RE: Shed of the Week | BMW 330i (E46) Touring

RE: Shed of the Week | BMW 330i (E46) Touring

Author
Discussion

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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The E46 is my least favourite 3 series to drive. It’s like a fat E36, or a wobbly E90.

PistonBroker

2,406 posts

225 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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This is my favourite feature - and I'm a guy who 'rents' an 18-reg Disco Sport.

But that's only occurred very recently. Up until a matter of years ago I was shedding with gusto and I must miss those days in some way as I can often be found trawling eBay for an unnoticed bargain. Oddly enough, I added an E91 320i with a knackered eccentric shaft to my watch list last night.

Car in the OP looks ideal for someone keen with the spanners to revive. Great shed.

AMGSee55

629 posts

101 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Turbobanana said:
nunpuncher said:
Why do people that don't understand shedding read SOTW?

Why would it require to be worked on by a specialist? It's a BMW, it's not a Bugatti Chiron... it's not even an M car FFS. Most mechanics will have worked on loads of them and they're not beyond the skills of a relatively competent home mechanic.

Cheap lease or PCP is what, £3k in the first year at the least? So you could buy this, have it blow up, buy another shed, have that blow up, buy another and would still only be in it as much as you'd paid for a fking boring diesel A class.

You win some, you lose some. That's the joy of shedding.
I believe this wins the internet.

SOTW is a weekly highlight, for most of us. I'm lucky in that 0- at the moment - I can afford to run cars that are not SOTW material, but you never know what's around the corner and I always imagine a "What if...?" scenario where I get made redundant or some such, and have to return to shedding, so I occasionally trawl through the Classifieds. (Don't tell the OH, but I secretly long for a return to shedding...) smile

I wouldn't buy this though. While trawling I found a Saab 9-5 Aero Estate which is bigger, as quick, newer and a manual. I'd buy that.
Happened across this a couple of days ago - some classic shedding for you Turbobanana - 7 seats too! biggrin

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1130461

Turbobanana

6,160 posts

200 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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AMGSee55 said:
Happened across this a couple of days ago - some classic shedding for you Turbobanana - 7 seats too! biggrin

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1130461
Lovely that, isn't it? Decent price for one of them, too.

Lotusgone

1,160 posts

126 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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BeirutTaxi said:
I'm going to have the pitchfork brigade on my six for saying this:

The SOTW story in general should be scrapped. Canned. Binned. Fininto.

Old, previously premium expensive cars are simply ste at this price point. Spend the extra cash and have a FMDSH example that's been looked after perfectly.

Alternatively, hand over the hundreds of notes per month that you would pay in maintenance anyway to the finance company and have a actually nice to drive car on PCP.
Fair enough, I can see why you would say that.

As a counter to that point, I find grazing through adverts less entertaining than before, because of the prices being asked for cars these days. SOTW serves a useful purpose by demonstrating that interesting cars can be had for money you can afford to lose. Yes, such a purchase is always going to be like catching a falling knife - hence the budget. You would have to be seriously unlucky for, say, three such cars going terminal on you in a year.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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CornedBeef said:
E46's are not at all as ruinous as that potential issues list makes out to be. I've had 4 over the years, all bought for around £4k - all had the M54 engine and were smooth and reliable. They can have quite a few niggles, but they're all actually cheap to fix and there are lots of outfits out there who will refurbish things like the VANOS for far cheaper than replacing it. Although as the article says, VANOS failure is rare - generally the biggest thing plaguing them all is plastic cooling system parts failing - again cheap, and easy to DIY on these.
All well and good if you WANT to be constantly trouble shooting niggles. Sounds like a pain if I'm honest.

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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BeirutTaxi said:
HumanSteamroller said:
It's an entertaining feature. It's easy to avoid clicking on the link.
That's hilarious. It's just an Internet forum and we don't have to agree wink or would you rather the mods policed thoughts like Mr Charrington in the novel 1984?

I've owned plenty of old cars, and each time I buy I convince myself they're worth it. In the end it's just headache after headache. Ask yourself this.. Why have they depreciated so much? Why is every car buyer not grabbing these apparent jewels?

Edited by BeirutTaxi on Friday 12th July 10:15
Jeepers who pissed on your chips?

So much wrong with this I don't even know where to start.

I like my 20 year old M3 but apparently it's only fit for the scrapper!

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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steveb8189 said:
Had one for a couple of years and just couldn't get past the throttle by wire in the 330i unlike the 328i I had previously. Just seems very hesitant when trying to feather the throttle.
328i had a throttle cable and an electric throttle, seems BMW didn’t trust just the throttle motor till they introduced the M54.

Bowlers

431 posts

92 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Just thought I’d touch on my side of the reliability of the E46.

I purchased a 330d Manual Touring a few years ago, ran that car for a year and half. In that time it only needed a wheel speed sensor, pair of front discs and pads, a service and the MOT which it passed. It never put a foot wrong that car, that was at shed money and was easily the best vehicle for the money I’ve ever owned.

Obviously every second hand car will be different, but I was highly surprised with how well it was put together and the reliability.

Court_S

12,764 posts

176 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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I really like the E46, but not sure I'd go near this - mine was a complete pain in the arse; chocolate cooling system, love of eating suspension components etc. Add the likelihood of rust in and I'm out.

I like the shed feature, I'm just not liking this particular example having had issues in the past.

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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only1ian said:
Good car new but not as a shed. BMW’s of this era don’t last well without serious and regular maintenance bills ideally at a specialist. This example looks like a particularly tired money pit
Disagree.. Ran one for 7yrs and 80k with only servicing, and a couple of small issues that were easily and cheaply fixed. Sold it on with near 200k running well.

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Friday 12th July 2019
quotequote all
sgtBerbatov said:
Does this come with the indicator system or was that still an added extra when this rolled out of Munich?
The joke that was old and boring 15yrs ago seems to have made a reappearance of late!

sgtBerbatov

2,597 posts

80 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Jhonno said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Does this come with the indicator system or was that still an added extra when this rolled out of Munich?
The joke that was old and boring 15yrs ago seems to have made a reappearance of late!
I wouldn't have to make the joke if the BMW drivers actually used the damn things.

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Great SOTW.. Big engine, entertaining, comfy.. Perfect.

Shiv_P

2,725 posts

104 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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If you want to spend £1100 on a reliable car this is not where to put it. But that doesn't make it a bad purchase or a bad shed.

Jhonno

5,762 posts

140 months

Friday 12th July 2019
quotequote all
sgtBerbatov said:
Jhonno said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Does this come with the indicator system or was that still an added extra when this rolled out of Munich?
The joke that was old and boring 15yrs ago seems to have made a reappearance of late!
I wouldn't have to make the joke if the BMW drivers actually used the damn things.
I see far more non BMW drivers not using them.. Can't even remember the last time I was impeded by having to guess a BMW's change of direction.

swanny71

2,849 posts

208 months

Friday 12th July 2019
quotequote all
sgtBerbatov said:
Jhonno said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Does this come with the indicator system or was that still an added extra when this rolled out of Munich?
The joke that was old and boring 15yrs ago seems to have made a reappearance of late!
I wouldn't have to make the joke if the BMW drivers actually used the damn things.
loser

HM-2

12,467 posts

168 months

Friday 12th July 2019
quotequote all
Jhonno said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Jhonno said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Does this come with the indicator system or was that still an added extra when this rolled out of Munich?
The joke that was old and boring 15yrs ago seems to have made a reappearance of late!
I wouldn't have to make the joke if the BMW drivers actually used the damn things.
I see far more non BMW drivers not using them.. Can't even remember the last time I was impeded by having to guess a BMW's change of direction.
I'd point to drivers of midsize white-goods "SUVs" like, oh, the Peugeot 3008 as the main culprits these days. Especially when they have "Sport" badging.
And takeaway delivery driver types in ropey 90s Toyotas.
And French city cars.

And ropey old Ladas.
wink

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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It’s much too expensive given the work it needs.

swansea v6

1,279 posts

224 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Ive had a few E46's coupe, touring and cab...and the one thing putting me off this, besides the issues mentioned is the wky auto box....