qube 3570 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 very very nice, love the grey with the bits of black.. not being a hater but this popped into my mind when looking at your spoiler.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucan 196 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 Love it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 very very nice, love the grey with the bits of black.. not being a hater but this popped into my mind when looking at your spoiler.. Haha, the front does project a fair bit. We'll see how it goes, as the car's a bit lower than standard also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 Watch those awkward driveways with that spoiler! I'd love a decent spoiler/spliter but it would just get ripped to shreds on my driveway Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
byza213 1 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 looks great! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scott_e30 8 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 Saw this driving through mission bay yesterday...looked good! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted September 23, 2012 Saw this driving through mission bay yesterday...looked good! Thanks! A friend is looking at buying one, so let him take it for a drive. I'm pretty sure he's convinced..! Re: driveways, I'm quite lucky in our new house that there is no elevation to the garage. If it's too much of a hassle I can always take it off (or it may remove itself and save me the trouble). We'll see - it's lasted a couple of days so far.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deshanv 0 Report post Posted September 24, 2012 Thanks! A friend is looking at buying one, so let him take it for a drive. I'm pretty sure he's convinced..! Re: driveways, I'm quite lucky in our new house that there is no elevation to the garage. If it's too much of a hassle I can always take it off (or it may remove itself and save me the trouble). We'll see - it's lasted a couple of days so far.... he can buy mine bro, I have it on trademe for sale now. I want to upgrade to an E92. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted September 24, 2012 he can buy mine bro, I have it on trademe for sale now. I want to upgrade to an E92.Yep, I told him about yours in the weekend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreadful1 7 Report post Posted September 28, 2012 I love that lip! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted December 4, 2012 Hullo Bimmersport. Here's a couple of updates to my 'wish-list'. I've had the car just over six months now, and love it more and more each day. Things done: - Bumper plinth painted & added - Carbon front lip added - Wheels & tyres replaced - Hard wired in a radar Things I'm not doing anymore (or until necessary): - Clutch stop - CSL airbox - Carbon rear diffuser - Replace fog lights with HID - Replace rear shocks - Carbon rear spoiler (sold my one) Things left to do: - Re-cover touch surfaces - Maybe in the future - there are 2 chips on steering wheel plastic, and I'm concerned the driver's armrest may wear in the future as I've seen happen on a few others. - Stonechips - There's not many, but the odd roadtrip has added 3 or 4. I'm pretty fussy so will have it resprayed in the future, and maybe have the front bumper wrapped in clear vinyl. - Install rear window roller-blind and/or get some good quality light tint on the windows - I'm not 100% convinced on either point, so I've left it until I am. - Driver training (in no particular order... I'll get there eventually) Things that've been fixed so far: - Starter motor - Rear subframe - Gear lever play - Spare key remote thing So all in all, not bad! Gas mileage isn't as bad as I initially feared (readout was 16.5l/100kms after the first week) - after the first couple of months this has settled to a healthy 13.5l/100km on '98. I do commute, so there's a lot of stop-start driving. The ride is quite firm around town, but still comfortable, and on the open road it's a riot. The paint is in great shape, and everything about the car feels tight. I'm pretty careful where I leave it, and it's well locked up indoors during the day and overnight, but it still doesn't seem to attract the wrong attention. No pics, as there's nothing really aesthetic to report. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffbebe 1559 Report post Posted December 4, 2012 Great to hear from someone genuinely passionate about how their car looks and feels! I've got a list of things to do on mine as long as my arm - some aesthetic some mechanical and practical - but prioritising is hard! Good on you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mungous 1 Report post Posted December 4, 2012 - Driver training (in no particular order... I'll get there eventually) There's a perfect low-stress track day coming up at Hampton Downs on January 12 that I'm aiming to attend - a BMW driver trainer is usually on-hand to help out. Love the colour of your car - I spent ages test driving various M3s (both E36 and E46) before buying my TiAg E46 (2nd best colour after yours, IMHO). Similar KMs, sod-all options and pretty much totally unmolested - just the way I like 'em! I've just acquired a second set of OEM wheels so I can mount some better rubber for track days... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
