The BMW UUC Digest Volume 2 : Issue 518 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? Re: What would you get for 10K? carfax request
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 15:51:03 -0800 From: David Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> In a few months I am going to be looking for another used BMW and I have been finding a lot of nice cars that can be had for around $10K. Being a E30 type of guy I was originally going to try and find a real clean E30 of some sort but after looking around I have seen quite a few BMW's that I would like to own. This brings me to my questions....if you had about $10K to spend on a used BMW...what would you buy? Why? Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 21:42:43 -0800 (PST) From: Tammer Farid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I agree with others' comments on the E36 NOT being a POS, but I'll throw out some other ideas: Any used BMW will require an initial expenditure (over the first year or so) of money/time to bring it up to the condition you want. So is $10k your starting point or upper cutoff? If the latter, you may want to consider something a little older and less costly, and budget for repairs/upgrades. An excellent E30 can be had for less than $5k, and you'd have a nice little cash pile to handle anything that comes up. You could stretch it to $12k for an E28 M5 or a very good E30 M3, if that's your bag. You could pick up an E28 535is for $4k or less. Lots of ways to go ... Having owned both an E36 and my current E28, I can tell you that both are a lot of fun and very reliable. The E28, by virtue of its age, requires more upkeep and preventive work, but at 240k miles it's still a blast and I prefer it's character to the E36. The E36, though, is an easier car to live with day-to-day. It's just more modern. For instance, every time I drive by a refinery or freshly fertilized field, I miss the E36 cabin microfilter. E36 HVAC is quieter and works faster, there's less wind noise (convertibles excepted of course), and so on. But no one ever approached me at gas stations to talk about the E36, and people never commented, "I can't believe how well this thing drives!" as they do after getting a glimpse of the 535's odometer. Incidentally, both cars were comfortable and reliable on cross-country trips. It all depends on what you're after. -tammer '87 535is, 240k, the never-ending project ex-'94 325iC, safely in sister's stewardship '85 GTI 8V, the parts-getter/pothole-dodger/general beater --- David Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This brings me to my questions....if you had about $10K > to spend on a > used BMW...what would you buy? Why? > > Dave __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 10:13:30 -0800 (PST) From: Carlos Lopez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- Tammer Farid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I agree with others' comments on the E36 NOT being a POS, > but I'll throw out some other ideas: Throw another *agree* here from an E36 owner. Not a POS, not a maintenance nightmare but I'm a DIYer as well. > Any used BMW will require an initial expenditure (over the > first year or so) of money/time to bring it up to the > condition you want. So is $10k your starting point or > upper cutoff? If the latter, you may want to consider > something a little older and less costly, and budget for > repairs/upgrades. An excellent E30 can be had for less > than $5k, and you'd have a nice little cash pile to handle > anything that comes up. I got a good deal on my E36 and actually came very close to that $5K mark, my goal was a race car and I believe I'm at about $8-9K at this point in my budget (all maintenance up, all new suspension components, new cooling system components, DA GC race suspension/3 sets of springs, yada, yada) and the car to be a true race car only needs a cage ($2K) at this point. So for me that $10K is getting me an E36 race car. I still have some items that will cost quite a bit to make it competitive which will drive the figure up but for starters it'll be pretty close to a $10K car. Carlos. 88 325is 93 325is __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 15:47:05 -0800 From: David Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Sun, 2005-01-30 at 10:13 -0800, Carlos Lopez wrote: > --- Tammer Farid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I agree with others' comments on the E36 NOT being a POS, > > but I'll throw out some other ideas: > > Throw another *agree* here from an E36 owner. Not a POS, not a > maintenance nightmare but I'm a DIYer as well. Hehe...I knew bringing up the 'E36 POS' comments from Roundel would get a response ;-) Thanks for everyones feedback. I'll be keeping an eye out for a good deal on a E36. Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 07:57:27 -0500 From: Dave Meyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This brings me to my questions....if you had about $10K to spend on a used BMW...what would you buy? Why? Test drive the models you're interested in (they all drive differently), prioritize your preferences (which models you like), then factor in maintenance (mileage, condition, costs, self or dealer). This should narrow down your search to one or two models, then from there you can search for the right car. As for the E36, it is not a POS. I purchased a new 99 328is (last year E36) and owned it for 5.5 years and 80K miles. It was a wonderful driver, and never let me down. During my ownership, I had routine maintenance done by an independant I trust, and replaced brakes, cooling system and a couple minor things. When I consider how much I enjoyed driving it against what it cost to maintain it, I think it was worth it. In fact, I liked that car so much, I've actually asked the guy I sold it to if he wants to sell it back to me. Whatever car you decide to purchase, run a Carfax report, check all maintenance documentation, and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a technician you trust. HTH. Dave Meyer 99 M coupe Stafford VA -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.2 - Release Date: 1/28/2005 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 12:35:58 -0800 From: JKerouac <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Dave Meyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> An E36 is a pos? Sounds like a stock broker trying to beat down the share price of a company he wants to own. Nothing like a good solid attack on resale values to get us riled up to defend our rides. Barry '97 //M3 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:29:01 -0500 From: "Marc Plante" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Clean E36 325i or 328i. The Ms will be a little too pricey. shop autotrader, be willing to travel and look for something closer to wholesale than retail. people get desparate eventually and give away cars cheap. Marc Plante E36 M3/4 60k Vienna, VA ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: [UUC] What would you get for 10K? Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 15:51:03 -0800 > > > In a few months I am going to be looking for another used BMW and I have > been finding a lot of nice cars that can be had for around $10K. Being a > E30 type of guy I was originally going to try and find a real clean E30 > of some sort but after looking around I have seen quite a few BMW's that > I would like to own. > > This brings me to my questions....if you had about $10K to spend on a > used BMW...what would you buy? Why? > > Dave > > Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > __________________________________________________________________________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:06:13 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: Phil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I've had my E36 (92 325i) for 5 yrs this month. Bought it with 42K on the clock in Jan 2000 from the local dealer for $12,700. It was a one owner car and in fairly decent shape except the PO didn't maintain the leather like they should have and the windows weren't tinted (a must in the Florida sun) so interior was a little rough. I've had some big ticket problems with it (worst was tranny went out at 82K miles.....I opted to have mine rebuilt by Mr Transmission for $2200 as opposed to paying the dealer $3700 for R & R'ing it with a remanufactured one). Other items were radiator replacement (plastic neck failed from heat), ball joints, muffler and still not sure what I'm dealing with on the noises coming from the steering when cold. I could list more but don't want to eat up too much bandwidth. I think there used to be a site that listed common failure items on E36's but can't remember it right now. Maybe another lister will remember? A suggestion: Get a good independent technician for service and you won't incur near as much cost as going to the dealer. Ask around and find a reputable one. I don't know what I'd do without the guy who takes care of mine. He's a one man shop that doesn't even advertise but his parking lot is always full of older BMW's and Saabs. Even with the problems I've had, it's still a joy to drive at 113K miles. Very tight and the M50 189 HP engine is still very strong. I'm counting on it to continue being strong for a few more yrs as I don't want to replace it yet and I've heard the M50 can last a long time as long as you take care of it and change oil regularly. Good luck in your search. Phil 92 E36/M50 -----Original Message----- From: David Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Jan 29, 2005 5:40 PM To: Marc Plante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [UUC] What would you get for 10K? On Sat, 2005-01-29 at 19:29 -0500, Marc Plante wrote: > Clean E36 325i or 328i. The Ms will be a little too pricey. > > shop autotrader, be willing to travel and look for something closer to > wholesale than retail. people get desparate eventually and give away cars > cheap. > > Marc Plante > E36 M3/4 60k > Vienna, VA How is the upkeep on a E36? The current Roundel has a few comments on the E36 being a P.O.S. when compared to other BMW's. For me, someone who has never taken a car to a mechanic, this may not be a problem....or is it? Dave Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 15:58:06 -0600 From: "Paul Garnier" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> OH HELLA YEAH!! E36's SUCK!! They are dreadfully expensive to buy, maintain and insure!!! Especially the silver on silver 4 door 5sp M3 sedan!! I would "NEVER" own one of those!!! P.S.: If anyone owns one of these ticking time-bombs I would be happy to come and take it away before it destroys your marriage, sex-life, dental-health, causes cancer and makes your kids fail school!! ;-) Paul A. Garnier Systems Integration FastNetworking '95 M3 coupe '96 328i sedan (fixin to trade them both for a high mile e23 745i, for increased reliability and peace of mind) -----Original Message----- From: JKerouac [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 2:36 PM To: Dave Meyer Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [UUC] What would you get for 10K? An E36 is a pos? Sounds like a stock broker trying to beat down the share price of a company he wants to own. Nothing like a good solid attack on resale values to get us riled up to defend our rides. Barry '97 //M3 Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ __ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 17:40:26 -0800 From: David Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Marc Plante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Sat, 2005-01-29 at 19:29 -0500, Marc Plante wrote: > Clean E36 325i or 328i. The Ms will be a little too pricey. > > shop autotrader, be willing to travel and look for something closer to > wholesale than retail. people get desparate eventually and give away cars > cheap. > > Marc Plante > E36 M3/4 60k > Vienna, VA How is the upkeep on a E36? The current Roundel has a few comments on the E36 being a P.O.S. when compared to other BMW's. For me, someone who has never taken a car to a mechanic, this may not be a problem....or is it? Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 21:05:26 -0500 From: "Michael Gambini" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I had an E36 93 325i for about 9 yrs and 125K miles with just a couple of oxy sensors, brakes,water pump(didn't fail--did as preventive action), and brake light switch. Now have E36 99M3 with 75K, and so far so good. They are very reliable if you give them reasonable care. Friend has an E46 and has lots of electrical gremlins. MikeG > How is the upkeep on a E36? The current Roundel has a few comments on > the E36 being a P.O.S. when compared to other BMW's. For me, someone who > has never taken a car to a mechanic, this may not be a problem....or is > it? > > Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:55:57 -0800 From: Jim Bassett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: What would you get for 10K? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 05:40 PM 1/29/05, David Thomas talked about: >How is the upkeep on a E36? The current Roundel has a few comments on >the E36 being a P.O.S. when compared to other BMW's. IMNSHO, Mike Miller has a huge chip on his shoulder when it comes to E36s. Are there problems? Yes. Is the E36 a POS? No. It's not like E30s, E28, and heaven forbid, the vaunted 2002 didn't have their share of problems. >For me, someone who >has never taken a car to a mechanic, this may not be a problem....or is >it? You've never taken a car to a mechanic because you're fully capable of fixing anything that goes wrong, or that you've been unusually lucky? :-) If it's the former, you should be alright. There are plenty of resources for repair info. The 96+ ones, with ODB-II will be a bit more troublesome in that the CE lights tend to need a code reader to retrieve the codes (it's almost always something emissions related). The Peake Research tool is pretty handy (I have one), but having a local mechanic who can pull out the full, more informative, code can come in handy. Will you be able to keep your streak of never going to a mechanic? Can't say, it all depends on the car you buy - and it's not dependent on whether or not it's an E36. You could get a good one that won't give you trouble, or you could a POS. But that's true of ANY used car you'd buy. My (biased) 2 cents, Jim Bassett - performs all regular maintenance and has 2 really good mechanics for the big and/or messy stuff :-) ex-1996 328is 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 09:21:17 -0400 From: "Roger Langille" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: carfax request Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> If anyone has an open Carfax account, the VIN is WBADP6342YBV65667 Thanks very much. Roger Langille ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(13 messages) **********
