Buying Advice E46 Alpina B3

[Felix79]

I've decided that it is time to have something more refined to use and typically I'm looking at Alpina's. My budget it upto £7000 , it has to be a 2 door and must have leather. Mileage is not a big problem for me but I would like something closer to 100k rather than another 200k+ car.

I have no idea what to look out for with regards to the e36 , but also I know there were a few Alpina models done. There are a couple of B3's with the 3.0 engine for around £4600 ( both dealerships ) and there are a few other nearer the £6000 mark which have caught my eye.

So is the 3.0 B3 the "one" to go for or is it worth me going for a B6 ( I think these were 4.0? Baz / Andy? ) Also should I go for a switchtronic or is manual the best way to go with these?

Another thing , with the M3's I am seeing advertised I have noticed some pretty massive bills being have to be done over the years , is this normal to all the e36's or was this more with the M3's and their more advanced mechanics and equipment?

Thanks for any advice or buying tips. If anyone knows of one for sale pls point me in the right direction.

[BadDave]

Dan, steer clear of the 3.3 if it's an early one, as some have a tendency to drink 1L of oil every 5-600 miles for some unknown reason.
The 3/3.2L ones don't have the same problem.
The B8 has the same 4.6L V8 as fitted to the B10's and it's £1k+ to change the head gaskets
The 3L has about 240bhp and the 3.2L has 265bhp
Check for FSH from either the dealer or a well known/reputable indy with paperwork to prove it.Those lacking in history even in VGC command a slightly lower resell value.
Check receipts/history to make sure that the correct oil has been used(Castrol SLX now known as Castrol Edge in 0w30) although Mobil 1 0w40 does the job just as well.

For further info etc, you could pop over to http://www.thealpinaregister.com/ and read up on any Alpina specific issues.
Everything else would be std E36 issues to look out for.

[pnd]

Another thing , with the M3's I am seeing advertised I have noticed some pretty massive bills being have to be done over the years , is this normal to all the e36's or was this more with the M3's and their more advanced mechanics and equipment? quote

big bills are normal on fast cars. M3's are more expensive to fix than standard e36,s alpinas will be somewhere in between. Also these motors are bad on fuel.

[aj_mckay]

Dan,

How's it going? Long time no speak...

You should give user 'tim_s' a shout on here, he's just bought a B3 3.0 E36. He's running a journal thread on the e36coupe.com forum... SEE HERE if you want to take a look (B3 stuff toward the bottom of the 1st page). He might be able to give you some valuable hints & tips.

The e36coupe forum is a pretty useful place for various info on general E36 issues etc. I don't know too much about the E36 Alpinas but I've certainly seen some examples of people encountering rather hefty bills for E36 M3s! 'M-Tax' and all that!!

These cars (M3s / Alpinas) can be very affordable on the face of it (low purchase prices) but the running can often be another story especially if you're not in a position to do a lot of work/maintenance yourself. I'm sure you know all about that, though! You have expensive taste in cars dude!

[BadDave]

big bills are normal on fast cars. M3's are more expensive to fix than standard e36,s alpinas will be somewhere in between. Also these motors are bad on fuel.

This is mainly on M specific parts and the equivelant Alpina supplied parts.
On the B3,everthing else is stock E36.
The 3.2L version uses the iron block US spec E36 M3 evo lump and not a tweaked version of your usual alloy blocked M52.

My B10 sees a 35mpg avg on a decent run and still returns 30mpg on the daily commute.Obviously thess figures woud drop a bit if driven aggressively most of the time.
Not too sure on the fuel economy for the 3L lump.

[Felix79]

Thanks for the replies , I've taken a look on both forums and actually found another car to add to the list I am intrested in.

Dave when is a safe "year" to be looking at the 3.3's?

I took one off my list as it was a 95 but there is a couple of 99-00 3.3's that are catching my eye.

Also Munich Legends have a really stunning 95 B3 with all the buffilo leather , it's a manual , it is in the colour I want and has 77k on the clock but they are wanting £7000 for it, is this over priced and typical of Munich?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1847135.htm

There is another 95 B3 http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2521644.htm the spec is not a perfect as the first but should I be warey of one in this price range?

Finally this one keeps catching my eye http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2542250.htm , I think the pics make the trim look too bright but I think this would be one I be happy owning.

[BadDave]

Dave when is a safe "year" to be looking at the 3.3's?

2000 onwards IIRC
Someone on the Alpina register should be able to narrow the dates dwn for you.

