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Can someone simply explain the VANOS system of the E46 M3? I can't shake the desire of teenage me that fell in love with it when they were released. Prices are becoming more and more realistic too and I am thinking of saving up for a while/selling my MS6 and buying one outright. Do you really need to budget $2K annually for maintenance/upkeep? My commute is much shorter than its ever been (~15 miles/day) leading me to only be putting MAYBE 8K a year since my wife's car is more the people carrier. I've read some FAQs on the E46, but the VANOS is the most puzzling thing.
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Jul 6, 2013 15:26
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Thanks for the explanation! I have seen the offerings from Dr. VANOS and whatnot, just I never understood why it needed so much attention and what it actually did. Amid all of the E46 banter I've read I'm still undecided on straight manual or SMG. The SMG would allow for my wife to drive it much easier (which will sway her towards agreeing on actually buying one). Thanks again!
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Jul 6, 2013 19:55
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Oh my wife certainly knows how to drive stick. She learned how to drive using a car with a manual trans. It's just right now she doesn't drive the speed6 enough and that is one drat touchy clutch, put that + turbo trying to spool makes for a jerky ride with someone that's not familiar driving the car daily. I've driven an SMG E46 and didn't hate it, but I've yet to try rowing the gears myself in one. I'm sure I'd love it.
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Jul 7, 2013 06:30
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You could literally post a photo of your car in every thread in AI and nobody would be mad. It's like a puppy, somehow it makes everything seems right in this world.
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Jul 13, 2013 22:18
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I have decided that after my speed6 gets out of having the rear diff mount fixed that I am going to part with it and I have set my eye on a BMW. I drove a E28 528e in high school and loved the crap out of it. Here is the one that I am looking to pick up. It is a 97 E36 M3, ~164K miles, 5 speed, black on black leather. 2 sets of wheels/tires (set of summer/snow). I have emailed the seller a few times getting some info on it and it seems to fall within the sense of reasonable for pricing/maintenance/etc. and he went and sent me higher res images in an email and now it is all I can think about. I can sell my MS6 for a few grand more than what this would cost so I would keep a reserve of ~$1000 to buy some new brakes and cooling system bits, maybe suspension stuff (which has been replaced at least once in the life of the car). I drive less than ~7K miles a year so I figure this would be a fun car that I can enjoy and get a little more comfortable tinkering with. Less  more pics  
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Oct 28, 2013 22:46
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User Error posted:That looks really sharp, something like that would probably go for around $7500 around here. They're not bad to work on either. The engine bay is a little cramped but everything is laid out sensibly. Mine is a weekend toy/autocross/track day car and for the price (Or three times it) you can't find a better car for that application. Thanks for the heads up on what to look for. The photos haven't shown the headliner much but the seats (heated leather) and other interior bits seem pretty good for a car nearing 17 years. I'd like to begin some sort of light track days. I haven't been to see it in person because I need to get my car listed first. I fear if I go look at it I will nag my wife to no end until I buy it and worry about getting the MS6 sold later. Not easy since I have the cash n.o.w.
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Oct 29, 2013 03:20
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Somewhat Heroic posted:
Quoting myself just to give a trip report. Scheduling with the seller worked out so that the wife and I could get out and see this (it's about an hour away) last night. It's been garaged it's whole life. It has been a secondary vehicle to the current owner since he purchased it earlier this year. He doesn't drive it much and thought it's too nice to sit. There are no drips, the body is in incredibly good shape. The interior looks great too! The headliner is perfect, door cards have no sagging/peeling. It is a 'luxury trim' model so no vaders. The seats do have wear, but no tears or rips. Engine ran great, no stutters, smooth shifting/clutch action. All the pixels work on the OBC. Needs some brake work. TL/DR; I'm in love  please someone buy my speed6
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Nov 11, 2013 05:36
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Crustashio posted:E36 M3s already have the factory subframe reinforcement, it really isn't common for them to fail there. RTAB pockets are probably the most notorious spot but even those are quite rare unless the car has been tracked/abused. Crustashio posted:Rear shock towers are definitely something to check as well. Do you have any photos that I'm able to see what I'm looking/not looking for?
