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I have a 2005 Mitsubishi Evo 8 that I'm ready to get rid of for something more grown up. I have my eye on an E36 M3 sedan or an E46 330i, hopefully with a ZHP package. There is a local dealer here that specializes in used BMWs (http://www.enthusiastauto.com/), so fortunately, I've been able to drive both models. I'm wondering about the comparison between the two on a maintenance front. I'm well aware of what will need to be addressed with a 70,000 mile M3, but would a 45,000 mile E46 have fewer issues, or just the same issues farther out? Also, will older M-taxed parts still be more expensive than E46 parts? Am I completely off it for considering getting rid of a 2005 car for a 1998? The dealership typically has complete service histories on every car they sell, so I'd at least know what I'm getting into.
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May 10, 2009 16:39
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What would you guys pay for a 1997 M3 Sedan, 5-speed manual, 41k miles, Boston Green exterior, black interior, no sunroof, "Super-Charged, Shock Tower Brace, X-Brace underneath"? I asked about the supercharger and the guy didn't know what brand it was, and that it was put on in 1999 or so, so it is aftermarket. He says there are 2 dings on the exterior, one on the hood and one on the roof, and a couple of scratches from a cat on the hood. The interior and rest of the exterior is pretty much perfect. I'm assuming the scratches aren't deep, but I haven't seen it yet (I'm asking for more pictures). He also says the cooling system hasn't been updated, but that he will put new tires and brakes on it before he sells it. Other than that, I don't know anything about the maintenance, although I could probably ask. It is single owner owned by an old man and the guy selling it is a relative selling it for him. He's asking $15,300. I'm a little concerned about the supercharger, but he says you could just take it off and put it back to stock pretty easily. Could it have shortened the life of the car if it wasn't good quality or wasn't installed well? I assume he would have had issues by now if that was the case, right? Sedans with man-trans are hard to find it seems, and the last one I looked at had 95k miles and he was asking $11,500 at his lowest and it had similar condition exterior and maybe a little more worn interior, with updated cooling system, but that was the only real maintenance. BossTweed fucked around with this message at 19:39 on May 10, 2009 |
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May 10, 2009 19:20
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I wouldn't touch it without getting a full maintenance record and documentation of the supercharger parts/install. The last thing you want to do is buy some old guy's basketcase supercharger project. On the other hand, it's very possible that it was well done. If that's the case, he shouldn't have a hard time proving it with receipts and documentation if he did it himself, or the work orders if he paid a shop.
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May 11, 2009 00:58
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Guinness posted:I wouldn't touch it without getting a full maintenance record and documentation of the supercharger parts/install. Yeah, I would definitely have an inspection done, and I also asked if he had documentation of the supercharger installation, so hopefully that will give me some clues.
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May 11, 2009 01:14
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I'm so frustrated! I've tried switching DMEs, I put in a different wire harness, and nothing has changed. I'm still getting 12v at the coil, at the battery junction in the engine bay, and 12v at the starter. Although now the engine won't turn over but I can hear some serious relay clicks...little bit of a step backwards. The main relay still gets pretty warm when I have the key in the "on" position, not sure whats up with that... Edit: It cranks over now (I had the single plug starter wire on the wrong probe thing)...but even with the new harness, still nothing 
two_beer_bishes fucked around with this message at 02:33 on May 11, 2009 |
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May 11, 2009 01:17
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So for some godforesaken reason (mainly to torture myself, I suppose), I've been perusing M3s on le Craigslist, and come to frightening realization: thanks to the economy, there are a fair number I can actually afford. Now, I'm not particularly tied to the M-package - I really am just looking for a manual transmission, 3-series convertible. During these torturous Michigan winters, I have my '03 Altima to handle those. So I'm paying attention to convertible tops, 320, 325, 328, M3 etc... Most of these are from 95k to 130k miles. Perusing this thread, I note that the majority of problems begin at the cooling system, followed by auto transmission (if present), followed by the more complex sport-package suspensions getting beat to hell. Assuming clean Carfax, a decent resemblance of maintenance records from the seller, what else should I inspect when seeing the car? I saw suggestions to bring a jack, test wheels for any play, etc. I'm an Electrical/Computer engineer, and I work in the automotive electronics industry, so I've done my fair share of interior work/troubleshooting electrical system faults. But, how hard is it (really) for a reasonably competent person to perform say, cooling system (water pump replacement) repairs on his own? I'm fairly mechanically proficient (thanks case-modding!). I figured I would cap at 10k and shoot to spend 7k with the remainder for repairs/maintenance. e: Found a 1995 325i vert; 151k miles. I'll have to check with seller for details, but if its still running well at this point, the cooling system replacement/overhaul has already been done (assuming they didn't just replace individual parts). Price: $6k There was another '95 323i vert, 88k miles. Cooling probably very close to replacement, or already done. Price: $8.5k. 70k mile difference between the two, but I foresee shelling out for struts, shocks, suspension, steering, and everything that was only designed to last for 100k miles. Off-topic question: Is there some reason that 97-99 Z3s are so "cheap"? Lots of them in the 7k range, with 100k miles, no giant gaping problems. Though, I suppose a car that was 40k new being worth 7k in a decade and 100k miles later is fairly good. movax fucked around with this message at 22:19 on May 11, 2009 |
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May 11, 2009 18:30
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Ran across this on the e28 forums, that's not paint, it's real rust. Click here for the full 800x430 image.  Click here for the full 900x598 image. Kind of sexy in a way, I wouldn't have gone as far as ripped panels off, but it has quite the unique look about it. Bonus pictures of my "new" 87 535i. First BMW I have owned and i'm loving the poo poo out of it.  Click here for the full 800x600 image. Poopsocks fucked around with this message at 19:43 on May 11, 2009 |
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May 11, 2009 19:40
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That e28 and it's annoying owner can both go die in a fire. Never seen so much forum drama follow a particular poster (outside of SA).
