2006 318i Cabriolet - £190! Bargain?
Discussion
Let me first apologise in advance for yet another E46 BMW thread!
I wanted to share with you all what £190 gets you. Yes this car was £190!
Yes, it's a lowly 4 pot, but I'll be spending less time at the petrol station at least. 2006 318i cabriolet with just shy of 75k miles.
Having owned an E46 320d touring for the past two years, and looking after it for three years prior. I'm acutely aware of E46's ability to consume large amounts of money keeping one on the road! Keep that in mind...
A gardener mate of mine; who's '87 Mini I'm welding up, called me one day saying one of his customers had a 'old' BMW on the drive and wanted to get rid. I wasn't particularly interested as I've too many other cars crying out for attention, until I asked how much was needed to procure said vehicle!
This customer had been told by the garage that it should be condemned for it had a knackered engine due to "metal particles in the oil". Oh dear, "sounds expensive" she says. The repair bill was extreme as you can imagine, so it was towed back and duly place on her drive for over two years, until get the call.
She didn't want to get rid, hence resting on the drive for such length of time, but she knew it had to go. She'd been offered £180 by the scrap man but had resisted, so I offered £190 which made her happy as she'd bagged £10 more, as well as it not going for scrap!
I wasn't going to diagnose the car on the lady's drive so it was loaded up. A flat battery made for interesting loading. I was reluctant to start the car anyway until I had a proper look.
It is one of the very last cabriolets to roll off the production line. Finished in Black Sapphire with all the usual M-sport accoutrements. LED lights are a nice feature as well as the heated seats. Interior is part cloth and Alcantara, as well as being disgusting!
It wears the Style 68 wheels which look somewhat dated for 2006, however I've since grown to appreciate them.
Yes, the M badge on the boot lid was removed almost immediately. Whether it was there from factory I know not, but I was not to stay.
A quick rinse to remove most of the 2 year build up had it looking better. It presented rather well, but that black paint shows scratches like nothing else, which there are many! NO RUST! Too good to be true.
Some of the best looking cars of the period. In my opinion, BMW's rivals haven't aged anywhere near as well as these two. Maybe don't mention the compact! I still fail to understand why BMW gave the E46 so many faces?
First point of call, the engine. There wer a few warning light, one for camshaft position sensor, as well as the low coolant light. Ah, mid-2000's BMW cooling system plastic we meet again...
All easily sorted, however I suspect the camshaft sensor is most likely down to a loosening timing chain, which these engines have somewhat a reputation for. BMW cut costs on the guides allegedly.
I needed to check the oil for the elusive metal particulates in the oil that had condemned this vehicle. Thing is, after draining the oil and inspecting both the oil and filter at a microscopic level...I couldn't see anything untoward with either, certainly nothing that could be seen with the naked eye. The oil looked absolutely perfect.
(I am currently waiting for results having left said removed oil with a friend at Rolls-Royce to be tested).
A charged battery, new oil and filter and it fired straight into life with an impeccable idle. No noises,
One thing I had noticed, was a severely corroded dipstick, almost ready to fracture. I picked up a new one from BMW, including the oil filter for about £30 the two.
So to summarise, the engine is fine. The rest of the car, hmm. So yes, £190 bargain of the year, yes I got lucky, but the spend gets big, quick.
More to follow....
I wanted to share with you all what £190 gets you. Yes this car was £190!
Yes, it's a lowly 4 pot, but I'll be spending less time at the petrol station at least. 2006 318i cabriolet with just shy of 75k miles.
Having owned an E46 320d touring for the past two years, and looking after it for three years prior. I'm acutely aware of E46's ability to consume large amounts of money keeping one on the road! Keep that in mind...
A gardener mate of mine; who's '87 Mini I'm welding up, called me one day saying one of his customers had a 'old' BMW on the drive and wanted to get rid. I wasn't particularly interested as I've too many other cars crying out for attention, until I asked how much was needed to procure said vehicle!