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Nov 14, 2013 02:24
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Das Volk posted:This should help: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1429052-DIY-Torn-Rear-Shock-Tower-Repair Wow, that's exactly the kind of stuff I need to know and haven't found much info on. I'll be peeling back the liner and taking a peek at the tower mounts. What are the braces/z3 mounts that forum is talking about? Too much forum lingo. The kid that was going to buy my car needs to scrape together enough cash for taxes/title/licensing fees. Dammit! Just someone buy my car that actually shows up with money. vvv thanks for the heads up! I've poked around on pelican a little bit but I am going to need to get used to their page layout. vvv Somewhat Heroic fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Nov 14, 2013 |
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Nov 14, 2013 21:16
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On E36 bushing chat I'm picking up my 1997 tomorrow. I know the suspension will be in need of refreshing so I've been researching kits online and holy balls I don't know nearly enough about these. For reference, I'll be driving ~7K miles year. It will mostly be normal driving/commuting. I maybe will get to the track once a year (I've never been) so maybe more spirited canyon drives. The rear will need to be done sooner than the fronts; what kind of kits should I look for? OEM would probably do me fine I'm guessing. The goal is not to make huge power or become a track rat - just back to solid driving. Pricing seems to go anywhere from $300 to $1200.
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Nov 20, 2013 23:20
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200 miles into ownership of the M3 and it popped the o2 sensor code. SO IT BEGINS. Fortunately I had the safety and emissions testing completed before the CEL came on. 
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Dec 1, 2013 20:25
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Kenshin posted:This is actually my plan for my (currently black) E36 M3 'vert. Gonna probably do it in the spring. It would be awesome, but it will need to be paired with some good wheels. I think the esoteril blue with M Contours are a very attractive combo and would look great with LSB. Three weeks into ownership of my E36 and I'm in love. It appears to be happy with me as well. The brake light on the spoiler wasn't working when I bought it, but one day my OBC told me that the brake lights failed. On next start up all three brake lights were working and haven't done anything since  and then 5 miles after passing safety/emission the CEL came on, with my scan tool it said the o2 sensors had failed and the light came on after clearing the code twice. I checked the oil level, it was about in between the lines so I put a little in. The CEL turned off and hasn't done anything since. The car is healing itself
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Dec 8, 2013 04:37
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Sad story, my friend 98 hellrot E36 M3 was rear ended and totaled out with due to buckling at the pillar. It had less than 95k miles  Good news! My friends totaled out M car has manual heated vaders and will be getting parted out so a new interior and other cool bits are in my future! 
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Dec 14, 2013 06:04
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HotCanadianChick posted:If he's got nav, it means he did not do his homework before buying. Not doing the legwork before shelling out on what is, for most people, the most expensive single item they will own at any given time (excepting buying a house), is - to me - an inexcusable lapse in common sense. I would agree with you based on the thought of buying the car new from the dealership. In the realm of pre-owned you will compromise a lot more on desired attributes. I bought and E36 M3 luxury. That means no I got the wrong seats! Oh no! All of my life choices are brought in to question! I cannot wait to absorb the hate of goons when I buy an E46 M with the SMG trans. vvv Not only do I want SMG If I find a good Phoenix Yellow one it would be hard to not buy it. A color that mental has to be loved. vvv Somewhat Heroic fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 01:38
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So the post catalytic O2 sensors are throwing a code on my E36 M, the car doesn't seem to behave or drive any different (it happened while I was out yesterday). Googling seems to only pull up pre-cat sensors and the only post-cat sensor chat I can find says that it really doesn't affect anything other than letting you know that the gases aren't coming out at the right temp or something. Does anyone have a direction they could point me in to solve this?
