gjm

They're a nice rim (and I like them), but AFAIK not really any more sought after than Borbets, M-Pars, BBS or other 'nice' rims.

I think these are a great car. OK, they may not get up and go like the larger-engined models, but if you're cruising the highways for 50km+ at a time, is that really an issue? (Didn't realise up to 1000km on a tank was possible though - wow.) All the refinements, and better economy. Excellent. And with no badges, who is going to know?

Alex - I can't comment on the price or value. I simply don't know. But I'd really like to see a pic or two with the hardtop on if you have any?

Nice cars... Although I may be a little biased. When you have a spare hour, have a look here.

Please keep us posted. I'm keen to hear what you find... I don't think we have any serious power loss issues with our 2002 320d, but it'd be good to know where to look in the event it does happen. Good luck.

That'll work if the seller knows what they are doing, and can actually string two or three words together coherently. If they can't, they're unlikely to be able to tick a couple of boxes in the options list.

The thinking behind the part numbers was seeing what interchangeability there might be, rather than trying to find the original BMW kit. I think this is a saloon? Regardless, it'd be useful to see if the underbody frame does fit into the touring. If nothing else, it'd be one piece out of the way!

I wasn't aware of that... I suspect a lot of aftermarket fitters aren't either. I'd much prefer to do the job properly anyway.

This is a bit of an evergreen for me. I keep coming back to it, but I've finally found time to dig a little deeper. First: a chart showing models and part numbers, details lifted from RealOEM: This is the relevant diagram, also from RealOEM: I should probably have left the compact off the chart, but the details may be useful for someone. The touring, coupe and sedan details are taken for a 2002MY, July manufacture, fitted with the M47N engine, but I doubt there will be any difference for a petrol-engined fitment. The compact details apply to a Jan 2003 model. The 'Accessories and Retrofittings' page (not shown) shows the Touring to use kit p/n 71601096674. The sedan and coupe both use p/n 71601096401. So, it appears many parts are identical and thus interchangeable. I may have misunderstood, but it looks as though the detachable part - the flat bar that protrudes from the rear of the car, complete with towball, is the same on the sedan and coupe but different on the touring - I think there is more extension on the bar fitted to the touring. The main frame which fits under the car (and isn't quickly detachable!) looks to be the same part across touring, sedan and coupe models. This would fit with the retrofitting kit, as that kit will include the frame and the detachable bar with ball. I've not tried to cover electrics at this stage. There is a full wiring kit available from BMW, which runs from the rear of the car all the way forward to the engine bay. Aftermarket installations are likely to take a simpler route of splicing into existing wiring and (hopefully!) using a relay.

I need to get one of those stands you see in hospitals... Y'know, the ones with bags of saline hanging off them. One of them with 5 litres of ATF hanging from it should do the job!

What size spacers are you running? Would you consider including them? Ta.

Sounds similar to the 'Tom Thumb' one I found on TM - that was a SCA listing. I may have a look tomorrow, if I can be bothered to go out on a holiday weekend!

Hmm. Curious. It's in the 320d, so a 5L40E. I have a Tech Service doc citing 8.5 liters capacity from dry. Maybe they aren't including the torque converter?

Yup. I'll drill a hole in the top of the ATF bottle, fit a rubber grommet and make sure the pipe is to the bottom of the bottle. The grommet should hold it secure. If I need to hold the gearbox end, I'll get some help. 8.5 litres total capacity, although some will be in the cooler and some in the torque converter. (Not sure yet if I can drain that - it's easy on the Merc.) Just need to check how much I need to put in before starting the engine - it's full when the fluid is 90-125 degrees F and just starting to leak out of the fill plug hole while the engine is running, the car is level, and the gearbox in Park. In the meantime I need to stand on my left foot, place the index finger of my left hand in my right ear while rubbing my belly anticlockwise with my right hand and chanting "Filled for life, filled for life..."

You will probably find it is cheaper (and it will certainly be easier) to buy a car with a manual gearbox fitted. Converting an E30 isn't the most difficult, and it has certainly been done before, but it will cost at least twice as much as you think it will. You say it's your first car, but not if you've done much driving? If you're new to the roads, don't get hung up on manual vs auto. Concentrate on getting some miles and experience first.

Same thing, cheaper: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=835032001 No idea what the quality is like. So long as it works it's not really all that important!

Although this might do the job just as well: http://catalogues.repco.co.nz/#view=product&itemId=67071039&saleId=6707

I have found the sort of thing I was looking for: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=835937440 $37 seems an enormous amount for what this is - an empty 1 litre plastic bottle with a pump top! Still, it's a lot less than the $200 or whatever to take it somewhere and get the job done by someone else. And this way I can hopefully ensure the sump gasket is correctly fitted, the bolts are correctly tightened, and that half the underside of the car doesn't get covered in trans fluid. Actually, half of the underside didn't get covered last time... It took more than three weeks before the smell of fluid dripping on to a hot exhaust dissipated.

I have a set of Style 73s. Style 32: Style 73: Mine aren't perfect and the tyres are on them to protect the rims, but they are cheap.

Given my slightly dissatisfying experience with a gearbox specialist in Hamilton, I thought I'd change the trans fluid on the 320d myself this time around. In fairness, I would probably have done it myself last time had I had time and the weather been favourable. The E46... Well, our E46... Doesn't have a dipstick or filler tube for the trans fluid. This isn't uncommon (any more) - there's a plug on the side of the gearbox through which the trans is filled. The joys of a 'filled for life' implementation. This creates a bit of an issue - you have to pump the fluid into the 'box. Not under any great pressure of course, but the source container is likely to be below the fill plug. Anyone who has worked on diffs may have come across this, too. Back in the UK I had a couple of litre Castrol gear oil bottles I used for jobs like this. Nothing unusual in that, except one of them had two tubes - the normal one from the top of the bottle, and the second was inside the bottle. This meant that squeezing the bottle pumped the fluid from the bottom of the bottle rather than the top. I've not been able to find anything like this over here. Obviously there must be a way to do this! Does anyone know where I can find such a bottle? Or does anyone have any hints or tips that don't involve going out and spending anything like significant money on a dedicated fluid pumping system, or is that likely to be the best (only) solution?

I would so love to have this! And I'd teach my daughter to drive in it. Perhaps a bit noisy inside for a daily, but there's ways to deal with that. It'd be easy to say $9k is a lot of money for an E30, but it doesn't take long to add up what it would cost to build something like this. Good value, imo. Damn. Despite having been careful over Christmas I don't think it is practical (for us) right now.

Be interesting to see if the distance covered has increased in that time.

Good for at least 5 years, provided it's in the original, sealed containers. Heat from sunlight won't affect it (sunlight is more likely to damage the container) although extreme cold might.

I saw a Ute with a bumper sticker that said "I am a vet. I drive like an animal." It was only then that I realised how many gynaecologists and proctologists there are on the roads... ;-)

Black Kia small(ish) SUV on SH1, northbound, yesterday. Locked into the right hand lane at 80km/h. No, 85... 90... Brakes! 80km/h... 85... 90... 93... Brakes! 80km/h... Chinese woman driving it looked absolutely terrified.