This customer had been told by the garage that it should be condemned for it had a knackered engine due to "metal particles in the oil". Oh dear, "sounds expensive" she says. The repair bill was extreme as you can imagine, so it was towed back and duly place on her drive for over two years, until get the call.
She didn't want to get rid, hence resting on the drive for such length of time, but she knew it had to go. She'd been offered £180 by the scrap man but had resisted, so I offered £190 which made her happy as she'd bagged £10 more, as well as it not going for scrap!
I wasn't going to diagnose the car on the lady's drive so it was loaded up. A flat battery made for interesting loading. I was reluctant to start the car anyway until I had a proper look.
It is one of the very last cabriolets to roll off the production line. Finished in Black Sapphire with all the usual M-sport accoutrements. LED lights are a nice feature as well as the heated seats. Interior is part cloth and Alcantara, as well as being disgusting!
It wears the Style 68 wheels which look somewhat dated for 2006, however I've since grown to appreciate them.
Yes, the M badge on the boot lid was removed almost immediately. Whether it was there from factory I know not, but I was not to stay.
A quick rinse to remove most of the 2 year build up had it looking better. It presented rather well, but that black paint shows scratches like nothing else, which there are many! NO RUST! Too good to be true.
Some of the best looking cars of the period. In my opinion, BMW's rivals haven't aged anywhere near as well as these two. Maybe don't mention the compact! I still fail to understand why BMW gave the E46 so many faces?
First point of call, the engine. There wer a few warning light, one for camshaft position sensor, as well as the low coolant light. Ah, mid-2000's BMW cooling system plastic we meet again...
All easily sorted, however I suspect the camshaft sensor is most likely down to a loosening timing chain, which these engines have somewhat a reputation for. BMW cut costs on the guides allegedly.
I needed to check the oil for the elusive metal particulates in the oil that had condemned this vehicle. Thing is, after draining the oil and inspecting both the oil and filter at a microscopic level...I couldn't see anything untoward with either, certainly nothing that could be seen with the naked eye. The oil looked absolutely perfect.
(I am currently waiting for results having left said removed oil with a friend at Rolls-Royce to be tested).
A charged battery, new oil and filter and it fired straight into life with an impeccable idle. No noises,
One thing I had noticed, was a severely corroded dipstick, almost ready to fracture. I picked up a new one from BMW, including the oil filter for about £30 the two.
So to summarise, the engine is fine. The rest of the car, hmm. So yes, £190 bargain of the year, yes I got lucky, but the spend gets big, quick.
More to follow....
helix402 said:
It didn’t have an M boot badge from the factory. You have the best wheels for an E46, and the worst engine!
For the money though who cares.
No way is this the worst engine! Early 316s got M43 with about four bhp... For the money though who cares.
This is absolute robbery for a cabby that still looks quite fresh. Great work. Does the roof work etc?
Usget said:
No way is this the worst engine! Early 316s got M43 with about four bhp...
This is absolute robbery for a cabby that still looks quite fresh. Great work. Does the roof work etc?
I disagree, the M43 is a tough old lump. Head gaskets go but can be changed in a couple of hours. N46, everything goes!This is absolute robbery for a cabby that still looks quite fresh. Great work. Does the roof work etc?
helix402 said:
I disagree, the M43 is a tough old lump. Head gaskets go but can be changed in a couple of hours. N46, everything goes!
Agreed with everything above from my E46 days. That old M43 seemingly goes on forever and can take a lot of abuse, whereas the N46 is a bit of a turd. I remember a colleague had an N46 engined one that burnt oil like nothing else, to the point of killing the catalytic converter - then the timing chain tensioner went shortly after that. My mum then had an early E90 with the same engine, and despite it having the easiest life it gave lots of trouble in her 5 years with it.Thank you all for the mostly positive remarks!
I understand the 318i is the peasant spec, but please understand I wasn't exactly looking to buy one, the price made me buy it. Yes the six cylinder is considerably more desirable, but these cars aren't particularly valuable. I'm not sure I'd be able to justify the added running costs.