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Dec 28, 2013 18:03
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Beautiful, that's the reply I was looking for! I'll order some up and get them replaced. It'll be my first time replacing an o2 sensor and it looks like I'll want one of those special sockets too.
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Dec 28, 2013 20:17
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BrokenKnucklez posted:If you keep your foot out of it, a 550i can achieve around 25 mpgs or so on the highway. Ha! That's a boring tank of fuel. In maintenance chat: '97 E36 M3, I'm ordering water pump/thermostat/tstat housing/ fan clutch/tools overhaul stuff to complete the GDCS replacement that the PO completed earlier last year (he did rad/expansion tank/hoses) and I can't seem to find a decent answer as to which pump to order from pelican. The metal or plastic impeller units are the same price (basically) and both seem to have the same potential issues according to Internet echo chambers OR there is the genuine BMW unit for ~$150 instead of ~$50. Do I just get the OEM?
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Jan 8, 2014 06:08
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ynotony posted:lovely starting issue with me e46: Sounds like your starter has met an untimely end. Is your car a manual? Try bump starting it.
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Jan 9, 2014 22:07
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Oh come on, nobody has posted this? http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AENdc50K5aE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DAENdc50K5aE
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Jan 14, 2014 00:51
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That is a very classy interior. I considered buying a cheap old mini as some sort of DD to make my 15 mile round trip commute seem fun but found a good E36 M3 that I enjoy a lot.
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Feb 11, 2014 00:52
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Pretty sure a fair amount of money is made through leasing a vehicle (which mathematically is the worst way to buy a car from a consumer prospective). In other news while getting after it to not be stuck behind the coal rolling bro-truck my 1-2 and 2-3 shift had a fair amount of clutch slipping so here's to the time bomb that is my clutch and to finding out what local shop pricing will be to do it as that is more ambitious than I think I am ready to do. Original clutch, 165k miles and I am either the 4th or 5th owner so not too bad!
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Feb 12, 2014 06:11
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Went to cars and coffee today and a dude just received his E30 M3 white on red interior. Only 70,000 miles and it is amazing! I snapped a photo, I'll upload one later. What made it perfect was a 190E Costworth showed up shortly after, it was a boxy German party
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Feb 15, 2014 19:48
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Stumpus posted:Here's one that just popped up in my area. Aside from the rims, which I'm not a fan of, it looks pretty legit. Is this around the price you would expect? I'm in the zip code over from this posting. If you're local to Utah/salt lake there is a relatively decent Facebook group called Utah BMW enthusiasts. There is a mix of kids that are looking to do 'sick mods' but also some more mature guys that like a tasteful factory approach and are knowledgeable. It's a decent resource to post ksl listings since there is often people that know who it belongs to and can give better insight to how it was maintained. A number of us got together for cars and coffee this Saturday (my first as a BMW owner) and it's a really excellent local scene and good community to be a part of. Aside from that, it is photographed well and in a clean garage which are good signs. The wheels and stereo and auto trans are enough to say no. Having a cooling system replaced by BMW of pleasant grove is about the best thing going for it.
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Feb 17, 2014 06:03
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This is the worst thing I've seen all day. You literally had the perfect E36 M3, right colors, interior, transmission, steering wheel. The person who merged into you needs to be smacked good and hard. That's a good payout at least. If you're not game for a newer year M I would seriously try to find your clone. I don't see going from what you had to an STi as a decision you would be happy with.
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Feb 21, 2014 06:41
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rscott posted:Dooooo it WHO WOULDN'T want to swap the seats? A friend of mine in Wisconsin told me once that the most glorious death an E36 M can have is by donating everything to an E30. You can swap like everything; steering rack, transmission, engine, I believe the rear diff and brakes too. That would be insanely cool.
