M3AN

Wow, that looks so f'ing sexy.

Yeah, that's the intent. The expectation is that the seller registers for GST in NZ and then charges GST on the sale then pays the IRD that GST. The reality on the other hand is that very, very few offshore companies will register for GST in NZ (let alone write the IRD a cheque) so border control in NZ will still be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. The expectation therefore is that EVERY liable package will be checked for GST payment and if the supplier isn't registered then the package will be held and the receiver will be billed for GST. The loophole is a foreign company can register for GST in NZ, collect that GST, and never pay it to the IRD because their reach doesn't extend to foreign soil. The consumer then produces a GST receipt (with an IRD GST registered number on it) to prove they paid GST and then how does the government get the money without being accused of collecting it twice (whether the collection was effective or not)? NZ can't force any foreign company to comply, the most they can do is stop the package at the border. The hope is that eventually, for fear of having every package stopped at the border, that the foreign supplier will voluntarily register. The likely scenario is that the foreign seller will say f%*# off, continue to ship the goods and leave the receiver to pay the GST thereby significantly increasing the number of packages that need to be manually inspected at the border. The smarter companies will quickly learn to cease sending packages in branded boxes. All of this has played out before in different countries/markets and it's never worked (properly) so I'm not sure why our stupid ("no new taxes") government thinks we can make it work better than everybody else. And they say it's to make it fairer on local distributors. That's BS, all it will prove is that local suppliers (e.g. BMW NZ) will be shown up and their price gouging tactics exposed to the public because we'll still be able to land products from the US, Europe and Asia, even including GST and shipping, for less that we can buy locally. If the local price difference was ~15% it might work but with price differences of up to 400% for exactly the same product it simply can't work. Local companies complain "but it's an unfair playing field" and now, given a level playing field and still being priced out of the market, what are they going to complain about when all we're seeing now is their unreasonable margins?

The problem is that the laws haven't been updated to reflect the digital economy. Simply put, consumers rarely used to trigger such border requirements because large purchases from overseas for private use were almost unheard of and volumes were so low that a bit of paperwork wasn't too much of a problem. The law change on 1 October still doesn't address this, I predict a total mess.

I have the B6's and Eibach black springs, love it. A little bit lower (in fact you may need bigger spring pads) but not 'racecar' low. Details in my PLOG.

And it's going to get slower/worse after October 1!

Just to help you with part numbers, Bilstein don't make a B8 shock for the E36 (despite what the US sites market them as). They do make a B6 though which is suitable for lowering springs and B4's which are suitable for stock springs. You can make up a B8 set by using Z3M front B8's and E46 M3 rear B8's but it's difficult to find perfect springs for that combo. The "E36 B8's" on US sites are B6 part numbers. http://web1.carparts-cat.com/default.aspx?11=18&10=CAA15FE554904382B0FB9ABF5CC3B1AB018001&14=1&12=100

Well I have to agree with Eli and others here, this seems like a false calamity. Of course we all know that you can screw up your rotor/pad selection but we're all also smart enough to recognise that a generic brand name rotor will work with a generic brand name pad if they're not subject to unreasonable conditions. This is (edit: has become) a silly discussion.

? I do agree that for ~$85k you get a lot of car but there's so many 'special editions' of M cars these days it's impossible to know what any of them might be worth. It used to be that the M was the special edition (by and large).

True, very true. If one can afford such brakes, cleaning a car is surely below one's pay grade. I'm thinking of buying a whole BMW that costs less than these brakes, I must be in the wrong industry!

Hi there, I have a disassembled E36 M3 dual VANOS unit (S50B32) from which I'm selling individual parts. Pretty much everything is there from solenoids to splined shafts to oil pump disk, to pressure regulator to covers etc, etc. The actual housing is damaged (non-structural) and would require aluminium welding to repair, the internals are fine. I'm selling solenoids as individual units rather than in pairs. All parts will be tested and ultrasonically cleaned before dispatch. Prices are 'by negotiation' because it entirely depends on what you need, the more you buy the bigger the discount. To comply with forum rules I can sell you a single OEM solenoid cover bolt for $1. The whole unit is $2000, I'm happy to part it out as required, feel free to ask me what I have left and I will answer with availability and a price.

And apparently you need to take extra care when washing your wheels to keep the cleaning fluids off the rotors... f' that.

After reading the article I still can't establish why you think ATE rotors are incompatible with his chosen pads? Is there something you and Nathan know that we don't?

I didn't realise they lasted quite that long, I thought they were twice maybe... the track outlook would concern me though.

??????

The ATE rotors, and all the rotors mentions on this page, will be fine with the mentioned pads, there's no compatibility risk at all. Fitness for purpose is an entirely different discussion of course.

I'd hope if any pads/rotors were incompatible at least one of them would have a massive warning attached that said "DO NOT USE WITH xxx"!

Carbon ceramic brakes - "will last lifetime of vehicle". Get them to guarantee that in writing because it's the most stupid street car option imaginable when replacement costs are north of $8k. And I bet they're about as "lifetime" as BMW fluids.

...blood and brain matter on rear tray... 'sure bro, you can have it on tick, jump in the back'...

I spent a little time during Super Cars quali to look further into this stuff. TLDR; you're paying for the labour so do your own sums The most interesting thing I found is that most manufacturers actually support such products although few (if any) will acknowledge that they're "necessary". The cynic in me sees this as a profit and margin game. There are no standards for these products and all sorts of unproven claims are made in the industry. The range of consumer experiences seems to be from "made no difference, rip off" through to "amazing product" but, despite long-term warranties and guaranties (which seem impossible to claim on) there is no obvious proof that these products hang around on your actual paint for any length of time. An interesting industry article, it's all about selling more cars and making more margin: https://www.am-online.com/news/2013/8/8/paint-protection-can-put-a-gloss-on-car-dealer-profits/33328/ The products themselves sell to the dealer network for between NZ$30 and NZ$60 per vehicle, and some are charging $900 to apply it. You're paying an insignificant amount for the product and probably significantly over-paying for labour. I thought 'that can't be right' then found this... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Polish-Wax-Best-Instant-Shine-Zonyl-GardX-Paintwork-Sealant-2-Stage-125ml/192221606759 Is it worth $900? Well, only if it takes more than 25 hours to apply... and that's not going to happen right?

He must have 400 cars there, it's an enormous operation. And yes, the have maintenance and car washing bays onsite... in big agriculture tents lol!

I'm probably in that boat too. It's not that I don't believe it might work, it's just that I think anything that it can do is in the margins and the cost has always seemed exorbitant to me. It would be good to be proved wrong with something other than a distributor's YouTube video.

Back of Penrose yes, nearly Onehunga.

This dude has a lot of 3 series tourings for sale, like a lot! And more BMW's than a dealer lol.

OEM or ATE are the safe bet for street use but RDA have made a good name for themselves so if you can land them for NZ$145 each that sounds like a good deal.

Or get an E90 M3?