[drZ]

Hi guys,

I've just arrived from Ireland and have been posted in Canberra for the last 6 weeks and will be here for the next 15mts (I hope). My car (2008 325i e92) had just arrived to the docks and gladly after alot of hardwork, was been approved an UVP to drive it from sydney to canberra ..arriving I had organised an inspection on Dickson road, to get rego but failed outright, mostly my fault but a few things have left me wondering..I was hoping some of you might help and advise on a few things that are bothering me..

Firstly on the inspection papers, one of them had asked me to clarify the track width of the car. according to them, as the car was an import and not available here they werent sure..I do have 19' BBS LM's on the car with the rear being 10.5 width et 25. I went straight to Rolfe BMW and they asked if I could come another day as their service com was down..so this is pending. The service manager did say to me if I wanted to, they could lend me a spare set of 19's to fit for inspection but I would run the risk of a defect call if the police stopped me..worth taking the risk?

secondly I have also been asked to change my rear tyres..reason the inner threads are worn out. Having just checked them today myself there is still at least 6-7mm left on the inside thread and no where close to the wear marker!! I do have the camber set at -2 to avoid rubbing at dips but this is at the limit where the wear wont be affected..what is legal limit of tyre thread here in oz and why is this an issue with my car ?? and if I do need to change, any reputable tyre vendors in canberra who would take care of my wheels while fitting them?

thirdly..I was running BC ER coilovers on all 4 corners but before moving to oz, the Rt front shock cylinder burst secondary to a massive pothole in the rain so have put the oems back on for the time being..does anyone know a reputable suspension specialist who can order, fit and track the car for me? I am willing to travel as far as sydney really..all else would likely be a tad far

I also need to get the car dry weighted..I'm sure I can find a weigh bridge somewhere here..

last but not least, anyone in canberra wanting to have a meet after work/weekends to just chill out, talk about cars etc do give us a shout..itd be nice to have a small meet to introduce myself personally!

thanks for reading and sorry about the long first post on this thread!

[Shonky]

2008 E92 325i was available here:

http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/resea...08,2008&eapi=2

and

17 for sale which can't all have been imports.

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/...sortby=TopDeal

[drZ]

2 pics of the car arriving at home in canberra..first was taken by wifey with iphoneinstagram camera and crazy processing..(dont ask why..)

[drZ]

yeah..
the euro 325i is based on n53 engine mate..3L petrol inline 6 with 220hp..the oz versions are 2.5L..

Originally Posted by Shonky

2008 E92 325i was available here:

http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/resea...08,2008&eapi=2

and

17 for sale which can't all have been imports.

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/...sortby=TopDeal

[ABC99G]

Hi and welcome to Australia.
As far as track width goes I think you are allowed to go +1 inch and you are allowed +1 inch on rim width.
(This is the rule in NSW anyway)
Given that the std offset is +38 and you have got +25 the difference is 13mm each side for a total of 26mm, which is just legal, but you also need to factor in the wider rims and this will put you way over the 1 inch total.
You should be able to find the track width in your handbook and it should be the same as the Australian version as the E92 325 was sold here.
To get the car registered you may want to put the standard rims on it.
Someone from Canberra should be able to help you with that.
Once it is registered I would put your rims back on. You would be very unlucky to get pulled over by the police in a BMW although there may be problems with your insurance company if you have an at fault accident.
As far as tyre wear goes you must have at least 3mm tread all round so if the outside or inside edges are worn down the tyre is no longer legal even if you are not down to the markers.

[Zomling335]

welcome & love your rims

[sbce90]

Welcome to Aus and very nice looking car! Couldn't help but read your post in a mental Irish accent though.

[netgun]

Originally Posted by sbce90

Welcome to Aus and very nice looking car! Couldn't help but read your post in a mental Irish accent though.

I have to admit I did the same thing too Wicked looking car though!

[froop]

Originally Posted by ABC99G

Hi and welcome to Australia.
As far as track width goes I think you are allowed to go +1 inch and you are allowed +1 inch on rim width.
(This is the rule in NSW anyway)
Given that the std offset is +38 and you have got +25 the difference is 13mm each side for a total of 26mm, which is just legal, but you also need to factor in the wider rims and this will put you way over the 1 inch total.
You should be able to find the track width in your handbook and it should be the same as the Australian version as the E92 325 was sold here.
To get the car registered you may want to put the standard rims on it.
Someone from Canberra should be able to help you with that.
Once it is registered I would put your rims back on. You would be very unlucky to get pulled over by the police in a BMW although there may be problems with your insurance company if you have an at fault accident.
As far as tyre wear goes you must have at least 3mm tread all round so if the outside or inside edges are worn down the tyre is no longer legal even if you are not down to the markers.

