BMW Thread: this is the bmw thread. we drive blue cars

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > BMW Thread: this is the bmw thread. we drive blue cars

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Pr0kjayhawk posted:

I drove a Z4 M Coupe today on a whim. Fantastic car, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

It's a 2007 leftover, 98 miles on it. I'm in no real position to buy but I'm wondering what the going rate for a car like that is these days. I know there was a good deal of trunk money and it seems like there aren't enough people interested in them. They were basically tripping over themselves when they found out I was actually interested in it (mentioning the Cayman S helped ) and convinced me to test drive it.

It's fully loaded with a bunch of crap I don't really want or need with an MSRP of 59k. I've read that they were going for 38-43k last year around this time. Is that what I could expect now or are the dealers more desperate than that to get rid of them?

When my friend bought his about 6-8 months ago he got $14k off MSRP.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2008 02:05

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:29

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

protmind posted:

How much is this sucker going to weigh?

It's heavier, but I'm not sure by how much. I have the 3.0si coupe which makes 255 hp and goes 0-60 in 5.5ish. The new one has a 258hp 3 liter that gets to 60 in 5.8 or so, so it has slightly more power and is still a bit slower.

I hope the folding hardtop doesn't mean there won't be a coupe.

Edit: ok the numbers from autoblog differ from those in the pdf posted above. It looks like the 3.0 is up a few 100 lbs and the 3.5 is even heavier than that.

havelock fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Dec 14, 2008

# ¿ Dec 14, 2008 21:39

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Aquila posted:

I'll probably be buying one to replace my Z4.

Speaking of which, will putting non runflats on it be a problem? And can anyone recommend some 225 45R17's?

I have the sport package on my z4 coupe so my tire sizes are different, but I just want to say stay away from Sumitomo HTR ZIIIs. They got really good reviews when I bought them but they get greasy when autocrossing. I'm actually faster when the tires are colder.

A lot of people who take off the run flats buy the flat tire repair kit that comes with the M coupe to have just in case.

And I'm not sold on the new z4. I still want to see what the coupe looks like (if there is one). Right now, the TT-S looks pretty good. 5 seconds or less to 60, > 250 hp, nearly 30 mpg.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2008 17:22

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

TommyRotten posted:

Anyone here ever special ordered a BMW before? Mine is at the port of exit and the wait is killing me.

I did a performance center delivery on mine, so I got a tentative date a few weeks out, but they won't confirm it until within 14 days which made it tough to buy cheaper plane tickets. It was well worth it though. I started the 1200 mile drive home along the blue ridge parkway and finished it with the car fully broken in.

Now the new Z4 is a lot more expensive and there won't be a coupe. The only good thing there is if the higher price means there's room for a z2.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2009 00:04

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

MrChips posted:

EDIT: Having put some thought into it, I wouldn't actually recommend for you to get an E46 M3. For largely the same kind of money as a good example, you can get a brand new 135i, a car that has 95% of the E46 M3's performance, but with the added advantage of being under warranty. Overall, a 135 would likely be a far better ownership experience.

'04s and even some '05s can be had for low 30s, according to m3forum. There's no way to get a 135 for that cheap unfortunately.

(I'm currently thinking about getting a used M3 when the lease on my z4 coupe is up in October)

# ¿ Apr 14, 2009 21:56

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

The lease on my z4 coupe is up in less than 2 months so I'm looking for my next BMW. At this point I'm leaning strongly towards an 04-06 m3. Any good ideas where to look?

I've been searching autotrader, cars.com, craigslist for the few big cities near me, and posted something on m3forum.net.

I really like Barney Purple (interlagos) and Smurf Blue (laguna seca), but both seem hard to find. Everyone likes black and silver and smg.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2009 15:36

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

How bad of an idea is a 100k mile e46 m3?

It's an '01 and appears to have had all the major stuff done on it (latest inspection 2, new clutch, new brakes).

I have been looking for '06s but can't find a decently priced one I want so this may end up tiding me over while I continue the search.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2009 16:54

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

miklm posted:

Probably a terrible idea, but that shouldn't stop you if its cheap enough. I've actually been wondering the same thing...

The seller took it off the market. It was a 2001 LSB M3 with Cinnamon interior

# ¿ Oct 3, 2009 17:22

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

I had to turn in my z4 coupe today since the lease was up. It was a fun 3 years.