I have a 2.6 190E so I can scratch the six cylinder itch anyway.
The 150hp is more than sufficient for such a car. Reference the 318i reliability, I'm a seasoned E46 owner so nothing will come as a shock. Read any E46 thread on here and they're all demanding cars, especially as they age. I need not rely on a garage to fix these cars so I'm not concerned about cost as it'll be only parts I need to buy.
I will do what is required to get it up to a nice standard and see what it is like. Yes I could have easily put a set of tyres on this and get an MOT and sold it on. But I want things right using genuine BMW or OEM parts. If it's not done correctly I won't do it. It's nearly 15 years old, it's no spring chicken. There are problems that coincide an aging vehicle.
The previous owner had a good amount of trouble free miles anf at just 75k I don't imagine it's quite ready for the scrapyard yet.
Yes the roof works! It didn't when I bought it. The fix, a fuse! It's never just a fuse.
I understand the 318i is the peasant spec, but please understand I wasn't exactly looking to buy one, the price made me buy it. Yes the six cylinder is considerably more desirable, but these cars aren't particularly valuable. I'm not sure I'd be able to justify the added running costs.
I have a 2.6 190E so I can scratch the six cylinder itch anyway.
The 150hp is more than sufficient for such a car. Reference the 318i reliability, I'm a seasoned E46 owner so nothing will come as a shock. Read any E46 thread on here and they're all demanding cars, especially as they age. I need not rely on a garage to fix these cars so I'm not concerned about cost as it'll be only parts I need to buy.
I will do what is required to get it up to a nice standard and see what it is like. Yes I could have easily put a set of tyres on this and get an MOT and sold it on. But I want things right using genuine BMW or OEM parts. If it's not done correctly I won't do it. It's nearly 15 years old, it's no spring chicken. There are problems that coincide an aging vehicle.
The previous owner had a good amount of trouble free miles anf at just 75k I don't imagine it's quite ready for the scrapyard yet.
Yes the roof works! It didn't when I bought it. The fix, a fuse! It's never just a fuse.
As you're about to see. Showroom example!
Nothing else for it but to remove the carpet completely. The filth was too ingrained into the pile.
It may be an unorthodox approach. But I pressure washed the carpet then used a wet vac after. The water removed from said carpet was nigh on black!
Somewhat of an improvement...
I'd started to order some items from BMW, the majority of which are quite reasonably priced. Some can get a bit pricy but they're not available elsewhere.
Granted. The 'Rolls-Royce' style centre caps weren't essential but they weren't much more than standard so had to be done....
The car was fitted with a Motorola phone holster, not particularly useful anymore. So I've gone for the cup holder option instead. About 25 quid.
Mad to think that whilst the car cost £190, that little lot was over £250!
I found Michelin Pilot 4 were not that much more than lesser offerings. The set of 4 from blackcircles were £360.
The old ones were kinda knackered!
The alloys are currently away getting 'refurbished', I've rejected them twice and they're now on their last chance to redeem themselves. You've never seen such terrible workmanship! Old flaking paint not removed, unpainted spokes, corrosion left, large areas with no lacquer, and to top it off, on their second attempt, paint all over the new Michelin where they hadn't removed the tyres to fix their first attempt! Unhappy is an understatement! They're now sending them off to be stripped and powdercoated, if they're still crap, I'll take them elsewhere.
Front and rear suspension has been mostly taken apart now. I'll send out some bits for blasting. I've bought a load of new nuts and bolts from BMW.
Arches has been deep cleaned. All liners removed and cleaned. Tar spots removed. Most of the bits of rust have been stripped back and painted with some hammerite for now. I've some Bilt Hamber epoxy on order which is a little better than the peach hammerite I had at the time.
I had to buy a new rear silencer as the nor very old klarius the previous owner had fitted was already rotten. I purchased an Eberspacher who is OEM to BMW. It is identical to that you would get from the dealer but without the stamp, for a fraction of the cost. £140 instead of £500!
