Cool cars for sale that ain't yours!

[Sully]

Tops and TCT's! Oh and my trunk leaks badly. Need to replace taillight seals to see if that's it or if the dipshits who did my top messed something up

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[SlimKlim]

^ So yeah, keeping any old fun car in tip top shape is always gonna take some money and time. I think the real trick of it is to get to the point where you really have a full understanding of it going in. Pretty sure most of us have gotten ourselves completely upside down in one project or another, and it sucks. But you learn from those mistakes and start to budget your time and money appropriately so that you bite off what you can chew. When I shop for cars now I think of it in five major chunks. 1.) Car purchase 2.) Initial after-purchase maintenance 3.) Slush fund for unexpected repairs 4.) Monthly gas, insurance and consumables costs (tires, brakes, fluids) 5.) Modifications I want.

With lots of research and a thorough PPI from a trustworthy shop you can eliminate most of the mystery from #2, give yourself a healthy margin for #3, and if you can still actually afford it when you've added up all 5, you'll have a car that you'll enjoy.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Meh, only if you planned to daily drive it, and presumably with mileage that low, coming from an enthusiast seller, keeping up with what broke on it while getting 2000mi/year would be nothing like the hell most of us dumbass MM BMW guys subject ourselves too.

Makes me think the only way to really enjoy a BMW is to lease or buy new and sell when the warranty expires. Unless you're made out of money and time.

It's your price point. You really expect a high-end sports car/luxury car for $4k? If you do, expect massive pain with maintenance.

My moms E46 M3, which we bought 9 years old when we bought it. Has put 50k miles on and 5 years on has needed an alternator and a diff pinion seal. Bought it for $14k with 88k miles, and is still worth 10-12k 5 years later. If we had bought a $14k E46 330i with 40k miles, it would be worth all of 6k today at 90k miles. Spending more money /= spending more money.

Fun crap under $10k is expensive in time. I HATE it when people base the "reliability" of a car based on the sub-$10k examples of a 50-60k+ vehicle. Really? When scrape bottom barrel, you are getting bottom barrel cars.

[Senor_Taylor]

Dj, you say this, but I think there are plenty of examples of people paying good money and still not fairing so well. Looking at Stephen's M3. He didn't buy a cheap one and he has done a few things to it already. I think it's crazy that you can buy an e46 then still have to drop a couple thousand to fix the subframe. Then money for the valve adjustments, then over $100 to change the oil every time. They are super expensive to maintain properly. While that may be all you've replaced, I'm sure it has cost more.

All the while, the bushings and plastics are so so brittle and crappy that your sun visor clips break every other year and your aah tray cover looks like it has a disease.

[CaptainHenreh]

I think it's crazy that you can buy an e46 then still have to drop a couple thousand to fix the subframe. Then money for the valve adjustments, then over $100 to change the oil every time. They are super expensive to maintain properly. While that may be all you've replaced, I'm sure it has cost more.

All the while, the bushings and plastics are so so brittle and crappy that your sun visor clips break every other year and your aah tray cover looks like it has a disease.

[youtube]yLHGTJjHXLo[/youtube]

[SlimKlim]

Dj, you say this, but I think there are plenty of examples of people paying good money and still not fairing so well. Looking at Stephen's M3. He didn't buy a cheap one and he has done a few things to it already. I think it's crazy that you can buy an e46 then still have to drop a couple thousand to fix the subframe. Then money for the valve adjustments, then over $100 to change the oil every time. They are super expensive to maintain properly. While that may be all you've replaced, I'm sure it has cost more.

All the while, the bushings and plastics are so so brittle and crappy that your sun visor clips break every other year and your aah tray cover looks like it has a disease.

I thought he paid like $12k for his M3? That's like, stupid cheap money for a half-decent 3-pedal E46 M and I'd be more surprised if he didn't need to deal with some immediate maintenance items.

I paid $7k for my car way back in the day when solid E36 M3s were 10-15k. It was a $10k car before the week was out.

And yeah DJ's Mom's car has cost more money to own than just the items that actually broke. Surprise surprise, cars with big fat tires, huge brakes and high strung engines cost more money to maintain than a Toyota pickup truck.

It all comes back to understanding the cars and their common weak points and being prepared for it, financially and mentally, before you even buy the thing.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Dj, you say this, but I think there are plenty of examples of people paying good money and still not fairing so well. Looking at Stephen's M3. He didn't buy a cheap one and he has done a few things to it already. I think it's crazy that you can buy an e46 then still have to drop a couple thousand to fix the subframe. Then money for the valve adjustments, then over $100 to change the oil every time. They are super expensive to maintain properly. While that may be all you've replaced, I'm sure it has cost more.

