E30 325i Rag-Top

@richw2000 Kayne Barrie would be my first port of call for anything diff related, have you tried him?

Ahh yes, the “all original” 325i Vert that has (just from the photos) non-original wheels, suspension, boot spoiler, exhaust and head unit. Does look in good nick though.

Really, when was that? I worked with diesel FIE and owned a diesel all the time I lived in UK, and wasn’t then. Whilst I’ve been away a fair while whenever I’ve been back price has been pretty close, and the RAC cost comparison shows the same view.. You’re not thinking of the agri “red” diesel are you? There are simple cost comparator spreadsheets around for petrol v diesel costs, I’ve even seen some for NZ which include the RUC component. Back to the original question @qube do you have anywhere you can charge an EV, either at home or work or somewhere else you spend a period of time? Free charging at work is the best option 😁

The “poor quality fuel” option SA858 is no longer required for NZ, and hasn’t been for some while. Pretty much everything has some form of knock sensor to adjust the fuel and timing maps to adjust for fuel quality. Most models are “recommended” for 95 but “minimum” 91, with the exception of M Cars that are 98 recommended, and 95 (IIRC) min.

Where’s the fun in that? Most of the excitement with classic cars is wondering if you will actually make it to your destination!!

Yes they will run on 91, and quite happily, but the fuel consumption does increase versus 95 or 98. It will vary from model to model and also driving style, complex to calculate which is cheaper. The big driver for diesel cars in UK was the vehicle license (rego equivalent) being based on CO2 emissions, so lots of smaller Diesel engined cars had zero or very low cost each year. Which lead to the increased demand gjm mentioned above, and then the increase in price. RUC in NZ does skew the cost calculations a lot.

I dunno, at least that is M-Sport, and the later M-Sport at that. Makes it so much better looking, inside and out, to me. Colour is a bit boring being silver but it’s not as love it / hate it as the other one. There are quite a few aftermarket additions on this one that I would have to take out and go back to factory, or better integrated after market. And, yeah, still not worth anywhere near that asking price.

Very true, the whole RUC system is very inflexible and hard to apply across many electric vehicles and there are so many different types of EV, full battery, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, Range extender, etc. Really needs a complete review, but I’ll be surprised if that happens in time, so it’ll be another square peg bashed into a round hole.

Something the government is keeping very much on the down low is the introduction of RUC on electric vehicles. Currently there is an “exemption” for these vehicles, but this is only for a period of time (and most unlikely to be extended again) and then the charges will be payable. This, along with how much you are paying for your electricity, will make a big difference in your calculations.

Auto, non-M Sport, funky colour is a hard sell at anywhere near that asking.

Really? How would you know? Have you pulled the engine / gearbox / diff apart and measured the wear? Or are you just going on the “nothings gone bang so it must be all good approach”? In all honesty the level of gain you have got from your map wouldn’t really put the drivetrain outside its comfort zone so there is unlikely to be too much difference. If you’ve been making the most of the extra oomph it’s more likely to be suspension and brakes that have had more of a working out. It’s there to try to manage one part of the vast array of emissions, not all of them. And it’s most likely that your map has increased the particulate emission dramatically so your DPF will be working much harder, and will not be managing to keep the particulate levels down where they should be. Let alone the CO2, NOx, HC, etc that will be off the chart. But hey, at least you get to rest your leg as you’ve got a better throttle response.

That’s come up real well. Will be almost invisible when it’s cleaned off.

Agreed, if you wanted a 130i that would be ticking the boxes. At that price though you are getting very close to early F20 M135i money, which is a tough call.

^^This. The 320d in standard tune (no need to map it and screw all the emissions kit) has plenty of torque and does the 80-120kph overtakes easily even when we’ll loaded up. 330d / 335d would be nice, but obviously more $$$, but not necessary. The F31 really is a leap ahead of the E91 in most aspects.

Should be fixed now, seems to be ok for me. Please let me know if you are still seeing warning messages or issues. Hi

IIRC most of the aspects of a Police vehicle are covered under the relevant sections of the VIRM - for example lights, having blue lights forward facing on a vehicle, etc. I have seen a few vehicles that replicate overseas law enforcement vehicles - mostly USA style. Mike from the Surgery in Wellington used to bring a Mustang to Manfield that had a big sheriff's badge on the doors and bonnet and was in the classic black and white style, quite cool.

Yup, that's where the holder for the "snap in adapter" or Eject box as it was referenced above, should be sitting. Unfortunately it looks like it has been removed for some reason, as this is where the button for pairing is fitted. I wonder if it has been removed to have the cup holders put back in, as they take up the same space. Did the car definately have the factory bluetooth option fitted?

@_ethrty-Andy_ lots of generations of X5s, lots of different models, and lots of different suspension set ups. One X5 is not necessarily like another. Inner rear shoulder wear is usually the first point of wear on the later E70 / F15 models, especially when they have staggered fitment wheels and tyres which prevents you from rotating them around. A lot of it also comes down to driving style, there are many that drive an X5 like a sports sedan and as a result see short life spans for tyres, brake pads and rotors.

Yup, I will see if one of the technical gurus can help...

What brand and type? Are they a “performance” tyre, or a hard wearing style? How quickly would you do the 18,000kms? If they have not been mounted and stored correctly then that’s a big difference to sitting on a rim supporting a car for all that time.

Drove the hybrid on its first long trip, Akl to Napier, total of about 415kms. Didn’t manage to get it fully charged before leaving but still managed to travel over 75kms of the journey on full electric (range at the start was showing 26km). Overall consumption was 5.9 ltr / 100kms. I was pretty impressed as it wasn’t an economy run by any stretch - 4 people, luggage and some spirited over-taking.

Found an awesome 2nd hand book in Napier today, Bathurst 1985, loads of great BMW photos included such as this one.

You might want to read up on what’s new in the automotive world, things have moved on quite a bit, especially in the world of interior finishes and technology. Sustainability is a big thing now and 90s plastics are no longer in vogue. The problem with changing things as radically as the iX is that it will always be very divisive, give it a few years and then see. Whilst the iX is not my favourite style of vehicle (ie large SAV) the ride, the drive and the tech are mighty impressive and I can’t wait to see them transposed into my favourite, the sports sedan in the shape of an i4. Here’s hoping that BMW have hit the right spot with the market, so they can sell cars and stay in business, which then maintains the supply of spare parts for our older models.

If you can put up the prices you are looking for on the major items, wheels, seats, diff, suspension, body kit, etc and pictures if not already up, that would meet the forum rules. Any smaller bits and bobs people can pm or ask on here.