Unfortunately it arrived with some damage but it will make do.
The quality and fitment is second to none!
You may have noticed the rear bumper off. It has been repainted with a few other bits. It make fitting the exhaust and brackets much easier. There is still the new heatshield to fit.
Thats about it for now. There will be some Bilstein's fitted shortly amongst a host of other things I need not have bought!
Nothing else for it but to remove the carpet completely. The filth was too ingrained into the pile.
It may be an unorthodox approach. But I pressure washed the carpet then used a wet vac after. The water removed from said carpet was nigh on black!
Somewhat of an improvement...
I'd started to order some items from BMW, the majority of which are quite reasonably priced. Some can get a bit pricy but they're not available elsewhere.
Granted. The 'Rolls-Royce' style centre caps weren't essential but they weren't much more than standard so had to be done....
The car was fitted with a Motorola phone holster, not particularly useful anymore. So I've gone for the cup holder option instead. About 25 quid.
Mad to think that whilst the car cost £190, that little lot was over £250!
I found Michelin Pilot 4 were not that much more than lesser offerings. The set of 4 from blackcircles were £360.
The old ones were kinda knackered!
The alloys are currently away getting 'refurbished', I've rejected them twice and they're now on their last chance to redeem themselves. You've never seen such terrible workmanship! Old flaking paint not removed, unpainted spokes, corrosion left, large areas with no lacquer, and to top it off, on their second attempt, paint all over the new Michelin where they hadn't removed the tyres to fix their first attempt! Unhappy is an understatement! They're now sending them off to be stripped and powdercoated, if they're still crap, I'll take them elsewhere.
Front and rear suspension has been mostly taken apart now. I'll send out some bits for blasting. I've bought a load of new nuts and bolts from BMW.
Arches has been deep cleaned. All liners removed and cleaned. Tar spots removed. Most of the bits of rust have been stripped back and painted with some hammerite for now. I've some Bilt Hamber epoxy on order which is a little better than the peach hammerite I had at the time.
I had to buy a new rear silencer as the nor very old klarius the previous owner had fitted was already rotten. I purchased an Eberspacher who is OEM to BMW. It is identical to that you would get from the dealer but without the stamp, for a fraction of the cost. £140 instead of £500!
Unfortunately it arrived with some damage but it will make do.
The quality and fitment is second to none!
You may have noticed the rear bumper off. It has been repainted with a few other bits. It make fitting the exhaust and brackets much easier. There is still the new heatshield to fit.
Thats about it for now. There will be some Bilstein's fitted shortly amongst a host of other things I need not have bought!
This little lot cost about £150! I must be mad...
New carpet sill trim. Old was was a little scratched. I definitely didn't break the old one whilst trying to remove it to get the rear carpet out!
But at £18. Could've been worse.
My most recent purchase. Yes I'm sure I could've bought a Bosch, Banner or Yuasa. But for £100 and with the old original one having lasted atleast 12 years prior, I've placed my faith in a genuine BMW battery.
New carpet sill trim. Old was was a little scratched. I definitely didn't break the old one whilst trying to remove it to get the rear carpet out!
But at £18. Could've been worse.
My most recent purchase. Yes I'm sure I could've bought a Bosch, Banner or Yuasa. But for £100 and with the old original one having lasted atleast 12 years prior, I've placed my faith in a genuine BMW battery.
helix402 said:
Nice to see gen parts being used. Re suspension if you’re changing rear damper top mounts I would recommend uprated ones such as Powerflex, Bimmertune or Turner Motorsport.
I find even genuine BMW ones don’t last.
Already bought BMW ones. And as they were special order I know they won't return them. The parts man told me they are specific to cabriolets. So maybe they're abit better. I'll stick with genuine for now and I'll see how well the do. I find even genuine BMW ones don’t last.
I have today ordered some powerflex front track control arm rear mounting bushes. I haven't been able to find anything particularly negative about them so is worth a try.
tty to hear re the alloys and the shoddy workmanship; what were their excuses for such poor work?Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff