I'm looking at getting an 03/04 plate M3. Has anyone had one and can tell me anything to look out for? Also which gearbox to go for?
Cheers
Daz
I'm looking at getting an 03/04 plate M3. Has anyone had one and can tell me anything to look out for? Also which gearbox to go for?
Cheers
Daz
Manaul box. The SMG is expensive if it goes wrong
Listen for noise on startup , could be vanos unit failure. They are serviceable though by people in the know.
Dont forget it was an expensive performance car when new , and most genuine parts are still expensive.
As above
I am sure you Will but check the life left on discs, pads and types as it would pay to factor them in if they are getting close as they are not cheap and an unwelcome bill just after paying out for the car.
The boot floors fall out
BMW will repair it as a good will gesture if the car's less than ten years old, at a book price of £8,500! That could be part of the reason why the early ones are so cheap now - They're past the ten year point!
As already mention, don't touch the SMG, Vano's and the rear subframe, it twist etc and tear the boot floor where the rear frame bolted on. Hundreds of posts about it if you google it. Can be very hard to spot, but have seen some really bad ones. No matter what, it will go at some point. Like Billy said, BMW will fix it, but doesn't honner every claim, once the car is over ten years, tuff luck. They also least likely to fix if the car not standard etc to.
The fix is a big job and is also reinforced. Again, serving and parts are still high and unlikely to ever be cheap as mention. Others things you wanna look out for is fake serving stamps etc and back street garages as they will most likely only do the basics when serving instead of the proper full list for the major service at BMW them selfs.
Look out for the running in stamp and the brake fluid (and clutch I think.) service stamp every two years which will be in a different part of the service book.
Bushes are a usual fail/worn, check rear tailing arms and front wishbones, even tyre wear, what brand of tyres and if correct size, they should be wider rears on a 35 profile, front wings for rust bubbling up as they are wide and get covered in stone chips because of this.
Prob a lot more, that's just off the top of my head, oh, and go for sliver grey, best colour.
How do you spot a boot floor that's already been fixed by BMW?
It would look new underneathOriginally Posted by Trevhib
On a serous side, ask the seller, he should know about the fault and if doesn't, could be a cover up and that's why he selling it, or if has been done he should have full detail invoice of the work that was done. Also, could ring any Bmw dealership and it should be on there system if its ever been brought in for the free check, that's a good way to catch sellers out.
Unless you got deep pockets, don't buy one.
Buying it the only cheap part about owning one.
This is why you now see ones up for sale with high previous owner counts as heave on fuel for the performance you get even if you drive like a granny. Then you to have proper serving, disc and pads, a sub frame issuers, tyre wear and £250 plus for decent correct size tyres, corroding alloy, tracking out from bushes failing so there goes another set of tires (that another £1,000.), and it doesn't matter if its low miles car, as bushes etc deteriorate over time regardless.
Still want one?
I was imagining a crack or something minor. That looks real nasty is that becauseof too much power ?
Just put it this way, they built a 340bhp rwd car with near enough same design as the bottom of the range spec.
After a big long court case of failures, built qty was in a grey area you could say hence BMW did/are fixing them for free under certain conditions but only if they choose to.
I was just asking because an original floor that may or may not be about to knacker up and a replaced/strengthened floor, will probably have subtle differences that would be useful to spot when purchasing.
The smg gearbox is the same as the manual only with a electro mechanical shifter mechanism.
Tyres on these cars cost a few quid, £500 for a pair of rear tyres which if driven hard last no longer than 6000 miles, genuine brake discs are £275 a pair and don't even bother with the non gen ones. Avarage mpg will be around 20mpg if used round town and on short runs, only time it will better is on the motorway cruising where 35mpg is achievable. Rear springs are common to be broken, as are the rear diff mounts in the floor.
Buy on condition and full service, also check to see if it has had the rod bolt recall. Cars on the not so nice 18'' wheels are a nicer drive but don't look so good, your choice. All of the above can be used as bargaining tools so don't be put off as these are great cars and so rewarding when pushed hard, don't let anyone tell you that they would smoke it in there stock evo, sti, wrx as it's simply not true, more hp than the evos and scobbys and less transmission losses, more power to the road!!!!!
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