Gsi_Ire
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Republic of Ireland
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Gentlemen, reaching out to the ///M brigade
Playing with the idea of owning an E46 M3 for a short while, buy, enjoy and sell on.
I have been looking around and found a 2003 with 141k Miles
Add goes something like this :
"M3 is in carbon black metallic color(no scratch and dent),have unmarked black nappa full electric seats.TV,SAT NAV,CD changer,factory xenons lights,rear parking sensors.
19" genuine alloys,polished,without single scratch.
Harman kardon sound system.
All windows tinted.
Last service done 1500miles ago,included spark plugs,all 6 coils,oil,filters,vanos seals,driveshaft bearing.
M3 get always what it need,so any inspection welcome.Car is really very clean.
Its been advertised at around the same as £7500 over here... When it comes to selling it one.. I am looking for something I can shift either side of the pond...
For a similar spec what would you expect to pay over their in the UK? Been looking at autotrader and I see anywhere from £5750 to £8500?? I reckon with tax rebates I could sell it to the UK for maybe £6600?
Obviously, depending on condition etc do you think that would be achievable?
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spencer88
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Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
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My friend just bought an SMG one with less miles and CLS alloys in fantastic condition for £7,000.
His is a late 2003, early 2004.
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Gsi_Ire
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Republic of Ireland
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is the SMG more desirable or the manual? I would have thought manual? Less to go wrong and more of a "drivers car"?
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spencer88
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Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
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From what he has said it is more desirable.
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Gsi_Ire
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Republic of Ireland
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http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/sale-bmw-m3-cs-smg-high-spec/7788039
That one is around £7800 (asking price)
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Gsi_Ire
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Republic of Ireland
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http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale//7789321
Or this one is around £6800 and even has some tax on it so I would get a few months "free" driving out of it 
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kennySRi
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Registered: 12th Nov 10
Location: Lancashire
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Manuals are worth more. They range from less than £6k upto £15k.
I wouldn't touch one with 140k on it if you're planning to sell it on.
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Graham88
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Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
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With that mileage I would probably expect it a bit cheaper. Although it has got a good spec to it. Has it got LED rear lights?
If it wasn't for the mileage I'd say snap it up, but the mileage makes me unsure as I have not really seen many that high. It's not to say it won't be fine, I know cars that have 120k and they've been track cars from day 1, but for resale once you've used it and put your mileage on will make it quite difficult to sell, in all honesty you'd make more money breaking it.
It's a manual so that's more desirable straight away. It sounds well looked after, I say go and have a look and see what you think.
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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Ad is worded strangely. Is the vendor a Nigerian prince?
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taylorboosh
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Registered: 3rd Apr 07
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I thought that - get a manual
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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Run, run very very far.
SMG is fantastic, but not for everyone. A fact of the matter is there are more parts and if they go wrong they are expensive to fix. So the "cheaper" proposition is the Manual.
These cars can have monumental running costs, £2k bills are not out of the ordinary. Having owned three ///M cars of differing ages, buy a more expensive one with less miles and it will save you money. They are absolute money pits when needing maintenance..
Trouble is they are great to live with, practical, comfy, spacious and well equipped so you will want to buy it if you drive 
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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Plus surely it's bum hole is about ready to fall off at that mileage wouldn't you say Jam?
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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If well maintained then theres no reason they cant carry on. But Vanos units can go, if they do, it can be a £2.5k bill. Then theres the big ends, less of an issue on the 46 but nonetheless. I would actually be less worried about the power unit and more worried about everything else.
That amount of miles means pretty much everything will need replacing. Bushes, arms, shocks, springs, interior is most likely to be haggard, etc etc.
A little reminder of when a garage broke my Xenon headlamp but couldn't prove it.... It was £900 for the unit and that was back in 2009. Alternator went and it was a £600 bill from BM part alone. (Ended up getting this done cheaper elsewhere but it wasn't easy or straight forward. Might be more pattern parts now however)
They are very expensive to maintain. However it is not impossible (just lucky) to buy one and have trouble free motoring if you dont mind forking out £1k for tyres and expensive servicing.
Buy an immaculately maintained 100k example just after an Inspection 2 with fresh tyres and brakes and you could potentially run it for very little depending on the miles you do. Ive seen it be done!
At the end of the day though, still the best car I have owned to date. I would have another, but fear the prices are a bit high for what are essentially old cars now.
E9X prices are even more scary by the way Double the vanos unit 
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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I suppose it comes down to risk...
I know where my money would be and it wouldnt be on a leggy M3.
(I mean again)
[Edited on 21-10-2014 by Jambo]
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Graham88
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Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
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I do tend to agree slightly but not entirely, I spent good money on a low mileage, very well looked after (I knew the guy) example and at 57k it dropped 2 valves. So it can go both way.
I presume the xenon unit was for new, you can buy a whole headlight for £150 with bulb easily. So there are ways around some of the costs, however sometimes you simply can't avoid costs.
