E30 325i Rag-Top

My god that is just horrendous - plain wrong in so many ways. Is that even for real, or some kind of twisted joke that I don't understand?Almost as weird as the big old 7 series on TradeMe that the guy has stuck a "Hybrid" badge off a Honda on the back of - why would you???

Ah, ok didn't read your original post quite right! I would have thought that selling on a vehicle within a year would have made the re-sale more important, doing it on such a short term, if you're happy then not an issue.If you're looking around 2009 then LCI won't be an issue the change was much later on. There is a pretty significant difference on the "standard" spec features between 730d and 750i models (in NZ certainly), but the 730d could be optioned up to the same level. Good luck with finding a new 7! And yes, there are is whole second batch of Govt. cars in use at the moment which will come to market in the reasonably near future - I think they are all F02, LWB versions though, I know at least some are. You could sit in the back and get the wife / kids to drive??

The official line is the M badge is fitted to a car that has the FULL Motorsport Pack fitted as an option, this is the option S337 listed on some of these VINs, this pack includes the body, kit, interior, headliner, badges on sills, M style alloys, steering wheel and the sport suspension (but this can be taken out of the pack for those that want a softer ride). Also, not all body colours can be selected with M-Sport pack and some colours (like Monte Carlo Blue) are ONLY available with M-sport packs.So in the case of the car with just the suspension option, no this would not have a badge from the factory, no a 116i with one option would not get a badge Clinton (and the S337 Pack is not available on the 116i either!). It's a bit like all the knock-off Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Luis Vuiton, Rolex, etc. it gets to the point where if people see the badge they think it's fake, even if it's genuine. If you are buying it just for the badge, or putting the badges on for effect, then it kind of defeats the object. Personally I preferred the M-Sport version as it makes it an overall more attractive package to me.As for putting M3 badges on anything other than a genuine M3, that is blaspemy to me. It is just about all I can do to stop myself ramming the E46 318i Wagon that has an M3 badge on the boot when I see it most mornings!!

That it would Bruce, that it would! So would your black one mate ! I've got the race seat, just need the M3 and cage to go with it... I see the red one in Nelson that's been up for donkey's ages as well has had the price dropped by $3k as well. A sign of the market at the moment I guess, not a lot of spare cash around for classic cars, even E30 M3s.

Lots of threads on here about bringing cars in from the Uk, shipping, VAT, etc. have a search. There has just been a facelift, sorry Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) on the F01 so you might want to check if these are pre-LCI models, might be why they are so cheap. It might be worth re-considering which model you bring in as well, a "low-end spec" 7 is hard to shift, even as a used car, and will really badly affect the resale value. A few more pounds to get a better spec model may pay back overtime (and give you a better car to enjoy). There will be lots of ex-govt 730Ld kicking around in a while as well.

I'm pretty sure Indicators are an option on ALL M3s, let alone CSL ? Tom (M3 CSL) might want to confirm??

The car has been up on TradeMe for a Looong time. In an earlier listing the seller did mention that the rear seat and the door cards had been re-trimmed in this "interesting" design. Certainly not a US spec.It looks and sounds to me like the car has had a "restoration" at some point, re-trimmed interior, new wheels, re-sprayed body work (outside only, not inside engine bay in the difficult areas). Whether this was done to cover up some issues, or to improve the car would be a something to look at very closely if considering buying. Originally the car was for sale + ORC without any compliance, now it has been complied and registered (and the price has gone up $1500 accordingly) so in theory there shouldn't be any obvious issues at this point, but as for the future... who knows??

Coolest car at HQ this week, E30 M325i absolutely MINT. Pictures don't do it justice, phone camera and photo taken in the basement so not the best quality. It's got all the cool options - map light mirror, tweeter pods, OBC, etc.

Easy, this M3 Race Car. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=492480594 To build into a Jim Richards JPS replica racer. I would prefer Conrod's E30 M3 but I can't see him parting with it, plus I would be too scared of crashing such a piece of art. This one would be ideal. Come on Santa you know I've been a good boy this year.

I've been running an E46 Touring for just under two years, a 330d MSport. Bought it as a daily for the wife to drive in the week and me to tow the race car with (hence the diesel over petrol, without the towing it would be a very close call which way to go).Overall it has been a very good car for, us. Not the hugest wagon in terms of space, but you can still get lots of gear in the back without putting the seats down. It has taken a battering in terms of use from the wife and kids, and stood up pretty well - the leather interior is pretty hardy and easy to clean. We have done lots of long distance trips in it and it has served us very well. Only issue we had was with a senor on the DSC which cost a few bucks to put right, and had a tyre blow out on me for not keeping an eye on the pressure and wear! Glenn can probably give you a run-down of things to look out for that fail on E46, I had the lower control arm bushes done when I bought it as this is a common wear item. I would strongly suggest an inspection by a BMW specialist before you buy, to identify any possible issues.

Very well put! BMW is a "niche" manufacturer and not a mass producer, best way to increase sales is to develop more niche vehicles. 1, 3, X1, X5 will still be the mainstream models, the rest are incremental volumes on top of that.There are a few models missing from your list: MINI Paceman (3 door version of the Countryman) is most likely coming to NZ The two plug-in electric i models - i3 & i8 are probably coming. Plus lots more probable, possible and maybes.

Oh, how I wish this were the case... the line up over the next couple of years is going to be exploding with new series, not just replacing out going ranges but completely new models as well. Not to mention more and more engine options, hybrids, fully electric, etc.Even if we only get half the new models in NZ the range will still be mind-boggling to choose from. To try and make sense of all the models, the numbering system is being extended, to give an idea of where they sit in the overall picture. Still stuggling to get my head around an M4 though...

That's not how I am reading it at all, the part that is of interest to me is in bold below... "automakers are required to make diagnostic and repair information available to independent shops and dealers through a universal system by 2015" US consumer legislation is very good at this sort of thing, especially for non-US companies. Diagnosing the problem is one thing, fixing it is another. It does mention the diagnostic codes in the article, but then there is the addition of the second phrase. Would like to have a look at the whole legislative document. I wonder who will foot the bill to supply this wonderful new "universal system" and whether the users will have to pay any fees to access this information?

Another good reason for car makers like BMW to stop developing new technology if they have to then give away all their knowledge. If a repair shop needs to be told how to do something, are they really the right place to take the car?

Love those big slide back Webasto sun-roofs (rooves?) had a few cars with those in them over the years, as demonstrated in the second picture they are great for getting passengers, and even rear passengers to stand up through!!

Sod cleaning those bastards, my Alpina reps with 20 spokes are hard enough, those things have hundreds of spokes. Not sure about the look either, Ok on a big 7 or possibly a luxury looking 5, but not on a 3-series surely? Unless they have some sore of weird Fourier effect when they be rollin'

The thing that gets me about that list, is there are fines for the same offences over and over again, and the fine stays the same. Surely the fine should increase each time, double even, $300 first time, $600 second then $1200. So it soon escalates. Fining the same $300 each time makes no account of previous and for a repeat offender such as this obviously doesn't work.

Agreed! The replicas don't have the same amount of concave dish on them as the real thing, but then they wouldn't fit on the standard E46 if they did. Pretty sure forum sponsor Johno had some in fairly recently at a reasonable price.

As in Can't Stand Idiots ? I think the previous poster had the sarcasm font on for that one..

Look after our demo for us Make sure it comes back nice and clean!It's called Frozen Grey, from the photos it looked like it had been left in primer and the top coat missed off. Sounds like it looks better in the flesh. It will be interesting to see what these paint effects look like in a few years, cetainly wouldn't want to take it to the local Scouts $5 car wash!

A couple of doozies here on TradeMe.. Metallic pink & black 320i E36.. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-527283085.htm E93 335 Convertible in fuschia pink glitter paint.. caution may hurt eyes! http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-527255294.htm I never saw either of these when I was living in Palmy all those years... things have obviously gone down hill!!

+ Fit new stereo, steering wheel and manual conversion??

+1 Sorry Jamez, the reason lots are rocking RS's is because they look soooo good. Different is not necessarily better. But fair play for not being a sheep.

Wow, I must be the luckiest BMW owner alive then. E30 Convertible (even worse for rust than coupe/sedan) 1987 ex-Uk total owned for over 10 years, spent on rust $0.00 E46 Wagon 2004 ex-uk, owned 2+ years, total spent on rust $0.00 (unless you inclulde touching up stone-chips before they went rusty due to sh!t NZ roads - something often seen on NZ new, fronts that have been hit by shotguns!) When it comes to cars, especially those over 20 years old, there are no golden rules. Each and every car has a different life, and can be chalk and cheese even if they were built on the same day and lived in the same country all their life. Once more for the hard if hearing... look at the condition of the car, not where it came from!!

Bingo! Someone had to say it, any thread on imports someone has to quote this! Salt on roads, etc, etc. On a 20+ year old car, rust is dependent upon more than where the car is from.Ignore where the car came from, look at what it is now and the condition it is in. Any history in terms of servicing and work done, that can be authenticated, is a good pointer. But the overall factor has to be the condition of the car, i don't mean shiny paint work.. get underneath it with an inspection lamp, pull up carpets in the boot, etc. Get it up on a hoist an look at bushes, ball joints, etc..