M3AN

I think yours is fairly priced @qube although I might have accepted that $7.5k offer and kept the front shocks to sell separately just to be done with it. I wonder how many are selling at all at the moment, TM ads seem to be hanging around quite a while for these things. Most people won't factor in the value of new parts to their purchasing consideration unless they're some type of enthusiast that recognises the value. You could always start an auction with a lowish starting price and an 8k reserve to see if you get any bites, costs you nothing but time unless it sells.

This is an interesting one (auto, $8,880): https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/130i/listing/3525912490?bof=7PnsvS4E Poor paint but 261's, an aero spoiler, exhaust (can't tell what), and also a full CIC upgrade from CCC (it's a 2006).

Just looked, part of the "Poor Road Package" (option S815A). I got these ones (15mm): https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-4213-rear-spring-pad-priced-each-15mm/

FWIW you can get "rough road" (or similar translation) spring pads for some markets, including (IIRC) 15, 20, and 25 mm to fit the e36, e46 and possibly others. Grabbing them saves you having to stack smaller ones.

Internet award for the most thorough post ever?

If it just needs to be loud, and you don't want to pay to have it tuned properly, then take it to any exhaust fabricators. If you want to reduce the chances of it being sh*t then take it somewhere with experience. I haven't used these guys for probably longer than you've lived but when I did get a full 3" for my 4G63 VR-4 they did a good job, and it was loud. https://woolfmufflers.co.nz/

This is rank and exactly what the Govt. said they would stamp out, you can report excessive prices to MBIE (https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-statistics-and-modelling/energy-statistics/weekly-fuel-price-monitoring/). Also, use Gaspy rather than Waze to see local prices, if one station is excessively high then report them.

All those listed above including Spareto who I've found to have the best shipping on heavy items like rotors.

@NZ_InFerno - I'll buy that cluster cover if you're happy to sell it separately. Don't need the shifter given that mine is an auto!

Yep, @Jacko's is a pretty smart example, having driven it myself it's real tight and doesn't feel or sound untoward in any way, easily a comfortable daily. I can also vouch for Super Pro, that's what I've used in the M3. With even my horsepower (~280) an LSD makes a huge difference, with your (potential) horsepower I'd say an LSD is essential, it will turn your car into another experience altogether. I have to be pretty silly with my right foot to induce any oversteer with a proper diff, whereas even gradual right turns from a red light in the modestly damp leans on the electronics without a LSD, and that's just robbing you of power. Expensive sure, but worth every penny. As for the spring rates, give the guys at Raceline (Autolign) at call for some advice, they're some of the best in the business and know their stuff. 14k front seems like a lot to me for a RWD 1er with near 50:50 weight distribution, I don't have any unreasonable (nose) dive, even under extreme braking, with 8k but I'm no expert.

Interesting, the swaying could of course be shot bushes and if that's the case inserts won't do much, I'd give them a visual inspection first and shove a screwdriver or other lever in them and give it a wiggle around. My suspension is a JDM custom setup by Orange Wolf with Eibach springs (F: 8kg, R: 10kg), it's high quality and the ride is sublime. Inserts are an easy DIY. Put a jack under the diff, loosen off the bolts but keep them all engaged and then, one-by-one, remove a bolt, lower the jack enough, install inserts, jack back up, insert bolt (keep it loose), move to next bolt, repeat x4. You may need a pry bar to lever the subframe down a little at each corner, it stiffens up as you go around so by the time you get the last one it could be tight. Do the front two, then the rear two IIRC for easiest access. Took me well under an hour (~40 mins) including getting the car up and down. I have Nolathane inserts but I think Super Pro are a smidgen cheaper and just as good.

I put insets in my E87 with coilovers, to be honest I didn't notice much difference but then my suspension is pretty well sorted and designed for the vehicle. Many of the UK owners swear by them though and they're a lot less expensive than a full bushing kit and trivial to install whereas new bushings is a subframe out job so much more involved. For the sake of ~$120 I'd go for the inserts, if they don't work you'll know soon enough and you could sell them as nearly new when you installed new bushings. But I'm not sure you should be using bushings to compensate for unsuitable springs, can you exchange them?

