Hi O.P,
I’m conscious of how the written word can be misinterpreted, so I’m not being condescending when I say that any second hand car bought with a budget of £3.5k could be a ticking time bomb, but so could one bought for £50k.
On the plus side, the E85 6 Cylinder M54 and N52 engined car is generally very reliable for an old car
Regular problem areas are:
the cooling system, expansion tanks cracking mainly - not an expensive fix, but could leave you by the side of the road.
Shocks and springs will be pretty much shot after 50k miles, however good they might look. Shocks will have zero rebound, so car will be horribly crashy - this isn’t a trait of the car, it’s a trait of knackered suspension
Run flat tires lead to tramlining and also reduce the ride quality, compounds the above - look for one where they have been replaced with non-run flats
Roof motors flood causing roof failure, poor design but several experts on the forum that can sort this out at relatively low cost and relocate roof motor to the boot - solving the root cause.
108 Split rim alloys corrode for fun and look horrible once this happens, very expensive to refurbish completely and the process starts all over gain - try and avoid completely.
Brake lines corrode- many will have been replaced by now
Check the hand brake works efficiently and doesn’t have to be pulled into the atmosphere to work - the teeth wear on the ratchet and this is a labour intensive job to do as the exhaust needs to be removed. Also the parts cannot be obtained new anymore, but several very reliable people on the forum can supply good quality second hand parts at good rates.
Rust isn’t usually a problem, although be a bit wary of seaside cars and cars from north of the border. Have a good look underneath.
If you want reliable… avoid the 2.0 4 cylinder engine at all cost. Some on here swear by them, but one of BMW’s worst efforts - the M54 6 cylinder, on the other hand, is one of the most reliable engines you will find anywhere when serviced properly - and sounds great too.
As others have said, £3.5k should buy you a very nice example, but buy on condition and not mileage
I’m conscious of how the written word can be misinterpreted, so I’m not being condescending when I say that any second hand car bought with a budget of £3.5k could be a ticking time bomb, but so could one bought for £50k.
On the plus side, the E85 6 Cylinder M54 and N52 engined car is generally very reliable for an old car
Regular problem areas are:
the cooling system, expansion tanks cracking mainly - not an expensive fix, but could leave you by the side of the road.
Shocks and springs will be pretty much shot after 50k miles, however good they might look. Shocks will have zero rebound, so car will be horribly crashy - this isn’t a trait of the car, it’s a trait of knackered suspension
Run flat tires lead to tramlining and also reduce the ride quality, compounds the above - look for one where they have been replaced with non-run flats
Roof motors flood causing roof failure, poor design but several experts on the forum that can sort this out at relatively low cost and relocate roof motor to the boot - solving the root cause.
108 Split rim alloys corrode for fun and look horrible once this happens, very expensive to refurbish completely and the process starts all over gain - try and avoid completely.
Brake lines corrode- many will have been replaced by now
Check the hand brake works efficiently and doesn’t have to be pulled into the atmosphere to work - the teeth wear on the ratchet and this is a labour intensive job to do as the exhaust needs to be removed. Also the parts cannot be obtained new anymore, but several very reliable people on the forum can supply good quality second hand parts at good rates.
Rust isn’t usually a problem, although be a bit wary of seaside cars and cars from north of the border. Have a good look underneath.
If you want reliable… avoid the 2.0 4 cylinder engine at all cost. Some on here swear by them, but one of BMW’s worst efforts - the M54 6 cylinder, on the other hand, is one of the most reliable engines you will find anywhere when serviced properly - and sounds great too.
As others have said, £3.5k should buy you a very nice example, but buy on condition and not mileage
