|
Walk away unless you are getting a deal so good you question if its legit.
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 13:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 01:17 |
|
|
...probably not applicable in this situation - but BMW will re-spray the fronts of cars on lease turn in CPO vehicles if needed, so don't be too freaked out by new paint on the front.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 16:36
|
|
|
The VANOS on my E46 knocks intermittently between 2 and 3000 RPM when coming back down to idle. It can be felt through the front of the valve cover. Its not the rattling I've heard about and seen on youtube, just one single knock that happens every once in a while. Is this a symptom of impending VANOS rattle, or something else you guys have seen? I'm trying to gauge how important it would be to do a full VANOS refresh with the Beisan Systems gasket and rattle fix kits while I have the valve cover off to replace the gaskets. Also, are there any other jobs that should be done while I'm working on the VCG? Spark plugs were done by the PO's mechanic 18k miles ago, so I'm getting kind of close on those I guess.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 16:46
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:Walk away unless you are getting a deal so good you question if its legit. That's the thing - it's borderline. The car has new upholstery and is loving immaculate except for a tiny oil leak on the gearbox and the bushings being original and needing replacing. The price is at the bottom end of the market, but isn't cheap enough to be an obvious scam. On the other hand, I have an e46 already which is OK except for needing new vapor barriers and has an exhaust smell somewhere. Total cost to fix the devil I know is about $200. My head says to trust the inspector and walk away, save the money until I can afford one that isn't borderline. But I was looking forward to an upgrade. Just double checked the paint report and it was the doors that had been resprayed. For a bumper touch-up.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 16:56
|
|
|
Captain Postal posted:That's the thing - it's borderline. The car has new upholstery and is loving immaculate except for a tiny oil leak on the gearbox and the bushings being original and needing replacing. The price is at the bottom end of the market, but isn't cheap enough to be an obvious scam. Yeah...nope. Have the dealership? PO? send you pictures of the vin stickers on the hood, bonnet and doors. If they're original, they'll have the car's vin. If they're replacements they'll say DOT-R. fake edit: since your in AUS maybe it'll say MOT-R or something of the like.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 17:58
|
|
|
Test drove the E46 M3 today. The good: The car was traded in on an E90 M3 on Saturday. I'm the first road tester, including mechanics. Engine is strong. Tasteful aftermarket exhaust (original included). Tasteful aftermarket wheels. Interior is good, only minor wear to bolster on drivers front seat. Engine is clean, stock-appearing suspension. It's puuuuurrrrrrrdy. A/C blows cold. The bad: Clutch feels... Heavy? Needs a firm foot, much heavier than my E90. Shifter isn't as crisp as my E90. lovely aftermarket DVD deck. Cracks in rear valance and chips in front lip. Cracked windshield and some rock chips on fender flares. lovely K&N intake which is [i]filthy[/]. The ugly: Vague (~3mm?) on-centre steering feel. Uneven wear on front tires (right front has bald outside shoulder). Front end goes completely numb coming off a rise at highway speed. I'm torn. Waiting to hear back from mechanical types. Any E46 goons want to weigh in?
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:06
|
|
|
Gave the curb a little love scrape   Captain Postal posted:The car has new upholstery  basketcase
Jealous Cow fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Jul 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:18
|
|
|
Continuing the trend of HAY GUIS SHOULD I BUY THIS, I just had a PPI done by San Carlos German Motor Works on the '03 540i 6-speed I found down in the Bay Area (Listed for 12k). They just emailed me a scanned copy of the report, plus some images of leaking oil and either PS or Trans fluid (I'm assuming PS because LOL BMW). I am going to have a phonecall with the shop in an hour or so, they're coming up with quotes for all the issues that were found. Speaking of the issues...   And here are the leakage pictures, in handy album format: http://imgur.com/a/d4ZS0#2 SO I'm kinda mad about the driver's seat being out of whack because I asked the guy specifically and he said it didn't have any problems like that. I know on my e28, that issue was indicative of the frame of the seatback being cracked. Is that the case on e39 sport seats as well, or is it simply that the adjuster has gone off the track? How about the fault codes? And wtf is that about the radio being in transport mode? So right now, I don't see anything to my eyes that's a clear no-go. Definitely not a 12k car, though.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:26
|
|
|
I want to say an adjuster is off track as well, but let me do a little looking. Looks like the car is going to have some maintenance issues coming up. Cooling system comes to mind, but the bushings and associated parts is normal wear. No, I would not pay 12k for this car. Maybe 9.5 at absolute max. Now I do have a question. On the N62, it uses CCV (like the OSV on the M62), and I have tried looking up Crank Case Ventilation and variations of the term but I cant seem to find the part on rockauto.com... Is there another term it might be called?
