M3AN

^ Is that what Walter White drove? I recall there was an on-set effort to get the worst looking car they could for the show.

^ I was going to say... "how did you all miss the ACS stuff?" because it was pretty apparent to me. So they've changed up the auction then or perhaps posted the wrong pics first time? Really, unless the engine has been fettled it doesn't matter whether it's a "genuine" ACS or not because everything else is bolt on. I think you'd need to plug it in (at best) or send the VIN to ACS (at worst) to confirm. How easy is the ECU to pull in a RHD E46? Should have a sticker on it if the engine has been worked.

I wonder how they wrangled this plate...

I wondered about that and concluded (perhaps incorrectly) that "undersized" meant "the wrong size" rather than simply "worn" which would be a less ambiguous way of stating it. On the basis that it's the width/thickness then yes, of course that should be check for any WoF. Edit: if I got failed on missing bump stops I'd cut up a pool noodle, wrap that around the strut and ask them to prove they didn't work.

That's fascinating... I believe you but it seems totally arbitrary... ...for a start how do they know if the vehicle came standard with bump stops or not? e.g. E36 Ti none at the rear and other E36's do have them... no workshop can be expected to police that and no consumer could be expected to prove it... also, you can't test them even if they are present... so what constitutes a viable bump stop? ...and there's no plausible way for a mechanic to determine if a specific diameter rotor is good/bad/acceptable/etc nor can they reasonably look that up and a consumer can't prove it (in any practical sense) one way or another... rotor diameter isn't even a valid metric with respect to absolute brake performance... I'd be quite interested in failing on one of those points because you can be sure as hell I'd be disputing it! If it weren't a PITA I'd remove my rear bump stops just to see what happened at the next WoF lol. Just goes to show how subjective a safety test, that should be objective, really is.

I can't help with Wellington or Christchurch recommendations sorry but there's are few clued-in people here from both regions that should be able to help. I think that pricing is pretty fair although that VANOS quote can't include a replacement hub (https://store.vacmotorsports.com/s54-vanos-hub-upgrade-p3771.aspx) because they're pretty expensive and it's a fatal flaw in the system that, to the best of my knowledge, was never addressed by BMW. I think you can get less expensive options than VAC (who tend to be in the upper price range for most things but quality is second-to-none). Subframe quote is reasonable if no damage has already been done (otherwise it will cost more for labour). I would NOT recommend poly rear subframe or transmission bushes for a daily, if the repair is done properly (ideally structural foam and welded reinforcements) then standard rubber bushes will be fine and will provide a much more compliant ride. Airbag is a compulsory recall so shouldn't cost you anything, bottom end bearings is NOT a recall (in NZ at least) and won't be fixed out-of-warranty for free by BMW. If the car has always been run with 10w60 then a bottom-end failure is a much lower risk.

They actually sound pretty cool with the stock exhaust, not sure why you'd want to change that. Arguably up there with the sound of a Ferrari or Lambo in terms of audible car porn pleasure.

Well I don't suffer fools gladly so yep, I'd be a nightmare if you kept saying stupid things! ?

Well, I can't tell you what to do but I don't believe it's worth $32k without the necessary fixes (see Tom's for $30k with the fixes). I'd also question how it went from $28k to $32k in 3 months and why somebody would want to flip an apparent unicorn (blue E46 M3 manual) in that timeframe? A desperate buyer makes for a happy seller, keep that in mind! I'd challenge his offer of $32k armed with the knowledge that you'll need to spend literally thousands more, if they won't budge then I'd walk away. The only E46's that are truly going up in value are the ones that have been fixed and the owners of ones that haven't been fixed know this all too well and are trying to cash in on a rising market. Look at the one recently purchased by a member here... looked great and now needs multiple thousands put into it to fix the subframe less than a month after purchase...

