E46 M3 - Money Pit?

[steve singh]

Owned a couple previously and they were ultra-reliable - but they were only a few years old.

Now thinking of buying a 53 plate as a third car - just loved them and fancy buying a keeper (subject to a test drive and not going down the E9x route).

Are the older E64 M3s now typically money pits?

Cheers

[playalistic]

Not if you buy the right one. As obvious as that may sound it is critical. Make sure it has fresh brakes, tyres, no broken springs, servicing done on schedule, valve clearances done properly, rear mounts sorted and no rust. Google an E46 M3 buying guide or search this forum as it has been covered ad infinitum.

They're not unreliable cars as such, I think the common things are lambda sensors that go. Gearbox is solid as is the S54 engine overall. Many examples out there with 100k+ miles on and still running sweet as.

[steve singh]

playalistic said:

Not if you buy the right one. As obvious as that may sound it is critical. Make sure it has fresh brakes, tyres, no broken springs, servicing done on schedule, valve clearances done properly, rear mounts sorted and no rust. Google an E46 M3 buying guide or search this forum as it has been covered ad infinitum.

They're not unreliable cars as such, I think the common things are lambda sensors that go. Gearbox is solid as is the S54 engine overall. Many examples out there with 100k+ miles on and still running sweet as.

Thanks - how much do you reckon a 'decent' example would cost?

Prices seem to be all over the place.

[playalistic]

steve singh said:

Thanks - how much do you reckon a 'decent' example would cost?

Prices seem to be all over the place.

Best recommendation is to go see as many as you can to get a clear idea of what is out there in terms of quality. Don't buy on mileage, go for condition and history. Well cared for examples can be 100k+ mile jobs yet feel light years ahead of some shagged out 30k miler that hasn't been cared for and ragged from cold every day over short distances.

Just having a quick nose through the classifieds here shows lots of decent looking cars around the £12k mark.

[Paul_M3]

I'd say much less than £12,000 for a good one.

I got £10,300 when I part ex'd my M3 just before xmas.

It was a 2005, with 81,000 miles. Silver grey, black leather, SMG, 19" wheels, Sat Nav, heated seats, Harmon Kardon.
Full service history and very good condition.

The dealer had it up for sale at £9,995 when it finally sold.

[david_h]

I'd go for a good individual spec one with all the options, hopefully you'll avoid some of the depreciation that's likely to plague them just like the E36's.

There are so many out there, but as they get older it's becoming more obvious which ones have been looked after and which have not.

Mine is easily the best car I've owned, but I've little to compare it to so may be biased. It's also been ultra reliable even though it's now 8 years old. The key is maintenance on these cars, find one that's been well maintained and it'll be reliable, but one that isn't and you'll be chasing faults for the first 12mths of ownership.

[Pig Skill]

Buy a low miler, low owner and well maintained car. Although the higher milage cars are fine and all that, theres a gazillion of them for sale all with 70 - 80k on the clock and you will likely suffer depreciation big time, especially as you encroach on the 100k mark

I bought an '02 car with one owner and 28k miles. It's a mintbox and as tight as drum.

Buy a duffer and you will have a wallet assassin as a third car. Lots have been crashed, thrashed and owned by douschebags

[MMT]

Have the chassis inspected for cracks/rust where the dif carrier bolts to the floor pan.