15 years of BMWs
Discussion
Kettmark said:
15+ years in the same E46 330ci sport & counting.
Bought in September 2004 with 34k on the clock. Currently showing 241k.
Use it every day and service it religiously every 6 months.
Great cars.
I had 9 years in a 2003 E46 330ci MSport cab. Perhaps the best of all 10 BMWs over 34 years 1986 - 2020.Bought in September 2004 with 34k on the clock. Currently showing 241k.
Use it every day and service it religiously every 6 months.
Great cars.
Nothing past the E46 seems very good. Certainly not driver's cars any more.
DJMC said:
Kettmark said:
15+ years in the same E46 330ci sport & counting.
Bought in September 2004 with 34k on the clock. Currently showing 241k.
Use it every day and service it religiously every 6 months.
Great cars.
I had 9 years in a 2003 E46 330ci MSport cab. Perhaps the best of all 10 BMWs over 34 years 1986 - 2020.Bought in September 2004 with 34k on the clock. Currently showing 241k.
Use it every day and service it religiously every 6 months.
Great cars.
Nothing past the E46 seems very good. Certainly not driver's cars any more.
My BMW story started in 04. I needed something a bit easier than the TVR I'd had, so bought this. Still have it, pics are from last Spring.
Marmite interior, I just didn't black in a small space. Wish I'd specified sports seats.
Dirty bits.
Needing a sensible car I was far too sensible and later bought 'The Bus'. A 325ti would've been sensible enough but it was largely hassle free and introduced me to 6 cyl diesels.
Scaled down next. Why didn't I just get the 130i? Didn't really like it tbh. Ex demo, lots of trim broke, just always going back. Bouncy ride, tractor engine.
Replaced that with a Mk2 TT 3.2, with a 330i at the same time. Auto works better in the diesel than petrol imho.
Followed by the 235i.
Exciting engine, poor ride and grip, cheap interior and iDrive was irritating. Probably the last BMW for me, have gone back to a TTS, which seems to tick most of the boxes. Lacks a bit of sparkle but the Z4 makes up for that.
Marmite interior, I just didn't black in a small space. Wish I'd specified sports seats.
Dirty bits.
Needing a sensible car I was far too sensible and later bought 'The Bus'. A 325ti would've been sensible enough but it was largely hassle free and introduced me to 6 cyl diesels.
Scaled down next. Why didn't I just get the 130i? Didn't really like it tbh. Ex demo, lots of trim broke, just always going back. Bouncy ride, tractor engine.
Replaced that with a Mk2 TT 3.2, with a 330i at the same time. Auto works better in the diesel than petrol imho.
Followed by the 235i.
Exciting engine, poor ride and grip, cheap interior and iDrive was irritating. Probably the last BMW for me, have gone back to a TTS, which seems to tick most of the boxes. Lacks a bit of sparkle but the Z4 makes up for that.
bodhi said:
I'd say my 1 Series has been a better ownership proposition (less going wrong) and a better steer (less of a boat, far more fun) than my E46 was.
My E46 was a pain in the arse. The E90 that followed it seemed like a much better built car that proved to have far less inherent issues (well in my experience...both cars were about the same age with similar mileage when I bough them).Well done for holding on to them for so long.
I started my BMW ownership in about 2011
X6 40d with DMS remap.
Z4 in black, white interior. Last about three months before i realised i didnt line a white interior!
swapped the Z4 for a
330d Con in a pearlescent white. Sportline plus IIRC with red interior.
118i Petrol model that had approx 180bhp. Seems like a proper little go kart at the time.
Changed X6 and 118i in for a newer X6 40d. This had heated steering wheel, and the full MSport add ons. Also got rid of the black alloys the original had as looking dated on a white car.
640 Gran Coupe. Worst car I have ever owned for depreciation. BMW stopped making them and rebadged the successor the 8 series, rendering them almost worthless. Great car ruined by run flat tyres.
And now i have a X3m Comp. Great car, without a doubt the best BMW i have ever "owned".
