BMW Thread: this is the bmw thread. we drive blue cars

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > BMW Thread: this is the bmw thread. we drive blue cars

«‹›3 »

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How much are you guys spending on maintenance? I'm curious to see how much you're putting into BMWs that have got ~200k. How often are they breaking down?

EDIT: Can someone describe to me what it's like owning and driving a BMW? I'm assuming it's nothing short of incredibly loving awesome.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2008 17:19

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 9, 2024 02:51

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

So, I found a guy selling a e30 325i convert that's been kept in decent condition. Some rust but not too much, a lot of miles but runs/sounds great. What's a fair offer? I was thinking ~2.5k?

# ¿ Apr 9, 2009 04:10

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Dyscrasia posted:

E30's and older are the best looking BMW's (In my opinion) and they are built to be self maintained. I love working on my E30, it has access panels for everything, its easy to take apart, and its a solid peice of engineering.

And of course, above all, they are a blast to drive.

There's just something about the style of E30s that I and many other find extremely appealing. It doesn't feel like a 15 year old car either.

# ¿ May 2, 2009 23:40

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

So, I'm looking at a 1989 325i Convert. There's two owners. The first being the original owner whom went to Germany, purchased it and shipped it over to the states. The second owner is his son who drivers it too and from work that's about a 15-min drive. It's in decent shape, some rust, 189k miles but runs well (from the sound of it).

I've got a trusted local mechanic whom only works on imports (BMW,Audi,VW,etc) but I wonder what I am I looking at with buying a car this old. Aside from the usual old car problems is there anything specific to look for with an E30? Also, I'm in Fargo, ND so I wonder how bad is it to be driving a convertible in the winter?

# ¿ Aug 4, 2009 04:13

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

So, I might own my first BMW! It'll be a 1992 E30 Convert!

Unfortunately, there are some problems.

1 - It's absolutely filthy. Does anyone know how much a car detailing service is? Not to mention the leather seats are ripped to shreads. I've seen a couple places on ebay the sell covers or remanufactured seats - but does anyone here have any specific suggestions?

2 - Driver side window had a tree fall on it - so there's no window. Any idea how much this is too fix?

3 - The exhaust is completely shot. Everything wobbles. Any ideas how much?

4 - The owner just a got a new battery put in however since doing so the car won't hold a charge if you let it sit for a couple days. When we opened the hood while the car was off we kept hearing some kinda clicking noise. He's never heard it before.

5 - The rear window is all smudged and you can't wipe it off. I have no idea, but the owner said there's some specific solution you need to buy to wipe the grime off.

Anyway, I'm getting it looked at tomorrow so hopefully it'll work out. I am extremely excited. :haw:

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 00:05

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

What happens if I don't replace the cat? I suppose I could be pulled over...

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 00:43

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Jorsh posted:

The only reasonable E30 cat replacement is buying the proper inlet/outlet magnaflow and taking the pipe off and having a shop weld it in. Last I checked the entire pipe from BMW is $1300 or something, and aftermarket stuff isn't much better. I replaced mine for $99 for the new cat and $40 to have a place weld it into my existing pipe.

Also driving around with a clogged cat is super bad news and it's going to make the car suck to drive

When I drove it wasn't abnormal loud, but the muffler and the whole exhaust would wobble a lot more than normal when I drove or kicked it. Anyway, I'll find out more tomorrow when I get it looked at.

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 00:57

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Jorsh posted:

get under it, whack the cat with something and see if it makes a rattling sound

If it does, should I just drop it? It runs (idle wells, no rattles and moves when you tell it too) well for a '92 but he's selling it for $750. Granted, it's old and extremely dirty but it works! :dance:

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 02:07

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

True, I know they cost more than the average commuter car but he's got all the receipts for the car when his uncle first bought it in Germany. It's been well taken care off, runs well so I'm not really extremely concerned about something breaking - but I do have some funds saved up just in case. The only real downside is the interior of the car is awful specifically the seats. The left side door latch is broke, the button on the parking break is stuck inside (still works).

I'm unemployed, mechanically inclined so the small things I can probably fix myself but as for the car losing it's battery charge and the cat. thing those are things way over my head.

Crustashio, I know the guy so he's probably willing to drop the price even further. I trust him and he didn't even know anything about the exhaust but I'm getting it looked at by a mechanic tomorrow.

