RvT

This is the company to use ... I have used them to bring in a lot of car parts. The pricing is varied according to physical size but last entry was a set of 4 tires and price was around $300 but don't quote this. Matt is the Kiwi over there doing it and I believe they are shipping around 20+ containers a month to NZ !!! Not sure about current volumes with recession. They are part of the Mainfreight group and I wish I had got onto them a lot earlier. Service is brilliant. All I do is get the eBay person or company to quote me a price to Carson CA and then once set, give Matt a headsup what is coming their way. You pay the freight, GST and charges in one payment to them then you collect your goods. They are bringing in a lot of US cars for kiwis. It is easy, professional and trusting.

They are out there still for sale on fleabay $US225 + shippinghttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Brand-NEW-S...1205|240%3A1318

This is how the importers code in to be "NZ Ready". As others have said, just turn off the X band... http://www.valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt3.asp

Cheers Guys. Was allowed to get away for a boys weekend near Franz Josef doing the hunting & fishing thing. Fantastic clear skies and lots of PURE + the odd Heinie ....

If you are a virgin importer and want to learn, check out this company. Haven't dealt with the company you are talking about but they are no doubt clipping some ticket. This company is as direct as you can get as you bid on "Turners Style" auctions thru them ... http://www.kadoco.co.jp/ I have completed 15+ imports privately and changed to the above company for the last 6 cars as their service was better and a great team to work with. Process is easy and can be trusted. If you do some homework, and read about what you can and can't import on this site. From memory, anything before Year 2000 is off limits now with emmision laws here ... http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/44.html I haven't looked at importing for a year now as the $/Yen dropped from 85 down to 60 Yen / $NZ. You will find most of us casual importers are parked up as it is not cost effective to import compared with Trademe prices.

Nuerburgring is tricky to get to as you need a car and taxi / train is expensive. The Grandprix track is easy to find but the Nuerburgring Ring hangs off it and it took us 1/2 hour and stopped 3 locals to get directions to the start finish line. As it is +- 16km long and not well sign posted at all. I was expecting huge signs and directions but it was almost concealed. When you get there, there is only 3 spots to view the track and you need a car to get to them.We rocked up expecting the M5 to be running and "waiting" for customers but everything was shut up except toilets and the M5 only ran at weekends and needed to be prebooked months in advance. In the end we got talking to the guys to do driver training and they had a class going around. I paid 60 Euros and got 3 hot laps in a VW Production Golf as a passenger. That was a fantastic experience and after all the hassles, well worth the drive. Bottom line, you need to be on the track to really get a taste for what it is about. It isn't a tourist spot like I was expecting and all the action is on the track. On our first circuit around the track, there were 3 deer eating from the side of the Nuerburgring track itself. Worth going to but if I did it again, I would book a driver training course in advance (number of operators do it based at the Nuerburgring) and it would be another one off the bucket list

Everyone has covered off the main tourist items but the Factory Tour of BMW is a must and you have to book online before you go as you are unlikely to get a tour walking up to the counter in spring / summer. I believe the 5/6 series BMW factory tour in Dingolfing (1 hour by train from Munich) is superior to the 3 Series tour. We went thru it by pre booking online. http://www.bmw-plant-dingolfing.com/dingol...m/en/index.html Getting to Dingolfing is easy as you catch a train from the main train station (they run every hour and timetable is at the central train station) and it drops you off in the small town of Dingolfing. You take a 4 minute taxi ride from the station to BMW main entrance then the rest is easy. They have 1 or 2 English tours per day so you need to book in advance. I am not a car nut, but that factory tour in Dingolfing would rank in my Top 10 bucket list and I travel a lot in Europe as part of my job. If you have any queries, just PM me.

Your not thinking about changing again .... Has it been 1 month already since your last car Wife's car so I don't have any pics on the PC ... that being said, they are brilliant towing cars with the self adjusting shocks etc so I do use it a bit. Attached a couple of images that we got sent when we bought / imported it ex JP

Just one observation ... a 2.0l motor in a larger body heavy car will make the car very sluggish or slow. I assume you have taken it for a drive in which case you may be happy with the "power". A 523 or a 528 would be better IMO. When they came out, the comment at the time is that the owner must be on a real budget not to get the bigger motor. In Singapore they are common as you pay a lot of $ for road user charges on larger cc cars, hence there were a lot of 518 and 520 on the roads there with AC kits on them.

I imported an 2001 2.2l Z3 a couple of years ago. The car was great to drive but sit in one first if you are over 6ft tall. The car sounded fine on the outside but I found the power was not matched to the noise so don't expect to drag people off at the lights. If I had the choice again, I would pay the extra and go for the 2.8l motor without a doubt. Both are 6 cylinder but the power is a better match. I sold it after 12 months and bought a 3.0 Z4 and that was a fantastic car for power / performance. If you are looking around, don't be put off by the discoloured rear window. It is a $500 fix to get a new one sewn in and a lot safer to drive with. Electric seats are good option if you have a partner driving it too. Boot space in EU while tripping around would have to be a negative though. Look for the heated seat option if you are keeping it till winter lol. The Audi TT is gay but the Z3 is a male car thanks to James Bond.

