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I was randomly checking for cars on the local verison of craigslist and came across plenty 7-series cars from ~ 10 years ago, and the depreciation is pretty huge. Pretty low mileage, in good nick e.t.c. Are the cars a nightmare to maintain and ruin without getting ruined or what? MPG is poo poo, but that's to be expected for engines like that. Or is it that the people who afford these cars saturate the second hand market by upgrading every year or so? The car I specifically looked at was a 745 i Li YachtLine Individual from a dealer. Looks mint, has 87k miles on it. $17k. Non yachliners are 2/3s of that price.
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May 10, 2015 13:55
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Ah ok. I figured it must be something like that. Still, if you know what you are doing / have the cash to deal with the poo poo they seem like a pretty decent deal if you are interested.
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May 10, 2015 15:51
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SuperDucky posted:Owning a big V8 e65 is one thing but a 745? hahahaha BrokenKnucklez posted:They can be bargains really. Just make sure you buy an appropriate scan tool, there's a couple out there that do all the actuator functions. An OBD2 tool will leave you hanging. But otherwise there's no special tools really needed to wrench on them. Haha ouch. 10k repair on a 50k miles car. No thanks. I'm not getting one, I was just amazed at the low prices and wanted to know why. As suspected they are money pits. If I'm getting an BMW I'm quite partial to the new 4 series gran coupé at the moment. But I'm a BMW noob, so what do I know. One thing I do know is that I find the E60/E61 hideous.
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May 11, 2015 13:54
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For some stupid reason I have an urge to get an E34 (love the look of the front, not too old), so I'm stupidly looking for one. So far I've learned that the straight 6's are the one to get, as they are more reliable. Also as late of a model as possible, and service history (fan belt?) and so on. Found one nearby with very low mileage for it's age, oil and filer change every 10 000km... but it's not with leather interior, only electric windows at the front which kinda tells me it's a low trim level one. Also it's a 520i (too low power?) Is there any way of knowing what trim / extras came with what model, or is it pretty random?
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Jan 9, 2016 20:13
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NitroSpazzz posted:E34 you're going to want to look for ideally a 530 or 535 which will have the M30 inline six engine. M30 is a tank of an engine, timing chain so one less thing to worry about versus a belt. I finally found a 1995 sales brochure which really helped understanding what comes as standard with each model. Though I think the brochure is US based, so it might differ from euro spec. 520i is just too boring, 525i is better, but still a bit boring. There is only one 535i (turbo rebuild) and 4 540is (all autos) on the Craigslist equivalent here. So yeah, I guess the wait is on. I think the lower end models were way more popular here, since we didn't have the same "big engine culture" as the US. Pretty surprised at the level of tech in these cars.
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Jan 9, 2016 23:01
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8ender posted:The 525i with the M50tub engine is the most reliable one IMO. It's not super fast by any measure but very enjoyable to drive with the 5 speed. With the automatic you're going to want more power. It's also the easiest to find (525i in general). The hardest part is to find one that isn't sold by a 20 year old, with "mods" on it. There is a -94 520i (manual) shadowline with 37k miles that looks in good condition (someone selling their grandfathers car). Almost $9k though, so yeah no. Going to watch it though, having an original car with low mileage kinda of makes up for the lack of power.  rscott posted:BMW only imported luxury spec models to the US, especially back in the 90s and when it comes to 5 series. We only got the 525i and up here. Yeah that was what I thought / read as well. VVVVV: That colour is really amazing MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Jan 10, 2016 |
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Jan 10, 2016 10:33
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Saga posted:No idea where exactly you're located, but if it's central or northern Europe anything older (including those 5 series) is going to be rusty, generally busted and hell to work on/get fixed. In the UK, petrol E46 manuals (~98 - 2006 320i, 323i, 325i, 328i, 330i) seem to be ~£2,000 in decent condition, making them the best value for someone without a lift, a lot of time on their hands and shares in plus gas (or your thread unlocker of choice). Northern Europe. I thought BMWs were pretty resilient to rust? I don't need a car as a daily driver, so the thought was more of a hobby car that I can take out for a fun spin (i.e nice big engine, rear wheel drive) and do some spannering. But not at all interesting in modding, styling and all that. But yeah, so far most ads have either been ones that I don't like the colour of / low powered engine, or cars that have the driver seat tilted back too far = It's been driven by people who probably like to thrash it. 530is seem impossible to find, and the 540is are all automatics (or touring, which I don't want). Though the automatic doesn't seem too bad? At least if it's got and MOT without any fauls or "good to know about upcoming rust problems" it's probably pretty clean. VVVV: Yeah, if it's in like white. But when it's metallic green that looks like my lovely first car, I'll pass + I've never had a sedan, and I want one. I'm bored of hatchbacks and estates. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Jan 14, 2016 |
