Best places for parts, new and used

[Glacial Pace 32]

I need a few things for my soon to arrive M3, I'm going to do the rod bearings and have ordered bearings and bolts already, but I thought it might be better to get the bulky, cheaper stuff, engine mounts, gaskets, o rings, locally. Where would you go for this sort of stuff? 

It's also missing the front towing eye cover, hopefully this is something I can pick up used, who is good for this sort of thing? The colour is Space Grey Metallic so not exactly uncommon. Also does anyone know if this is M bumper specific or will any E9x one do the trick.

[Vass 795]

Doubt you'll find much locally, especially down in Queenstown. Personally I barely buy anything locally nowadays since you get taken for an absolute ride 95% of the time. If they have it, Spareto is usually the cheapest place to get good quality parts. Schmiedmann has more availability but shipping prices can get ridiculous real quick. FCP Euro has the website to use but isn't quite as cheap as the other two. RockAuto is more hit and miss but also good for certain parts. Between those you should be well sorted. Shipping takes a week or less so won't hold you up much. 

[Glacial Pace 32]

Thanks. Looks like buying from over seas is the way to go.

What about NZ based wreakers for bid of trim etc, is there any decent ones?

[Olaf 3301]

20 hours ago, Glacial Pace said:

I need a few things for my soon to arrive M3, I'm going to do the rod bearings and have ordered bearings and bolts already, but I thought it might be better to get the bulky, cheaper stuff, engine mounts, gaskets, o rings, locally. Where would you go for this sort of stuff? 

It's also missing the front towing eye cover, hopefully this is something I can pick up used, who is good for this sort of thing? The colour is Space Grey Metallic so not exactly uncommon. Also does anyone know if this is M bumper specific or will any E9x one do the trick.

1.  FCP Euro, Schmeidmann, Spareto.

2.  For used classic, try Begley Motor Works.  Newer stuff, BM World in Papakura or Weitz Industries in Hamilton.  Possibly SD European.

3.  Your best friend for sourcing part numbers is about to become RealOEM.com

HTH

Edited July 27 by Olaf

[Glacial Pace 32]

32 minutes ago, Olaf said:

1.  FCP Euro, Schmeidmann, Spareto.

2.  For used classic, try Begley Motor Works.  Newer stuff, BM World in Papakura or Weitz Industries in Hamilton.  Possibly SD European.

3.  Your best friend for sourcing part numbers is about to become RealOEM.com

HTH

Thank you!

[Olaf 3301]

oh yes, @Vass mentioned Rockauto, they can be pretty good... if they have part from the manufacturer you want (they helpfully grade their offerings by quality level), and of you're buying multiple parts *and* you find they're supplied from the same location.  Freight charges from multiple locations can add up with Rockauto, be cautious.  I used to use a freight aggregator in FL (MyUS.com), gave them up a year or two ago as I was buying less from the USA and their service levels declined around Covid and never came back.  I'll try Shipito next time I need an agregator.  

[Eagle 1647]

57 minutes ago, Glacial Pace said:

Thanks. Looks like buying from over seas is the way to go.

What about NZ based wreakers for bid of trim etc, is there any decent ones?

HELLBM is another wrecker one who have those sort of parts

Rockauto also add GST unlike the others. They usually only good for a single or a few smaller parts on OE branded stuff,  their shipping prices are all over the place are rarely end up cheaper than the others.

 

[Glacial Pace 32]

Nice one. I'll call some of the NZ places mentioned and see if anyone can provide the towing eye cover. I'm currently putting together an order for the other parts I require for the rod bearings job. 

Anyone have an opinion on replacing the oil pan and sub frame bolts? Seems like BMW recommend replacing them but nobody who had done videos on it seems to bother. 

I can see the subframe bolts, but oil pan seems a bit overkill to me, assuming the bolts aren't corroded or anything.

Edited July 27 by Glacial Pace

[Driftit 2050]

If ordering from spareto who are by far the fastest with the cheapest shipping. Then make sure your orders are under $1000nzd including shipping for each order. This way you will avoid GST and hundreds of dollars of customs fees. 

Use realoem.com to find the correct part numbers. 

[Glacial Pace 32]

Thanks. 

I'll price them up for the parts I need imminently and make sure I don't go over $1000, that was actually the decider to go with OEM rod bolts, not ARP. The kit with ARP was more than $1000 so I knew I would get pinged.

[Eagle 1647]

Dealers can be reasonably priced for quite a few genuine parts. Ive bought a quite a few bits of RHD specfic stuff and trim bits which ended up being cheaper than Schmiedmann. They just dont seem to stock that much of the older stuff anymore but maybe E90's fair better.

7 hours ago, Glacial Pace said:

Anyone have an opinion on replacing the oil pan and sub frame bolts? Seems like BMW recommend replacing them but nobody who had done videos on it seems to bother.

If you ordering a whole bunch of stuff already then may as well replace oil pan ones which should be cheap. I probably wouldnt bother with the subframe ones myself but depends on the cost of them and were you are ordering from.

[Glacial Pace 32]

Interesting, I had though the opposite, my reasoning being that the oil pan bolts are only done to 10nm and the subframe bolts are much higher, or even torque then angle so they see a lot more force when torquing and also while the car is being driven. 

Still unsure what I'll do about that, all the bolts are maybe $200-$250. Not huge but every saving is money that can be spent elsewhere.

