Surge

Drag cars run on methanol Emma. Do you want to be a drag car? I do.

Will be going on trademe later this week.

E30tech.com is good if you're turbocharging an e30 in terms of the information they have on the site.. lots of other useful stuff too.

Go halves on the airfare, I'll take it as hand luggage. I would happily go halves on frieght. (It's not too much from memory anyway - $140 odd..)

The price includes Loom, Ecu etc (Aside from radiator) It's in a car - facelift 320i, Was going to go all the way through with the conversion but got too lazy to finish. Haven't compression tested - can be done though - the engine cranks (haven't hooked up fuel etc...) just ignition. Gearbox can be supplied for an additional sum. Location Christchurch.

M20B25 Engine, Out of a 1986 325i (Was running fine upon removal) 200+ KM's (Can't remember exact Km's, was in the low 200's) - Car it was out of took a hit to the rear quarter/side. Can supply a manual Getrag 240 (off a 320i) to suit. Selling complete engine + computer. $700 ono.

I'm always surprised by the 'bass' volume in every e46 I drive.. Must be a real technical issue...

Impressive yes, Doesn't look right though. Would be cheaper starting with the base model R34, but then you don't get the BMW interior

All I can say is I wish I was wearing my caring hat. People die all the time.

The gaurds are being built off a normal gaurd, but wider than what the factory M3 gaurd would be. The bumpers and sideskirts will be done in fibreglass, so can be custom made to suit. I haven't had much of a chance to play with these wheels but they somehow defy logic and fit straight on the front (at stock height) and the back without fouling any part of the chassis/suspension. Lowering it on them is a different story.. But hey thats why my car looks like a jigsaw with missing pieces now. All I know is that an e30 on wheels that wide looks rather indimidating, I don't think any engine that was available at the time could provide the grunt needed to back up the 'staunch' The cash dissappearing isn't a problem - I don't plan on selling this car for a long long time..

E46/newer 5? The specialist who occasionally do some of the cars here give them a light sand (after taking them off) and spray a primer that sticks to plastic and bonds with it - then a vinyl based paint (Again, a specialist item) A heat gun is used somewhere in the process aswell. The factory paint if you notice is sort of rubbery, and not just normal out of a can stuff. You could try it yourself but I'd leave it to the professionals.

If the wheels aren't painted and just polished alloy (look for machining marks) you can use mag acid (which funnily enough is an acid) with a toothbrush give it a quick scrub then wash off. If the wheels are painted you will need something with at least a little bite, caustic/solvent based.. Just make sure to take it off quickly. Often even on some alloys where the acid won't get it off we end up paiting over it with a similar colour. Works well, can't notice it. By your description it just sounds like tar, spray degreaser on them, if it runs it's tar. Just takes a bit of rubbing to get them off.

From memory E46's do. This is from working in the same building as a warrant shop a while back.. So don't quote me on it!

I thought the only reason for BMW putting twin pipes on the exhaust systems was for ground clearance, and only that. Hell even then the pipes squeeze a about a third near the rear subframe... There's definately room for improvement. Twin entry twin exit mufflers are apparantly hard to come by now, (Dad couldn't get one on his) so thats often the reason why 325's have twin then to a single. I've heard so much talk about how BMW exhaust are near perfect from the factory (not too loud, make good power), which to a degree is true - typically speaking the gains from just bolting on a new system don't seem to be as large as per a Japanese car. With anything there's always going to be comprimise be it just due to the fact of mass production.. It's definately possible to do better in some respects - BMW has done farily well - Most exhaust on 5's and 7's are stainless steel and newer 3's...

Cheers for the info Assault and Andrew. In terms of end goals for the car it is currently running Koni Yellow Adjustables, H&R Springs, all the bushes have been replaced with urethane and will likely be using a 5 series LSD (with the obvious subframe modifications&driveshaft) GAC sells a full adjustable rear end to suit an E30, so thats on the cards.. I won't be converting to 5 stud (despite the advantages) as I've got in my possesion the wheels of my dreams built to suit an E30 TOCA car. (9" front, 9.5" rear) the body is being "m3'd" to help accomodate them. Brake upgrades as you stated will be essential, I know the stock ones on Dad's 325i with me driving at Ruapuna lasted a lap before some chronic fade. The goal now is to get the body finished, the motor built then in the car and running - then work from there before I put it back on the road. It will not be going back on the road till the brakes get done. The car owes me nothing, I brought it as a damaged 318i (stuffed auto) for $400 - Sold the engine in the same week for $450. I'm intending on 'sinking' a fair sum of money into this to get the car as I want it.

Next to every serious M50/S50 boost project I've seen has O-ringed the block. Prevention is better than cure. The body work started Monday on the car so I'm hoping to have the shell back shortly (with wider gaurds) then it's onto getting the engine sorted.. In between then it's a case of going over all my links and trying to gather as much information as possible.

I thought the correct way to do it was to weld a new lip of metal on, then machine that?

A good wheel shop should be able to supply you with the correct ones. Would be keen to know if the e36's are cross compatible.

I've got two m20b20 heads - $60 each. Can Ship.

I should be over there tommorow night - I'll pick it up for you then. Ball joint separators are crap.. If you had done it that way say good-bye to the dustcap seal.. Hammer rocks.

Chris has been having fun with suspension all weekend - namely ball joints.

Handling would improve providing the shocks aren't already damaged from driving around on the lowered springs. The shocks currently are running half compressed, meaning they aren't really in thier normal useable range of travel - it's like driving with a full load of bricks in each seat.. It's not too expensive to get the shocks shortened.. No more than $150 from memory.

Without starting a "looks like" war - the front is very Camry Aurion

Nice, The block will definately be O-ringed. Where does one aquire parts like that in NZ or did you order in?

I'm fairly sure it would be something along those lines, They were off an E30 touring car, Custom made for an e30 - the front and rear offsets are different.