Also Munich Legends have a really stunning 95 B3 with all the buffilo leather , it's a manual , it is in the colour I want and has 77k on the clock but they are wanting £7000 for it, is this over priced and typical of Munich?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1847135.htm

Unable to comment. How does it compare for other cars of the same age,mileage,spec,history?
The interior could bump the price up as it's a rare/desireable option rather than standard leather trim.

There is another 95 B3 http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2521644.htm the spec is not a perfect as the first but should I be warey of one in this price range?

I'm thinking that this is a misprint tbh
Possibly more like 130K NOT 13Kmiles and it defo won't be group 7 insurance.
IIRC my B10 is group 20 so it may be group 17 instead

Finally this one keeps catching my eye http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2542250.htm , I think the pics make the trim look too bright but I think this would be one I be happy owning.

The red trim doesn't do it for me tbh, but it's not me who would have to live with it on a daily basis.

I'd be inclined to find the best example within my budget.
There may be 1 or 2 B3 3.2's available budget dependant.

Have you tried getting ny insurance quotes yet Dan?

[Felix79]

Yeah did qoute for the B3 3.0 and 3.3 , M3 and B10.

Insurance wise it's comming in at around £700 to £900 a year full comp. My old Calibra use to cost about this much to insure and my 325i cab was not far off either. Luckily I'm over 30 so it has taken a big sting out of the over all price.

With regards to the Munich car I can't find anything "yet" that matches the full spec , I've been having a nightmare finding 2 doors as the market seems flooded with cabs , which there is more chance of me owning a 320i 4 door e30 than having another soft top.

I found this http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p which is private sale but the price is dramtically less than i would expect from a 01 car.

Here is another 00 car with low mileage http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p which is either showing too cheap or the ML one is very special and/or is grosley overpriced.

[bss325i]

Dan, the Munich legends car is on sale or return (like most of their stock) and isnt all that, ive seen it up close.

E36's Alpinas were

B2.5 (cams, remap spoilers and wheels M tech suspension, Sytner special)
B6 2.8 (Iron block 2.8 with custom pistons etc, wheels spoilers, suspenion etc)
B3 3.0 (As above but with increased capacity and also available with switch logic)
B3 3.2 (As above but with increased capacity)
B8 4.0 Forget this as good ones are £15000 and all are LHD

No 3.3 on the E36, the B3 3.3 was an E46 model.

My advice is get someone who knows what they are doing (me or pete) to look are any potential purchase as with all old cars, there are many hounds out there which on the surface look ok but are far from it!

[bss325i]

What are you doing with the C2 by the way?

[DanThe]

I think you meant to type E36 B3 Barry, I saw a lovely one today at Tesco's

[Felix79]

Dan, the Munich legends car is on sale or return (like most of their stock) and isnt all that, ive seen it up close.
My advice is get someone who knows what they are doing (me or pete) to look are any potential purchase as with all old cars, there are many hounds out there which on the surface look ok but are far from it!

I think it is a smart idea as I do want the peace of mind and it would be nice when I leave it at Petes for any work I don't get a phone call off him cursing the car and firering off a long list of problems lol.

What are you doing with the C2 by the way?

Not sure tbh Baz , as you know first hand it still needs work doing on it mechanically and ideally a new rear quarter would make it look heaps better. Truth be told I got no idea what it is worth and I would want it to go to someone who can finish the work that was started. I hate to see it fragged that's for sure.

The Munich one has all the feature I would want but I'm not prepaired to pay silly money for something when it's just not worth it.

[bss325i]

I think you meant to type E36 B3 Barry, I saw a lovely one today at Tesco's

Meh, stupid cut and paste!

Only the 2.8 was a B6.

Edited it anyway.

[Felix79]

Slight change of plans , I've got enough in my budget to buy and insure an e46 B3. I'm going to be looking at 2 over the next week.

The first is a very nice Blue example on a W plate with 130k on the clock. It is exactly the right spec , embroided buffilo leather seats , right colour , trip-tronic. It has FSH , most of which was a main BMW dealership. The one thing is there is some bubbeling on the front arch. Are the front arches one area to look out for? Did the E46 have good rust prevention? Finally the car has seen some track action ( the owner had pics of the car on a track in the advert on the Alpina register ). Should this be something for me to worry about or is it a good sign the car has been looked after properly? The owner is pretty active with Alpina meets and stuff which I take as a good sign.

