Grandad's BMW 325i E90
Discussion
Hello all,
I've accidently fallen in love with a SE spec E90 BMW 325i...... Let me explain.....
I'm about to turn 31 and have always loved cars and motorcycles since I've been able to walk. I started riding bikes at the age of 5 and rode MX until I was 16. I then did the moped thing for a year followed by getting into cars at 17 and didn't ride bikes again until I was 24. I do a lot of bike track days and plan to start racing next year so cars have been on the back burner for a bit as I walk to work so I could pump more money into my van and bikes. About 6 months a go, me and a few chaps from work booked to do a road trip to the Nurburgring in October which meant I would need to get something to go in. I thought I'd wait until end of the summer once all my track days on the bike had finished and then see what money I could throw at a car..... then Silverstone decided to cancel one of my bike track days. As I had already booked leave for that week I decided I'd try and find another track for a bike day but nothing fitted my schedule, so I decided to book a car track day at Thruxton instead. This meant that I had the Nurburgring booked and a track day at Thruxton but no car..... so the shopping began! My budget was 4k which is nothing in today's market and the plan was to get something to see me over until next summer so I didn't want to buy something I was going to be sentimental over.
I didn't really know what I wanted, I was torn between a hot hatch like a Civic Type R/Clio 182 or RWD and a bit more comfortable for the road trip. I have owned a lot of hot hatches including a Clio 182 track car so decided to look at BMWs. I've owned a e91 330d touring that was heavily tuned but I've always fancied a e90 petrol so I started looking in the usual places. I couldn't find anything decent for a couple of weeks until I found this gem.
It's a 2006 BMW 325i with the N52 engine. It is a SE spec car but has a few little extras from factory such as auto lights although it doesn't have idrive but I like that personally. It has done 91k miles and has a full service history, mainly BMW except for the past 3 years but full nonetheless. It has 3 previous owners from new and this old chap had owned it for most of its life. Unfortunately he was retiring from driving and had to give up his beloved old E90. The interior is beige cloth with the fake wood look inserts on the dash, as I say it's proper old man spec. As soon as I test drove it, I could tell it had been well looked after and not driven in anger so we agreed a price of £2300, I couldn't have been happier.
So a week passes with no problems, I managed to do a few miles but nothing crazy. I don't know about you, but when I buy any 2nd hand vehicle it takes me a bit of time to trust it/get to know all of its quirks. Even though I had only owned it for a short amount of time, I was starting to really enjoy the car and had actually fallen in love with it. However, me and the wife to be were off out for a friend's wedding party and the car decided to throw a warning code for overheating. I pulled over immediately, turned the engine off and had a look under the bonnet but couldn't see any signs of overheating. I turned the ignition back on and the code had cleared so I started the car up again and it was fine for the rest of the evening. I wasn't concerned as being 17 years old, the temperature sensor could've been playing up. A few days had passed and it decided to do it again after a few minutes of running so I decided to scan the code and see what it was........ yep you guessed it, intermittent water pump. For those that know the setup on petrol E90's, the electric pumps aren't exactly cheap. I was a bit gutted for a couple of days but once I'd calmed down I decided to just give the whole car a once over before it did any big miles/track work. It had a full service, the new thermostat and waterpump plus new brake fluid and a good going over to make sure nothing else was needed. Fortunately, the test of the car is actually sound with minimal marks on the body or underneath.
So it was time for Thruxton, I was a little bit nervous about if the old girl would make the day as it is totally standard. 17 year old Severely Elderly spec suspension was never going to be a track demon so I was expecting the worst. It has standard brakes so I was braking a little earlier than I could have, but to my surprise the brakes lasted the day well with minimal fade. Luckily Thruxton only has 2 braking points so I could really look after the brakes.
To my surprise, the handling wasn't as soggy as I was expecting. After coming from a modified Clio 182, I was expecting to be getting sea sick in the corners but it was actually alright! Obviously it wasn't a touring car, but it was a right hoot and not even that slow. I'll post some pictures so you can see the lean for yourselves.
So the plan was to sell it by next year but I actually really enjoy the car. I've owned a few 6 cylinder BMW's (E36 and E46) but this is actually my favourite of the bunch as an all round car. I will be sorting out the handling and brakes with a good set of coilovers, m3 control arms and maybe some thicker ARBs. I want to keep the SE look as I love the understated Grandad look so it won't be getting too heavily modified. Other than that, I just want to maintain it as it is low mileage for one of these and it should last a while. Plus I fancy doing a few road trips with the wife at some point!
Sorry for the long thread, I will keep this updated as much as I can
I've accidently fallen in love with a SE spec E90 BMW 325i...... Let me explain.....
