gjm

I was finding cars of similar age! The huge disparity in 'new' purchase price is remarkable given the (now) difference in s/h asking. Pagoda? ❤️ Lovely car to look at, terrible things to try to drive with any sort of enthusiasm. Hasn't stopped them becoming expensive beyond 'normal' pockets - there's one on TradeMe now for $380000. Sounds high... But so do asking prices for E30s. To me, at least. based on playing with them for 30-odd years. The R129 is one which will likely appreciate soon. The R107 which it replaced has already become expensive in some cases, but (like E30s) prices are all over the place. The Mercedes will probably take longer to appreciate in value as they are not regarded by many people as an economic car to own - the E30 is very much a people's car, and one which is fun, fairly simple, reasonably easy to maintain, and in (relatively) plentiful supply. The Mercedes had lower production numbers (although often longer production runs), cost a lot more when new, and has a reputation for being expensive to live with.

That's because the rose-tinted glasses are off. They've been there, done that, and won't pay the premium prices for something which is likely to cost more once bought. E30s are very poopular, as prices show, but most seem to be being bought by first-timers. Generally very reliable. Not necessarily the 'glory days' - that was perhaps 10 years earlier - but they're good cars. The R129 was made for over 10 years so there's lots of choice. Most of the engines are pretty bullet-proof provided they're maintained correctly. The M104.991 in the SL320 does suffer from a biodegradable wiring harness in the engine bay, but sort that and they'll run for a million miles.

E30s selling at $15k+ are now double the price of a slightly newer, similar condition, Mercedes SL320. One of these cars was $270000, new.

I saw a set of sports seats for sale on the south island - needed some work. $1200 IIRC.

From factory with Sports front seats, M-Sport suspension and 25% LSD.

Well, it's all over bar the official notifications, which will probably be tomorrow. Learn. Move on. Keep eyes on the horizon. Time to find a new place of work. A new role.

And there was me thinking it was 'character'. Perfect and immaculate for year.

Think I'm sorted. I have two pairs of these. Biggest issue is getting the car high enough to get these underneath!

Jon - y'mean last year...? $2k cup. E30s. Not a chance these days.

Meh. Another 320. 6 cylinders... 50% more servicing! (Does look quite sweet.)

Ohhh yes. I had a Lister 7.0 (no superchargers) XJ12C. Arches bulged like a bodybuilder on a diet of pure steroids and protein. I thought that was a monster - heaven knows what this is like!

I lost track of model nomenclature when the 3-series got 3 designations! But yes - I was referring to the F20. 👍

This is - surprisingly to me, perhaps - proving to be a popular option. The facelift look is definitely preferred. Other options have been a Porsche Cayenne 3.2, a Mercedes CLS350... But the 116i is certainly the 'sensible' choice.

I was wondering if it was a Chrome update issue. But if the SSL cert has expired - that would would explain it.

If I was (a lot) closer, I'd say "Please!!!" What a great offer.

Miss M is keen to replace her E46 318i. It's been great (thanks Andy!) but she comes into some money shortly, and would like to spend up to $10k on upgrading. Lots of nice-looking options, but (as the family motor mechanic) I've read the N-series engine horror stories and really, really don't want to repeat those experiences. Performance is not the goal. Reliability is paramount. Automatic gearbox. It must look nice (superficial, but it's not an unreasonable requirement.) Economy is desirable. And, of course, being nice to drive. An E93 sneaks into the budget and is perhaps unsurprisingly a popular idea. Not a wagon. A newer 1-series might be nice, but the old one is described as 'meh'. Lots of E9x 320-type cars around, but the 4-cylinder ones are all N4x, and I've heard similar bad tales about the 6-pot N5x. A facelift 1-series with the N13 (or similar) could be in budget - is there a guide to evaluating chain wear? Or... Other suggestions. I'm keen on the Mercedes W204 and there's some very good-looking, lower mileage examples around in budget.