Is it time to replace the 330i with an M3?!Mr Tidy said:Yes congratulations.
I did the same thing in March 2019 when I bought my 2005 330i to go with my 3.0Si Coupe. The only downside is you can't really hear the N52 in the 3 Series.
Then in December I got carried away and replaced my 3.0Si with my MC.
I'll let you the lack of photos seeing as it's dark now!
Daily drives
- Thread starter RayM
- Start date
Fred Smith
Active member
Mr Tidy said:BMWZ4MC said:
No, because if I did the MC wouldn't feel so special!
And I like the freedom of having a teenage Cat N total loss 330i shed I can park anywhere without worrying about it (too much).
Anyway as I'm a pensioner two M cars might mean I'd starve. :lol:
Some things are worth the sacrifice
Fred Smith
Active member
BMWZ4MC said:Yup - looks good
Thanks - it is much shabbier around the edges than the photos make it look, and there are other things that make it an :thumbsdown: undesirable example. Interior is very nice, and it drove beautifully, however.
My belief based on looking at the car and paperwork and chatting to the seller, is that the car was bought about 8 years ago by a bloke who (I think) maintained it mechanically at his local indie, but otherwise somewhat ran it into the ground. The seller lives very close to and knows this long term owner and bought it from him a year ago with the intention of having it as his own car... as a result he has spent lots of money trying to bring it back up to standard, but hasn't quite finished (not least exterior paint which is shabby). He had a personal plate on it for a while, and sold due to buying a Mercedes 350 AMG (IIRC). Saying that, the seller seems like a bit of an amateur car dealer, so maybe he never had any real desire to own it long term.
The car came with good condition 189s with fairly new budget tyres fitted. Also came with MV3s which need a refurb (but look OK ish from a distance, and also have fairly new budget tyres on them).
The first big decision is do I keep the 189s, get the MV3s refurbished or go for a third option? I prefer the MV3s to 189s I think, but not a massive fan of them.
Out of curiousity, how much of the comfort increase on the E91 compared to my E86 down to having 18s on the E91 and 19s on the E86, and how much other factors? Both cars are SE level.
I have a set of MV2s that I bought for the Z4 [8” x 18” ET47 – front // 8 ½” x 18” ET50 – rear]. I got them because I like them and wanted to try 18s on the Z4, but not got round to getting tyres yet. I'm now thinking that maybe the MV2s should get decent quality new tyres and go on the E91 (with spacers?), and the MV3s should go on the Z4 to see what I make of 18s on an E86. I think I will conclude "sports car - comfort irrelevant" and stick with 19s, then I might have 189s and MV3s to sell!
The car also came with - some interior and exterior trim; new wiper blades (despite having new Bosche blades fitted); hard-wired dashcam newly fitted but not set up; upgrade / boxed amp and speakers (I think he said he didn't get around to fitting them, but maybe I forget and the originals are what is boxed and provided); two new rear brake calipers; some new sensor or other; m sport steering wheel and gear knob were fitted, but originals came with the car; Side sweep wing indicators fitted (originals supplied); lots of other stuff, mainly new and unfitted. It's going to take me ages to go though it all! The only issue with the drive home was the squeaking and rattling of a fully loaded back of the car - seats down and wheels / parts everywhere!
Fred Smith
Active member
pvr said:It looks nice from a distance in any case, and the engine on those are a peach. Enjoy the bringing it to your standard
Thank you, I will do.
jenniferlouise
Senior member
Fred Smith
Active member
jenniferlouise said:
What is it?
Not very exciting story, but I currently own 3 cars all made in 2006. One of my neighbours has 4 cars in his household, 3 from 2006 and 1 Merc from 2013 which is quite similar to that one from my non-expert point of view. One day I need to get my two beemers lined up next to his two mercs (we often park close, being two of the very few people in the street with more cars than drives)
Fred Smith said:
It's an E Class Estate that has melted!
I did have two cars made in 2006 until I swapped my 3 Series as my current one was made in 2005. But all 3 of my E86s were registered in December 2006, 22nd, 29th and now 12th. BMW seemed to push Z4 sales in that month as my first one was a pre-reg and my current one was registered by BMW UK. Maybe there was a sales target with a bonus?!
