E91 Straight Six Bearding
Discussion
I'm thinking of going electric - an i3 to be percise. I've moved offices so I'm now less than a mile from the house and we have an electric charging point at the office I could take advantage of. I only ever did 6/7k miles a year and now I'm goint to be doing even less.
I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
PTF said:
p1stonhead said:
So I’m going to prob put my car up for sale next week. What you reckon about where I should pitch it?
It’s silver with black leather. 2009 LCI, Pro nav, parking sensors, adaptive xenons, heated seats, 103k miles, auto (with m3 paddles so up down one side each rather than the push pull things), michelin pilot sport 4 all round with 2000 miles on them. Bought AUC from BMW 2 years ago and comprehensive insured warranty running monthly. MOT next week which I can only assume it’ll fly thorough so call it 12 months MOT.
I was obviously off with £5k. Was thinking maybe £7500-8500?
Two years ago i was offered my 325d E91 back to me for £7.5k. That had 70k miles i think and 18 months of warranty left.It’s silver with black leather. 2009 LCI, Pro nav, parking sensors, adaptive xenons, heated seats, 103k miles, auto (with m3 paddles so up down one side each rather than the push pull things), michelin pilot sport 4 all round with 2000 miles on them. Bought AUC from BMW 2 years ago and comprehensive insured warranty running monthly. MOT next week which I can only assume it’ll fly thorough so call it 12 months MOT.
I was obviously off with £5k. Was thinking maybe £7500-8500?
So maybe around £6k?
If i had my 130i sold i'd be having it off you.
I for some reason on a whim bought a 435i convertible this morning and BMW gave me £5k for mine. Couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of selling privately for another grand.
Bring on chilly roof down commuting with my ‘air scarf’ which is just ridiculous!
Ciaran said:
I'm thinking of going electric - an i3 to be percise. I've moved offices so I'm now less than a mile from the house and we have an electric charging point at the office I could take advantage of. I only ever did 6/7k miles a year and now I'm goint to be doing even less.
I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
That to me makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
You should be looking at an M3, or something that you want to go out and drive on the weekend. You don't have to worry about fuel costs, you will be paying a massive premium in depreciation going electric which will wipe out any savings at the fuel station.
Unless you just want to scratch an itch of course.
Is yours a touring?
Manual or auto?
I would say being realistic around £5k for a saloon and £6k for a touring.
gizlaroc said:
Ciaran said:
I'm thinking of going electric - an i3 to be percise. I've moved offices so I'm now less than a mile from the house and we have an electric charging point at the office I could take advantage of. I only ever did 6/7k miles a year and now I'm goint to be doing even less.
I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
That to me makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
You should be looking at an M3, or something that you want to go out and drive on the weekend. You don't have to worry about fuel costs, you will be paying a massive premium in depreciation going electric which will wipe out any savings at the fuel station.
Unless you just want to scratch an itch of course.
Is yours a touring?
Manual or auto?
I would say being realistic around £5k for a saloon and £6k for a touring.
gizlaroc said:
Ciaran said:
I'm thinking of going electric - an i3 to be percise. I've moved offices so I'm now less than a mile from the house and we have an electric charging point at the office I could take advantage of. I only ever did 6/7k miles a year and now I'm goint to be doing even less.
I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
That to me makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm curious as to what my 330i is worth. It's a 2007 pre LCI N52 M-Sport, 78k, Xenons, headed powered seats, black with cream/lemon leather, CCC idrive.
You should be looking at an M3, or something that you want to go out and drive on the weekend. You don't have to worry about fuel costs, you will be paying a massive premium in depreciation going electric which will wipe out any savings at the fuel station.
Unless you just want to scratch an itch of course.
Is yours a touring?
Manual or auto?
I would say being realistic around £5k for a saloon and £6k for a touring.
Or 5 mins on a push bike.
The commute now doesn’t need to dictate car choice at all.
i3 sounds interesting, go for it if you feel you want to, but justifying it on a short commute is mad.
I had a brief look and thought the i3 was well engineered but terribly designed.
When they can fit that tech into a ‘normal’ package I’d be more interested.
Sorry, yes I'm walking every and not not using the 330i much.
It's a auto saloon. £5k is what I thought, cheers guys.
