HalfJobHarry

Thanks for the quick reply So in the end would you say it was a 'direct fit' installation? By chance to you have any logs or can share your experience with it. Main concern about some of these intercoolers is that while they are cooling, some of them are introducing horrendous pressure drops over stock. FCP Euro, good call, their shipping is pretty sensible.

I'm looking for a quality 5" intercooler for the N54 (E82 chassis). My research is sending me to VRSF , but they want $200 USD for shipping. The intercooler itself is a good deal at $350. Maybe even with the shipping I'm in better shape than buying something local. Trademe people are asking ~$500 NZD for some anonymous N54 intercooler, without any notion of build quality, flow, cooling capability I'm pretty much unwilling to throw cash at that. What are you all running out there, impressions, results and where did you source from? Thanks

Did you get this fitted. I've been looking into the VRSF one but the shipping is ludicrous from America. Where did you source this from , was shipping reasonable? If you got it in I'm keen to see any results you can share (particularly wastegate duty cycle as I'd like to understand how much pressure drop some of these after market ICs are introducing).

It's not risky as long as it's reflected in the price.....I find in NZ ..for BMWs...the lack of preventative maintenance is NOT reflected in the price. Many vehicles without good preventative maintenance are guaranteed to need a few grand putting into them to get medium term reliability. E3x and E4x? Had the expansion tank, water pump etc replaced (ever?)...gotta be done....bushings rear and front done? no...gotta be done. M54 engine? Vanos seals changed ever? No...gotta be done.... it goes like that with a massive list of things on the cars. Foolishly before moving to NZ and I knew how overpriced BMWs are here I sold my E46 330i that had hundreds of hours and thousands and thousands of preventative work done for a paltry $1500.... which was good for a 15 year old 3.0L BMW in the UK....they simply don't hold their value. Had I know I'd have imported it

I'd seriously consider importing a 330i E46 manual from the UK if I wanted another one now. (lookout for corrosion though!). When I moved I didn't even get $2000 for it and I'd easily spent 12 on it in preventative maintenance. I didn't do my research before moving over on BMWs here or I'd have just shipped it over and profited even after costs!

Yeah it is kind of low actually...probably those ramps are a good idea. I'll pick a set up.

I need to get hold of some silicone hose with different diameters on each end for a charge pipe I'm replacing. Can anybody recommend somewhere in Auckland that deals with this kind of thing?

Get your injectors from FCP euro. You'll have change from 2k NZD including shipping, they warranty them for life...and injectors are not a complex job to do at all (they can be coded easily with common software or using PROTOOL if you must $100 bucks). Buy the injector removal tool if your're doing it yourself...worth it 100%

Given they are hatches rather than sedans I find you can get a lot more in them....the boot space is comparable (or possibly even larger) than a 3 series. I had a 3 series for years and I have less trouble putting things in the 1 series....but that said.....I'm dying inside a little more talking about boot space EDIT: And drive one already !!

So you reckon on a standard ride height it would be a one step thing? (not holding you to this btw :D)...I'm just sick of the faffing about to get on jackstands. Ahh looks like I missed out....still even at retail price it seems a good deal...bloody heavy by the sounds of it though.

Are you able to jack your E46 to jack stand height in one operation with this jack? The nonsense I have to go through to get my E82 on jack stands is usually the worst part of any job...

As M3MAN says...drive one before deciding....the autos are good but the manual versions are epic.

I used to intensely dislike the 1 series in general ...until I actually drove one. I didn't think anything would feel nicer than the E46 330i ...but the 1 series converted me. Granted...from certain angles sometimes I'm mixed on the look of the lines...but both the 130 and the 135 are wonderfully fun cars. I think the 130i in manual is a brilliant choice.. The N52 will long be remembered as probably he last great N/A engine BMW ever made.

I'm with the rest of the folks here..... I don't want to do any bubble bursting but a 320 is so commonplace and 'ordinary' , that it's hard to imagine why anybody would go through the effort of a manual swap etc. Manual swapping a 130i or something (although manual examples or not that rare) is something I can get on board with... the I6 3.0L are not that thirsty at all when cruising.

Thanks everybody for the input on this. Got distracted but will try the autoglym. The data sheet seems to list petroleum so doesn't look to be waterbased, I'll give it a try though as I'm not in the 'tire shine makes your tyres brown camp', I've just found the water based don't sling off as much.

That's nothing for a BMW in KMs! Wouldn't even be much in miles!! I sold my E46 330i with 318k KM on it and it was still going strong (granted it had had almost every plastic part replaced in its life...but lets not dwell on that). How are the lifters?

What's your mileage?

Anybody got any recommendations for a decent water based tyre shine gel that I can easily get in NZ. Ideally something I can just pickup from a shop. I've used Optimum Optibond Tyre Gel and my bottle has done me for 7 years but it's finally run out on me. I strongly dislike the petroleum/silicone products as they are often far too shiny, sticky and tend to sling off the wheels.....

What helps for a little while is sitting stationary and holding at 3000 rpm for a few minutes. That said no N54s really sound that great idling...there is a somewhat diesel like quality to them all sadly...a lot of the N series engines sound that way DI or otherwise. EDIT: If you have high mileage..beware of timing chain issues...although not common they can sound very similar to lifter tick...but often much worse.

I rebuilt mine myself with the Turbo Labs America rebuild kit. Hardest part was getting the C-clips off!! Did the waste gates too, punched them out and had a welder in Penrose do the spot TIG welds. As far as upgrades go I'd be just as likely to send the TD03s to the USA and have TD04 centers put in. However my power targets are just within the capabilities of the stock turbos. Some decent inlets and a dual cone intakes are effectively giving you a couple of "free" psi, making things even easier. Add a really good intercooler and unless you have serious power targets in mind I question the need lately to upgrade the twins at all.

This is claimed at the moment. Thanks all for your interest.

I have the bottom end of N54 I pulled out of my E82. The new motor has gone in. I was going to rebuild the one I pulled out but as I just did a rebuild I'm sick of seeing half assembled N54s. If you would like it it's free. I have an engine crane here to lift it and it's current stat on an engine stand. There was no failure of the engine, at 84k, just made sense to swap my fresh one in. I'm moving on Friday and am sick of seeing it. I was going to finish the tear down and box it up but I've had enough Collection is from Mount Wellington. I'll be getting it collected for scrap end of day tomorrow or early Friday if there are no takers. I have a bunch of other stuff that will be scrapped too, E90 subframe + steering rack, flex plate, and so on.

Ahhhhh....that is more understandable. Not the actual swirl, swirls that machine car washes rapidly put in... Yeah, those fine scratches are unavoidable.

The E38 750il gets plenty of screentime and an amusing end in Tomorrow Never Dies, not to mention, gadgets!

Straight fine scratches from contaminated washes / sloppy technique (which we are all guilty of sometimes) ....but full on swirls from hand washing? How does that happen? I've only really suffered from swirling when the dailys go to the machine car wash... I will give the rinseless a try though for a quick wash.