bradc 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Ever since I was about 6 I've wanted one of these. I've been looking on trademe for the last 2 years for one and I was very very close to buying an 850i a while ago, but it was only a 4 speed auto, and I really didn't want that. I did some research and found out that if an E31 was fitted with dual front airbags from the factory it is elligible for import into NZ, and I asked a friend in England to look for one for me. There were 160 RHD 850CSi's made and almost all of them went to England. Eventually he found this one for me and at the very second I'm typing this he is on a ferry from Ireland to Manchester with my car. It is going onto a boat on Wednesday morning and I should have it complied and registered in about 10 weeks time. I can't wait for it! It is a euro spec model so it comes with the active rear steering, engine and diff oil coolers, and all of the best stuff that anyone could possibly come up with in 1994! According to my friend it is an absolute pearler, and is in really really good condition. It is a similar colour to my Legnum VR-4 which is a dark greyish purple, I hope they will look nice next to each other My Legnum is a facelift model with an Autronic SM4 standalone ecu, all turbo pipes replaced, full exhaust system with twin exits, 5 speed manual gearbox, Evo 6.5 TME seats, rear AYC diff, leather momo wheel, stock 7" touchscreen in the dash, 17x9.5" Wedsport TC-005 forged wheels, EVO 7 Brembo brakes all round, and quite a few other little mods. It makes 225kw ATW and goes bloody well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cale 36 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Awesome car man! I bet you can't even wait. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 thats interesting...so a twin airbagged equipped m5 3.8 wuld be eligible! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Thats badass! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 dunno about an M5, you're best to speak to a compliance centre. Yeah I can't wait, I should have a whole heap of pics up early tomorrow morning when my friend has had the chance to take some pics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alex 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Tidy car mate, congrats. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cainchapman 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Sweet car. I'll look forward to seeing that. No, a twin airbagged E34 won't get in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
conrod 1 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 850 CSi is a 5.6 380hp no? There are as far as I can tell only one or two other 850 CSi's in NZ, which would probably explain why you have been having problems finding one! One of them (black) was for sale 4 or 5 years ago, around $80K from memory. I saw this car about two years ago in Kumeu in a carpark. I "restored" a fire damaged 850i about 10 years ago, this one was a 6 speed (which is very rare in any of the V12 engined cars) and it was so much more fun to drive than the auto- turn of the traction control and it would happily haze the bags! You must only be about 23 if you have wanted one since you were six, which will probably make you the youngest owner of an 8 series in NZ! Very cool car you have, post up some more pics when you get it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Yep, you got it spot on, I'm 23. Well overnight they've gone and picked it up and I've got 2 more pics as it was leaving the port of Belfast on it's way to Manchester. You're right about the amount in the country. There were only 52 E31's sold here new - although quite a few have been imported now, I would guess there would be less than 5 manual V12's in the country. They made 1046 850i autos and 98 850i manuals in RHD, and only 160 850CSi's in RHD. I've got a very very rare car, I just hope it runs for at least 2 months after I get it, I figure it will break down all the time! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
conrod 1 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 I am sure it will be just fine! (apart from annoying check lights that stay on, expensive services, heavy fuel consumption etc) And if you ever get sick of it, let me know, I would love one of these! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 Haha, my VR-4 will use more fuel than it. I've just spoken to my friend in England and they got 24mpg out of it, my VR-4 uses a similar amount, but if I trash it and come on boost then I've got as low as 8mpg! Ohh and yes, the check lights are on, the front fog light bulb is blown and it knows about it. Stupid big brother crap! As for the servicing, well the VR-4 costs me about $1 for servicing for every $1 of fuel I put into it, I doubt the 850CSi can be much worse. And just so you know, the costs so far are: $35041 (12000pounds) to buy the car $3504 (1200pounds) for shipping, transport to the docks and fuel $500 paid to BMW nz to get the compliance paper work $550 to get it complied somewhere around $600 to get it registered for the first time (I beleive) And that is not withstanding anything that needs to be replaced when it gets into the country such as tyres, brakes, suspension joints, oils etc. It's easily gonna be $40k. f**k I need a beer! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
conrod 1 Report post Posted September 8, 2007 I would say that is $40K well spent! And 24mpg is good, the 850i auto I was driving for a month couldn't do that, and the manual JUST would achieve that on a good day, and that was "just" the ordinary 5l V12. The VR4 sounds like a drain on the pocket! Keeping them both, or flicking the Mitsi? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2007 nahh keeping both. I've owned the VR-4 for 2.5 years now and I think it is my life partner, I absolutely love it! Interestinly my VR-4 is almost an identical colour to the 850CSi, both of them are a dark purple. My friend in England has another VR-4 that is the same colour as mine, and the colours are very close to each other. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Formerly Known as 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2007 Wow, great car! What do you do to afford two money pits at 23 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2007 Fix and or break our customers networks and their associated it stuff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gus 5 Report post Posted September 9, 2007 thats a nice machine there. well worth the wait! congrats Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
btccm3 1 Report post Posted September 9, 2007 very very cool car mate. i am so green right now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted September 10, 2007 youre mean Cain...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew 30 Report post Posted September 10, 2007 Very VERY cool. Well done. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nz320i 0 Report post Posted September 12, 2007 (edited) Nice one, its an awesome car! Totally unrelated to cars - have you gone down the cisco or microsoft path?? ( with work ) Edited September 12, 2007 by Chris C Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wms 1 Report post Posted September 13, 2007 That car is awesome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 14, 2007 Microsoft route, sql, exchange, isa, etc Thanks for the kind comments guys. Still trying to figure out if I want to do any body work to it or not. The front needs to be lowered by about 15mm I think, and I might go for a wide body at the rear and get it all integrated into the body so it is nice and subtle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
international 0 Report post Posted September 16, 2007 hey Brad...nice car mate...Just wondering if you are the Brad who works for a company in Newmarket? I know a Brad who also drive a purple Legum with some decent modifications....but have lost contact with him...at one stage he had 2 of them... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bradc 0 Report post Posted September 17, 2007 Yeah mate I used to, I left there at the end of last year. Definitely me How did you know me? I had a white VR-4 for a year, but I've sold that recently and have now got a blue ST-R Legnum (2.5 v6, 4wd, 5 speed manual, black leather, tints, double din mp3 player, 17x7 enkei rpf1's) as my daily driver, keeping the purple VR-4 and the 850CSi for the weekends. VR-4 = rainy weekends, BMW = fine weekends Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
international 0 Report post Posted September 17, 2007 Yeah mate I used to, I left there at the end of last year. Definitely me How did you know me? I had a white VR-4 for a year, but I've sold that recently and have now got a blue ST-R Legnum (2.5 v6, 4wd, 5 speed manual, black leather, tints, double din mp3 player, 17x7 enkei rpf1's) as my daily driver, keeping the purple VR-4 and the 850CSi for the weekends. VR-4 = rainy weekends, BMW = fine weekends You got the white one off trademe cheap because it was missing a gearbox or something? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
