Olaf

On 8/28/2023 at 11:11 PM, gjm said:

This is an on-behalf post. I'll answer questions as best I can, and refer to the owner for those that I can't.
I recently posted here to try and identify with some certainty whether a given vehicle was a true M325i. On balance, it seems likely this one is.

NZ new 1987 Diamant-Schwarz 325i with all relevant M325i attributes. Purchased from Shelley Motors in Wellington who (I think) were bought out by Jeff Gray. Absolute, categoric confirmation that this is a M325i is difficult but it fits the description, and that is what the first owner has said it was bought as.

Of particular note are the following options:

0209 - Differential lock 25%
0339 - Shadow line
0481 - Sports seat
0704 - M Sports suspension
0708 - M Sports steering wheel leather

And it has the black headlining.

3 owners from new; current owner is the son of the first owner and lives in Auckland. He is moving to Australia and selling the car here rather than taking it with him.

Let's get the warts out of the way.
The dash is cracked, the air conditioning is shot, there are some seal issues, and some floor pan rust is starting to creep in. The interior was changed at some point from the original houndstooth to full leather due to wear and tear - it's in good condition, but it's not original. Original 15" basket weaves had cracked and were disposed of some 10-12years ago instead of being repaired/reconditioned - it is currently fitted with after- market Bayern wheels.

Paintwork is reasonable with some fairly minor wear and tear. There was a respray 6 or so years ago.

At some point it was involved in a minor accident and required a new front skirt. The repairer couldn’t source an original part, so a later piece was fitted.

No other major work has ever been required.

WoF expired in September last year; rego expired in December 2022. I have advised the owner that he should at least put the rego on hold but that back-rego will be due when that is done.

Pics attached. If there is anything in particular that anyone interested would like to see, please let me know.

Pricing is tricky. Truly excellent examples of the facelift E30 M325i has listed at $50k or more, but prices have come back a bit since then. The PFL cars are rarer, but this one does need work to return it to excellent, original condition. The owner has had some quoting done and estimates $12k or so to get this car to where it should be.
I'll pitch this at $30k but will discuss further with the owner.

 

 

 

 

So where are you in all this Graham?  Are you the seller's agent?  

My view:  it looks like it came out the showroom as an M325i.  Plenty of changes throughout it's life.  It's down at heel, and rough around the edges.  Assume it needs a full fluids and rubbers changeout, as there's no mention of folders full of history, or regular maintenance.  It needs re-rego and WoF.  It's looking neglected.  You haven't mentioned Mileage?  Also the current owner is the son of the first owner - who was the second owner?

It will never be a $50k car - it'd need two things to get close: 1) a full restoration including back to Tech 1 spec, and collectors are understandably picky about milege and provenance - it's only original once!  2) a market cycle or two, and a strong economy to make this attractive to someone cashed-up in ten years or so.  In order to make that worthwhile, you'd want $10k headroom (margin) on a current sell price ($35k if *really* tidy and back to tech 1?), and $15-20k to sort everything out (paint and body, correct trim, suspension, and really addressing an old (and possibly neglected car.  You do the math on what the buy price is to make it work.

Or, you view it as a driver.  Accept it as a bitser, it's got bits of tech 1, bits of tech 2, and needs a tidy.  You're not going to try and make it what it's not, you just want it clean tidy and ready to dance.  $15-20k would be a generous bid, and you'll be putting in $5-10k to get it sorted so you can drive it anywhere in the country and it won't let you down - you might not get the aircon fixed in there though.

replace DISA valve, if it hasn't failed it probably will... dropping the Pin into your combustion chamber.  Inexpensive insurance.

Have a good look at the high pressure fuel hose supplying the injector rail.  They're getting old now - if yours is crusty, replace.  Nobody wants a fuel fire under the hood,

You're on the right track, taking care of the intake vacuum leaks.  cooling every five years.  plugs and a full set of coils after your cuurnet work (if you havent already) and it'll be a sweet runner.

Jared @Eagle is spot-on about those nipple caps (ooh err), Jon spotted those on mine recenty and we replaced them at same time as HP Fuel Hose.

e46 325i motorsport is a sweet drive.  They reward if treated to thorough maintenance.  We've had our 325i Touring for 11.5 years, no plans to replace it.

@cleanish_e46 I'm biased... if it's not a race car, OE spec rubber is all you need - unless you prefer needing to see your urologist or dental sugeon due to persistent jarring.  not to mention the state of our roads these days.

I've had all of the bushes you mention replaced in the first two years with my e30.  it runs Konis & H&R springs.  The whole setup is firm, damped, as you'd expect from a BMW.  I've also done the same on e46 & e60.  Replacing rubber firms things up and restores control, though not to the point my wife or kids complain.  

