KwS

Doesn't stop the trolls trying to discourage buyers by talking sh*t, like voicing their (uneducated) opinion on the asking price.

Allowing q&a on classifieds was one of their stupider decisions. Never used to have that and were forced to contact the seller to ask, which ruled out the time wasters to a degree

would be doing really well to tweak the firewall with an impact like that, clearly it's the guard that's been shunted closer to the bonnet messing up the body lines. Yes there will be damage you can't see, but that's pretty minor compared to the stuff i supply parts to fix on a daily basis.

Guess it doesnt take much to write a 130i off then, that damage would've been fixable. Does the exhaust in the boot say something about the owner that put it into a pole?

I see this 535i around fairly regularly, and its gorgeous. Totally agree that its a far better buy than an E30 (yes, i know they're two different classes of car). The only thing that lets it down in the photos is the peeling valve cover. A shame considering how tidy the rest is.

You could use a normal oil and a limited slip additive. https://www.repco.co.nz/en/oils-fluids/engine-oils-fluids/gear-oils/penrite-limslip-additive-150ml-lsadd000150/p/A1199297

These engines are known for a lot of different coolant loss situations, none of them is generally a headgasket or "crack between a valve". Stop trying to over complicate things. As @promo said (and he knows his stuff) a coolant pressure test can show where the coolant is going, but the N62 is very well known for its valley pipe leaks (and its hard to see until its at a point of literally pouring down the front). Just like the inevitable valve stem seal failure, almost all N62s will eventually suffer the coolant pipe failure too. Expansion tanks are known to split and leak under heat/pressure too. Great engines, but built to a price point, making them a POS time bomb.

I feel like I missed out now 😪

Thats something completely different to finding where coolant is going...

I wonder what is actually wrong with it then, since it must not be the frm?

Forget that, whats the 4WD 130I like? XDrive?

Agreed, the leather actually still look supple. Almost unheard of for 80s/90s BMW leather.

How is a 235/45 ok on a 7.5" but a 235/40 isn't?

Congrats, looks like a nice car other than the previous owners lack of taste. How brave are you, is there any history on the usual big jobs?

Forget the lowering, why on earth would you wrap it in that awful orange?

Well, they are pretty agricultural ...

I'd say they would fall under a SIV category, thus able to be registered now

I know a few people used to do that but not sure if that loophole was plugged.

IIRC it goes off date of first registration, not build date

Call me sceptical, but I have trouble trusting these super low KM jap imports. Even my JDM E36 with 88K on the clock looked mint inside and out but drove like a complete bag. All the bushes were perished and the Jatco shat the bed shortly after i bought it and put it into regular use.

Definitely auto, and as @Eagle mentioned, probably the dreaded Jatco being a jap import. I'm with @Ghost Chip, not what I would buy for the money, but as long as @Cab is happy thats all that matters. Should be a nice car once its had paint correction and a manual swap.

Today on "lies you tell yourself"....

The AW is desirable but I suspect there are only a few of us that want mTex. Looks like a nice enough car, and a prime candidate for manual swap.

FTFY

That old chestnut. Whats it been doing all these years of not being used? How many hours are on the engine? Whats the service history like, have all the perished rubber bits been replaced? Low KM is a have use by sellers to ask higher prices from people that want bragging rights.