Discussion
So pretty much a whole day of cleaning. Clay bar, megs kit and polished. It came up really well. I'm sure a pro detailer would mock my efforts but the paint is glass smooth and there isn't much in the way of dings anywhere, which is nice.
So it's decision time now. I found an M3 and its pretty much 'the' one spec wise. I still have this nagging doubt that the B1 kit will make this car something special, it's testament to how good it is standard that it's making me second guess an E9x M3.
Sat in the pub pondering what to do. The M3 is fast, is desirable and sounds awesome but, it's £25K. It averages 20mpg and is a big lump of car. It has no hatch. No towbar, everyone will think I'm more of a tosser than normal
I can't see the values going anything other than up now, people are waking up to them, M3's will continue to fall for a while yet..,Fairly tormented.
yonex said:
So pretty much a whole day of cleaning. Clay bar, megs kit and polished. It came up really well. I'm sure a pro detailer would mock my efforts but the paint is glass smooth and there isn't much in the way of dings anywhere, which is nice.
So it's decision time now. I found an M3 and its pretty much 'the' one spec wise. I still have this nagging doubt that the B1 kit will make this car something special, it's testament to how good it is standard that it's making me second guess an E9x M3.
Sat in the pub pondering what to do. The M3 is fast, is desirable and sounds awesome but, it's £25K. It averages 20mpg and is a big lump of car. It has no hatch. No towbar, everyone will think I'm more of a tosser than normal
I can't see the values going anything other than up now, people are waking up to them, M3's will continue to fall for a while yet..,Fairly tormented.
Sounds like you might be happier in an M135i instead?
Trailhead said:
yonex said:
So pretty much a whole day of cleaning. Clay bar, megs kit and polished. It came up really well. I'm sure a pro detailer would mock my efforts but the paint is glass smooth and there isn't much in the way of dings anywhere, which is nice.
So it's decision time now. I found an M3 and its pretty much 'the' one spec wise. I still have this nagging doubt that the B1 kit will make this car something special, it's testament to how good it is standard that it's making me second guess an E9x M3.
Sat in the pub pondering what to do. The M3 is fast, is desirable and sounds awesome but, it's £25K. It averages 20mpg and is a big lump of car. It has no hatch. No towbar, everyone will think I'm more of a tosser than normal
I can't see the values going anything other than up now, people are waking up to them, M3's will continue to fall for a while yet..,Fairly tormented.
Sounds like you might be happier in an M135i instead?
swanny71 said:
Honestly I prefer the130i to my old M3 as an everyday car. Smaller, more discreet, as fast as it needs to be and infinately cheaper to run. Never really 'fell' for the M3, I have for the 130 though, big time.
The other big thing for me right now is I know that the money could buy any number of fun weekend toys, as per your TVR, never had one but always fancied the idea. Same with the Cayman, 911, maybe another Caterham, used purely at the weekend they make sense and will always feel special. As a daily the M3 will probably start to feel a bit ordinary, not a criticism of the car as it's how it has been designed to feel i.e as comfortable and as a familiar inside as a 'normal' 3 series. It's seems (to me) to sit between two sectors and not really make a case for itself in either. Too refined for a pants on fire fun car and too nutty for a daily.So, onward and upward with the car. I will get it into CPC very soon for the work and will probably swap the subframe bushes for M3 ones now rather than the powerflex, we'll see how much the difference is but as the back of the car is being dropped for the diff etc it makes sense to my man maths.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 11th May 10:29
yonex said:
The other big thing for me right now is I know that the money could buy any number of fun weekend toys, as per your TVR, never had one but always fancied the idea. Same with the Cayman, 911, maybe another Caterham, used purely at the weekend they make sense and will always feel special. As a daily the M3 will probably start to feel a bit ordinary, not a criticism of the car as it's how it has been designed to feel i.e as comfortable and as a familiar inside as a 'normal' 3 series. It's seems (to me) to sit between two sectors and not really make a case for itself in either. Too refined for a pants on fire fun car and too nutty for a daily.
This is how I felt very soon after buying it. The M3 replaced a Griff and a 156 GTA, thought it would do both daily and weekend fun duties - I was wrong, hence the 130 and Chimaera.Edited by yonex on Monday 11th May 10:29
My 130 is 8 years and 113k miles old this week but again passed it's MOT today with no advisories - only routine maintenance and a DSC unit under warranty in my 4 years and 60k. Still feels special, it's a brilliant little car.
