M3AN

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.

Well that sucks! I'm sure I've got a bolt extractor set (or two) lying around you're welcome to try. Drop some penetrating lube around the perimeter of that hole whilst you're waiting for a solution.

Interesting to hear such feedback from two trusted members here, I'll certainly defer to their more recent experience than mine and reconsider my recommendation. Which is a pity really, it's good to have trustworthy shops and BM Workshop in my previous experience were good to me. Perhaps the got too big for their boots?

S50 = spun bearings? No, he's about a decade early. I'm not sure I should bother with the video having read that in the text.

Laughing with you, not at you. Fun read, good story telling.

Very satisfying to see you're doing it right, the new owner will be well served. There are few of these around, even fewer in good condition, and fewer yet that are owned by enthusiasts and treated with proper love. And that's the type that command top dollar, the type proper enthusiasts are prepared to pay a proper price for. Oh, and Dakar. 🥰 GLWS.

All good @Angelo - the only price to pay for our advice is to share your journey with us if you do proceed to purchase. You'll probably need more advice after you purchase than before! (In a good way). I'd have no problems recommending BM Workshop, they know their stuff and even better if they can facilitate a warranty for you. If they're local to you and you have a good experience then building a long term relationship with them will pay you back many times over. The "aero" rear spoiler on that one is a bit of a bonus, most don't come with them and they vastly improve the look of the rear end. (Makes note to self to get off arse and get mine sorted.)

Parts #7 (and possibly #8)? https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=VA92-EUR-07-2008-E90-BMW-M3&diagId=51_5740 You'd probably only get them from BMW, and the cover (#7) will need to be painted.

Holy crap you're right, there are so many listed, that's amazing. The answer to your question is yes, eventually, but not until supply dries up. And I don't think they've dipped to their bottom yet, pretty much every M car to date has crashed in value before it has started to climb again, M2's have a way down to go yet (brace yourself) before they head up again. The other big unknown is how much 'electronic' cars will actually be worth in the future. You can rely on a mechanical car continuing to work for generations, not so much for newer cars, they're going to become uneconomical to repair once unobtanium electronic modules start to fail. And we know how rubbish BMW is at electronics. I think this is an enormous cloud hanging over any car produced post 2011'ish and we've yet to see how that will impact the future market. You'll always be able to fix my e36 M3, you'll only be able to fix an M2 (for example) whilst BMW support it and they won't support it forever. Imagine the cost of replacing a LCD dash console because it's started to leak and fail? 5 figures is my guess (and there is precedence, they couldn't even get an e46 M3 rearview auto dip mirror to reliably last 10 years. smh.). When you want to sell your M2 for $25k, tap me on the shoulder. 😉 Edit: and don't forget that BMW themselves have killed residual value of M cars by rapidly releasing incremental updates that effectively eclipse the previous model, 'C', 'CS', 'Competition' etc. They basically stabbed their enthusiast patrons in the heart unless they were in the cashed-up class, which is ultimately very few of us. BMW used to sell to automotive enthusiasts, by their own admission they now target the wealthy Chinese market. Probably economically sound, but soulless nevertheless.

Hi and welcome @Angelo, I think a 130i is a good place to start a BMW journey, even if you never go further. I think you'll struggle to get the 9k one down to 8.5k, let alone 7.5k, just based on the description alone (and that the seller says price is "firm"). The prices for these things remains quite stubborn but I wouldn't pay 9k for an auto pre-LCI (pre-facelift) version. On the other hand I quite like the second one at that price and reckon you might get that for 6.5k which would leave a grand in your back pocket for maintenance. Or you might be able to put that grand into a 1-2 year mechanical warranty (check first) to ease your concerns. Every BMW leaks oil eventually, you just need to factor that in but it's not a particular 130i thing, in fact the N52 is incredibly mechanically reliable compared to some of the alternatives. A PPI is a good idea if you're not mechanically inclined and BM Workshop are unlikely to steer you wrong. Just don't be too concerned if they say it's leaking oil, as long as it's not dramatic you should be able to live with it for a while. It's important that they also plug it in, retrieve any fault codes and provide you with a print out, you can potentially use that to negotiate price further. The belly pan or sump will almost certainly leak at some point and it's a labour intensive job but I'm sure it's closer to a $1k job than it is a $2k job... although I stand to be corrected on that. These days maintenance is more important than mileage, as long as they've kept up with maintenance then you needn't worry too much about miles. In fact a 114k car probably has more stuff soon to need replacing than a 167k car, typically once a car has gone beyond about 120k then arms, bushes, brakes, suspension etc, etc have already been replaced and could last another 120k. Test drive a few, including on the open road, before you pull the trigger, in my experience some feel fantastic to drive, others awful and that's normally an indicator of the health of the suspension.

This one (auto) is sensibly priced for the miles and condition at $6950 ono... if you had the cash on hand you could probably walk away with it between $6500 and $6700. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/130i/listing/3463560428 The way prices are going (up) you could probably enjoy it for a year and sell it for the same or more.