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Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
You would be on the opposite corner of this godforsaken country with E30 parts...

Would you be willing to ship me a glovebox?

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Alphius
Nov 5, 2009

BraveUlysses posted:

Picking up a totalled e30 318iS today to use for spare parts to get my poor car back on the road. If anyone in the Seattle area needs parts feel free to hit me up.

I have a friend who just picked up a '91 318iS and needs some parts. He actually offered to buy it from that kid you bought it from but you offered him more.

Can I pass along your contact info to my friend? I don't have plat so my email is "gabe (at) thecornman (dot) com"

OBAMNA PHONE
Aug 7, 2002

Alphius posted:

I have a friend who just picked up a '91 318iS and needs some parts. He actually offered to buy it from that kid you bought it from but you offered him more.

Can I pass along your contact info to my friend? I don't have plat so my email is "gabe (at) thecornman (dot) com"

Sure I'll send you an email

Beach Bum posted:

You would be on the opposite corner of this godforsaken country with E30 parts...

Would you be willing to ship me a glovebox?

Yeah most likely doable I'll have to see what condition it's in once I get the car.

Keyser_Soze
May 5, 2009

Pillbug

sofullofhate posted:

Here's some BMW porn:
I want that race-prepped M3 so so bad.

I think they sold off the E46 Race cars back in 2009 for around $65k so hang in there, these will pop up too in a few years. Drive it on the streets until law enforcement bothers pulling you over, I bet it takes longer than you'd think.

Bank
Feb 20, 2004

Nait Sirhc posted:

The 328s & 330s had silver rings surrounding the gauges.
Is this true? I have a 328i and from memory my car doesn't have it.

BrokenKnucklez
Apr 22, 2008

by zen death robot

Opensourcepirate posted:

Are there any common problems with E36's that are super expensive to fix?

What is your definition of expensive? You may have better luck finding a completely unclapped out 5'er than a 3 series. 5'ers have their own set of issues, but generally are looked after a little better than 3 series. Not always, but I have seen several high millage 5 series still running around.

Avoid 7 series like the plague unless you like electrical faults.

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
So I replaced the wheel bearings on the front end of the E30 to supposedly get rid of a thump under braking that developed after I installed new brakes.

The thump is still there. I'm swapping my race wheels on (larger diameter/offset) to see if it's an issue with the caliper bumping the inside of the wheel, in which case I'll replace guide pins.

Anything else it could be? It's GOT to be the caliper bumping the wheel, I don't know of anything else it could possibly be.

HandlingByJebus
Jun 21, 2009

All of a sudden, I found myself in love with the world, so there was only one thing I could do:
was ding a ding dang, my dang a long racecar.

It's a love affair. Mainly jebus, and my racecar.

Keyser S0ze posted:

I think they sold off the E46 Race cars back in 2009 for around $65k so hang in there, these will pop up too in a few years. Drive it on the streets until law enforcement bothers pulling you over, I bet it takes longer than you'd think.

I hate you.

:getin:

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
Swapped the wheels, still thumps. Installed new guide pins, and swapping rotors/pads between sides.

This is driving me batty.

EDIT: So, the noise is gone. I am still baffled and annoyed that I couldn't figure out what it was. I'm going to say it was the guide pins and leave it at that.

Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Sep 20, 2012

power
Nov 4, 2009
Did the rear Integral links and ball joints job on my e39 540i last weekend. Not a rough amount of work at all with air and the right ball joint press. The upper control arm bolt stripped the threads in the hub on the way out so in true hack job fashion a sawzall was used to make some room between the hub and axle for a nut on the other side (Doesn't appear dangerous, still a ton of material there). Also bought 4 new sway bar end links from RMEuropean. Just a heads up, the Karyln rear end links won't clear the swing arms going to each wheel if any of you E39 guys intend on doing this work any time soon. They were pretty temping at 8 bucks versus the $30+ Lemfoerders, hopefully RM will exchange them.

