Discussion
330Comp said:
Fair choice Mr Tidy. I hear from feedback the 1 series doesn't come close to the compact feel and handling -but I've never owned a 1 series so can't comment from personal experience.
RSTurboPaul, I'm looking only for what I paid for it - have DM'd you. Thanks
Hello!RSTurboPaul, I'm looking only for what I paid for it - have DM'd you. Thanks
Thank you very much for the DM - I can't see it in my inbox yet or even my Spam box, but perhaps the forum software has eaten it...
I'll wait until tomorrow to see if it comes through - if no sign, I will have to be annoying and ask for it to be re-sent!
Apologies in advance if that is the case!
330Comp said:
Fair choice Mr Tidy. I hear from feedback the 1 series doesn't come close to the compact feel and handling -but I've never owned a 1 series so can't comment from personal experience.
RSTurboPaul, I'm looking only for what I paid for it - have DM'd you. Thanks
I repeated my mistake of buying the wrong car in 2008 when I replaced my 320td Compact with a 123d instead of a 130i, but I haven't tried one of those yet!RSTurboPaul, I'm looking only for what I paid for it - have DM'd you. Thanks
But my 123d SE "Dynamic" with SE looks but M-Sport seats and suspension was great fun, for a diesel. Maybe another 60+ bhp in a 130i overwhelms the running gears abilities.
Thank you for the responses guys - have DM'd and responded already (forgive the delay of a few days). Car has been posted on FB Marketplace to start and is getting a lot of love. Various different E46 groups - the best was one someone said they wish it could be shipped to the states 
others encourage me to keep it and although I'm tempted, I might just have to strike a deal with any buyer that I can have first refusal option to buy it back when/if they ever decide to sell 
others encourage me to keep it and although I'm tempted, I might just have to strike a deal with any buyer that I can have first refusal option to buy it back when/if they ever decide to sell Yes I bought this off Josh I think in summer 2022!
Glad to see it's had plenty of remedial work and is thriving!
Remember one particular drive with mates in an A45 AMG and E90 M3 and they were extremely surprised to see it so close in their mirrors!
Seems like you've solved all the niggles that I couldn't be arsed betting round to - hope it goes to a good owner !
Glad to see it's had plenty of remedial work and is thriving!
Remember one particular drive with mates in an A45 AMG and E90 M3 and they were extremely surprised to see it so close in their mirrors!
Seems like you've solved all the niggles that I couldn't be arsed betting round to - hope it goes to a good owner !
Hi Twin2,
Great to see a previous owner noticing the car again. Yes I did get a fair amount of the smaller things done as the respray and engine swap bigger jobs had already been taken care of! Also very easy with Nick Jupp at German Car Spares Kent because there were a selection of good quality E46 parts literally everywhere. Didn’t cost crazy amounts and gave me an OEM+ sense of satisfaction. They were my first small steps of ‘restoring’ a car instead of ‘modifying’ it -in all my driving years.
Glad to hear it held it’s own with newer higher powered cars in your ownership too.
Took it out for a run today and it still doesn’t disappoint. Even with the very cold roads.
911Spanker I’m unable to PM you as it looks like you have emailing permissions turned off - perhaps if you message me first we can start a convo.
The car is booked in first week of Feb for the OEM diff swap to remove any diff whine, so won’t be negotiating discount for buyers who would want to do the LSD after that - but she’ll be even more mechanically sound.
Considering the ebay listing soon, just a bit preoccupied with other work tasks at the moment and the new car needs some preventative maintenance too.
Great to see a previous owner noticing the car again. Yes I did get a fair amount of the smaller things done as the respray and engine swap bigger jobs had already been taken care of! Also very easy with Nick Jupp at German Car Spares Kent because there were a selection of good quality E46 parts literally everywhere. Didn’t cost crazy amounts and gave me an OEM+ sense of satisfaction. They were my first small steps of ‘restoring’ a car instead of ‘modifying’ it -in all my driving years.
Glad to hear it held it’s own with newer higher powered cars in your ownership too.
Took it out for a run today and it still doesn’t disappoint. Even with the very cold roads.
911Spanker I’m unable to PM you as it looks like you have emailing permissions turned off - perhaps if you message me first we can start a convo.
The car is booked in first week of Feb for the OEM diff swap to remove any diff whine, so won’t be negotiating discount for buyers who would want to do the LSD after that - but she’ll be even more mechanically sound.
Considering the ebay listing soon, just a bit preoccupied with other work tasks at the moment and the new car needs some preventative maintenance too.
Hello all,
So as an update, I sent the 330ti Compact into BM Sport - my local BMW Indy, for them to install the OEM open diff I got with the purchase from the previous owner. However, as they prepared to remove and install, they noticed a wheel bearing was totally failing - and asked if I wanted to sort that before the differential swap, as the bearing was likely causing noise and vibration.
I pressed ahead, knowing that the wheel bearing isn't an option to not resolve - so thought let's do it first and see how much it improves things. Low and behold, the bearing was done and the car is now back to absolutely silky smooth, no vibration, sharp steering, the suspension was always good since refreshed but now there is a whole new appreciation of the quality of the drive this car offers.
No need for the differential swap. This also means that the car has just had £300 spent on resolving the bearing with BMW OEM parts and that the existing installed diff, whilst weeping, is not damaged to a point of failure. BMSport topped it up for fluid saying it hardly needed much anyway.
That also means that the spare diff the previous owner intended to have converted to an LSD, can now be offered with the car as exactly that - a spare for any potential upgrade, able to be worked on and done before having to remove the functioning diff already installed.
Anyway, just thought I'd share as an additional update on issues/problems solved ahead of time for the new owner!
I also got her cleaned yesterday and made the most of it with some new pics readying myself for listing on eBay or Autotrader (getting near that time boo). I think the Full Body respray 12 months ago looks amazing still. It was mirror like finish for a lot of angles and this wasn't even a polish/wax job!
Last call to register interest before going up to the general public (looking at you the guys who PM'd me
Enjoy!
So as an update, I sent the 330ti Compact into BM Sport - my local BMW Indy, for them to install the OEM open diff I got with the purchase from the previous owner. However, as they prepared to remove and install, they noticed a wheel bearing was totally failing - and asked if I wanted to sort that before the differential swap, as the bearing was likely causing noise and vibration.
I pressed ahead, knowing that the wheel bearing isn't an option to not resolve - so thought let's do it first and see how much it improves things. Low and behold, the bearing was done and the car is now back to absolutely silky smooth, no vibration, sharp steering, the suspension was always good since refreshed but now there is a whole new appreciation of the quality of the drive this car offers.
No need for the differential swap. This also means that the car has just had £300 spent on resolving the bearing with BMW OEM parts and that the existing installed diff, whilst weeping, is not damaged to a point of failure. BMSport topped it up for fluid saying it hardly needed much anyway.
That also means that the spare diff the previous owner intended to have converted to an LSD, can now be offered with the car as exactly that - a spare for any potential upgrade, able to be worked on and done before having to remove the functioning diff already installed.
Anyway, just thought I'd share as an additional update on issues/problems solved ahead of time for the new owner!
I also got her cleaned yesterday and made the most of it with some new pics readying myself for listing on eBay or Autotrader (getting near that time boo). I think the Full Body respray 12 months ago looks amazing still. It was mirror like finish for a lot of angles and this wasn't even a polish/wax job!
Last call to register interest before going up to the general public (looking at you the guys who PM'd me
Enjoy!
And that link without all the eBay tracking 
lol
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335259606701
Looking good in the pics!
lolhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335259606701
Looking good in the pics!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff