Sammo

@E28E30 oh boy that looks amazing! absolute peach. I *need* a red E30 in my life

Savage!

Haha - cheers man! I'm guessing Saturday? Likely off to PT Chev Beach - otherwise has pretty much been parked up through lockdown although the wife has been driving it to work this week as her Audi needs work...

My personal experience was it was required per my LVVTA certifier (supported by any resource I could find online) So mine is done to the letter of the law - I did need cert for adjustable suspension anyway. Is it a 'real world' issue? probably not - really depends how much faith you have in your insurer - I highly doubt WOF guys or cops would ever know or care. Anyways, looks like a nice car - GLWS!

Can’t criticise a build this spectacular and comprehensive but similar to the crazy 600hp 2JZ E46, I think its going to be really hard to find a buyer for something so unique at this price point. If you want something individual, surely you could build something amazing on the E30 platform for $100k plus? It would have an S54 in it of course 😜

So its just not the old ones 😁

Will definitely try to drive both when the time comes, does seem like a fair bit more car for $5k or so. A shame M235is are so much!

Yeah, she wouldn't really want a manual anyways - N55 / DCT sounds like the go as they tend to be lower kms too (although more spendy). Didn't realise the LCI had big mirrors - can retrofit the nicer LCI taillights though. Not sure if CCC vs CIC was an LCI thing, seems most 2009 onwards have the nicer navigation screens.

@qube Definitely could be a plan - go private to skip dealer premium and set some cash aside for maintenance. Only issue is so many privately owned 135i's have been bombing around pretty stock with remaps for several years so harder to find a 'clean' one. Will definitely drive an N54 Tip / N55 DCT and might still try pushing the M135i, but hatch is a hard sell...

$14,500 boys!

Sooo... will be in the market for a new car for the wife (and something I'll drive also drive a lot too). A silver lining of our ongoing painful experience with an Audi Lemon has let me talk her into considering something Bavarian in the new year. I've managed to talk her into looking at an E82 135i - has to be a coupe and smallish, otherwise I would be pushing for something like an F20 / F31 / MK7 GTI. She likes a the cute, stumpy looks and they seem to be becoming a bit of a cult car - I like that almost every E82 is a 135i as well. I am aware the N54 carries a bit of a reputation, so I would either be wanting to go for something from a dealer with warranty, unless a private seller had a bunch of the key pain points sorted already. Wastegate rattle / HPFP / Injectors / Water pump? Any tips / advice - is it worth spending a little more and getting one with an N55 & DCT? (it won't be modded an any meaningful way)

Realised the wife had been driving around without a WOF the past few days (was due a service mid lockdown) so gave her the keys to the E46 and took the POS through for a WOF. Failed miserably on the below: 2 x front tyres (was expecting this) / CAB's (was semi expecting this) / 2 x leaking shocks (was not expecting this - it has the trick electronic damper adjustment too...) Anyways, we are really getting over this black sack of crap - was already planning on moving it on at the start of next year and this is just cementing that (will be taking a real hit no doubt). I am going to talk her into a BMW (and probably an unreliable one!)

Manual conversions are getting into not worth it territory these days unless its a special car / you have the bits lying about and the know-how. Recently an E36 G220 kit (with used clutch / flywheel) and unknown kms went for almost $3k. If you want a ZF box would get pretty spendy, plus labour, coding and LVVTA cert gets very expensive very quickly. Partly why E30/E36/E46 manuals command such a premium now.

Use Classic cover for my E46 Excess $250 / $600 a year 41 YO male with a few speeding tickets but no claims (until recently) Insured for $15,000 and all modifications - parked off-street but not garaged. They paid for my new Msport bumper without batting an eyelid, having been with them just a few month- I expect my premium may be slightly higher next year Tower wanted over a grand (despite having house / contents / Audi with them) and thats with a $500 excess and a 'valuation' of $7,000.

$4kish?

I imagine a 30+ year old used tech 2 kit would still take a bit of fiddling and are basically unobtanium anyway. Could be worth a try if you're kitting a non Mtech car and thus are not concerned with maintaining originality.

FCP is super fast via Fed Ex, reasonably priced and no GST. Win-win, I pay lots of tax already.

Slick video and wicked little car

Damn that is cheap, the manual conversion from it would sell for over half the asking price

E46 325i in silver should be low maintenance, easy to find and cheap while still being pleasant to bomb around in.

The E30 CSL is Looking very sharp indeed!

On a similar note, wonder if any Insurers will give us a little token premium rebate again to reflect a presumed significant drop in claims?

Looks good, little finishing required but surprisingly tidy inside and love that colour on an E36. Nice to see good, honest detailed descriptions too.

How much are they brand new? have seen them online (the Classic LX line looks amazing) but couldn’t see pricing anywhere?