Sorry to hijack this thread OP (welcome and nice looking car you got there!), but how are DOT legal drag slicks street legal when they only come with a centre channel in the first place, or would they also be illegal?

[JJH]

Welcome drZ – lovely looking ride you have there. I am one of a few Canberra guys on here and can shed some light on a couple of your questions.

I am not very sure about the local legality of your wheel/tyre setup. This is a very difficult area to understand but I suspect you may have issues with registration. As I understand it, your car having wheels more than 1 inch wider than the largest OEM fitment listed for the car (9.0") will fail it. Again, please note this is my understanding. You might receive more definitive advice if you visit one of the larger tyre retailers in town like Bob Jane or Jax. They could also confirm if your rear tyres need replacement – seems strange you were asked to if you still have 6-7 mm. I have used Jax Quickfit Tyres in Phillip to fit tyres to my BBS wheels – they did take extra care to ensure not marking the wheels.

You could also seek advice from someone like Anthony Costello at Anthony Costello Automotive (independent BMW specialist) in Fyshwick (or Julian, one of his BMW techs). They will look after the car’s service needs while you are here too!

You could save yourself a lot if headaches if you take up the Rolfe offer to loan you a set of wheels for rego. You are very unlikely to be defected after inspection by a random rego check or by the police (unless you were deliberately drawing attention to yourself!!!).

For all your suspension needs, speak to Peter at Capital Steering and Suspension also in Fyshwick. He may also be able to help with any questions about your wheel/tyre set up.

Post up some information about your car especially the mods and don’t forget to detail the rather tasty bootlid!

[Pommie335i]

Welcome and lovely looking 325i

Stop teasing us with just two pics... Post some more!! 😊

[drZ]

thanks for the quick replies guys..its especially finny with comments trying to read all of these with the rather charming accent haha I appreciate very much all the help guys and I think I might have to take up the suggestions for the garages in fyshwick to get these problems sorted for rego..will post some pics tomorrow as its late at night but some mod list..

bmw performance grills
rpi ram air scoops
bmx powerbox set at 3 (throttle and performance boost - very little really - bum based dyno says its worth it hahaa..)
BC ER coilovers
19's BBS LM e46 m3 setup - 8' et 32 fr, 10.5 et 25 rear (reverse mounted rear)
michelin PSS 235 35 19 f 265 30 19 r
vorsteiner cfrp one sided bootlid painted
had an arkym front lip but destroyed in on a motorway drive about 6mts ago
LCI rear lights - waiting to be coded but still works fine apart from light check and fast slicking turn signals
custom exhaust - resonator swap to double outlet and piping to quad tips (repositioned vacuum canister)
cyba exhaust tips and CF rear diffuser
ACS anti-roll bars front - havent fitted the rears
ACS rep pedals in black

I think I've included everything..will check up again after having reinspected..any other suggestions appreciated guys!

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

Ooh CSL trunk.. tasty

[plazos]

Welcome

I live in canberra too.

Happy to help you with rims if need be. Have a set of 17' sitting around with legal rubber.

x 2 With the info in JJH_335 post

Can help with basic coding too.

Cheers

Paul

[drZ]

quick update..got through the second inspection and thanks to rolfe bmw they set me up with a set of f30 19's wheels with only labor cost to pay! so all I need now is to get the compliance plates and then sort rego, get proper plates and she'll be set to go.. just a pic of her with f30 shoes..surprisingly looks good..

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

wow looks nice with the 403s

[Gemballa1980]

Hey mate, Welcome to Canberra!

There's not many of us about on the forums (not many 335i's in Canberra at all actually), but I too side with the above recommendations of heading to Anthony Costello (Fyshwick) or Advanced Tech Automotive (Phillip) for any indi BMW work locally.

Big fan of the CSL wing too.

[waterbottle1]

very nice. makes me really wana get lci rears

[ricko177]

Welcome to you sir, from another Canberra beemster!
I would also support recommendations on servicing etc from fellow Canberra owners.
You might like to join the Canberra BMW Club as well - a good bunch of people - a bit of Google time will find their details.