I started my BMW ownership in about 2011
X6 40d with DMS remap.
Z4 in black, white interior. Last about three months before i realised i didnt line a white interior!
swapped the Z4 for a
330d Con in a pearlescent white. Sportline plus IIRC with red interior.
118i Petrol model that had approx 180bhp. Seems like a proper little go kart at the time.
Changed X6 and 118i in for a newer X6 40d. This had heated steering wheel, and the full MSport add ons. Also got rid of the black alloys the original had as looking dated on a white car.
640 Gran Coupe. Worst car I have ever owned for depreciation. BMW stopped making them and rebadged the successor the 8 series, rendering them almost worthless. Great car ruined by run flat tyres.
And now i have a X3m Comp. Great car, without a doubt the best BMW i have ever "owned".
10 years BMW ownership for me.
Started with this E90 M3 which was bought to replace both a TVR Griffith and an Alfa 156 GTA. A change in circumstances meant running two cars was no longer practical so I thought the M3 would act as both daily driver and fun weekend toy. I was wrong, too expensive to daily (15k miles/year) and not special enough at weekends to justify running costs.
Cracking engine but so crushingly competent that you had to be doing silly speeds to have fun.
Replaced after 10 months with this 130i. Owned for 8 years and over 120k miles - absolutely loved it, favourite car of all those I’ve owned. It was run alongside a modified Chimaera, then an Exige V6 and finally the 1M and never fealt dissapointing to drive.
Sold because it was getting on a bit (178k miles) and the right deal/circumstances to change occurred.
1M - lusted after these when they were first touted but couldn’t get on the list (ended up with the M3). Coming up on 2 years of ownership and still can’t quite believe it’s sat in my garage. It’s a bit lairy but great fun and feels very special.
This M135i replaced my beloved 130i in August, still early days but it’s a keeper. With some tweaks to address the well documented suspension issues (Bilstein B12), ugly standard wheels and exhaust note I’m really enjoying it. Probably as quick as the 1M but without all the drama, reasonable running costs and sleeper looks make it a brilliant daily.
Started with this E90 M3 which was bought to replace both a TVR Griffith and an Alfa 156 GTA. A change in circumstances meant running two cars was no longer practical so I thought the M3 would act as both daily driver and fun weekend toy. I was wrong, too expensive to daily (15k miles/year) and not special enough at weekends to justify running costs.
Cracking engine but so crushingly competent that you had to be doing silly speeds to have fun.
Replaced after 10 months with this 130i. Owned for 8 years and over 120k miles - absolutely loved it, favourite car of all those I’ve owned. It was run alongside a modified Chimaera, then an Exige V6 and finally the 1M and never fealt dissapointing to drive.
Sold because it was getting on a bit (178k miles) and the right deal/circumstances to change occurred.
1M - lusted after these when they were first touted but couldn’t get on the list (ended up with the M3). Coming up on 2 years of ownership and still can’t quite believe it’s sat in my garage. It’s a bit lairy but great fun and feels very special.
This M135i replaced my beloved 130i in August, still early days but it’s a keeper. With some tweaks to address the well documented suspension issues (Bilstein B12), ugly standard wheels and exhaust note I’m really enjoying it. Probably as quick as the 1M but without all the drama, reasonable running costs and sleeper looks make it a brilliant daily.
Mr Tidy said:
DJMC said:
I had 9 years in a 2003 E46 330ci MSport cab. Perhaps the best of all 10 BMWs over 34 years 1986 - 2020.
Nothing past the E46 seems very good. Certainly not driver's cars any more.
You are so wrong! Nothing past the E46 seems very good. Certainly not driver's cars any more.
A Z4 3.0Si is pretty good, but a Z4M is just amazing!
A drivers car is a bit too subjective as well and I wouldn't imagine many calling a E46 3 series convertible a drivers car.
Some lovely cars posted on here; these are mine over the past 33 years.
1973 2002tii in Verona Red; I actually bought it with another , completely rotten, 2002 in white for spares. Restored it completely once but the tin-worm was extensive and eventually I sold it for spares/repair. It wasn't this exact car as I don't have a digital photo of it;
When that was gone I immediately bought one of these (again not this, but like this), a 1985 635CSiA in Articblau with full electric seats and all the toys working; it got written off by a dozy Ford Galaxy owner who reduced the proud nose to a crumpled wreck...
Immediately that was paid for by the insurance I went and got this, a 1982 635CSiA in balticblau with recaro seats and lsd; I bought this in 1996-ish and still have it...
At some point in time the blaticblau car suffered multiple intermittent electrical failures so while I was trying to fix it I bought a 1989 635CSiA Highline in Diamond black with lotusweiss sports leather...
I believe this is still running with moon and on the way back mileage. I sold it when I upgraded to this, my 1985 M635CSi in alpineweiss with taurusrot sports leather; I've had it restored and it is my garage queen.
It generally gets all the attention but occasionally gets put in the shade... by a friends E26/1.
Then I decided I needed an estate car; I had ummed and ahhed about Audi Avants for years but I eventually stumbled upon this, one the 64 UK manual cars, a 1995 540i Touring with a six speed manual gearbox; Orientblau with black leather. I changed the comfort seats to sports seats and hoped I would keep it forever as it was immaculate... until it got written by a sleepy taxi driver.
So how do you replace a 540i/6 Touring? With an M5 Touring of course. 1993 in black, black, blackity black - it lasted until the engine blew and the bodywork was too crusty to justify trying to save it...
I still needed an estate so while this got scrapped my Alpina addiction followed my E24 and E34 addiction so I found this, a 2001Alpina B10 V8 Touring in Individual steel grey with Individual silver-grey leather; it's been a little poorly of late but I still have it...
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Over the years I had read about a very rare E34 Alpina Touring - the B10 4.6 of which one solitary car was made in rhd. When it popped up for sale I dropped everything and bought it...
Of course I wasn't yet done with my Alpina addiction and I felt I needed a V12 in my life so after years of tracking the cars down I found the B12 I wanted; an E38 Alpina B12 5.7 Langversion, one of just two cars ordered for the UK...
Of all those cars above I still have five of them, and my wife has a 435d Cabriolet as her daily driver.
1973 2002tii in Verona Red; I actually bought it with another , completely rotten, 2002 in white for spares. Restored it completely once but the tin-worm was extensive and eventually I sold it for spares/repair. It wasn't this exact car as I don't have a digital photo of it;
When that was gone I immediately bought one of these (again not this, but like this), a 1985 635CSiA in Articblau with full electric seats and all the toys working; it got written off by a dozy Ford Galaxy owner who reduced the proud nose to a crumpled wreck...
Immediately that was paid for by the insurance I went and got this, a 1982 635CSiA in balticblau with recaro seats and lsd; I bought this in 1996-ish and still have it...
At some point in time the blaticblau car suffered multiple intermittent electrical failures so while I was trying to fix it I bought a 1989 635CSiA Highline in Diamond black with lotusweiss sports leather...
I believe this is still running with moon and on the way back mileage. I sold it when I upgraded to this, my 1985 M635CSi in alpineweiss with taurusrot sports leather; I've had it restored and it is my garage queen.
It generally gets all the attention but occasionally gets put in the shade... by a friends E26/1.
Then I decided I needed an estate car; I had ummed and ahhed about Audi Avants for years but I eventually stumbled upon this, one the 64 UK manual cars, a 1995 540i Touring with a six speed manual gearbox; Orientblau with black leather. I changed the comfort seats to sports seats and hoped I would keep it forever as it was immaculate... until it got written by a sleepy taxi driver.
So how do you replace a 540i/6 Touring? With an M5 Touring of course. 1993 in black, black, blackity black - it lasted until the engine blew and the bodywork was too crusty to justify trying to save it...