Having had a Z4 in the past, I can say it is a fantastic car to drive. I used to have a Z3 earlier with the 2.2l motor but felt is sounded good but performance was lacking. The 3.0l motor in the Z4 was great and ticked my boxes as the 3.2 was rare at the time and expensive. You will enjoy the Z4 as it has great looks and drives well. The Sport button is cool as it changes the suspension and the accelerator is more touchy. I didn't know this till I read about it in a magazine after I had the car for 3 months lol. Once you have owned your first BMW, you feel you have arrived and will likely but them again & again ....

Its a very common fault with the M5 ... I wish BMW would fix the issue ... I have complained about it but no one listens ...

He's a car salesman and only puts food on his table at home when he makes a sale. If your job depended on you completing a sale, you too would be trying to get a sale before the customer shops elsewhere ... One observation is that no one would get a WOF for a car when no deposit has been handed over. A new warrant is meant to be issued with a car sale and has to be less than 1 month old. If I was the dealer, I wouldn't get a WOF until the $ came in or it is like throwing $ away if the sale falls through or the buyer walks last minute. Good luck with the purchase and focus on the fact that if it is the right car and you are happy, buy it as you will never have to see the dealer again.

Someone sent me this link which others may find of interest. http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10000278-1.html?tag=mncol

HiI had an 03 Allroad too and tried everywhere to get it converted. In the end, no one in NZ can help you, the Sat Nav is a waste of effort due to no NZ maps available for Audis. The best you can do is throw a FM band expander in. I did find out that you can pick up used radio and maybe TV tuners from wrecked Allroads in Europe. Try doing a search on eBay Germany or UK for it. Landed cost was about $NZ 700 to convert so I decided it wasn't worth it and save up for the newer model. FYI the latest Allroad does have TV working but still no programable radios - I have to put in a band expander again. The price we pay for cheaper Jap models

OK ... This is a small world ... I bought this car in UK when it had 70k miles on the clock. I had sold my e34 and wanted a e39 540. At the time, Jap BMWs weren't available and the NZ ones had pathetic specs. I hunted on Autotrader prior to a 3 week business trip and had a shortlist of nice e39s to look at. In 1 week, I travelled around UK interviewing cars until I came across this one. It was the nicest combo interior I could find and not a mark or accident in it. The guy I bought it off in Wales, had had it since it had 20k on the clock. He was 6ft tall, "black" (with respect intended) and was an office designer who loved BMWs as well as being a member of the UK sprint team in the 74 Commonwealth Games. I drove to Germany and it just sits so well on the Autobarns and was faultless. It had full log books ex UK and when I had it for 3 years here, it was serviced by BMW Chc with everything done as required. I sold it to a mate in Akl who has since sold it (to you obviously). If you are in the market, this is a fantastic car. The car is a head turner with looks and I can confirm it is worth buying. It just glides on the road and "purrsss". I don't know Adrian so this is not a setup. It was just I saw the title and thought there can't be that many individual 540s in NZ. The colour combo is superb while the wheels / Spoiler came with the car ex BMW UK. Goodluck with the sale !!!

I have sent a few Nth over the last couple of years. Option 1 - Toll - Not the safest way as old Railways mentality sometimes but is cheapest ($500 used to be) Option 2 - Jeffs - Best service & safest but dearer ($650 used to be) Option 3 - Not sure if still available but Pacifica (I think) had a sea roll on / roll off service. Cost unsure. Drive home may not be that cost effective when you have to cross the strait with the car plus the airfare, time and petrol costs combined.

If you are desperate, I may have a container coming out of Holland in the next 4 weeks....

Had the same issue with my e34 way back. Alarm would sound off in the middle of the night. We replaced the battery and all was fixed

+1 I could also use s#*&e language about people who "knowingly" drive at night with one headlight blown and endanger the lives of others out there by not fixing it.

+1 If shopping new, try the dealer and also get a price from these guys ... http://www.motormec.co.uk/

Hi WayneAt that mileage there should be minimal issues but it is a 10 year old car so it will be the other things like head light adjusters or the radiator reservoir becoming brittle that will catch you out. Not sure where you live from your profile but other e39 owners could have a look as it is not till you have owned one that you know what is right or wrong with them. A link can also help us tell you what options it has or hasn't got which helps the decision process. The best $150 to $200 you can spend (as suggested by others) is to get a pre purchase check by BMW. Don't be put off by the expense but rather use it as a tool to reduce the purchase price. If they find something wrong with it, you have proof and can negiotiate with the owner to get it fixed so you will recoup the $ straight away. If by some miracle it has nothing wrong, then you at least have peace of mind

I have a friend who was selling Owner User Handbooks on CDs for $15 posted. PM me and I can put you together

I choose AMI way back as I got to know someone high up in the organisation. What he told me is that AMI is owned by the policy holders so they are not supposed to make any profit. If they do they drop the premiums and if they run at a loss, they increase the premiums. Most other insurance companies have to make a profit of 10% for the shareholders. I like non-profit organistions FYI The M5 costs $671.57 per year and the wife's Allroad is $456.69

Thanks guys.