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May 11, 2009 20:08
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Do you have a link to the thread about it?
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May 11, 2009 20:17
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Poopsocks posted:Ran across this on the e28 forums, that's not paint, it's real rust. Ugly "deep dish" wheels, rust, stretched tires, stupidly lowered. It's like a checklist for everything I hate about BMW owners! On another note, you should see if you can tuck the bumpers on your 535. I know the e30 diving boards can be made to look slightly less ridiculous.
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May 11, 2009 21:10
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Crustashio posted:Ugly "deep dish" wheels, rust, stretched tires, stupidly lowered. It's like a checklist for everything I hate about BMW owners! I think that description more accurately describes VW owners than anyone else. For example: (Stolen from the Post hot car chicks thread)   Click here for the full 1024x681 image. There was a better analog to the rusted e28, but I can't find it. It should also be noted that the latter VW is apparently bagged, and possibly not as stupidly low.
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May 11, 2009 21:39
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Crustashio posted:Ugly "deep dish" wheels, rust, stretched tires, stupidly lowered. It's like a checklist for everything I hate about BMW owners! And VW owners too! edit: looks like I was too late.
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May 11, 2009 21:40
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two_beer_bishes posted:I'm so frustrated! I've tried switching DMEs, I put in a different wire harness, and nothing has changed. I'm still getting 12v at the coil, at the battery junction in the engine bay, and 12v at the starter. Although now the engine won't turn over but I can hear some serious relay clicks...little bit of a step backwards. The main relay still gets pretty warm when I have the key in the "on" position, not sure whats up with that... I get 12v from the coil to the distributor now but still no spark as far as I can tell...gently caress this car. I'm starting to think the magnet on the flywheel fell off! I still love my E30 though
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May 11, 2009 22:47
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MetaJew posted:I think that description more accurately describes VW owners than anyone else. Oh, I hate those VWs too. I guess it's just more of a german tuner annoyance.
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May 12, 2009 07:51
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Brock Landers posted:Trade-in is about $4600 on that car and private party is $5500 in "good" condition, so I'd say the price is a bit high, even for being maintained. The 325i is as common as dirt as far as the E46 is concerned. BMW leased a ton of them. IF (big if) he's done everything, including replacing the entire cooling system (a big weak spot) AND refreshed the entire suspension recently, $7000 is as high as I would go. If he's really just following BMW's (scant) maintenance schedule to the letter and nothing more, offer the KBB $5500. That being said, I took a quick peak at Autotrader and I'm seeing 100k+ miles 325i's being offered for ~$9,000. I think the dealers are dreaming with those prices though. I must be in the wrong part of the country (Central Ohio). In looking for a 2000-2001 325i or 330i, I'm not seeing anything with an asking price much under $9000. And very few manuals to choose from. In the $5000-7000 range, is there another car (year or model) in the 3/5 series' that I should be looking at?
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May 12, 2009 14:50
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EVERYWHERE 
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meatpimp posted:I must be in the wrong part of the country (Central Ohio). In looking for a 2000-2001 325i or 330i, I'm not seeing anything with an asking price much under $9000. And very few manuals to choose from. I'm not sure why you aren't able to find them; they're everywhere in UT for $6-8k with ~80-100k miles, 5spds aplenty. Check one of the global craigslist searches (craigshelper or crazedlist) and you should be able to find a lot of them.