I'm about to turn 31 and have always loved cars and motorcycles since I've been able to walk. I started riding bikes at the age of 5 and rode MX until I was 16. I then did the moped thing for a year followed by getting into cars at 17 and didn't ride bikes again until I was 24. I do a lot of bike track days and plan to start racing next year so cars have been on the back burner for a bit as I walk to work so I could pump more money into my van and bikes. About 6 months a go, me and a few chaps from work booked to do a road trip to the Nurburgring in October which meant I would need to get something to go in. I thought I'd wait until end of the summer once all my track days on the bike had finished and then see what money I could throw at a car..... then Silverstone decided to cancel one of my bike track days. As I had already booked leave for that week I decided I'd try and find another track for a bike day but nothing fitted my schedule, so I decided to book a car track day at Thruxton instead. This meant that I had the Nurburgring booked and a track day at Thruxton but no car..... so the shopping began! My budget was 4k which is nothing in today's market and the plan was to get something to see me over until next summer so I didn't want to buy something I was going to be sentimental over.
I didn't really know what I wanted, I was torn between a hot hatch like a Civic Type R/Clio 182 or RWD and a bit more comfortable for the road trip. I have owned a lot of hot hatches including a Clio 182 track car so decided to look at BMWs. I've owned a e91 330d touring that was heavily tuned but I've always fancied a e90 petrol so I started looking in the usual places. I couldn't find anything decent for a couple of weeks until I found this gem.
It's a 2006 BMW 325i with the N52 engine. It is a SE spec car but has a few little extras from factory such as auto lights although it doesn't have idrive but I like that personally. It has done 91k miles and has a full service history, mainly BMW except for the past 3 years but full nonetheless. It has 3 previous owners from new and this old chap had owned it for most of its life. Unfortunately he was retiring from driving and had to give up his beloved old E90. The interior is beige cloth with the fake wood look inserts on the dash, as I say it's proper old man spec. As soon as I test drove it, I could tell it had been well looked after and not driven in anger so we agreed a price of £2300, I couldn't have been happier.
So a week passes with no problems, I managed to do a few miles but nothing crazy. I don't know about you, but when I buy any 2nd hand vehicle it takes me a bit of time to trust it/get to know all of its quirks. Even though I had only owned it for a short amount of time, I was starting to really enjoy the car and had actually fallen in love with it. However, me and the wife to be were off out for a friend's wedding party and the car decided to throw a warning code for overheating. I pulled over immediately, turned the engine off and had a look under the bonnet but couldn't see any signs of overheating. I turned the ignition back on and the code had cleared so I started the car up again and it was fine for the rest of the evening. I wasn't concerned as being 17 years old, the temperature sensor could've been playing up. A few days had passed and it decided to do it again after a few minutes of running so I decided to scan the code and see what it was........ yep you guessed it, intermittent water pump. For those that know the setup on petrol E90's, the electric pumps aren't exactly cheap. I was a bit gutted for a couple of days but once I'd calmed down I decided to just give the whole car a once over before it did any big miles/track work. It had a full service, the new thermostat and waterpump plus new brake fluid and a good going over to make sure nothing else was needed. Fortunately, the test of the car is actually sound with minimal marks on the body or underneath.
So it was time for Thruxton, I was a little bit nervous about if the old girl would make the day as it is totally standard. 17 year old Severely Elderly spec suspension was never going to be a track demon so I was expecting the worst. It has standard brakes so I was braking a little earlier than I could have, but to my surprise the brakes lasted the day well with minimal fade. Luckily Thruxton only has 2 braking points so I could really look after the brakes.
To my surprise, the handling wasn't as soggy as I was expecting. After coming from a modified Clio 182, I was expecting to be getting sea sick in the corners but it was actually alright! Obviously it wasn't a touring car, but it was a right hoot and not even that slow. I'll post some pictures so you can see the lean for yourselves.
So the plan was to sell it by next year but I actually really enjoy the car. I've owned a few 6 cylinder BMW's (E36 and E46) but this is actually my favourite of the bunch as an all round car. I will be sorting out the handling and brakes with a good set of coilovers, m3 control arms and maybe some thicker ARBs. I want to keep the SE look as I love the understated Grandad look so it won't be getting too heavily modified. Other than that, I just want to maintain it as it is low mileage for one of these and it should last a while. Plus I fancy doing a few road trips with the wife at some point!
Sorry for the long thread, I will keep this updated as much as I can
Jhonno said:
The roll really isn't that bad! I suspect you were struggling not to fall out of the SE seats mind..
