Danch

Gone now. I wonder if it's been bought by a member here

Thanks, it's a stock exhaust with N55 135i muffler. Took me a while to find one!

Just an update on the water leak issue. After cleaning the rear light gasket and reinstalling, I noticed that the passenger side was leaking instead of the driver side this time. I've tightened the bolts further and the lights are not leaking anymore

I'll take it

Cool car! 125i manual would be my dream daily - it's just too rare and often too expensive compared to a manual 130i.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/5460872067 Z4M manual for 26k. I reckon this will sell pretty fast?

If you have zero mechanical skills, factor in spending 3-4k on maintenance and repairs within the first few years of ownership. It can be less, but oh it can be more too.

I ended up just drilling two more holes on the bumper to line up with the holes on the plate. Took me 10 min and it looks so much better!

I haven't thought about making more holes on the plate. Is it legal to do so?

I noticed that the front plinth is just held by self tapping screws. Can I just hold the plate wit self tappers without the plinth?

After some more rain, I confirmed that the water was leaking from the taillight gaskets. I took the taillights off and there was a lot of gunk around the gasket/foam. I gave them a good clean and reinstalled the taillights. I'll see how things go before buying new gaskets (120 for a pair incl gst from BMW) I've shoved in some rags into the rear seatbelt bolt holes and it still comes out damp every now and then. Not sure if there are any other drain plugs I can try..

There was a random taillight bolt in the well quietly rusting away. It suggests that the leak has been happening for a while. I took the bolt out but it left that rusty looking area. I could scratch if off a bit so it could be surface rust but I bought some rust converter just in case..

I drained the rear rail after reading this post: E91 rear seat wet / water in battery compartment / water ingress search (picture below is from the post) There was quite a bit of water in there. I tried to take the battery tray out, but something is stuck - maybe some clipping mechanisms? I didn't want to damage anything, so I left it there. I've drilled drain holes to the plugs in the wells and retorqued the taillight after noticing some water marks underneath it. However, despite having sunny days, I noticed some droplets of water in the driver side well today. It was in the corner next to the wheel arch. Maybe it's seeping from the seams? not sure. The passenger side rear seat carpet is still damp - again, not sure if it's just from previous leak or not. Looks like we've got some heavy rains forecasted so I'll keep an eye on it to see if it leaks again.

There was a 135i brake caliper set sold by $1 reserve and it went for 550ish. I doubt even a good set would get 800 nowadays.

Has anyone jumped on this yet? I'm surprised that no one took it.

Glad to hear just retorquing fixed the issue for you. I'll give it a try as well. I guess you didn't have to get new rear light gaskets?

Water leak! Has anyone experienced water pooling underneath rear seats and in wells underneath rear lights? (where PDC module is if you have one) I pulled out 100ml of water from the rear seatbelt bolt holes and emptied the wells (the driver side was a lot worse). The rear rail seems to be wet inside. I searched online and people suggest it's either coming from the rear light gasket, or the rear vents in the wells, or the bumper mount gasket. The rear light gasket and rear vents seems ok - I just can't imagine that much water collecting in the rails because of those leak points 😕 Maybe I'll hose down from the top and see if there are any obvious leak points...

Awesome work! Good to see another 130i saved from being wrecked. I hope you get good money for it in the end!

I have a standard 130i muffler if you want to sell the quad tip muffler separately:)

What was the highest offer you received so far? Looks like your inbox is full btw.

I appreciate the fun side of building a project car. I guess my question was more about why the 130i (I've edited my original question), over any other cars that's been designed as sports cars fundamentally. I have a 130i and I have nothing against 130i - just curious what others have considered when they decided to build 130i as a project car.

I'm just curious, what made you to invest so much into 130i when you can buy a m3 or m2 with that much money? Or choose a more sporty car as your base?

Where are you ordering them from? Keen to know the list of part numbers if you don't mind sharing. I'd be looking at ordering a set at some point. How much are you paying in total?

https://www.pickapart.co.nz/webpage/WebPage.asp?Ref=10381&VehicleID=216197&SeriesID=145 Funny how you see something random like this as pick a part. It's been 4 days and a lot of body parts are gone.

And here is ChatGPT's 2c: Hey, solid write-up — I’ve been down a similar path and get exactly where you’re coming from. You’ve already nailed a lot of the pros/cons, but I’ll throw in some perspective that might help: Coming from a BRZ… You’ve been used to a car that thrives on engagement — balance, revs, cornering. The 320d, while decent, will feel more like a mature, efficient commuter with a sporty shell. It’s definitely torquier than the BRZ down low, but once the novelty of turbo diesel torque fades, it may not deliver that “special” feeling you’re after. The 330d, on the other hand… That’s a different beast. It will feel like an upgrade — not just in grunt, but also refinement, road presence, and long-haul ability. It’s seriously quick in-gear, and with that inline-6 torque curve, it transforms overtaking into a one-pedal job. Add some subtle mods and you’ve got a sleeper with real presence. Think: autobahn-grade pace in a suit. That said… You're absolutely right that tidy 330ds are hard to come by in NZ, especially in M-Sport trim. But if you can be patient and pounce when the right one pops up, it’s worth the hunt. Yes, they come with higher running costs — ZF8 box, more complex drivetrain, potentially more expensive diesel system maintenance — but many owners find the extra grin factor worth it. My two cents: If you're itching for a real upgrade and want to feel like you're driving something significantly different from the BRZ, go for the 330d. If you need something now, and the right 330d isn’t on the market, either hold out or buy a tidy 320d M-Sport and treat it as a stop-gap — just be aware it might feel like a downgrade in “driver engagement” after the BRZ. Bonus tip: Keep an eye out for Japanese imports — sometimes you’ll find nicely-specced 330ds that never hit the local listing radar. Also, don’t totally rule out a 335i/340i if you’re diesel-flexible — those can give you the power and engagement you’re after, with that sweet petrol sound. Hope that helps — and good luck with the next the chapter!