gjm

There's a few around. I contacted George at Advanced Chrome Platers in Hamilton and he did a fabulous job for me. (He also does wheel rim repairs.) He has (or had) a website but that doesn't seem to be working at present. Facebook page exists but hasn't been updated in several years: https://www.facebook.com/p/Advanced-Chrome-Platers-100059898652085/ I know that 10 years or so ago he was concerned that while he wasn't planning retirement, there seemed zero interest from anyone to take over the business. The business is still listed as current at Companies House.

Aside from lots of blue, the first thing I saw was "Voted NZ’s most trusted used vehicle dealership." Who voted for them?

If you can find/sort a manual M44, that would be a lot of fun.

Only thing it is missing is a full service history. Very low mileage, allegedly superb condition... Maybe a few equivalent examples in NZ, but it'll be a very few. Not really a collectible spec and that's kinda where the price is at.

I thought it was the combined total - purchase + shipping + handling + insurance. If the taxation applied to that combined total exceeded a certain amount, you'd get pinged. But that may have been the 'old' way... I thin there was a change which meant everything was taxed, but that the overseas seller was going to collect that and send it to NZ Customs...? I could be getting my wires well and truly tangled.

That's just sh!t handling at the NZ end. Often happens. Across the world in two days, a week or more in Auckland 'being processed' and a week to be delivered in NZ.

Seems the plate on my vehicle was applied at the time when the vehicle was new - it was pre-registered by the dealership (meaning they show as an owner) but the purchaser changed the plate. It has since been through the hands of 4 private owners. Anyway. My silver-on-black plates arrived yesterday. Probably some of the last that will be delivered.

Many E36s - very ordinary ones - are now in the "you want how much for this?" category.

Facebook listing (I don't know the car): Lachssilber 1988 320i Touring. . . . . . . [note: originally an auto but converted to manual] NZ new Excellent condition. New carpet throughout and new leather seats . . . . . . . [note: looking at pics, the seats really do look **new** !] Dashboard in tact Some stone chips in paintwork and small crack in paint on roof Stereo: New Blaupunkt Bremen sqr46 348k kms New WOF and Rego Firm on price No trades $28500

Speaking of Repco - they have 30% off Castrol oils. Obviously check against other sources before heading down there.

Not my cup of tea, but the very first question? Asking the seller to sell parts separately? Priceless.

Especially when Repco want well over $200 for 20l, (and that's with discount) assuming you can find anywhere with that size in stock.

Just seen an E36 5-speed manual swap kit, just a S5D 320Z so nothing really fancy, listed at $4000. Yup - just the manual bits. Not the whole car...

This. Facebook is great for soundbites and instant stuff, but finding anything older can be impossible. Forums are great for that. And F11s are nice cars.

Application for black/silver was in before November. What is interesting is that payment was taken at the time but it took two weeks for me to be told the plates weren't mine and as such they couldn't fulfil my order (yet). Given the plates were applied to the vehicle 20 years and 4 or 5 owners ago, I wonder who is deemed to own them now? (I don't recall how long I've owned it.)

I'd hope 20 years would cover it! I've gone to Licensys who (apparently) can help resolve this.

Some months ago I bought a diesel-engine 'bus'... Well, an SUV. Similar size to a small bus, perhaps. Given the impending end of silver of black plates, and the colour of the bus being dark blue, I thought I'd treat myself (and the bus) to a little vanity update. So - go to the website, and order the plates. Today, I received an email saying "We have reviewed your order and during our checks we noticed that you don't hold the entitlement to the Plate" and "Plate ownership is separate to vehicle ownership, even though you may have the plates on your vehicle, this doesn’t mean you automatically own the plates." The plates have been on the vehicle for over 20 years, and through the hands of five owners. After a little investigation I find that the vehicle was first registered on 14/07/2004, and the plate change took place a day later on the 15th. As such, I suspect someone bought a personalised plate, applied that to the vehicle when buying it new, but didn't retain it when selling the vehicle on. I thought that in that circumstance the ownership of the plate would transfer with the vehicle. Seems quite bizarre!

Suspect not: "BM World in ChCh..." suggests location. if you want something special (like this) sometimes you have to travel.

I think it could be a bit high on price but perhaps not as much as you might think. It's NZ new. Which is in it's favour. The TM listing says it is a 1987 car and imported, but a VIN decode suggests it is actually NZ new and an April 1986 car. (Hmm. VIN decode.. mdecoder tells me I've exceeded my daily limit despite my using 3 completely different networks and not have checked anything in weeks; bimmer.work just goes around in circles.) More interestingly and very relevantly, it looks like this is NOT a 535i. It is a M535i. Which is another ball game. As such, it's rarer than might have been thought and I strongly suggest making the effort to get there and look at it. (I know - Chch to New Plymouth isn't easy.)