What condition e46 can i get for 5k

[Funk]

CaveyH said:

Funk said:

330Ci is the coupé/convertible and the 330i is the saloon/Touring.

The one in that ad is the 330i saloon (4 doors). I looked specifically for (and prefer) the coupé personally.

So it is just a looks that are different between the 2? Before I have just been looking at the Ci, but love the look of the 330i

Yes, it's just the number of doors I think (and as mentioned previously, some cosmetic differences with the lights etc). I didn't need 4 doors so went for the coupé.

Some more info here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14...

Edit: some seem to think there are some suspension differences between the versions.

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th April 10:55

[ZX10R NIN]

CI are Coupe/Convertibles & the 330i is the saloon, I know you said you like the 350Z have you also considered the Skyline GT350 it's basically a 350Z on a longer chassis they're worth a look.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SKYLINE-GT350-CPV...

This one is good value with that low certified mileage.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Skyline-350-GT-Au...

They handle just as well as the 350Z but have the bonus of an extra pair of seats & some proper boot space.

350Z with a nice Amuse kit on but it needs the alloys to fill it out.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[CaveyH]

ZX10R NIN said:

CI are Coupe/Convertibles & the 330i is the saloon, I know you said you like the 350Z have you also considered the Skyline GT350 it's basically a 350Z on a longer chassis they're worth a look.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-SKYLINE-GT350-CPV...

This one is good value with that low certified mileage.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Skyline-350-GT-Au...

They handle just as well as the 350Z but have the bonus of an extra pair of seats & some proper boot space.

350Z with a nice Amuse kit on but it needs the alloys to fill it out.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

yeah was looking at the 350z but got given massive insurance quotes for it, £2,000+ thats with 1 year NCD and they wanted to put a box on it (which aint happening) and living in a nice area in bristol. so that's not an option i'm afraid anymore.

[Funk]

CaveyH said:

yeah was looking at the 350z but got given massive insurance quotes for it, £2,000+ thats with 1 year NCD and they wanted to put a box on it (which aint happening) and living in a nice area in bristol. so that's not an option i'm afraid anymore.

I know this probably won't be what you want to hear but as you're only 21 why not buy something cheaper to insure, build your no claims and stash the £1k+ difference on the insurance for a couple of years? By the time you're 23-24 with 3 or 4 years' no-claims you'll be getting much lower insurance quotes and have some cash in the bank for a better car.

Don't spunk your money to the insurers; play the game a little and make it work to your advantage. Even a 318i coupé could be good fun to chuck around for a couple of years (and a nice intro to RWD) and look at an M3 in a couple of years' time? FWIW, my insurance quotes are pretty much the same for anything I put into the comparison sites, whether it's an Audi S5, M3 etc. Most come back around £400-600.

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th April 11:26

[CaveyH]

Funk said:

I know this probably won't be what you want to hear but as you're only 21 why not buy something cheaper to insure, build your no claims and stash the £1k+ difference on the insurance for a couple of years? By the time you're 23-24 with 3 or 4 years' no-claims you'll be getting much lower insurance quotes and have some cash in the bank for a better car.

Don't spunk your money to the insurers; play the game a little and make it work to your advantage. Even a 318i coupé could be good fun to chuck around for a couple of years (and a nice intro to RWD) and look at an M3 in a couple of years' time? FWIW, my insurance quotes are pretty much the same for anything I put into the comparison sites, whether it's an Audi S5, M3 etc. Most come back around £400-600.

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th April 11:26

Well I can get easily insured on a 330, I have had a few quotes on it plus I have been saving for one all through my apprenticeship, and now they have offered me a job with decent pay and bonuses, I want to buy it to show myself how far I have come and how hard work pays off.

[Funk]

CaveyH said:

Well I can get easily insured on a 330, I have had a few quotes on it plus I have been saving for one all through my apprenticeship, and now they have offered me a job with decent pay and bonuses, I want to buy it to show myself how far I have come and how hard work pays off.

I can understand that.

That said, if there's one piece of advice I wish I'd been given at 21 it would be "Don't spend it just because you have it...." Cars, especially ones like the 330, will come and go and £7-10k sounds like a bloody good start on a deposit for a place. Good luck with whatever you buy though.