I wouldn't put much pattern parts on the car, intact very few bits I'd use pattern, so to go BMW only is pricey but there are deals to be had from people on m3cutters who work in dealerships etc.
If you bare in mind it was a 50k car when new and those running costs haven't gone down, then you won't be surprised by anything!
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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Graham it's a risk exercise, some 150k cars will be fine others will be ready for crushing. The latter is the more likely...
A second hand headlamp is not the same as a new one, at the time those units where £3-400 second hand but that was 5years ago...
The part I used for the alternator was a branded unit without the bmw stamp about £200 vs £600. Worked perfectly fine.
I suppose being the age they are now with a fair amount being broken then the second hand parts cost will be better and more widely available.
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SVM 286
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Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: pain
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By the way Jam, I was referring to the car's actual arse end and it's penchant for dropping out/falling to bits, over a certain age/mileage.
It does seem that some parts prices on older German cars are excessive to put it mildly.
The trade price from Mercedes for a cap, rotor arm and a set of HT leads for my E Class comes to a little over five hundred and sixty quid. Frankly ludicrous.
And the ignition control module (which would fit in the palm of your hand) for the same car is just shy of £1,300.00. 
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Graham88
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Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
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quote:
Originally posted by Jambo
Graham it's a risk exercise, some 150k cars will be fine others will be ready for crushing. The latter is the more likely...
A second hand headlamp is not the same as a new one, at the time those units where £3-400 second hand but that was 5years ago...
The part I used for the alternator was a branded unit without the bmw stamp about £200 vs £600. Worked perfectly fine.
I suppose being the age they are now with a fair amount being broken then the second hand parts cost will be better and more widely available.
Oh yeah obviously not the same, but like you said the 2nd hand market is huge. It depends really what breaks?
Stuff like alternators I'd go pattern part, but stuff like bushes, lower arms, suspension components etc has to be genuine IMO
Tyres you just can't get away from the cost however they have also come down a lot in price, I just picked up 2 rears 265/30/19 for £300 from Tyre Leader I think it was. I paid £500 for the same 2 years ago!
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spencer88
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Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Jambo
If well maintained then theres no reason they cant carry on. But Vanos units can go, if they do, it can be a £2.5k bill. Then theres the big ends, less of an issue on the 46 but nonetheless. I would actually be less worried about the power unit and more worried about everything else.
That amount of miles means pretty much everything will need replacing. Bushes, arms, shocks, springs, interior is most likely to be haggard, etc etc.
A little reminder of when a garage broke my Xenon headlamp but couldn't prove it.... It was £900 for the unit and that was back in 2009. Alternator went and it was a £600 bill from BM part alone. (Ended up getting this done cheaper elsewhere but it wasn't easy or straight forward. Might be more pattern parts now however)
They are very expensive to maintain. However it is not impossible (just lucky) to buy one and have trouble free motoring if you dont mind forking out £1k for tyres and expensive servicing.
Buy an immaculately maintained 100k example just after an Inspection 2 with fresh tyres and brakes and you could potentially run it for very little depending on the miles you do. Ive seen it be done!
At the end of the day though, still the best car I have owned to date. I would have another, but fear the prices are a bit high for what are essentially old cars now.
E9X prices are even more scary by the way Double the vanos unit
Think my friend bought his just before it needed a service, not sure which service/inspection it was, but BMW garage quoted about £1,200.
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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I wouldn't entertain parting with any sort of money for a car with 141k on it
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spencer88
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Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by pow
I wouldn't entertain parting with any sort of money for a car with 141k on it
Explain?
I've had cars with over 200k miles on and they caused me no problems, drove fine.
Had cars with 70k on and caused me nothing but problems and a fortune in repairs.
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DaveyLC
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Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
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Just remember @141k miles its going to be really hard to shift regardless of condition.
If you are getting it for peanuts then go for it other wise avoid because you'll take a hit when you sell.
I had a 40k mile (manual coupe) minter for a brief period, bit of a random purchase.. They are reasonably fun cars but typical pre 2010 shonky BMW..
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IvIarkgraham
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Registered: 27th Mar 04
Location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
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my mate just sold his 2002 for 11k
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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quote:
Originally posted by Graham88
Oh yeah obviously not the same, but like you said the 2nd hand market is huge. It depends really what breaks?
Stuff like alternators I'd go pattern part, but stuff like bushes, lower arms, suspension components etc has to be genuine IMO
Tyres you just can't get away from the cost however they have also come down a lot in price, I just picked up 2 rears 265/30/19 for £300 from Tyre Leader I think it was. I paid £500 for the same 2 years ago!
Don't tell me tyres are cheaper FFS Graham !!
And yes 100% agree on the vital parts that effect the feeling of the car and performance. My E36 M3 wishbones where £450 odd from a dealer and picked up a set for £200 second hand but barely used. Pure luck!
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Graham88
Member
Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Michelin Pilot Sports £187.19!
http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/michelin/pilot-super-sport/265-30-zr19-93y-66121
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