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Jan 14, 2016 17:35
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How "bad" are the 90's automatic transmissions on BMWs? Since I'm a european, I've never really driven automatics except on current Volvo rentals, and I found it to be a pretty dreadful experience (and unsophisticated). Press the gas and it takes too long for it to really engage, so it kinda feels like when you are driving with someone that is learning to drive that rides the clutch for way too long. I also had a hard time accepting the hard stop when coming to a standstill. When driving manuals I always let up the brakes just as the car stops, ensuring a stop that isn't felt. But then again I have the feeling that even old BMWs could have better automatics than most new cars. The reason I'm asking is that the bigger engines are all autos (or super rare manuals).
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Jan 16, 2016 12:49
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Saga posted:They're just normal torque converter automatics, like the Volvo you mentioned. They also are reputed to be much less durable than the basically indestructible zf and getrag manual boxes. But that may just be people on the internet being car hypochondriacs. I can't personally think of one good reason to buy one, at least for your purposes. Thanks for the great advice. Yeah I've pretty much given up on the early ones, because they are hard to find even in poo poo condition (and most acutally have really slow engines), nevermind one that hasn't been driven as a daily driver in the winter and hasn't been "modded" or driven to death. There are some good looking E46's and E39's (I assume they are similar in quality?) I'll stick to manual ones. I read the M54 engine is a very good one, so 330s and 530s should be good (right?).
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Jan 16, 2016 15:06
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drat, I found an '01 E46 with 120k miles, the equivalent of ZHP (shares many things, but from what I gather not the engine performance) 330ci, in topazblau. Never been driven in the winter, and looks to be in good shape. 4 owners, and no 20 year olds as far as I can see in the history. But of course it's a dealer that thinks it's worth the equivalent of $9000. No wonder it's been advertised since early December. The only thing that isn't "perfect" for me is that it isn't a face lift one, but who cares.
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Jan 26, 2016 12:33
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^^^^ I would, but it's a long drive away. Usually these ones come down in price, and let everyone know they are desperate. If it doesn't, it probably wasn't for me anyway.Brock Landers posted:There was no ZHP "equivalent" in 2001. It's probably just the ZCP Sport Package, unless one of the previous owners retrofitted some of the ZHP specific parts. That would probably not be worth it as there are aftermarket parts that would make more sense. Yeah I know, it's actually ES + SE + M-sport trim level, which is the closest we got here (as far as I know). It shares many bits (except maybe the most important bit - the engine tune) with the ZHP, like the M tech II package etc. Here's the last 7 of the vin if you are interested: JT63690 5000-6000 range was actually the price I'd put as reasonable (but high) for the car. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Jan 26, 2016 |
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Jan 26, 2016 17:25
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poo poo I think I missed a pretty nice opportunity to get a clean decent mileage 330 E46. It sold the next day (today). I'm a bit afraid of pulling the plug. The MPG was putting me off, but the fun to be had was pulling me towards buying it. Now all the cars (except one) are 200k km+ ones and/or the owners has had the car for like 3 weeks - 3 months. Yeah I'm not touching that. Even the low mileage ones that have owners that have had the car for less than a year turn me off. All I can think of is a young guy who buys the car, thrashes it and gets bored with it. Most of E46's that show up here are: - >190k km (~120k miles) - sold by young men - sold by someone who puts their name as "bmw" - been owned for less than a year - often poorly written ads - tons of owners, often > 8 A "Little Tree" hanging from the mirror is also a red flag for me. Only two reasons to have one, either you / the car smells like poo poo or you associate with the crowd who like having them (= "hooners"). All red flags for me. Am I being too harsh?
