What condition e46 can i get for 5k

[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

[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!

[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.

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

If it's done properly there's nothing wrong with coilovers and an aftermarket exhaust on an E46. Doesn't have to be "very expensive" but has to be done right. I'm not saying buy cheap crap because then you're quids in, I'm saying spend good money on good components and you'll have a great car.

Well i'm thinking i want to do something to the exhaust, however i dont want it sounding like a chav-van, any suggestions of what i should be looking at in the department?

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

Milltek do a really nice system that's not very loud at all but releases a good deal of power. A friend with a Z4 3.0 has one.

I will give it a look, obviously you want a bit of noise but I dont think these cars suit a really loud system.
Do you know the price for these?

[CaveyH]

helix402 said:

This is the one:



(May need adapting to fit an M54 as the Alpina was an M52.)

so not all 330 e46 M54 engine?

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

That's from an Alpina B3.3 (which was a 3.3L M52 engine). The E46 330 is a 3.0L M54 engine. That exhaust would need some modifying at the manifold, and probably around the back box to fit properly.

Oh okay, i get you. So would it be "better" for me to find an exhaust that would fits the car?

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

Two ways to approach it:

1. Buy a cheaper "bigger engine exhaust" which needs modifying to fit properly. You can often pick up unwanted exhausts from people who have fitted an aftermarket exhaust and they'll either fit straight away or you'll need to modify them to fit. If they're from a car with much bigger power, generally they'll be a bigger exhaust and release a bit of power restriction from your factory exhaust system. Only downside is the modifications might prove costly, depending on what needs to be done.

2. Buy an aftermarket exhaust purpose-built for your engine/manifold. More expensive up front, but less unknowns.

Then there's the full custom build approach...

cheers, well depending if my mate, who is a mechanic can do it at his garage, will depend on which i will go for

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

It is quite throaty. I've kept the exhaust on my 325 stock so far, but plans for a custom build in the pipeline.

The exhaust in that video sounds pretty raspy...

How much you looking at for a custom build? $$$

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

£7-800 at Leadfoot Racing in Andover. Mine's getting set for track days though, so it's probably going to end up quite loud. I'm contemplating having them build a custom exhaust manifold as well, so might end up more like £1k.

Fair enough, good luck with it!

[CaveyH]

vsonix said:

You should be able to get a very nice one indeed for that much money. Although, it will depreciate quite a bit still. But, one shouldn't underestimate the benefits of looking for a 3k one that's nearly as good and spending the difference on refreshing all the bits that can make it awesome again i.e. bushes, springs & shocks etc etc.

Really? I would have thought the e46 would have pretty much have reached rock bottom price by now?

[CaveyH]

vsonix said:

There's still quite a bit of range in price. 4 cylinder 4 doors then yes absolutely. Late model, well specified coupes and cabrios with a 6-cyl either petrol or derv are still commanding a few grand although as with the E36 the 20i remains unloved and the medium size 6cyls will generally be passed over until the 3 litres start to get scarce. Tourings tend to be worth more than sedans but less than the 'exotic' 2-doors. 330i Club Sport coupe probably the one to invest in other than the M3 which is already increasing in value again. Compacts even less popular than the E36 Compact due to horrible front end although cognoscenti like the 325ti and the value of those will remain stable and eventually increase once they get on more people's radar.

well when i get a 330ci/i, ill most probably have it less than 2 years, unless i really fall in love with it, as i really want the 350z and z4 at some point and maybe a s2000

[CaveyH]

HugoFastmann said:

Agreed. Don't bother with a 318/20/25, but a 330Ci is a good call. Clubsports are great, but very rare.

I had to Google "cognoscenti". Learn something new every day!

Yeah i ave seen a few clubsports for my budget, do they have the same interior and performance as a 330 M series?

[CaveyH]

LanceRS said:

Most Clubsports had the leather optioned making the identical to a normal 330. As standard they came with a unique interior.
Alcantara centres with cheapish leather sides.

Unique is one word you could use for that design

[CaveyH]

Mr Tidy said:

Maybe you should wait until you can go straight for the 350Z/Z4/S2000?



My Z4C is fantastic, but my 325ti is 80% of the car for 20% of the money!

Depends on exactly what you want.

Yeah that is what i have been thinking recently, feel like it wouldnt be worth having if only for a year

[CaveyH]

Just thought I would update on here, currently looking at 350z over e46 330ci. There are several reasons for this, 1. It seems a lot of these cars where brought by people who just decided to turn them into boy racer cars, not saying everyone, I know there are a lot of people on forums who take amazing care of theirs. It has taken the "shine" off them for me though. 2nd is that the M3 e46 is my dream car for personal reasons, so it just doesn't feel right "settling" with a 330ci. I know they are great cars and maybe i might still get one, but for now i am unsure.

Cheers

[CaveyH]

Richair said:

A 350z would be a far more rewarding car to own if you can live with the lack of space, so good on you. Nice torquey v6 up front and a proper diff out back makes for fun a 330ci can only dream of. They do feel a tad heavy though, but so does an e46... erm because they are both heavy cars. You may be struggling to find a decent one in your budget though...

Well I have looked online and appear to be a few decent ones, however I will have to wait a while till I can get one as the insurance on them at my age are stupid high