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Feb 23, 2014 22:52
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This conversation lends to a topic I have been debating with that I think some of you BMW veterans (like DasVolk) could help out with. I'm a goal setter/planner by nature and am looking forward to my next BMW but can't narrow it down between a couple of choices. Since I was in high school and the E46 M3 was released I have been in love with everything about that car. They are becoming more attainable with time as well. I'm at a great place in life and so my dream car will easily become a reality. The problem is that the E9x M3's have also become like they could be a realistic option for me as well and while I'm not as drunk on that style there are so many pros that it is clouding my decision. I'm driving my car maybe ~7k miles a year. This car would be my fair weather driver since I would just keep my E36 as the 'beater'. This car would be a no compromise decision to find 'The One'. My wife would drive it as well when she runs out on errands and whatnot. We have a second child on the way, and will probably have one, possibly two more so this is not a people hauler. Pros of my 'dream' E46: -It would be LSB on black or alpine white on cinnamon, '03 or newer -Low miles, preferably one or two owners -My wife loves the idea and design of the E46 M3 like I do -It is DIY friendly -budgeting in my mind for approximately ~$25k, knowing if I can find one cheaper that fits my requirements I would take it. Cons: -Typical E46 issues, age, becoming more scarce, only two doors with kids occasionally riding along... Reasons I am considering the E9x M3: -You can get a sedan (and I love the sedans) -newer 'creature comforts' like the last page has been discussing -Would need to be alpine white, maybe interlagos blue and must be a sedan -More power -newer and potentially more reliable -budgeting around $30-35k -will maintain value longer Cons: -higher operating costs, but kind of negligible as it will not have many miles put on it yearly -less DIY friendly -higher initial cost -I'm not as fanatic about the styling (probably due to nostalgia, as the E46 was a car I obsessed over) This is something I am thinking is 3 years out, as I stated before I am a planner/goal setter and have some things that need completing before this but plan on paying 100% cash for. Setting goals has been a successful thing for me to do and so I just need to know where to aim so I can direct my energy. Edit: my motivations  
Somewhat Heroic fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Mar 1, 2014 |
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Mar 1, 2014 20:14
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While I certainly appreciate the 330 ZHP it is specifically the M3 that I would want. Extra cost of maintaining it over the non-M is not going to be the limiting factor. I do get that the E90/92 is particularly larger which could have real world convenience. While the price range I'm stating is the bottom of the range for now in a few years when I plan on doing it there will be many more options also since the newer F platforms should help push prices down a little bit.
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Mar 1, 2014 22:24
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Powershift posted:I can't imagine planning to buy a specific car 3 years out. My tastes swing so wildly day to day. You can't tell me that you don't have an attainable dream car that trumps any random browsing of Craiglist for a car. I've found that planning and setting goals has been effective for me in life so yeah, I'm planning out. If I get there faster then sure it can be done in less than three. SlapActionJackson posted:Honestly, if you're that specific about what you want in an E46 you should start looking now. It may take you a long while to find what you want since neither LSB nor cinnamon were popular Yes I agree but I have no intentions of financing a dream. That why for the E46 I've planned on the higher budget because getting what I want will no doubt be more costly than nominal market value. Das Volk posted:I'm not aware of any significant issues with the E9x - it's an extremely solid car. Thanks for your insight! While I'm familiar with a lot of the E46 nuances it's good to know about the E92 and so far it seems like a really excellent car. Couldn't agree more about the FI cars. I know most people would say get a N54/55 engine and tune blah blah would do circles around an E46 with less hassle but they don't ignite the same emotion for me.
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Mar 2, 2014 03:18
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Residency Evil posted:In 3 years' time even the newest one is going to be 11 years old, with an average one being 15. On the bright side, e92 m3s will have dropped in price even more. That's a really good point on the age they will be and I didn't really think about it. Driving a '97 M3 now is hard to think that the car is 17+ years old already, but it was pretty cheap. I don't think I could spend what I'm planning on in a few years on a car from 1999. The more I consider things the more I'm leaning towards the newer model.