I still needed an estate so while this got scrapped my Alpina addiction followed my E24 and E34 addiction so I found this, a 2001Alpina B10 V8 Touring in Individual steel grey with Individual silver-grey leather; it's been a little poorly of late but I still have it...
Over the years I had read about a very rare E34 Alpina Touring - the B10 4.6 of which one solitary car was made in rhd. When it popped up for sale I dropped everything and bought it...
Of course I wasn't yet done with my Alpina addiction and I felt I needed a V12 in my life so after years of tracking the cars down I found the B12 I wanted; an E38 Alpina B12 5.7 Langversion, one of just two cars ordered for the UK...
Of all those cars above I still have five of them, and my wife has a 435d Cabriolet as her daily driver.
Edited by McGee_22 on Monday 20th January 16:33
There are some stunning cars in this thread.
I bought my first BMW in circa 1988. A mint green 1502 from a used car dealers PX's at the back of his lot for £250. I loved the thing but it was rusty as hell and made way for a pristine 2002 (HKL298L) and a LHD 1802 on twin 40's and chopped springs. (I was young and poor). I then went to an E21 323i, a 320, an E12 520/4 and in 1992 a gorgeous E12 M535I. I moved to Devon a month later and someone hit me head-on in the back lanes and it was written off as a result. I bought another but it was nowhere near as nice so I sold it and bought a 1968 1600-2 found in Cornwall. (WNP771G), that I regretfully px'd for a late 2002tii (GTA 11N). There were various other short lived 02's, 02 touring etc amongst those but they were cheap and supply outdid demand. Modern cars just have never been my thing, not that I could afford them anyway, so I've always liked classics or bangers as they were back then.
The past 15 years have seen a few E21 including a couple of 'resto-mod' examples. I've had an 02 one some description for most of my life and am currently building up the replacement for my much loved E30 M3 track car and occasional daily. I've been lucky enough to own 5 E30 M3 and an E46 M3 but the E30's are too expensive for my pockets and the E46 was just too new. It was also way too quick for me to enjoy it's performance on the road and the nearest track is 120 miles away at least. My red E30 M3 was perfect but I simply couldn't justify owning a car that equated almost 2 years salary. They're also expensive to maintain properly but I'm glad to have owned it and when I win the lottery it'll be my first purchase.
Today, I need a modern car for my job and have a remapped 116d sport. It's brisk, comfortable and manages 45+ mpg. It also makes taking the dogs out much easier being a hatch. My real car though, is a 1971 BMW 1602 that I imported from Greece. It's never been welded and is about as solid as a 50 year old car can be. It's also a time machine, as when I get in I am immediately taken back to the time I got into my 02 as a 22 year old. The feel, the smell and the view through all that glass. It's not a pristine example, but that isn't what I wanted. I want a car I can use and enjoy. It's for that reason that I'm making it a bit more personal and building it into a car inspired by the E30 M3 I loved so much. It now has a 5 speed box and a 16 valve four pot on throttle bodies, with standalone ECU and free flow system and exhaust manifold. Power will be close to 200bhp (once finished but it's about 180 as it is) and it still sits on 13'' crosspoke BBS. I've fitted 185/60's though and the brakes and ARB's are from the 2002tii. Seats are classic Cobra and I just need a second Britax harness for the passenger. The steering wheel is a gorgeous thing from Petri and cost more than my first 02 did! I've also fitted the early style clocks. It really is a beautiful thing and another world from the 2019 BMW 1 series I saw yesterday, with that awful front grill.
My passion for BMW all stems from that first green 1502 though.
A couple of links that show my old M3 and the Petrolicious video.
https://petrolicious.com/articles/track-modified-a...