Most proponents of Poly are under 25 or have replaced completely bagged-out bushings with poly, and are of course impressed and amazed at the improvement.  By the time you've done everything (each part you stiffen reveals shortcomings of the next bagged-out part), it's the hair-shirt solution. Sounds and looks amazing though bloody uncomfortable to wear.  Like I say, if it's a race car, all's great on Poly.

Poly has its application.  Unless you're certain you need that incrrease in stiffness, rubber is relatively inexpensive and far more durable than poly, and is the right compromise for everyday and sporting street use.  BMW test drivers and development engineers logged thousands of hours developing a workable solution for most people, poly does not feature.

+1 on OEM rubber mounts.  Although they don't fail (unless thrashed), supple rubber absorbs vibrations that your 30-odd year old ones don't.  And they cheap.

In diesellandia as I am with my F25 X3 30D, I use Penrite diesel fuel biocide treatment, it kills the diesel bug and keeps your fuel lines and injectors clean. I can’t remember the actual concentration, about 30ml each time I fill up is a scratch over the recommended running dose.  On the side of the container are instructions for quantities for treating deep clean and also infestations.  Wouldn’t hurt to try a good dose of that through yours.  I certainly noticed a difference on mine when I first treated it.

have you established with a scanner when the last DPF Regen was?  I’d guess you’re getting it up to temp and sustained temp with a fully charged battery for it to kickoff when required.  If there’s anything preventing the regen in terms of operating state prerequisites, you might need to get that taken care of.

Also, check for recall - there’s a recall globally for n57 - something to do with coolant and DPF, I forget the details. Continental have the parts to do mine on back order.

HTH

On 8/25/2023 at 9:45 AM, gjm said:

OK - from the M3 to a more mundane example.

1987 318i automatic. So, the M10B18 (great engine!)

Sensible mileage, decent but not outstanding condition (and not claimed to be), a coupe, no sunroof... Needs manual window winders to be a true poverty spec (my favourite).

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/4290703953

 

it's had some paint splashed around it, looks like it's had a front-ender and been repaired.

Welcome, @Murray2023 nice gokart.

The BMW Car Club NZ Welly Crew have a monthly pub night - a get-together for a feed, a social beverage or two, and to tell whoppers about BMWs and other topics - all are welcome.  Details found in the Wellington room here: https://bimmersport.co.nz/forum/26-wellington/

We also have reasonably regular coffee meets, runs, overnight trips etc.  Come along, learn more about our active club!

Welcome Evan, enjoy the journey!  e36 was an amazing car when new, unlike anything else on the road.  A great drive.  Concentrate on one thing at a time, chart your progress in a project thread.  Plenty of knowledge in this place to help you.

30 June 2023.  1875??kms

I dusted off the e60. Since the WoF, just a monthly start.  Covid mkII in April, life has been quiet.

1.  Full Tank of Fuel

Posterity post.  We'll remember when fuel was "cheap".  I took the opportunity to fill the tank before our "finance minister" put the Excise and GST (29c per litre) back on fuel during our cost of living crisis.  $2.31/l   As I type this 20 July Tinakori Waitomo 95 is $.59.9/l according to Gaspy, BP Connect Adelaide Rd are charging $2.999/l, and BP Connect Roadmaster is rewarding big spenders with $3.139/l of 98.  Still, a cruise up country at 9.5 litres/100, it's pure pleasure!

2.  Fuel Stabiliser

Protecting that fuel 'investment'.  I figured while it spends a little more time in my rented garage, I should take measures to avoid 65 litres of fuel going off.  Penrite Fuel Stabiliser to the rescue!

So yeah, you buy this, it comes with a full tank!  I used to run it exclusively on BP 98, stopped a few tanks ago.  The Waitomo is good.

yep the manual 316i FL is the lightest spec e30, less sound deadening, no electric seats, no sunroof so lower c of g and best of all no rusty sunroof leaking! they are the bomb.  give everything on your 33 year old nana car a birthday, rubbers bushes QUALITY tyres fuel lines cooling system shocks fluidsbrakes... wof rego insurance, and go and enjoy the pure spirit of driving an analogue manual car.  teach yourself to drive in the wet without losing the tail, learn cadence braking, learn to heel-and-toe double de-clutch.  more fun than your first shag and longer lasting too! 😂 

I'll give you a monkey for the monkey 😉

On 5/7/2023 at 6:33 PM, dirtydoogle said:

Accidentally got another after being less masochistic for yonks. Cleaned it, made the wife clean it. Will probably clean it some more. And then count all the fun issues that come with E61 life.

Does fit the car seat better than the TT did...

score!!

On 5/30/2023 at 10:42 AM, Sammo said:

I wonder what the reserve is - I definately bought my Mega km one at the market peak damnit.

Oh well, not selling so does not really matter.