Heh. He also told me he has never had a problem getting the car the start in the winter - even when it was -25f. :haw:

Gucci Loafers fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Aug 21, 2009

# ¿ Aug 21, 2009 02:32

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Justice101 posted:

Here are some of the reasons against the purchase...the pictures

http://s1035.photobucket.com/albums/a433/Justice_101/1990%20BMW%20325i/

The front seats are good, but the backs seats are bad? :wtf:

# ¿ Sep 4, 2010 08:05

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Dyscrasia posted:

So I have been looking for 1987-1991 325is's all over the US to replace my 318is. Does anyone know of any decent examples in your area? I am thinking of about $4500 as my budget.

Ive already scoured craigslist using crazedlist.org for mass searches and already check the E30 message boards. Autotrader and those kinds are pretty useless.

Ebay. There's a few on there, but I'd stick CL/Local Ads and just wait.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2010 00:56

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Kill-9 posted:

In Texas we're supposed to have a front plate though our old Mustang never ran with one. Only were ever asked about it once and were just told 'put it on when you get a chance.' I planned on doing the same with this one. I removed the ugly plate holder yesterday only to find previous owners turned the bumper to swiss cheese under that. Why the gently caress they needed 7 holes to do what 1 or some good double stick tape could do I'll never understand.

European plates look infinitely and are even more visible. Woe is the USA.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2010 03:50

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

wolrah posted:

awesome-express covered the rest, so:

Yes. It's only 20-25 cents a gallon difference, that's about $4-5 per tank if the capacity is around 20 gallons. Not really a big deal. If you use a lower octane at best you'll experience reduced power and fuel economy (defeating any possible savings, those who do this insisting they are saving money are stupid), at worst it has the potential to destroy the engine.

In the mid-west, many of lower-grades contain ethanol which lowers fuel efficiency.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2011 02:00

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How do you find a manual Wagon? Is crazed list the best place? Carsoup, has a grand total of 3-BMWs.

# ¿ Jul 30, 2011 03:02

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Sterndotstern posted:

You have 10 grand in cash sitting in an envelope in your drawer. Then you set of crazedlist RSS feeds, Autotrader email notifications, and ebay saved searches.

Then you check three times a day *EVERY DAY* and when one that matches your criteria comes up, you call and say, "I'll be there tomorrow with your asking price in cash." Then you buy a plane ticket (because it's never in your hometown) and fly out there.

Honestly.

I called 45 mins after he posted it and informed him that it was sold and made sure he wasn't going to sell it out from under me. 30 minutes after that I had booked a flight for the next day. By the time I arrived, 20 hours after he'd posted the car, he had received something like 10 offers for the car. I was, however, first in line.

Hens teeth, and when you find a good one at the right price you have to absolutely jump at it. I was prepared to drive 8 hours, hand a man an envelope, and drive 8 hours home.

How many times did you find a car but then it was bought out under you?

Secondly, anything particular to look for in BMW Wagons?

# ¿ Aug 3, 2011 21:29

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Aren't 318tis slow, big, and get terrible mileage for a 4-cyl?

# ¿ Aug 8, 2011 23:52

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Okay,

In the not-so-distant feature I'm more than willing to spend ~$15,000 on a manual 2000+ 3-Series. My only concern is I don't have the mechanical knowledge and even if I did I don't think I'd care to do my own maintenance.

How much does maintenance on a BMW cost over a "normal" car, because I really have no idea.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2011 20:04

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

I have a local mechanic that runs his own place that I completely trust and he won't let me buy a crappy car because he doesn't want to fix it.

What year / mileage would I be looking at for a 3-Series Manual and preferably with the Sport Package? Would there be any considerable difference between spending a bit more or less than $15k such as getting the next model up or avoiding some particular problem with X years?

# ¿ Sep 12, 2011 22:08

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

So, what am I as a moderate-enthusiast-newbie suppose to tell all my friend when claim I'm an idiot for wanting a manual-RWD car in a place it snows?

I already brought up that plenty of Mercs, Lexuses have RWD as standard but I've driven RWD on snow and I never felt it was oh-so-horrible.

# ¿ Sep 25, 2011 00:05

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

What could possibly go wrong if I bought this?

http://fargo.craigslist.org/cto/3000025129.html

# ¿ May 13, 2012 15:42

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How do you all you guys feel about CPO BMWs? Worth it?

# ¿ Jul 9, 2012 04:58

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How much does the Sport Package or M Sport Package add to a 3 or 5 series? By add, does it actually add something beyond interior decals such as improved suspension or better drive train?

For the record, I'm looking at 2005+ 3-Series. Maybe a 2001+ 5 Series.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2012 05:25

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Looks like I'm stuck with find a car with the sports package no matter what, thanks guys!

What can you guys tell me about the 1-Series? Is the size comparable to a civic?

# ¿ Sep 2, 2012 20:53

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

kimbo305 posted:

Depends on what you mean by size, and which year Civic. The 1 seats 4 total, though the 2 in the back will be in relative comfort compared to 3 in the Civic, especially if it's a coupe.