The E21 had an M52/2.8 swap and 244bhp.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I bought my first BMW in circa 1988. A mint green 1502 from a used car dealers PX's at the back of his lot for £250. I loved the thing but it was rusty as hell and made way for a pristine 2002 (HKL298L) and a LHD 1802 on twin 40's and chopped springs. (I was young and poor). I then went to an E21 323i, a 320, an E12 520/4 and in 1992 a gorgeous E12 M535I. I moved to Devon a month later and someone hit me head-on in the back lanes and it was written off as a result. I bought another but it was nowhere near as nice so I sold it and bought a 1968 1600-2 found in Cornwall. (WNP771G), that I regretfully px'd for a late 2002tii (GTA 11N). There were various other short lived 02's, 02 touring etc amongst those but they were cheap and supply outdid demand. Modern cars just have never been my thing, not that I could afford them anyway, so I've always liked classics or bangers as they were back then.
The past 15 years have seen a few E21 including a couple of 'resto-mod' examples. I've had an 02 one some description for most of my life and am currently building up the replacement for my much loved E30 M3 track car and occasional daily. I've been lucky enough to own 5 E30 M3 and an E46 M3 but the E30's are too expensive for my pockets and the E46 was just too new. It was also way too quick for me to enjoy it's performance on the road and the nearest track is 120 miles away at least. My red E30 M3 was perfect but I simply couldn't justify owning a car that equated almost 2 years salary. They're also expensive to maintain properly but I'm glad to have owned it and when I win the lottery it'll be my first purchase.
Today, I need a modern car for my job and have a remapped 116d sport. It's brisk, comfortable and manages 45+ mpg. It also makes taking the dogs out much easier being a hatch. My real car though, is a 1971 BMW 1602 that I imported from Greece. It's never been welded and is about as solid as a 50 year old car can be. It's also a time machine, as when I get in I am immediately taken back to the time I got into my 02 as a 22 year old. The feel, the smell and the view through all that glass. It's not a pristine example, but that isn't what I wanted. I want a car I can use and enjoy. It's for that reason that I'm making it a bit more personal and building it into a car inspired by the E30 M3 I loved so much. It now has a 5 speed box and a 16 valve four pot on throttle bodies, with standalone ECU and free flow system and exhaust manifold. Power will be close to 200bhp (once finished but it's about 180 as it is) and it still sits on 13'' crosspoke BBS. I've fitted 185/60's though and the brakes and ARB's are from the 2002tii. Seats are classic Cobra and I just need a second Britax harness for the passenger. The steering wheel is a gorgeous thing from Petri and cost more than my first 02 did! I've also fitted the early style clocks. It really is a beautiful thing and another world from the 2019 BMW 1 series I saw yesterday, with that awful front grill.
My passion for BMW all stems from that first green 1502 though.
A couple of links that show my old M3 and the Petrolicious video.
https://petrolicious.com/articles/track-modified-a...
The E21 had an M52/2.8 swap and 244bhp.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by 1602Mark on Sunday 19th January 11:24
McGee_22 said:
Some lovely cars posted on here; these are mine over the past 33 years.
Bravo, you've owned some lovely cars.I too have recently concluded 15 years of continual BMW ownership;
E46 M3, manual in Carbon Black with Imola Red leather.
E46 M3 CSL in Silver Grey with pretty much every option
E60 M5 saloon in Sapphire Black with full black merino leather and walnut trim. Written off by some t
t who ploughed into the back of me whilst on his phoneE61 M5 touring in Silverstone Blue II with Black Merino leather, and walnut trim, again (said I'd never but another car with wood trim)
F31 340i touring in Sapphire Black with Oyster leather, very highly specced, aside from electric seats.
Have now joined the dark side and bought a C7 RS6 as aside from spending a fortune on an Alpina touring there was nothing in the BMW range that ticked my must have boxes - I did test drive an X5M ahead of the RS6 but have to say found it the worst performance car I've ever driven.
I do like the look of the new M340i, not sure at the minute I'd be keen to move back to BMW as a daily though, I have now got my heart set on a Tango Red C8 RS6 in 2 or 3 years time where some poor sap has taken the brunt of the depreciation.
Court_S said:
McGee_22 said:
I suspect a dark blue with black leather short wheel base car, which I nearly bought before buying mine.
It was indeed dark blue. Looked lovely in the summer sun. Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff