Olaf

@eliongater could this be the power plant your e28 has been longing for?!

Wow. That’s great buying. Trying to think of who else has 4cyl e30...

@Autoglym

HiFi thinking. Head unit: Existing Blaupunkt is basic, past it's best-by date. The backlight is broken, the polarising filter on the front is adrift, and the cassette deck is stuffed (suspect stretched belts). Speakers: Standard factory front and rear speakers. What I want to achieve: - decent fidelity. Not super-boom, not 'shimmering highs', not SPLs. I like fast, tight, tuneful bass. - prefer cassettes (I still have a couple of Nakamichi decks, and am happy to record from CD and Vinyl). - relatively inexpensive. I don't want thousands tied up in in-car audio. So I've got to keep it real. - should probably get a modern mechless stereo, with bluetooth integration etc. It would have to have red/amber lighting and not look garish and out of place in my e30. New world: I read a loooooot of this thread. The guy certainly knew e30 audio! I'm not up for building my own sub yet, it's all down to time, and weight. And I already have the Fusion (thanks Barry!). Rear Speakers: I have Premium hifi speakers for the rear. These are said to be 'the bomb', essentially. Front Speakers: I need (either) BMW tweeters for the front doors to work with the existing speakers, or (if I have to) a pair of Focal ISU130 (components) or a pair of Focal tweeter to integrate with the factory speakers. Amps: I like Neal's idea of using a modern 4 channel amp for front, using the crossover functions. And I'd use a 4 or 5 channel amp for the rear. Sub: I have a sub, which is an unknown quantity. I'll see if I can modify the Fusion bass tube to be fast and tuneful, with a little bass reinforcement rather than doof-doof. I really don't want a disco in my car. Just enough to follow John Taylor's basslines when I'm reliving the 80's with Duran Duran's eponymous album, or Dave Allen when I'm listening to Shriekback. You get the idea. The amps I'm thinking of are said to be good value for money, and sound reasonable too. Planet Audio AC1800.5 and or Planet Audio AC1600.4 will come in cheap enough (I'm not so serious for JL Audio). So then I get to... oh, so if you do a quality install of this kit (as you'd expect, I'm a former telecommunications tech) and ensure it's well cabled, there's attention to detail, and it's reliable... have I made a "mullet" car audio system for an old BMW Cassette head unit? Should I use something like a Kenwood KMM-BT305, as it has three pairs of RCA-outs, and inbuilt equalisation and all that fun fruity stuff? What are your thoughts?

Well that went by quickly! I renewed the insurance yesterday. Has it really been a year since Andy and I went up to the Krazy, Kool, Kapiti Coast to check out this 'almost barn-find e30 316i'? I was reflecting on how it drove back then, when I was driving it last Sunday. I came back from the market with my fresh fish and veges to find some thirty-something women admiring the car. I just smiled. I think it's nearly time I got a valuation and upped the insurance. I politely declined the insurer's suggestion that the value had dropped $450 over the last year, and instead maintained the value originally insured at. I figured it wasn't worth trying to up it on the phone, and that a valuation would be most efficient. So, "happy anniversary Grey Thunder". Here's to the next year, and figuring out the items on the list above!

I went looking, after reading your post. Very interesting! https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator Made me feel better about our dwelling, having purchased in 1997 for what seemed like a king's ransom at the time.

there's one in Welly that Andy knows, UK import, painted with bed-liner. It's somewhat feral, but is a beautiful, functional thing! ? The unixnerd (up in Scotland) has been saying for nearly 20 years that the e30 318iS is a wonderful thing. Seems people are starting to listen, even scruffy rusty ones are turning up on e30 Zone for over 3500 sterling. I figured they were too hard to find here, being so scarce to start with, so my little 316i is undergoing a slow and steady transformation into a 316iS and ultimately a 318iS.

... I know there's a danger they might clash with yours or the groom's race suit; I guess you could re-paint them?

I like the honeycomb rear louvre, have seen that from other angles and it's a cool bit of detailing. You can certainly see the Fiat X1/9 developing in the profile, eh!

yep. not great for actual navigation (found myself more than a km away in the Hutt Valley when I trusted it to actually navigate for us), but very good for the speed limit/current speed (that my GPS also displays); most useful for that crowdsourced stuff that you mention, and for finding a better route across Auckland in Friday Afternoon Congestion traffic it's excellent. It was funny to listen to Waze speaking with Siri's voice arguing with the Garmin voice, each telling us to take a different direction at the next intersection.

I've found payday filing okay. The changeover was not well executed (change managed). My payroll remains monthly, I can pay whenever I like. I must file within two business days of payroll (easy with a small payroll to use their online tool), and it includes two addition pieces of data: employee start date (of course this is static), and the payroll date. Only includes a third piece (end date) if it's employee's last pay. The PAYE is then due 20th of next month. Easy. Calling IRD helpline netted me good - detailed - advice when I was in the middle of changing over from old system to new. I was concerned I'd gotten out of sync when I elected to change to payday file ahead of the deadline. Give them a call, they're very helpful.

"With the growth of eCommerce, NZ businesses are at a competitive disadvantage compared to offshore suppliers, as they are required to collect GST on all sales, while overseas retailers don’t. These changes will help level the playing field for local businesses. " yes, this is the convenient sound-bite that is trotted out. I would cease doing business with any company perpetuating that garbage. Why not try MyUS.com or Shipitto? I'm having trouble understanding why I am expected to pay goods and service tax on goods and services I sourced from abroad, for private imports? Did a local company or my government contribute to the construction or provision of these goods or services? I of course pay GST on all imports for my company.

I'm thinking art project. Can you re-work them into a tiara for your forthcoming nuptials?

Wow, they look nice. Consider DIY with VHT caliper paint (there is a range of colours), take your time per the instructions and use a hot water bath for the cans. You can get a VHT Caliper Paint clear coat if you want glossy finish... Mask carefully. Hint: foam earlugs work well for any circular apertures. My DIY here:

“Show me the rule. Show me the legislation”.

Yep, DIN88/DIN88L is the physical spec. I didn’t mind paying extra for AGM. There were many, many options; many easily eliminated on basis of low power (CCA) low capacity (Ah), low warranty. In the end, I thought it better to find a solution with high-ish CCA, high-ish Ah, and backed by recommendation from Auto38. I was asking them to supply and fit and code; it’s unreasonable to ask them to source something the haven’t a relationship with. The size thing is useful as an indicator; most of the lower-power and lower capacity batteries seem to be shorter in height (170mm), or length (~350mm). Less space, less plate surface and electrolyte I guess. in the USA it’s easy to get a 950CCA 110Ah battery.

Which brakes are you thinking?

Caveat emptor!

not if you use FedEx. They make GST/and those other entry charges quick and painless. As @BreakMyWindow points out, DHL are pretty good too. They'll delier to Post Office Boxes as well! Though the changeover to Courier Post can be awkward where this is required.

Simply, if you're going to import something, you consult with the border control before importing. Anything less, and you're throwing yourself into the unknown. You wouldn't stand on the sideline at a rugby game and just throw yourself in without permission or knowing the rules.

time for some updates. 19 August 2019. 175176kms 1. Replacement rims painted and installed with new rubber. Sadly RE003 not available in niu zild in 275/35R18, so I've gone with Hankook Ventus S1 Noble 2 (H452). They were pretty well-reviewed. This was not a completely logical move, but the right rims came up and I wanted to try the staggered layout. I'd certainly gotten my money's worth from the RE003's. I usually replace tyres at 3 or 4mm tread remaining, slowed myself down while I dicked around with getting the new rims sorted. Jon at Auto 38 did a superb job of mounting the tyres. 35 series rubber certainly demands modern machinery. This is not your Dad's 185SR14 from the 80's. I'm still bedding them in, and getting rid of the mould release agent from the tyres. I'll sort out glamour pics in a week or two. 28 August 2019. 175285kms 2. Battery replacement and coding. Battery went flat after driving to Porirua and returning to Spotlight with my family, I'd had a battery warning light earlier in the week. Left the car at home for a couple of days, it started fine on Saturday. Shopped a little in Porirua. Battery died in the Spotlight carpark in Kaiwharawhara; my son and I remained in the car for ten minutes, key off. When I went to start it, it was pooched. AA Battery callout, got it started easily, inconslusive test (no sh*t sherlock, left your booster battery connected while running a battery test?), recommended a full re-charge then re-test. I asked to buy a new battery (this one has given me plenty of trouble over the years, going flat at the most inpoortune times), we argued about AGM (he said no, has to be 2010 or later, then his book said 2005 or later, and I knew this to be wrong), and couldn't sell me one as he didn't have DIN88 on board. I researched replacements. Yes Cinderella, you may have an AGM battery for a 2004 545i; you can expect a 950CCA 110Ah battery of large dimensions. Took the car round to Auto38 on Tuesday morning to discuss options and do a little measuring. It didn't restart. Checked out coding, found the following: Jon ordered a suitable replacement and had it coded up correctly completing the battery registration procedure. It now starts like a champ! If you're reading this and wondering what to do, there's plenty of info on RealOEM, in particular, some useful notes on installation. Here's some physical dimensions - you can fit quite a big unit in there: Terminal Type T1 Length (mm) 393 Width (mm) 175 Height (mm) 190 More photos later. We fitted a Koba SA59520 95AH (20HR), 850A (EN), 180MIN (RC)

I like it. If I win lotto this weekend, I'll have it. I like the look of it. And it looks slightly less menacing than a the equivalent M5.

We salute you. ?

that is a score! https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-airwave-50l-air-compressor-and-air-tool-kit_p06210560 $249.

@treone could this be you? It's not a V8, but it is manual...