jjs

Hunt around for an E46. This was a good buy -> E46 318i NZ

I guess they got you on the "convenience" factor. Will be interesting to see what happens when the Woolworths are integrated into some stations

I bit of ECON101... It's whats called an oligopoly. Demand is pretty much inelastic (doesn't change when prices do) and barriers to entry are high. The classic oligopoly form of competition is "non-price". In the fuel retail industry, things like service, fuel additives, reward programmes etc are what they use to differentiate themselves. They do compete, just like any other business. The difference here is that the competition is by other "non-price" means. Just take a look at how much is spent advertising the latest additive (Vortex, VMax), or reward programmes (AA, Flybuys).

Box has gotta be worth something? TM linkage

$1 reserve it, you might be suprised with what you get for it!

You should see the info on Mercedes-Benz Designo - you can order any model in the factory with lots of weird and wonderful combos. How about chameleon paint on your new S500, with white leather and genuine marble inlays on the dash - all from the factory!

M3 Sedan interior looks very plain. Not much to distinguish it from its lesser siblings.

Wow, you are quick. Edited it just after posting

Spotted this --> 2003 540i link Green and white interior... Is it cool, or bad taste? I kinda like it, but don't think I could live with it. Your thoughts?

Have you considered an E46? They seem to be popping up for under $10k now. There was an ex-Australia 99 318i auto travelled 115km recently on TM which I just missed out on for $8k. This 1999 318i NZ new is currently on $1 reserve, surely it would be a good buy under $10k. You can't go past NZ new!

Thats a great buy. Petrol prices really seem to be hammering the value of V8s...

Can someone please explain? At first look, I thought the title suggested some arthouse 70's style amazonian type porn show, but i'm sure this isn't the case...

I'm sure there are many "buyers guides" out there that will be of assistance. But why do you want a 520i? Apart from a few ex-UK examples, the majority will be from Singapore. They are a bit of an old slug and will probably have electrical gremlins being ex-Singapore. Try an NZ-new 523i instead with good service history. There are quite a few on TM at the moment.

Not sure about your personal schedule, but from past experience you will only satisfy yourself by looking at it yourself. I tend to get a good feel for a car very quickly, but place more (or less) importance on some factors than others do. If the seller has been pretty honest so far and you think it sounds like a goer, I would risk $100-$200 in flying to Chch this weekend to give it a good going over. I'm sure if you explained this to the seller and got him to email you something saying he would "hold it" until your arrival, it would be all set for you to go... The drive home to Wgtn would be the icing on the cake!

Just came attached in one of those "Crazy Pics" email forwards, so no story unfortunately.

The second option is the best IMHO. I don't think you should get anything too shiny as there is no chrome on your car for it to blend in with. Without being rude, I do keep looking at your black kidneys, and have to ask why? Would look much better factory... Anyways, are you really achieving that much by replacing the wheels already on your car? The standard ones look very good to me!

Whoa... talk about flood! Luckily good old GMail groups them as one message...

So, back on topic... Has anyone been to see this car? Suprised it hasn't been snapped up by now. People are still wanting the same money for auto 540's...

Yes, it is "interesting"... I think there were quite a few subtle homosexual undernotes to that movie

Not sure about maintenance etc, but would own an NZ new car travelled 150,000km over an import with no service history travelled 100,000km.

I agree with you. But, the problem is the general consensus the public has. I have owned several cars with odometers readings north of 200,000km. They were well maintained cars with good history and were no less reliable than vehicles I have owned with "low kms". The biggest issue came when it was time to sell them. I had a mint E36 325i (ex SA), which had travelled 196kms, but with full BMW dealer service history from new. Everyone that came close to the car was put off by the kms. It was priced very well, but regardless people were scared by the high mileage. I ended up selling it to a chick who looked passed the kms because it was the exact car in the exact colour she wanted... NZers have a problem with high km cars, as their perception of what is an average distance travelled is warped by the crap that gets imported from Japan. I still cannot beleive the stuff that comes through nowadays with mileage that cannot be reconciled with the overall condition. A mate of mine recently bought a 1994 320i with 65,000kms on it... Yeah right! It was hard to believe that 3,600kms a year would result in the leather getting worn off the steering wheel and gear selector... So, I guess if you intend to own a car long term, kms won't be an issue. But personally I now tread carefully when buying something which has done over 150kms as it can be very difficult to off load it.

I may be going out on a limb, but I think its really cool! Something a bit different, SUV looks and practicality in a package that handles and drives well. If I needed a big car, this would be a much better option for me than a 5 Series touring or an X5. I guess there would only be a very small market though as if you had children, you'd go for an X5. Even though opinion is divided, rumour has it that the UK has no new unallocated units for the rest of the year...

Did you end up finding a buyer for your 740i, or have you decided to keep it?

Yeah, I don't even bother to place negative feedback any more as when I do, the trader on the other side will always place negative feedback on me as a form of retaliation. I have 4 negative feedbacks, and only one of them was justified but the other three were retaliation. Kinda kills the whole idea of the feedback system.