2001+ Civic or mid-90s Accord.

If can fit 4 people like that comfortably, I think I'd be all over it. Do the rear seats fold down?

# ¿ Sep 3, 2012 18:08

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

KakerMix posted:

I give no shits about that, but THIS is the best news ever. BMW didn't kill off the 3 series wagon after all

Hell yes!

I don't think I'll be able to afford a new one but hopefully I'll be able to grab one in a few years which should be exactly on schedule with my mid-life crisis.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2013 01:33

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

14 MPG City. :aaa:

I guess that's what you're going to get with that kind of engine. On other hand, I wonder if the car phone works? Or could setup?

# ¿ Jan 20, 2013 22:31

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How come Europe gets the cloth seats? I'm not a big leather fan.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2013 18:03

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

A five-series wagon must be goddamn enormous - did they ever make them in RWD?

# ¿ Feb 1, 2013 06:42

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Moxie Omen posted:

1989 Antique BMW 325i Convertible - $23995 (Maryland)
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/3656416114.html

Well that's optimistic.

Doesn't the '91 model have an Airbag?

Maybe 6-8k at most?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2013 02:04

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

With the talk about E46s... I peaked around on carsoup.com/autotrader.com/ebay.com and there so many for sale.

What would I potentially be getting myself into if I pick one these up? Assuming the cooling system and suspension have had the proper maintenance. There's a few in Minneapolis, Omaha with 100,000 - for about $10k. Give or a take a few.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2013 14:25

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Martello posted:

Yeah actually I just filled the tank an hour or so ago and when I started the car back up the light was out. If that means it's the gas cap, how do I go about fixing it? Just order a new cap and install it?

Also, what do you mean by "get codes pulled?" Sorry, I know very little about the electronics stuff, having only done mechanical repairs like replacing the breaks and so on.

ODBII codes, I think... You can go any auto-parts store, rent a code reader often for free and figure out what code the car is throwing...

Assuming you can do this on a BMW.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2013 17:04

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Nodoze posted:

They just updated it this year to exclude more things too

What the hell is excluded?

# ¿ Mar 22, 2013 08:36

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Convince me not to buy this AI

On the same subject, why does the E325 model exist?

It's seems way too niche and there barely any fuel efficiency difference between the it and the 328i - what's BMWs thought process here? Or is there something else besides the engine ECU?

# ¿ Mar 22, 2013 23:22

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

How do guys feel about the :supaburn:

"OMG Rear-wheel drive in the snow!" non-sense?

Also, I'm 6'2 could I fit in a 1-Series? :ohdear:

# ¿ Mar 31, 2013 02:19

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Stardotstar posted:

It's going to be gone before I can get there... but that website, THAT is how you sell a "project" car. Inspire lust, show all the views and pics that anyone could ask for, and give people a price that's not *completely* insane. Honestly, if I had $15k to spend on a car, I'd buy that in a heartbeat. I'm sure someone will buy that by the end of the day.

How much would it cost to fix everything?

# ¿ Apr 18, 2013 22:17

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

BrokenKnucklez posted:

I think you may end up having more fun finding a well taken care of M3 than a 328i in this case. You just need to find a well documented taken care of example.

Keep in mind of the M-Tax, but they are sturdy cars.

How much does an oil change, breaks, tires, etc cost?

# ¿ Apr 19, 2013 23:37

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Crustashio posted:

Cloth seats are so much better for track/autoX stuff too. I like my e36 m3 vaders, but the alcantara seats in my old ZHP were just so much better for holding you in place. The funny part is cloth stuff demands an absurd premium in NA, hurricane vader interiors can easily fetch 2k. Perforated e46 m3 cloth seats sell for close to 4k.

I just hate leather in general. Yeah, it's easy to clean but it sucks in both hot and cold. It's slippery, and the softer leather used in the upscale/M cars wears badly.

How or where are you even finding the cloth seats?

Is it even possible to get a Beamer with cloth seats in the US? Apart from re-upholstering yourself.

# ¿ May 2, 2013 20:56

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Are there any other good sites for trying to find a 3-Series Manual Wagon? I've been using AutoTrader and Ebay with limited luck.

# ¿ May 10, 2013 19:37

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

Why BMW is so awesome BMW M3 Love Story

# ¿ Jun 18, 2013 02:41

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 9, 2024 02:51

Gucci Loafers: May 20, 2006; Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?

BMW owners... How did you choose between the 1 and 3 Series?

# ¿ Jul 1, 2013 20:01

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > BMW Thread: this is the bmw thread. we drive blue cars

«‹›3 »