***Edit*** Nope, their customer service are pricks and said its not their fault the part doesn't fit, it's the part number I ordered, even though their website lists it under 99 540i parts. From their return policy: RM European Auto Parts is not responsible for any errors or omissions in its catalog, nor any damages resulting directly or indirectly. Classy.


I noticed I still get the typical sounds for trashed front end links over bumps despite essentially having brand new everything up there, including shocks. Very frustrating.

I'm now working on trying to source a number of things for a spring refresher on the car. Entire rear trunk lid, right rear hub (with or without ABS sensor in it), complete hood and complete right front fender. I've been having trouble finding body panels on-line. Anyone have any good sources for these things?

power fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Sep 20, 2012

Nait Sirhc
Sep 11, 2001

Bank posted:

Is this true? I have a 328i and from memory my car doesn't have it.

Whoops, you're right. The 328s didn't get it from the factory.

Pantsmaster Bill
May 7, 2007

How badly will an e30 320 bankrupt me? the ones \i'm looking at are all over 120k miles

Shachi
Nov 1, 2004

I'm a simple man. I like pretty, dark-haired women and breakfast food.
Ok so I have a series of long winded, loaded questions regarding BMW ownership and finding the model that is right for me.

I've never posted in AI or really been a posting member of any car forum other than lurking so pardon me if I ask any stupid questions or have horrible misunderstanding of stuff that I might "think" I know.

Firstly, I've never owned a BMW, for that matter, never really owned a high performance car. What has me taking the leap you ask? We'll after spending a lot of time helping other friends work on their cars and tinkering on my own, a friend of mine went out and bought his dream car (an 89 vette) and I thought to myself, goddamit, I'm 28 years old, I want a nice car to play with.

For some perspective, I've owned a 2005 Honda Civic EX Special Edition coupe since about 2009 that I kind of always intended to turn into a little side project but it never came into fruition. I got to thinking, even if I poured a ton of money into this car and lets say some how that it was a suped up 550hp crazy dreamworld machine, its still just perceived as a ricer and I'm way too old for that now, not to mention, large amounts of money notwithstanding, isn't really all that great driving of a car. I realize opinions might vary on this but I'm pretty set on the idea that I want a nicer car.

I'm not really into American Muscle and I want a semi practical car, something that can sit four people or fit some luggage in for a trip. I want something that performs well, is fun to drive, and is still a bit of a head turner and I feel that a BMW fits all this criteria.

The other reason is that I bought my Honda wholesale for around $8000 and at the time had 66k miles on it and was in near perfect condition. I've barely put 9k miles on it in nine years of owning it. I can probably private sell it for around $9-10k. So given that, I'd love just go ahead an sell the car while I can still make that kind of money off it.

So after unnecessary introduction, I'm pretty much at this:

I have about $10k to work with and I want a BMW (or at least think I do)
Anything not requiring a welder or a lift I pretty much plan to do myself as far as maint/repair and modding goes.

So far I've looked at the E30's, E36's, and E46's mostly on online classifieds, craigslist etc.

Already I've learned that a quality E36 is amazingly hard to find but that there are a lot out there (at least at first glance) and that they aren't terribly expensive.

I had my heart set on an M3 but for no other real reason that it being an M3 and always having wanted one. I like the look and I like the way it drives and let's be honest, an M3 is a real head turner. I've found a couple in my area for reasonable prices in good condition seems like $8-12k is the going rate for any M3 under 145k miles, at least here in the south.

A friend who worked on Eurosports cars in detriot told me I should avoid getting an M3 as parts for them were 3x as expensive as any other BMW parts and that the cost/performance wasn't really worth it. I haven't done any real research on the matter.

My other recent option as of late came from my Dad who has a co-worker trying to sell his 2003 330ci with 117k miles on it for under $10k. KBB says wholesale is worth around $7k. My only angst is that while I love the extra HP and the 3.0 engine, I feel like the E46's border more on luxury sedan than they do sporty. That's just my opinion, feel free to correct it.