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Feb 29, 2016 16:30
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BrokenKnucklez posted:There is an E32 740i for sale near me, for only 1200.... must resist poor choices. If it drives, how bad can it be? Do it.
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Feb 29, 2016 18:33
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An E39 525i touring with M-package (the euro one) with 136k miles on it just popped up. It's in Sterlinggrau Metallic, and I generally hate silvery cars, but this one has a nice depth to it. It looks to be in very good condition, with a full service history. Some decent gear (GZ84992) on it as well like the M-package, Shadowline, Xenon lights, Cold Climate package etc. It's a dealer, so they are asking the equivalent of $4000 for it, which I think is a bit much for a car with that kind of mileage. But other than that is has none of the red flags I mentioned in my previous post. Been owned by a dude in his 60's for 8 years previously. 6 owners, and at least 2 of those are dealers. I might go check it out as it's not too far away. If nothing else I'll know how an E39 drives. 
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Mar 1, 2016 17:12
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I test drove the car I posted a few days ago. Wasn't for me really. Girlfriend didn't like it neither. Looked way worse in real life than on the pictures. For some reason it was dirty as hell now, but had been properly cleaned (both on outside and inside) in the pictures, which is a warning signal. Especially as the headlights in the pictures were clear, but hazy in real life, which makes me question how old the pictures are.. Anyway, it drove pretty well. Having never driven a BMW before, hearing that I6 was pretty cool. It felt quick and slow at the same time. The gear lever was pretty notchy, which reminded me of how my old Carisma felt, and made me think that the gearbox probably wasn't in the best of condition. Also, the check engine oil light came on 2/3 the way through my test drive. I did like the "heavy" (compared to the V70) steering though, felt engaging. Needless to say though, I wasn't interested anymore after that test drive. Before the test drive I wondered if the people saying that the 525i is too weak were exaggerating, but after I must say that it did feel a bit under-powered. Finding a nice BMW that isn't priced to hell is hard as gently caress here, because everyone who bought them new were cheap and got the lowest engine / spec ones (80% in non metallic silver). Most have ~200k km on the clock as well.
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Mar 5, 2016 15:58
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Crustashio posted:The best thing about e46 smgs is that they actually can be converted to manual and it's not super complicated if you know a tech (or can program). I'm just waiting for the day someone puts one up for sale with a failed SMG pump... If the BMW SMG is anything like the Alfa selespeed it's very likely that they'll pop up cheap as hell. After sperging out reading about the Alfa ones they aren't inherently unreliable, but the problem actually stems from that even authorized Alfa mechanics are clueless when it comes to diagnosing, calibrating and maintaining them. That coupled with Alfas refusal to sell the individual parts for the selespeed actuator (which is like $1000+ as a whole) led to a lovely reputation. If I remember correctly the SMG system is very similar, but I don't know if BMW are as poo poo at maintaining them as Alfa was. It's a pretty cool concept, and I'd love to try one though. When they work, and you learn to drive them properly they are supposed to be very fun.
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Mar 24, 2016 19:37
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Ormy posted:SMGs are great, most of the hate comes from people who have never owned or never will own one. Pretty much. But the good thing about that is that the prices are low for those of us that know better than to trust the first couple of replies in every forum thread ever created about SMG:s. I take it that SMG's (like selespeeds) need calibration at least once a year to run properly? Yeah how many second hand owners are going to that? Then they whine about how lovely it is. But who cares, like I said, the reputation means that it's cheaper.
