Help ? About to place the order !

[The Badger]

Good evening guys - hope you are all well..... at last I think I have found the unicorn ! I have been desperate to get back in a Z for a number of months but was quite specific about what I wanted ! AT LAST the wait is over after a few false starts - here's where I need your help - the car is a Jan 2014 2.8is - mineral white/ red leather - auto - 50k with full main dealer service history the car is in fist class condition (it has some peeling of the alloy coating on one wheel and it needs two tyres as they are down to the wear indicators - the garage have assured me they will put tyres on it and refurb all the alloys before I pick it up ) however here is the twist - I first saw the car on the BMW approved network and expressed an interest in it - once it came through the dealer they called me to tell me that they were not going to offer it as an approved BMW as it needed too much spending on it and they were going to send it to auction - two weeks later up it pops at a local but reputable dealer ? - on inspecting the paperwork and service history it was from the main dealer where I first saw it ? I questioned the garage and he was quite open said that he had picked the car up at auction and it was probably not viable for the main dealer to resale due to its age ? He is offering the car with 6 months RAC warranty and a full HPI check - HERE''S WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP those of you that know me know I have zero knowledge of cars and especially the oily bits - so my question is 1. Should I buy it ? and 2. Why did the main dealer send it to auction is it a disaster waiting to happen ? at £15k it's not a cheap car ? HELP ! - the main dealer is Haliwell Jones Warrington and the Garage Selling the car is GG Cars in Preston - you can see the car on their website for anyone whose interested ( I've just forgotten how to post)

Thanks to danyone and everyone in anticipation for any help you can provide

 

[john-e89]

Whilst 15k certainly isn’t cheap Mr B I’m afraid it is for a dealer, they just don’t have that kind of car on their forecourt, it’s too old. The other guy picking it up at auction and making a couple of grand on it is standard practice, there’s no reason it should have anything wrong with it just because a main dealer refused to sell it. If it checks out, the same as any other car, go ahead. If you really don’t know what to look for get someone, ie, the AA to run a check on it for you. Nothing shouts dodgy about this, it’s how cars are sold other than private.

 

[john-e89]

Oh and as for your concern about is it a disaster waiting to happen...the last people to know that would be main dealers....a quick once over of tyres, service book, MOT date and a brief glance on the bodywork is enough for them, there is zero chance of them knowing if it’s a bad car or not, not worth their time looking.

 

[The Badger]

Thanks John - the car drives great and I run out of talent long before "it "runs out of power - everything works as it should I have seen the car at its worse as it's just arrived so wasn't valeted or cleaned it still had the previous owners cd in the CD player so once it's had a "shave and a shower" it will look completely different ! I'm just a bit concerned as I've only ever bought from main dealers - thanks again - I'll have another Hendricks and FeverTree and make the decision

 

[john-e89]

I don’t put any faith in main dealers Mr B, they’re no better or worse than the man on the street corner, a quick once over of tyres, MOT, bodywork, service history and out it goes under the AUC banner, about as much use as the covers next to nothing warranty. The only reason they’re not selling it is age, they won’t have any more idea of its true condition than any other main dealership or the guy under a railway bridge.

 

[The Badger]

Thank s John you wouldn't believe I worked for Auto Trader for 20 years would you ! On the magazine sales side so always enjoyed company cars and used main dealers - also living with a wife and two daughters who share my complete ignorance with cars and their workings sometimes just need a friendly bit ouf advice - thanks so much I think I'll probably buy it it is a piece of art stunning looking car

 

[john-e89]

I hope it is all you want Mr B, don’t forget the pics if you go ahead please.... :driving:

 

[IRD]

Agree with everything John says. Get it checked and if it’s OK consider buying an extended warranty from one of the decent providers. Good luck.

 

[Smartbear]

Hi badger I’d get them to fit non-runflats to the rear & replace the fronts with the same yourself as it will ride better and help protect the fragile bmw wheels from cracking
Rob

 

[sars]

Oh good luck, hope it turns out wonderfully, the 2.8 is going to be fun

 

[Busterboo]

Badger, why bother to buy a car you have doubts about it? E89s aren't rare. Wait until you find one you're really happy with.

(As for the Preston indy, who's that guy in the sheepskin near the shed on their website?)

 

[john-e89]

Badger, why bother to buy a car you have doubts about it? E89s aren't rare. Wait until you find one you're really happy with.

(As for the Preston indy, who's that guy in the sheepskin near the shed on their website?)

He HAS found the car he wants Buster....after some false starts this is the one, the unicorn in his words, he’s just wondering why the stealers didn’t sell it and let it go to auction is all, as he says he's not up to speed on the mechanicals hence his questions on here...

 

[bob4333]

Badger, you seem very exacting about what you want, it's taken a while but you think you've found it. When are you going to find another?

50k doesn't seem to be excessive on modern cars and although I have no experience of the 2 litre engine there are plenty on here who swear by it. Service history looks good but it's January 2019 MoT looks a bit fraught. Take a look here https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/. All of these must have been fixed but it's as well to be aware. Try to find out if the cracked n/s rear wheel was repaired or replaced (any receipts?) - it's another good reason for getting it off runflats if they're still on. The other failure items are just normal wear and tear and now they've been done it's all to the good.

The dealer appears open with you and he's certainly gone to town on the ad and photographed the hell out of the car. It's not something chained up in the corner with 2 pics trying to sell it. What's his reputation like?

Try everything that's electrical on the car and see if it works OK, raise and lower the roof a couple of times, look at the panel fits and gaps - are they all the same, equal and parallel - especially where plastic meets metal?

Squat down and look along the length of the car - any ripples or anything that looks wrong?

Get the car on an open car park if you can and drive it slowly in a figure of eight using full lock, listening for ball joint and suspension knocks.

If it's still looking good and it drives without strange clunks or bangs I'd say buy it and either get a BMW warranty (which has known reliability) or have the car independently inspected first - or both!

Good luck to you. These are great cars - but you probably know that already.

 

[The Badger]

Hi badger I’d get them to fit non-runflats to the rear & replace the fronts with the same yourself as it will ride better and help protect the fragile bmw wheels from cracking
Rob

How fragile are the wheels ? Is it something I should be worried about ? I love the runflats I prefer them to non run flats - just so I don't worry about punctures ?

 

[obewan]

I believe the 326 style wheels are susceptible to cracking particular if you hit a pot hole etc, the harder side wall of a RFT doesn't help
Personally I've had my car two and a half years with no issues but I know other members have.

 

[bob4333]

The 326 style wheels on the car you're looking at do have a reputation according to some for cracking. 326's plus runflats seem to make this more likely.

Having said that I chose 326's for my car when new and even with the OE runflats behaved fine. I took them off at 11,300 miles as I wanted an alternative style of aftermarket wheel. I cleaned and inspected them when removed - all OK - and they've been in storage for about 2 years - holding pressure as expected.

Our poor UK roads and non avoidance of pot holes and craters are the main cause. I thought the handling sharper with runflats but comfort definitely suffered in comparison to non r/f's. Just something to be aware of if you buy it and I certainly wouldn't let it be a deal breaker.

This is probably the cue for forum war to break out now as nothing divides opinion like the subject of R*NFL*T tyres.

 

[The Badger]

This is probably the cue for forum war to break out now as nothing divides opinion like the subject of R*NFL*T tyres.

:rofl: is there any easy way of checking if they are cracked before I buy ? Also the dealer has said he will replace the two rear tyres and refurb all the alloys - will the alloy refurb guys pick up any cracks ? Also what do you guys do if you get a puncture and have no spare wheel ? I have a 3series that is also on runflats ?

Sorry to appear so stupid just want to be as sure as I can I'm not buying hassle !

Thanks Bob for all your help

 

[bob4333]

I suspect the refurb will be to correct any scuffs or cosmetic blemishes on the outside rather than anything structural. If you can be there when the wheels come off do a visual inspection of the rims, particularly the insides. Google "cracked 326 wheels" or similar and you'll get a good idea of what to look for. The cracks are fairly obvious, highlighted against the alloy with ingrained dirt / oil etc.

Non Destructive Testing (Ultrasound / Dye Penetration etc) is available but probably adds up to more than the cost of a new wheel. Run your finger tips slowly around the rim. They will tell you things your eyes will miss.

If you're there you can also see if the n/s rear was replaced or welded, again it should be obvious.

But this sort of horror story doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen to you.

Puncture repair is an easy one. £15 compressor to run off the auxiliary power socket (fag lighter) and maybe a can of tyre weld if the puncture is serious. All available from Halfords or Amazon. Kit also available........

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BP5E7KI?aaxitk=lwKnPhEOAEF-UvhANCR3.Q&pd_rd_i=B00BP5E7KI&pf_rd_p=0192e6ab-5959-4731-9929-242726c28327&hsa_cr_id=3006520920002&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F41GAhVr5z6L.jpg&sb-ci-a=B00BP5E7KI

Just temporary measures though to get you on your way.

 

[obewan]

Totally agree with bob4333, I believe the other puncture repair option (see posts from Smartbear) are the 'rat tails' off sites like Ebay

 

[Silverstar]

Having been in the motor trade for around 10 to 15 years and from my experience of car main dealers here is my two pence worth. I don't think the car is too old for the main dealer forecourt when I was looking for mine they constantly offered 2009 or 2010 Z4 23i 30i 35i etc with mileage up to just under 50k.

However there can be large number of reasons why a main dealer will not put a car on the forecourt such as colour, number of owners, mileage etc. Sometimes main dealer stock is no better than cars that you find in independent garages. Recently I have seen a main BMW dealer buy a Z4 sdrive35i or 35is (can't remember) from British Car Auctions Blackbushe (from a non BMW sale) for around 16k and they put it on their lot for 22k so the thought that they do not buy from auctions is rubbish.

As for this car, if it looks good, drives ok and you like the car but are not mechanically minded then get a AA RAC or other mechanical inspection. They will be able to tell if the car is basically sound but remember they do not take anything apart and lot of it is visual inspection however it is still better than nothing if you know nothing about cars.

Finally remember the dealer is liable for any faults that were there or happening at the time of purchase and for a period of 6 months, you are totally covered for any defects (this is without any external guarantee). If the dealer is reputable then you should have no problems.

So the moral of the story is ¡f you like the car and the dealer is reputable get it inspected and if it ok buy it. Don't let the fact that BMW rejected the car put you off. As others have said if the tyres need replacing you will do well to get the dealer to replace them with non runflats, they make a huge positive difference to comfort noise and handling.