CSET

If you can't wait, call Shannon at Mag and Tyre Direct in Penrose - he's a very knowledgable chap and great to deal with.

Good advice on the wheels thanks 87m3@nz and apex - unfortunately the dealer didn't have the standard rims available when I bought it. As an aside, I randomly ran into the first owner the other day - lives in oz now, gave me some good background on the car. Glad to hear it has been well looked after. Will most likely retain the current wheels/tyres for the odd track day - whilst I appreciate it'll handle better with larger profile tyres I'm not looking to set any land speed records. Isis - team Mac really looked after me, shame the chap I dealt with is no longer around, but Andrew is a legend.

Love the monobrow - looks evil Also like the yellow fogs on black paint, nice contrast. Looks pretty low at the front already - if you lower more you may want to invest in some more cans of black paint...!

Yeah, rego not on hold. WOF could cause complications depending on condition. Depends what you want it for really, if you only want to make a quick buck then go for it if you have the space and other transportation (under the assumption it's ok mechanically and doesn't go for too much). More and more of these seem to be popping up recently.

Just read this one - thanks for that, I'll look into it.

Beautiful! This is going to be stunning, watching with avid interest.

Genuinely fake. Pretty sure the centre caps are real, however. That's gotta count for something. Couldn't find real ones in the right fitment

Hi all, I bought this car as a daily driver a couple of months ago from Team Mac, and have been learning a bit about it and chipping away at a few things since. The plan is to go to BMW driver training and learn how to drive it properly, then attend some track days. I'm more than happy with the performance and have a bit of a 'wish list' for future parts. Having come from owning a variety of Hondas (and an Audi), it's nice to pick up a car that requires next to no modifications to perform...! The paint is in great condition, and overall the car has been well looked after for it's 77,000kms. The first things on the list to replace were the wheels & tyres. It came on a set of 20" rims, which gave the car a bit of a 'rollerskate' look that didn't really grow on me. Plus, the ride was quite firm for a daily on 25 profile tyres. The rears were 10.5in wide, and just fit inside the flared guards - although it looked great from behind, it simply wasn't practical. It also came on H&R springs, and AFAIK standard shocks - may look into replacing the rear shocks. I picked up a set of 19's in CSL-size staggered fitment (apparently the best standard fitment), and on they went. Comparison: The front kidney grill was already a black-paint item, so that saved me replacement parts. I inherited a fitting p-plate shortly afterwards, which used to reside on a family member's Z3M Coupe. The muffler is branded as 'Supersprint' - turns out to be a pretty good piece of kit. I was initially keen to change however have grown to like it. The only complaint is that it makes a bloody racket when it's cold, but that doesn't last too long I suppose. Excuse the residual crap on the tailpipes in the pic below I want to keep the car standard engine-wise, mainly due to the extended warranty I picked up (and the fact it can out-perform my ability currently). I have noticed there are some subtle nice aftermarket aesthetic parts that can be acquired from Oz, so keen to hear from anyone that imports bits and pieces. I want to stay away from the glaringly obvious carbon fibre bits like bonnet and boot (no offence intended to anyone that has these, it's just not the look I'm going for). Wish list (in no particular order): - Replace the standard clutch-stop with an adjustable item - Fit a bloody euro-sized plinth thing for the front number place - Bought, need to paint and mount when I get a sunny arvo. - Replace rear lip spoiler with carbon (style) lip - Not 100% sure whether I want to do this or not, it's lying in my garage at the mo'. - Carbon front lip (direct bolt-on/off) - Mainly to save the paint at the bottom of the front bumper... it'll probably cost almost as much to repaint the bumper cover as to purchase the aftermarket lip spoiler. - Replace fog lights with HID items. - Replace rear shocks (a top aftermarket brand is apparently the best option here) - Hard wire in a radar detector of some description - Carbon rear diffuser (replacement part) - Re-cover touch surfaces. There's a couple of little chips off the steering wheel, and I don't want the driver's armrest to wear. I'm pretty picky tho, so this is down the list. - CSL airbox (in the distant future, chances are I won't go this way however. They're freaken expensive) And that's about it. Not a 'build thread' as such, as there's no real building going on. I'll update as I install bits and pieces. Suggestions and comments are most welcome.

Are you sure it's intake? Are you getting any vibration through the car?

Very nice indeed!

Drove it to Rotorua, then Taupo and back to Auckland. First decent run out of Auckland since I bought it - went very well indeed! I'm used to driving XR6's, Aurion's and my old Accord Euro on the open road - no comparison really. Effortless passing and roadholding in just about any gear. Still getting used to the car so no silly stuff (plus it's not a racetrack), but definitely felt confident driving around at normal road speeds. Didn't use any oil, temp didn't fluctuate for oil/water and no development of squeaks or rattles. No punctures either, which is quite lucky given the absence of a spare tyre. Only potential niggle is that the exhaust seems to be getting louder and louder. OK at 110kph, but under load from 80-100 in 5th/6th it makes a bloody racket. Plus you just about need earplugs when the car is cold. My poor neighbours.

Neal beat me to it - I watched TT after Senna, completely blown away by both movies. +1 on the first sentence comment...!

Sorry to hijack, but does anyone know where to find a cordless radar that's any good? I'm sick of bloody wires, and don't want to hardwire one in if I can avoid it.

Holy hell, are they that thirsty?? I thought my M3 was bad at 16 l/100k around town!

I was thinking the same, and that all plates are rare given there's only one of each made. On the other side, it's pretty hard to estimate value of a (relatively) intangible item so kudos for starting high. I'd hate to have a plate sell immediately for a low price - I wouldn't help but ask myself if I could have earned more for it! GLWS

Check this one out then - Has anyone seen the movie 'Buffalo Soldiers'? Apart from Anna Paquin getting frisky and Joaquin Phoenix being all funny-looking, there's a mint 560sec featured. It does end up at the blunt end of an M60 however.

I've had a sweet spot for the 560SEC for a long time. I've heard some horror stories around fuel consumption and reliability, but it's pretty hard to get away from the classic autobahn-stormer looks. Mercedes Benz 500SEC AMG I thought this would be a good discussion starter, for both the ridiculous price and the fact the salesman can't spell to save himself. Something a bit different as well. Has anyone owned one of these in the past?

I've always loved the previous generation Vantage (late '70's) - I'm sure they'd be crap to drive and terrible on gas and reliability, but I just love the looks.

Looks great! I chose the same wheels for my 2 door, but with black centres instead of the red. If you find anywhere in NZ to get a carbon lip for the M3 bumper, let me know...!

Looks absolutely stunning in person! Pretty close fitment, an amazing job indeed! I for one have not seen another E46 cab with a hardtop in NZ - great addition. How's that loom coming along Ray?

Looks tough. The red lights (albeit different) aren't too practical for daily use, and I'd hazard a guess to say they'd be illegal, no? Here's my wife driving a frozen black M3 - a set of big rims and suspension and you'd be sorted! Pretty sure the colour would be a nightmare to keep clean....!

Hi all, These are now gathering dust in my garage. One rear tyre is worn, others are fine. Haven't put on trademe yet (I'm not often in AKL), but will do sometime. Pretty sure I've spoken with most of the M3 owners who frequent this forum already, but if you're keen and would like to trial fit just give me a call.

It's beautiful! If you're concerned about the exhaust aesthetics, I'll just leave this here...

Haha thanks Mike - it was very tempting though at the time Ange wouldn't have a bar of it....! I'm looking into those rim protectors - thanks heaps for the link.

Nope, Georg Plasa's old E36 with a Judd V8 in it. It really was that fast. RIP