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:26
|
|
|
sofullofhate posted:Test drove the E46 M3 today. The good: New tires, Steering Flex Coupler replacement, tie rod replacement, and a proper alignment would probably fix all those "feel/steering" issues.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:34
|
|
|
SuperDucky posted:Yeah...nope. Have the dealership? PO? send you pictures of the vin stickers on the hood, bonnet and doors. If they're original, they'll have the car's vin. If they're replacements they'll say DOT-R. This is for e36s only. BMW stopped VIN stamping panels with the e46. Unless they started back up again with the e90.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:35
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:This is for e36s only. BMW stopped VIN stamping panels with the e46. Unless they started back up again with the e90. Not stamped or stickered on an '11 E90 here.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:40
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:This is for e36s only. BMW stopped VIN stamping panels with the e46. Unless they started back up again with the e90. Guess I'll shutup, stick to what I know and let my e46 continue to be a complicated technological enigma to me. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 22:23
|
|
|
Wombot posted:
Twisted seats are a common issue, according to my friend with a 530i. However, it's not hard to fix: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392781
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 23:54
|
|
|
Jealous Cow posted:Gave the curb a little love scrape That is one of the saddest sights to behold. There is no reworking the wheels without a complete facing, by a very select few list of companies. Time for some ZCP wheels for you 
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 01:54
|
|
|
Finally got a quote for all the issues found during the PPI. These are all California prices for parts and labor, pre-tax. This is a fun one. Ignition switch $187 Battery, Interstate brand $260 Driver's seat cable (labor is $260, cable ?) Bosch Wiper blade set $67 Sublet wheel repair $250 Brake flush $130 a/c belt $151 Lower radiator hose with aux fan switch $314 Fan clutch $354 cabin filter $90 clean air filter $65 thermostat $390 rear left upper control arm $444 power steering suction hose $182 brake hoses at abs pump, includes brake fluid flush $406 Front shock dust bellows $544 (highly suggest replacing with shocks, which bumps this to $1200+) reseal chain covers, valve cover gasket, vanos solenoid seals, replace timing chain $3500-3700 (Waiting to hear back from current owner if the rails have been done already) If he'll give it to me for $9k, I would have another $4000 to spend on repairs up here in Washington, with our lower labor rate (these guys are $130/hour, we're $90ish). But hmmmmmmmmmm. Also, it would have to make it up to WA in the first place, not that I see anything on here that really precludes that from happening.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 02:42
|
|
|
How many miles were on the 540i? Anyway, nice to see or at least we all know how how much one may potentially cost down the road. How much of that could be done yourself?
