aja540i

Thats pretty cheap for a fresh m62, i spent over 7k on mine by the time i had done all the preventative stuff, cam chain, guides, tensioners etc. I think a complete gasket set from BMW is 4k for that motor!! If you are going to s/c it you may want to do your own rebuild so you know its right, but prepare to spend some big money, the s62 might work out cheaper!! And it comes with a 6 speed!!

So someone bought a race prepped lightweight m3 r, then put all the heavy stuff, and a standard clutch, back in it. Seems an unusual choice, but still very cool!

I have a spare m10b20 from an e21 320i, if you could find a set of carbs for it, it would make a good conversion! Also have a 5 spd box from an e30, not sure of the number though, will have a look.

Make sure there are no electrical gremlins, the wiring harness going into the tailgate can give problems, other than that just check the bits already mentioned. They are great cars and with the jap imports coming in the prices have come way down.

Ignition switch?

Turn the radio up?

I put genuine bmw discs and pads on my 540i about 5 years ago and have never had any issues, i put 'good' aftermarket discs and pads on my vr4 and they warped within months. Put on the best brakes you can afford , they stop your car, save money somewhere else! I was told by good bmw mechanic that the only time they had issues with brakes was when people used aftermarket parts.

Im pretty sure i have seen GPS digital speedos on ebay for about $100 us. Just plonk the display in front of nav and run power wires, and as long as you keep the car shiny side up it should give a pretty accurate second speed readout.

I had one done in my e39 a few years ago and from memory it was around $800 for a drive in / drive out job with genuine part. You should be able to get it done a bit cheaper than that now. Not sure if it makes a difference but mine are leather comfort seats.

M5 mirrors! Should bolt straight on / plug straight in.( you probably have bigger things to worry about now though!)

Totally!!

The oil is probably just a spill, i keep spare oil in the boot and it has been known to spill!! The cracking looks like it is just the sound deadening cracking, nothing to worry about.

What makes you think it was damaged in japan? It could have been damaged and repaired in NZ by a previous owner, in which case there is no requirement for re-compliance. If it was imported as a damaged vehicle i believe a carjam report will show that.

The sensors will onlyneed replacing if they have worn through enough to activate the warning light on the dash, no light means the sensors can be re-used. As above replacing the fluid is a 2 yearly job, regardless of kms.

Worn tyres can have quite an effect on bump steer, also tyre pressure. Check the easy things first!

Old gearbox with some kms on it, take it racing, almost inevitable it will pack a sad! Could be worse, second gear could be lying on the side of the track somewhere! love the shopping list btw!

I managed to seperate my lenses using a hot air gun, but mine had the butyl seal not the epoxy. Sounds like going in through the bulb housing is probably easier though!

3.5 k sounds reasonable, i spent 7 on mine including timing chain, tensioners, etc, but it had done 270km and i was planning on having the car for a long time. There are other things that it would make sense to do at the same time, timing chain guides etc, but it all adds up! Any second hand motor you get will eventually have the same issues, so might not be cheaper in the long run.

A Chinese judge threw out BMWS lawsuit, said there werent enough similarities!!!

Its great seeing a really nice e21 pop up on TM every now and then, it inspires me to get my arse up off the sofa and go do some work on mine!! Not usually a fan of gold wheels but love the jps colours!

Mine only did it on start up, only when it had been driven then left to get cold. I think it is something to do with hot, oily air from the crankcase getting into the manifold, then cooling, condensing, and making its way down to the valves. Im not sure if there is any way to test the oil seperator, its basically a plastic venturi that spins the fume and seperates out the oil, when it falls to bits the oil gets sucked into the inlet with the air. It can probably be done in the car, but i did everything at the same time so it was easier to pull the motor out!

Sounds like the oil seperator, just whip the engine out, pull off all the timing gear, and put a new one in! The part is only about $60 from BMW.

I think she learned her lesson too!

For bodywork you will want approx a 180 amp mig, solid wire with gas is best, but gasless wire will do in a pinch. Needs to run a 0.8 or 0.9 solid wire. I have bought cheapy chinese welders off TM and had no problems with them, but spare parts can be a problem.

Hi Graham, i work in Silverdale and am familiar with the e21, happy to have a look if you still want.