E30 325i Rag-Top

^^ I need the name, address and e-mail, 1) to buy the car and 2) to get the guy arrested.. that it a crime!!

Hey Quinton - long time no speak, glad to see you are looking to move up from those Legnum's you love so much. Any repair like that will have a "BMW Approved" process for the panel beater to follow, using "BMW Approved" materials, and tools. None of which will be especially cheap, and probably difficult to get hold of from anyone but BMW. My suggestion would be if you want it done properly, which it sounds like if you have taken it to F & R, then do it this way, but try and haggle them down a bit on the price (if they are getting the bits from Jeff Gray then go and speak direct to then see if you can get them cheaper direct).

Nice score, glad you are pleased with it, wonder how long you will keep this one ! Nice colour combo, black on black. Wheels look good, but I think will be a bitch to clean.Checking out the build data for your car , you are quite right it is a "standard" car with a couple of M-Sport options - the suspension and the sports seats. A proper M-Sport has option code 337 M-Sport Pack, which includes a whole list of things, wheels, body-kit, steering wheel, seats, suspension, "M" badge on sill finishers, etc..

I have heard it's down to two things, the quality of the diesel fuel in Japan was not very good until quite recently, second it is perceived as being for commercial vehicles only... dirty, smelly, oily, etc. Japanese manufacturers have always been well behind the Euros, I guess because they never had the same market demands.

Be careful Dan, emissions regs change again on jan 1st 2014 I think.

NZTA Web-site lists all the requirements for importing vehicles. I think the emissions standards are now Euro 4 on both petrol and diesel vehicles. Do your homework, speak to your local entry certifier and it's not too bad. Otherwise could be an expensive paperweight. Used cars, even Bimmers are cheap in UK, especially over about 3-4 years old. Local BMW dealer will check it out for you for about 100 quid.

E30 M3s are over 20 years old, so not a problem as there is an excemption for that category (or there was the last time I looked).Do E39s have many air-bags? That is an issue I can see looming on the horizon, technically air-bags have an expiry date and they need to be replaced to comply. I don't think it has been picked up on yet by NZTA, but it has in the UK MoT testing so it will start to get 'noticed' more around the world.

Looks bloody horrible to me, looks like either a proto-type or home made special. Bloody awful!!

Some of that is deliberate.. in recent times there has been a backlash against flashy shows of wealth, so the idea is for the car to be under-stated on the outside but luxury inside. LCI has cranked it up another notch, with little external differences.

Wonder how long before it gets chipped and mapped...?

From another car dealer... ?? Maybe he doesn't understand the "auto-bid" feature??

Even with the 6-speed manual I think you will be a little disappointed with the performance of the petrol in the E90, especially up those twisty hills. E90 in 320d is much better proposition than the petrol 2.0litre, well worth the extra $$s. Wait until you can find a 320d in your budget would be my 2c Later E90 with the higher spec would be the go, but again price would be $$s Unfortunately 99.99% of the Jap imports will be petrol, for some reason they won't consider diesel in a car, only SUVs and vans.

I think this is because the old SA option info has not been incorportated into the main BMW systems. Anything built in SA before a certain date only comes up with the basic info, even the colour and upholstery codes are missing.Doesn't mean the car had no options from the factory, only that there are no records of it. Should be a good spec car, being SA built 325i.

Look for three things.. Service History, Service History and Service History. Make sure it has been done on time, and properly, not just taken to Oil Changers to have some SuperCheap Oil put in but at a dealer or independent specialist with proper oils, filters and all items necessry changed over. A pre-purchase inspection is also a must. If it's done those Kms and been looked after it's not a problem, if it's been run into the ground and not maitained you will be buying a lot of issues further down the track which will all cost you $$$

Thanks Josh... .. For adding another item to the "things I must have for the race car that I can't afford" list, Getrag 265 fit meant as well.... Mmmmmmm

GST to pay on top of purchase price and shipping at 15% is roughly $9k, so not under 65k, but not far from it. Not sure I would be brave enough to drive an M3 in that colour, wheels look good though, could be interesting when it comes to trying to on sell it!

Does that make them more valuable, or worthless ??

The cars are known as the DTM M3s, but as you can see from the photos they bare very little resemblance to a factory M3!I think the cars are pretty much custom-built from scratch in carbon fibre, to the rules of the DTM class - engine size, power, aero aids, etc. Makes for pretty close racing, but with overtaking and panel rubbing as well, not a procession.

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, or had some sort of disclaimer at the bottom of the post. To be clear, nothing I post is in any way an official BMW NZ communication or view. I am nowhere near high enough up the tree for that honour. Even to the point of using "they" rather than "we" in the post above. Trying to keep my use of Bimmersport separate to my work, as i wish to, is proving a little more difficult than I thought. My response was merely intended as the sharing of some information and trying to help a fellow bimmersporter with a suggestion of how to solve an issue. Note: any views or opinions expressed are entirely those of the individual concerned.

True, but BMW NZ don't allocate the invite list for these events at an individual level. There are a number of slots for each session that are allocated to the various dealers to invite their customers. A few slots are allocated by BMW NZ to corporate customers and brand ambassadors, that's all.The best way for you to get an invite Tom would be to have the conversation with the Sales Manager or Sales Person you deal with most regularly at your local dealer. BMW Group NZ is a wholesale organisation, they have very little direct contact with customers as this is why there is a Dealer Network to manage that part of the business. With the complaint letter to Head Office your details would have been passed on to your local dealer (and the magazine sent), for them to follow up.

For those of you that missed the announcement on CRC Motorsport Show on Sunday: BMW Group New Zealand Corporate Communications Media Release 22 April, 2013 BMW partners with TV3 to bring Kiwi fans coverage of world’s best touring car series. DTM fans in New Zealand will soon be able to see regular free-to-air coverage of arguably the world’s best racing action, the German Touring Car Masters, courtesy of BMW and TV3. The new broadcast partnership will see highlights of all ten DTM rounds broadcast in the primetime Sunday afternoon slot as part of the hugely popular CRC Motorsport Show. “BMW returned to DTM racing in 2012 and enjoyed a successful homecoming to the series, with Bruno Spengler from BMW Team Schnitzer securing the championship in the final race of the season,” said the Managing Director of BMW Group New Zealand, Nina Englert. “It was a momentous achievement considering it was the team’s first year back in the series, and the fact the title was decided on the final weekend was testament to the close racing throughout the whole of the season. Race fans should expect many similar battles throughout 2013.” CRC Motorsport presenter, Shaun Summerfield, attended a DTM round at Norisring in 2012 and is looking forward to the start of the new season with great anticipation. “DTM cars are the most extreme example of a Touring Car on the planet, and with a field of drivers from 11 different nations, including former F1 drivers and the likes of Andy Priaulx, the DTM has genuine global appeal,” said Mr Summerfield. “The DTM cars sound unbelievable and are amazing machines to admire. For me, these are the best looking race cars anywhere in the world. “They may only sport a 4.0-litre V8, but do the maths on a DTM and they boast a better power-to-weight ratio than a V8 Supercar or V8 Supertourer.” The opening race of the 2013 DTM season is at Hockenheimring the morning of Monday May 6 New Zealand time, with coverage on TV3 the following Sunday May 12. In addition to covering each of the ten rounds, a dedicated season recap highlights package will also screen in November. Details of the rounds and local broadcast dates are as follows: Round Race Date Broadcast Date (NZ) Hockenheimring May 5 May 12 Brands Hatch May 19 May 26 Red Bull Ring June 2 June 9 Euro S'way Lausitz June 16 June 23 Norisring July 14 July 21 Moscow August 4 August 11 Nurburgring August 18 August 25 Oschersleben September 15 September 22 Zandvoort September 29 October 6 Hockenheimring October 20 October 27

Or maybe even someone from their sales team ?

Lol, you didn't have to do that - I was just being pedantic. Glad you enjoyed the prize!

I am waiting on some more info on the costs when the stuff arrives in NZ. GST at 15% will be a bit of a pain, but the rest of the costs will be spread across the whole shipment which will bring the costs down per part. If someone sticks their hand up for the second engine, I'm pretty sure we could get to that figure Jamez.

Grrrr... F30 = 3-Series Sedan F31 = 3-Series Touring /rant!