It wasn't as bad as I thought in all honesty, although my mates girlfriend got a bit sea sick and had a trip to the toilet helix402 said:
Proper old man spec! Re arbs I use an M3 front bar and 335xi 15mm rear bar.
Yeah it is, I love it haha. That's good to know, thanks! I'll add them to my shopping listE90s are a bit of a bargain now that E46s nearly all seem to be getting frilly around the edges and prices for the few good ones left seem to be climbing.
My daily is a manual 55 plate 330i SE I've had for over 4 years and I really like it, complete with grandad spec beige leather and wood trim!
Hope you keep enjoying yours.
My daily is a manual 55 plate 330i SE I've had for over 4 years and I really like it, complete with grandad spec beige leather and wood trim!
Hope you keep enjoying yours.
Mr Tidy said:
E90s are a bit of a bargain now that E46s nearly all seem to be getting frilly around the edges and prices for the few good ones left seem to be climbing.
My daily is a manual 55 plate 330i SE I've had for over 4 years and I really like it, complete with grandad spec beige leather and wood trim!
Hope you keep enjoying yours.
I couldn't agree more. I did like my previous E46's but I do prefer the E90 especially as it's the last 3 series with proper steering and proper 6 cylinder engines My daily is a manual 55 plate 330i SE I've had for over 4 years and I really like it, complete with grandad spec beige leather and wood trim!
Hope you keep enjoying yours.
Jhonno said:
The roll really isn't that bad! I suspect you were struggling not to fall out of the SE seats mind..
This comment took me back a few years to when I had an E92 330d SE as a loan car for a week. Everytime I went around a corner I slid off the seat and into either the door or the centre console! 
In fairness I was used to an E90 330d M Sport though, so the roll in the corners and the lack of seat bolster support was really noticeable to me. I did however really appreciate the ride in the SE though for sure, because the ride in the M Sport was rock hard in comparison. I love seeing E90 3 series still now, and it is great to see you enjoying yours OP.
cerb4.5lee said:
This comment took me back a few years to when I had an E92 330d SE as a loan car for a week. Everytime I went around a corner I slid off the seat and into either the door or the centre console! In fairness I was used to an E90 330d M Sport though, so the roll in the corners and the lack of seat bolster support was really noticeable to me. I did however really appreciate the ride in the SE though for sure, because the ride in the M Sport was rock hard in comparison.
I love seeing E90 3 series still now, and it is great to see you enjoying yours OP.
Were the seats leather or cloth? My old e91 msport had leather and I found them so slippery, even with spirited road driving. The SE does ride exceptionally well, it will be a shame to stiffen it up slightly but it will help on my ring trip. In fairness I was used to an E90 330d M Sport though, so the roll in the corners and the lack of seat bolster support was really noticeable to me. I did however really appreciate the ride in the SE though for sure, because the ride in the M Sport was rock hard in comparison. I love seeing E90 3 series still now, and it is great to see you enjoying yours OP.
I've always loved the e9x shape, definitely my favourite era of 3 series.
DeanAngell1234 said:
Were the seats leather or cloth? My old e91 msport had leather and I found them so slippery, even with spirited road driving. The SE does ride exceptionally well, it will be a shame to stiffen it up slightly but it will help on my ring trip.
I've always loved the e9x shape, definitely my favourite era of 3 series.
The loan E92 SE had leather, and both my E90 330d and 330i M Sports had leather too. I personally loved the M Sport leather seats and they had good base and side bolsters I thought and they always held me in well(the leather seats in the E92 M3 I had held me in well too). I'm only 5'8"/12 stone though so I'm only little, whereas I've read that if you are of a bigger build than me then the SE seats are fine and you barely move in them in comparison to me sliding all over the place! I've always loved the e9x shape, definitely my favourite era of 3 series.
DeanAngell1234 said:
I couldn't agree more. I did like my previous E46's but I do prefer the E90 especially as it's the last 3 series with proper steering and proper 6 cylinder engines
I do as well.The E46 is prettier, but I do love the E9x.
The walnut trim I fitted to our 330i recently is actually wood as I found out the hard way when I chipped a bit. It’s a very thin veneer over s metal panel. I went full grandpa spec to go with the lemon leather.
My daily is a mapped 325d e92, what a car, I’ve got a beautiful e30 and e46 cab, I’ve run 30’s 36’s 46’s e91’s but I love my current (17 inch wheeled!) e92, 0-60 in under 6 on the drag timer just by stamping on the loud pedal in auto, 46mpg ave over the last 10k miles or so, and quick enough and with grip and balance to absolutely bully a 4 year old golf guide on an extended cross country exercise ahem, just a fantastic, handsome, discreet, and capable all rounder, love em 👍
Court_S said:
The walnut trim I fitted to our 330i recently is actually wood as I found out the hard way when I chipped a bit. It’s a very thin veneer over s metal panel. I went full grandpa spec to go with the lemon leather.