Anyways, I think I'm drifting off subject. I come to you goon brethren to ask, if you had $10,000 to spend on a used BMW, what would you do? I realize it comes down to personal preference but I'm just looking for ideas. I'm not in any hurry (I haven't even sold my car yet).

So far I've looked at buying an 87-89 E30 and using the extra money into fixing it/supping it up or just going all out and seeing how much car I can buy for the amount of money I have.

Hell, maybe you'll tell me that a BMW doesn't fit my criteria or just isn't for me, I'm open to suggestion.

I want a great performing car, that will not be a DD, something that I can zip around in, take to the mountains or the coast or other vacations.

I should also note that I'm not looking to pick up a car payment so I'm not using the money as a down-payment on a CPO or something new (I don't borrow money on cars).

Nait Sirhc
Sep 11, 2001
Buy a ZHP e46 330i/ci if you can find one, or a Sport package 330i/ci if you can't. Make sure to get the 5MT or 6MT. Don't bother with the Steptronic or SMG (lol) versions if you want "fun to drive" on the list. The transmission and clutch feel in a 330 is great.

The car is fun AND sporty, and you can find plenty of super clean e46s for <$10k.

For a little bit more than $10k, you could get an e39 M5, which would be about twice the car the e46 is.

Shachi
Nov 1, 2004

I'm a simple man. I like pretty, dark-haired women and breakfast food.

Nait Sirhc posted:

Buy a ZHP e46 330i/ci if you can find one, or a Sport package 330i/ci if you can't. Make sure to get the 5MT or 6MT. Don't bother with the Steptronic or SMG (lol) versions if you want "fun to drive" on the list. The transmission and clutch feel in a 330 is great.

The car is fun AND sporty, and you can find plenty of super clean e46s for <$10k.

For a little bit more than $10k, you could get an e39 M5, which would be about twice the car the e46 is.

Yeah that was the other thing I forgot to mention about that guy's 330ci, it's an auto and having always driven a manual car the idea kind of appalls me.

OBAMNA PHONE
Aug 7, 2002
Mileage isn't the issue, maintenance history is. Does the owner have records or receipts?

Kenshin
Jan 10, 2007
Well, I got my '99 M3 in very good condition for $8,000 cash about 3 years ago. Haven't spent more than about $2,000 (and probably a bit less than that) in maintenance and repair since, and it's running better now than when I got it.

Finding a good one might be a bit of trouble depending on where you live but on the West Coast it shouldn't be too hard at all.

Crustashio
Jul 27, 2000

ruh roh

Shachi posted:

Yeah that was the other thing I forgot to mention about that guy's 330ci, it's an auto and having always driven a manual car the idea kind of appalls me.

You will loving hate yourself if you get an auto.

If you get an e46, get something with the 6spd and the improved steering rack. 2003 ZHP sedans and then any 330i 2004 and above should have it. Much better than the earlier 330is. You really want the sport package on the e46 for the seats and steering wheel. ZHP has some nice bits (mainly alcantara interior) and shouldn't command the premium it used to.

Also, the e36 m3 is not expensive to own, but that is because it shares a huge amount of parts with the regular e36. Body panels are the same, interior is the same (except for seats on non-luxury package coupes), and the drivetrain + suspension are quite similar (front swaybar links are different on m3 vs regular e36). Brakes are different but from what I've priced they are reasonable.

Has your friend actually driven an m3? The e36 is a hell of a car, and the e46 is just plain ridiculous. I think any performance car is going to wind up being more expensive.

As mentioned, maintenance records are a hell of a lot more important than mileage on these cars. I've had some pretty big maintenance headaches on my 328iS with no records, but I barely had any issues with my well taken care of ZHP. I'm currently shopping for an e36 m3 and wouldn't hesitate to buy one with 120k as long as it has records.

Otis Reddit
Nov 14, 2006
I bought an E36 M3 off these forums for just under ten grand about two and a half years ago. It's a blast. Car felt and still feels solid and hasn't needed much other than the cooling system redone recently. Had 120K when I bought it, a little past 150 now.

Don't buy an auto, whatever you do. You will most definitely regret it.

Cheers.

Nait Sirhc
Sep 11, 2001
Honestly, I didn't mind the 5-spd in my 2001 330i. I put the weighted ZHP knob on it and it was pretty much a perfect DD. Great throws, action, smooth shifts, etc.

I compared it to a 2005 ZHP and while the ZHP was definitely better (and the 6th gear was fun), it was NOT a make-or-break buying point. If it was a $3000 difference between a 330 w/ 5MT and a 330 w/ 6MT, I'd get the 5MT. Now if it was a $3000 difference between a 330 w/ 5MT and a ZHP 330 w/ 6MT, I'd drop the extra for the ZHP.

Honestly, the ZHP is not THAT big of a deal. The price inflation they have is undeserved. The performance jump is marginal; you're really paying for the fancy interior bits and upgraded suspension, which you can do yourself for less than the difference in purchase price.

Clean e46 330s go for $7-9k all day. Clean e46 M3s go for $15-20k. Don't worry about mileage <150k. Maintenance records are fantastic to have, but don't automatically ignore any e46 that doesn't have them.

The fact is, the 330i is a pretty damned reliable car. The things that break on them are consistent across the board, and they aren't engine or trans issues. The main things that you'll have to replace (or will have already been replaced) are the cooling system (stock is plastic and breaks around 100k miles), CPS, VANOS seals, and fuel pump.

Most of the work on the 330i is dead simple (I replaced my fuel pump in 15 minutes on the side of the road using a $10 Wal-Mart socket set) and in the three years I owned my 2001 330i, it only cost me $400 in repairs. This doesn't include oil changes or tires. My e39 M5 has run me about $1700 in one year, but I bought it knowing that I had to replace the front suspension (about $900).

ynotony
Apr 14, 2003

Yea...this is pretty much the smartest thing I have ever done.

Nait Sirhc posted:


Honestly, the ZHP is not THAT big of a deal. The price inflation they have is undeserved. The performance jump is marginal; you're really paying for the fancy interior bits and upgraded suspension, which you can do yourself for less than the difference in purchase price.


The shorter diff and much much tighter steering rack are the biggest everyday features of my ZHP that I don't think people swap out regularly on their own. As for the premium, as long as it isn't completely gone when I sell it, who cares? If you spend a few thousand dollars upgrading and enhancing a sport, you'd get very little if anything back when you sell it.

Crustashio
Jul 27, 2000

ruh roh

ynotony posted:

The shorter diff and much much tighter steering rack are the biggest everyday features of my ZHP that I don't think people swap out regularly on their own. As for the premium, as long as it isn't completely gone when I sell it, who cares? If you spend a few thousand dollars upgrading and enhancing a sport, you'd get very little if anything back when you sell it.

The steering rack is actually the same on the 2004+ 330s, it has been confirmed by multiple sources. That said I still bought the ZHP for the nicer looking aero, shorter diff, and alcantara interior. It really is the best BMW interior I've ever sat in.

rawrr
Jul 28, 2007
Doesn't the alcantara start getting gross as time goes by?

an oddly awful oud
May 1, 2008

all my friends are pieces of shit

rawrr posted:

Doesn't the alcantara start getting gross as time goes by?

It pills up on any surface that sees a lot of contact, mainly the steering wheel rim. Many of them have been replaced by leather ones by BMW when it became the subject of so many complaints, so any one you look at may not even have it.

Mine had the steering wheel replaced and it has the premium leather seats, but it still has the alcantara shifter and parking brake boots and they look just fine after nearly 10 years. Not sure if that makes you feel any better.


