E30 325i Rag-Top

Calm down boys!

Basic animal reaction, back someone into a corner by making it obvious they are in the wrong and it's fight or flight time. A few will back down, like the guy who does back up the path, but most will rear up, like the guy with the gun.Even a rat will grow a pair when it is cornered.. Hence the reason direct action like this can go wrong, the reaction is very often irrational and unpredictable.

Made rarer by the fact that most of those coupes have either rusted or busted many years ago. The 70s was not a good time for build quality at Jaguar, thanks to both BL and the Unions.

Hmm, whilst I can agree with their good intentions, there is only one place this is going to end up - especially in Russia! Direct action is always a very debatable area, if you ain't a cop (or similar) then don't try and enforce the law. Take a photo, send it to whoever needs it, but don't try and be a vigilante hero - those films aren't real, the good guys don't always win.

Great, your car is nearly finished Dan! You kept that quiet.

You're just biased Jooles! Plus you would have to wait until 2019 to drive the thing on the road in NZ - just think of the price of fuel by then!

A well known car from the UK from my boy-hood, saw it in the flesh a few times, almost got to see it on the track. 205 GTi + Dimma Widebody + Cossie Turbo + 4 x 4 = Awesome!

I'm pretty sure you need more parts than just the E30 M3 hubs to change over to the 5-stud pattern. Aren't the spindle and bearing sizes different as well? Hence, the usual method of using E36 struts and E36 Compact trailing arms to make the 5-stud swap.

Which M20s are they out of Jules? I probably have a few kicking around if B20s. Will look to see if I can find some that look like the photos - might need a bit of a clean and free-up but were working before engine was pulled.

Might be taking a short cut? He's a bit crafty like that! Hope the car came through unscathed.

Hmm, I think that means you're poking around somewhere you shouldn't and a big red warning light has gone off in Munich! Possibly a system access issue, or it could be a "security" option fitted on the car. PM me the VIN and I'll have a look here see if I can get any more out of the system.

Wants $13.5k for an E30, puts up 6 photos, one of which is a rusty sun-roof. Way to sell a car! As an M325i it could be worth the 13.5k asking, but needs to be much better presented and marketed to get up to that price I would suggest. Mtech I > Mtech II anyways!

Very odd, I can't seem to find the info in English on any of the various systems, all coming up in German abbreviations. Will keep digging when I get some time!

Is this a UK import? Trying to read the awful, punctuation missing, listing it was an SA import 325is - which is a very different beast to an M325i.

Bloody hell, nearly sprayed coffee all over my phone there, and not just because Ron actually said I was right on something. Just trying to get the NZTA to accept that the i3 is an electric car was hard enough, working out the RUC would cause an overload!

Calypso is colour code 252 on there, doesn't look like a SABI code. At the very bottom is an explanation of the Individual items, where it says LA Neeuwzeeland, rest is in German though. Possibly tourist delivery handling? Will check at work on Monday when I can see it in English.

Looking at the aftermarket add-ons I would suggest it's some in from Japan. US version has "unleaded gasoline only" on the fuel gauge as well. I kinda recognise the wheels, and just don't like them, but then I'm an annoying M3 purist on stuff like that. And the head-unit is also too modern and gaudy for me! Again no biggie and easy to swap out.

I think it is just a token effort by NZTA / govt to promote so called green cars. As soon as there are enough electric cars on the road the money grabbers will be after the electric cars as well. Personally I think the "rare earth" magnets required for the powerful electric motors are going to be much more of an issue in the future - mostly from the fact that 99% of the worlds supply comes from one country - China. Not sure if they "wear out" over time or if they can be recycled? The cyclist bit was very tongue in cheek, but it is a road USER charge, not a road WEARER OUT charge...?

Option code 940 is basically a "flag" in the system that the car needs to have some Individual parts fitted during build.Special colours would have code 490 Special Paint in the colour info section. Although there are SABI colours (still individual, but have their own code - if that makes sense) that have colour codes like X11. What code is listed for your colour?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-843455952.htm Steering wheel is still on the correct side, but no dog-leg box unfortunately. If those Kms can be verified as accurate could make it worthwhile, car looks to be in very good condition. Only thing that puts me off is the "boy ricer" additions - the wheels (don't suit the E30 to me) the steering wheel, extra gauge, etc. no biggie to put back to original, or more period styles but I wonder what else has been played with at the same time? Rose City are one of the better dealers in Palmy, specialise in high-perfomance cars, have been involved in motorsports for years, and get some of the nicer stuff out of Japan.

Whoa, careful there Andy your looking at this with thought and logic. That kind of crazy talk is gonna get you burned at the stake for daring to question the new-age greenie bullshit. The rubbish that those driving Prius' believe, ignoring the big pile of heavy metals under their seat. Many countries, Europe, US, etc offer huge incentives to drive these types of cars, tax breaks, free rego, even cash payments. At least NZ hasn't quite gone that far. I think that not only should electric cars pay RUC but also cyclists - they are using for free something that I have to pay for and that can't be right surely??

Yeah, the acceleration due to the torque of the electric motor is quite impressive, and certainly not what I expected from an "electric vehicle" expecting it to be more like the old electric milk-floats we used to have in the UK. It has certainly surprised a number of people. Full lock is also impressive, with an incredibly tight turning circle. The bits and bobs behind the wheel are beefier than normal due to the additional re-generative braking components, when you get good at it, you can drive without ever having to touch the brake pedal and get much better range. I think they were designed, to deliberately look "different" which may explain some of the styling.

Fully electric vehicles DO have to pay road-user charges, there is currently an "exemption" in place that they don't. As in, the Land Transport Rule legal jargon of an exemption to the regulations. At any given point (that is when it becomes economic) this exemption could be lifted by the government. Just don't ask how many RUCks I have had with NZTA and various government bods about the i3....

I have heard tales of copy steel panels, but never managed to find any for sale so might just be an Internet myth. Used panels come up now and again, but the quality can be a bit variable, especially those that have to be cut off, like the rears. With prices of M3 chassis going up faster than I can save, I am seriously looking into converting my existing race car to M3 spec, as most of the panels are still available from BMW or good quality fibre glass in some areas (appreciate this wouldn't work for you!).

Good idea going with the steel panels, are you using genuine parts or have you managed to find some copies in steel?