E30_318i

I was about to see one being driven off the truck about 6 weeks ago but it had a flat battery. I needed to go somewhere so i couldn't wait.

Going into the dealer and buying a sump plug washer is my excuse for seeing one. Cheapest visit to a BMW dealer!

Nice. Clean up those wheels and adjust your passenger windscreen wiper

Would you ever get to take it out on the runway? :mosh:

Take it down the 1/4. Dyno it too.

Looks good. Fuel economy not so great though.

How heavy is it? That's a big motor on the front.

Will do. I'm in Auckland next year and will probably take the Merc up. You want to run against it?

Its not that quick off the line, but it doesn't shine until 4000rpm. Once moving in 2nd and 3rd gear, not a lot will touch it, for 1988 anyway. Similar power charastics to vt@c, ohh, but it has good low down TORQUE haha.

Well, if you do beat me down the strip, I'll clean up the burnout comp, considering my drivetrain can handle it :mosh:

Weighs in at 1.8 tonne, light these days, about the same as a new Falcon

Nah, not even considering 'sacking it on 18s'. I can't afford to, and if I wanted a sh*t ride quality (in comparison), I would have bought an M325 or Porsche 944 etc.

Yes I seriously considered an E32 750iL, but all the bad sh*t I read about them on the internet put me off em. I think only Martyn was the only person to say something good haha. And the fact that E32s won't have the same sort of 'classic' status as these kind of Mercedes. An E24 would probably be a closer match in that regard, too expensive for me tho.

The E34 is like a sports car in comparison, and f**king pleasure to thrash after driving the Benz.

So the E34 goes into the destructive hands of my mother when its not being driven. Getting resprayed and maybe some rust taken out at the end of the year tho. Probably a waste of money after looking at all the 535 manuals on trade me haha.

5.5 V8, good for 220kw, 455nm.Mercedes top model of the 1980's, and cheaper than a VN Calais!

If I use the Mercedes everyday it'll cost me $90 a week :mosh: That'll get me 300km.

How much did that set ya back? If something does pack up in the E34, I'd prefer the exhaust, then look at an after market option.

The E34 needs the windscreen taken out to a trace water leak, could be rusty, or could just need resealing, either way - $$$. Also oil change this w/e - $70

The Mercedes needs a over protection relay - $170, some c**t cracked the windscreen - $200 insurance excess at least, oil change soon - $120, and a full tank of gas - $140

Damn its an expensive hobby :mosh:

On a slight tangent, what do we think of the new Cayman?

In the latest Motor magazine, its apparantly faster than an Enzo around some tight European race track. Looks like sh*t imo, very awkward, nothing like the 911

I read just yesterday that BMW group sold 100,000 more cars this year so far than Mercedes group did ...

I'm not suprised. The Mercs look like a Japanese/Korean clone :puke: Don't even mention their decline in quality. Those record sales goes to show that people who give sh*t to Bangle Bimmers are usually the ones who can't afford them.

Rodney survived! And he gets to bring a friend! Hoorah!

And with some luck, national may slip ahead of national by a mere vote, and that way form the new govt...

Well Winnie and Peter Dunne said they wouldn't support a coalition with the Greens in so there is hope.

If anyone has read the Greens website, they might have seen under their transport policies that they would 'ban importing of cars over 7 years old'... to help protect the environment.

Does anyone know about this? Is it another one of their plans of f**king us car enthuiasts over?

I think they are a good decade before their time.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction...asp?id=35724251

If it stays at that price during the week, I might have to stay in on Friday night.

f**k I was hoping the Greens would fall below 5%. What a bastard they didn't.

:bowdown:

Yeah I like your seats. Mine are just the standard factory ones from 1988, dunno if they changed thru the E34 life. They have alright support, but thats it.

And hills are the reason you shouldn't put a 2.5 in a 1.6 tonne barge

Ohh well, my mums old E28 520 was far, far worse.

Haven't driven an E32 but the E34 makes a bloody good cruising car. My only complaint is that it needs dropping down into 4th for some hills, but you shouldn't have to worry about that in a 535

And I can't get comfortable in the E34, driving long distances my back got cramp after 3 hours, which isn't a good feeling when driving. Hopefully E32s have better seats?

A 535 manual is supposedly as quick as the hottest HSV V8 back in the day too :mosh:

Just look on trademe, there seems to be some real mint 735iLs going for around $5k, which is a f**king bargain really.

I hate people that rebadge their non ///M whatsoever BMW badging it to be a M3 M5 etc.

Like this: Trademe Fake

hmm I dunno why you quoted me but that guys responce to 'sdeuropean' made me laugh :bowdown:

Well I was going to say that Mercedes V8's sound absolutely wicked when you put your foot down.

Last week when I was at MB doing work experience (please, no flaming its actually a really wicked place to be) there was an airleak in a cylinder on a mid 80's 380SEC so they opened the baby up , twisted the injectors upwards in the elimination process to see if it wasnt injecting properly and throttled it.

Wow!! :mosh:

Ok, I might post up a video of it going flat out in 2nd later on, cos it sounds pretty good.

I hate political correctness

At least you would learn all the sh*t doing work experience at Mercedes, as all their new stuff is sh*t.

Which brings me onto my second hate... new Mercedes

I hate people that rebadge their non ///M whatsoever BMW badging it to be a M3 M5 etc.

Like this: Trademe Fake

hmm I dunno why you quoted me but that guys responce to 'sdeuropean' made me laugh :bowdown:

Yeah it does suck, but it has enough power to back it up, can cruise up hills in 4th easy. But the nature of the car suits it - its a cruiser so a manual would really be out of place.

Fair enough, I hate that too

Hmm I also hate automatics. Especially in Porsches.

I HATE Greenies

And people that have dead links in their sigs like Sparkle...

I usually change g/box and diff oil every second engine oil change.

Check out tau-net.co.jp for an idea of crash damaged cars.

My mate go a Volvo S70 off there, which is worth about 12 grand. He paid under 5 grand, getting it over here, repairing it (front damage) etc.

Within 10 days, my Mercedes needed...

2 tyres... 360

Battery... 230

alternator recon... 100

tow truck... 85

stereo, not essential... 300

expensive week and a bit, shoulda bought another E34

Go Winston. f**k hes the man :mosh:

National or NZ First, undecided atm.

Love the anti Green brochures being handed around, and I have to laugh everytime I drive past a Maori sign in Wellington that gets knocked down after it goes up- about 4 times now.

At the end of the day you are correct, American V8's are unrefinded boat anchors, single cam pushrod motors.

What a load of sh*t. Look at all the 'great' dohc engines the HSV LS2 out performs. Ohh, that includes the heavier, physically bigger Ford 4.6 dohc and Cadillac dohc made in the US :gay:

Go drive an LS1 Holden before saying it's unrefined.

What cars are you basing your opinions off?

The BMW V8s sound awesome, but imo the Ford V8s sound the best, go in an old Mustang or Falcon and find out.

But it all depends on the exhaust, the Commodores sound like a V6 from the factory at anything below 3000, a lot of people go aftermarket. Same story with my Merc, has go a 3' exhaust from the headers, and sounds just as good as an 'unrefined' US V8. I couldn't give a f**k, it sounds better and goes harder.