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Mar 2, 2014 16:36
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BraveUlysses posted:Oh man, I probably shouldn't be looking at E9x M3 sedans but prices are really looking better every day for the 08-09 models, mid-30's range. Any problems with the earlier models? Welcome to mein kampf (  ). They seem to be pretty well sorted out platforms and as the new generation M3/4 come to market it will drive prices down further.
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Mar 5, 2014 04:35
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rscott posted:I drive a BMW for the qualities of the car, not the badge so if BMW stops making cars that I like then I will stop driving BMW cars! Pretty simple. Or you will begin to hoard the ones you like along with all of the associated pieces to keep it running forever  as a recently returned bmw owner I find myself romanticizing the idea of keeping my current car until it dies and if needs be finding a donor chassis in the future to transplant all of the goods onto, but more keeping it forever because why not? It's not like its worth much in the market and I really like it but would also like to own another flavor and different kind. It's really a sickness.
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Mar 14, 2014 14:31
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Cyrezar posted:Please tell me what a horrible idea it would be to sell my 2004 E55 with 70k miles and buy an 08 M5 6-speed with 65K miles. This pleases mein Führer. Need more stats though.
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Mar 25, 2014 22:24
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We cannot forget this thing:  I forget exactly what's on the paint code tag but it's 'mint grüen' or something to that effect. I can't wait to see it in person. 
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Apr 1, 2014 02:54
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Yes I know of the history. He lived on my street back in Utah before heading to Portland and started working at BMW. He just posted some updated pics today of his new carbon front splitters and will be installing a CF rear diffuser. He's the one that convinced me of selling my speed6 to buy my M3.
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Apr 1, 2014 05:24
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ThirstyBuck posted:For all my fellow e36 owners with the inevitably blown mid-range speakers/crappy stereo. Cheers for that! I have my balance running through my rear speakers the fronts are so haggard. It's been on my radar of poo poo to get done. Re: fan chat; my car has had the fan delete done so I have no idea how the PO went about it, the needle sticks top dead center so it's been done right I assume. When the winter was here and cold it took a LONG time to get up to temp. I think it's partially the reason my post cat o2 sensors need replacing.
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Apr 8, 2014 22:11
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Kenshin posted:Or do that but buy an E46 M3 instead for less money. That friend of mine with the poormobile mint green M3 sold his Imola E46 M3 for an FRS that he proceeded to dump money into the TRD exhaust, expensive suspension, TE37's, etc. sold it after not even a year and bought an '05 ZCP M3 peasant carriage. When I asked why he sold the FRS he said 'it wasn't as good' as his M3. I can only imagine what he would say if he'd owned a 5 series prior to the frsbrz
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Apr 16, 2014 23:40
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gigButt posted:http://imgur.com/a/cn5Zh Frozen paint is so freaking rad. When I first heard about it I read up on what it takes for care and maintenance and I just don't know if I could cope with being constantly aware of keeping it from getting messed up.
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Apr 26, 2014 16:03
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Das Volk posted:What's that old adage about not paying more than half your gross for a car or something like that? I know that Dave Ramsey teaches that 'things with engines' shouldn't be worth more than 50% of your annual income. Not sure if my ratio between our cars being about 12-14% of my income means I'm doing right, or doing it wrong...
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May 10, 2014 04:03
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Nait Sirhc posted:I want an updated CD (yes, my 2002 745i has a CD-based nav system) for the Utah areas. The CD in mine only has the interstates around Utah. BMW no longer sells it. Quoting to merely say I stalked your post history in this thread to see if I know you. Is your 7 one that had a couple of rather expensive parts (coughtransmissioncough) completely replaced for a brand new one just before you bought the complete car for approximately the same price? If so, hi fellow UBEr
Somewhat Heroic fucked around with this message at 05:53 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 05:51
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Nait Sirhc posted:Wait, what? Transmission replaced?! Horse mask profile photo? It's like the drat goon trifecta taking place. You are not who I thought you were. A dude I met at C&C like 2 months ago? has a similar vintage 7 that got a smokin price on it, which had a brand new trans.
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May 30, 2014 06:14
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