Olaf

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.

I do like the R129. If you've not already seen it, Harry's Garage review of his R129 SL600 is epic. I'd love one, and considered an SL500 as daily on a one year contract with an 60km commute. I was saved by taking a different gig. Odd, isn't it. The W124 should be the nostalgic car of choice. Look at the value comparison now between your average e30 six, and an E280 or E320. No it's not apples-with-apples, we'd need an e34 for that. But now for $10-15k you'll get a lot more car in a W124 than an e30 eh? Not as chuckable, but awesomely engineered and a great drive. Hmmm. Few aspire to driving Grandad's car... which brings us to image. 🙂 That's undoubtedly a significant contributing factor to the e30 mistique and helping to boost the prices. And without a famous movie star dying (notably) in one.

The original MINI Cooper was once an inexpenive car. I doubt you could find a decent one for less than today's price of a used SL320 either. Does this say something about Mercedes buyers, or does it speak more to classic car market? What does one pay these days for a 'pagoda' SL? In the late 80's they were insanely expensive, the 'one' to have. Demand is again arm wrestling with supply. Not everyone will chance their arm in the game. Just wondering - did they even sell SL320s here? Usually SL buyers in NZ went straight to the SL500. Even merited a mention in a classic NZ advert.

See above.

At least you know what you want. Right hand drive, and A/C, and sunroof, and NZ new? I wonder if this exists? Good luck with your search.

Man it's been decades since I last saw these. Every garage/service station in the 70's had a bunch of them. My mate had some in his shed we used to use (in the 80's/early 90's). As you say, weighed a ton, need manhandling into place, but the benefit of the slow raise/lower is the precision. Wonder why these fell from grace?

Just trying to catch up on where you're at. big cam (new followers and timing chain to suit); pistons cleaned up? Port/polish heads? And you're deleting the airflow mgmt/DOD thing, and porting the throttle body? Looks like it'll be a beast, are you going to post a startup video? Enjoying the progress.

The freight side from 'Straya should be relatively straightforward. If the car is rust-free, has no accident damage, and is well-maintained... they'll probably find something else! People seem to get flood damaged or hail write-offs from 'Straya complied here regularly, so why not try it with an honest car. If you can get it on the road here and make $10k in the process to cover your risk/make it worthwhile, why wouldn't you? You might want to keep it though.

Good point Harm. I've only read about the stroker M20s, would love to experience one or two. The joys of buying a non-factory setup. What would you be looking for - in a stroker motor - to have confidence it was well-executed? Can one expect a stroker setup to idle/purr like a kitten or are they lumpy by nature (I honestly don't know)?

🙄 If you want to correct someone, you might want to start from a place of, you know, correctness? There's no need to hand out labels or call me names. Just place me on your ignore list.

it could be ignition system, starter motor, sensors, fuel... best thing you can do is get a really good PPI done by a specialist that really knows the e30. There's no reason an M20B25 shouldn't be able to run and drive just like when new, especially if it's had a quality rebuild. No sense loading the parts cannon, get expert diagnosis, get it sussed, and then reward the same business with your loyalty for maintenance to take care of the car and keep it running. HTH.

realistic on price, 1989 or later manual rust free up to $7k. Good luck with that. Pick two, and be prepared to be disappointed. If you want a coupe you're looking $12-15k now. Sedan $10-13k. and up. Happy hunting!

can't answer without seeing the car in question, and should be noted I'm a moderately knowlegable enthusiast rather than a professional mechanic. I don't mean to sound down on a car you've viewed, I don't even know which one you're referring to. Basic regular maintenance on e30 includes oil, oil filter, air filter; brake fluid and coolant every two years; and general mechanical inspection and replacement of parts ahead of every WoF (brakes, suspension, steering) and that good old lubrication of hinges, inspection and replacement of belts, plugs etc at the correct intervals. Many cars don't even get this much care. Your run-of-the-mill Toyota/Honda/Nissan/Hyundai etc can withstand more abuse with less maintenance. An e30 - now in classic status - needs more care. Hope that helps.

patina is a visual thing. Ghost Chip was outlining an engine that's hard to start. The danger of buzzwords is not knowing where to apply them!

showing a lack of maintenance. showing it's age is a result of following the standard kiwi maintenance plan (do f*ck-all, then pass it off as 'old').

It wouldn’t take an investigator long to verify. One suspects there’s zero risk taken - at least in respect of facts - in that release.

Looks fab. Send it!

This is a sister car to mine, only ~50 units younger than mine on the VIN. Looks tidy, and is an excellent project base, lightest-weight e30 shell (slicktop poverty spec).

Fervent Dobermann. Angelic Christmas. Something Likethat.

Nice one @Michael. Followed!

minimum of $15k. Lovely example. Everything cool from the 80's is taking a sharp increase in interest. Although the 'eta' models aren't the last word in sports driving, they are leggy and fun while not being too thirsty. Never mind the naysayers, the e28 is on the way up (M535i), tidy etas will get a leg up along with them. @freaknout this one's for you mate! edit: oooops saw this was a thread-dredge. I wonder, will waimakclassiccars get above $25k for this?