A severe downgrade!

Clio 172/182 was actually one of the possibilities, but I've known a few people who've bought cheap ones and had engine failures, gearbox failures and engine mount issues on them, so that's put me off slightly.

Trying to spend as close to £2,000 as possible without losing reliability.

Got two guys coming to look at the Z4 tomorrow, another guy currently on holiday who wants to look at it after next Sunday if it's still around and another guy who has contacted me earlier today.

Looks like it won't be long before it's gone :cry:
 
... dare I move from VAG & suggest a Volvo if u need a reliable D5 shed for that money?

On the silly money side, the latest models especially the XC60's have come on leaps & bounds.

Right, tin hat on
 
goldbcfc said:
I work for Volvo dealer were all HGV techs there's not one Volvo in the staff car park...lol
Click to expand...

Never owned one... but thanks for heads up to steer wife away from a XC60
 
I wouldn't go for an RS Clio if you need it to be cheap/reliable. They aren't, despite what some (lucky) owners might think, based on my experience of having 2. Cambelt job for a start is north of £600 minimum. They have a tendency to fall apart too.

I'd keep your eyes pealed for a 325Ti. Its a downgrade all right, but its got much of the same spirit and according to some, is the most fun non-M E46 3-series.
 
What you don't want is an e46 with expensive worn out parts on it. What you do want is a Ford Focus, loads to choose from with sensible miles and they are genuinely nice to drive. Refined, handle really well and not much goes wrong. My mum has a 56 Mk2 estate 1.8 petrol and it is missing cruise but there are cars with it. Look for Ghia which is the more luxury specification. I think they all have the heated windscreen which is a nice bonus. Here's an example: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201605284393261
 
TameRacingDriver said:
I wouldn't go for an RS Clio if you need it to be cheap/reliable. They aren't, despite what some (lucky) owners might think, based on my experience of having 2. Cambelt job for a start is north of £600 minimum. They have a tendency to fall apart too.

I'd keep your eyes pealed for a 325Ti. Its a downgrade all right, but its got much of the same spirit and according to some, is the most fun non-M E46 3-series.
Click to expand...

Yep, 325ti is just the job!

I bought an Imola Red 325ti Sport 18 months ago just within your budget - it even makes the right sort of noise when you give it the beans! Plus it's proving to be more economical than the Leon Cupra I had years ago (as well as a bit quicker and RWD)! :thumbsup:
 
Sorry there's only one option and that's an E85, just pick your moment you'll find one... May have to be a 2.5 but I owned one for a year and would have liked to have kept it many many more if I hadn't been do cruelly rear ended. Ok it's not an si and yea I prefer the car I have now (your coupes roady twin) but the drop in power should be just enough to stop you throwing big bucks on mods but the raw driving experience will still be all there especially if you go for a manual....
 
I'll get mocked for this suggestion but last year I needed a cheap car with most of your list plus a convertable , I bought an old slk 230 manual , parts are buttons , not great to drive but better than anyone thinks but you won't fall in love with it , comfortable enough for a long euro trip , I did France up to the ring , a couple of comedy laps , back down to Biarritz and back to England no problem . I even bought a bigger bottom pulley and had it re mapped to suit in Germany all for a few hundred quid and it was easily as quick as a 3ltr z4 , just sounded like a concrete mixer :lol:
I sold it to a mate a few months ago for £1400 and he's still driving around in it laughing about how cheap it was .
 
How about one of these? Keep your spirits up

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/bmw/z3/used-bmw-z3-2-8-2dr-st-austell-fpa-201606175002238?logcode=p

media
 
Mr Tidy said:
TameRacingDriver said:
I wouldn't go for an RS Clio if you need it to be cheap/reliable. They aren't, despite what some (lucky) owners might think, based on my experience of having 2. Cambelt job for a start is north of £600 minimum. They have a tendency to fall apart too.

I'd keep your eyes pealed for a 325Ti. Its a downgrade all right, but its got much of the same spirit and according to some, is the most fun non-M E46 3-series.
Click to expand...

Yep, 325ti is just the job!

I bought an Imola Red 325ti Sport 18 months ago just within your budget - it even makes the right sort of noise when you give it the beans! Plus it's proving to be more economical than the Leon Cupra I had years ago (as well as a bit quicker and RWD)! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Another vote for a 325ti, I bought mine last year and think it's great. I'm probably going to buy a second one to turn into a race car over the winter.
 
Fishy Dave said:
Another vote for a 325ti, I bought mine last year and think it's great. I'm probably going to buy a second one to turn into a race car over the winter.
Click to expand...

I'd love to know how you get on - I keep thinking about getting a cheap one as a track day toy!
 
Mr Tidy said:
Fishy Dave said:
Another vote for a 325ti, I bought mine last year and think it's great. I'm probably going to buy a second one to turn into a race car over the winter.
Click to expand...

I'd love to know how you get on - I keep thinking about getting a cheap one as a track day toy!
Click to expand...

E46 is a great car with cheap modifiactions for track I'm not sure where this Steve above guy is getting they have old worn parts when E46's are known for their reliability. I've had 3 so far and will probably sell my Z4 soon and buy another. I've had a lot of battles in my 330ci against 325ti wasn't nothing in them. There hard to find good compact ti's though as their quite sought after so prices normally high. E46 looks the part too if you can get a facelift one id get E36 if you want to do track though
 
goldbcfc said:
E46 is a great car with cheap modifiactions for track I'm not sure where this Steve above guy is getting they have old worn parts when E46's are known for their reliability. I've had 3 so far and will probably sell my Z4 soon and buy another. I've had a lot of battles in my 330ci against 325ti wasn't nothing in them. There hard to find good compact ti's though as their quite sought after so prices normally high. E46 looks the part too if you can get a facelift one id get E36 if you want to do track though
Click to expand...

