Moderator: martauto
Cars less than 10 years old will be covered for the axle carrier panel (boot floor/subframe) cracking.spook wrote:Is it true that if the car is under Ten years old it would still come with an anti corrosion/subframe warranty ?
That's really nice.
+1.Blitz wrote:Heated seats really are a must.
I think is soooooooooooo sad when a nice M3 or any nice BMW gets fragged when it doesn't deserve such a lifebss325i wrote:Trust me, E46 M3's are very close to the point where perfectly usable examples will get fragged because its more economically viable to.
Thats where we were with E36 M3's only a couple of years ago and they're starting to get thin on the ground now.
For me give me a late low owner low mileage E46 M3 over early E92 M3 hands down everytimebss325i wrote:There certainly seems to be a split with E46 M3 owners. Non enthusiast types seem to be the ones who scrimp on running costs where as people that are into them seem to spend a bit more.harry_p wrote:Yep, we're due a rapid thinning in numbers of e46 m3s very soon.
Already lots with nankangs and eBay tat being glued to them. People with that sort of budget / mind set won't stomach proper servicing or boot floor repairs.
If you want one, its a good time to try and seek out a decent one for sensible money and I doubt you'll ever lose anything. Although there are also a lot of dreamers out there asking too much for very average cars. Not sure where e92 m3s are these days, but can't be long before they're putting pressure on top end e46s
The M3 cutters forum has many members spending a lot on expensive modifications, easily adding up to the initial purchase price in some cases with things like AP brake kits, CSL style intakes, decent coilovers and other stuff along like top brand tyres. Obviously there are some people with ebay coiloverz and verdestien/nankang tyres but they are in the minority.
E9x M3's are into the high teens now. Winx sent me a link for an early E92 M3 manual that was up for £13k but had zero service history so that obviously reflected in the price.
I have taken on 2012 AM Vantage S Coupe and F355 Spider (dad and kid) on motorways and they were moving out of my way not the other way round and they were pulling away eitherSimon13 wrote:pretty quick, they're geared up pretty short though so the revs are up on motorway
I run mine on Shell V Power all the timebss325i wrote:Indeed they do go and in extreme cases can erode the cylinder head and/or piston or even in one very extreme case crack the block between the cylinders.timmzey wrote:No-ones mentioned the fact that Headgaskets are prone around 120k... Garage where I took mine had done about 15 Headgaskets already!
The head gasket failing is down to a couple of things, first of all the main cause is not being run on super unleaded, this a must!
If they are continuously run on normal 95 ron then the combustion temps are raised due to the leaner mixture and the weak point in the combustion chamber is the head gasket between the cylinder.
Once this is breached then if the car is continued to be driven, which often happens as the initial symptoms of the gasket going is a lumpy idle which surprisingly some people have thought is normal for an "performance engine" and pinking which most people dont even notice, then the other further piston/head/block damage can happen.
Quite often it wont even put on the EML light on.
Again, its another thing that can be prevented by not being a tight fisted owner running it on 95.
When buying one, its something you need to try and gauge, quite often in for sale ads it may say things along the lines of "always run on super", enthusiast cars tend to be and overall i would recommend buying a car off a forum member as there is a higher chance its been looked after, had money spent on it and in a lot of cases you can read a thread about the car.
I would have to check but I have spent about £2.5k on servicing and maintenance on the E46 M3 CS since July 2012 and I have covered 3800 milesbss325i wrote:E39 M5's are an even more expensive prospect to maintain and run. They also have more engine issues in old age.
I nice one is a great thing but most a rubbish and even the nice ones can swallow £2k with ease.
I think is 15kg might be 45kg I can't rememberLaith wrote:It's nice to have don't get me wrong, its just really heavy. I noticed the difference in a car without one
They didn't change that much thought the life cyclespook wrote:Are the E46 M3s all the same? ie gearboxes/ engines.
Could shift a couple of turds and treat myself.
I have a 1:18 E46 M3 Coupe model in Imola Red / 18s KyoshoBlitz wrote:I've always preferred E46 M3s on 18" wheels. I quite dislike the popular 19s.
I have driven SMGII a lot as my old man had E46 M3 Coupe SMGII as company car from Newpacerpete wrote:SMG = don't . It's nasty when it works, it is REALLY nasty when it stops working
pacerpete wrote:bss325i wrote:£6k is a mine field. You may get lucky but most at this price will be a bit rubbish and will easily eat another £2k in tyres, brakes and an inspection 2.spook wrote:So 6k should find a nice car with decent spec ?
THIS ! You may get lucky but most at this end of the market are ticking bombs. The serious performance for much cheapness attracts lotz of scum who when faced with big bills get them served on pronto. The ideal car will usually have a mature owner (dead cooont, think Trevor !) ) with lots of bills and four quality tyres.
What you really need Chris is a M3 CS , you would then be a serious ********* executive but more importantly,your new best mate Pony would send you regular updates on his throbbing grapes AND undraped pics of his nan AND access to his extensive PHIL COLLINS collection !
£15k plusspook wrote:So how much should one pay for a good CS?
All the mags rate the E46 M3 over the E36 M3suchy wrote:But how much more of a weapon is the E46 M3 over the E36 M3? I've driven neither so have no idea, but I'd be fairly confident in saying the E46 is a league ahead of the E36?e30topless wrote:wait a few years Chris they will be fook allspook wrote:So how much should one pay for a good CS?
if you really have to have an M3 then 6k will buy a very good E36 M3 or a poor E46, the E36 is going up and the E46 is going down.. no brainer really as they both drive really well
pacerpete wrote:bss325i wrote:Blitz wrote: I like CSL's but not nailing all the bits on a standard M3. Lights and plate make it seem worse.
Thats it techno violet is the colour I mean.
Each to their own Mo but answer me this, E30 M3 sport evo spoilers?
Ah ,but Sport Evolution spoilers were fitted for homologation purposes, are functional and can be adjusted so that they are not in the Southall Ring 'max attack' mode and barely visible.
CSL 'aerodynamic' bitz were more likely to have been dictated by the marketing departments need to distinguish the much more expensive CSL from the ordinary M3s than a quest for superior aerodynamics.
.bss325i wrote:Aaaaactually....... this is official from BMW, the CSL boot lid creates sufficient down force at speeds of 120+mph that if the front does not have the splitters which also create down force, it creates unbalanced characteristics.
Basically, if you fit the rear you need something up front.
RE Sport evo, every sport evo owner (generally pretentious cocks who think they have the crown jewels!) has their spoilers rampant in the Southall ring road position.
.bss325i wrote:Aaaaactually....... this is official from BMW, the CSL boot lid creates sufficient down force at speeds of 120+mph that if the front does not have the splitters which also create down force, it creates unbalanced characteristics.
Basically, if you fit the rear you need something up front.
RE Sport evo, every sport evo owner (generally pretentious cocks who think they have the crown jewels!) has their spoilers rampant in the Southall ring road position.
They can be pretentious on CSL Registrypacerpete wrote:bss325i wrote:Aaaaactually....... this is official from BMW, the CSL boot lid creates sufficient down force at speeds of 120+mph that if the front does not have the splitters which also create down force, it creates unbalanced characteristics.
Basically, if you fit the rear you need something up front.
RE Sport evo, every sport evo owner (generally pretentious cocks who think they have the crown jewels!) has their spoilers rampant in the Southall ring road position.
Indeed, as the values have ran away from lesser E30 M3 values, Sport Evolution buyers are increasingly a sad bunch , nearly, but not quite as sad as E46 CSL knobbers who are generally weapons grade up themselves tools
