gjm

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3590767021 Usual auctioneer spiel around rarity, "guaranteed interest" and so on, but it didn't sell in their April 10th auction.

Just seen a listing for a FL 320i 4-door manual (converted from auto). Some damage to the driver side front door, some leaks from engine sump and gearbox, ignition can require 2 or 3 turns to contact, alignment required. Asking $10k. Looks pretty good. Leather seats (possibly a retrofit) would benefit from work but look OK.

Yup. I'm working with eRoad, Navman, Blackhawk and others. Folks using those systems will be happy - their monthly bill will (temporarily) drop. They don't buy in advance as the systems automatically order RUCs for them.

10000 can hardly be an unusual number of RUCs to buy. It's the commercial bods who are looking to acquire 12 months' of RUCs when they'd normally do t (perhaps) 3 months a a time that they're looking to catch.

Price of diesel closing on price of petrol is ludicrous.

Some years ago, we went to look at a Golf GTi the same company had. "Completely original" apparently, even if the suspension was a bit low-looking. Test drive revealed an assortment of suspension knocks and a pull to the right. Back at the yard and the WoF was barely a week old. Sales person just walked off when this was mentioned. I phoned later in the day and whoever I spoke to was completely disinterested. Now, they do have several branches and I suspect that the quality of cars and personnel will vary from location to location, so hopefully our experience is not normal.

As Nick said - the N4x engine happened. Up to model year 2001 you had (for example) the M43 engine. Not perhaps inspiring, but capable, competent and generally reliable. After that...

Beautiful car, lovely engine, drives so well. When it's working. Perhaps I'll stick to pre-2002 E46s.

One of these, or half an E30? It's a lot of car for the money. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3559019551

And still well north of 400hp. The tech is amazing. But yes. If I was buying a C63, it'd be the full-fat, 6.2 V8 version.

Uhmericans, insisting a gallon is 3.7l. Well, in the US, where gallons and pints are smaller than the rest of the world - yes. Elsewhere... No. Then compounding the nonsense by insisting that 128fl. oz is a gallon, and as such is fine... These people have obviously not done their market research, or they'd know the NZ Weights and Measures Act specifically states all measurement are to be in the metric system. But no... They right. (I'm feeling especially grumpy. )

Another unfinished-looking front end, this time on the 760i xDrive.

f**king oblivious idiots. That's the drivers in their little metal boxes, and the NZTA in their offices decreeing roads should be bounded by wire ropes. Heading to work yesterday, I see an emergency services vehicle exit a roundabout, about 400m behind me. Headlights flashing, emergency beacons doing their thing. And useless f**kwits in their cars paying ZERO attention, blocking progress. Maybe not deliberately, but just because they are so unaware. When I pulled to the left, a couple of vehicles overtook me, looking across at me and shaking their heads. Only then did the wailing of sirens, flashing lights and so on get through into their little worlds, and one truck actually hit a barrier when he pulled to the left so violently he lost control. Paramedic driving the vehicle was remarkably calm, and the vehicle slowly makes progress up the road, fighting every single car it comes up behind, until it encounters a large truck and trailer, who has nowhere to go. Barriers mean there's nowhere for him to pull over or get out of the way. Slow vehicles in front of him are stopping him accelerating at all (I heard his horn a couple of times, but that was probably a bit pointless), so there sits our paramedic, waiting for an opportunity to make any sort of progress.

Saw pics of the i4 today. The X7 looks OK-ish from the back, but the i4? Well, here's the front. And the back...? It just looks... Unfinished? Certainly not something that'd make me want to take a last glance as I walk away. Probably a great car to drive, though.

I like two tone! Mercedes from the 1960s looked superb, imho. In the ugly vehicles department... Anyone else seen one of these on the road? I've seen smaller vans!

😮 Could be. Looks too snug to just be sitting in the corner there.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3555911173 Reads - lack of info and wording used - like someone who has picked up a E30 cheaply and is flipping it. Of course, I could have massively misinterpreted that! Decent car, in what looks like decent condition. $25k decent...? No idea. There have been several $25-30k cars listed recently but most appear to be being relisted.

They are a great car. So comfy. Timing chains are fun. So many guides...

Tools. The price of them, in NZ. Take hose clamp tools. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/building-renovation/tools/hand-tools/pliers/listing/3546065846, for example. I'm buying an identical set from Germany. EUR37 + shipping. Less than NZ $100 all-up.