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Welcome James, nice E30s especially the 325i. What else have you got planned for the coupe?

Let's just say I felt sorry for that car. Beautiful car but could have been so much better if the current owner had looked after it. You could tell it had been neglected and it was a time bomb waiting to go. But it still drove very nicely, smooth operator came to mind right away. 530i vs 540i mate, such a tough decision. I am gonna go check out a 540i tomorrow. I feel as though it give a sense of bigger space in the cabin. Also, ventilation and enjoying the sun on my face.

Thanks Ron, will give the mentioned names a call.

G'day everyone, It seems my shocks are on their way out on the E28 M535i. Because I am running after market lowering springs, I am looking at getting the shocks re-valved to pair with the springs. The shocks are Bilsteins with AP springs. Any places in Auckland you would recommend? Regards

Rob, I am in the same boat, looking to upgrade the brakes on my e28. I have a few e32 Master Cylinders for sale on ebay.

'T 90' after the Russian Tank?

I test drove that one,I would rather give it a miss Kyu. But I would love a black 530i with leather and sunroof and one that's been looked after. Or I could get a black 540i and give you a hard time for missing two cylinders, hehe.

I have four of them, 225/45/17 RE002. Got about 5mm tread left. But they are sitting on some 17inch bbs.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Thanks for the link Peter, I have seen the listing on trademe before but I am after a black one with sunroof and leather.

Thanks mate. Pics or receipts or this never happened. It's a beautiful day today for some test drives and I just got back from one and the poor thing looked like it was abused and never cleaned. Both front tires were completely worn out, wheel alignment was off, dents galore, oil was leaking in two spots and no service records. Body had scratches all over, paint was peeling off in numerous places, interior had bits missing... The Engine still purred and the gearbox was shifting smoothly. But the rest of the car needed a lot of work. The search continues.

Nice work Isis.

Thanks mate. I ended up reading quite a bit on the the Chain guide failures on these cars. Looks like I am better off looking for a 530i instead.

Yep, very very nice.

Isis, if you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost for the 03' 540i?

Cheers everyone. PPI is definitely on the list Glenn. At the moment, I am test driving as many as I can to get a feel for them and then take the best one for the PPI. Aja540i, your wagon is tempting especially being a manual but I really love the sedan shape and has to be black (not being racist). I test drove a 330ci and it wasn't my cup of tea. Then test drove a 530i and knew right away I wanted an E39.

Thanks for your response. I have taken a 530i Non M sport for a test drive and it felt very nice in regards to the steering but throttle response was a bit sluggish at low RPM. But once it got going, definitely put a smile on my face. The noise and acceleration of the 540i on the other hand... Would you say it would be fair enough to put $1500-$2000 aside to fix issues up to keep it hassle free for a year/two? And how prone are these cars to rust?

As title states, I am thinking of getting an E39 530i or 540i, facelift Msport. The car will be used mostly for daily commute but it would be a great addition to have next to an E28 M535i. I have been reading online about coolant issues and pixels dying on the dash. Things I am interested in are, what are the usual rust locations, oil leak issues, electrical stuff, usual service and maintenance costs. Most of the cars I am seeing have clocked around the 170,000 - 220,000km mark. What things break down at this point that need replacing? I appreciate the responses.

G'day everyone, Has anyone already seen this car in person? http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1070183126.htm Looks like it has a crack on the right hand side of the front bumper but other than that looks good. Maybe it is a member's car? Might go check it out this weekend.

Black E34 M5 at Auckland Aero Club around 11:30am this morning. Absolute immaculate condition. Nice day to go flying too!

Nice.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1083680077.htm This would be a lot of fun.

Julian, I think you should have a go taking some black and white monochrome photos with your car parked in that street. Stunning car nonetheless.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1082773065.htm Anyone already seen this car in person? This is a nice example but is slight high on the Ks though. What do you guys think this for a daily? Thanks

That sends alarm bells ringing. I think this car would have some hidden rust issues for sure.

Yep, thinking of getting this. And various other E39 540s that are for sale on trademe, along with some gorgeous E38s, and some E28 have popped too. Not to mention the E28 M5 and E30 M3 that are on trademe too. But in all seriousness, the above mentioned 330ci seems like a looked after specimen and it's black with sunroof!