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th April 14:02

[CaveyH]

Funk said:

I can understand that.

That said, if there's one piece of advice I wish I'd been given at 21 it would be "Don't spend it just because you have it...." Cars, especially ones like the 330, will come and go and £7-10k sounds like a bloody good start on a deposit for a place. Good luck with whatever you buy though.

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th April 14:02

My budget is only 5K, no way I would be able to save up to 10K this year. plus around where i live I would need a minimum of 25-30k for a deposit on a house, and I can assure you that ain't happening anytime soon.
Plus people of my generation seem to have to start saving for a house at the age of 12 because we have been truly fu**ed by politicians, so as someone who loves driving I want to have some fun.
cheers,

[Funk]

Fair enough and I hope you find and enjoy your ideal 330i or Ci.

[Smuler]

@Cavey H,
I can't think there's that much of a difference between saloon and coupe, in M Sport.
Possibles to look at did, the saloon get the six speed at the same time? Did they have electric front seats, split folding rear seats. sometimes spec is higher on coupe,
but assuming owner didn't dick around when ordering , should still have the sports seats, suspension, which is the key.

could always get the last 7 digits of VIN and check the spec of a coupe/saloon you're looking at

I used to get a lot of technical help, here, and these guys owned coupes and saloons, never recall much of a difference being mentioned, besides number of doors that is
http://www.bmwforums.info/

[CaveyH]

Smuler said:

@Cavey H,
I can't think there's that much of a difference between saloon and coupe, in M Sport.
Possibles to look at did, the saloon get the six speed at the same time? Did they have electric front seats, split folding rear seats. sometimes spec is higher on coupe,
but assuming owner didn't dick around when ordering , should still have the sports seats, suspension, which is the key.

could always get the last 7 digits of VIN and check the spec of a coupe/saloon you're looking at

I used to get a lot of technical help, here, and these guys owned coupes and saloons, never recall much of a difference being mentioned, besides number of doors that is
http://www.bmwforums.info/

no just getting info on specs and seeing whats out there at the moment. Wont be in a position to buy until the end of the year, start of next year. I have quite an expensive summer planned so wont be able to save through the summer months.

[Funk]

On the subject of VINs that reminded me I meant to post the following:

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Start

https://www.bmwvin.com

Put the reg of the car you're looking at into the BMW warranty site - this will reveal its VIN. Take the saloon linked earlier - SS04 AOJ. Its VIN is WBAEV52010AW73159. Plug that into the VIN decoder and it gives you the original order kit list:

Vehicle information:

VIN WBAEV52010AW73159
Type code EV52
Type 330I (EUR)
E series E46 (4FL)
Series 3
Type LIM
Steering RL
Doors 4
Engine M54
Displacement 3.00
Power 170
Drive HECK
Transmission MECH
Colour SONDERLACKIERUNG (490)
Upholstery STANDARDLEDER/SCHWARZ (N6SW)
Prod.date 2003-12-03

Vehicle options:

S1CA Selection of COP relevant vehicles
S226 Sports suspension settings
S249 Multifunction f steering wheel
S302 Alarm system
S338 M Sports package II
S428 Warning triangle and first aid kit
S431 Interior mirror with automatic-dip
S441 Smoker package
S481 Sports seat
S495 3-point belt and headrest, center rear
S502 Headlight cleaning system
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S521 Rain sensor
S522 Xenon Light
S534 Automatic air conditioning

Vehicle options:

S644 Preparation f mobile phone w Bluetooth
S650 CD player
S661 Radio BMW Business (C43)
S692 Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
S710 M leather steering wheel
S716 Aerodynamics package
S760 High gloss shadow line
S770 Interior moldings Alu Silver Cube
S775 Headlining anthracite
S778 Entrance strips "BMW Individual"
S785 White direction indicator lights
S787 BMW alloy wheel, M double spoke 135
L812 National version England / Ireland
S850 Dummy-SALAPA
S863 Retailer Directory Europe

Vehicle options:

S877 Delete cross-pattern operation
S880 On-board vehicle literature English
S8SP Control unit CO2
S938 Individual series

Vehicle options:

S210 Dynamic stability control
S411 Window lifts,electric,front/rear
S473 Armrest front
S520 Fog lights
S550 On-board computer
S832 Battery in luggage compartment
S853 Language version English

Very useful if you're trying to compare two similar cars - one may have a significantly better spec that's not mentioned in the ad...