Given the recent maintenance this one might even be leak free and I reckon you could pick it up for close to $7k (2006, auto). https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/130i/listing/3502766603 That's a couple of grand worth of maintenance you won't have to worry about for some time.

Roll-on lift for the Z is great!

Nice work @NZ_InFerno! As a matter of interest, which tweeters did you get? Can you post a part number or FCP link? Everything I follow ends up in ambiguity.

I can't imagine a scenario when you'd want to regularly run a boosted engine on 95, I think the answer to the OP's question is: you need to use 98, your car has already told you that, the codes will simply confirm the same, don't pay somebody $60+ to find out. If you've posted in the FI section just for fun and actually have a NA N52 then you're still better off running it on 98 than 95, especially if you like to use a heavy right foot. Admittedly my N52 is tuned and I cringe if I have to use 95 and only ever half fill it and then dilute it with 98 as soon as I can.

You could also option on PDC. 😂

Sports. 👍 Edit: this is worth a read, at least the first and last few pages, if you want more detail: https://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=80208

Yes, the B12 kit (or Eibach springs alone) will lower the car but not by much, as long as you're using stock-ish wheels you'll be fine. B4 shocks and your existing springs would be the formula for keeping the same ride height. If you buy shocks and they don't come with new bumpstops then you'll need those and you should be BMW Performance versions, not stock versions (stock are too long).

Black springs will be fine, red will ride really low. Do you know you actually need springs?

In fact I do, I have one of these you can borrow: https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-401281-m6x10-rivnut-installation-tool-msc-pn09331786/ But I actually found it lacking so I made my own which was much better, assuming I can find that you can borrow that also. Mount Wellington - PM me if you think any of that will help.

I'm still not sure of the root cause of problem with some of these post, this one has no image for me and I see that ^ which is obviously machine generated metadata, it's also not actual text, it's an image. The URL Graham has used is: https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/S1Jx1GdpPO6FPdJDFyk-ITso76oicgMZeh_qfGt8F6Yv1J7ukxuJDQOSmhcRhL4YiUCCYant2A_7FV5Pg1xMassFczjpVZSlbwryUA8SdXJQBAE0DlcJUpmIAhJKPS5eDcj___m8G8knb2nMEBJAugbdEt6KUXvTodPc_KGk13uQ16mWNuaaTadErGdVuL5C6CEoIXA-vmZs5QZB1CJ2jpQ_DY-e1UwLxSj2A3vzbeEB7xExbxKnTj75NClcMl6KBO579BC3uFF2z23wh9vcqO19kTRtK8Xuv_yPoO0ceZXjnCAOziRpf1Fs64vEzlOJi8_Z2hBFz-nqw9OijiL78KGaZnfgBW7hgQZKtI0fAReKfwzJ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://scontent-akl1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/274191164_997611694521331_7084132615050842337_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=NdT9dn8QVL8AX8At7_e&_nc_ht=scontent-akl1-1.xx&oh=00_AT85b-RrPkNZyKMU7ETGv_bmKW3dNVM3aYfN6eSqitHMxg&oe=621616F1 ...which is a Google proxy of a Facebook image and the base URL and hash is actually: https://scontent-akl1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/274191164_997611694521331_7084132615050842337_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=NdT9dn8QVL8AX8At7_e&_nc_ht=scontent-akl1-1.xx&oh=00_AT85b-RrPkNZyKMU7ETGv_bmKW3dNVM3aYfN6eSqitHMxg&oe=621616F1 ...which is embedded at the end of the Google link. Still not sure why it shows as an image for some people and that text for others. Perhaps if you're logged into FB the original link shows as an image? I don't have a FB account so can't check.

I'm not convinced... https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/130i/listing/3480943431

The Range Rover one at the bottom of the first post is the best looking one IMO but also it's not characteristically BMW so we're never going to see that in real life (unless we buy a Range Rover).

My 130 is insured with State, market value, it was convenient and not too expensive. I recall it being much of a muchness between providers when I signed up, I think I spent less time waiting on the phone with State. My M3 is insured with Swann's Classic Car policy which is agreed value and includes a number of other benefits and extensions including certain approved track or driver training days, first right of refusal if it's written off, etc. But as will all insurance the devil is in the claims process and I've not had to claim on either of these policies so can't attest to that.