What would you do?

stevemase

Member
Ladies & Gents, I'm after some advice.... I've got a Z4M roadster that needs an Inspection II service, but I'm contemplating selling the car and was wondering if it was worth getting it serviced prior to sale or offering it at a lower price to reflect the service cost and let the new owner decide whether they go main dealer or specialist?

Sure, it'll sell quicker with the service, but if I went with the specialist over the dealer, I'm concerned this would affect re-sale as well?

What would you guy's do if you were in this position?

This isn't a loosely veiled 'for sale' ad by the way! Ok, maybe it is..... 2006, '56' Z4M Roadster, Silver, Black leather, Sat Nav, 48.5k, new brakes, Decent Conti's all round, if anyone is interested....
 
I would get it serviced , most people dont want to be spending money on a car just after buying it, also it puts buyers at ease as an inspection 2 will flag up any potential issues that need addressing. :)
 
hopz121 said:
I would get it serviced , most people dont want to be spending money on a car just after buying it, also it puts buyers at ease as an inspection 2 will flag up any potential issues that need addressing. :)

only 1 choice - get it serviced a t a bmw dealer if it already has a BMW Service History
 
It had an oil change when I picked the car up from the garage I bought it off (non-BMW), but aside from that it has full BMWSH. To be fair, the same garage replaced all 4 discs and pads with genuine BMW parts, so I can only assume they took the same care with an oil service....
 
I would get it serviced, but an independent, especially one with recommendations from this Forum, would save you a few quid and should not damage the car's provenance.
 
+1 on getting it serviced.

A BMW inspection 2 May end up being £1000+ though, so tough choice. Will a FBMWSH matter on a 2006 car with almost 50k miles, as long as the independent used is rated ? There are a number round the country that are 'known' on here so probably wouldn't detract from the sale value as long as it's done properly and the car is in good condition. Just my opinion though, without seeing / knowing the car.
 
but ... an Indy service will be what around 650 ? - so you save 350 quid which might be negotiated out of the deal
 
The problem is that any price is going to be negotiable - you could spend £1,000 and still end up giving away £350 on negotiation. Or you could choose not to get it serviced, pick a price based on the market, discount by £1,000 and look to accept no offers... But I bet you still end up giving some more away.

Tricky one. You're probably right that you should preserve the history. If teh service is part of the sale. But then I'm a bit gung-ho about this as I broke my FBMWSH last week with an oil service at my local indie :oops:
 
I've had a good quote from Burton Motor Workshop, it comes recommended locally and there is a thread about the place on here somewhere.

I think I will continue to get it serviced then. That was my original plan, but someone mentioned selling it without servicing and it put some doubt in my mind!
 
Bing said:
The problem is that any price is going to be negotiable - you could spend £1,000 and still end up giving away £350 on negotiation. Or you could choose not to get it serviced, pick a price based on the market, discount by £1,000 and look to accept no offers... But I bet you still end up giving some more away.

Tricky one. You're probably right that you should preserve the history. If teh service is part of the sale. But then I'm a bit gung-ho about this as I broke my FBMWSH last week with an oil service at my local indie :oops:


i hope you got clearance from PVR First
 
It's already lost it's full BMW history so you might as well go to an Indi. Just make sure they are a true BMW specialist. If you say where you are you'll get some recommendations.
 
ZermattV said:
i hope you got clearance from PVR First

Not explicitly, but he sold me the oil and knew what I was doing. He seems to have reached some sort of closure now, and it is of course MY car :wink:
 
Bing said:
ZermattV said:
i hope you got clearance from PVR First
...He seems to have reached some sort of closure now...
Nah, he's just bottling it up inside... he only lets it show while he's driving his porker...

images
 
I wouldn't get it serviced....offer it at £500 lower price, you'll get more interest and it'll sell quicker at a lower price.

A lot of people don't do the math of buying a car for X price and then associating the running costs into the purchase.
 
No offence but i have never heard of Burton Motor Workshop. Given that these are relatively few and far between and people are willing to travel for the right one, i would either go with an BMW dealer, or someone like Reddish who are a very highly regarded specialist in the BMW scene :thumbsup: .

A quick look on their website suggests they are more sales orientated than service, so i wouldn't touch them.
 
I'd get it serviced.

You're always taking a punt buying a car second hand. From a buyer's perspective having a freshly performed Insp II should give a lot of reassurance.

Make sure (whether BMW or Indy) you implicitly ask for a copy of the valve clearance report. A lot of buyers will want to know that the valve clearances have been carried out properly.

Good luck
 
I am with everyone who thinks it should be serviced first. As to Indy or BMW dealer, it seems to me that the majority on this Forum use an indy, hence the regular use of the endearing term, stealer. If this is the case why would a prospective buyer have a big problem with a specialist service, if most people in the know are aware that a good knowledgeable indy will do at least as good a job. Personally In these circumstances, as I would be spending a lot of money with the indy, I would request a full written report (as long as it's all good!) in with the service cost, which could be provided to the eventual purchaser of the car. If I was said buyer, I would appreciate this more than a dealers stamp.
 
I would also get it serviced.

If I was buying
I wouldn't go near one that had one round the corner.
It feels too much like the seller was hiding something

GL
 
simonlpearce said:
No offence but i have never heard of Burton Motor Workshop. Given that these are relatively few and far between and people are willing to travel for the right one, i would either go with an BMW dealer, or someone like Reddish who are a very highly regarded specialist in the BMW scene :thumbsup: .

A quick look on their website suggests they are more sales orientated than service, so i wouldn't touch them.

There was a thread about the place on here a few years back - http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17276

They've been around for a good few years now and have only recently started selling the odd motor here and there. The two owners are ex BMW and Merc workshop managers and I've spoken to many people who have taken SLK55's, M3's and the like down to them. If I take it down to Reddish, I've got to factor in a 260 mile round trip and a return train journey or expect someone to follow me down, as they'll need it overnight I assume? In this case, I may aswell take it to a dealer in Derby and let them do it!
 
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