Buying a 3 year old car - 200 miles. What to check/change?

[anonymous-user]

That's right 200 miles on the clock. A bit of background. A handful of F30 320D BMW were fully "spec'd" to be sold abroad but the company went bust. Harry Fairbarn, Scotland, brought them for pennies and some other dealerships managed to get a hold of a few from them.

The mileage is only the distance from Scotland to the dealership I hope to collect it from. The master technician wanted to make sure everything worked.

The paint work and body work is all brand new. I think it would be advisable to have the brake fluid changed due it's age - 2013.

Is there anything else I should ask the dealer to check or change?

Thank you.

Edited by Super_G on Sunday 6th March 05:16

[powerstroke]

Engine oil and filters look at the brake discs for rust , check tyres for roundness flat spots , check wiring /under bonnet area for rodent damage ... lube all door ,bonnet and boot hinges and catches ,drive and enjoy!!!

[va1o]

Are these the Dec 2015 registered 65-plates on their website? Story seems a little suspect, usually with these sort of cars they'll have been say abroad for a couple of years before coming over here as non-Uk spec imports.

[TooMany2cvs]

Treat the service intervals as if it starting from the rough build date. So, yep, everything that's due before year 3 do now. If there's time-related stuff that doesn't need doing yet, do it three years early if you don't reach mileage first.

Apart from that, drive it and enjoy the bargain. Remember, it's not an official UK car, so don't expect anything from BMW UK. But it was first registered in the UK, so it's no more an "import" for insurance purposes as any other first-reg-new-in-UK car.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks all so much for the input.

Mine is off the website but they do have another one. This one is 2012 with 168 miles:

http://usedcars.sytnersuttoncoldfieldbmw.co.uk/sho...

Can't wait!

[TooMany2cvs]

Super_G said:

Mine is off the website but they do have another one. This one is 2012 with 168 miles:

http://usedcars.sytnersuttoncoldfieldbmw.co.uk/sho...

They're spinning you a line about the importing - that one was first registered in the UK on 29/6/12.

A vehicle enquiry shows it as being taxed until 1/3/17 - yet there's no MOT details shown, and an MOT check shows no record at all. Just as if it was NI MOT'd... I think it's just been changed from an NI plate to a GB one.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Sunday 6th March 12:14

[Dapster]

Wow that's some spec - pretty much every box ticked! And what's with this "to be sold abroad" story? Why would a company buy a batch of UK specced cars, RHD and mph speedo, for export?

£23.5k would buy you the next car on the list - a less than 1 year old 330 D Luxury with 7k miles and a few nice toys incl Pro Nav.

http://usedcars.sytnersuttoncoldfieldbmw.co.uk/sho...

I'd be keen to know how and where they were stored for so long. Temp controlled warehouse in the dry, or wet field in Yorkshire for 3 years?

That said you'll never find another 320 with that spec so if it all checks out, why not?

[Jimmy Recard]

Dapster said:

Wow that's some spec - pretty much every box ticked! And what's with this "to be sold abroad" story? Why would a company buy a batch of UK specced cars, RHD and mph speedo, for export?

£23.5k would buy you the next car on the list - a less than 1 year old 330 D Luxury with 7k miles and a few nice toys incl Pro Nav.

http://usedcars.sytnersuttoncoldfieldbmw.co.uk/sho...

I'd be keen to know how and where they were stored for so long. Temp controlled warehouse in the dry, or wet field in Yorkshire for 3 years?

That said you'll never find another 320 with that spec so if it all checks out, why not?

Why wouldn't you just buy the 330d that you linked though?

Nicer car, newer and fewer questions about its history. 7k miles isn't a lot.

[PAUL500]

Just jump in it and drive it, not like its a space shuttle or a highly stressed F1 car, its car built to do hundreds of thousands of miles for 30 years plus.

All the guff above, do you guys check the pressure on the tyres or the build date and quiz the driver over fluid changes every time you get in a taxi or a bus?

[jjr1]

PAUL500 said:

Just jump in it and drive it, not like its a space shuttle or a highly stressed F1 car, its car built to do hundreds of thousands of miles for 30 years plus.

All the guff above, do you guys check the pressure on the tyres or the build date and quiz the driver over fluid changes every time you get in a taxi or a bus?

This man speaks a lot of sense.

There are a lot of weirdos on this site that really need to man up and get on with life. Sod whether they have the correct fluids, tyre pressures etc etc

My only consideration with these ultra low mileage/brand new cars is, are they cheap enough?

[valiant]

va1o said:

Are these the Dec 2015 registered 65-plates on their website? Story seems a little suspect, usually with these sort of cars they'll have been say abroad for a couple of years before coming over here as non-Uk spec imports.

Didn't something similar happen with a load of Alfa 156s? I believe it was a cancelled order to Malaysia or similar and as they were rhd they were shipped and sold here on the cheap. I believe they were sold here as new even though production for the uk market had ceased a couple of years previous.

[HustleRussell]

Check everything works, drive it... First service comes early doesn't it?

[PAUL500]

As they are nothing particularly special, after a thousand miles or so they will be worth just the same as any other similar 2012 model, probably less if they are not UK spec, so do they sound so cheap now? if it is a car you wanted new in 2012 then great, if not it's just a low miles used 3 year old BMW that will keep depreciating heavily.

[SteveSteveson]

PAUL500 said:

Just jump in it and drive it, not like its a space shuttle or a highly stressed F1 car, its car built to do hundreds of thousands of miles for 30 years plus.

All the guff above, do you guys check the pressure on the tyres or the build date and quiz the driver over fluid changes every time you get in a taxi or a bus?

Cars don't like sitting. They don't need much, but tyres sat without moving go hard, fluids not warmed take on moisture and rodents do get in cars that don't move. I have seen a 'Busa and a BMW R1150 after mice have got at them during a winter.

[cat with a hat]

I'd take the 1 year old 7k miles 330d over the 3 year old 200 miles 320d with a nicer interior for the same price.

[Yadizzle1]

Wouldn't bother me too much to be honest. All cars whether new or preowned go through a PDI and when the dealer buys the car in they perform an AUC check if it's a car that's going on the forecourt so it really should be ready to go. If anything does happen though, you should have a 1 year AUC warranty, plus you can get a BMW Insured warranty after the AUC warranty runs out if you want some peace of mind.