I got this to replace it:

It's an '04 and it's carbon black with cinnamon interior. Now I get to learn all about maintaining an out of warranty bmw.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2009 23:10

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Brock Landers posted:

Love it. Cinnamon interior is unusual without being ugly. My first choice is still Space Gray with red interior, but you're driving my second choice. You won't be maintaining too much on that car. Most things having to do with the engine are going to require some special tool or adjustment procedure. You can still do brakes and suspension stuff though. That'll still save a heap of money.

I started out looking at 05/06 ZCPs because I really liked Interlagos Blue. After a deal on one of those fell through and everyone else wanted over $40k for them, I broadened my search. I still really like Laguna Seca blue, but they all have gray interiors. After seeing cinnamon in person it became more of a deciding factor than the exterior color. It doesn't photograph well at all but in person it's amazing. Carbon black is like that, too. Sometimes I have a black car, sometimes I have a blue car, sometimes I have both at once.

# ¿ Oct 17, 2009 15:54

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Apparently BMW has decided to release a faster, better z4 called, you guessed it, the 3.5is. Wait, what?

They had to go with the dumb name or everyone would give them poo poo for going back on their 'no z4m' promise.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2009 05:51

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Kenshin posted:

Just swapped out my valve cover gasket on my E36 M3 today (with a friend who was also swapping the valve cover gasket on his E36 M3 and who knew what he was doing). Seems to have solved my burnt oil problem entirely. First time I've ever done any real work on a car and I had the goddamn engine open. He was impressed that I was able to keep up with him and finish at the same time, just by watching what he was doing.

Pretty proud of myself. Honestly not that much different from working in a computer except for a lot more oil I guess.

Cool. This is the next thing on my list to do on my e46 M3. The few things I've done so far have been suspension related (put stock springs back on, replaced RTABs) so I'm looking forward to something that doesn't involve lifting the car up.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2009 16:35

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

SuperCaptainJ posted:

It's about time to replace the stock 18" RFTs on my e90.

Lots of people on bimmerfest with z4s like to replace the RFTs with non runflats and then just buy an M Mobility Kit that came standard with the e46 m3s...It's basically a little pump and some fix a flat. That way you get the better performance and lower cost of non RFTs with some peace of mind.

# ¿ Dec 26, 2009 02:34

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

hedge posted:

This is what I did with my MINI and I am very happy with the non-runflat tires. Plus, I have AAA just in case.

New Premium Package BMWs force you to buy a few years of BMW Assist as well, so you might as well use that if it applies.

# ¿ Dec 26, 2009 03:36

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

PSA: If you ever need to take the nav monitor out of an e46, it might be worth it to spend the $15 for the special tool.

First you have to rip out the center A/C vent, which takes way more force than you think. I had to keep stopping because I was afraid it was going to break. Then you have to wedge the special tool (or two metal nail files if you're cheap) under these little metal clips that are only visible for 15 seconds at a time when the screen tilts. Without the special tool you have to guess at the alignment somewhat, which makes it tricky.

It wasn't much fun, but now I have a nice aux in.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2009 05:46

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

BraveUlysses posted:

Did your valve cover gasket kit come with the 20-odd o-rings that are supposed do be replaced at the same time?

The cover gasket for my m3 is my next project and the quote I got only included the gasket itself and 6 spark plug seals on the parts side of things. Besides brake cleaner and some sealant for the corners do I really need anything else?

# ¿ Jan 4, 2010 17:55

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Please tell me if I'm stupid.

Less than 6 months ago I got a carbon black / cinnamon e46 m3. I really wanted laguna seca blue but couldn't find one and my lease was up.

Am I stupid for looking again and considering selling the car I just put rear brakes, new tires, rtabs, and a valve cover gasket on?

Am I also stupid for considering lsb on black and doing an interior swap?

Help stop the madness

# ¿ Mar 5, 2010 04:31

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

VibrioCholera posted:

Wasn't the LSB only on the Competition Package? Actually, I think I'm wrong. I know it came out the year the CP came out though.

Also, getting rid of carbon black is a crime. It's only available on M cars and it's absolutely awesome. For a while I wanted only black but the carbon black grew on me. Non-stop compliments - people think it's basically a chameleon paint.

