£3k E46 330i Sport coupe- advice required.

[sparks_E39]

I have as some may know been looking for an E38 7 series. I've come to the conclusion that unless I'm spending £4-5k it's just not happening. The cheap ones are cheap for good reason. I don't really want another E39 as I've had two.. both fantastic. So my other preference is kind of the polar opposite of an E38- the E46 330i Sport Coupe.

It must be a Sport, and it must be a coupe, and I won't entertain the idea of a 320 or 325. I'm not really fussed if it's auto or manual, although I'd sway more towards the former. Now the M54 engine I'm very familiar with, I had it in my 530i Sport. I assume it uses the same chocolate cooling system?

What I'd like advice on is what I can expect for my budget, ideally £2-£3k. I prefer the pre facelift headlights so I'm not adverse to buying a sorted older one over a leggy newer one. I wouldn't avoid a facelift if it was "right" though. I know rust is an issue, whereabouts should I be expecting corrosion?

Cheers

[Christmassss]

Rust on the front wings is a classic

my 2003 E46 also has rust on one sill...the passenger side at the rear.

[sparks_E39]

Christmassss said:

Rust on the front wings is a classic

my 2003 E46 also has rust on one sill...the passenger side at the rear.

Thanks, I've heard the boot floor can crack on some models.. a lot of mentions of the M3, but I'm assuming the 330 is affected?

[C70R]

Don't worry too much about the subframe issue - it's a tiny problem on the non-M3 E46, and one that would have probably been resolved by the time the car gets to this age. For me, at your budget, the 330ci Sport is probably the best all-rounder available (I've owned two).
Good examples start at the top of your budget, if you're prepared to be flexible with things like mileage, colour and options. £3k should get you a prefacelift (2001-2) with ~100k miles - whether you get the options and colour you want is down to how patient you're prepared to be.
Incidentally, I'm not convinced that the E46 is the "polar opposite" of the E38. While it's eminently practical (I had 4 adults and luggage in it for 240 miles at the weekend, and dragged 30-odd bottles of wine and bikes/luggage 2,000 miles around France earlier this year), it's not the last word in 'sporty' drive. It's a 1400kg+ car, and you can tell when you're pushing on - it probably feels closer to your E39 than something genuinely sporty.

Cooling system is worth examining, but a mini-overhaul isn't anywhere near as wallet-crippling as the internet would have you believe. Also, I'm a firm believer in avoiding excessive 'preventative maintenance' (i.e. faffing to make you feel better, and to have something to post photos of on the internet) with cars at this age/price. If it ain't broke (and this goes for things like the DISA valve and VANOS), don't waste money fannying around with it - there are BMW forum stories of people spending upwards of £2kpa on maintenance that doesn't really need doing. Apart from replacing a dead autobox (done cost-effectively), mine haven't needed anything beyond routine maintenance.

It's worth noting that there are a LOT of these cars out there, meaning that patience is your friend. Set yourself up alerts on Ebay and Autotrader, and keep an eye out for good cars.

Things not to concern yourself with:

• Colour: Yes, silver wouldn't be anyone's choice. And yes, Imola red looks fantastic. But you don't have the budget to be picky.
• Unnecessary optional extras: Sat Nav is largely useless if you own a mobile phone, as are things like powerfold mirrors and electric seats. Heated seats are great if that's your bag, and the HK stereo is a significant step up on the stock kit.
• Mileage: Yes, lower is often better. However, these drivetrains are capable of 150k+ with no major issues. 110-120k examples with history wouldn't worry me.
• Oil use: They all do that, sir. Anything up to a litre per thousand miles wouldn't bother me enormously in an M54 engine of this age.

Things to focus on:

• Service history: Don't get hung up on having BMW stamps. Any evidence of regular and routine servicing should be mandatory at this price level. Haggle if recent services are due. Checking the grade/brand of oil used is helpful in understanding how the car has been cared for.
• Rust: Prefacelift cars will all suffer this at some point. My current 330 was an absolute bargain because both rear arches are a bit crusty under the lips, and one of the front ones looks like a herpes-infested lip. Front arches alone are cheap and easy to replace (£100 from a breaker, and 20min to swap). Rear arches will need attention of a bodyshop, and you're looking at £300 a side if they haven't gone too far. Be aware that the front arches can 'infest' the metal behind them, so pay attention if they are super-scabby. Check paint matching on the rear arches for evidence of cheap repairs (it will come back!).
• Engine lethargy: The M54 is an excellent and robust engine, but things like DISA valve failure and VANOS failure are possible on cars of this age. Idle should be smooth as silk, and it should pull smoothly all the way to the red line.
• Aircon: Compressors/condensers are expensive to replace, and it's rare that it "just needs regassing, mate".

Edited by C70R on Tuesday 8th November 11:32

[sparks_E39]

Thank you C70R!

I've enquired about this one http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

Not a fan of the black grill but otherwise looks okay.

[355Chris355]

• Rust: Prefacelift cars will all suffer this at some point. My current 330 was an absolute bargain because both rear arches are a bit crusty under the lips, and one of the front ones looks like a herpes-infested lip. Front arches alone are cheap and easy to replace (£100 from a breaker, and 20min to swap). Rear arches will need attention of a bodyshop, and you're looking at £300 a side if they haven't gone too far. Be aware that the front arches can 'infest' the metal behind them, so pay attention if they are super-scabby. Check paint matching on the rear arches for evidence of cheap repairs (it will come back!).

Are facelift cars less likely to rust? Which years are better in this respect?

Thanks

[C70R]

Sparks - It looks like the ad you linked to has gone.

355Chris355 said:

• Rust: Prefacelift cars will all suffer this at some point. My current 330 was an absolute bargain because both rear arches are a bit crusty under the lips, and one of the front ones looks like a herpes-infested lip. Front arches alone are cheap and easy to replace (£100 from a breaker, and 20min to swap). Rear arches will need attention of a bodyshop, and you're looking at £300 a side if they haven't gone too far. Be aware that the front arches can 'infest' the metal behind them, so pay attention if they are super-scabby. Check paint matching on the rear arches for evidence of cheap repairs (it will come back!).

Are facelift cars less likely to rust? Which years are better in this respect?

Thanks

The coupes got facelifted around early 2003 (catching some late registered 52-plate cars too), and they appear slightly less prone to rust - however, it's not uncommon by any stretch.

It's also worth noting (as an auto owner I forget this) that the facelift was helped slightly by a 6-speed gearbox.

This is probably the first I'd be going to view in your position (no idea of location etc.). I don't like the cream interior, but the rest of the car ticks a lot of boxes for me.

[geeks]

Boot floor cracking can and does still happen to the 330's. Also the 5 speed boxes are stringer than the 6.

Otherwise cracking cars

[sparks_E39]

Thanks all, I've seen a few saloons that I like the look of too but would much prefer a coupe.. either way must be the Sport model! Got some thinking to do.

[C70R]

My observations suggest that 330 Sport saloons are fewer on the ground, and tend to be less well-optioned than the coupes. However, they are typically a few hundred quid cheaper than their coupe counterparts, so worth it if you'd have any use for the extra two doors.

Regarding the boot floor issue, it's absolutely right to say that there's a small chance of it being present on the 330 - but it's much less of a worry than with an M3.