RE: BMW 328i (E46) | Spotted
Discussion
This isn't aimed at collectors, its aimed at people that are looking for a nearly new car and love older school BMW - admitedly might be a small market!
It is cheaper than a more recent 3 Series, so you save some money on purchase. Buy it, use it like any normal car, day to day, it will depreciate like a similar used newer car. Obviously it will be a shame to loose such a pristine example, but for relatively little outlay you've had the chance to enjoy a lovely car.
Only issue with this is ULEZ and other similar concerns on cars that aren't up to the most recent Euro standards.
RiccardoG said:
This isn't aimed at collectors, its aimed at people that are looking for a nearly new car and love older school BMW - admitedly might be a small market!
It is cheaper than a more recent 3 Series, so you save some money on purchase. Buy it, use it like any normal car, day to day, it will depreciate like a similar used newer car. Obviously it will be a shame to loose such a pristine example, but for relatively little outlay you've had the chance to enjoy a lovely car.
Agree with this.It is cheaper than a more recent 3 Series, so you save some money on purchase. Buy it, use it like any normal car, day to day, it will depreciate like a similar used newer car. Obviously it will be a shame to loose such a pristine example, but for relatively little outlay you've had the chance to enjoy a lovely car.
All those people who are in the market for a nearly new F30 or G20 3-series but complain about the electronic nannies and the turbocharged four cylinder engines and the bloat and the lack of steering feel, here's your car. Almost factory fresh, with the good old M52 engine. Buy it, spend a bit of money on replacing any rubbery bits which might have degraded, and then drive it and enjoy it like a new BMW.
It's a very small niche of buyers as mentioned, but someone will want it!
I had E46 330Ci and then 330Cd and overall, both were really nice.
But this one... what I've never understood is why would you buy a car like that and hardly use it? It's a posh rep's car, or back in the day a posh family car. It's not like buying something exotic and/or impractical - and it being a spoilt weekend car... and you hope that it will go up in value. As my S2000 is slowly doing, I hope.
This one is a nice but normal saloon, a day-to-day car. Why would you not drive it all the time? Answers on a postcard, please.
But this one... what I've never understood is why would you buy a car like that and hardly use it? It's a posh rep's car, or back in the day a posh family car. It's not like buying something exotic and/or impractical - and it being a spoilt weekend car... and you hope that it will go up in value. As my S2000 is slowly doing, I hope.
This one is a nice but normal saloon, a day-to-day car. Why would you not drive it all the time? Answers on a postcard, please.
Would I pay that? No, I would not.
I absolutely loved my 328ci though, with a manual box. The 2.8 really suited these cars so well, and were cable throttle. This meant that they didn't suffer from the drive by wire throttle lag of the 325i/330i.
Mine drove brilliantly, and even though old, never let me down. Replaced it with as close as I could get a generation on. A manual 330i.
I absolutely loved my 328ci though, with a manual box. The 2.8 really suited these cars so well, and were cable throttle. This meant that they didn't suffer from the drive by wire throttle lag of the 325i/330i.
Mine drove brilliantly, and even though old, never let me down. Replaced it with as close as I could get a generation on. A manual 330i.
Whilst I would never spend £15k on this, I think someone will buy it at ~£13k... although the market is small, there is definitely someone for it.
People laugh about people like KGF classics, but if you keep an eye on their social media you can see that they do move stock fairly quickly.
People laugh about people like KGF classics, but if you keep an eye on their social media you can see that they do move stock fairly quickly.
helix402 said:
BFleming said:
Not that I'd recommend it with this particular 328i, the inlet manifold from the 330i M54B30 fits the 328i M52TUB28. You need to retain the throttle body from the 328i though, and source an adapter plate to fit it to the M54 mainfold (M54 is FBW, M52TU is not). Burger motorsports in the US used to sell the adapter plates.
M52tu has a throttle motor and cable. I did the B30 manifold conversion on mine.Baked_bean said:
People laugh about people like KGF classics, but if you keep an eye on their social media you can see that they do move stock fairly quickly.
They sure do. Their Ford stuff is priced at top end & always finds a buyer. Their other stuff - like a Renault 21 - will sit there for a while. Someone will want it though.It's all been said - 10K too expensive, if only it was a manual and so on...
For £5K, it would be a great car to buy and use daily and feel like you are in something a bit nicer than a used 2012 Focus for the same price... It would probably, then, depreciate more gently than the aformentioned Focus. It also has parking sensors, A/C, auto wipers and so on - so as painless to live with as most modern cars.
For £15K though, just a car which, if used daily, would then depreciate at about twice (probably!) the rate as a brand new £15K bargain basement car.
Only other option is buy and not use... but what would be the point of that... it's nice, but not that nice!
Even 4* Classics will sell you something more special for less than £15K... e.g ... for £12,500, an SL500 in dark metallic blue from a similar era (which looks as new at 65K miles) for example.
Hate to sound negative... I hope they paid the previous owner a decent amount for it given what is being asked...
For £5K, it would be a great car to buy and use daily and feel like you are in something a bit nicer than a used 2012 Focus for the same price... It would probably, then, depreciate more gently than the aformentioned Focus. It also has parking sensors, A/C, auto wipers and so on - so as painless to live with as most modern cars.
For £15K though, just a car which, if used daily, would then depreciate at about twice (probably!) the rate as a brand new £15K bargain basement car.
Only other option is buy and not use... but what would be the point of that... it's nice, but not that nice!
Even 4* Classics will sell you something more special for less than £15K... e.g ... for £12,500, an SL500 in dark metallic blue from a similar era (which looks as new at 65K miles) for example.
Hate to sound negative... I hope they paid the previous owner a decent amount for it given what is being asked...
BFleming said:
Baked_bean said:
People laugh about people like KGF classics, but if you keep an eye on their social media you can see that they do move stock fairly quickly.
They sure do. Their Ford stuff is priced at top end & always finds a buyer. Their other stuff - like a Renault 21 - will sit there for a while. Someone will want it though.BFleming said:
blade7 said:
I'd rather have an E36 328, the engine has more potential.
Not that I'd recommend it with this particular 328i, the inlet manifold from the 330i M54B30 fits the 328i M52TUB28. You need to retain the throttle body from the 328i though, and source an adapter plate to fit it to the M54 mainfold (M54 is FBW, M52TU is not). Burger motorsports in the US used to sell the adapter plates.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff