Harper

Getting rare to see a set like this. Tempted to grab them just to have another set of style 67s in stock

Honestly my experience is that it's more durable than people make it out to be. I basically give my alcantara wheel in my M3 a scrub with a damp microfibre cloth and some soap every so often and it still looks like new.

Compact is so underrated man. It's gotten so bad they even turn my head any time I see one driving around. Interesting point about the exhaust tips. I debated it when I had the donor 330 because it had chrome tips, maybe I should get a set from pickapart and see how they look.

I don't have any production numbers so I really have no idea. Anecdotally though I've been watching E39s on FB marketplace and trademe for years. Maybe 15-20% of them have that interior, and only half of those have a surviving driver side bolster.

Yep M5 only and hens teeth. I don't even think there are any M5s in NZ with mtex.

100% agree. That interior would be one of the primary things I'd be looking for purchasing an E39. Same when I was looking for my compact. It's actually quite rare in the E39. Almost all of them came with some variation of leather.

I've had dreams of putting a 4.6is motor into an E38 740i short wheelbase and 6 speed manual conversion. 740shortysporty.

@exextatic would be the guy to ask for a swap like this. Probably would be some wiring and coding required for full functionality.

Mint M3 Evo on the morning commute

No you can feed the factory hardline through. It sucks... But you can.

I guess so, I like to live dangerously. I have never heard of a claim being denied for something like that though. Especially since like you say, for NZ cert it's not even the manual swap that is certified, it's just the manual brake pedal. At least in my experience the car is not looked at that closely beyond is it economical to repair and was it warranted but maybe I just haven't had an expensive enough crash yet.

Hope it gets put back on the road. That looks 100% fixable.

https://www.manheim.co.nz/damaged-vehicles/000000000007109464/1988-bmw-320i-sedan?referringPage=SearchResults Anyone know the story with this? Looks kinda mint... Even the interior

My manual swapped 130i had no trouble getting a warrant without a cert fwiw

Relatively easy mechanical swap, it's just nuts and bolts at the end of the day. RealOEM is a good reference for finding all the manual specific parts that you need or grab a kit like linked above. Pricey but Roland makes sure everything is clean, complete and good working condition. My next swap I'll get the bits from him. Wiring and coding required though, it's all pretty straight forward and well documented but there is a learning curve. If you're not DIY'ing you're better off buying a factory manual.