gjm

Start by calculating the cost of importing any panels that may be needed...

That 280 is the M110 engine - great piece of work. Love it. With most of 2 weeks still to go I'd expect to see it easily top $12k. Had a 2.5-16 when in the UK. Nice car... But I prefer the 6-cylinder lump. It ought to be a 2.6, but mine has been changed... And may become a 3.4 in due course, if I keep it that long. I've had a strong of other Mercedes too, and there are several that may make a happier long-term proposition than the W201. A W114 coupe, for instance... Too much money. A W111 coupe would be perfect, but that's much too much money! (I like 2-door cars. )

I'm trying to keep the purchase budget reasonable, so certainly sub-$10k. The RS4 won't fit in hat category, although an S2 or S4 might. I'd expect eventual running costs to be a bit 'interesting', though. An older Mercedes would fit the bill, but there are far fewer of them over here (it seems) than there are older BMWs. Parts availability... Older Aussie Holdens and Fords just don't interest me, and a Mustang is way out of budget.

Very tempting... Damn - I am such a sucker for an old car!

Don't be sorry! I just find my dreams change a little too often for a dream car to be considered. Unless it's a Ford GT40, perhaps.

That's half the point - I'm not talking about a dream car. Just one that you'll enjoy, and always be happy to drive.

Many cars are fine for much higher than average mileages, if they have been looked after. Unfortunately most people buy a used car at (say) 100-150,000km, and feel they have a bargain. Which they probably have. Unfortunately they have lost sight of the fact that it was a $100,000 car when new, and comes with the running costs to be expected of a $100,000 car. And then the rot sets in - servicing is skimped, the cheapest possible parts are bought, and the absolute minimum done to keep the car on the road. Not my car though. At least, not since I've had it. Sure, I'll save money if possible, but not at the expense of quality or if it means a half-done job.

The de-cat is complete. First impression is that the spool-up whistle is more noticeable; the cats do act as a sort-of silencer. The engine definitely feels like it is breathing better. Perhaps just to say it is breathing would be more accurate? Running up through the revs, going to say 3500rpm between changes, those changes feel so much smoother than before. This could be attributed to the turbo being able to spin more freely, encountering significantly less resistance when blowing exhaust. More economical? Who knows?! To check that will take some time, but it is not unreasonable to expect improvements in that area, too. However, it's not all good news. At some point in it's less, before my ownership, someone has been under the car and had the turbo off. There's no record of this in the history I have, but hard-setting exhaust-sealant has been used when the turbo was refitted. This is a no-no - if any sealant squeezed through to the inside of the joint and then broke off, it could be bye-bye turbo. :-( This would have been done more than 4 months ago as it's certianly not been looked at while I have the car! The hunt for a replacement turbo continues. There are issues there - it sounds as though gases are bleeding past the impeller when under hard acceleration. Easing on to the throttle doesn't cause the same problem, but sudden acceleration isn't all it should be.

I need to come and see you sometime anyway. Perhaps we could have a chat?

The V8s I had put to one side on the grounds of additional complexity... Lovely, no doubt. Simple? Not so much. There's also the question of immediate affordability to be considered. An E28 535i would be lovely, but a bit rarer than the E30 M20 option! The last good one I saw was hacked about and fitted with a Lexus V8.

The TM 320d Touring (manual gearbox) sold for $10k. ___________________________________________ My 320d Touring (auto) is in the 'shop' today, having the cat removed from the front downpipe. After 380000km it is unlikely to be operational as the mileage covered significantly exceeds BMWs projected life of the vehicle... Regardless, if it is less than clogged it will be a surprise. The process is quite straightforward - remove downpipe, cut cat out of pipe, weld in a piece of pipe, and refit downpipe. This will reduce the pressure on the turbo, and hopefully allow that to live a little longer before being replaced. I'll update on any changes I notice, and so on, later.

That's about 1mph faster than a Veyron! [sarcasm] Wow! [/sarcasm] Although just keeping it on the ground at that speed is quite an achievement.

What would it be? My 320d Touring is a great everyday car, but it's unlikely anyone would buy because it so excels at any one thing. There are more economical cars available. Load carrying is OK, but could be better (even in a car of this size) Handling is good. Could be improved by MS kit, but there are better. Comfort is fine, but there is better. Parts availability - a little planning and you can get pretty much anything. May be more expensive than some other makes... Looks - it's hardly ugly, but there are prettier You get the idea. As a package though, the Touring does pretty much everything that is asked of it. Sure, I could ask for more, but there would likely be compromises in one area or another. And could any other car do it all for the same price? Possibly.. I'm not going to worry about that. However, if buying a BMW to keep for a long time, which one should it be? This is to be a second (or third) car. Take into account ease of maintenance, ready and long-lasting parts availability at reasonable prices, fun to drive, good looks.. All of the things above. Something that will make you smile when you see it in the garage. A car that you could use every day if you wanted to. But most of all, a car you could keep for the next 20+ years, and retain the attributes listed above. So, an E30 with a M20 engine? I thought of a 2002 with an M10, but body parts are getting harder to find... Still, it's an option. What do you think?

Yeah... Although my 'new' garage will have room. And a lift...

No engine or gearbox does that to a car. If it was even on this island I'd have it and drop a 5-speed manual, and a LSx in it.

I really don't 'get' why this is still for sale. It's a really good example of a desirable car. Unless everyone else is in the same situation as me - moving house in less than 3 weeks, why is it still for sale? Although I can see the sense in the cover it up, keep it warm approach... I suspect that might be a perfect solution, but I'm not sure that's as immediately practical or desirable to Blue at this time. It's a great car, loads of history, excellent condition, at a bargain price. What's not to like? :-)

IMO, the 356 isn't a patch on the 912 which is cheaper than both the 356 and the 911. It's scary how crap old cars that didn't go or handle when new are now worth so much money!

Lots of BMW race cars - notably several E30s - heading north on SH1 from Huntly. Sadly all were on trailers... There was another pale blue BMW with race decals being driven up the road too; much more modern, but I didn't quite catch the model.

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

Not just torque... The 330d can be readily tuned for over 300bhp.

Or a 320d...

The car on TradeMe has passed the point where I can consider it as an accomplice in the driveway for the Touring we have... :-( Still, it means there is space for something else. If only I can find the money to buy that something...

380,000km.

Oh, I wish... Is there such a thing as an E34 540i Touring with a manual 'box? If there is, I had best start saving!

If you're selling the car and/or not so concerned with a perfect finish or long-lasting result, use toothpaste. Seriously. It's a far from perfect result, but it makes an enormous difference for very little outlay and using materials you already have. For a longer term solution, the 3M kit (plus appropriate finishing sealant) works well. Can't comment n the Rain-X as I've not tried it.