Honestly, I'd love an M3 or even an M5 but the potential bills scare me. For family duties we have an XC90 which is grand but too cumbersome about town - hence the electric idea.
It's a auto saloon. £5k is what I thought, cheers guys.
Honestly, I'd love an M3 or even an M5 but the potential bills scare me. For family duties we have an XC90 which is grand but too cumbersome about town - hence the electric idea.
Ciaran said:
Sorry, yes I'm walking every and not not using the 330i much.
It's a auto saloon. £5k is what I thought, cheers guys.
Honestly, I'd love an M3 or even an M5 but the potential bills scare me. For family duties we have an XC90 which is grand but too cumbersome about town - hence the electric idea.
If you don't need the car then you don't have to worry about the bills as much, now is the time to buy something fun. If it breaks, you can still do you commute and the family isn't without a car. It's a auto saloon. £5k is what I thought, cheers guys.
Honestly, I'd love an M3 or even an M5 but the potential bills scare me. For family duties we have an XC90 which is grand but too cumbersome about town - hence the electric idea.
Buy an M3, or even better, go the whole hog and buy a V10 M6
I just don't want to have a car that requires to be driven sitting on my driveway. If I was heading away for the weekend I'd need something that could take 5 people plus luggage - hence the XC90. I suppose I just can't justify the V8/V10 not getting used and when getting used it's to run to the shops for milk - it can't be good for the car.
I've done the 2 car thing and it didn't work - 205 Gti and my 330i, I've since sold the 205. My inital plan was to keep the 330i and buy a Clio 197/200 to tootle about in and do the odd track day.
I've done the 2 car thing and it didn't work - 205 Gti and my 330i, I've since sold the 205. My inital plan was to keep the 330i and buy a Clio 197/200 to tootle about in and do the odd track day.
Just contemplating whether to undertake some suspension refresh on mine. It's not crashy or making untoward noises but it is coming up on 100k and clearly isn't as tight as it would have been.
Looking at the diagrams on realOEM there's a number of bushes in addition to the arms and the whole exercise could start to rack up in terms of time and cost, for, in certain instances, marginal gain.
Have others taken this on already? Any advice or lessons learnt to share please? Is it worth re-bushing the subframe as that doesn't appear cheap, quick or easy.
A set of Lemforder replacement arms, TREs and ARB links for the front is around £380 (on eBay), though there are some 6-part Meyle kits listed at £240.
Similar for the rear is also around £300.
I've yet to find a supplier selling the whole lot together.
Full set of Sachs dampers £300 (Koni FSDs £550).
Not hard to put £1500 into the car going through it. Just pondering whether it's worth it.
Looking at the diagrams on realOEM there's a number of bushes in addition to the arms and the whole exercise could start to rack up in terms of time and cost, for, in certain instances, marginal gain.
Have others taken this on already? Any advice or lessons learnt to share please? Is it worth re-bushing the subframe as that doesn't appear cheap, quick or easy.
A set of Lemforder replacement arms, TREs and ARB links for the front is around £380 (on eBay), though there are some 6-part Meyle kits listed at £240.
Similar for the rear is also around £300.
I've yet to find a supplier selling the whole lot together.
Full set of Sachs dampers £300 (Koni FSDs £550).
Not hard to put £1500 into the car going through it. Just pondering whether it's worth it.
I did one last month on my 125i which had ticked over 126k on the original suspension - again, no untoward noises, but the shocks were clearly gone as the car would take ages to settle after hitting a bump, tried all it could to punt me into a hedge and generally made me feel sea-sick. I handed over to the chap who looks after it and asked me to investigate what it needed. I originally had designs on the B12 Kit, but after some toing and froing we decided on:
Sachs Dampers all round
Bump Stops
Top Mounts
Hunter Alignment
Everything else could stay on the car, including original springs. I was a bit dubious it didn't need more, but it drives perfectly now, £1100 later (including labour).
Sachs Dampers all round
Bump Stops
Top Mounts
Hunter Alignment
Everything else could stay on the car, including original springs. I was a bit dubious it didn't need more, but it drives perfectly now, £1100 later (including labour).
It's very easy to spend £1500, even buying from CP4L. I got probably 50% of what I needed from Cotswold BMW and the remainder from Car Parts 4 Less, and I think it came to £1400. So best part of £2k once fitted.
