E30 325i Rag-Top

Holden are in a much better position than Ford as they contribute globally to GM, engines to Mexico, cars into N America and Rwd design centre. That said, nothing is for ever and can change quickly in the auto industry. My bet would be that it is a bit of manipulation by GM so that the Govt. Enquiry decides it is better to give Holden $$$s rather than pay 50,000 more benefits.

The camshaft and radiator are the only ones that would be worth more than scrap value. Price of the cam would depend on what profile it had on it, is it standard? Radiator $100-150 I would suggest would be a fair price.

Isn't that the Grand Tourer concept car that was revealed a couple of months back?

Oh wow, that is so cool. Added to my Santa list to go with my other E30 M3 models.. maybe if I stop buying these I might be able to get the real thing though??

He lists it as 265/overdrive box, which I guess means it's the 265/6 which would be the same as a US Spec E30 M3 (non-dog-leg). Must be a good box if it can handle the torque of a V12, my little 4-pot won't stress it too much!!

Colour looks amazing, very good choice! Looking forward to seeing pics with the MTech1 kit on it as well, I hope the colour match on the kit goes well!!

Certainly in very good condition (if it's as good in the flesh as the photos) and if the mileage can be verified then that is a big plus. There are a couple of negatives - Japan version so US Spec (no dog-leg box and strangled by emissions gear) and not the most desirable interior with the basic cloth. A pretty good price for what it is though.

Yes, the Individual information does show up, but not on some of these external VIN decoders which is the problem here. Option code 774 (showing blank on your link) should read Individual Series 93 Japan. So this would mean it is a Limited Edition for the Japanese market, put together by the Individual Department, and as the Individual Dept are part of BMW M Gmbh and not BMW AG, then technically the guy is right, this car has been through the Motorsport Centre. As to what the Limited Edition included, and which of those badges were added by the factory and what were bought on eBay it would be very hard to find out. And as to what value, if any, that adds to the vehicle that is a whole different question.

No good for me, the wife took ownership of the hairy walnuts when I said "I do"!

Don't you start Michael, there's enough twats in Auckland doing that already!

So glad it was dark in the cinema when I saw it for the first time, certainly "got something in my eye" even though you knew what was coming.

Wow, you don't see one of those every day!!

Biggest question is how much can you pay? Are you buying or renting? Good news for you is that the new lending restrictions are beginning to slow the market, making it better for buyers!

Glad it cured your problem James, it took a full Race Series Brains Trust to come up with the diagnosis! Personally I have never been a fan of water blasting or steam cleaning engines, water and electrics do not mix, and there are lots of places for the water to get in and cause gremlins. Can be a prick to find where / what it has got into to cause the problem as well.

If you want to drive fast do it on the track, where there are no cars coming in the other direction and safety measures for your protection. A controlled environment takes a lot of the variable factors out of the equation and allows you to go as fast as you want (or can) without risks to others.. or your licence. The countries that are increasing speed limits probably have proper motorway systems, not NZs idea of rutted cart tracks called State Highways which are dangerous in their own right. I agree that the focus on speed is a bit one-eyed, the number of downright poor drivers and vehicles on the road should be taken out before such stringent speed measures. Maybe a bit more emphasis on driver education rather than punishment - explain to people what a "stopping distance" is meant to be, I can't get over how many nose-to-tail accident there are! Unfortunately this news will just mean more people wombling along straight open roads at 80-90km/h as they are worried about getting pinged for 104, does nothing for safety as pretty soon there is a long tail of frustrated drivers trying to overtake with some desperate manoevers.

Don't you mean "scratchies" pretty sure most people wouldn't want scratches on their BMW??

The Twilight series...

There are two definate signs of a blown turbo on a diesel: 1) lack of power - not enough urge from the engine to pull a maggot off a greasy chop 2) clouds of black smoke out the exhaust - and I mean clouds, not a puff. If you have neither of these then it is not a major turbo failure. All turbos have a "whine" it is a high-revving turbine after all, the blow off sound would still suggest an loose joint or leak in a pipe.

Is that the same one as before? I don't remember the other one being a 318i, and I thought it ended up with some kind of weird E92 Front End on it. Dear God there can't be two of the monsters can there???

I did have a F/L header in there with my M20 L-jet, but all the plumbing connections on the S14 are over on the LHS, I didn't fancy jerry-rigging something up with coolant hoses going all the way across the engine bay - recipe for disaster written all over that one. Just wait until I get around to the electrics Grant - then I'll be keeping you busy!! I have managed to find most of the wiring information and plugged most leads into things which fit, but I'm sure there's gonna be some fun when I flick the switch for the first time. I mean, what is an "Evaporative Purge Valve" supposed to do when it's at home??

Or maybe it could just be the translation of the German designation into the English language..??

Couple of nice Bimmers out at the beach yesterday (shameless plug I know)..

"BMWCON" has had lots of money spent on it's restoration, but it hasn't been restored to a factory standard - which puts me off it, if you could live with that interior (try sitting on those seats on a sunny day with the roof down) and auto then maybe a better long term bet. I would say over priced as well, even if it has has $30k thrown at it. If it was me then I would go for the Hellrot for a big inspection, and if it's solid then buy it and chuck a set of wheels and slight drop at it. Only negatives that I can see are the weird rear spoiler (never seen one like that, but really wtf??) and no ABS - neither of which are deal breakers, possibly negotiating points. Colour and interior combination is very nice (check how well the red paint has lasted - tends to fade badly), rear head rests are a plus, and the half leather re-trim looks good with the houndstooth. Convertibles are very much a "seasonal" vehicle sale, tend to be put up for sale when the weather gets good at the start of summer to get a better price so you will probably see a few more coming onto TradeMe now.

Cheers Grant, I did think about stripping everything out and giving it a fresh coat of paint, but was hoping to get it done a lot quicker than this - so went for the can of degreaser and a rub-down. It is supposed to be a race car after all!! Things have stalled a little of late due to cash flow problems, but fingers crossed will get a bit of a boost in the new year. Latest little issue was with the header tank, I was hoping to use the "zeppelin" shaped header from a pfl E30, but as you can see from the pic, this still fouled on the engine.. So I had to get a proper M3 / 320iS header and hoses instead, will also mean moving the battery into the boot or inside the car... more $$$ Thanks Bruce, good idea I will give Peter a call!!

Good to see that a member of the NZ legal system is better qualified to determine the stopping ability of a motor vehicle than all the designers, engineers, and testing officials that made it in the first place! I would be very surprised if the Judge in question had even the slightest idea about how, ABS, EBD, ESC etc. work on a modern car. Maybe the guy's defence team should ask him what the stopping distance of a 740 travelling at that speed would be (as he knows so much about it) and then see whether he is within half a mile of the right number? Yes the guy was speeding, but such un-informed comments have no place in a court of law!