E30 325i Rag-Top

A good ambitious project, and a great base car, good luck!

My experience would suggest a couple of niggly little problems that frustrate the hell out of you for a while which will push up the beer count, there fore my entry in the sweep is 211 beers.

Told you these M3s were good value.

This one's gone up $2,500 in only a couple of weeks, not a bad return on investment

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-206187673.htm

I think I'll stick with my replicas at that price.

Sure they are real and very rare, but that is a lot of coin for a small difference (in my book anyways).

Part exchange for a WHOLE 325i E30 on the add says is all really??

Happy Birthday, you old w@nker

I trust you will be enjoying a wine or two on your special day

Excellent stuff, thanks.

Anyone know if there are any E46 CS models in NZ? Were they sold here new, I've only heard of them before in the UK?

A rough price guide for the CS v CSL v Standard?

Yeah its surely not Craig Baird. Baird is based on Gold Coast anyway,

But Baird is the NZ GT3 Champion, who apparently drives this Honda ?

Maybe he just picks the Honda up when he flies into Auckland !!

HA HA HA HA HA omg i know that c**t!!! white honda integra type r?? to be fair he is the nz racing champ in the gt3 series but still i think his honda is fagged out.

Are you telling me that Craig Baird drives a fagged out Honda ???

In the freezer.....

...in the dry ice box?

Sorry mate, couldn't resist. Will check where we got ours from at work, how much you after? Is it for a 70's style mobile disco smoke machine?

A bit of a bodgy one, but I have had this problem before and the way I got round it was to turn down the stop cock a bit to restrict the water flow! It's normally a high water pressure issue, combined with lots of tees in the plumbing system causing blind ends. Restricting the flow a bit helps restrict the pressure and stop the pressure waves caused when the tap or valve is closed.

Not very technical, and not really solving the root cause of the problem, but cheap and easy to do

99% sure you don't need to be certified to do structual welding, as long as it is seen to be of an acceptable and safe level.

We do all our own welding on our track/rally cars and any one of them would pass any inspection.

There has been a lot of tightening on regulations around welding over the past year or so, any welding required to be done for a WoF, suspensions, seats, belt mounts, etc. needs to be done by a NZS 4711 (or higher) certified welder. What can look like an acceptable and safe weld can have no penetration at all and no strength.

Back on topic, I am surprised your welder didn't come with a bottle, or at least Mitre 10 had the option to offer a bottle. I used to get mine from the local pub when I was in the UK (they use CO2 to keep the beer), finised off the Co2 then re-filled with Argon or Argoshield (a good all round welding gas).

Shouldn't be any hassles with a BOC account, just name address, couple of bills. Only need more info if want a credit account. My 2c, been more than happy with BOC as both a big and small user of a number of gasses. Guess it all depends on who is running the local branch though.

As it is only round the corner, and I'm semi-seriously looking for an E30 M3, I did go and view this one.

It is a very, very original vehicle in very good overall condition.

I am looking at an M3 that I may possibly set up for racing, and when I told the seller this he was pretty horrified!

Plus points on this car:

- LHD +++ for originality with me any way

- dog leg gear box

- leather interior - immaculate

- straight and original body

Not a minter, but very original.

Dodgy what?

..parts?

..traders?

..people??

..roads??

..acid ??

I might have to set you up as a "favourite seller" on Bimmersport at this rate!

As you say sensors for these, I'm guessing all are electrical gauges, not mechanical right? Have you had chance to test them out to see if they are working ok?

Also, what size are the dials, 2"?

Don't worry, it's only Glenn & Lady525, so they must be "flirting" again

It's obviously changed a bit since my day...

Didn't have e-mail and computers to flirt with in them days, but at least you knew what they looked like before you got too far into a hole

He wasn't in a Ferrari, but one of my mates managed to rear-end a Cop car right outside the pub

Did he get a huge cheer from the crowd of onlookers when he got out to talk to the rather angry officer

Luckily he wasn't over the limit, or being silly, but trying to sort his seatbelt out. Still got a few points and a fine though, but his reply "still worth it" for all the drinks he got bought in the pub over the next couple of weeks

Wonder if anyone in the pub offered the Ferrari driver a drink to calm his nerves?

Jesus those wheels are nice

What fitment are they and what vehicles (bit of a wheel noob, sorry) I'm not sure on all this ET stuff yet!

Don't forget the over 20 years old loop-hole for imports!

As this car is over 20 years old now, or will be soon, as its a 1989 (goes on first reg. not build date though) you would be able to import without the need to meet impact regulations, etc.

From UK, shipping would be about GBP 1700 = $4675, plus MAF steam clean, VIN, etc approx $1200

Then you would have to add import duty and GST on top, which would be about $3k off top of my head.

And any costs to meet compliance, brakes, lights, seat belts, etc. allow another $1k

Rough total = buy price + $9875.

Unless you know the bloke, that knows a bloke, from the other thread, that can get cars imported from the UK for $750

Have fun mate!

Just remember to keep a gummy on it !

Got sent these pics from our resident Dirty Drifter at work, hence the titles "real BMW".

Not sure why anyone would go to those lengths to modify a 3-series for drifting, and as for putting a 2JZ into it as the engine transplant - I would have thought the body would have rejected it?

It has a certain presence about it though, and would look quite intimidating in the Open Class Racing, so not all bad.

Cheers for the info Mark. I will get some one to look at my bores and see what size they need to be opened up to and whether these would be the go, take your point about the price of the other options!

If I remember right you can get away with over-sized rings on a smaller piston, but it's not ideal and is only a short term option.

$395... and if the race series follows that of the UK then these will be worth 3 times this as they are almost impossible to find..Hmm thats a thought maybe i should advertise them on the UK series forum

Which engine are these from, pre-f/l or f/l? Can I fit them into a pre-f/l within the rules for season after next?

Still trying to get my head around all this flat top, high top, higher top stuff

Not to naysay but very very very few cars can be considered an investement, buy one cos you love them, not because you think it may go up in value.

I'm not suggesting that an E30 M3 would be an investment, before or after maintenance costs, but they are worth more than some people on this thread think.

Depending on how deep the current world financial mess gets prices may drop a bit more, but I don't think they will go much lower.

E36 M3s are still dropping in price, more expensive to maintain and more common and E46 M3s are falling even faster!

Well I know mine is !

I have no idea of the total numbers of cars made which would give an indicator as to the rarity of them, but I would expect it to be lower than most of the E30 range as they were only produced from the end of '86 on-wards.

Certainly in the UK there were limited editions and models within models which are rarer overall. The smaller engined versions, 318 especially, I think detracted from the overall collectability of the model.

Personally I would say it has to be a six cylinder, particularly with the additional weight, and a manual (majority were autos from what I have seen), in the pre-facelift. But then I am biased....

Mate, just remember growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional!

So you are agreeing with me then

I was saying they are a comparative bargain. Have you looked at the price of a Group A Walkinshaw of Falcon GT-HO Phase III

lately..

And I am totally aware of the racing history, they could even stay with the R32 Nissan Skyline GTR and Sierra RS500 Cosworth on a tight circuit.

Oops, yes, I think I am agreeing and trying to point out to others the error of their ways.

The price of some of these Aussie muscle cars astounds me, basically due to what else you could buy for the same price - nearly AU$1 million for a XY GTHO Phase III (with NO race history), you are into some serious kit.

Personally I think the Aussie stuff has peaked, due to the buoyant economy meaning there are lots of guys who have now made some big bucks in business who want to buy up their dream cars - namely GTHOs, Monaros, etc. which exist in very low numbers, even for the road versions.

I cannot see this being repeated in the future and the global interest and world market for an E30 M3 will only push the market higher over time, especially for cars with race history, etc. If only I can find one...

Then I will be torn between putting it on the track or keeping it original..