Herbmiester

In the end I bought Aaron's Montreal Blue e36 328i. Really well looked after car and lovely to drive, a credit to the previous owners.

Tempted!

Wow what a sweet deal, pity I already have one.

Yes agree I have seen a few really cheap 335s but all have had pretty high KMs. There is a lot of talk about HP FPs and Injectors but it seems US cars are more affected than NZ/Jap cars and of all my N54 buddies I haven't heard of anyone having issues with either. On the highway with CC on my car will sit on 7.5 to 8 L/100Km. But around town it is closer to 12. My car has a stage 1+ MHD tune so stock maybe better.

I have had my 2007 335i for 3 years now and have had a few issues, most of which I expected. First up the Engine and Trans are very reliable but stuff bolted to the engine is what can cause problems. My charge pipe leaked which is quite common so I just replaced it with an aftermarket version cost was $300. Like most BMWs at 10 years the valve cover seal leaked, but its not a tricky replacement. I had a coil blow but it could have happened on a 320i or 330i just as easily. My vacuum line cracked, again a pretty easy repair and I chose to replace the rubber lines with silicone lines so no issues going forward. The big one was my DME blowing a MOSFET, again a known issue, I bought the replacement MOSFET off Amazon $20 and had an electronics guy solder it in, $150 labour I chose to do some upgrades, new upgraded PCV valve, better intercooler and an oil catch can, all of which aren't needed but I was always planning to tune it so it an investment in future reliability. I have had the transmission serviced $600 but that's about it besides brake pads oil changes etc . If your mindset is that of wanting to spend as little as possible on maintenance then its not the car for you, they need stuff sorted at around 100,000k; trans service, perhaps a walnut blast on the intakes, oil leaks fixed, new plugs and possibly coils, but it is one of the cheapest ways to get HP and torque without spending big money, in fact I would say there is very little out there that offers the same bang for your buck especially if you tune it, which is very easy and cheap. It also has a lot more class and refinement compared to a WRX or similar. My advice put 2k away for preventative maintenance when you buy it get sorted then you will only have standard maintenance to worry about for the next 50k or so. BTW they are as cheap as 12k now, such a performance bargain.

Looks fantastic, I love E36 coupes but this makes me appreciate the saloon. Oh and that color wow.

Hmmm, tempting.

Thanks that sounds like a very good idea, I will find out where he is in CHH and let you know.

It may well be coming to Wellington. I cant justify over 20k for the Violet M3 (which is what I think it will go) for but this looks like a tidy car and is quite pretty as well. Plus my wife wants a vert.

John at Auto38 is a BMW specialist and has an excellent reputation. That said I am unsure if he does newer BMW's or just the classics, worth a call though. For general servicing I had a very good experience with Saxtons in Lower Hutt, they seem very professional.

Color code is 490 which I think is the individual color program. Can anyone identify the color? I am thinking Atlantis.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2439479444 I quite like the color and it looks very tidy. How can I tell if it has a Jatco or ZF?

Not just dealers who Autobid.

I'm really keen on this or that 540is I love that color.

Good news, let us know what mods you do to stop it happening again.

I have watched a few reviews on the Android V8 and 9 head units for the E9X cars. Seems like they are starting to get things pretty sorted just wondering if anyone has used any of these Units?

When I first looked at it the price estimate was $24 to 26k

https://www.turners.co.nz/Cars/Used-Cars-for-Sale/bmw/m5/19869419 Not really following the E60 M5 market but seem cheap enough.

I can find no reference to an "IS".

Reserve was 50k, so auction was a complete waste of time.

So looking at this if I am going to us the M52 block then I should consider, timeserts and studs as basic insurance, and get the block crack tested. So if thats what needs to be done then its no home jobby for me soulds like I am best sending to my local engine re conditioner.

As I will be going down this path soon I have been following this video build. He strips the threads when torquing the head bolts. What went wrong here?

Excellent news will send A PM.

Cant see anything on the BMW wheel catalogs, maybe very new style or aftermarket, whats the sizing and offset?

Hmm, practical fast and AWD for wet conditions. I haven't driven one but plenty have and it gets good revirews. I would prefer a sedan or coupe for looks but the fact is its faster than my modded 335i and a hell of a lot more practical. BTW just about everyone here drives BMW for the brand