elmarco

Try BM Workshop in Grey Lynn. Not exactly west Auckland I know, but they are a BMW specialist....

Nice Mini Fen! I wouldn't recommend State to anyone.... They like taking the money, but do everything on the cheap when it comes to fixing anything. Try ringing around - I have heard good things about AA Insurance. You could also do a bulk deal for house, contents, other cars etc. I think most of them are OK with some mods as long as you declare them up front. Obviously, if you shoehorned a blown big block chevy in there they would say no, but other stuff (as long as it is legal) should be OK. Worst case scenario, you get a certification report from a registered engineer if the mods are serious. They really get tetchy when you modify the car after they have insured it or don't mention the mods and then make a claim.....

Eeek! $2k per bumper! I was more concerned about the wheels initially.... Just wanted to make sure that they don't use different rear guards etc for the wider M-sport wheels.

Not a Dr, but that is one bad case of galloping knob rot. OUCH!!!! As Ren + Stimpy used to say "don't wizz on the electric fence" - good advice that this guy could have used. How far did he jump??

Hotwire sounds on the money to me. Only time I have had anything like that is when some crap (rust, water etc) got into the carb. Could be from you running the tank really low (or the gas station running their tanks really low), or could be the new fuel you put in was contaminated like at that gas station in Tauranga mixing diesel + petrol a couple of weeks back.

Thanks Yuen. Thats what I thought, but just wanted to check before I do anything rash. Cheers, ElMarco

Hi Avenged.SSE, Lighting 101: a bulb filament produces white light, and you need to filter that to give an amber signal (white light is all colours combined). In the case of the OEM indicators on your 525, the amber lens filters the white light to amber. Changing this to a clear lens means you need an amber bulb (the glass of the bulb is amber and doing the filtering). What makes this difficult is amber bulbs use a different coding pattern than white bulbs - so changing may require not only new lenses and bulbs but a new wiring harness as well. Sanding the lens will do nothing except ruin a perfectly good lamp - the plastic is amber all the way through. It is not a coating. Indicators must be amber (by law) - using a white P21W bulb with a clear lens is actually illegal... Xenon lamps must have a washer system and Yuen is 100% correct in the reason for this is to ensure the glare to other drivers is minimised (Xenon lamps have incredible intensity although they are only 35W - the light is much the same as an arc welder). Likewise for the self leveling system, although I'm not sure if the standard sensors will operate Xenon lamps (if your car even has them). In NZ you need to conform to the Australian Design Rules (ADR's), which for most applications are the same as the ECE (European) regulations – requiring washer systems and self leveling. The OEM lamps (Hella I believe) are pretty damn good as standard - not like the dark ages of the 70's, 80's and early 90's. And as Allan says, Xenon is kind of pricey if you are after aesthetics alone - not only are the bulbs super expensive, but so are the ballasts and they are all computer controlled (not only in the vehicle’s body computer, but they have their own smarts as well). If you are dead set on changing the headlamps, call Hella and ask them what’s available - they specialise in automotive lighting. And if you need more high beam herbs on the open road, fit some aftermarket driving lights (Hella should be able to help out with that too)....

You should give Hella a call. Not sure, but $300 USD + freight sounds overpriced. And you need to make sure they are suitable for NZ - the dip is on the wrong side if you get them from a LHD source (like the US or most of Europe). Try http://www.hella.co.nz/?t=33 - never hurts to ask the question, and they will price in NZD. Bodging headlamps is a messy business no matter how careful you are. Looking cool is one thing, but you do rely on them to see where you are going afterall.....

Hey guys, Does anyone know the differences between a standard E46 coupe, and the Motorsport version? Is it just cosmetics like spoilers etc? More importantly, will the Motorsport wheels fit a standard E46? I ask as I know they use wider rear wheels. Cheers, Elmarco

Thanks for the offer Hybrid - I'll let you know. I really do like the factory Motorsport wheels, so was keeping my eyes peeled for some second hand (I did see some a while back on trademe for $1000, but foolishly didn't get my A into G fast enough). The cheap option is to get mine repaired by someone like wheelfixit - but I don't know how reliable the repairs are long term. The kerbing is bad (as in, lots of it) but the wheels are not damaged otherwise. I know there is a hell of a lot going on in the background with these things - the old VR6 was bad, but the E46 is on a whole other level. Given, it isn't quite up there with a Maybach, but everything you touch in these is talking to the cpu at some stage. Still, thats one of the reasons I bought it - those extra features are what makes it a gucci ride!

Titanium silver - it's a great colour to keep clean! Thanks for your suggestion - might give it a try.

Yeah - Sandstone Rd disappears real fast when you open it up!

Thanks Moktar - I'll give them a call on Monday.

Try this... It isn't anything special, but gets me around. Looks like some muppet before me has done a good number on all 4 wheels - so I need to look into rectifying that situation too. A man just can't leave his machinery looking like that!

What were the 17's? I might be in the market for some to fit my E46 330ci (so not the genuine M3 wheels - I believe the offset is different).

Hey fellas, elmarco here. I've just taken the big step of ditching my mighty VR6 Golf for the oh-so-much mightier E46 330ci. Always loved the E36 + E46 shapes and finally scraped enough cash together for my 1st beamer. Ze Germans really know how to design ze cars, ja! Now I'm looking for a towbar - anyone suggest where I can find one (apart from the obvious dealers and Best Bars)? Cash is a bit tight, and $1500 is tough to swallow for the factory one! Cheers, elmarco