[CaveyH]

So just thought I would put a little update, so at the moment the plan is to get a e46 end of the year start of next, then keep it for around a year to get the extra NCD, then move onto something a bit more sporty. Maybe a 350z, Z4, S2000 currently cars that I want right now but that are a little too much to insure.

[HugoFastmann]

At £5k you could be looking at really mint condition, low mileage 330's, Clubsports, or even M3's. I'll sell you my 325ti Sport for £5k if you like?

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

At £5k you could be looking at really mint condition, low mileage 330's, Clubsports, or even M3's. I'll sell you my 325ti Sport for £5k if you like?

lovely offer but i think i will have to pass M3 is almost double to run than a 330 though so maybe in a few years... or if I get the winning lottery ticket

[HugoFastmann]

CaveyH said:

lovely offer but i think i will have to pass M3 is almost double to run than a 330 though so maybe in a few years... or if I get the winning lottery ticket

You sure? One time offer...



That is the one problem with M3's. Every time you repair or replace something you have to sell an organ or a limb.

Edited by HugoFastmann on Tuesday 25th April 11:35

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

CaveyH said:

lovely offer but i think i will have to pass M3 is almost double to run than a 330 though so maybe in a few years... or if I get the winning lottery ticket

You sure? One time offer...



That is the one problem with M3's. Every time you repair or replace something you have to sell an organ or a limb.

Edited by HugoFastmann on Tuesday 25th April 11:35

I am afraid the front of those cars confuse me haha!

thats the problem with the M3, well it loses weight

[HugoFastmann]

CaveyH said:

I am afraid the front of those cars confuse me haha!

thats the problem with the M3, well it loses weight

They're definitely not everyone's cup of tea...

Weight savings are good, right? I found myself looking at M3's this morning. Some very nice one's floating about in the 4-6k region.

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

They're definitely not everyone's cup of tea...

Weight savings are good, right? I found myself looking at M3's this morning. Some very nice one's floating about in the 4-6k region.

very unique!

Yeah but then you are talking at a few thousand a year maintaining it, the temptations are so high though!

[HugoFastmann]

CaveyH said:

very unique!

Yeah but then you are talking at a few thousand a year maintaining it, the temptations are so high though!

Very true. Much better to get a 325/330 and spend a little money on it making some subtle improvements (coilovers, wheels, a bit of detailing and maybe an exhaust system) and you'll have a really nice car really quickly. You could easily do that for under £5k. If you're in the market for a 330Ci with sub-100k miles you could find a tidy example for £3k-3.5k, giving you some spending money for coilovers and wheels/tyres.

If you're anywhere near the Hampshire region, you're welcome to join the Hampshire BMW Owner's Club which I'm part of. The group are very welcoming and incredibly helpful.

You could also join the Facebook page for E46 Owner's UK where you'll find some pretty good bargains from time to time - as well as people asking how to fix all the broken bits...

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

Very true. Much better to get a 325/330 and spend a little money on it making some subtle improvements (coilovers, wheels, a bit of detailing and maybe an exhaust system) and you'll have a really nice car really quickly. You could easily do that for under £5k. If you're in the market for a 330Ci with sub-100k miles you could find a tidy example for £3k-3.5k, giving you some spending money for coilovers and wheels/tyres.

If you're anywhere near the Hampshire region, you're welcome to join the Hampshire BMW Owner's Club which I'm part of. The group are very welcoming and incredibly helpful.

You could also join the Facebook page for E46 Owner's UK where you'll find some pretty good bargains from time to time - as well as people asking how to fix all the broken bits...

Yeah got my heart set on a 330, I was thinking of dropping my budget down to £4,500 to leave a £1,000 budget for a few bits and bobs for it.

I am from Bristol myself. Thanks yeah I think I might check that out then.