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 02:49
|
|
|
Wombot posted:Finally got a quote for all the issues found during the PPI. These are all California prices for parts and labor, pre-tax. This is a fun one. I don't know anything, but if someone quoted me 8k in repairs during a PPI I would not buy that. Even if some of those prices look comical.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 02:53
|
|
|
Keyser S0ze posted:New tires, Steering Flex Coupler replacement, tie rod replacement, and a proper alignment would probably fix all those "feel/steering" issues. I'll be the FCABs are done and ready for replacement, too. Actually at 143Mm pretty much the whole suspension will be due for a refresh soon if it hasn't been done already. Clutch and shifter feel may be normal. Although there are bushings in the shift linkage that could stand replacement at that age, too.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 03:08
|
|
|
Billy Zane posted:Twisted seats are a common issue, according to my friend with a 530i. However, it's not hard to fix: It's a really easy fix that I've done on several E34s. Next time I buy one, I hope I find one in great condition with twisted seats just so I can use it as a bargaining chip to knock the price down and fix it in 20 minutes when I get it home.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 03:11
|
|
|
sofullofhate posted:Test drove the E46 M3 today. The good: This is one of those times where you need to take this car and have a good independent shop really go over it with a fine tooth comb, because you'd be trading your reliable 328 for something that may need a ton of maintenance right off the bat and with the M Tax on parts to boot. I personally would want to do the deal, because I'm a sucker for E46 M3s, but I'm not going to take a bath in repair bills to do it. I'd just wait for a better example of a M3 to come around.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 03:35
|
|
|
Jealous Cow posted:Gave the curb a little love scrape I curbed my wheel this weekend in my parking garage.  gently caress stucco! 
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 04:10
|
|
|
SlapActionJackson posted:I'll be the FCABs are done and ready for replacement, too. ....yeah, all the bushings are prob fail.... I was gonna go all the way "there" but stopped. My 2002 330i had the trans bushing done back in 2006 (CPO), I think it's an $700 job or something since they have to drop the tranny right?
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 04:14
|
|
|
Keyser S0ze posted:....yeah, all the bushings are prob fail.... I was gonna go all the way "there" but stopped. Viper_3000 posted:This is one of those times where you need to take this car and have a good independent shop really go over it with a fine tooth comb, because you'd be trading your reliable 328 for something that may need a ton of maintenance right off the bat and with the M Tax on parts to boot. I personally would want to do the deal, because I'm a sucker for E46 M3s, but I'm not going to take a bath in repair bills to do it. I'd just wait for a better example of a M3 to come around. SlapActionJackson posted:I'll be the FCABs are done and ready for replacement, too. Keyser S0ze posted:New tires, Steering Flex Coupler replacement, tie rod replacement, and a proper alignment would probably fix all those "feel/steering" issues. Thanks guys, these are pretty much the things I expected / wanted to hear. I definitely want to do the deal, also being a total sucker for E46 M3s. I'm not a car noob and I have access to a lift and a couple of good friends who love cars and hard work on them. This is the car:  Does anybody recognize the wheels? At 143k (kilometers, so like 90k mi), I had pretty much counted on the following: * new springs / shocks / topmounts * new suspension bushings all around * motor / transmission mounts * shifter linkage bushings * cooling system refresh * power steering hoses * brake lines Worth noting: it's my "fun" vehicle, I don't care if it's out for weeks at a time so long as I can plan it. We have another car if we need to get somewhere. I intend to give the car a hard life, with AutoX and track days and all the things that fill M-Division cars' dreams. I'm going to see if I can get the dealership to deal with the broken pieces (I will be sure to look for steering flex coupler and tie rods in the list), give me a good deal on rubber and deal with the alignment; the rest of it I'm actually chuffed to deal with myself assuming I'm not talking about a multi-week project with the car being down. How much "fun" am I setting myself up for with an M3 suspension bushing refresh? If any YVR goons can reco a good independent shop for a PPI I'd appreciate that as well.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 05:28
|
|
|
Jealous Cow posted:Gave the curb a little love scrape The only option is to patina your car to blend it in.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 05:35
|
|
|
sofullofhate posted:Thanks guys, these are pretty much the things I expected / wanted to hear.
BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Jul 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 05:48
|
|
|
BlackMK4 posted:SSR GT3 knockoffs with terrible offsets Oh. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 06:09
|
|
|
Something tells me that car was owned by an idiot. I wouldn't buy it. Little stuff plus the wheels, that bumper cover not fitting, the maintenance bits... I'd want to be getting that for a few K below book.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 06:35
|
|
|
Do you have a side on shot of the right side? It screams front end collision based on the mod collection, the overspray on the bumper grill, how the car looks in the above photo, and how you've described driving it. edit: I know you have the I NEED IT thing going but seriously, walk. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 06:42 on Jul 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 06:38
|
|
|
Avoid it. Also, silver BMWs are the absolute most boring color you can find.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 06:43
|
|
|
Tab8715 posted:How many miles were on the 540i? THE BLACK NINJA posted:I don't know anything, but if someone quoted me 8k in repairs during a PPI I would not buy that. Even if some of those prices look comical. Car has 140600 miles on it. I can do most everything except the suspension work. And yes, those prices are comical, I think I mentioned that they do labor at $130 an hour. So the current owner says he highly doubts the valve cover gaskets are leaking, as they were just replaced 9 months ago. If that's the case, what would it be, VANOS? Valley pan? I think I was happier when it was the valve covers leaking! Also, a lot of these things can be combined into one job. All the valve cover gasket, timing chain guide, valley pan, and VANOS leaks can be done at once, either by myself or a shop, which should also lower the cost. None of this matters, though, if the current owner isn't willing to knock a few  off. I've emailed him to ask, so we shall see!
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 07:39
|
|
|
BraveUlysses posted:Also, silver BMWs are the absolute most boring color you can find. I agree with this (though I also think that Dakar yellow is the absolute best and feel pangs of envy passing the parked E36 M3 in said color on my daily commute, so make of my taste what you will).
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 08:36
|
|
|
 Came out to this on Friday morning. I was parked on the street in front of the driveway to an apartment building's garage, and I would guess someone was trying to turn around in the drive. Insurance company worked pretty swiftly and is fine with it going to the high-end body shop recommended by my local indy shop. Totals up to $4500 now, maybe more.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 08:52
|
|
|
Jesus. Hood, core support & radiator? 4500?
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 16:58
|
|
|
Don't forget the a/c condenser in front. And any possible sensors up front. Oh, and it probably pushed the radiator into the main cooling fan, so the fan, the fan clutch, and water pump are now all suspect and need to be replaced so the engine doesn't send fan blades through the new hood. Sorry about the crunch, man. hosed up BMWs make me so sad and hit-and-runs enrage me.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 17:11
|
|
|
sofullofhate posted:Thanks guys, these are pretty much the things I expected / wanted to hear. Walk away. Scratch that, run away. I really suspect that car was owned by someone who wanted a BMW and is now selling it because he didn't like the price of BMW maintenance/repair when he wrecked it. (Doubly so with the M Tax, so I'd wonder how well it's actually been taken care of) There are other M3s out there. This one isn't worth your time.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 18:33
|
|
|
ibntumart posted:I agree with this (though I also think that Dakar yellow is the absolute best and feel pangs of envy passing the parked E36 M3 in said color on my daily commute, so make of my taste what you will). Did someone say Dakar Yellow?  From here. 
IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Jul 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 18:40
|
|
|
I'm partial to Leguna Seca Blue myself, but Dakar Yellow is pretty great. Thinking of getting my E36 M3 repainted in Leguna Seca Blue since it would cost the same as a respray in its original color, Black, anyway.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 18:49
|
|
|
Noggin Monkey posted:Insurance company worked pretty swiftly and is fine with it going to the high-end body shop recommended by my local indy shop. Totals up to $4500 now, maybe more. That's horrible! Sorry to see it. I agree with Jonny 290, I'd be suspicious of everything between the rad support and the front of the block, including the stuff hanging from the front of the block. Keep us updated, I at least would be interested to see what all took a hit. So I'm walking away from the Bay Area 540i I had PPI'd yesterday. Which is fine, because a 2002 540i Sport just appeared up here with everything except Navi for 13.9k, with a 6mo/6000mi warranty. 2 owners, 91k on the clock. I'm getting it PPI'd in about 45 minutes.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 19:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 18, 2024 01:17 |
|
|
That price is still crazy to me, but it seems that you're really hell-bent on finding the nicest 540 money can buy
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 19:37
|
|