Allanw

I did live there once... Glenfield to Khyber Pass: Leaving 15 minutes later, meant I arrived 1 hour later than having left on time. Don't think many people are suprised - after visiting once, most people know how it works (or doesn't), and I'm sure most people have been once :-) Semi related: In 1998, I had a VW Kombi customer say he was going to Auckland for a wedding. He asked us for directions from Whangarei. We said "err...head south, keep going". Turns out last time he'd been down, was 1972

The thing with E39's in NZ is: The average NZer is crap at maintaining a car. Any E39 you buy, is easily capable of eating $2K after you buy it, and a LOT will REQUIRE that. It'd be VERY rare to find one properly looked after nowadays - if you do, it's probably an M5 or a members from here, but I'd pick it will be the one that seems very expensive, regardless! They're not the same as a Jap econo car - they're complex! Sometimes you're better off buying a nice one, with a list of known faults, and get it sorted out. Whatever is on the list of faults, double it and make sure you're happy with that expense :-) . The owners to look for, are the ones who fit a SET of decent tyres, and use new parts instead of half knackered used ones etc. Owning a cheap car doesn't mean cheaping out on maintainance, if you want to to stay good and reliable. Our E39 doesn't look pretty (it attracts parking retards like no other car I've owned!), but I'd trust it FAR more than an average pretty one off trademe! I'd hate to list what's been spent on it!

Your Dad is awesome. Can I borrow him???

There's enough scavenging and oil pumps in it already... why isn't the boot pump included as standard??? Maybe it was the 'tard that installed the towbar - perhaps you should have got the one that cost more than most of my cars ;-)

8.9 to 10.5kms (depdending on route). Shortest is not always fastest. Car = 12 to 15 in, and 20 to 25 home. E-bike = 17 to 20 in, 25 to 30 home. From my place to work, I have to navigate around (+up and down, up and down, etc) an extinct volcano AND go to the opposite side of town. I leave home at 5-20AM, and leave work between 2 and 3PM, depending on the day. If it wasn't for the school and kindy we're zoned for / near, I'd thought about moving closer

You're supposed to shut the boot

I've already got a car changing from 7 seats, 2wd, 6 speed auto and 2.0 petrol... to 4wd, 6 speed manual and 3.2 VR6 . The remains of the donor are in the drive, and garage is full of crap, and her car JUST fits in... if you only open the right hand doors. Death would come FAST! Good luck though - it does look nice, and they move better than most people expect.

Maybe He is in the boot now, along with the previous owner, and the Meth haul... Go on... Watch it again :-)

I really like white E38's - Dunno why? I wonder how quick my Mrs would kill me, if I bought this and converted it to manual?

With an E30, you want to buy the one with the best "bones" to start with. Don't worry about mods or aesthetics. Rust is a killer, if it's managed to get hold. We Sold Dads E30 this time last year: There was one sold prior to Dads for $10K on trademe, $1 reserve... had an ///M badge though First caller was some retard who said it was old and would need money spent on it and offered about $6K - I said I'd get back to him, and didn't. Second caller said he'd take it sight-unseen, paid that night for $8K - no questions. I had to make an effort to tell him the faults. Older guy, wanted a good, stock, looked after one for his collection. His Daughter and Son-in-law collected it, and were truly amazed by it's condition. It wasn't immaculate, but was amazing for the age and mileage. The thing with E30's, is the ones that have been dicked with aren't desirable, so are cheap - they always will be. A well modified one can be worth a lot, but it costs a lot to do them right and that reflects in the price. If it's cheap, and looks like a shitter, it's only going to go downhill from there - some really are dogs.

http://www.manheim.co.nz/damaged-vehicles/4956921/1980-bmw-320-sedan?referringPage=SearchResults

No... the fact they called it a "stinger" just lost them any cred they got from the design

I ordered the clutch kit (with DMF! Heavy!) off ebay, from a german supplier last friday evening. It's sitting at NZ Customs right now, while I wait for a call 5 days later The ECU I ordered from the USA, and paid the SAME SHIPPING COST!!! as the clutch/flywheel, is at customs today too... but it was ordered nearly 3 weeks ago. 28 KG of brakes from Ireland cost NZ$29-95 (Micks garage) and took 6 days IIRC. If I can avoid shipping from the US, I do - it's often crap/expensive/slow.

it does look very nice! 17 choices of alloy wheels... nice... only the 520d/520d xDrive appears to be available with a manual trans... pass.