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May 12, 2009 15:58
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Understeer posted:I have a 2005 Mitsubishi Evo 8 that I'm ready to get rid of for something more grown up. I have my eye on an E36 M3 sedan or an E46 330i, hopefully with a ZHP package. There is a local dealer here that specializes in used BMWs (http://www.enthusiastauto.com/), so fortunately, I've been able to drive both models. I'm wondering about the comparison between the two on a maintenance front. An E46 will most likely not have been driven as hard as an M3, and yes, parts are much less expensive. It doesn't matter that it's an E36 M3, you will still pay the M-tax.
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May 12, 2009 16:01
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Nait Sirhc posted:If I was in your situation, I would not pick up an E36 M3. You won't enjoy it as much as an E46 330i, especially if you are looking for the "grown-up luxury car with a relaxing ride" feeling. Counterpoint: I sold my '02 E46 a few years back to pick up a creampuff E36 M3. The difference between the two, especially on a race track, is hilariously huge. As I used to instruct frequently with NASA, the competency on a race track was somewhat important for me. While the both cars are very competent at doing everything, the M is significantly more sport-biased. The interior in the E46 is an improvement over the E36, but not significantly. The E46 is certainly a better freeway cruiser -- my 330i got 28 mpg in mixed driving, compared to 24 for my (somewhat upgraded) M3.
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May 12, 2009 16:09
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Nait Sirhc posted:You won't enjoy it as much as an E46 330i, especially if you are looking for the "grown-up luxury car with a relaxing ride" feeling. The 330i is a much better car for daily driving, IMO, and is just a tad slower than the E36 M3. Thanks to you and Sterndotstern for your viewpoints. I'm not looking for a couch-like Buick, but definitely something that still has sporting intentions. Unfortunately my Evo spends 99% of its time commuting and 1% of its time autocrossing, so maybe going for the better daily driver is the wise decision. Our family is also expanding, so I'm sure I'll be able to use the bigger back seat and trunk. One more question though: does the cooling system on an E46 definitely need replacement between 60k-100k like on the E36?
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May 13, 2009 00:21
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Understeer posted:One more question though: does the cooling system on an E46 definitely need replacement between 60k-100k like on the E36? E46 cooling systems are a whole lot more sound than E36 systems. Still need to keep an eye on them, but preemptive rebuilds of the entire system every 60K are not warranted. I'd probably go ahead and change the pump and t'stat at 100k, though.
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May 13, 2009 00:55
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Do you all like the new 5 and 7-series? I think they look like generic as gently caress sedans, if they didn't have a BMW symbol I'd easily guess them to be any number of different makes. I still like the 300s, amazingly they avoided the generic look brush but I'm happy as hell I got my E46 after seeing the new models. I have a somewhat stupid question - I still need to fix the DISA valve and intake boot (M54 on an E46), but I have no idea what the hell to look for in parts sites - they're both technically intake, but I have never seen anything that says DISA anywhere and there are a billion intake parts and I'm not really sure what they all are for, I think what is cracked is the y-boot, but again I don't have any idea what a parts site/catalog would call this. I just need to know what to order so I can go from there, any help appreciated.
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May 13, 2009 18:59
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Sounds like the disa problem is fairly common, I suggest searching e46fanatics for a diy procedure. Part numbers can be found on realoem.com and I buy my parts from rmeuropean.com or pelican parts if RM doesn't carry it.
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May 13, 2009 19:20
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Hey, I need some advice on how much to pay for this http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/ctd/1166914868.html 2005 330ci drop top with navi, ZHP, Premium and cold weather package. with 3k miles left of warranty service (47k miles). It is a bit over desired price to pay, but all the features I want are on it. They are asking $24k for it, would asking $22k cash be a low-ball?
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May 13, 2009 20:17
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movax posted:So for some godforesaken reason (mainly to torture myself, I suppose), I've been perusing M3s on le Craigslist, and come to frightening realization: thanks to the economy, there are a fair number I can actually afford.
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May 13, 2009 20:20
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Can someone with an E30 please tell me what part number is on the side of their main relay (next to the fuel pump relay). The specific car is an 85 325e but it might be the same for most (all?) E30s. Thanks!
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May 14, 2009 01:32
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Poopsocks posted:Ran across this on the e28 forums, that's not paint, it's real rust. I thought this car was technically totalled due to the a-pillar damage after the car went under a tractor trailer? The rust sure gets most BMW owners in a hissy fit. Interesting look.
