your name had a Z in it (and preferably as a separate word)?

It's hard to fingerprint a burnt out shell.

Um, because you said you wanted non-Chinese tyres in that size? Obviously you're not looking to spend lots of money on decent tyres, so I thought these might be the sort of thing you're after. If you want high quality tyres at low Chinese prices, you should have said.

Picky bugger. What's wrong with the Ecos? They look black and rubbery...

Yep. Sort it soon, otherwise you'll damage the flywheel. And that sucker is not cheap.

I bought a set of wheels with Yokohama Ecos ES300 on all four. Two 245/35r19 and two 235/35r19. I want to go wider on the back (9.5" rims look lame with 245s on them), so could be persuaded to sell off either pair. They're pretty close to new (I was told 1000-2000km, and I've done barely 10km on them - they look near new, with full tread and sharp shoulders). PM me if interested. If anyone has a pair of ~265/35r19s, I'd be keen to hear from you!

$15k for a previously written off e36 M3 with dodgy provenance? It'd be lucky to be worth that if it had a full service history from a dealer. I looked at this when it came up for sale last year, and the seller was highly evasive. There are a lot of differences between a 318is and an M3 - depending on which parts were damaged and not replaced with the genuine M3 articles during the reshell, it may be lacking all sorts of things. People pay a premium for an M3 because of what it is - a repowered, modified 318is will never be considered to be an M3. But value is always determined by the market - when I was looking for an M3, I put the chassis number of this car into RealOEM and then ran a mile. I suspect that my reaction would be typical of most prospective M3 buyers. There are too many other non-reshelled M3s out there that purchasers would rather have. Good luck. PS it would make a great racecar!!

What you mean "it seized"? If it really did overheat to the point that metal parts expanded such that they bound up, a head gasket change may not be all that's needed!

I had that glass on my M5 in the Middle East - part of the "Gulf-spec". Also had a bigger radiator, tinted rear windows and a button on the HVAC that said "Max". When the mercury hits 50° you really rely on all those features. Needed cooled seats really. Glass was about 6mm thick. Not even close to bulletproof. Or IED-proof for that matter.

A tow bar - awesome.

Thank you. Thank you all very much. I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents and, most of all, my fellow Bimmersporters...

Like this one? http://www.turners.co.nz/Vehicles/Pages/Ca...x?RefId=1089982

Only where the CIN card says it has no security owing (which this one doesn't). The back of the CIN card says: "If you buy a used motor vehicle from a motor vehicle trader and the trader does not disclose that a security interest is registered over it (see the front of this notice), then you receive the vehicle free of the security interest. Note that this protection does not apply to private sales."

Also has a security interest registered against it on the PPSR. You could be buying a debt worth more than the car! This is starting to look a bit dodgy - as does the previous licence plate: M3RACR

Price estimate of $22-26k may be a little off. http://www.turners.co.nz/Vehicles/Pages/Ca...x?RefID=1089979 Carjam says it legit: http://www.carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=CQu342 So does RealOEM: http://realoem.com/bmw/select.do?vin=Jc98233

I miss my old one...

Delicious...

Pretty sure that's a carbon filter for preventing vented hydrocarbon gas from the fuel system from polluting the atmosphere.

+1 on Tirerack. They deliver internationally, so it's an easy task - and the exchange rate is being helpful at the moment. Remember to factor in GST and customs fees to your price though. I've got Michelin PS2s (from Tirerack) on mine, and they're very good. But unless you're a real OEM stickler (or track day hero), any high-end road tyre from a good manufacturer should be suitable. Just don't go back to second-hand Jap import Nankangjin Road Warrior Super Plus Expert A345Rs like we did when we couldn't afford anything better! But damn didn't those things smoke?!

What's the story with those licence plate holders? They take like 7 seconds to remove, and just make it look like the importer was the laziest turd in the world... Unless you're trying to advertise that you're part of the exclusive Jap import club?

$150 per month still seems a bit bonkers, if I'm honest. I can get an indoors carpark on Quay St for $50 per week!I need somewhere on a fairly long-term basis as the car is a project that I don't have time to start. I was hoping for more like $50 per month - the car isn't worth much more than that (currently - it's a future classic for sure. Maybe).

Thanks - will investigate further!