So to bring this to a close...
I sold the little 130. I nearly didn't, nearly did and everything in between. It was (and is) a great car full of character and I miss it quite badly having relegated myself to an automatic 1.4 Polo, a culture shock for sure. My Aunt died from breast cancer and left me the car, in the meantime a guy offered me way above the asking price so I sold.
My plan was to buy an M3 and I'm going to buy one, good bad or indifferent as life's too short, this has been reaffirmed obviously so I figured why read a ton of internet opinions and not dip your toe in the pool. If I don't get on with it, it can be sold.
To sum up the 130i
A great engine, lacking a bit of fizz at the top connected to a chassis begging for upgrades. Quick enough, practival enough and a great place to be. Buy one and see what you think, the highest compliment I can pay the 130 is that after year of sheds it has woken me up and made me want to drive again. Can't say fairer than that.
Now, if I could only get rid of the spare wheels and M3 camber arms.....
I sold the little 130. I nearly didn't, nearly did and everything in between. It was (and is) a great car full of character and I miss it quite badly having relegated myself to an automatic 1.4 Polo, a culture shock for sure. My Aunt died from breast cancer and left me the car, in the meantime a guy offered me way above the asking price so I sold.
My plan was to buy an M3 and I'm going to buy one, good bad or indifferent as life's too short, this has been reaffirmed obviously so I figured why read a ton of internet opinions and not dip your toe in the pool. If I don't get on with it, it can be sold.
To sum up the 130i
A great engine, lacking a bit of fizz at the top connected to a chassis begging for upgrades. Quick enough, practival enough and a great place to be. Buy one and see what you think, the highest compliment I can pay the 130 is that after year of sheds it has woken me up and made me want to drive again. Can't say fairer than that.
Now, if I could only get rid of the spare wheels and M3 camber arms.....
mikeyscott said:
Very good thread
I went 123d >> R32 MKV and now mulling 130i, selling R for something cheap to save for 335i/S4/M3..?
Yes, great thread.I went 123d >> R32 MKV and now mulling 130i, selling R for something cheap to save for 335i/S4/M3..?
I went 123d to Z4 Coupe, then bought a 325ti as a daily - I keep wondering if I should halve my RFL costs by selling both and getting a 130i?
Even with the M3 I still think it was a great car, honestly I should have kept it and spent the time and effort on the suspension, I think it would have been a very good road car indeed. You won't lose much if you buy one as the prices are now firming up and the lower mileage ones with the right kit (Xenons, heated seats, pro hi-fi, light pack, etc, etc) are rising.
Go for it, you'll certainly not see that many on the road.
Go for it, you'll certainly not see that many on the road.
yonex said:
Go for it, you'll certainly not see that many on the road.
Possibly not, but I see far fewer Z4 Coupes than 1 Series - that's one of the reasons I'm struggling to actually commit to parting with it.Man maths also tells me that apart from RFL and insurance I can only wear one out at a time!
Mr Tidy said:
mikeyscott said:
Very good thread
I went 123d >> R32 MKV and now mulling 130i, selling R for something cheap to save for 335i/S4/M3..?
Yes, great thread.I went 123d >> R32 MKV and now mulling 130i, selling R for something cheap to save for 335i/S4/M3..?
I went 123d to Z4 Coupe, then bought a 325ti as a daily - I keep wondering if I should halve my RFL costs by selling both and getting a 130i?
christoferlloyd said:
You know you want to sell me your 325ti Mr Tidy! 130i has a level of power far above the Compact without losing fun factor. Only real downer are the runflats, I'd say...
OK, I'll do you a deal on the 325ti when you have a 130i for a trade - I know the 130i is way more powerful as it has the N52 3 litre engine, but hey my Z4 Coupe has that so happy days...
Well, curiosity has got the better of me so I've bought another 130, in fact I have bought the one I sold back 
Looking forward to continuing the project to its conclusion now. Betting that after the M3, which is crushingly capable the little car will feel even more like a space hopper I had a good chat to Kevin Bird today which confirmed the purchase....anyone fancy an M3?
Looking forward to continuing the project to its conclusion now. Betting that after the M3, which is crushingly capable the little car will feel even more like a space hopper
I had a good chat to Kevin Bird today which confirmed the purchase....anyone fancy an M3? Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff