CamB

You can get something custom made using DCOE pattern throttle bodies and a DCOE manifold. If you google "M20 ITB" it comes up with stuff, as does "M20 DCOE manifold". You can get the DCOE pattern throttle bodies here in NZ, but I don't know if anyone stocks the manifold. Unless you run an airbox leading to the airflow meter it will need an aftermarket ECU, etc etc (I suspect you already know that). I am sure it is possible to adapt BMW parts to do the same job, but personally if I started down the path of making a manifold to adapt them I'd track down some Black top Toyota 4AGE ones as they're comparatively cheap.

Well if one of you guys buys it I have some nice 14"x6" ET13 e21 mag wheels for it that I really should sell. The look a bit like bottlecaps but way more offset, but unfortunately don't fit over my 2002s new brakes. In the $250-300 range.

Is it still full of oil? Did you remember to put the breather pipe back on? Did you tighten the valve clearances, or just check the nuts? It does sound more like a HG though - its hard to imagine what you could have done that caused the problem though...

M3 swaybars mount differently at the front - off the shock - gives more leverage. If we are talking about PORTENOYs car, its sort of irrelevant since the most obvious visual difference (the kit and wheels) have been changed. IMHO, a set of decent springs, new shocks and an LSD do a good job of making a "regular" 325i drive like a M325i. And proper seats.

I've only ever seen them with sports seats. Not that that proves much. I always understood Mtech to include different springs and shocks (Bilstein) - one would hope that most M325is have new shocks by now though. 4 wheel disks yes (all 325i). ABS not sure. If I'm being tested, I hope I pass.

I've always understood an M325i to have: - Mtech body kit (front, sides, rear and spoiler) - Mtech suspension - sports seats - Mtech steering wheel - dark headliner - 15x7 basketweave alloys - an LSD. Ah here we go - I was mostly right: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....l=m325i+genuine

There's a medium case diff (in a 325i or earlier M3 E36) which should be strong enough if you are nice to it - I don't know if the subframe/driveshafts/prop shaft are different. In the unlikely event that you find a later M3 Evo rear end (I have no idea how much is different) the diff is a large case one which is even stronger. I'd expect fitting a different diff (eg Supra) would be quite a lot of work. I guess you'll need a custom driveshaft anyway. I looked into it a bit. I thought the best way would be: - appropriate 1JZ (ie with the sump at the correct end) - a W55/57/58 gearbox of your choice (no idea on shifter position) - 1JZ --> W5x bellhousing, flywheel and clutch plate and cover from Trade Me Then custom engine and transmission mounts, hook up the radiator and fit an intercooler, then enter wiring hell to try and get the Toyota ECU integrated into the wiring loom. The speedo runs off the diff so no probs there. It might be hard to get a sensible water temp reading on the dash and it maybe tricky to get the tach to work (or it may just work). I'm sure there will be stuff in the engine bay that needs relocating. I have seen pics of 1JZs in RHD E36's, so it must be possible to fit the downpipe etc around the steering components and the standard turbos must fit too, but I'd consider a bigger top mount single since I figure you might as well have heaps of power... Not that I like RBs, but an RB might fit easier because the exhaust is on the passenger side...

Thanks for asking. I think around $10k might sell to someone who likes the kit. As this car sat on TM for sale for about 2-3 months at approx $12k before you bought it, and prices have fallen across the board for cars thanks to crap petrol prices, and those wheels are horrible on that car ... $10k is probably more than fair. I mean you might find someone who loves the car and will pay more, but since Trademe has banned you I guess advertising will be hard. I for one am not jealous of the car. It'd make a good base for a race car, but it wouldn't be economic to do so. (edit) I should add it would depend on the condition of the car (looks good in the photos), and whether it is actually as advertised - given the TM banning and that you had bid and reneged to two cars under your ultra72 user name, and that you must be all of 17 I would find it hard to trust you personally.

So.... account disabled and listing pulled by Trade Me ----> what happened? And is it a 2.5 or a 2.7. I could swear the TM ad said 2.7. And I am pretty sure I remember that car being for sale when you bought it ... and it had those wheels ... a year ago. So are they really "new"?

kiwi6539 - it does have a 25% LSD, and see kiwi535s answer for more detail on how much of a munt you have to be for it to be a problem, and why. My race car has a much tighter LSD (extra clutch plates), and it has modified ramps so it engages more aggressively. It is much trickier to drive in the wet.

It will slide more predictably under throttle, and if you drive hard they are a good investment. Based on my M3, you have to drive like a munt (or have inappropriate tyres) for it to be dangerous, even in the wet.

It'll be an minimum of $800-1000 if you can find one, plus probably $100-200 installation, and I can't say if it will help in a 5 series. Speaking generally, it improves rear end grip (stops inside wheel spinning), and makes the car more predictable through a corner under power and more stable under braking. The tradeoff is a slight increase in understeer. It also makes it possible to do mean skidz, although I'm guessing that's not a priority. (edit - oops beaten by a 5 series driver - probably not worth it)

Is that manifold the ebay one? How is the quality?

The product is Proma MBL8 and Segedins in Mt Eden stocks it (among, I'm sure, other places). I've got no idea if it works though. But if you've got a Mitsubishi with noisy lifters it's the most awesome product ever made.

Proper M3 headers and individual throttle bodies for $400? Buy it and worry about whether it will do much later. That's an awesome price.

But how will you cool the oil? I think it's better to go to a remote filter setup, still with a cooler.

Yeah, rust comes to mind for me too - they don't have the best reputation (what does from that era?). Don't assume the box is a 5spd - probably a 4 speed!

I reckon you'll need less tyre/more stretch than that, even if the wheel clears the strut.

The 666 fab ones are (a) expensive but (b ) strong and make heaps of power ---> heaps of people out there (in the US) with them. It's a turbo manifold - its hard to make them pretty. They sit on an angle, under the head and under a turbo (and when the turbo is on there, all you look at is the turbo). I really don't see the problem...

Just be careful - that's the later style linkage and its less likely that will be the same as on an e12.

Find the pic at www.realoem.com then compare your car to an early E30 one (needs to be early as they changed the shift cradle at some point). That way you can figure out what is missing.

Front engine mounts part of subframe looked fine (we replaced the engine mounts a short time ago), and it has standard sway bars so I'm not sure the sway bar reinforcements will do much. It'll be worthwhile inspecting all that though.

Are you missing the whole lot or just the rubber bit? I might have the bracket but my chances of finding it are unfortunately pretty minimal (garage is a bomb site), and the rubber bit was stuffed. BMW (and other suppliers of BMW parts) will have the rubber bit.

The Driven Performance guy assured me they will fit on a RHD car. The internet tells me you might have trouble getting at you oil filter and a 325i oil cooler takeoff might not work, so you might need a filter relocation kit etc... It's cheap and chinese, so it might crack ... but it might not. They look like the ones on Ebay and don't have too bad a reputation.

The rear won't do much of anything since the springs don't locate off the strut tower. I'm not sure the front brace will protect the towers much, but it might stop the flex. The front springs are more like 400lb yes? By the way, JiB's not kidding - the car really does flex (eg front to rear when you jack it up), and its not obviously rusty anywhere I have seen.