Funny pictures...

e30m3mon

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View attachment 72109

So, this is the factory bracket to hold the CD changer in the “trunk” of my car. It took three weeks to come from Germany and looks to have been sitting on the shelf there since my car was made…
Years ago BMW had a huge inventory of new parts for older (including 1600 and 2002) cars, but at some point they liquidated or sold off all of that expensive stock. Now everything I need for the E30 M3 driveline is NLA and those who hoarded such parts are reaping their rewards. Seems BMW realized there is more profit in selling new cars instead of keeping warehouses full of old parts to keep the old ones running.
 

J!m

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They also started up their in-house restoration service... I bet those parts are still safely in Germany, waiting to be used on customer cars where they can maximize profit of them.

Plus they have all the drawings and can have new made at any time.
 

e30m3mon

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They also started up their in-house restoration service... I bet those parts are still safely in Germany, waiting to be used on customer cars where they can maximize profit of them.

Plus they have all the drawings and can have new made at any time.
I was not aware of that in-house restoration service...not that I could hire them to Break My Wallet ;)
I needed a muffler for the M3 ... long leadtime of about 3 years. They must have hired Eppersbacher to make another order, as they've just become available at $750. Ouch.
 

J!m

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E36 is similar- you have to keep checking with the dealer, as they get no warning either...

Parts go in and out of stock (seemingly) randomly. The adjustable splitter for the M3 LTW and M3 GT (in Europe) goes in and out of stock all the time. The splitter itself is usually in stock but the brackets going up to the bumper are not. One company in Latvia or wherever is reproducing them it's so sporadic (lots of racers use the factory splitter).

Realoem can help, but the pricing and availability there is not 100% accurate.

(PS the Gr. A and Gr. N parts list is in the "classic>1928 motorsport" area or something like that. Hidden in plain sight, not found under E30 or E36...
 
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