I think my Fine Wood Trim Poplar Grain with Beige leather is probably ultimate Grandad spec. Lemon is far too avant-garde! Time for some Werthers.
Hello all, just thought I'd post a little update now I've been using the car on the road for a few weeks.
It's been absolutely flawless, always starts on the button, doesn't leak or use any oil and it is a pleasure to drive. I'm currently getting 28mpg but that is mainly shortish journeys followed by having a little play out of town when it's quiet. I've got a little shopping list which includes some upgraded brakes and coilovers which I hope to get done by October as I've got a Nurburgring trip with a few mates then. Having owned a e91 330d touring that was running around 300hp, I thought I'd get bored of the n52 but I actually prefer it. Yes, it is slower but you can't beat the 6 cylinder n/a sound and it loves to rev. I wish I got one sooner.
It's been absolutely flawless, always starts on the button, doesn't leak or use any oil and it is a pleasure to drive. I'm currently getting 28mpg but that is mainly shortish journeys followed by having a little play out of town when it's quiet. I've got a little shopping list which includes some upgraded brakes and coilovers which I hope to get done by October as I've got a Nurburgring trip with a few mates then. Having owned a e91 330d touring that was running around 300hp, I thought I'd get bored of the n52 but I actually prefer it. Yes, it is slower but you can't beat the 6 cylinder n/a sound and it loves to rev. I wish I got one sooner.
Edited by DeanAngell1234 on Friday 14th July 10:44
Hello all, bit of a long time since an update.
I bought the car in May as I needed a car for an upcoming Nurburgring trip. The trip was last weekend and the car was faultless over the 1200 miles completed, I even got 40mpg on the way there which I couldn't believe. The ring itself is an amazing place and I can't wait to to back!
There were 6 of us that went in 3 separate cars, me in my e90, a 350z and a mk1 Ford Focus 1.6. All cars made it back in one piece and the little Focus was hilarious round the ring. Considering it was road tripping with much faster cars, it held its own. The only thing was it drank a lot more fuel than my 325 😂
We also got to experience the autobahn for the first time..... the n52 was sitting at 140mph with no problems and I've decided I prefer the petrol over the m57 330d I had before. The car hasn't used a drop of oil (rare for a 2.5 n52), nor did it lose any coolant. The sound of the petrol mated to the manual gearbox is a peach, even if it isn't that fast but that means I get to use a lot of the power a lot of the time.
Before the trip, my radiator started leaking so that was changed, I changed the brake fluid and had to fix the nearside rear abs sensor. Other than that, the car has been mega in my ownership and I will be doing a few bits to it to make it my a little better on the odd track day. The brakes were fading quite a lot which I expected so they will need upgrading. I was planning on doing it before we left but I've been spending a lot of time/money on my CB500 race bike. There is no rush though, the car is staying with me for the long term as it has been a great road trip companion!
Here are some pictures:
The car hit 94k just as I got home
I bought the car in May as I needed a car for an upcoming Nurburgring trip. The trip was last weekend and the car was faultless over the 1200 miles completed, I even got 40mpg on the way there which I couldn't believe. The ring itself is an amazing place and I can't wait to to back!
There were 6 of us that went in 3 separate cars, me in my e90, a 350z and a mk1 Ford Focus 1.6. All cars made it back in one piece and the little Focus was hilarious round the ring. Considering it was road tripping with much faster cars, it held its own. The only thing was it drank a lot more fuel than my 325 😂
We also got to experience the autobahn for the first time..... the n52 was sitting at 140mph with no problems and I've decided I prefer the petrol over the m57 330d I had before. The car hasn't used a drop of oil (rare for a 2.5 n52), nor did it lose any coolant. The sound of the petrol mated to the manual gearbox is a peach, even if it isn't that fast but that means I get to use a lot of the power a lot of the time.
Before the trip, my radiator started leaking so that was changed, I changed the brake fluid and had to fix the nearside rear abs sensor. Other than that, the car has been mega in my ownership and I will be doing a few bits to it to make it my a little better on the odd track day. The brakes were fading quite a lot which I expected so they will need upgrading. I was planning on doing it before we left but I've been spending a lot of time/money on my CB500 race bike. There is no rush though, the car is staying with me for the long term as it has been a great road trip companion!
Here are some pictures:
The car hit 94k just as I got home
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