g3org3y's shedtastic £900 BMW E46 330Ci

[g3org3y]

helix402 said:

The E36 would be a good project for someone, sadly it will appeal to the drift shed crowd.

Indeed. Was half tempted to put on eBay, 99p start no reserve, but suspect you're quite right.

[g3org3y]

g3org3y said:

Moderator edit: no advertising please.

Fair cop

[g3org3y]

The 330Ci hit 163k this week:


Following the cooling refresh, wanted to drive it the whole week before handing over to my dad just in case any other snags popped up.

Pleased to say the car ran absolutely fine. If anyone remembers from earlier in the thread I was getting a 7B Activation Map Cooling code. This was despite the car seemingly coming up to temp appropriately and never fluctuating. I know, the temp gauge on these (unlike the E30) can remain in the midline despite quite a variation in temps though. Pleased to report that since the thermostat change, car is totally code free.

C70R said:

The thing with E46s, particularly the 330 coupe Sports, is that there are two types of car on the market at the moment.

Mine: 100k+ miles, ok spec, boring colour, crusty rear arches, no major overhaul of cooling system, patchy history. £1-2k.

Top end: Slightly lower mileage (probably still 100k+), better colour combo, maybe better spec, no body rust and some evidence of big maintenance bits doing. £4-5k.

The difference between the two is that you'd be spending close to a grand on a full cooling system refresh and probably over a grand to get bodywork up to scratch in the common rust areas.

Unless you just want a car to potter around in (as I did, mine was a neglected London car), the lower-end cars have no value to someone who isn't looking for a DIY project (and those people are few in number).

If you're looking for a presentable 330 and don't want the hassle or expense (assuming you can't DIY) of fixing bit complicated stuff, then you're into spending £4k+.

I think the rust is the problem on these (just like the E36). Mechanical stuff is relatively easy to replace. Bodywork can be a faff and rust can always come back.

Re cooling system refresh cost. I think the labour (+ antifreeze) total (inc VAT) was about £340.
In addition to the parts cost as below:
Rad: £62
AC Condenser: £60
Expansion Tank (+cap): £40
Thermostat £45
Pipes: £50

So not silly money especially if you are able to do the work yourself. That was the initial plan but time pressure etc meant me getting the mechanic to fit.

Anyway, the 330Ci is now with my dad as I collected the 'new' X5 for my wife yesterday.


Even included boot full of parts (wishbones, bushings, rear shocks/springs and top mounts) so should keep him occupied for a while.

The only issues I think he may encounter are the small rust bubbles on the arch getting bigger and the Vanos seems to be a bit noisy when it's cold. Rebuild kits don't seem that expensive and again it's a case of finding the time to do. I've also advised him to keep an eye on the oil

dhutch said:

C70R said:

I'd say about 1-in-10 Readers Cars threads are thinly-veiled ads. Don't take it too hard.

Ha.

Some are blatant as they come. Others are, as per this thread, genuine multiple pages or reader car content over months or often years, which the finally end with the car moving on to pastures new.

The later for me is actually fair enough exchange for the content and subsequent add revenue, but there we go!.

Daniel

328 is definitely looking tatty. Quite a lot of rust on the doors, rear arches and boot.

I'll probably start a Readers' Cars thread about the X5 at some point. Should probably also do one for the 630i...*adds to list of things to do*

[g3org3y]

dhutch said:

Always plenty to do!

Indeed. Since having a baby, that 'to do' list has increased significantly. Unfortunately the free time to do it in has decreased significantly as well.

[g3org3y]

C70R said:

g3org3y said:

Re cooling system refresh cost. I think the labour (+ antifreeze) total (inc VAT) was about £340.
In addition to the parts cost as below:
Rad: £62
AC Condenser: £60
Expansion Tank (+cap): £40
Thermostat £45
Pipes: £50

I suspect that's probably about as cheaply as it's possible to do a system refresh. Credit where it's due - that's solid shedding.

When I priced it up, if I were to include a water pump, use slightly better quality parts and have it done locally to me (London), that would be the thick end of a grand.

These parts were all obtained via suppliers on eBay. I originally priced them up at ECP/CP4L but even with their various discount codes, it was more expensive and in most cases inferior quality stuff.

I used RealOEM for the BMW part numbers and then cross referenced at Autodoc.co.uk. Tried to go for good quality stuff (Nissens, Behr Premium, Whaler etc).

eBay is now my go to for car parts over ECP (obviously avoiding the cheapo Chinese knock off parts).

[g3org3y]

C70R said:

Fair play. I saw a few horror-stories of things like new radiators bowing or cracking welds in a few weeks etc., so I was pricing mine using as good quality as I could get.

There's probably a sweet spot with a cheaper car, as you say.

As long as you buy decent branded stuff, should be ok. I know there was some concern re counterfeit parts being sold online but if you buy from established suppliers with lots of feedback, I think unlikely to be an issue.

I'm not sure whether the eBay shops get their stuff direct from suppliers or perhaps because they don't have a bricks and mortar shop, overheads are reduced and they can sell items cheaper.

Some items I will only buy original BMW such as the crankshaft position sensor (and the vanos solenoids on the E91). Again, eBay is worth a look as BMW has their own shop (as well as individual BMW dealers) and you can find the items cheaper (and often with free delivery) than calling up your local dealer.