M3AN

Chemicals are fine for the surface and perhaps a little below but you'd have to soak the foam in them to get to the centre so you'd need 100 litres and a suitable bath/container. Foam is millions of air pockets surrounded by a rubber (or similar) compound, you'll never get the chemicals you need through that without (extended) soaking.

Yuck. But cool mask. I'd strip the leather, get that commercially cleaned and buy a new rear seat base from a wrecker and swap the cleaned leather onto that. I think the seat base foams are the same across all e46 coupes and you'll never get that clean because of all of the airspace in the foam that you simply can't get to. Whoever you approach to clean the leather will probably know as soon as they see it whether it's recoverable. If they think it is then you'll know as soon as you get it back whether it's reusable. They may require you to provide a useable base before they clean it so they can keep it stretched properly. Call a local upholster (marine might be best) to ask about where to get the leather cleaned. IMO.

I have 225/45/17 Dragon Sports on my 328, I don't think they're in the same category as a max performance tyre although they're certainly hard wearing (like seriously hard wearing) and cost effective if not a little loud. I'll be interested to see what you think of them.

If you're thinking of doing a front undertray I'd be very interested.

I'm loath to chime in but have you considered 235/45/17? Yes, it's taller but the range of options is vastly superior to a 40 profile tyre. You may prefer a higher profile over a smaller contact patch. It's also worth considering that you might need spacers at the rear with a 7.5/225 combo to make it look "correct".

Not sure if this helps but my INPA install apparently supports: ENTRY=DME5212R,DME 5.2 for M73 right, ENTRY=DME5212L,DME 5.2 for M73 left, ENTRY=DME521R,DME 5.21 for M73 right MJ 98, ENTRY=DME521L,DME 5.21 for M73 left MJ 98, ENTRY=DME521R2,DME 5.21 for M73 right MJ 99, ENTRY=DME521L2,DME 5.21 for M73 left MJ 99, (I didn't know they had a separate computer for each bank?) So I assume yours is a DME 5.2 but I have no specific IPO for that (whereas I do for the others). They may be backwards compatible though. Do you have any DME521*.IPO files at all (in ..\INPA\SGDAT\)? Did you also install DIS? If so, do you have any luck connecting with that?

Very, very nice Daniel and welcome! @Michael will have a small spasm when he see you owned a Soarer. Once you've got the car (or beforehand if you like) you need to pop into the monthly Auckland coffee meet in Mount Wellington, we'd all love to see it I'm sure. What blue is that? Looks a little dark to be Estoril.

I'd ask the question publically before I contacted the seller directly. If they have nothing to hide they won't mind providing all the information they can. How they answer the question, evasive or forthcoming, will influence how I perceive them as a seller. It's also a good practice to have a written record of questions and answers. I think your assumption that because somebody asks a question on an auction they're not a genuine buyer is wide of the mark. Too many sellers (of all sorts of stuff) think they're doing buyers a favour by listing something and that's arse about face, it's the sellers obligation to do the actual selling. Like answering a WTB post with "yes, have some" and not including a price.

I think you're being sensibly cautious rather than picky @Karter16, these are all important pre-purchase considerations. I don't see why people are so sensitive to such questions which you're entitled to ask and would be foolish not to. The Q&A section is for precisely this purpose so shouldn't get people's backs up. No need to arrange to see the car or waste the seller's time if it fails your first hurdle. On the other hand if the answer is "yep, all done and I have $7k worth of receipts to prove it" then that helps everybody. Although I do agree that trolling auctions for the sake of being disruptive isn't on.

Original VIN can be determined via engine number and vice versa. Good idea to get it recorded whilst someone else is in there.

This is a generally my forgotten about car which is fine for a 2k daily. However it's certainly getting more time/love than the M3... totally replaced interior (abandoned M3 project + used from Zebra) totally replaced suspension w/M3 inc. used struts, springs and bars w/all new mounts, bushes and links entirely new cooling system rad, pump, therm, hoses etc. (new OEM + alu rad) aftermarket wheels and new tyres (17's forged BBS RGR + cheap Pirellis) For the sum total of ~$850. Now I've found the rock that caused me to replace the sump also caused a hairline fracture in the steering rack. Either that or I caused it when replacing the sump? I don't think I was that violent! I have the great condition old rack out of my M3 sitting in the garage and I've just picked up a "comprehensive" PS refresh kit from FCP (~NZ$300 delivered). NOTE: this ended up being a LHD only kit!! So in the next few weeks (hopefully - the PS leak is small so I have time) I'll have new interior, suspension, cooling and steering for close to 3.5k all in including wheels and new tyres. Happy with that. I need to top up the gearbox, it's slipping so hope to do that at the same time (and with the same fluid, bonus). FCP bits - which ended up being a LHD kit. ?

I have some Evo IV seats, e4/36 bases to suit and sliders for sale but the seats aren't complete as they have no bottom cushions or bolsters (I might be able to get them but that's a low probability). If this even remotely interests you feel free to send me a PM. I'm reasonably close in Ellerslie.

It didn't. The cause is whatever caused the original diagnosis of "has seized / sticky lifter would recommend new engine or head" whether that diagnosis was correct or not.

Dreaming on price. I'm more interested in why it doesn't seem to have been seen around much.

Subject says "coupe" but you have to ignore BMW's misappropriation of the word for a 4 door sedan "grand coupe" (idiots). I'm sure the OP means a 2 door because the question doesn't apply to a four door. When I asked at VTNZ about this @modz when I was considering swapping out my coupe seats for Recaros I was given the same information as you and I pointed out that "recline" means backwards and how does that work in a coupe? They told me the seats have to have a lever accessible from both the front side window(s) and the rear seats that folds at least the front passenger seat forward for emergency access and egress. That made sense to me so I didn't pursue it further and got Evo IV seats (with the leavers). If you don't have levers you apparently need to remove the rear seats and seatbelts and re-register the car as a 2 seater.

Original VIN should be stamped on the block. Under the intake manifold I believe, not sure how easy it is to find/see though.

Nice, perfect tyre/wheel/suspension setup!

Unless you ^ have a ton of concrete in the trunk your rear suspension is looking a bit tired.

What happened to Brent's post? Sort-of makes the last few posts look off...

As above @qube, I can also do it with my rig. I won't be upset (much) if you choose Martin over me though. ?

Epic. Please leave it de-badged. I might accept an ///M318i badge, however technically inaccurate it might be.

Do you have an aftermarket head unit, laser detector or alarm or anything like that? I've found most installers of such things to be so careless it's shocking. Also, if it's an import it may have been pulled apart to install transponders. But I don't think it's age, most likely carelessness on behalf of a PO.

I suspect it would fail after getting sucked into the manifold and jamming the throttle butterfly open and causing brown-pants syndrome. So yeah, probably not a long term solution. But it is a convenient way to run the engine when working in there... just remember to revert it lol.

So who's taking all the money then? Parts from BMW NZ cost 100% more (or even more) than parts from a Dutch or German official dealer and many American warehouses. Shipping and storage can't account for that and I refuse to accept that BMW AG charge BMW NZ much more than they charge a small Dutch dealer for parts. Somebody in NZ is creaming it off customers so a 10% discount on a 100% markup is no discount at all, it's an insult.

"has seized / sticky lifter would recommend new engine or head"