I have an alert on AutoTrader - a 51 plate 325ti on 93K miles popped up on AutoTrader a few weeks ago for just under £1,000, which seemed pretty cheap to me! (It was that strange gold colour, but that hardly matters)!

I get what you mean about an E36 for track use, but from what I've seen good E36s are even harder to find as it really has to be a 328i and they seem to be priced noticeably higher than other models - a bit like E46 330is compared with 325is!
 
The e46 is known to regularly wear out certain bushes, suffers from rust in places, has a cooling system that often needs replacing, sensors and pump units fail. The Focus has just had the lower suspension arms need replacing plus consumables. That's where I'm getting it from and I had one. For someone who knows so much about e46s you don't know a lot.

nfbr isn't looking for something that can be modified to make a great track car, quite the opposite if you read it.
 
Mr Tidy said:
goldbcfc said:
E46 is a great car with cheap modifiactions for track I'm not sure where this Steve above guy is getting they have old worn parts when E46's are known for their reliability. I've had 3 so far and will probably sell my Z4 soon and buy another. I've had a lot of battles in my 330ci against 325ti wasn't nothing in them. There hard to find good compact ti's though as their quite sought after so prices normally high. E46 looks the part too if you can get a facelift one id get E36 if you want to do track though
Click to expand...

I have an alert on AutoTrader - a 51 plate 325ti on 93K miles popped up on AutoTrader a few weeks ago for just under £1,000, which seemed pretty cheap to me! (It was that strange gold colour, but that hardly matters)!

I get what you mean about an E36 for track use, but from what I've seen good E36s are even harder to find as it really has to be a 328i and they seem to be priced noticeably higher than other models - a bit like E46 330is compared with 325is!
Click to expand...

The E36 are going back up slowly in price now a lot are snapping the goods ones up. E46 was mass produced so prices are low at the moment like E36 was a few years ago when no one wanted them. So that's why you see better deals on them. That was the reason I sold my 330ci convertible I'd seen the prices fall it was a mint 1 previous owner. Looking back now though the prices are more or less the same for a good one so they don't loose too much value. I Paid £6500 and got back £5500 after 5yrs of having it so wasn't bad at all. They cost very little to run/maintain and parts are very cheap considered with Z4. All those faults the guy above has picked out are no different to age related faults you will see on most bmws,. From my experience it's best using meyle HD parts they have 4yr warranty more than bmw oem lemforder crap they used. I replaced a catalytic convertor and exhaust £450 on my first E46, abs pump and brake calliper £150 on my second E46 and abs sensor with new brake shoes £50 on my 3rd E46 over last 10 yrs. It will cost £30 for a meyle expansion tank so why not change it whilst doing the waterpump £30 meyle aswell. Compared to a Z4 n52 waterpump cooling really is not an issue. The Z4 n52 over engineered waterpump cost alot £500+ id be worried about that failing not the E46. As for rusty front wings bmw's wasn't galvanised like audi of that time which is why many ageing bmw's will get rusty wings not just E46. I have slight bubbling appearing on my o/s front wing on my Z4 at 13 yrs old. If you want a E46 get one id have another after my Z4 for sure. My last 325ci coupe I had cost £1500 I bought it with possible snapped handbrake from owners but was just handbrake shoes and abs sensor sold it 1 yr later for £2500 was mint had coilovers, satnav, heated electric seats, cruise control whats not to like the insides nicer than a e36 too.

heres old threads of 2 of the last e46 I had

http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f188/goldbcfcs-e46-325ci-coupe-project-picture-heavy-t310618/
 
goldbcfc said:
The E36 are going back up slowly in price now a lot are snapping the goods ones up. E46 was mass produced so prices are low at the moment like E36 was a few years ago when no one wanted them. So that's why you see better deals on them. That was the reason I sold my 330ci convertible I'd seen the prices fall it was a mint 1 previous owner. Looking back now though the prices are more or less the same for a good one so they don't loose too much value. I Paid £6500 and got back £5500 after 5yrs of having it so wasn't bad at all. They cost very little to run/maintain and parts are very cheap considered with Z4. All those faults the guy above has picked out are no different to age related faults you will see on most bmws,. From my experience it's best using meyle HD parts they have 4yr warranty more than bmw oem lemforder crap they used. I replaced a catalytic convertor and exhaust £450 on my first E46, abs pump and brake calliper £150 on my second E46 and abs sensor with new brake shoes £50 on my 3rd E46 over last 10 yrs. It will cost £30 for a meyle expansion tank so why not change it whilst doing the waterpump £30 meyle aswell. Compared to a Z4 n52 waterpump cooling really is not an issue. The Z4 n52 over engineered waterpump cost alot £500+ id be worried about that failing not the E46. As for rusty front wings bmw's wasn't galvanised like audi of that time which is why many ageing bmw's will get rusty wings not just E46. I have slight bubbling appearing on my o/s front wing on my Z4 at 13 yrs old. If you want a E46 get one id have another after my Z4 for sure. My last 325ci coupe I had cost £1500 I bought it with possible snapped handbrake from owners but was just handbrake shoes and abs sensor sold it 1 yr later for £2500 was mint had coilovers, satnav, heated electric seats, cruise control whats not to like the insides nicer than a e36 too.

heres old threads of 2 of the last e46 I had

http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f188/goldbcfcs-e46-325ci-coupe-project-picture-heavy-t310618/
Click to expand...

Thanks, I know exactly what you mean about N52 water pumps as I had to have a new one last December! As you say £500 for the pump and another £100 for the thermostat, plus fitting!

I think M54 engine is probably the sweet spot for the combination of power, reliability and sensible running costs, but sadly it never found it's way into an E86 (I just don't do convertibles)! :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom