CSET

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

As above, these kind of modifications were all the rage in the late 90's - back in the days of the 'Shark' Diamante, Barbie e36 M3 (pre-drag) and even Ketzel's widebody MR2 (a bit more on-topic for this post). They may look out of place now, but given the length of ownership (16 years) chances are the mods were period-specific for that confusing era.

A completely different class of car.....!?

Uppity up. These are still stored at Ray's, and I'd say I'm overstaying my welcome a bit here! Thanks to everyone who has texted and called about these over the past week or two; as a price indication I'm looking for $2,500 - $3,000. I'll put these up on trademe next week when I'm back in Auckland unless sold prior - call or text me on the number below if you're keen. Christian 021 832 609

All three are very different cars - I haven't driven the 550 so can't comment on that one. In terms of the perfect all-rounder, many journo's tend to rave about the 535d. If I had a family and/or boat/caravan, and had a decent commute, the 535d would be an ideal car IMO.

I was thinking of the same example, couldn't remember the car though but I know it wasn't a stereo-typical boyracer. As I see it, the law is there for two reasons: 1.) detract the 'at-risk' target crowd from such activities 2.) punish the multi-offenders Has it worked? 2 years in and one crushing is not a strong record, BUT people are talking about it, and hence aware of it. So in my mind, it's working. Surely something different could be done around the execution of the law, but it's certainly a start.

'04 on 78k, no idea of hp (haven't dyno'd). I'd assume some has been lost from factory, and some gained from changing the exhaust but I doubt either is very noticable. Would be interesting to see, however.

Interesting, sounds like normal wear and tear - how many km's on the car? Although you have to pay 5x excess, it's still much better than forking out for each part!

Thanks Ray, Back up for sale all. Currently stored at Ray's workshop. Let me know if you are keen, it'll save me fluffing around on TradeMe. Cheers, Christian 021 832 609

On hold

Hi all, Wheels: 3 piece Work 5x120 20 x 9.5 front 20 x 10.5 rear Not sure of offset - will confirm once I have them off the car tomorrow. Safe to assume it'll be low. Tyres: Firestone Firehawks - 245/25/20 on front and 285/25/20 on rear. Pretty hard to tell accurately how much tread left while they're on the car, they'll probably have a bit of camber wear - I'll confirm once they're off. Condition: Good - some minor curb scrapes, clear coat on one of the rear dishes is fading, small indentation in one of the rear dishes. THE INSIDE OF THE SPOKES HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY GROUND TO FIT OVER THE BRAKES. Don't blame me, I inherited them with the car. No shimmys, wobbles or hops - they ride well at both low and high speed. Price: If these are perfect for what you're after, don't be concerned by my asking price - give me a call and we can talk. Albeit pricey when new, they're not new anymore so they're only worth what someone wants to pay for them. Contact: Christian 021 832 609 (call or text) or [email protected] Note: I can take more pics if required, but this should give you a flavour. Pickup only - Onehunga (stuff trying to post these).

Hah yeah, was a bit of fun driving down to Ashburton/Timaru and back - amazing the difference about 30k south of Ashburton - completely cleared up and no snow at all. Transition was pretty fast also. Must admit I fell on my ass a few times wandering around - I'm not made for this weather. Back in Auckland now - plane only delayed 3 hrs last night, really feel for those who had been waiting all day...!

Nice car - it looks great in alpine white. Great p-plate too - very fitting...!

+1. E39 540 hands down. For the price you'll pay for a 530, it's well worth investing in the 540. Depends what you want, of course. The 5 and 7 series of that generation (or any, to be honest) are worlds apart. If you want a fully featured luxo-barge (as noted prior in this post), go for the seven. They're electric-everything though, so make sure you get a good one. From my experience, the 5 series is big enough for the family, and provides a much more 'sporting' ride. I'd pick the 540 over a 7 any day of the week - solely because I'd get a bit sick of the 'wafty' ride the 7 is known for.

There's one in the family that I have driven a few times - in my opinion they're powerful enough with the i6 3.2, would love to see a vid of this one in action - someone post a link (I've searched youtube).

Honest opinion? Throw them both in the bin and save for a good e30. You could invest your time creating a good one from the best parts of each, but at what cost? How much is your time worth?

Thanks all, what a welcoming community! I look forward to meeting the local AKL'ers at the next event, and learning more about BMW (being a first time owner and all) - with the goal of becoming a productive member of the group in time.

Haha nothing like a warm welcome! Yeah I was the same - showed a colleague, then kept thinking about it. Spoke to my financial controller (a.k.a. wife) and we popped down to the dealership. Still don't quite know how I managed that one...!

I can't take any credit for the aesthetics - all mods were made by the previous owner. And I'll bet you won't be jealous when the tyres need replacing..!