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May 14, 2009 14:50
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My E36 is going to hit 165k miles today. The only things wrong with it right now are a worn ball joint on the front drivers side, destroyed shifter bushings (stick in a box of rocks is pretty accurate; this is also probably worn synchros), and it needs front brakes/motor mounts which I already have the parts for, I just haven't had time to install them. Before she hits 200k miles I plan on replacing both control arms and front control arm bushings. I remember finding replacement aluminum control arms for $100/side, with everything but the lollipop bushing installed. I can't find it anywhere. Anybody know of good, cheap control arms? I also might replace the VANOS and timing chain/tensioner, preventively. I have a slight tick at the front, and assume it'll get worse. Does anybody have experience with https://www.drvanos.com I can get a complete replacement VANOS for $250 ($280 if you include the tool rental). Is the timing chain accessible with the VANOS removed, or is there more to it than that? I'd also be replacing the valve cover gasket since it'll all be apart anyway. Also, when I installed my new RTABs, I apparently didn't grease the new ones enough, because now a couple of weeks later they squeak. I don't want to unbolt the rear suspension again since I just got everything professionally aligned. Is it possible to get a grease gun in there and grease the outside of the bushing, or will the grease not get where it needs to get to eliminate the squeaking?
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May 14, 2009 14:54
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You want lemforder control arms and tie rods. M3 control arm bushings are a nice and not too harsh of an upgrade and they tend to last longer than the non m ones do. No you can't use a grease gun to grease the rtabs. Did you switch to poly?
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May 14, 2009 17:31
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has anyone made the bimmer/beemer argument yet
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May 14, 2009 17:44
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May 14, 2009 17:46
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related to this thread https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrgQV8e-Hf0
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May 14, 2009 17:50
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BraveUlysses posted:You want lemforder control arms and tie rods. M3 control arm bushings are a nice and not too harsh of an upgrade and they tend to last longer than the non m ones do. I've got new Lemforder tie rods. How much more expensive are the M3 bushings than the regular? I know I've seen the regular bushings pre-pressed into the lollipop bracket for about $50/side. For the RTABs I got some UUC polyurethane bushings. They came with a coating of grease on them but I'm thinking it wasn't enough.
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May 14, 2009 18:02
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Zeinin posted:Hey, I need some advice on how much to pay for this That seems like a pretty good deal as is (that's a $50k car easily when new) but cash talks - bring it in and tell them what your price is. You can always wait for the next one. I admit I haven't kept up on ZHP pricing since I bought mine but like I said, that seems good since the convertibles always command a premium (all E46's not just ZHP). /edit - one more thing, find out the original in-service date. The warranty starts from that date, so for a 2005 it may be expired already.
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May 14, 2009 18:21
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VacaGrande posted:That seems like a pretty good deal as is (that's a $50k car easily when new) but cash talks - bring it in and tell them what your price is. You can always wait for the next one. I admit I haven't kept up on ZHP pricing since I bought mine but like I said, that seems good since the convertibles always command a premium (all E46's not just ZHP). Turns out it is good till September. And yeah, I can wait till the next one. This one seems to have basically every option under the sun and the payment on it is only gonna be $100 bux more a month (edit: 100 bux more than I wanted to pay). Just talked to the guy, it has new tires, new control arm bushings, new rear brakes, 70% front brakes, all keys and manuals. Plus it already has euro tails and clear corners. Stock, it looks modded. I can tell I am talking myself into this thing.
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May 15, 2009 01:01
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What do I need to know when looking at a '97 540i manual with 110k miles? I'm comfortable with performing any servicing needed, are there certain problem areas to look for / check out? I've always liked the 540i and it's right at the top of my budget for an around-town car... am I insane for looking?
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May 15, 2009 10:59
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movax posted:Off-topic question: Is there some reason that 97-99 Z3s are so "cheap"? Lots of them in the 7k range, with 100k miles, no giant gaping problems. Though, I suppose a car that was 40k new being worth 7k in a decade and 100k miles later is fairly good. The hardtop Z3 is one of my favorite looking cars ever though, if I ever found one in good shape I'd have a hard time not buying it.
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May 16, 2009 02:10
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Ghosts posted:Where can I get that ghost sticker?
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May 16, 2009 03:43
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multiprotocol posted:Where can I get that ghost sticker? You can't unless you're Ghosts
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May 16, 2009 03:46
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Daddy Fantastic posted:There's the whole rear subframe issue the Z3s have a reputation for, the E30 interior parts look a little dated, and older Z4s aren't that expensive either these days. I think Z3's also have a plastic rear window (or was that boxsters of similar vintage). These don't last and can be a cause of significant problems. Z4 on the other hand have a glass rear window, and are great.
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May 16, 2009 03:48
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Ghosts posted:You can't unless you're Ghosts  Click here for the full 1024x768 image.
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