E46 convertible for under 2.5k
Discussion
Should I? I need something fairly cheap for a short daily commute and occasional weekend day trips out. I only need it for a year and if it spits up a huge bill before that i can just weigh it in. Other than the coolant system is there anything I need to look for on these? I'd prefer an auto but i guess a manual would be more robust at this stage of it's life. We have a Touran for family duties but it does really need to have 4 seats. Is this a daft idea? Should I just buy an old Civic?
Why does it really need 4 seats? The space in the back of an e46 convertible isn't huge.
Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
wolfie1978 said:
Should I? I need something fairly cheap for a short daily commute and occasional weekend day trips out. I only need it for a year and if it spits up a huge bill before that i can just weigh it in. Other than the coolant system is there anything I need to look for on these? I'd prefer an auto but i guess a manual would be more robust at this stage of it's life. We have a Touran for family duties but it does really need to have 4 seats. Is this a daft idea? Should I just buy an old Civic?
As long as the roof is in a decent condition and works properly, don't see why not. E46s are generally pretty robust mechanically. Rust is probably the main issue.I'd go 6 cyl (obvs).
If it has a long MOT, why not. Not sure what prices are doing at the mo, but decent ones probably command strong money and convertible prices are always higher in summer.
Mave said:
Why does it really need 4 seats? The space in the back of an e46 convertible isn't huge.
Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
It only needs 4 seats in case I have to do a school run if the wife gets held up somewhere with the Touran. I had a 2001 E39 530i a few years ago so I assume similar issues to that?Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
wolfie1978 said:
Mave said:
Why does it really need 4 seats? The space in the back of an e46 convertible isn't huge.
Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
It only needs 4 seats in case I have to do a school run if the wife gets held up somewhere with the Touran. I had a 2001 E39 530i a few years ago so I assume similar issues to that?Not sure what engine you're looking at, but cooling systems commonly have problems, also look out for worn front wishbones, brake calipers, also very sensitive to mismatched tyres. Lovely cars if you get a good one
Mave said:
Yeah, if you're really using it as a 3 seater you'll be fine. There's not much room behind a tall driver for a long journey though - I'm 6'2" and I need to pull my seat forward and squash myself up if I have an 11 year old behind me
I'm only 5'9" so that should be less of an issue for me, are any of the engines worse than others for reliability? Due to it's intended use i'm not worried about the performance and i'm old enough that it doesn't have any more than a negligible difference to insurance.wolfie1978 said:
Mave said:
Yeah, if you're really using it as a 3 seater you'll be fine. There's not much room behind a tall driver for a long journey though - I'm 6'2" and I need to pull my seat forward and squash myself up if I have an 11 year old behind me
I'm only 5'9" so that should be less of an issue for me, are any of the engines worse than others for reliability? Due to it's intended use i'm not worried about the performance and i'm old enough that it doesn't have any more than a negligible difference to insurance.Both M54; both easy to fix and maintain
As others have said; check for rust everywhere as that's the main issue. Then roof & suspension health
Don't bother with a 4 pot IMO
wolfie1978 said:
I'm only 5'9" so that should be less of an issue for me, are any of the engines worse than others for reliability? Due to it's intended use i'm not worried about the performance and i'm old enough that it doesn't have any more than a negligible difference to insurance.
As mentioned, any of the 6 cylinder models are the ones to have.d_a_n1979 said:
Stick with the 325i or 330i if you can IMO
Both M54; both easy to fix and maintain
As others have said; check for rust everywhere as that's the main issue. Then roof & suspension health
Don't bother with a 4 pot IMO
I'd add: Check for coolant leaks around the expansion tank (they like to split), and check the bottom of the radiator for bowing out downwards (they can go on for quite a while with a bow in them, but then one day, just blow out without warning)Both M54; both easy to fix and maintain
As others have said; check for rust everywhere as that's the main issue. Then roof & suspension health
Don't bother with a 4 pot IMO
4rephill said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Stick with the 325i or 330i if you can IMO
Both M54; both easy to fix and maintain
As others have said; check for rust everywhere as that's the main issue. Then roof & suspension health
Don't bother with a 4 pot IMO
I'd add: Check for coolant leaks around the expansion tank (they like to split), and check the bottom of the radiator for bowing out downwards (they can go on for quite a while with a bow in them, but then one day, just blow out without warning)Both M54; both easy to fix and maintain
As others have said; check for rust everywhere as that's the main issue. Then roof & suspension health
Don't bother with a 4 pot IMO
helix402 said:
You won’t get a decent one for 2.5k. A 330Cd would avoid the cooling system problems (till around 200k when plastic hoses get a bit brittle). It would need thermostats if it’s not had them before then.
Then you'd have to listen to miserable diesel clatter with the roof down. 
g3org3y said:
helix402 said:
You won’t get a decent one for 2.5k. A 330Cd would avoid the cooling system problems (till around 200k when plastic hoses get a bit brittle). It would need thermostats if it’s not had them before then.
Then you'd have to listen to miserable diesel clatter with the roof down. 
Never understood diesel convertibles!
helix402 said:
You won’t get a decent one for 2.5k. A 330Cd would avoid the cooling system problems (till around 200k when plastic hoses get a bit brittle). It would need thermostats if it’s not had them before then.
I'm not expecting a minter, just as long as it lasts a year or close to it. Just some cheapish roof down action, I've never had a soft top before so I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to sneak one in before someone shouts midlife crisiswolfie1978 said:
helix402 said:
You won’t get a decent one for 2.5k. A 330Cd would avoid the cooling system problems (till around 200k when plastic hoses get a bit brittle). It would need thermostats if it’s not had them before then.
I'm not expecting a minter, just as long as it lasts a year or close to it. Just some cheapish roof down action, I've never had a soft top before so I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to sneak one in before someone shouts midlife crisishttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255023563950?hash=item3...
Obviously you'd need to give it a serious look-over and the bits that need doing aren't hard or expensive to sort really...
Another; needs silver wheels IMO:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164932413825?hash=item2...
wolfie1978 said:
helix402 said:
You won’t get a decent one for 2.5k. A 330Cd would avoid the cooling system problems (till around 200k when plastic hoses get a bit brittle). It would need thermostats if it’s not had them before then.
I'm not expecting a minter, just as long as it lasts a year or close to it. Just some cheapish roof down action, I've never had a soft top before so I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to sneak one in before someone shouts midlife crisisAs others have said I'd stick to the 6 cylinder petrols - the M54 is a solid engine.
I had one in an E46 325ti Compact which was a great car. But I did have to get the whole cooling system refreshed just after 80K miles, although it wasn't a massive bill. But if you are buying higher milers they may well have had that work done.
Good luck finding one.
Brilliant cars. Most of the points to look for are covered here - rust, cooling, suspension plus also vanos seals and DISA valve. If you find one without problems I can almost guarantee you will keep it longer than a year! I've had mine over 10 years. Out for a trip 3 up yesterday was glorious...........although my wife sat in the back would disagree
The best £2,500 cars are likely to be auto 325ci SEs. The car below looks a bit too good to be true!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106254...
The best £2,500 cars are likely to be auto 325ci SEs. The car below looks a bit too good to be true!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106254...
Maxus said:
The best £2,500 cars are likely to be auto 325ci SEs. The car below looks a bit too good to be true!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106254...
It's from Liverpool, it's probably nicked https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106254...
I have a 2002 330 Sport convertible with manual 5 speed gearbox. Topaz blue with beige leather and dark walnut trim. It has 159k on clock but the engine was replaced by BMW at around 75k as it swallowed the inlet manifold. I bought it from the original owner when I retired over 10 years ago. I pulled the front wing splash guards back and coated the inner lips with grease as soon as I bought it and together with not using it in winter or on wet roads it has resulted in it being rust free. It passed it's MOT 2 months ago with no advisories although it did split the coolant header tank halfway through the test(!) so that was replaced. It has top - make tyres all round in good condition. There are no dents to spoil it. It has the original radio/cassette and a 5 disc autochanger in the boot and the interior is in very good condition.
It pulls like a train in a high gear making changes almost superfluous and is a great summer car. My wife bought a 6 speed manual SLK new 21 years ago so I don't really need this. If you can stretch to £3k it's worth the extra. One unexpected repair could cost you the difference.
It pulls like a train in a high gear making changes almost superfluous and is a great summer car. My wife bought a 6 speed manual SLK new 21 years ago so I don't really need this. If you can stretch to £3k it's worth the extra. One unexpected repair could cost you the difference.
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