Discussion
I've had 2, both without warrenty, not had much go wrong with them, what has wouldnt be a warrenty issue anyway, so, for me a warrenty would be a waste of money
My advice is do your research properly, theres a load for sale and get one of a forum member, pop across to m3cutters, i'm a member there, always some for sale there
My advice is do your research properly, theres a load for sale and get one of a forum member, pop across to m3cutters, i'm a member there, always some for sale there
Once you've found a car your serious about I'd definitely have it looked over by a specialist
I bought a CSL a few weeks ago and had Munich legends check it over, cost all of £70ish and pointed out a few jobs which needed doing well worth it for the piece of mind.
depending on what age the car is it's worth checking it's had it's recall for the bottom end bearings, consumables like tyres, discs and pads etc are expensive so if they're worn the price should reflect this.
I'd also check when the last inspection 2 was as again this is an expensive job.
Check the running in service was done at around 1200miles, mine was a bit late but there are cars out there which never had this done.
rear springs snap but there only around £100 each + a fitting which isn't too difficult, I had to buy one for the CSL and from what I've been told I shouldn't expect it to last much more than the 2 year warranty period.
I also believe rear bushes can wear but as with the springs they're not that expensive to replace.
I bought a CSL a few weeks ago and had Munich legends check it over, cost all of £70ish and pointed out a few jobs which needed doing well worth it for the piece of mind.
depending on what age the car is it's worth checking it's had it's recall for the bottom end bearings, consumables like tyres, discs and pads etc are expensive so if they're worn the price should reflect this.
I'd also check when the last inspection 2 was as again this is an expensive job.
Check the running in service was done at around 1200miles, mine was a bit late but there are cars out there which never had this done.
rear springs snap but there only around £100 each + a fitting which isn't too difficult, I had to buy one for the CSL and from what I've been told I shouldn't expect it to last much more than the 2 year warranty period.
I also believe rear bushes can wear but as with the springs they're not that expensive to replace.
As above, check it's had it's running in service on time. If it hasn't you'll have endless trouble if you ever want to part exchange it and even the majority of private buyers will have done their research on this.
Rear springs snap, if they haven't already they will, and if they have and have been replaced, the replacements will snap too. Easy to replace yourself if you don't have a warranty.
If it's got the 19" alloys, they have a habit of going milky under the lacquer, if this is the case factor in the cost of a refurb.
Tyres, brakes etc are as with any car, if they need doing, decide if the price reflects this or if you need to haggle further. Michelin or Continental tyres will cost you in the region of £1000 for a full set. Obviously you don't have to use these, I put Vredesteins on mine and was very pleased with them, they can be had for around £600 for a set.
Also have a bit of a research for the subframe issue. Not sure how common it actually is, obviously you only hear from the people that have had problems on the forums, not the thousands that haven't. BMW are however repairing this at their cost up until the age of 10 years.
Good luck with the search, they really are fantastic cars.
Rear springs snap, if they haven't already they will, and if they have and have been replaced, the replacements will snap too. Easy to replace yourself if you don't have a warranty.
If it's got the 19" alloys, they have a habit of going milky under the lacquer, if this is the case factor in the cost of a refurb.
Tyres, brakes etc are as with any car, if they need doing, decide if the price reflects this or if you need to haggle further. Michelin or Continental tyres will cost you in the region of £1000 for a full set. Obviously you don't have to use these, I put Vredesteins on mine and was very pleased with them, they can be had for around £600 for a set.
Also have a bit of a research for the subframe issue. Not sure how common it actually is, obviously you only hear from the people that have had problems on the forums, not the thousands that haven't. BMW are however repairing this at their cost up until the age of 10 years.
Good luck with the search, they really are fantastic cars.
I've run my '04 M3 for 2 years with no issues, I've replaced discs, pads and tyres in that time as well as having a scheduled oil change(all expected and budgeted for).
I'd pay attention to how the owner (if a private sale) drives the car.
I've always taken the approach of <3k revs until the oil temp is above the 75 degree mark and being gentle with the gearbox when cold.
The subframe issue will only cause you bother if the car has been modified (e.g. suspension) as this will give BMW a way to argue covering the repairs. As previously mentioned you have until the car is 10 to spot and report to BMW (it's pretty obvious from the pictures I've seen).
Buy on condition rather than mileage - and enjoy! A truly fantastic car.
I'd pay attention to how the owner (if a private sale) drives the car.
I've always taken the approach of <3k revs until the oil temp is above the 75 degree mark and being gentle with the gearbox when cold.
The subframe issue will only cause you bother if the car has been modified (e.g. suspension) as this will give BMW a way to argue covering the repairs. As previously mentioned you have until the car is 10 to spot and report to BMW (it's pretty obvious from the pictures I've seen).
Buy on condition rather than mileage - and enjoy! A truly fantastic car.
thehos said:
I've had 2, both without warrenty, not had much go wrong with them, what has wouldnt be a warrenty issue anyway, so, for me a warrenty would be a waste of money
My advice is do your research properly, theres a load for sale and get one of a forum member, pop across to m3cutters, i'm a member there, always some for sale there
ThisMy advice is do your research properly, theres a load for sale and get one of a forum member, pop across to m3cutters, i'm a member there, always some for sale there
Warrantys are a waste of time 99% of the time.
Things that wear are not covered anyway, such as brakes, suspension parts and clutches.
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