That was most of the rear incl shocks, all control arms, balljoints, along with front shocks, tie-rods and a new lower n/s front control arm. I'd already done the other n/s front control arm, and costs were racking up! So the only old bits on mine are the o/s front control arms, ARB bushes all round, and subframe bushes.
Is it worth it? Well a few bits of mine were absolutely shot so needed doing anyway. 1 rear shock was leaking, the "extra dampers" (the plastic bits that sit over the top at the rear) were practically in bits as well, as I suspect the front ones were. No point doing just one shock, or even just front or back, IME.
It's far less crashy than it was, albeit much firmer. So it's improved the bump absorption, and also control I'd say. Thing is though, it never felt that bad to me beforehand. The way I saw it was it bought another 60-100k mi out of it and is one of the key areas that will wear in time. I looked at it that I was buying mechanical time. Next year I'm hoping to do bodywork, as I still don't know when I might decide to move on. This is the longest I've ever owned a car!
That was most of the rear incl shocks, all control arms, balljoints, along with front shocks, tie-rods and a new lower n/s front control arm. I'd already done the other n/s front control arm, and costs were racking up! So the only old bits on mine are the o/s front control arms, ARB bushes all round, and subframe bushes.
Is it worth it? Well a few bits of mine were absolutely shot so needed doing anyway. 1 rear shock was leaking, the "extra dampers" (the plastic bits that sit over the top at the rear) were practically in bits as well, as I suspect the front ones were. No point doing just one shock, or even just front or back, IME.
It's far less crashy than it was, albeit much firmer. So it's improved the bump absorption, and also control I'd say. Thing is though, it never felt that bad to me beforehand. The way I saw it was it bought another 60-100k mi out of it and is one of the key areas that will wear in time. I looked at it that I was buying mechanical time. Next year I'm hoping to do bodywork, as I still don't know when I might decide to move on. This is the longest I've ever owned a car!
Edited by Swervin_Mervin on Monday 22 October 16:50
I just had fitted new Koni 'special-active' dampers (successor to the FSD's - £410 from DC Performance - cannot recommend highly enough!) with the existing m sport springs, Lemforder drop links, new front control arm bushes and a 4 wheel alignment...The car is now in another world dynamically and much more capable.
I’ve been looking at the Koni Special Active for my R32, and 335Xd oncebits our of warranty (would swap to 330d msport springs, then buy 330d special actives)
Anything to sharpen up the drive but add a comfortable edge seems hard to grumble with.
I’m thinking about a 130i msport too, returning to rock hard suspension, so special actives seem perfect to keep the firm handling but add a soft edge to the tide comfort!
Will deffo be trying them if I get one!
Anything to sharpen up the drive but add a comfortable edge seems hard to grumble with.
I’m thinking about a 130i msport too, returning to rock hard suspension, so special actives seem perfect to keep the firm handling but add a soft edge to the tide comfort!
Will deffo be trying them if I get one!
majorjoy said:
I just had fitted new Koni 'special-active' dampers (successor to the FSD's - £410 from DC Performance - cannot recommend highly enough!) with the existing m sport springs, Lemforder drop links, new front control arm bushes and a 4 wheel alignment...The car is now in another world dynamically and much more capable.
Did you swap the top mounts, too? Watch out when it comes to bolts. If you order the control arm kits from BMW they come with replacement fixings. I understand most of the bolts are stretch bolts so only really meant for 1 use.
Whilst I got some of the Lemforder bits from CP4L i still had to order nuts/bolts from BMW
It can get quite difficult to keep track of what you need!
Whilst I got some of the Lemforder bits from CP4L i still had to order nuts/bolts from BMW
It can get quite difficult to keep track of what you need!
helix402 said:
Don’t use Meyle for susp as it’s not very good. Subframe bushes should be fine. Some German vendors sell full front suspension arm kits, usually Lemforder.
Do all the arms wear? Found the vendors who sell the full kits for £350 or so in Lemforder.Would I need to replace all the bump stops/dust covers etc? (And would the OEM parts fit the Konis?)
In the past I've built up entire replacement units to make swapping on and off easy, which also left me an option of easily swapping back out when I sold the car. More likely to hang on to this car though so may not do that if I did upgrade.
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