Olaf

A house I pass on my neighbourhood walks has been in the wars again, from the same storm you mentioned. It has northerly exposure on a hill above the harbour (though is only shrouded from Southerly by neighbouring houses). Those of you in the know will recognise that wind accelerates when it finds a hill. The house in question is around 20 or 25 years old, a former leaky home, having been sold off cheap about ten years ago, re-clad and remediated, and sold again. Now it's had the leading edge of it's second story - north-facing - curved roof peeled back like a sardine tin and folded over, about three metres worth. It's currently open to the moon, stars, and rain, with the peeled-back roof strapped down with large ratchet straps on both sides to prevent more roof being lost. Our house is pretty solid, though when that storm turned south, I has being shaken in my seat in our top story as the wind battered our house (we're exposed to the south, very close to Zone 5' design area. The winds swung around my solidly-mounted 6E Yagi FM antenna that's previously survived twenty years of storms of up to 170 km/h unscathed. It would not surprise me to learn we'd approached 200 during that recent storm.

I continue to pick away at my parts list in preparation for the engine swap. A water pump here; a serpentine belt, pulleys and tensioner there; seals, gaskets, hoses. Taking my time getting ready.

Update. PDR was done some time ago. I put air in the tyres last weekend, checked the oil (nil used), 98 in the tank (as usual), gave it a wash and removed the leaves that accumulate beneath the cabin filter shrouds [essential e60 maintenance]. Then enjoyed a club run to Raumati and back. It's a joy to drive; smooth, tight, great handling with light weight and 50/50 weight distribution, and awesome power train. Parts have arrived for the Valve Cover Gaskets (Elring), Serpentine Belt Tensioner & Pulley (INA)(and a new Conti belt for good measure), and the PCV bellows (Vaico). Now to get them sorted when we're out of the latest lockdown. I'll get the headlights polished up, give the car a thorough valet, and it may then be time to find it a new home next month. It's not getting as much use as we're not doing so many long distance trips. This car is a mile-muncher!

RE003's FTW!

too much meta discussion. where's your project thread?

Yes of course. Some may watch on as their friend prepared to toss a few thousand into the harbour because it may make them feel good, and recognise it. The rare few will encourage a more constructive alternative, such as a donation to Wellington Free Ambulance as an alternative to polluting the harbour.

@Mikan It doesn't have power increase to require hoops; is that down to change in driveshaft (from the auto-to-manual swap)? It is a rare e30 - it's tidy and not full of rust, and one assumes it's a tidy well-executed M42 swap.... it's not a half-finished, butchered car with the remains of "let's do some lows". I think you may be under-estimating how it differentiates from many on the market. Just look at the tat that Ghostchip has been looking at for more money. Tidy e30s are quickly becoming the rarity. If this gets the right owner now, to continue your mission trajectory and lavish good maintenance that continues to improve it, it'll be worth more than double in ten years IMHO. EDIT: or to put it another way, if @adro's is your benchmark, even at 50% (with a cert), you're well above the money you're currently thinking of.

It certainly will need a cert. And it should fly through. And with a cert, you should be netting well above what you're currently thinking.

The Hankooks I bought for my e60 were bought under the 'most tyres these days are pretty good'. The test results and reviews suggested they were the equal of the RE003s I ran on it beforehand. The tests and reviews were wrong, and I continue to be underwhelmed. Perhaps the Laufenns (I've heard good things), or better Hankooks would have been better. There's no replacement for experiencing the damned things. Perhaps more than anything else, YMMV. 😀

IMHO yours must be $25k and up, it's very well-sorted (whereas most of the other M5x conversions been up for sale recently are 'half finished'.). If yours is certed, and as tidy (as it surely is), why wouldn't you be looking for more than 325i manual pricing? You'd barely be able to build it for $20K.

RE-003s (as a great baseline tyre) are made somewhere in South East Asia. They're in fact very good on NZ roads, and inspire confidence in the wet.

But lord help them if they ask $17k5 to sell it eh? 😁

Bho and Vijay were excellent. They're long gone now, and I can't recommend the current mob - I stopped using them a few years ago.

I took a look on carjam and it has a new plate now. I'm picking he sold it, and it's still going.... unless someone hit a damp road on their cheng-shin tyres and lost it. Having had the love, I hope it's still going.

so @4DoorE30 what happened to this? You still got it, or sold it?

Yep, go and see the parts team at Continental Cars BMW Wellington. It's reasonably priced. Pick up some deionised water from REPCO/BNT/Supercheap, and you're sorted. HTH

agree, no need for 18's on an e46 touring. Technical: The advantage of 194's is 20mm additional track at the rear, and an extra half inch on the front rim plus offset, and zero rubbing/clearance issues (on standard e46 staggered msport sizes). Aesthetics: Can't argue with the Style 68's looking the best on e46, they're just right. Nice score! Never looked at the weight, I suspect that the 194's will be heavier as they're made for runflats.

It's good you've fixed that - at least halfway. By refusing to answer questions via the Q&A function, you'd put off at least half of your genuine buyers - those with a brain - as you deny them a record of your extended description of the state of the car. That's an "unintended consequence" of being distracted by the very market you wish to avoid, yet are primarily focussed on. I like the fancy exhaust!

you've the makings of a fair curry.

Hmmm. WBAAB320702860525 I think the VIN lines up, most of the options associated with Msport are there (LSD, MSport Suspension, Shadowline, sports seats, @leichtbau Harm what are your thoughts?

The Boxster is a wonderful thing, and a great drive. However, how does a very tall man get on for comfort and accommodation in a little 2 seater convertible Boxster?

what was the rego?

Graham, I'm confused. The Toyota website link that you furnished did not contain any reference to delivering or launching an EV Ute in NZ in - well, any timeframe, actually. The PM did suggest that Toyota were looking at bringing in EV Utes. "The second point I'd make is that within the next - we're hoping the next 12 to 24 months - the likes of Toyota are talking about bringing in EV utes." As she was talking about New Zealand, we use "bringing in" as a synonym for importation and distribution here in the Shaky Isles. Of course Toyota's GM in NZ practiced damage control and pointed out the gap between fantasy and reality. To do anything less - in the face of no local or global statement of intent to do what the PM had indicated was already in motion, would set Toyota's local presence up for failure. I can avoid the use of expletives here. I have to ask what is the source of the filler you're using to bridge the gaps in the narrative? I'd really like to know, as there must be something I'm missing. I hope you can help.

there are buildings full of experts in their fields... policymakers, analysts, advisors, all doing the right thing. Their current masters are ignoring them. Evidenced by the lack of policy underpinning the majority of announcements made by this gubbermint. There's an important distinction between the Civil Service and the Politicians.

Welcome back! Suddenly everything old is new again. Considered making a project thread or showroom thread on your M5?