E30 325i Rag-Top

Are they genuine wheels? If so check the Schnizzle web-site.. http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/ If you can find them on there, and they are still available, get the part number and take it to your local BMW Parts Department and they can get them for you.

Use a good quality Gear Oil, from a named brand, EP80 I think is the grade and you will be sweet. The principle is you keep pumping it into the filler hole until it comes back out at you - that tells you it's filled to the right level!!

That guy does bring in some very nice cars. I'm not a fan of Porkers so I would prefer the nice Escort Cosworth for much less money..

Before you buy the 320i take a 320d for a test drive, especially if you are interested in the fuel economy!

I think all that fiddling with your stick is starting to affect your eyesight, again you are incorrect. Cut from the BMW US web-site.. So infact the US version is an auto as standard, and not only that the cheeky buggers don't give a rebate if you select the manual like we do here in NZ - even more of a discouragement from buying a manual. Twisting the facts to say it's included. I have no problem with people having a preference for either one, manual or auto, and would normally keep out of the argument, but when things are put forward as facts to back their argument that are wrong I tend to bite. I can't even be bothered getting into the sports suspension argument been done too many times before. Love, peace and harmony

Thought it looked like Carbon Black (the M-Sport only colour) which does have a blue/green pearl in it in sunlight which I really like. Checked it on the VIN decoder and yes it is CarbonSchwarz. I would certainly rock that car, very nice!! VIN long WBSBR920X0PM95386 Type code BR92 Type M3 (EUR) Dev. series E46 © Line 3 Body type CABRIO Steering RL Door count 2 Engine S54 Cubical capacity 3.20 Power 252 Transmision HECK Gearbox MECH Colour CARBONSCHWARZ METALLIC (416) Upholstery TEILLEDER W.N./ZIMT (N5ZM) Prod. date 2004-01-15

Errr, I think you find there is pricing for manual gearbox in there for ALL models that are available in manual. I just pulled this off the web-site Option Pricing / Spec list for the 3-series.. It is in there if you look. If a customer wants a manual, and the car is actually built with a manual then it is available. As for waiting, 99% of customers that want to "build" their own car to exactly what they want (as most new car buyers do) have to wait anyways due to the huge number of options making it most unlikely that the EXACT car is already in the pipe-line. Each to their own, maintain your belief system and bang that drum. Peace out.

That model description suggests your car is an import to me and not NZ new?VTNZ can't change the description, but some twat at BMW could, if you asked them nicely.

Best hold on to your old manual boxes - there won't be any new ones being made in the very near future!

Best hold on to your old manual boxes - there won't be any new ones being made in the very near future!

Some of the ads out of the states are pretty funny surprisingly. Check out the Jaguar one taking the piss out of Mercs dancing chickens on youtube

I am comparing apples with apples - the current auto option with the current manual. Just because the manual is limited shouldn't detract from the advantages of the auto.

Lighter - probably yes, six gear sets in a manual, eight in the auto.Cheaper - again yes, less complexity as less gears. Fuel consumption - no, the auto gives better economy as 7th and 8th are overdrive ratios. More durable - never heard an auto crunch a change, stall or burn a clutch so don't agree there. More control - well the ECU is in control not you either way. If you want to think you are in charge knock it into M or use the paddles, it will still change faster than you can! Multiple driving modes to change shifting points and speeds etc for you to choose. Performance? Faster acceleration - more gears, closer ratios and again it swaps them faster than you can. Do you flat shift your manual? Heel and toe the downshifts? If no, then why not? That's what the auto can do. So yes, moved on, a hell of a long way from the old clunky Jatco E36 boxes. That's why 99.5% of New Bimmers have autos, in models that can have the manual at a cheaper cost.

So much "the earth is flat and I'm a caveman... Must drive stick" News Flash - The world has moved on...

