M3AN

Is it a wagon or just the angle of the pic? Looks good to me. And welcome!

Did somebody break an embargo? If you're going to remove/edit posts the least you can do is explain why...

? I hope they're not promoting it as a daily...

Yep, really.

I can't think of a good reason to have wood in a modern car but that certainly looks better than most you see around so props on that.

Welcome. Did you buy it like that or have you done the mods over the last ~18 months?

High res: http://www.davesanthology.com/public/images/automotive/random_pics/82mmRoundel_01.jpg http://www.davesanthology.com/public/images/automotive/random_pics/82mmRoundel_02.jpg (protective film still on) If they're not legit they're the best copies I've seen.

Not "ultra" rare but f'ing hard to find in good condition these days and damn expensive.

82mm? I just got two of these: https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1984877838 Great price. Now there's lots of trash ones on Trademe and I was sceptical but they arrived quickly, come with (what appear to be genuine) BMW labels and state they are made in Germany on the label and on the back of the badge which is black (most counterfeit ones have a silver back). Seller also claims they are fade-free. Can I be 100% sure they're genuine? No, but at $15 a pop I was happy to take the risk. They look legit.

Nope. I agree with @Blackie - and since he (and others) have volunteered there are no excuses.

Finished installing the Z3 rack in the M3... nice. Alignment pending before I can really test it out. Why has the 'share post' option disappeared? See last post in this thread: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/47049-m3an-e36-m3-plog-project-log/?page=14

Right, some more love for the M3. This weekend, amongst a million other things to do, I installed the Z3 rack to replace the purple tag that we swapped into Mark's car last weekend. I'm using an eye-alignment machine and it's far from perfect so I have quite a lot of bump steer at the moment but that'll be dialled out when the pro's give me zero toe hopefully sometime this week. Initial impressions are good, it's pretty heavy and tight even compared to the e46 rack it's replaced. If I'd come straight from stock I might have wondered where my power steering went. But I love that real tight and connected feeling. Z3 rack goes straight in with a few notes: There's no provision for the OEM rack limiters on the Z3 rack so if you want limiters you'll need to go aftermarket altough they don't seem necessary. If you're using an e3/46 cooler then you'll need to make a bracket to secure it to the Z3 rack, I used a small (50x12x1.5mm) piece of stainless steel with 6mm holes 30mm apart and a suitable nut and bolt with a spring washer. Another update after alignment. Now for that 3.6x diff...

True that, and stroll to St Kilda afterwards for a refreshment.

Rad. Enjoy the weekend Jon... less mud than Silverstone!

Well, they say you learn something every day... I just did! Cheers.

An incense stick? Man, the one I used was like a shop security fogger and even so some of the leaks were barely distinguishable! I would have thought the more smoke the better...

Not enough smoke, you need quite a lot.

Selling already? https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1986340775.htm

Yeah, that's ^ cool, you don't see many of them around! Anyone know if they did the AWD with the V8?

Very cool, I didn't know they still made that available, it's so much better that way.

Do be careful with your oil selection... BMW recommends a 60 weight oil (hot) for most (all?) M cars since the early 2000's for very specific reasons, and they're not only about how you drive the car, some of them relate to how the engine was designed. In this case it was designed to run on 60 weight and I'd recommend sticking with that (unless you have empirical evidence to the contrary) . Now, I hear your reasoning above: 'but I want a 5w oil and i can't get that with a 60 weight' so factor this in: 5w is designed to work (protect) at temps as low as -30*C (yes, that's negative 30) 10w is designed to do the same at temps as low as -18*C Nobody in NZ needs a 5w oil, it simply doesn't get cold enough. People using or advocating 0w are mad (and don't understand oil). It's also preferable to have the smallest gap between the winter and operating viscosity so the engine doesn't have to experience a wide(r) viscosity range. On this basis alone a 20w-60 would be better for your car (no problem with NZ climate, more stable viscosity, manufacturers recommendation for operating temp viscosity). Some people argue that a lower winter weight (the first number) has two benefits: Warms up quicker Spreads through engine parts faster when cold Both are misleading: Both (5w and 10w) provide the required protection at cold start (see temps above), as long as you're not over revving it until it's warm you have all the protection you need. So, whilst it will warm up quicker, you have no practical need for it to do so. It (5w for example) also drains to the sump faster when the car is off (than a 10w for example) so there's less oil coating the surfaces on cold start; that and, the oil system is highly pressurised and oil gets pushed to everywhere it needs to be by the time the idle has settled after starting. IMO, stick to a full synthetic 10w-60 and use any reputable brand you like.

I agree with the above, it's especially important to recognise that if you supply the parts the installer has no return path for warranty claims... that becomes your responsibility which could cost you more in the long run. Glenn's example is good, if you're supply a simple vacuum or coolant hose (for example) that's probably low risk... a new clutch, not so much. As I stated earlier, it must be by prior arrangement and on the basis of a common understanding... but it also doesn't hurt or cost to ask.

Yes indeed, I'd forgotten about that... can't remember how to do it now. IIRC it was only on some e36's but I might just be remembering a USA/ROW thing.

Sweet! And good to see a HMW setup on here... how was the install? Driven it yet?

Yep, sounds like a piece of cake! ? Good to know it's possible though.