My personal opinion is that it's lusty. I'm paranoid about rust on imported cars so I would have that really thoroughly checked but if it passed that inspection (behind the wheel well liners) then I'd set my base price at $30k and negotiate down from there based on: Front wheels are clearly too wide or the wrong offset so need to be replaced, factor that cost in. No mention of subframe repair and it will be required because of the suspension so factor that cost in. No mention of VANOS seals or pump hub being fixed so factor that cost in. Big end bearing are problematic and need to be inspected (minimum) and potentially replaced, factor that potential cost in. Seller seems to be a dealer also, ask for it to be supplied via the dealership so you're covered by the CGA. Given how the market is at the moment, if you want a manual one then even with the above to be considered this does look like a nice pickup (edit: if it has no rust and you can get it for ~$26k then pounce and use the saved cash for repair/preventative).

If I were in your shoes Tom I'd probably see it the same way as you so no need be concerned about 'bad' days' or 'self promotion', your comments are perfectly valid (even on a 'good day') IMHO. Indeed if I knew somebody that purchased any other Phoenix/SMG I'd call them a fool because yours can't be overlooked for the reasons you mention. Even though SMG is a personal preference I'm pretty surprised you've not even had a nibble... I also don't think many people appreciate the difference the CSL control makes to the SMG. My best guess is that if you can hold on and stick to ~$30k, the market will come to you.

Keeping in mind that your 135 is pretty ace I think that's a good decision Kyu... reevaluate when you're bored of the 1'er.

I shan't be bullied! Somebody says: sedan M3's are more popular than coupes Dave says: no, not really Somebody says: you forgot the E9x Dave says: sedan numbers were even lower there Ya see the thing is, it has nothing to do with my opinion, the original proposition was clearly incorrect. ? You can keep trying to troll me Kelvin, it won't work. ?‍♀️

It's also a great car to drive or be a passenger in if you don't own it! ? I fear for all of the examples out there that are less cared for than your own, buying one these days would seem to be a big risk. So was the E36/E39 era the last in which BMW built almost bulletproof cars? I'm not sure but since the E46 almost everything seems to have at least one fatal flaw and more problematically most of the flaws seem to be ///M related... ?

Of course you're right about the E9x, my bad. How well did the sedan go there? So few made and sold that I even forgot they existed. ? More convertibles than sedans made/sold, that tells a story. ? Defence rests.

OMG. When, precisely, did BMW forget how to make good cars? 1995?

Not sure what you guys are smoking. The only M3 that's been available in 2 and 4 doors is the E36 and the coupe was wildly more popular and has a much, much higher resale value. It's the only apples for apples comparison that can be made and you're trying to undermine or invalidate it. Confirmation bias much?

Historical production and sales data would suggest most people did.

Well it wasn't my intention to make it sound trivial when I said "without significant changes to the long block". I'll stand by what I said though because whilst non-trivial changes do need to be made they're not "significant" (e.g. you're not going to need to bore or stroke or change the crank or so-forth). And the video that @KwS posted above (thanks) is clear in stating that N54's are not reliably obtaining the same HP levels as your worked 2JZ or RB26. And the BMW engines have way more inherent problems. There's a lot of misdirected love in this thread that doesn't make sense to me but I'll stand by my initial statement - "pretty sure a N5x isn't quite that strong..." because it's true. And poo poo to you all. ?

I thought they were sh*t? No, that's not what I said at all... ?

I see the note now, cheers. And yep, I understood what Graham was saying.

It's because those 90's JDM 6 cylinder engines were good for 1000 hp + without significant changes to the long block... pretty sure a N5x isn't quite that strong... Not saying they're not good, just identifying why I think it's a different proposition. Heck, the JDM 4 cylinders of the day could probably push more than a N5x of recent times.

That ^ link is interesting... no tread depth requirement for tyres that can be identified as "winter" tyres... embossing a snowflake on the sidewall of your slicks would qualify them as a winter tyre... letter of the law and all.

So the emblem was removed after the airbag way recently replaced? Either way, it's a $5 v's $100's proposition and on that basis alone I'd replace the emblem only, your airbag is practically brand new. I suspect the whole front flap folds up upon inflation (needs to be confirmed) and in that case replacing the aluminium emblem is simple, just get one from ebay.

Nice. If you swap out your diff I'm interested in your existing cw and pinion.