If a Forester works, go for that :-) Less SUV like, more car like. SOME models of the 2.5's can blow head gaskets if they get a bit warm, or if the heater matrix blocks up (fairly common - it controls the thermostat as the water goes through the matrix, then feeds past the thermostat, creating a feedback loop). the 2.0 SOHC is a really torquey engine, but not a rocketship, though the 4 speed auto does let them down a bit, but is a reliable box. I had a 2.0 legacy engine that had nothing done until I left the company at 420K, although apparently it only lasted until 470K. That was an earlier jap import model (92), so the car had 2 auto box failures (common for the early ones, 100K and 280K, converted to manual the second time) and other than that, ONLY brakes, A/C leak repairs and the like, and a radiator after I ran it dry one day, and STILL didn't kill it! It was in the company from 40K, and had it's arse caned all the time, even from cold by the first driver, before me. I've had a couple of other high milage ones too (all non-turbos). If an outback is high enough for her, I'd take a 3.0 H6 of early 2000's vintage. Probably not really hungrier than the CRV for your often rural(?) driving. Dad has a 2006 3.0 Legacy, and does mostly short trips in town and still gets about 11L/100kms (better than his manual E30 325i!). He gets down in the 8's easy on trips from Whangarei to Katikati. Mum drives it on and off the brakes and throttle too, which doesn't help economy! The 3.0 is a nice motor, not as hungry as you probably expect it to be.

Duty is different to GST too. No duty on car parts. Rough guideline is NZ$400 inc freight and you get a bill. Pretty rare that they are released before the GST is paid. I've not had it happen, but I've heard of it happening. I've got 3 parcels coming - one is a brand new, very rare VW ECU for NZ$1400 (and a used one, I found a week AFTER ordering the new one for NZ$150!!!), and the NZ$800 clutch/DMF for the E39 - I hope they skip GST on the expensive ones Even if they don't, they were way cheaper and I couldn't even get a price for the ECU from the dealers in NZ.

You might beat me up for saying this... but there used to be a ONE OWNER one here in Whangarei - I honestly can't remember the last time I saw it, but he may have just moved to another suburb. It was an auto, 1987 i think. If I can remember which house was his, I'll pop in and see if they're there. I used to do some (non-car) work with him years ago.

You didn't add freight in the box at the bottom Would have just put you over the threshold - they obviously were in the Christmas mood still

Drove the E39, and realised how awkward the clutch has become... DAMN. Still, order a complete repaitr kit INCLUDING DMF. for NZ$808, shipped. Will get stung for GST. but still good!!!

HAHA! I saw that one on your listing and giggled. :-)

I don't think many people who've only driven auto versions really appreciate the difference the manual box makes. Our E39 is only a 525i, but factory manual. I'd pick it again, over an auto 530i just for the directness and dynamics. It probably still doesn't make it faster than the auto 530i, but it sure feels "right" with a DIY trans, whether nana-ing around, or working it hard. Well done!

That newspaper test people say to use is a crock too. it ONLY works if the coolant in the radiator is hot enough AND it's transferring enough of that heat into the bimetal mechanism on the fan clutch to trip it. It's pretty un-scientific. If the gauge is pegged, and the fan is still freewheeling, it's probably faulty Some have been known to leak the fluid out, then they don't work very well, and can seize - locked up. Some wear out the friction/bimetal mechanism, so DON'T lock up, when they should.

The 325i doesn't use much more gas that a 318i in real life, unless you're stuck in traffic all the time. The 320i auto is the hungriest of the lot. The 325i has pretty effortless power, so 4 adults (a squeze!) on a trip, can make the 325i more economical AND faster. Dads old manual 325i SE did quite a lot of short trips, and he averaged a bit over 11L/100kms, but it was easily down to 8.5 on long trips (still not very good by modern standards!). The thing is, to get a decent 325i manual is going to cost a LOT more than a similar condition manual 318i - We sold Dads E30 Last December for $8K: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/54221-e30-respect/ http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/54837-fs-dads-e30-325i-se/ Personally, for an E30, my (simplified) preference order is: M3 () 325i Manual ... ... ... 318i Manual The 320i doesn't make much sense... although they're easy to upgrade to a 325i engine... but for a classic E30, I'd want a stocker - I was tempted to keep Dads one, but I don't have a decent place to keep it. In reality, you really want to buy the BEST CONDITION one, because there are some REAL dogs out there.

In my VW Kombi, I doubled my power from 62KW to 125KW, on standard brakes. The brake test is fairly crude, really. If they work OK standard, they probably pass the LVV tests.

It's seemingly only been registered in NZ this year, so it's been sat in a garage in Japan somehere. Maybe they went broke buyiing, so they never used it :-)