[Olaf 3301]

I recommend you replace anything that is single-use.  RealOEM has indications.  And surely you're following at least the Bentley Manual for this job, if not the BMW Service information - TIS?  It's not a job to cheap-out on.  Do it once and do it right.

Regarding the pan bolts, they've been through a large number of temperature cycles... often BMW or ZF (for transmissions) change material for the bolts; replacing them ensures you get the appropriate material.  Think back to M20 head bolts.

Saving $200 on a $4k-6k job is folly.

[balancerider 747]

10 hours ago, Glacial Pace said:

Nice one. I'll call some of the NZ places mentioned and see if anyone can provide the towing eye cover.

Fabian @ Coombes Johnston BMW Hamilton has been good for parts for me in the past. Would be worth checking

[Glacial Pace 32]

13 hours ago, Olaf said:

I recommend you replace anything that is single-use.  RealOEM has indications.  And surely you're following at least the Bentley Manual for this job, if not the BMW Service information - TIS?  It's not a job to cheap-out on.  Do it once and do it right.

Regarding the pan bolts, they've been through a large number of temperature cycles... often BMW or ZF (for transmissions) change material for the bolts; replacing them ensures you get the appropriate material.  Think back to M20 head bolts.

Saving $200 on a $4k-6k job is folly.

I will be consulting everything I can get my hands on yes, including Bentley or TIS.

Honestly I think a lot of people usually this job having read a forum post and watching a video, nearly all of which do not mention replacing the oil pan or subframe bolts. 

Point taken though, I think I will replace any bolt that BMW state to be single use items.

[Vass 795]

I find it a bit hard to believe how bolts tightened to 10Nm can be single use. Sounds more like a cash grab rather than a serious structural integrity consideration.

What's the actual indication of a single use item on RealOEM? I don't see it.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=KG92-EUR-09-2012-E92N-BMW-M3&diagId=11_4112

[Olaf 3301]

A fine example is ZF6 pan bolts.  “Holy f#%kbaws, it’s 21 (or 23 - I forget) bolts.  That’s expensive, do I really need them?”

ZF changed the bolts, they were breaking.  BMW tell you nothing as they stick to the ‘lifetime fill, no service necessary’ line.

Ive just bought a ZF8 service kit. All in one box from ZF.  Contents: Pan/filter, fill & drain plugs, fill set of new pan bolts.
 

It’s a sh*t to have your car on the hoist doing the job, bolt breaks… you’re doing all the right things to take care of your car and you’re going to extract the broken bolt and look for something else as a placeholder… it’s not in-stock locally as everyone’s buying direct off-shore…. Most of the time IMHO you’re better off having the right stuff to hand when you need it.

RealOEM usually indicate something like “required” as a note… look at the bolts/nuts that pinch the hub to the bottom of a front strut, or caliper bracket bolts… from memory they’re single-use.

[Eagle 1647]

20 hours ago, Glacial Pace said:

Interesting, I had though the opposite, my reasoning being that the oil pan bolts are only done to 10nm and the subframe bolts are much higher, or even torque then angle so they see a lot more force when torquing and also while the car is being driven.

M6 bolt is low strength to begin with and fairly easy to snap compared to a M12 subframe bolt. I dont see anything on realoem that says the subframe ones cant be re-used. If they are stretch bolts and need additional angle torque you wouldn't attempt to torque it to that spec if re-using the bolts. Probably as pay as you say to just to do them if you dont want any risk. Just make sure your torque wrench is accurate.

5 hours ago, Olaf said:

from memory they’re single-use

Yeah lots of that is for liability reasons im guessing, E46 front subframe brace is a good example. Reality is they are getting used over and over without issue. Even dealers don't seem to follow their own guidelines alot of the time. 

[Glacial Pace 32]

25 minutes ago, Eagle said:

M6 bolt is low strength to begin with and fairly easy to snap compared to a M12 subframe bolt. I dont see anything on realoem that says the subframe ones cant be re-used. If they are stretch bolts and need additional angle torque you wouldn't attempt to torque it to that spec if re-using the bolts. Probably as pay as you say to just to do them if you dont want any risk. Just make sure your torque wrench is accurate.

Yeah lots of that is for liability reasons im guessing, E46 front subframe brace is a good example. Reality is they are getting used over and over without issue. Even dealers don't seem to follow their own guidelines alot of the time. 

I got the info from this forum post, though I am not sure where this comes from. I slightly misspoke actually, most of the sub frame bolts are ok to reuse, but the skid plate ones as well as the smaller size ones in the sub frame say to replace. 

I will get all of these, along with the oil pan bolts. 

https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1330067

[Eagle 1647]

Skid pan bolts are heavily re-used id say, spending $50 every time you take it off probably never happens.  If you doing all the front end work at in one go and not likely to ever remove it in near future it makes more sense.

I can see how are going to end up with $200 of bolts now, but most people are probably re-using most of that as you suggest.

[Glacial Pace 32]

I do plan on doing suspension work on the car at some point, and I'll consider reusing the bolts then, but 280k km and I don't know if they have ever been changed, so I will do it for peace of mind.

[Glacial Pace 32]

Ordered it all, including new bolts as discussed.

[mmario 44]

Ebay can be good for rare trim bits that are hard to get here.