The second is a Dakar Yellow ( I think it is that yellow )example and it is a Feb 2000 car. It is a very high spec ( Sat nav , heated seats , electric memory on the seats , colour coded piping on the seats ect ) but the service history is not all there. The car has only done 103k and from the pics it is extreamly tidy. With the missing history , is it a really bad thing and should be advoided? This car for sale at a dealer , so I would assume the 3 month warrenty would be enough to cover if anything is seriously wrong? Also can I get an anual warrenty on a car this old and with over 100k on the clock?

Out of the B3 3.3's that are for sale and with in a 100 miles of me these 2 are the ones that tick most of the boxes. With the production numbers being pretty big ( 230 B3 3.3's I understand ) should I be mega picky about specs ( the yellow one has a tape player which I would want replacing for a tastefull CD/MP3 reading ). After the problems I have had with my old 325i and my C2 , I just want to have a good car which I am proud to own and is a pleasure to drive.

Thanks again for any advice on this.

[Kedge]

Rusty front wings is a common thing from what i've heard on E46 coupes, i get the impression an E36 is a far better built car.

As for the annual warranty, just checkout the likes of the AA but i suspect most probably won't want to touch a car over 100k or you'll pay through the nose for the cover.

What are your plans for the C2?

[Kos]

dan

why not buy something less 'special' for a daily and spend less money on this daily and invest them money into the alpina to have as a weekend car ?

an nice e39 sport or a well spec'd e46? i've for the last 5 years had normal bmw's as daily cars. some ive mod'd with regret because they attrect attention and you worry about where you park them

less on insurance, less attention from the public, less to run as they have less 'costly' things to go wrong.

i've said it few times but, the e39 530 sport i have is superb as a daily. quick and fairly economical, smooth quiet and still a great casr to drive. proud to drive it and a good looking car. in the garage i have my e24 and track day compact and one day my e30 m3 will be finished. i doubt i'll ever have a "flash" daily. i dont see the point. i have hankering for a ZM coupe, e46 CSL M3 but unless one of my other toys goes or i come into a lot of spare cash it wont happen.

[Felix79]

As much as I love the 5 and espcally the e39 I've never driven anything that big before and it is too big for what I need/want. The C2 is having money put into it also , but my plans are for it to be finally finished before I use it again.

With my anual mileage so small I can get away with a toy being my main use of transport , plus like you say Kos something too "flash" can give the wrong impression ( one reason I've decided not to go down the M3 route with an e36 ) but I do feel the Alpina's more mute looks do tend to go more unoticed by the non BMW fan. I have thought about the 330ci with a nice spec but not found anything that I've been too excited about atm.

Got to admit I've been looking at the Z3 but after one experience owning a 2 door I just realise I look and feel like a proper burk driving somthing that small! Also been looking at Scoobies, the Coupe 99-00 which Richard Burns won his championship in is the one I like , but again I think it is a very loud car and ultimatley too hard core for my tastes. Stupid thing is , if a really nice e30 Alpina came up I would seriously look into buying it and have a choice lol.

[Kos]

an e39 isnt a big car imo. its about right, spacious and comfortable and 4 adults can get in it with no aggro. it doesnt feel that much bigger than an e36 to be honest and it is class above in terms of class/luxury. an e36's, well they can be a nice car to drive but they are small. you're big lad so why try and squeeze yourself into a small car.

e36 alpinas still get attention, as much as an M3. a 318is or any coupe/saloon with a sport kit looks like an M3

mileage has nothing to do with being able to get away with a toy as a daily. toys are toys. i drive 7 miles to work and home every day. if i do more than 600 miles in month i'm really pushing. even if my drive was longer, i'd not want to rack up any unnecessary miles on a bespoke or special car or increase the chances of it getting knocks, dings scratches etc

but if you feel an e36 is right for you, look at buying a nicely speced one for about £1750-£2000. and throw the rest into the alpina. the alpina needs about 3 grand on the body and what ever else for some mechanical work but if done right it will be a worth while investment

[pacerpete]

There is nothing classy about an E39, FFS even you (Kos) and Potter(don't mention the factory xenons!) have one !

[Kos]

There is nothing classy about an E39, FFS even you (Kos) and Potter(don't mention the factory xenons!) have one !

but when i roll with you its bitchin mofo

[Felix79]

To give an idea of how low my milage is , I drive 24 miles a week!

Oxford is the capital of the car hating world , so as you would expect I only use the car outside the city.

With regards to budget I "have" another £2000 to spend on the C2 this summer and then £7000-£8000 to get a newer car with. The really nice thing is I am able to do some bits on the car myself now thanks to my back being in good form. Now I have Pete and Barry doing work on the Alpina it's improving dramatically every year.

