jeffbebe

Whoa... That's cheap. Might explain why they appear to have gone into liquidation: http://www.sharkpatrol.co.nz/blog/2012/05/...island-limited/

It'll rip right off. I sprayed a piece of bumper trim. It looked great until I polished the car. The polisher only touched the plasti dip coat once but it was enough to lift it. Once a bit of comes you'll have to peel the whole lot off and start from scratch. It's great protection against stone chips, etc but a scrape on a drive and it would have no chance - it's basically just a thin layer of rubber and I don't think you could spray it on thick enough to cope with that.

This looks a good deal on paper - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-534169506.htm - if you can live with white. Or blue - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-533291067.htm Or red with low kms - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-526657195.htm Personally I prefer the 330i as I like bigger cars (plus I've got a littlun in a baby seat!) but most of them on TM are silver!

haha! You don't see many that aren't silver, to be sure. They look good in blue and red particularly - if you can find one!

Agreed. My favourite shape bar the M1.

Did they make them in other colours?!

Cheers... It's a beautiful car!

I can't find any M3s converted into Honda Civics, funny that.

It is real and it's not alone. Google Honda Civic BMW conversion and see what comes up... Astonishing... And horrendous. This one's a beaut... http://www.m3post.com/forums/attachment.ph...mp;d=1291403558

Very nice, love the wheels too - definitely the big brother to mine! I like the front lip, where did you find that?

I'm assuming with a working sensor only the airbags only deploy in the occupied seats. I think the assumption is that if the sensor's broken the car assumes there is someone in the seat and deploys the airbag in the event of a crash.But I totally agree with you. Get it fixed - I wouldn't want to risk it.

Black E39's are the business. Would love to see more pics of your M5 (dream car!).

Same thing happened on my E39. Reset worked the first time but the sensor soon needed replacing. Find someone with a scanner to reset the fault but keep your eye open for a cheap new sensor if I were you. The passenger seat sensors in the E46 and E39 are pretty sensitive and get damaged easily if you kneel (or in the case of my car, your 4 year old stands) on the seat. Allegedly, if the sensor is faulty the passenger airbag will deploy by default in accident so some people bypass the sensor to get rid of the fault but I wouldn't want to chance it personally. Get a new sensor.

Same.

They look good at night but even the brightest (12W) cree bulbs are nowhere near as bright as the DTR angel eyes on new models.

Those knock offs are more like this Honda Civic pretending to be an E46 M3: Most of the ones we're talking about are actual BMWs - it's more like buying a Rolex watch and trying to convince everyone it's a grandfather clock.

I just don't get it.... Unless you've avoided registering the car there's a little card in the windscreen that says exactly what it isn't. Who are they trying to convince sticking M5 badges on the back of 520s? I bought mine from a dealer - I asked about the M badge (i.e. 'this doesn't look like a motorsport car') and his response was "they give them an M badge if they've got nice wheels" - I guess that's an example of how the brand can be cheapened if you start to stick it on everything. It was much harder to fake your M car when it was only M3s and M5s... But then BMW probably sold fewer cars then. EDIT: Yes, he was a bit of dodgy salesman but I got the car cheaply so I won't shame him by naming him!

I checked out a few places before I got my wheels refurbished. Arrow wheels had the most convincing shadow chrome - that's the dark hypersilver, right? - but they were also the most expensive (by a country mile). I ended out using Manukau auto and tyre centre and saved $150 per wheel, but then my wheels aren't shadow chrome.

I was interested in what determines an M badge. I've got nothing against cars having the badge if they have Msport equipment but I think it's a bit naff to badge a car with a car it's not (i.e. badging a 520 with an M5 emblem). Will stick to my 528i badge on mine!

Those are the M5 wheels right? They look good. There's a v. tidy silver Msport 540i parked regularly on Brown St in Ponsonby with style 65s. You should leave a note offering a swap! What have you got on there now?

If it was an M5 I'd be proud of the M badge. Otherwise, not that fussed but as I've been trying to restore it I'd consider putting it back on if the car came with it originally.

I'm wondering whether the previous owner glued an M badge on it or whether BMW glued an M badge on it. Not planning to glue one on myself BTW but interested as to what specifications do BMW have for sticking one on a car - i.e. do they stick it on even if you just have sports suspension?

When I bought my car it had an M badge on it (and nothing else). I removed it and replaced with 528i but in the interests of accuracy thought I'd check if it actually is a Motorsport. As far as I can tell from its standard equipment the only Msport equipment was the suspension - but suspension on its own does not maketh an M, does it? (Actually, it probably does now with the myriad of Msport cars to choose from but not in 1996?) vin1.tiff vin2.tiff

No, you just have special dispensation not to use them if you're from outside a 30km radius of the CBD.

You better believe it. I'm just enjoying it before the starlings nesting on my roof sh*t all over it again.