Just got a couple of things to sort out now - got a driveshaft but the front section needs lengthening and the exhaust headers and system. Both of which I will need to pay someone to do for me as I don't have the equipment - so that's the only hold up - money, grr! What car are you looking for the M20 for Bruce? You got another project on the go?

Hey can you post up a pic of the spacers? I take it they are wheel spacers...

Very true Geoffrey, but then what do I do? Pedal it down the road??

I have quite a few M20B25 bits and bobs Bruce, AFMs, ECUs, airboxes, etc. if you find a bare engine and need these bits they could be yours for cheap. Only B25 I have at the moment is in the 'vert and I'm using that I'm afraid!

Is this for your M3? Lots of info about Alpha-N on s14.net (when the site is up - was having a few issues last time I looked). It is very widely used with the CF air intakes and lots of people on there certainly rave about it - for road and track cars. I'm not running it yet with the S14, staying with the factory ECU for now, but it's high on the list of mods to make in the future. From what I have seen the cost of the system is pretty good in relation to the other piggy-back systems, and there are lots of maps already set up out there which you can start with (or run with) and from what I have heard it is relatively easy to tune (although it really needs Dyno time to do properly - which can add to the cost). I was going to run it past Gavin @HiVelocity before finally committing, as I would definitely be using him to do the tuning.

No offence, but I don't think the NZ industry was anywhere near the same scale as Aussie. Comparing the factories here screwing together CKD kits with the plants in Aussie (and quite right - supply chain as well) is chalk and cheese!

The Toyota factory in Melbourne (Altona) only builds two models - the Camry and the Aurion (which is just a V6 Camry anyway..) the majority of which were exported out of Aussie, a handful of Aurions to NZ and the rest were Camrys to the Middle East. So the changes in the value of the Aussie dollar, were killing the cost effectiveness of the car. Once Ford and Holden had announced the closure of their plants there was not enough volume in the whole market to sustain a full supply chain, so it was only a matter of time before Toyota had to pull the pin as well. Unfortunately the factory, whilst it was probably the best of the Aussie facilities, was far from being a world-class facility and needed a hure amount of investment to bring it up to a competitive productivity level (which the unions would probably have fought against anyways...) which only made the decision come sooner rather than later. It's a shame as I worked with some real good people over there, I hope they will all be Ok in the future.

I've got one here you can have for a couple of beers Rich.

Finally!! All the bulk-head wiring is now sorted. Previously mounted up the extra-relays needed for the S14, but then needed to move them into the correct position to make room for the battery terminal from the battery-to-boot conversion. I had put them in a slightly different position as there was an extra bolt welded to the bulkhead for clamping down the battery - this had to be removed which was a PITA. Hole drilled, cut and filed for the battery-cable grommet and the new terminal mount, clamp and cover mounted up onto the bulk-head in a position where all the cables can reach! Oh, yeah and a coat of paint to make it look nice to keep Hotwire happy!! Now I can finish off mounting up the header-tank which needs a couple of fixing brackets knocking up, then I can fill up the coolant at last.

Oil cooler now all sorted. The S14 always ran an oil-cooler, even in the road cars, so pretty much a must have for the race car, even in this mild state of tune. Luckily the cooler radiator fitted is the same as the one used in the E30 325i so managed to get hold of a used one of those (cheers Silver Fox). But, the oil filter and feeds for the cooler are on the other side of the engine from and M20, so had to get a new set of hoses to join it all together! First problem - the holes for the mounts were missing from the cross-member on the race car. Luckily I have an E30 front cut with the holes in, so measured off that to mark up where they need to go. Needs slots for the retaining clips to fit through - so had to mark out the slots, drill round the edge with a small 3.0mm drill then snip out the centre piece, which gives enough room to file out the correct shape. Then a quick touch up of the bare steel with some paint to hold off the tin worm, clips in and mounts screwed into place - lined-up first time, all done!!

No worries Josh, no secrets here! I wasn't sure if many people would be interested... Progress is still slow due to lack of funds and time, but doing a few more bits and pieces as I can, will post some pics up now.