PassionBMW / info for buying an M3
#1
PassionBMW / info for buying an M3
Thinking of getting an E46 M3 and I know there are a lot of very knowledgeable BMW owners on her so would appreciate your advice..
My budget is up to about £11-£12k and so would prefer a post 53-04 facelift model with up to 50-60,000 miles on it. It'll be a weekend / Friday commuting / fun / occasional track day car so longevity and condition are important.
I've read about the Vanos & rear subframe potential problems but are there any other issues I should be aware of?
Anyone know of a decent one for sale?
Cheers for any info peeps
My budget is up to about £11-£12k and so would prefer a post 53-04 facelift model with up to 50-60,000 miles on it. It'll be a weekend / Friday commuting / fun / occasional track day car so longevity and condition are important.
I've read about the Vanos & rear subframe potential problems but are there any other issues I should be aware of?
Anyone know of a decent one for sale?
Cheers for any info peeps
#2
Bodger of Blackburn
iTrader: (2)
subframe and vanos are common issues, but a good service history and check will show any issues.
rust on arches - replace with new
noisy window cables/runners - replace with new/second hand
steering rack wear - replace
steering column knuckle bush sloppy - replace
final stage resistor making the heater not work correctly - replace (circa £50 if you have tiny hands)
ensure an inspection 2 has been done recently - it's bloody expensive
flat batteries in remotes - replace at £100, get battery changed £25 independant
*smg2 - pumps can fail (£800 been thrown about a lot)
*manual - sticking linkages, £50 in parts ish and box out to sort.
warped brakes, not very common, but £500 to replace fronts to a reasonable standard.
just a small list and some are common across the range of e46's.
rust on arches - replace with new
noisy window cables/runners - replace with new/second hand
steering rack wear - replace
steering column knuckle bush sloppy - replace
final stage resistor making the heater not work correctly - replace (circa £50 if you have tiny hands)
ensure an inspection 2 has been done recently - it's bloody expensive
flat batteries in remotes - replace at £100, get battery changed £25 independant
*smg2 - pumps can fail (£800 been thrown about a lot)
*manual - sticking linkages, £50 in parts ish and box out to sort.
warped brakes, not very common, but £500 to replace fronts to a reasonable standard.
just a small list and some are common across the range of e46's.
#5
Another Puma? Already got a Thunder as a daily! lol
Badge does nothing for me - if it was a Lada that went like it does it'd be fine.
Anything else to consider then?
(That isn't Ford - thought about a well sorted Focus ST but had one already so don't want another)
Badge does nothing for me - if it was a Lada that went like it does it'd be fine.
It'll be a weekend / Friday commuting / fun / occasional track day car so longevity and condition are important.
(That isn't Ford - thought about a well sorted Focus ST but had one already so don't want another)
#7
Trending Topics
#9
PassionFord Post Troll
#10
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
iTrader: (5)
E46 m3 is a great all round car.
As you have mentioned there are only a couple of things to be aware off.
The floor is one, the vanos is not a massive issue anymore and they can be repaired or replaced for around the 500 mark, not the 3000 it used to be many years ago on the E36.
Don't set your heart on a low miler, buy on condition and history.
Great car.
As you have mentioned there are only a couple of things to be aware off.
The floor is one, the vanos is not a massive issue anymore and they can be repaired or replaced for around the 500 mark, not the 3000 it used to be many years ago on the E36.
Don't set your heart on a low miler, buy on condition and history.
Great car.
#12
Glennvestite
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Use cossie drivers accept there an old donkey and dont handle the best but we enjoy the cars for what they are.
I like M3s and would have one but I just enjoy owning my cossie.
I love audi RS4s and I wouls love an escort cossie. To me I buy/own cars I can afford to run and repair. So if I had 25k to spend on either a RS4 or an escort cossie. It would have to be the cossie, why??? I dont wanna pay 3 grand for a set of brake discs every few years. Most of the cossie service parts are well cheaper too.
I like M3s and would have one but I just enjoy owning my cossie.
I love audi RS4s and I wouls love an escort cossie. To me I buy/own cars I can afford to run and repair. So if I had 25k to spend on either a RS4 or an escort cossie. It would have to be the cossie, why??? I dont wanna pay 3 grand for a set of brake discs every few years. Most of the cossie service parts are well cheaper too.
#14
Glennvestite
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How often do you replace door strips. How often do you replace engines??? Had my saff 8 n a half years. Got 1 door strip changed cause of divvy bodyshop. Im still on the orginal engine and running gear.
#16
Professional Waffler
It's a great site as long as you don't dare suggest any other car is quicker, can be very clicky. There are also some straight up really decent people on there too. My brother had one of the forum members do some work on his M3 and the bloke was clearly very very knowledgable on the cars and was a bloody nice bloke to boot.
The E46 M3 is a fucking brilliant motor and I can see the appeal and keep coming back to them again and again but I am put off by the value over my current A4 and the fact I like beating the Hell out of my cars on track. Bending an M3 would be a disaster but bending my A4 whilst an annoyance wouldn't ruin me. My ONLY Criticism is they just don't feel fast. Driven my brothers M3 and given it death and just wasn't excited by its acceleration, then I look at the speedo and see I'm doing the speeds that got me a ban not more than 3 months earlier.