Great things about the ZHP:

1. Short differential
2. Steering rack
3. Aero package
4. 155 mph speed limiter
5. Oil pump nut loctited onto shaft, less chance of dramatic oil pump failure


Not great things about the ZHP:

1. Incredibly low, scrapes on every grade steeper than a railroad track
2. Wheels are curb magnets
3. First gear is impractically short
4. Nigh impossible to find one with a premium package


ynotony posted:

The shorter diff and much much tighter steering rack are the biggest everyday features of my ZHP that I don't think people swap out regularly on their own. As for the premium, as long as it isn't completely gone when I sell it, who cares? If you spend a few thousand dollars upgrading and enhancing a sport, you'd get very little if anything back when you sell it.

The premium seems to be holding steady at 25% more than regular 330i, but as regular 330i values continue to plummet, the ZHP markup is shrinking as well.

an oddly awful oud
May 1, 2008

all my friends are pieces of shit
I missed one on my list of great things:

6. The exhaust note. It's louder, lower, and more aggressive than the regular 330i's and the actual tips are slightly larger... enough to announce the presence of something special but not enough to be obnoxious. It really sounds great and a lot of people are surprised it's factory when I tell them.

Fermunky
May 30, 2003

The monkey is NOT impressed...

an oddly awful oud posted:

I missed one on my list of great things:

6. The exhaust note. It's louder, lower, and more aggressive than the regular 330i's and the actual tips are slightly larger... enough to announce the presence of something special but not enough to be obnoxious. It really sounds great and a lot of people are surprised it's factory when I tell them.

My 330i is an 01 but with the Sport package, and from what I can tell it's got a different muffler that, in my opinion, produces a good note in the exhaust as well. Like you, I've also had people give me a surprised look when I tell them the exhaust is stock.

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World
I'm giving serious thought to the 2013 335i xDrive coupe as my next car. I went back several pages and didn't see any talk about them. What's the consensus on these things? What are good options and what's just fluff? Is the "manual shift" automatic a joke compared to the 6 speed manual, or is it actually decent? Is the AWD system comparable to Quattro/4Motion/etc.?

My gut feeling is to go with the 6 speed manual and as few extras as possible since they all look like fluff and the base car is full of gizmos already. Does that make sense? My current car is a '07 350Z, which I really like except that it's kind of crude and the lack of AWD pisses me off several times a year.

If I got it or something comparably priced my plan would be to basically be a maintenance Nazi and try to keep it for a looooong time.

sean10mm fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Sep 21, 2012

Nait Sirhc
Sep 11, 2001

sean10mm posted:

I'm giving serious thought to the 2013 335i xDrive coupe as my next car. I went back several pages and didn't see any talk about them. What's the consensus on these things? What are good options and what's just fluff? Is the "manual shift" automatic a joke compared to the 6 speed manual, or is it actually decent? Is the AWD system comparable to Quattro/4Motion/etc.?

My gut feeling is to go with the 6 speed manual and as few extras as possible since they all look like fluff and the base car is full of gizmos already. Does that make sense? My current car is a '07 350Z, which I really like except that it's kind of crude and the lack of AWD pisses me off several times a year.

If I got it or something comparably priced my plan would be to basically be a maintenance Nazi and try to keep it for a looooong time.

The auto is a run of the mill Steptronic auto. It's a little better than your average automatic and comes with flappy paddles, but it's not like an SMG or M-DCT. Go for the 6MT.

Comfort Access is a must-have "fluff" option IMO. The key stays in your pocket all the time, you don't have to use it to unlock or start the car. It's fantastic. I had Keyless-Go on my Mercedes (the MB equivalent of BMW Comfort Access) and it was hard going back to a car that actually used a key. You get this as part of the Convenience Package, which is only $1200 and comes with PDC as well. Park Distance Control is awesome and I try to get it on any car I own; it's fantastic for squeezing into or out of tight spots.

The AWD is great. BMW's xDrive has come a long way. The engine is also excellent; BMW moved from the twin-turbo setup in the N54 to the single-turbo twin-scroll setup in the N55, because the N54 motors were making GBS threads turbos and they were all still under warranty. The added benefit to this is that a simple software flash/chip will give you a significant power gain.

