aja540i

Mines a UK import and 99% rust free, I put it up on a hoist and checked it before handing over any money! The 1% is from stone chips incurred locally!

I think it is, has the nasty NZ spec towbar, but it looks like it has been tidied up a bit since it was last listed, I remember the front bumper being pretty rough.

Machinery house do a pretty reasonable kit that comes with some inserts, the tool has heads for rivnuts and normal rivets as well. https://www.machineryhouse.co.nz/n001 The tool can be a bit fiddly to use, the head has a habit of unscrewing itself, but you just need to keep an eye on it and nip it up if it starts coming loose.

Used ace automotive in Taupo, wasn't spoiled for choice they were the only place open!! They were good to deal with, gave me a good run down of what they were going to do and a pretty accurate estimate, checked how much refrigerant was left in the system and it was about 30% of what it should have, pressure tested the system with nitrogen and it held pressure so no major leaks, evacuated all the gas out to remove moisture then re-gassed it. Not sure on the value, it depends on how long it keeps working for I suppose, but it was just under $600. Worth it to have it working for the drive home!!

Got the A/C in the M5 serviced, after a 5 hour drive to Taupo on Tuesday with slowly failing aircon in 27 degree heat!!

Got a drone, my wife got the Lego Ferrari Daytona!

Its an all wheel drive hybrid, very on point!!

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/smart/listing/3915696694?bof=tU4ygqSY

Came with the car, could even be a UK import spider??

New colour stripes for the badge on the M5, random ones from eBay, the red looks a bit too red, but I might just be used to the old faded one...

Not sure exactly, but somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand Km sounds about right.

Hmm, that is my flavour but i already 3.5 bottles on the shelf so i probably shouldn't.....

So the M5 failed its WOF on excessive play in a lower front control arm, Continental cars sent me a video showing significant movement of the front wheel (by hand) due to the rubber bush giving up. I replaced the front control arms a few years ago with new Meyle HD units and i am aware that big heavy BMW wagons like to eat suspension bushes, but i am seriously considering changing to a spherical bearing type set up using the Turner motorsport kit to try and get a bit more life out of them. Has anyone done this conversion, and if so what are the pros and cons? My main concern is putting more stress on the chassis at the suspension mounting points as they were designed to work in conjunction with rubber bushes not spherical bearings, but i suspect i am being overly cautious and they will be fine, thoughts? Price wise the kit for both sides is within a few dollars of 1 new genuine BMW control arm, but considerably more that 2 new replacement rubber bushes, so i am happy to spend the money if they last a decent amount of time.

Spent an hour or so at greasy hands replacing the 2 front exhaust gaskets in the M5 and recovering a torx key that ended up on the under tray when I replaced a coil 2 weeks ago, cost about $43, guys seem pretty good, they are car guys and they operate the hoist for you, basic tools are provided but I recommend taking any special tools you might need, and a light of some description. There is a H and S induction and forms to fill out before entry, but they keep them on file so you only have to do it the first time, hoists are all new and there are 4, as a bonus they are only 5 minutes from home!! Recommended for servicing or basic jobs that are a lot easier on a hoist, suspension bushes, exhaust stuff, driveline, etc. Edit, you need to wear good shoes (no jandals, duh!). They also require you to wear a high vis vest, safety glasses and gloves, if you don't bring your own you can purchase them on site.

I'm there now to do the exhaust gaskets In the M5, so far so good, I will report back when I'm done...

Ah, so its your fault it is raining!

Good thing there's not much stuff in the drivers side of the engine bay, they will spot a leak no problem!! If it is a crack in the manifold and you want to get it welded PM me, I do special rates for fellow E61 M5 owners....

We have a huge amount of trouble hiring staff that are licensed to drive our manual work trucks, just something he might want to consider as being beneficial on a CV.

Nope! Don't have to look far to find a more messed up country, I'll stick around and see how it turns out....

Have you got a battery charger? The first thing to rule out would be a flat battery.

You were also sold an E61 M5, you may have an issue!! 😉

Did you fill it with gas? 😀

I would think that towing a caravan with a nose weight of 265kg would be a nightmare, surely you would be better off balancing the Caravan properly so the nose weight is a bit more reasonable?