Ref the VANOS issue my brother has ordered some parts from the US and will be rebuilding his VANOS unit for a total of £80 somewhat less that the £600 that often gets thrown about
The E46 M3 is a fucking brilliant motor and I can see the appeal and keep coming back to them again and again but I am put off by the value over my current A4 and the fact I like beating the Hell out of my cars on track. Bending an M3 would be a disaster but bending my A4 whilst an annoyance wouldn't ruin me. My ONLY Criticism is they just don't feel fast. Driven my brothers M3 and given it death and just wasn't excited by its acceleration, then I look at the speedo and see I'm doing the speeds that got me a ban not more than 3 months earlier.
Ref the VANOS issue my brother has ordered some parts from the US and will be rebuilding his VANOS unit for a total of £80 somewhat less that the £600 that often gets thrown about
Last edited by Oranoco; 15-06-2014 at 12:15 PM.
#19
cossie fan (unluckerly)
Ive a mate who had an e46m3 and they don't handle there bumpy and twitchy and go wrong a lot! He has an e39 m5 now which is a far better car in every way
#20
Professional Waffler
Total crap! The E46 is a superb handling car with super balance and poise. i would love to get one on a track after going out with RichardPON in his old vert at Bedford. If it didn't handle there was something seriously wrong, and if he was having huge reliability issues I would suspect he purchased himself a rock bottom budget wrongun.
#21
Advanced PassionFord User
#22
cossie fan (unluckerly)
Total crap! The E46 is a superb handling car with super balance and poise. i would love to get one on a track after going out with RichardPON in his old vert at Bedford. If it didn't handle there was something seriously wrong, and if he was having huge reliability issues I would suspect he purchased himself a rock bottom budget wrongun.
Last edited by ajamesc; 15-06-2014 at 03:45 PM.
#24
cossie fan (unluckerly)
#27
Advanced PassionFord User
I do miss my e36 m3. Just felt bomb proof. Wouldn't even contemplate taking the Sierra to Germany like I did the m3. Think something would break on the way.
#28
PassionFord Post Troll
They're just a family saloon with a turbo engine - if they're well maintained and kept serviced nothing is any more likely to break than any other car of that age. It'll be stuff like wiring that is getting old now but you can get new looms.
People used them as everyday cars back when they were new. Went on hols in them, went shopping, went to work etc
#30
PassionFord Post Whore!!
The only thing missing is air-con which would be nice when its hot weather!
Cheers Richard.
#32
Happily retired
You need to take 6 Valium tablets a day to get down to the excitement level of an M3 .
If you want Poise & balance go & watch some ballet .
Yes ive driven them my son had an Evo version the Quattro in my garage is a far better car. But then all Audi's are.
If it floats your boat buy one but be advised to try other boats first cos it aint the best out there.
Unlike Glen im not defending a Cossie in this debate they are not everyday type transport unless you are mentally unhinged. The M3 can be used daily but its not as exciting to drive as a decent rwd Cossie not even close.
If you want Poise & balance go & watch some ballet .
Yes ive driven them my son had an Evo version the Quattro in my garage is a far better car. But then all Audi's are.
If it floats your boat buy one but be advised to try other boats first cos it aint the best out there.
Unlike Glen im not defending a Cossie in this debate they are not everyday type transport unless you are mentally unhinged. The M3 can be used daily but its not as exciting to drive as a decent rwd Cossie not even close.
#33
The Evo would have been an e36 though, not an e46? Much of a difference?
Thanks for all the advice chaps - I'd prefer a car that I don't have to worry about it breaking (such as an old cossie - regardless of everything else, it's still old and more likely to break) and just roll out the garage for fun.
Was thinking earlier about a Chimera / 350z / Z4M.. opinions what else for the same money would be fun?
Thanks for all the advice chaps - I'd prefer a car that I don't have to worry about it breaking (such as an old cossie - regardless of everything else, it's still old and more likely to break) and just roll out the garage for fun.
Was thinking earlier about a Chimera / 350z / Z4M.. opinions what else for the same money would be fun?
#34
cossie fan (unluckerly)
The Evo would have been an e36 though, not an e46? Much of a difference?
Thanks for all the advice chaps - I'd prefer a car that I don't have to worry about it breaking (such as an old cossie - regardless of everything else, it's still old and more likely to break) and just roll out the garage for fun.
Was thinking earlier about a Chimera / 350z / Z4M.. opinions what else for the same money would be fun?
Thanks for all the advice chaps - I'd prefer a car that I don't have to worry about it breaking (such as an old cossie - regardless of everything else, it's still old and more likely to break) and just roll out the garage for fun.
Was thinking earlier about a Chimera / 350z / Z4M.. opinions what else for the same money would be fun?
#35
PassionFord Post Whore!!
You need to take 6 Valium tablets a day to get down to the excitement level of an M3 .
If you want Poise & balance go & watch some ballet .
Yes ive driven them my son had an Evo version the Quattro in my garage is a far better car. But then all Audi's are.
If it floats your boat buy one but be advised to try other boats first cos it aint the best out there.
Unlike Glen im not defending a Cossie in this debate they are not everyday type transport unless you are mentally unhinged. The M3 can be used daily but its not as exciting to drive as a decent rwd Cossie not even close.
If you want Poise & balance go & watch some ballet .
Yes ive driven them my son had an Evo version the Quattro in my garage is a far better car. But then all Audi's are.
If it floats your boat buy one but be advised to try other boats first cos it aint the best out there.
Unlike Glen im not defending a Cossie in this debate they are not everyday type transport unless you are mentally unhinged. The M3 can be used daily but its not as exciting to drive as a decent rwd Cossie not even close.
#36
Glennvestite
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Im not defending cossies Rodney im just saying they arnt as bad as people make out for reliability. There a bloody old car now and sadly ford should of made cars to compete with the bms and Audis.