My 330i is an SE and has 17" run-flats, Continental summers and Hankook winters, and definitely rides better than my E86 Sports did on 18" Bridgestone run-flats - but that isn't difficult!
Bear in mind your Z4 wheels will need spacers to fit your 330i. Staggered Z4 18s are 8J ET47 front and 8.5J ET50 rear, whereas E90s have 8J ET34 fronts and 8.5J ET37 rears.
Fred Smith
Active member
Mr Tidy said:
19" on my E86 is rattly! Bit fuck it, I don't mind, my son doesn't mind, and it's a sports car!
The 330i is obviously much more comfy.... I can't believe I've done ten years in that lancer... but maybe new seats and suspension and it'd be pretty cool.
I have spacers that seem to be in the right ballpark. I might get tyres on the MV2s, try them on the Z4, put them on spacers on the E91 (and/or keep them for the Z4), and sell one or both of the wheels I have. I think I might get the MV3s refurbed and sell the 5 spoke wheels.
So many parts came with the car - brand new parts that were never fitted and originals which he has replaced. It's going to take many evenings to work out what it all is and catalogue the stuff that's boxed! History is somewhat unimpressive! BMW claim it has never once been serviced by them, and it was a CAT C.
jenniferlouise
Senior member
Thanks Fred; no, it’s not a melted E class, it’s a CLS (see page 7 of this thread). Which means different ride set up and lot of aluminium panels on an E. The Fiat 500 went (page 10) for a MINI (still have and still love).
jenniferlouise
Senior member
None takenMr Tidy said:
OK I may have been slightly unkind with my description, but despite aluminium panels it's still the best part of 2 tonnes.
you’re right… 1900-something kgs. Always fancied a column shift gear-thingy. Muscle memory means I’ve almost downshifted whilst trying to wipe the ‘screen a few times 
Fred Smith
Active member
pvr said:It looks nice from a distance in any case, and the engine on those are a peach. Enjoy the bringing it to your standard
Having driven it a bit more, it seems like a win win so far.
If I bring it up to standard it could be a very nice car.
If I do nothing then the only real issue is it degrading and the look of the bodywork if you get close. The driving experience is very good due to interior and the way it drives. Quite a few bits of interior trim replaced, new mats, proper valet etc etc - inside it feels and drives a lot lot younger than it is.
Negatives include no service history other than recent local garages and BMW claim that the car has never in it's life been serviced by them.
I would have loved to be more choosey, but so few manual N52 E91s come up, and the price wasn't too bad.
Fred Smith said:
I can relate to that.
When I was looking for a manual E91 with the N52 engine in 2018 there about 10 times as many 325is as 330is, and the 330s were nearly twice the price so I got a 325i. But the performance was a bit underwhelming (maybe having an E86 didn't help?) so in 2019 I tried again, but with no more success.
Then I realised I'd only ever had the seats folded when I wanted to move a set of wheels so when I found my manual E90 330i with the split-fold rear seat option I got that instead as 4 wheels fit fine!
Fred Smith
Active member
There seem to be quite a lot of coupes and convertibles, but if you want an N52 3 series touring there is very little, and most are automatics. And whilst I think BMW saloons and estates look good in silver, I prefer black or navy or maybe (maybe) something outlandish. Again my colour preference halves an already tiny market.
Ebay right now
Search - BMW 330i - 86 cars
Narrow to Manual - 8 cars
Narrow to Touring - 0 cars
Just need to get shot of my old Lancer, which I simultaneously now hate because it feels so crap, whilst loving the practicality... definitely the best option for the car to take out in the salt earlier tonight! If I had space and car tax was shifted onto fuel I'd keep the Lancer.
Ebay right now
Search - BMW 330i - 86 cars
Narrow to Manual - 8 cars
Narrow to Touring - 0 cars
Just need to get shot of my old Lancer, which I simultaneously now hate because it feels so crap, whilst loving the practicality... definitely the best option for the car to take out in the salt earlier tonight! If I had space and car tax was shifted onto fuel I'd keep the Lancer.