Olaf

@qube bummer mate.

@freaknout - outrageous! 😆

that's your cue to music! https://youtu.be/WpTOfr5TeOQ

Hey this is interesting. It's a Singapore import arriving in NZ at 6 years old with 113,127kms. I can only suggest it was used as a taxi in Singapore; it must have been in near-continuous use to rack that mileage up on the little island! 😁 https://www.carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=KTY939

Of the MT2 kit on that vert, I thought it looks dreadful on that particular car (in the photos provided). Visually heavy, and is it on 14's? Certainly it's only 14J6.5 vs 15J7; if in doubt ask your GF about the difference that half inch makes 😎 Probably needs 16x8s? Paint appears very good in the potatocam images. pics nabbed from the ad, for ref: (PS - very low kms though!)

I can't fault your logic there, Harm. Though isn't it odd, the rarist of all is the Baur, with fewer produced than even the M3. You'd think they'd be more desirable than a Cab based on increased rigidity resulting in better driving dynamics? The MT1 Cabrio sale you mention needs a 'when'.

You want original, reinstall the parts that he's carefully stored in the shed. You want to enjoy the manual experience, leave it as it is. What next: "it's not the original top" ? 😊

I think the main clue with @_ethrty-Andy_'s vert is 125k kms, never had paint, all original - or with parts to put it back to all original. This in contrast to cars with moon-and-back distances. It's around collector quality, and is likely the best in NZ. In my opinion, as a good tidy SE 4 dr is now at ~$30k, how can a primo cabrio be worth less? Of course, anything's only what someone's prepared to pay. How much to replace? I'd be expecting a valuation of circa $35k on this car. For someone who must have a cabrio, and wants the best, the one (linked above) on FB marketplace is not going to cut it. There are a few particularly tidy examples around, but they're not for sale. If you were that person, and this car was presented at $39,780k ($10-25k below a *good* M325i coupe), would you hesitate?

Something very satisfying about polishing metal, chrome in particular. That said, bloody happy there's so little of it on my e30. I suppose it's time I did the exhaust tips on my e60. Thanks for the inspiration Mike, and keep up the great work!

awesome thanks Glenn I'll IM you 🙂

Glenn @B.M.W Ltd, does the 3 series Haynes manual for e36 cover the M42? If so, I'll take it please.

For me - as @E30 325i Rag-Top Jon, Trade In Clearance Centre isn't a great start for any car, the risks would have to be qualified. Those beads, though. Wow, hard to let them go!

very tempting!

wow, you got your money's worth out of those @qube 😀

Have you had a hunt around on RealOEM to determine the part number? That should take the guesswork out. HTH.

not your everyday M42 installation!

that should be a great wagon, far more dynamically satisfying than your Corollas have been, if a little more taxing on your wallet. What's not to love about the e46?

🤣 Congrats on the E70 40D, that's my pick too!

thanks Dan, I'll see if I can find something similar with the QC4 or QC4+ protocol. I guess they'd be fine for my GPS.

I caught up on e46 maintenance yesterday. Well, at least Auto 38 in Newtown, Wellington caught up on my behalf! It had been seven or eight years since the last cooling system refresh - about 80k kms. Last time it was Hepu water pump, hoses, sensors, reservoir, thermostat, cap, thermostat clip. There had been some slow leaks - coolant loss over about 3 months bringing up the level light, and about 150ml of deionised water to top up. Now was the time to sort it. This time it was *all the hoses* - not just the top and bottom ones, every hose, including the hard plastic one that bolts to the block, and the one(s) intake manifold. New thermostat (Borg Warner), new water pump (Graf this time - metal impeller again), reservoir, support bracket, cap, sensors, auto trans thermostat, pulleys, belts. And of course BMW coolant with deionised water. Replaced fan shroud too, Jon had a spare one that wasn't cracked. Jon showed me the state of the hoses, many of them had turned hard like thermo-setting plastic. There was a little play in the Hepu waterpump bearing. Doesn't feel like much, but as Jon pointed out - there's a fan on the end of it! My impression on the drive was that the car feels a little smoother. Happy days. Great service from Jon and Keren at Auto 38! If you're in the Wellington region, this is the place to go.

@NZ00Z3 Murray these are brilliant, thanks! I'll be buying some pronto. https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_&SearchText=RCNUN

@martyyyn you're on the money. At 6'5" an e46 or e9x is not going to be for you, and I think those suggesting they will be are overlooking your requirement of being really comfortable over long distances. I think your e6x M5/M6 idea is a good one. You know what you're getting into with maintenance - lots! They're rather thirsty - you'll probably want to reserve use for drives to be enjoyed. Do remember, although they're 'big' (ish), they're not heavy - in the 17xx kg range (M6 at the lower end, M5 at the upper). The M6 is actually a little lighter on it's feet than the M5, and is a different driving experience. If you're going to take on an S85 car, do try the coupe too, you'll be surprised. The S85 growl makes the hairs on your neck stand on end *every* *damned* *time*, whether two doors or four. F10 M5 - wow. What a car. Surely merits consideration. I'm not sure if there are many F13 M6 available, but must be driven and experienced. These cars are like a dinner suit you can run 100 metre sprints or a marathon in, they're so damned good at essentially everything they do. The e39 M5 probably makes the most sense, as it's one you can replace your iS with, probably the most reasonable M-car for maintenance for the next ten years, and is closest to that e28 M5 you saw all those years ago. No, you've missed 'value buying', but it may be better long-term value. It's worth reading Phil O'Reilly's M6 comparison article in DIXI. Other options? A Gran Coupe should be worth a look. Indeed, an E38 if you can find a really special one. Mercedes R129 SL600. Audi RS6 (again, I think an RS4 would be a bit compact for you) potentially, though will it be special enough when you go to sell after ten years of complex maintenance bills? Here's my wildcard. Skip Maseratis, go straight to this: https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bentley/continental/listing/3094601044?bof=SMp7ZTNN I've no idea what they're like as a maintenance proposition, and the cheapest Continental Coupe is probably not the place to start... it'd be pretty special every time you took it out though. A fun puzzle to have!

I think one of the most important aspects to owning an old car, is: You have to like it. It's going to cost you time, sweat, money. It's more likely that it'll cost you more than you get back for it. The main return is enjoynent and memories, So, if you don't really like it to start with, you've started way in the negatives and may never break even given the true cost of owning an old car.

it had a bid on it of $30k. So yes, I'd expect so.