All the while, the bushings and plastics are so so brittle and crappy that your sun visor clips break every other year and your aah tray cover looks like it has a disease.

uhh $100 oil changes, expensive tires, valve adjustments and guess what, 15 year old interiors need some love.
We refreshed the interior to the tune of $300 when she bought it, oil changes are once a year at $85 (liquomoly and mahle filter), and subframe reinforcement is just because I will probably own it and costs $250 #powerslides.

Again, this is why you shouldn't own one. Can't have your cake without paying for it.

FYI- My mom maintains super close budgets, and this E46 M3 has actually been her cheapest car to own by date simply because of DIY. And that's going in KNOWING that this car would be a maintenance pit compared to a corolla.

None of this it to say they are cheap to own, but having the knowledge, choosing your battles and understanding where you are going saves a lot of $$ long term instead of hoping for the best buying crap cans.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Car guy = worst wallet hobby #fact

[davej]

Car guy = worst wallet hobby #fact

do you know anyone with a boat?

[JPolen01]

Car guy = worst wallet hobby #fact

do you know anyone with a boat?

Or an airplane?

[Mike]

or a child?

[Senor_Taylor]

So I should sell my car and buy a boat and a plane, then mate them together.

[Jake]

So I should sell my car and buy a boat and a plane, then mate them together.

And send their spawn to college.

[RawrImAMonster]

Dj, you say this, but I think there are plenty of examples of people paying good money and still not fairing so well. Looking at Stephen's M3. He didn't buy a cheap one and he has done a few things to it already. I think it's crazy that you can buy an e46 then still have to drop a couple thousand to fix the subframe. Then money for the valve adjustments, then over $100 to change the oil every time. They are super expensive to maintain properly. While that may be all you've replaced, I'm sure it has cost more.

All the while, the bushings and plastics are so so brittle and crappy that your sun visor clips break every other year and your aah tray cover looks like it has a disease.

I thought he paid like $12k for his M3? That's like, stupid cheap money for a half-decent 3-pedal E46 M and I'd be more surprised if he didn't need to deal with some immediate maintenance items.

I paid $7k for my car way back in the day when solid E36 M3s were 10-15k. It was a $10k car before the week was out.

And yeah DJ's Mom's car has cost more money to own than just the items that actually broke. Surprise surprise, cars with big fat tires, huge brakes and high strung engines cost more money to maintain than a Toyota pickup truck.

It all comes back to understanding the cars and their common weak points and being prepared for it, financially and mentally, before you even buy the thing.

Yeah $12k for a E46 M3 is about as cheap as you can get and still have a decent one. Luckily (or not since I knew what I was looking for when I bought it) mine has been super solid mechanically so far. The only thing that actually needed to be fixed was the subframe and that's just something that all e46 m3's need. Valve adjustments aren't really a big deal since you can have the full kit to do it for around $300. And that will probably last you more than one adjustment.

[fiveoh2go]

When you buy old, busted, performance shit (regardless of make) be prepared to fix it. Frequently.

Moral of the story...buy the nicest example of whatever it is that you're into that you can also afford. And maybe if you can't buy a decent example of what you want with the money you have wait until you can or look at other vehicles. My second cars have always been fun cars that are pleasure use only. There is no pleasure for me in continually fixing something instead of actually driving/using the car. Wrenching is fun when its a scheduled thing but not when it is required because something else has broken or needs attention and must be addressed before the car can be used.

[Senor_Taylor]

Well said guys. I guess this a good lesson to learn.

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[ScottyB]

15k mile 2004 (first year) STi creampuff. $27k
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[Senor_Taylor]

I'm more interested in that Ford behind it.

[fiveoh2go]

15k mile 2004 (first year) STi creampuff. $27k
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Maaan, always wanted one of these. I remember first being exposed to these cars by a Hot Rod magazine cover story comparo with the STi going head to head with a Terminator Cobra. It's also interesting the parallel between both cars that after 10+ years each have cultivated and kept a very loyal/cult-like following as well as holding their value extremely well.




Are all the Cobb pieces "period correct" or are they more modern than that?

[JPolen01]

Wow that thing looks cherry. The seats have like no wear marks. $27k doesn't seem like a crazy price either for such low miles.