central3 31 Report post Posted December 5, 2012 Hullo Bimmersport. Here's a couple of updates to my 'wish-list'. I've had the car just over six months now, and love it more and more each day. Things done: - Bumper plinth painted & added - Carbon front lip added - Wheels & tyres replaced - Hard wired in a radar Things I'm not doing anymore (or until necessary): - Clutch stop - CSL airbox - Carbon rear diffuser - Replace fog lights with HID - Replace rear shocks - Carbon rear spoiler (sold my one) Things left to do: - Re-cover touch surfaces - Maybe in the future - there are 2 chips on steering wheel plastic, and I'm concerned the driver's armrest may wear in the future as I've seen happen on a few others. - Stonechips - There's not many, but the odd roadtrip has added 3 or 4. I'm pretty fussy so will have it resprayed in the future, and maybe have the front bumper wrapped in clear vinyl. - Install rear window roller-blind and/or get some good quality light tint on the windows - I'm not 100% convinced on either point, so I've left it until I am. - Driver training (in no particular order... I'll get there eventually) Things that've been fixed so far: - Starter motor - Rear subframe - Gear lever play - Spare key remote thing So all in all, not bad! Gas mileage isn't as bad as I initially feared (readout was 16.5l/100kms after the first week) - after the first couple of months this has settled to a healthy 13.5l/100km on '98. I do commute, so there's a lot of stop-start driving. The ride is quite firm around town, but still comfortable, and on the open road it's a riot. The paint is in great shape, and everything about the car feels tight. I'm pretty careful where I leave it, and it's well locked up indoors during the day and overnight, but it still doesn't seem to attract the wrong attention. No pics, as there's nothing really aesthetic to report. What did you do to the rear subframe christian? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted December 12, 2012 What did you do to the rear subframe christian? There were cracks in it when I bought the car - came up under inspection. BMW fixed them up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted December 15, 2012 I saw you today driving along Campbell Road, cars looking sharp! It just occurred to me coupled with the photos on the other page you purchased a house from our company last year, quite an upgrade to the Honda! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted December 16, 2012 I saw you today driving along Campbell Road, cars looking sharp! It just occurred to me coupled with the photos on the other page you purchased a house from our company last year, quite an upgrade to the Honda! Haha hey mate, small world! Yes indeed, a fair few changes - I still love my Honda's though... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted February 3, 2013 (edited) After putting 10k on over the last 8 months, it looks like I won't be using M TOY as a daily for too much longer. It's currently stored overnight and during the day in secure, covered parking; I've cleared out the garage and have everything prepped for weekly storage. The plan over the winter months is to chip away restoring/replacing the bits I can't usually get to while using it as a daily, with the long-term goal now being to bring the car back to near-mint condition. I’ll try to keep original where possible, but I still want to have my own ‘look & feel’ on the car; where I find a part that I prefer or I deem is of a better quality, I will replace the original. I'm pretty fussy around condition (and love this kind of stuff), so this is a journey rather than a destination. For the meantime, I've begun removing the spots of tar, rubber and grime under the guards and general maintenance in prep for a pre-winter wax. To-do list for 2013: - Sort out the chipped steering wheel under-cover thing. This could be restored, but I'll most likely replace it with a new one. - Clay bar & pre-winter coat. I don’t want to cut too deep into the clear, so will avoid a harsh rubbing compound. Still testing the best options for wax. - Remove wheels and clean. I do this once a year usually (more depending on usage). The wheels are only 6 months old and un-marked, but I don’t want any grime setting in that I won’t be able to remove in the future. - Fix scratches in roof panel. One scratch is through the clear and into the paint, and runs about 8cm backwards from the sunroof. It really needs a respray. I’m in two minds here. I’d really like to import a carbon roof panel, but to get one with a sunroof cutout is pretty bloody rare and I would want a new one if possible (not second-hand). - Replace left window. There is a long scratch up the glass from the inside (I suspect from a diamond ring). As far as I know there’s not much that can be done about this, so new glass may be the way to go. I’d like to tint the glass in the future, and having a scratch in there is not going to work at all. - Respray stone-chipped front lip. This has performed it’s purpose of protecting the lower-bumper from stone-chips very well. I’d like to get this colour-matched to the car body. - Restore front leather seat covers. Neither are too worn, but they are a visibly different sheen to the rear seats. I have good leather conditioner & cleaner that will have a chance to set in now that I’m not using the car as much – so will try this first. I don’t hold much hope for this, so new seat covers may be the best option. - Restore steering wheel leather & 'M' coloured stitching (it's dirty and dull at the moment) - Tips on this? Is it possible, or is replacement the only option? I sat in the M3 'Pure' at the Chinese festival on Sat; the steering wheel buttons look to be similar, and the leather is much nicer. I might replace mine with one of these instead. Things I’ve done over the weekend: Replaced worn leather gearknob with one from an M5. It takes a bit of trickery to get off, and some patching to get the plugs to match so the light works - let me know if you'd like a separate write up on this one. Some interesting stuff to be found under the gear boot ... especially for a NZ new car...! Bimmersport decals arrived - One for each side. Edited February 3, 2013 by CSET Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffbebe 1559 Report post Posted February 3, 2013 Man after my own heart... I'm also a stickler for condition and am gradually restoring my E39 to as close to mint as I can get (for a 16+ year old car). - Clay bar & pre-winter coat. I don’t want to cut too deep into the clear, so will avoid a harsh rubbing compound. Still testing the best options for wax. Meguiar's Tech 2.0 is the best wax I've found. - Remove wheels and clean. I do this once a year usually (more depending on usage). The wheels are only 6 months old and un-marked, but I don’t want any grime setting in that I won’t be able to remove in the future. I restored my BBS RSIIs but didn't repaint the inside of the wheel. Planning to take them off and clean the insides when I change the brake pads. What do you use to clean yours - I'm imagining I'll need a serious agent to remove years of grime but don't want anything that will damage the polished aluminium lip on the outside. - Restore front leather seat covers. Neither are too worn, but they are a visibly different sheen to the rear seats. I have good leather conditioner & cleaner that will have a chance to set in now that I’m not using the car as much – so will try this first. I don’t hold much hope for this, so new seat covers may be the best option. Recolour rather than replace - you can get a good DIY kit for around NZ$200 but you will need a spray gun for a good finish and it'd probably cost not much more to get a pro to do it. I've got a guy helping with recolouring me seats - will let you know how they turn out. - Restore steering wheel leather & 'M' coloured stitching (it's dirty and dull at the moment) - Tips on this? Is it possible, or is replacement the only option? I got a secondhand M sport wheel from Brent - restoring the leather was relatively easy (same process as seats) but had to colour the stitching black. Don't think there's a way you can restore the stitching colour and the leather. It's around $500 to recover and stitch the wheel, so a bit cheaper than a new wheel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted February 3, 2013 Thank you Julien! I wasn't sure about that Tech 2.0 wax (having not used it before) - Can't beat testimonials, I'll pick some up now. For cleaning the wheels, I usually give them a good wash first with carwash/shampoo to remove the majority of the grime. This leaves the stuck on hard-to-remove crud & tar. I'm a bit anxious using bug/tar remover spray (as the nose-test tells me it's watered-down turps), however it works a treat. Just make sure to wash off thoroughly afterwards! Lots say kerosene is the way to go; I haven't tried it so can't comment. For the lip (and any stubborn bits), Autosol metal polish is an option - just be very careful as it's a rubbing compound. It makes light work of milky/discoloured headlights too. Let me know how you get on with your seats! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NZ BMW 368 Report post Posted February 3, 2013 That's a picture of the offender who scratched up the window with a diamond ring... I'm using a Meguiar's wheel cleaner at the moment in a trigger bottle I forget the name but it's excellent at breaking down a lot of stuff including tar. I use a dish sponge to get into all the tight bits and provide some light scrubbing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSET 583 Report post Posted February 3, 2013 That's a picture of the offender who scratched up the window with a diamond ring... You're probably right .. Here's the other side. It's piqued my interest now. Can anyone read it? I assume it's kanji. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
central3 31 Report post Posted February 6, 2013 I know exactly what you mean about the detailing journey - you are either into it or you are not but I find it most satisfying. I agree with the Meguires Tech2, it is a great product. If your paint has a lot of fine tar specs (which most are hard to see but give your paint a rough feel) give it a wipe down with turps after you have cleaned it. The turps won't do any harm and makes a big difference quickly. Wash it again before using the clay bar. Use a glazing compound (as apposed to a cutting compound) and a black foam wheel, you won't take any appreciable amount of clear coat off. I don't know what your seat are like but if the are shiney rather than a nice matt finish then a good clean will sort this. I never use cleaning products for this. I was told by a very experienced upholstry tech that Lux soap flakes are the bees knees and after trying it I have never looked back. If you have scuffed areas then for around $60 you can get a 250mls pottle of colour which can work wonders (see my post in the appearance forum). Many will not want to venture to the underside of their car but if you are brave enough there is lot of fun to be had getting this into good shape. How much did that M5 gear knob set you back Christian? I also like your thinking re the steering wheel upgrade - I might tag along if it all works out for you. Have fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubman 39 Report post Posted February 6, 2013 Front picture side: I miss you very much Back side: I love you very much etc yadayada love from your little pig ear (piglet ear)? Ha, seems like one of the previous owners were Chinese international students lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1043 Report post Posted February 6, 2013 Was owned by a Chinese fella who resided in the AKL CBD. Its old number plate was M3 GTR. The car use to have a ASC front lip in Carbon fibre until he broke it.. It was in at Precision Autowerks getting repainted the same time I did my e46 body conversion on the 330 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