The market will surpass what you view as a peak.  Just strap in and enjoy it for the number of year's it'll take until we've made it through recession, the economy will eventually recover, meanwhile e30's (and M325i in particular) will be older, scarcer, and more desirable... and more spare cash in buyer's pockets will be reflected in higher prices.  We've seen it all before, 80's, 90's, '08.... the e30 is a classic car like any other.

interesting how the convenience and acceptableness of 4k streaming boxes like Apple TV 4K etc (or even apps in TV) and an internet connection have displaced optical media.  hell, a good 4K BluRay pisses all over anything you can stream from the likes of Amazon Prime/Netflix/Disney+ over a decent internet connection - visually and audibly.   

EDIT - sorry getting a bit off-topic on your for sale listing!!

hunt out "so you've bought an e60" -it's a pdf that's constantly updated.  much of it will apply to your e63.  HTH.

For Rugby?  I expect there are many online streaming services you can subscribe to with help of a VPN. I accepted that I’d lose ‘sport’ by cutting Sky, given they had little in the way of Yachting, Skiing, WSBK it didn’t seem like a big loss, especially when the win was not giving Sky any more coin.  I tried Spark Sport for a while, found they’ve not successfully expanded their sporting lineup sufficiently.

YMMV

On 3/28/2023 at 5:31 PM, Palazzo said:

Sky tv. Jumped ship from them to Vodafone TV a few years back (somewhat better), had to go back to the dark side. 
Have heard nothing, 15 minutes waiting for a “live” chat slot, to be told we can’t help. 
51 minutes on the phone to be told they have no record of my order although they agree that my dish has been upgraded as per their work order, so in fact, they must have received it, but it hasn’t been processed.

”Should” be there by Friday.

Finishing line, “We’ve had heaps of these calls today.”

I thought only boomers pay money for Sky.  Zero customer focus, outrageous pricing.  I cut the cable years ago, completely refreshing not to spend money with them.  

welcome Josh.  Yep, although you can treat your BMW like a Camry, it'll repay you in nothing but huge bills.  Routine maintenance and preventative is your best bet for enjoyable motoring.  Of huge importance on e6x is the sunroof drains and the cowling/scuttle drains; if they get blocked, many modules are at floor level and don't like swimming.

Tag into the Wellington room, BMW Car Club NZ Welly branch has a regular monthly pub meet in Johnsonville first Thursday every month ~6.30pm for a meal, a convivial ale or two and plenty of chat.  Sometimes even about BMWs!

Still good with a decent upscaling player.  I run a Pioneer LX500 and am consistently surprised at how well it renders DVD from 1080P up to 4K. 

Hi @modz I'll take version 1 please, and a pair of spacers.  I'll IM you for details.

Cheers

Olaf

24 March 2023.  187549kms

I've had very little seat time in the the e60. I've started it monthly, hadn't driven it since Jan.  .

1.  Brake Fluid Flush

Scheduled brake fluid flush.  Yes, anyone else would probably ignore this!

2.  WoF

It flew through it's WoF, as you'd expect.

3.  Registration

12 months rego bought and paid for, now current to 31/3/2024.

Next steps - suss out job to address the variable intake actuator code, get that resolved, then find it a new home.  Tears my heart every time I drive it as it's so very good, though find a new home it must.

man, that's a clever box.  system reads like it's coming together nicely, Neal.  what's the ballpark cost on the Focal speakers, per pair?  I like the idea of doing something like this to my X3, sorting it out with more tuneful bass, proper EQ, and decent door speakers - but little time to do so, or inclination to sink more $$ into it, it's not getting a great deal of commuting use currently.

"improve brake pedal travel".  Do they want less or more!?  I recall Jon explaining to me that pedal height is adjustable.  All the rest of braking stuff is covered in the "Bibles".

"Provide LVV Cert Plate Location".  Could they not find the plate?

Co-governance, it's not a manufactured water crisis and asset-grab, it's the arrest of suspects where after a traffic incident a man's been left with a chest full of holes. Perhaps they'll invite his immortal soul for a conference?

On 2/28/2023 at 11:07 AM, Kiwi_BMW said:

If I wanted another V8 I would buy it, but since I already have a E39 V8 with manual I'm not really looking for another V8.

I've thought about a E60 with N54 and 8hp, when I had a E39 530i I thought the balance of the 6 compared to the V8 made it feel more agile, but I sure liked the extra hp of the V8 which is why I sold the 6 and kept the V8

An alternative to the N54 in a E60 would be to fit an ESS supercharger kit, it would possibly work out cheaper to buy a donor E60 N54 from the US and transfer the running gear and electrics than buy the ESS supercharger kit, plus the N54 is quite tuneable.

eventually folks will twig that those clever german engineers put their smartest hats on and when they'd finished the e60 it had a more powerful lighter motor, it was much more lighter and stiffer, and was the best car they could make, better than the one before it.  in the same way the e34 was better than the e28, the e39 better than the e34.  You want the 50:50 balance of the e60 V8 - then you get all the power, all the balance, all the grip, the better brakes, better fuel economy, all the extra safety.  You know it makes sense!