Get leather (Saddle Brown and Black are my favorites). Since leather is $1450 standalone, you may as well spring for the Premium package (which includes leather) for $600 more. The M-Sport package is worth it just for the seats.

If you want a nicer audio system, spring another $900 for the HK system. Personally, I feel you could upgrade the car's audio components yourself to nicer stuff for <$900, but it wouldn't integrate and look "factory" the way the HK system does.

Cold weather package is really only if you want heated seats. You can get these standalone for $500 as an option if you want.

If you do a lot of freeway driving or sit in traffic a lot, the active cruise control (radar-guided, will match speeds with the car in front of you and maintain a distance that you can set) is a worthwhile option.

It's a fantastic car, though, and you get a lot of car for the ~$50k it's going to set you back.

Nait Sirhc
Sep 11, 2001

Fermunky posted:

My 330i is an 01 but with the Sport package, and from what I can tell it's got a different muffler that, in my opinion, produces a good note in the exhaust as well. Like you, I've also had people give me a surprised look when I tell them the exhaust is stock.

There's a little vacuum hose on the rear muffler that activates a small flap inside, giving it a little more tone. You can plug that hose with a screw, golf tee, etc. to keep the flap permanently open.

Fermunky
May 30, 2003

The monkey is NOT impressed...

Nait Sirhc posted:

There's a little vacuum hose on the rear muffler that activates a small flap inside, giving it a little more tone. You can plug that hose with a screw, golf tee, etc. to keep the flap permanently open.

Ah yes, the "golf tee" mod. I have a funny suspicion that mine has somehow failed in the open position as mine is getting real throaty and has an almost intolerable drone at highway speeds at low rpms.

Shachi
Nov 1, 2004

I'm a simple man. I like pretty, dark-haired women and breakfast food.
Thanks for the insight. I think I'm going to settle into my original plan and hunt down an E36 M3.

More BMW porn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDoZl_j-qjs

HandlingByJebus
Jun 21, 2009

All of a sudden, I found myself in love with the world, so there was only one thing I could do:
was ding a ding dang, my dang a long racecar.

It's a love affair. Mainly jebus, and my racecar.

From Bring a Trailer:

A very pretty E34.

Crustashio
Jul 27, 2000

ruh roh

rawrr posted:

Doesn't the alcantara start getting gross as time goes by?

Not if you actually clean it and take care of it. Mine was covered in pills when I picked it up but a fabric razor made it great again. Leather wheels just aren't nearly as good for track use. And for 200,000km (~120k miles) the seats were holding up VERY well, better than my e36 leather.



I made a huge mistake unloading that car. Would have been a smarter move to just buy the performance gearing LSD. The ZHP market is so oversaturated these days that at best they get a 1k premium on a 330i sport, not anywhere near the 4k they used to.

On the other hand, I may have the chance to pick up a US e46 m3 for 14.5k CAD. 125k miles, but up to date on maintenance.

Crustashio fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Sep 22, 2012

PromethiumX
Mar 5, 2003
I recently saw an ad on craigslist for a 2002 e46 M3 Euro spec with 140k. The VIN checks out and the car actually was manufactured in Germany.

The car looks great and the owner recently replaced the VANOS system as well as the driveshaft.

He's asking 16k for it but I am having a hard time trying to see if that's a good value since every price I see for the car is the North American version and is around the 12k range.

Does that price seem in line with the car?

PromethiumX fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Sep 22, 2012

Crustashio
Jul 27, 2000

ruh roh

PromethiumX posted:

I recently saw an ad on craigslist for a 2002 e46 M3 Euro spec with 140k. The VIN checks out and the car actually was manufactured in Germany.

The car looks great and the owner recently replaced the VANOS system as well as the driveshaft.

He's asking 16k for it but I am having a hard time trying to see if that's a good value since every price I see for the car is around the 12k range.

Does that price seem in line with the car?

