MLee

Thanks mate. I don't know what I did there initially, but it's working now.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-729975000.htm I love the fact that these are almost becoming affordable.

I like that Dakar M3! Awesome photo. I speak a bit of German, if you're interested in the "Kommissionierliste": KOMMISSIONIERLISTE = I believe is a "Picking list" - a list of parts used in a job. Similar to a parts list on an invoice. Rechtslenker = Right hand drive BMW REGENS: Suggests it was assembled in Regensburg, Germany. Obviously in 1995. Mng = Menge = Quantity Teilenummer = Part number Bezeichnung = Description li. - Links = Left re. - Rechts = Right Durchl. = I'm not sure, but durch is usually by or through... If it's Durchland it could mean countrywide, generic part? Kopfstuetze Vorne = Front headrest Schloss = Might have something to do with a lock/fastener Seitenteil = Side-piece Klee/Rattan = Descriptions of materials/patterns, Klee = clover A good bit of useless information for a rainy day.

In fact it looks a lot like Daytona Violet, although I didn't think the E32's got that colour.

"METALLIC INFINITY BRONZE" ? Sounds like one of those places you go to after the heavy powder.

Absolutely stunning car! Everything about it is right. A head above the others I've seen on TM recently. If I could cough up the fair price, I'd be happy to look after it! It will just take a while for someone to bite... Still tough times out there for most I presume.

I must admit, mine has woodgrain on the glovebox and the gear knob, and I think that's just enough. I have always been adverse to the full woodgrain centre console piece and/or the hand-brake.

I second the vader and the woodgrain comment. Lovely car either way though. It is creeping up there in price.

Apologies, this was meant to be posted in Trademe discussions.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-721841094.htm

Stunning!

Try HellBM. www.hellbm.com

What a stunning car!

Awesome.

If anyone is interested, managed to get one through Ray at HellBM. Not working, but restorable condition.

The photos link in the first post appears to be broken. Does any one have a photo of one of these bad boys in reality?

I say nay But I'm a sucker for originality. HID's are a pretty cool upgrade, but I think angel-eyes are tacky.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-713783350.htm

That's the way to do it. They do look infinitely better than standard plates.

Bump. Anyone?

Oh yeap, cheers. I obviously didn't go far enough. Back to being just that little bit too expensive to justify.

http://www.plates.co.nz/prices/ Possibly $299 now? If so, its almost worth it.

Hmm interesting. Mine is Daytona violet and has very slight orange-peel over large sections of the car - I can only presume this is re-spray as I doubt it would have come out of the factory like that. If it has been re-sprayed it was painted stupidly well. I'm wondering if it had the paint fixed under warranty early in it's life.

+1 the above. Awesome machine. A modern classic, you won't regret it. I don't think you could purchase another vehicle in the same price range that provides such pedigree and performance. If you can spin a wrench you should have no trouble. It's not that the car is all that different from any other with four wheels and a motor, it's simply the price of parts that is quite steep. Steep enough that you shall not want the cost of too much labour on top. And in any case, definitely not labour from a stealership. I agree. The interior is also hugely important to me, and is a vital indicator as to how well it's previous owners have cared for it. Again, the cooling system - has been described as the 'Achilles heel' of this, and other euro motors. Too much rattle from the VANOS can indicate expensive preventative maintenance, and check the suspension for play as best you can as there are quite a few bushes that like to wear. I, personally, would stay away from something that has been raced unless the owner seriously knows what they are doing - as certain areas of the car are recommended for strengthening and reinforcement if the track is to be frequented (although someone else can probably tell you more about this as I'm no expert). Maintenance records are key, and ideally NZ new. Some Asian imports in particular are prone to problems related to high humidity. Otherwise: www.bmwmregistry.com - Excellent website full of info. Especially if originality matters to you. http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html - Self explanatory, always worth a look. http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30931 - More good info. http://bimmerzone.com/category/tip_and_tricks_inspection.html - The BMW Inspections I & II - albeit from the US version which is a bit different (and something to be aware of in general - they came with many different bits). Should act as good buying inspection list (as far as practicable). Look online for a copy of the Bentley (publisher) maintenance guide - which is pretty comprehensive reference material if you so desire. And a solid google search of E36 M3 buyers guide. Tons of information out there, many people have asked after E36 M3s. There are some neat looking examples on Trademe at the moment, more than I've seen in a long time. Good luck! I hope you come away with a gem.

Just out of interest, is the given an extreme example of quite a common issue with the E36's? I have heard that - although somewhat well painted - they had a tendency to peel. Can anyone confirm this?