I might take a look at some e39's because if they feel an ok size to deal with I would love to own one. A B10 would be very nice to own but I think I will get into far too much trouble. Kos out of a matter of intrest what are the running costs like on your 530?

[Andyboy]

To give an idea of how low my milage is , I drive 24 miles a week!

Oxford is the capital of the car hating world , so as you would expect I only use the car outside the city.

With regards to budget I "have" another £2000 to spend on the C2 this summer and then £7000-£8000 to get a newer car with.

Then spend the 2 bags on the C2, buy a decent daily for a couple of grand and put the rest in the bank. A W plate B3 with 130'000 miles is just another 11 year old, high mileage E46.

[Kos]

To give an idea of how low my milage is , I drive 24 miles a week!

Oxford is the capital of the car hating world , so as you would expect I only use the car outside the city.

With regards to budget I "have" another £2000 to spend on the C2 this summer and then £7000-£8000 to get a newer car with. The really nice thing is I am able to do some bits on the car myself now thanks to my back being in good form. Now I have Pete and Barry doing work on the Alpina it's improving dramatically every year.

I might take a look at some e39's because if they feel an ok size to deal with I would love to own one. A B10 would be very nice to own but I think I will get into far too much trouble. Kos out of a matter of intrest what are the running costs like on your 530?

To give an idea of how low my milage is , I drive 24 miles a week!

Oxford is the capital of the car hating world , so as you would expect I only use the car outside the city.

With regards to budget I "have" another £2000 to spend on the C2 this summer and then £7000-£8000 to get a newer car with.

Then spend the 2 bags on the C2, buy a decent daily for a couple of grand and put the rest in the bank. A W plate B3 with 130'000 miles is just another 11 year old, high mileage E46.

dan dont kid your self , the C2 will swallow 2 up on a paint job alone not including the metal work needed.

as andy has said buy a decent daily that will be sensible to run. my e39 does 25mpg in town driving. it has cost nothing in 5 months apart from a litre of oil and screen wash but it will need a few bushes at some stage. road tax is £275 a year and insurance £550 FC, im 30 with full NCB.

trevor (B7) has a journal on his e39 daily, so look it up and you'll see what its cost him over 18 months.

the alpina e46's and e39's are the same as regular cars but if you have engine problems then its a whole new ball game. the key to these cars is originality so when the suspension needs sorting, cheap shocks and springs wont cut it. a set of bilsteins will set you back £700.

its up to you what you do, but why this fascination with Alpinas, if you only do 24 miles a week, then what the point ? you wont enjoy it and short trips are not good for cars. they are nice cars, but are you going to enjoy it or do you want one to just be able to say you have one ?

get one "toy" finished and do it properly then worry about the rest.

up to you

[harry_p]

a friend had a b3 3.3 e46 cab, and recently described it as his most dissapointing car purchase after it failed to live up to his expectations and left him totally underwhelmed.

he sold it after a couple of months and bought a 330 touring which he's very happy with.

it seems you pay a massive premium for a little more performance and a lot more exclusivity.

personally it doesnt appeal to me at all, i think if i wanted a nice every day car id just get a tidy 330, and save a whole heap of cash, or if i wanted the performance i'd get the proper full fat m3.

[aj_mckay]

Dan, get a nice e36 328 sport (manual / auto) for a couple of grand, stick an M50 manifold on it, hoon around in that and spend the rest of the cash on your E30!

You could make the E30 something special and still have a cheap, enjoyable car to buzz around in... not to mention saving yourself a fair amount of wedge, too.

[Morat]

You can get a normal E46 for very little nowadays but if you're only doing 24 miles a week do yourself (and your heart) a favour by getting a bike!

[tim_s]

You're welcome to have a go in my B3 3.0, I'd also entertain an offer on it, it's a fantastic car but having 3 cars is a bit ott for me It's the same spec as the munich legends car (alpina blue 1, alpina design water buffalo leather etc) but has the original alpina overcarpets and switchlogic, has heated seats, dual zone climate, 110k on it, 12 months MOT (last wk, straight through), 11 months tax, brand new rear tyres, no rust etc, would want not a lot more than half what munich legends are asking for theirs and best of all it doesn't have chavtastic m3 mirrors on it!

On e46s, I really liked me 330ci, could imagine a e46 b3.3 is a nice chariot - you'd want a 2000+ car with multifunction wheel etc though.