Michael.

I think the cars that rile me the most are all the drab base model cars that came out of Japan, especially when they are all dirty and damaged like the majority are in NZ Nissan Bluebird Mitsubishi Emeraude Toyota Sprinter Marino. Huhhhh

This is awesome, I am sure there will be a market for such a device, especially on the track! On my own car I have recordable telemetry available from my auto gearbox TCU, showing live readings of what my engines doing along with the gearbox and other sensor (coolant, oil, intake temp etc), I haven't hooked up a few things but most of its there and working, it just needs a stand alone small laptop to be mounted somewhere to make the best use of it, although I can also buy a special screen from the company I got the unit from to make it all more streamline. To be able to monitor & record vital live readings and make changes based on them is very valuable, for instance I was able to correct shifting issues from 2-3rd by reviewing the telemetry. I made this clip (with audio) to demonstrate the live monitoring Youtube clip

They can, which is the idea of them. Although I've heard/read (not from my own experience mind you) that they aren't exactly great in automatic mode, especially around town, a bit rough and awkward... and this is not just limited to the SMG models, other car makers with similar electronic/Hydraulic Manuals suffer from less than ideal function at low speeds in the city. Ultimately you should test drive some different models to get the best comparison, and of course remember not one car is the same as another so test drive a couple of SMG, autos or manuals to get the best insight. I test drive 6 E36s before buying mine and the difference between them all was vast.

I personally think you should either go for a manual or auto and not the SMG The idea of a manual is you control it all directly, and have clutch control - you loose that with the SMG. An auto version gives you smooth automatic changes and the freedom of tiptronic mode if you want some control over the autos shifting (obviously not the same as true manual' but still) I've noticed the SMGs can quite slow on changes so you end up with a period were you loose a bit of acceleration, as apposed to an auto that will change to the next gear without loosing as much acceleration, and of course with a true manual you can compensate by being quicker with the clutch/shift work.

As long as your own car doesn't end up like this, that is the main thing.

Haha, I see where you're coming from.. I am 23. I personally find that era of Mercedes to be quite poor aesthetically, don't get me wrong, by comparison I loved the previous W126 Mercedes, I nearly bought a 1989 420SE in 2011 until I woke up & smelt the coffee, realizing it would have been daft. (up keep costs) On the contrary, my tastes are old man like & somewhat questionable. I've owned a 1990 Toyota Celsior/LS400,. It was in mint original condition with 101,000kms all done by the first Japanese owner that shipped it over from Japan as his NZ 'holiday' car when he came over to see his children here. Despite what people think, these are beautifully made throughout and still run perfectly today for the most part. The styling was decent for their target market, simple & conservative, superior to that of the 1990s S class IMO. Rather miss that car, but I am happier with the E36, at least it has the same heart under the hood!

These Mercs always get to me, so vuglar and cheap... especially now that most of them are in really poor condition. It's like they didn't bother.

I know right. My dream wheels... one day I shall part with the money.

Correction, adjustable mufflers are ok ONLY if the dB rating stays within limits even on the loudest setting. Those varex mufflers are a gimmick, I have a friend in Australia who had some experience with them, fairly generic quality and the mechanism is bound to fail with such a design after a few years max - they should have used reliable vacuum actuators. They aren't cheap either.

Whooaa

Seriously, who does that to the wiring loom! GL

I think they are fantastic. What a bargain.

Reading some of the above makes it sound like one would be best to go for a Landcruiser or top spec Hilux instead. At least you could trust it & spend you hard earned money on other things rather than replacing premature failed parts. I personally can't see the point of a 4x4 BMW when there are clearly plenty of other better vehicles out there to buy for towing purposes.

Sounds like good fun

That car is too black. Needs some contrasting chrome trim IMO.

Cool in a cartoon way.

Looking good as always.

Wow, such similarities! Accept not the same one I saw. It had the same wheels, accept the spokes were a dark grey-black. Maybe not quite as mint as this M3 though.

Hahah nicely observed Brent. I like the bit where the seller states: How ironic.

Hmmm, not sure if this will have very good resale value...

Interesting, Would those figures be right if the engine makes 400hp as standard, or should there be a bit more out of it hence the need for a 2nd tune? 316.5 hp at the wheels would indicate a 21% drive terain loss if it's 400 at the flywheel.

They can be quite hard to find used systems for given the age and how they rust out. If you wanted a new system, I would import some stainless magnaflow gear from USA and go: From header pipes.... H pipe or X pipe up front on RHS Twin cats 2" or 2.25" Tube Twin small resonators More tube out to the rear muffler cavity, and fit a large long dual in dual out muffler that can fit in the narrow E34 space Would sound fairly nice I think, typically nicer than a single 2.5" or 3" in my opinion.

Mmmm.

I wouldn't touch that kind of Merc with a barge pole. I've recently driven two Mercs both in good order, an S500 and SL500 from that mid 90s era, and I think they are pretty overated, dated relics designed in the 70/80s - they feel heavy, numb and are purely for crusing. I'd imagine these are the same, just slower and a bit more nasty. Then again they offer good value I suppose, but so does an old BMW