From what I've seen browsing bimmerforums/m3forums 16k USD would seem a bit high at that mileage. The eurospec part doesn't really add value, we got the same engine in the US, just 10 less hp due to some minor differences. I routinely see the more common colour combos listed for 16-17 at ~100k. Also, every m3 was manufactured in germany.

The thing at high mileage is just maintenance records and present condition. I'm not afraid of 120k-150k BMWs as long as they've been kept up.

PromethiumX
Mar 5, 2003

Crustashio posted:

From what I've seen browsing bimmerforums/m3forums 16k USD would seem a bit high at that mileage. The eurospec part doesn't really add value, we got the same engine in the US, just 10 less hp due to some minor differences. I routinely see the more common colour combos listed for 16-17 at ~100k. Also, every m3 was manufactured in germany.

The thing at high mileage is just maintenance records and present condition. I'm not afraid of 120k-150k BMWs as long as they've been kept up.

Here is the ad. Is anything about the differential and brake rotors and all that poo poo true? Or is it actually the same poo poo as the U.S. version of that car?

Craigslist Beemer Man posted:

Up for sale is my 2002 e46 M3 Euro coupe. It's a great car and very fast. 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and 1/4 mile around 13 seconds flat. This car is NOT a U.S. car it was made in Germany so it has bigger floating brake rotors - stops on a dime, different exhaust (very free flowing), different differential (thats why it gets to 60 mph so fast), different tune and cold air intake (349 hp and 276 ft/lbs of torque as opposed to the stock U.S. which has 333 hp and 262 ft/lbs of torque). Color is topaz blue which was only offered for a short period of time, 6 speed manual transmission, black leather, Harman Kardon sound system, power and heated seats with seat memory, alarm system with motion sensor, carpet floor w/mats, black kidney grilles and gills, halo headlights, every enthusiasts dream. Car has been cared for using only certified bmw oem parts and oil has been changed every 3500 miles. Always garage kept and never seen snow. Car has 130,000 miles but currently 0 on the driveshaft and brand new vanos unit and exhaust hub cap. These parts were replaced because they tend to go bad and was my way of preventing any damage to the car. Inspection 2 was just completed and hasnt been driven since. This car is a blast to drive and has been nothing but a joy since the day I got it. The reason I'm letting it go is because I'm moving down south and I need a truck for work and won't want to have to pay the insurance on 2 vehicles. I will consider all offers and will think about a trade for a pickup (f250 powerstroke only from year 2000 and up). Thanks for looking.

Jealous Cow
Apr 4, 2002

by Fluffdaddy
All E46s were made in Germany.

It could be a competition package, maybe. There are no E46 M3s produced with those power specs. The Euro spec M3 had 338hp, and the higher HP models are extremely rare (CSL and GTR).

If it is a euro market car there should be paperwork documenting the importation process into the US that makes it a legal car.

I'm guessing it's just a bratwurst'd out M3.

Jealous Cow fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Sep 22, 2012

Crustashio
Jul 27, 2000

ruh roh
Floating rotors are bolt on to the US e46, nothing special. The extra power comes from having the cats after the headers, instead of integrating (EU was 343 hp DIN, US was 333hp SAE). Not sure if the OEM airbox was any different, but I doubt it. There isn't really anything on the eurospec m3 that would warrant that price. You can do better in the states at 16k for sure. Insurance might also be questionable with a european VIN, some places won't insure non-NA VINs in canada.

Examples:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=420872
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=418353

The US is a way better market, especially if you're willing to travel a bit. I'm only considering a 120k m3 up here because the canadian market is poo poo.

BlackMK4
Aug 23, 2006

wat.
Megamarm
Being a manual and being blue both rule it out as a CSL... so it's not that for sure. Interlagos was the special blue for the CS/Comp Package cars. BMW Motorsports sold shorter diff options. :mystery:

BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Sep 23, 2012

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sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World

Thanks for the info. I'm probably going with the sedan now, does that really change anything? I'm thinking 6mt, black leather, heated seats and dynamic handling package as the main options. Thoughts?

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