2003 BMW 325ti SE

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Discussion

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
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Picked up my 325ti yesterday. It is the (mini) face lifted 6 speed manual, in SE trim. 3 previous owners, reasonable service history with some receipts and a book of BMW stamps, 44k on the clock so low milage but mostly it is an honest car in decent condition.

There are some points of attention, the air con needs sorting, the rear discs/pads need changing and I either need to have a wheel refurbed or change them all. I am not sure I like the wheels.

The car:







I have plans, but I'll be keeping the car for a good while so I'm not in a rush:

- fit the parrot asteroid smart
- Alcantara interior
- change the trim (the wood does nothing for me)
- sport wheel
- sports bumpers
- possible wheel change


Max M4X WW

4,796 posts

182 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
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Another one! Must be the third on here in a month. Looks great - have you checked the cooling system over?

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
quotequote all
Yer bit of a coincidence that. I have been looking for one for well over a year.

The rad and expansion tank are in very good condition, but beyond that I haven't checked.

mark.c

1,090 posts

180 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
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Looks great, welcome to the fold smile

s m

23,224 posts

203 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
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Are you going for the metallic cube trim?

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
quotequote all
Thinking the cube black trim, which maybe the same thing by a different name. Just got to find some in decent condition.

Ordered some Pagid rear discs and pads this evening.


Max M4X WW

4,796 posts

182 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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gregs656 said:
Thinking the cube black trim, which maybe the same thing by a different name. Just got to find some in decent condition.
It's mostly ruined, but just paint it with matt or satin black paint smile

gf15

987 posts

266 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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Nice car.
I prefer the wood. We have it in our 2002 330i and it is still like new, where as all the cars with the cube finish was very scruffy.

s m

23,224 posts

203 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Max M4X WW said:
gregs656 said:
Thinking the cube black trim, which maybe the same thing by a different name. Just got to find some in decent condition.
It's mostly ruined, but just paint it with matt or satin black paint smile
Or you can get it hyrdographically dipped but new trim is as cheap almost

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Pricing up the trim from BMW is on the list, but I'm not in a rush - sorting out the AC is a priority at the moment.


justanother5tar

1,314 posts

125 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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Nice car, looks tidy.

Agree with the wood, had it in mine and swapped it for carbon cube. Far too old man for a sporty(ish) car.

Thought about wrapping it? When i looked into it, it would have only cost £20ish for decent 3M stuff and a couple of hours of your time. They do quite nice satin stuff too now, think thats the route I would have gone, but got offered some trims on here in fairly good nick for a fair price.

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
The out going 318i left today, I didn't even have to advertise it.



This was a good car, did 40k miles in it over 4 years and I would be confident to get in it and drive anywhere I needed to. Hopefully the 325 will prove to be as reliable.

I was looking for a e36 compact when I bought the 'loon 4 years a go - but it was too good of a deal to walk away from.

Hadn't thought about wrapped, will look into it. Starting to think the cube might be a bit too much black.

Barchettaman

6,309 posts

132 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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I really like those wheels - not that it's my car!
Hope you're enjoying it.

Triumph Man

8,690 posts

168 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Wow! Lumbar adjust! Never seen it on an E46 before...

C70R

17,596 posts

104 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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A good little motor, and something I looked at before settling on a 330Ci. However, it seems odd to buy an SE spec car and spend a load of money converting it to look like a Sport. Surely it would have been worth waiting for a decent Sport to come up. I realise they aren't exactly common, but I can't help thinking it would have been a better use of the cash...?

Leins

9,468 posts

148 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Very nice OP, enjoy!

(Probably just me, but I really like it as it is, wood and all)

Mr Tidy

22,327 posts

127 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Lovely car OP! thumbup

I think you would have been waiting even longer (if not forever) to find a facelift Sport with the spec. you have there!

I wouldn't even mind the wood in an SE (but I'm old)!

Enjoy!driving

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Monday 5th October 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments.

Yes lumbar adjust! Keen eyes - not played with it yet.

Regarding the Sport thing. I have been looking for one of these since last June and I didn't find it straight forward to find many cars that I was interested in within my budget. In the end something had to give, given that it already has the sport suspension, it's really only a couple of bumpers and a bit of trim, and the sport bumpers make such a difference. I am patient and will wait for a good deal.

I'm warming to the wood, it's not so offensive when you are sat in the car as it looks in the pictures.

Waiting on the double din panel so I can install the Parrot, looking forward to that as I bought it for the car in April whistle





Edited by gregs656 on Monday 5th October 22:48

Leins

9,468 posts

148 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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I also like that it's been de-badged, especially these days when twin-pipes mean nothing

gregs656

Original Poster:

10,879 posts

181 months

Tuesday 6th October 2015
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Yes I like that also, from the factory. The bloke who specced it had some taste.

The car is very much working out. I have to send parcels all the time, and they were frequently too large to get in through the aperture of the e36 boot, which is annoying as I was constantly using the back seats to cart stuff around, and given that the rear doors on the old car don't open very wide, that was awkward as well. I initially looked for a touring, but I don't need loads of space, just a decent size aperture - and the compacts are uniformly specced better, in better condition and cheaper . . .



So much easier.

The rear discs are n a proper state. The pagid items will hopefully arrive today - £67.50 with pads