what to do with an E46 330ci...
Discussion
RanchoGrande said:
daemon said:
The 1st blue SE as two new pattern wings fitted and so has the black one.
They went on with very little hassle and panel gaps were good.
You couldnt have told (a) they werent original and (b) they were pattern panels once fitted.
THe silver one - i originally had the wings repaired and they were starting to blister through within a week of the repair.
Noted, thank you. You can get painted pattern wings from Ebay for around £120 so this option seems preferable. They went on with very little hassle and panel gaps were good.
You couldnt have told (a) they werent original and (b) they were pattern panels once fitted.
THe silver one - i originally had the wings repaired and they were starting to blister through within a week of the repair.
I've wondered about the painted ones on eBay, I guess worth ago if it's just the front wing that needs work but if your doing other bits too probably better getting it all painted at the same time. Would be good to know how the pre painted ones match up though.
I run a 2002 e46 330ci sport which I've had since 2004. Turned over 198k yesterday. Had rust appear on drivers front arch 4 years ago so bought a painted pattern one off eBay. Really happy with fit and finish so can recommend.
Front passenger wing just showing signs of bubbling now so will replace next spring.
Can't bring myself to sell despite having bought a replacement..
I will run it until it dies..
Highest mileage one I've seen is 231000. Anyone beat that?
Front passenger wing just showing signs of bubbling now so will replace next spring.
Can't bring myself to sell despite having bought a replacement..
I will run it until it dies..
Highest mileage one I've seen is 231000. Anyone beat that?
Pattern wings are hit and miss. I fitted one to a 2002 330Ci Convertible a month or two back and it needed a fair bit of fettling. Genuine Coupe wings have come down to £140 at BMW now so for a nice car, I'd go that route.
With 200k, it's never going to be a valuable car. Wings are going to be in the region of £400 supply/fit/paint per corner unless you go the pre painted pattern wing route and very few body shops ever grind rusty arches back to bare metal so the rust doesn't come back.
With 200k, it's never going to be a valuable car. Wings are going to be in the region of £400 supply/fit/paint per corner unless you go the pre painted pattern wing route and very few body shops ever grind rusty arches back to bare metal so the rust doesn't come back.
My 52 330i manual is suffering not on the fronts, but the rear arches. Particularly a spot on the panel gap by the fuel filter. I think one of the bumper brackets is there and rubs the rear quarter leading to rust.
I've also got a few spots on the arch lips.
Same dilema, I do love the car, even though it's just an old BMW to most, that big engine and manual are superb and the interior is still a nice place to be.
Mine is Topaz / Biege.
I'm just about to shell out on 4 tyres and 4WA. I was thinking of tackling the rust myself, I'm confident I can do the prep and get it back to a good standard, I just can't spray and blend!
What andriod nav have you gone for?
I've got the Prof stereo with HK, but I think my amp is on it's way out as my speakers sometimes crackle.
I've also got a few spots on the arch lips.
Same dilema, I do love the car, even though it's just an old BMW to most, that big engine and manual are superb and the interior is still a nice place to be.
Mine is Topaz / Biege.
I'm just about to shell out on 4 tyres and 4WA. I was thinking of tackling the rust myself, I'm confident I can do the prep and get it back to a good standard, I just can't spray and blend!
What andriod nav have you gone for?
I've got the Prof stereo with HK, but I think my amp is on it's way out as my speakers sometimes crackle.
To me it don't matter what the mileage or the age of the car is to justify what to spend on it for repairs or modification. What matters is how you feel about the car.
I own a 2003 330ci manual my self. if the engine went bang i would very happily put a different or same engine in.
As petrol heads shouldn't we care more about how we feel about the car rather then how much we can sell it for ect?
or is it just me? just my two cents.
I own a 2003 330ci manual my self. if the engine went bang i would very happily put a different or same engine in.
As petrol heads shouldn't we care more about how we feel about the car rather then how much we can sell it for ect?
or is it just me? just my two cents.
I've got 330 M-sport convertible facelift 2004...55,000 on the clock and in excellent condition. Except for 3 ever so slight dents on the front wing and bonnet that are barely visible...So slight that I didn't see them when I bought it....I'm getting these sorted just to keep the car mint. Will I notice? Yes. Will anyone else? Nope.
Like mentioned above good, unmolested 330's are getting increasingly hard to find which is great for residuals. Look after them...They will pay you back.
Like mentioned above good, unmolested 330's are getting increasingly hard to find which is great for residuals. Look after them...They will pay you back.
gibson2004 said:
To me it don't matter what the mileage or the age of the car is to justify what to spend on it for repairs or modification. What matters is how you feel about the car.
I own a 2003 330ci manual my self. if the engine went bang i would very happily put a different or same engine in.
As petrol heads shouldn't we care more about how we feel about the car rather then how much we can sell it for ect?
or is it just me? just my two cents.
It isn't just you. Lost count of the number of times I have received 'advice' from friends to trade mine in and get a new motor. Most modern cars are boring and the cost to upgrade to something worthwhile is many £'000's. I own a 2003 330ci manual my self. if the engine went bang i would very happily put a different or same engine in.
As petrol heads shouldn't we care more about how we feel about the car rather then how much we can sell it for ect?
or is it just me? just my two cents.
Would rather spend money on a car I know. In addition to comprehensive re-spray, just getting the seats re-finished so the inside looks as good as the outside.
The real question with spending money on these is 'Are you happier with a shed or a decent looking car?' People like us have cars like this because we like them and enjoy them, otherwise we would follow the herd and be paying £300 a month to drive a non descript, eco box.
If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
Matt_N said:
My 52 330i manual is suffering not on the fronts, but the rear arches. Particularly a spot on the panel gap by the fuel filter. I think one of the bumper brackets is there and rubs the rear quarter leading to rust.
I've also got a few spots on the arch lips.
Same dilema, I do love the car, even though it's just an old BMW to most, that big engine and manual are superb and the interior is still a nice place to be.
Mine is Topaz / Biege.
I'm just about to shell out on 4 tyres and 4WA. I was thinking of tackling the rust myself, I'm confident I can do the prep and get it back to a good standard, I just can't spray and blend!
What andriod nav have you gone for?
I've got the Prof stereo with HK, but I think my amp is on it's way out as my speakers sometimes crackle.
Same here, worst spot is around the fuel flap. Speakers crackle when they've been thrashed a bit don't they? I'm about to get some middling range £50~ /pair but your HK setup complicates things a bit doesn't it?I've also got a few spots on the arch lips.
Same dilema, I do love the car, even though it's just an old BMW to most, that big engine and manual are superb and the interior is still a nice place to be.
Mine is Topaz / Biege.
I'm just about to shell out on 4 tyres and 4WA. I was thinking of tackling the rust myself, I'm confident I can do the prep and get it back to a good standard, I just can't spray and blend!
What andriod nav have you gone for?
I've got the Prof stereo with HK, but I think my amp is on it's way out as my speakers sometimes crackle.
Nav unit is xtrons android 5. Really smartens and updates the interior, sound is a bit of an improvement over bmw cd player, hoping for more with speakers. Seems decent enough but having an issue with non working USB leads but not really had time to play around, will update if you like.
LanceRS said:
The real question with spending money on these is 'Are you happier with a shed or a decent looking car?' People like us have cars like this because we like them and enjoy them, otherwise we would follow the herd and be paying £300 a month to drive a non descript, eco box.
If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
That's true, but an old E46 has the potential to be a pain in the arse old car where every other weekend is spent fixing something. When cars get to that stage, they're best off gone.If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
iSore said:
LanceRS said:
The real question with spending money on these is 'Are you happier with a shed or a decent looking car?' People like us have cars like this because we like them and enjoy them, otherwise we would follow the herd and be paying £300 a month to drive a non descript, eco box.
If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
That's true, but an old E46 has the potential to be a pain in the arse old car where every other weekend is spent fixing something. When cars get to that stage, they're best off gone.If the answer to the above question is, ' I am happy with a tatty heap that I'll let fall apart around me', then you are probably not reading this anyway.
I've had my Clubsport for about 14 months and 12k miles. It seems to be worth pretty much what I paid for it and I don't owe any money for it. Anything that gets spent keeping it in a reasonable state is what makes us different to all those friends/family/colleagues, who don't understand and drive the aforementioned, soulless white goods, for however much a month.
I would also suggest that the fact that the Op has posed the question here, means that he really knows the answer already
Picked up 2 more battle scars in the past week to add to the collection: First was a scrape down the drivers door thanks to someone in a festival carpark the 2nd was someone in my car park "touch" parking. Dumb ass didn't even try and hide so I left them a note on their windscreen asking them to contact me - high chance they won't though! My insurance excess makes it not worth claiming.
It's becoming a (visual) sorry state now - good job it still drives OK.
It's becoming a (visual) sorry state now - good job it still drives OK.
LanceRS said:
If they don't contact you, give the details of their car to your insurance company and let them chase the other parties insurance. It's wrong that you should be left to foot the bill for damage caused by some cretin with no car control.
Insurance excess of £250 will make it pointless...although, don't you get the excess back of it's not your fault? Haven't made a claim for a long time.iSore said:
That's true, but an old E46 has the potential to be a pain in the arse old car where every other weekend is spent fixing something. When cars get to that stage, they're best off gone.
But are they really? What are you going to buy that is cheaper to run?Had a 57 plate E87 123d until 2014 which needed a new starter motor (£600) and battery (best part of £300 by the time it was programmed by the OBC) and the car was still depreciating! In my experience stop/start is not a great idea!
Bought a Z4C (E86) and the electric water pump died - £500 + for an OEM replacement plus thermostat and fitting.
Then with N53 engined E9*s you get to deal with HPFPs and injector issues, and they are still depreciating............
My 325ti had to have a new radiator and cooling system refresh, and while it cost just over £400 for parts and labour I have zero depreciation!
But if you have to chuck £50 notes out of the window I'm sure an M135i/M140i on a PCP will suit you perfectly....or are they "best off gone"?
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