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Mar 25, 2016 13:01
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H110Hawk posted:What idiot buys a black car? It's not that bad..  (I'll probably buy more black cars)Though, a grey / non metallic silver car is the worst in my opinion. Sure it doesn't get "dirty", but it never looks good neither. Just boring. My absolute favorite colour on cars in general is a nice deep blue, but that's a rare colour in Sweden. Most swedes seem to love their silver / gray cars. Red can be very nice as well, but it has to fit the car (and apparently not be too red, because my GF says it's too "prostitute-ish"  )
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Apr 27, 2016 17:47
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Why must I be tempted to buy: 
MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Dec 10, 2016 |
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Dec 10, 2016 13:10
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Somewhat Heroic posted:I'm in communication with the seller now! I've given the go ahead for a PPI. It looks incredible and dude has a recent black stone report showing impeccable engine health. He seems like a nice guy too. Get the blue one. The green is cool looking at the ad, but then imagine it sitting parked on the street and it's less cool. I bet the novelty will wear off, and then you'll still be thinking "If only it had 4 doors". E: ine* MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Jan 5, 2017 |
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Jan 5, 2017 15:21
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Is there some sort of cutoff model / year where the "Don't buy an out of warranty BMW" saying applies? I love E46's, but in case I'd want something newer, but not too new.
MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Jan 25, 2017 |
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Jan 25, 2017 17:39
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BlackMK4 posted:You can get away with an E90 328, E90 330, and 128. Nice info. Good to hear that the E90 is included as I really like the design. Nice design, rear wheel drive, still reliable, no turbo, decent MPG, good for long distances, it definitely shortlisted when I get a new car. Too much in love with my current car (Alfa Romeo) to get one, and I'll probably get a second hand Giulia in the future... But yeah not going to be the first to get a brand new unproven Alfa Romeo for even close to new car price, so an E90 will be a nice car to bridge the gap.
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Jan 26, 2017 18:12
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Saw a CPO dark blue Gran Coupe with brown seats in person yesterday. I think it's my absolute favorite of the current model range. Girlfriend loved it as well. Not $62k love though. Edit: Also saw tons of $110k+ car that were.... diesel.. Why? If you can afford that car, you can afford for it not to sound like a limping tractor. This country and its love for diesel..
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Jan 31, 2017 14:19
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I'm beginning to fall in love with the idea of getting an E90. I'm not going for any big engines (although I need a 6 cylinder, so at least 325i), but am rather more interested in it as a cruiser. I'd love to be able to go on road trips without dying from fatigue, which my current car (as much as I love it) isn't up to scratch for. Couple of questions: - How is it for longer journeys? I'm talking in the realm of 6 hours of constant driving. To compare, I drove for almost eight hours (with the only stops being 45 minute ferry at the first half, and a quick toilet stop toward the middle) in a 2014 Volvo V70 and I pretty much stepped out of the car at the end without feeling especially fatigued. Could probably have carried on for many more hours. - How are the automatic gearboxes? I've never owned a car with an automatic, and only driven a V40 rental automatic (which I found be quite slow and annoying). Obviously I'll try to test drive both, but if the autos suck I won't waste my time. They look snappy on YouTube though. I kinda like to own a good auto car sometime. - Am I correct in thinking that if I get iDrive, I should try to get the CIC or not bother? God help me if a nicely specced monaco blue LCI with a nice interior pops up. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 18:09 on Feb 9, 2017 |
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Feb 9, 2017 17:57
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Thanks for the replies about E90's guys. All I can say is that it's going to take a looooooooong time before I find one in a spec that I want. 90% of cars are cheapo ex lease 318 / 320D. I don't really care, they'll only get cheaper.
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Feb 12, 2017 18:03
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willroc7 posted:This just popped up near me and I've been looking for an extra vehicle for a family hauler and road trip car. Just how completely will this destroy my wallet in maintenance? Any major things I can ask the seller for records of? I'd ask the seller why the pictures are photographs of a screen of pictures of the car. If it's some old person - fine. But Any younger than 60 and it becomes shady in my opinion.
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May 6, 2017 05:11
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BlackMK4 posted:The E46 is basically the perfect car to learn to work on. Parts are cheap, everything is stupid documented, it's a very simple car to work on, and where a well sorted E46 can end up along the track route is loving incredible. A stock manual sedan with pads, square style 68s, decent tires, and a good damper/spring combo is something really, really special that you won't appreciate until you've been through a lot of cars and come back to remember why they are so good. I'd be an E46 owner if it wasn't for 2 things: 90% are high mileage 4 pots in poverty spec, andd are driven by the kind of people who see the only badge and are wannabe gangsters.
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Sep 17, 2017 07:21
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Isn't the E34 just one of the best looking BMW ever? Really love the look. 540iA for ~$3k... tempting...
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Dec 6, 2017 11:25
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Fo3 posted:gently caress yeah. Based on the e28/e30 luthe design but with ercole spada 80s magic. (Spada made it more 80s wedge shape with taller boot and did those tail lights to fill the rear IIRC) Are there specific parts that are hard to get in general, or very much based on location? Party Alarm posted:Hold out for a 540i/6! According to the local BMW fan sites, no 540i/6 sold in Sweden. The very few that exist are imports.
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Dec 6, 2017 13:27
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Fo3 posted:Nothing hard to get, everything seems available - just more expensive than other old models (eg e30, 36, 39, 46). Also less customization possible (eg suspension, wheels, brakes etc) due to lower aftermarket support. Ah I see. Did a quick glance at a junkyard database site we have here. Cheaper than I thought. I'm not really that into aftermarket stuff. I might be weird but apart from the front/headlight look, one thing I really love the "small" rims that came standard. Especially the "mesh" / "basketweave" ones.
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Dec 6, 2017 14:01
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Fo3 posted:Learn to plastic weld. Got any good tutorials or tool recommendations? So far I've only used epoxy and poo poo, held it together until solid. If there is a proper and better way, I'd love to learn.
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Apr 14, 2018 11:53
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Ether Frenzy posted:Get yourself a cover and it'll be fine. Yeah if you enjoy having a scratched to poo poo car, buy a cover. Seriously, car covers will scratch unless the car and cover are perfectly clean.
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Sep 4, 2018 19:41
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It's pretty interesting how the automatic took over the US as much as the manual took over Europe, and driving an automatic is as foreign to many Europeans as driving a manual is to Americans. I find myself wanting an automatic barge as much as the American might want a small manual hot hatch for the novelty of it. Though I must say, after a short test drive with an auto+V6, I can absolutely see the "point" of it. Very comfortable.
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Oct 4, 2018 19:20
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GentlemanofLeisure posted:With the advances in headlight technology in the past decade, it amazes me there isn't legislation to require manufacturers enable the auto-on function in dark conditions. I see a ton of cars around here driving at night with their headlights off. I only assume its because dashes are LED now, and the LED daytime running lights are juuuuust bright enough to fool you into thinking your lights are on if you're an idiot. A couple weeks ago, I passed an suv driving with their lights off, flashed them a few times and they didn't do anything, and a cop who was a little behind us that I didn't notice lit the guy up pretty much a few seconds after I flashed him. I love the fact that Volvo decided to do the right thing and always have the rear lights on even if you are only on the DRL setting. I'm so tired of seeing VW Golfs with no rear lights on in rainy weather.
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Nov 7, 2018 11:18
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Lightbulb Out posted:The engine bay also being super dirty with everything else looking real shiny and just cleaned also seems like a warning sign to me. Especially in light of the tape and other stuff on the bottom side of the car that doesn't scream "someone took care of me". It's also had at least 3 front end collisions per the Carfax. This describes 95% of BMWs of this era in my country. Buying one is asking for trouble as they've almost always been owned and ruined by some young dude with limited fund that prioritized RWD, rims, aftermarket HIDs and crashing above maintenance.
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Nov 22, 2018 12:10
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Has there been any form of credible studies on propane mixes in car A/C systems though? Every summer we get bombarded with articles about "you could be driving a bomb!".
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Nov 23, 2018 18:53
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Not to be a downer, but I wouldn't be that comfortable driving an E30 in the winter surrounded by texting people in SUVs with summer/all weather tyres that are just waiting to plow into you.
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Dec 1, 2018 16:24
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Speaking of bad German car decision.. On a scale of 0-10, how full of poo poo are people who say that the E38 750ia is not unreliable? The devil is tempting me with cheap V12s for sale, however I also like to eat...
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Dec 16, 2018 16:38
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Sound like playing Live for Speed anno 2008. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Dec 17, 2018 |
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Dec 17, 2018 19:26
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 15:00 |
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BraveUlysses posted:pre-LCI e90/91/92 are all so bad and dated looking lmao I can't stand the "moustache". The post LCIs are damned good looking though.
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Dec 24, 2018 11:53
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