The cinnamon interior is the only thing I would change. That would drive me nuts unless it was on white or something.

Interlagos blue was only on the zcp ('05-'06).

Laguna Seca Blue was a launch color that they discontinued in '04 (so '01-'04). It's basically Electric Smurf blue and you either love it or hate it.

Carbon Black is a great color, but I didn't really want a black car in the first place. It looks awesome when it's clean, but that's only for about 5 minutes after you wash it and then it needs another wash again.

# ¿ Mar 5, 2010 14:57

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

VibrioCholera posted:

I'm not sure how M3 Launch Mode works but could this time be the result of poor summer tires? I'm running General Tire Exclaim UHP which are fine on the road. What I'm wondering is how the launch mode takes them. I know it has traction control in it so is it sensing the car wants to spin because of cheap tires and therefore causing a loss of time? If so what are some reasonable street tires with better grip? Looking around some 19" tires can cost almost $400 a tire. There has to be a better option that hovers closer to $250 or under?

I have Hankook Ventus V12 Evos on my M3 and they seem good so far. I haven't had a chance to autox them yet, but reviews I've read put them at nearly PS2s for half the PS2 price.

# ¿ May 6, 2010 16:37

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Znyp posted:

Picked this up today, it's a 2006 118 Diesel. Seems like a fun car, looking forward to driving it some more.

Seems like the aux-input is a bit shady, it crackles and gives no sound on the left side speakers, even though when in FM mode all speakers sounds great. If I turn the balance way to the left I can still hear the music very faintly so something is getting through.. Anybody else run into this problem?

Do the rear seats in those fold flat? There's no way they will ever offer this in the US, but tell me so I know how pissed off to be.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2010 19:46

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Znyp posted:

They don't fold down completely flat, no. I guess you can stomp them down abit more than in this random picture, but not a whole lot.

Can't you get the 1-series at all in the US?

Ok, I'll try to reseat the cable again. It's brand new though, but maybe it's bad.

That's pretty flat

I'd love to have the 1 series as an option against a WRX/STi, just like I wish Audi would bring the S4 Avant over so I could have performance and about 30mpg highway.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2010 21:54

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

OrangeFurious posted:

Anyone know a place to pick up the SMG hydraulic pump for an e85/Z4? Dealer MSRP is $3,800 and I can't find it for under $3,000.

getbmwparts.com is my go to source for parts.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2010 21:15

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Just finished doing front pads and rotors on my e46 m3. This was the first DIY that I didn't hit a major issue on, though I haven't tried to drive yet so we'll see what happens.

The only fun part was getting the old rotors off (took many hits with the dead blow hammer).

Mad Russian's DIY guide was really helpful in case someone else is contemplating this job. ( http://m3.madrussian.net )

# ¿ Jun 19, 2010 16:28

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Imperador do Brasil posted:

I want it in the paint scheme from the press photos.

Me too. Blacked out with the crazy swirls.

Either that or Laguna Seca blue.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2010 15:49

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

I got invited to some "special" sales event at the nearby dealer this weekend where I was offered the privilege of test driving stuff that you can normally only drive whenever you walk into the dealer and ask and all I had to do was give them all my contact information.

That being said, I was pretty disappointed with BMWs current offerings. I'm sure they drive great, but the interior and exterior design has just gotten so bland (or else they've stayed the same and everyone else has gotten better). The 3 coupes, the 1 series, and the new z4 look good from the outside, but even the 1 and 3 are kinda generic.

We drove by the Audi dealership on the way home and even the A4 has more character to it. The interiors blow BMW away, too.

We're having a kid soon (and we have a big dog already) so I was halfway looking for something slightly more practical (that isn't an SUV) to replace my e46 m3 with and didn't find much of anything at BMW. The 3 series wagon or sedan was really the only choice and I hate the styling on those. Audi has the a4 wagon (no manual transmission though), the a3, and the s4 sedan. The best thing BMW really has is the upcoming mini countryman.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2010 14:19

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Firefox Asexual posted:

That's funny because my friend who originally said Audi interiors blow BMW away just got a newish 328i coupe and immediately took that back.

Maybe I'm just used to BMW now so Audi seems fresh. The 75k M3 interior seemed on par with the 48k S4s, but the 328 seemed outmatched by the A4.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2010 15:54

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

SlapActionJackson posted:

I don't know if you're the kind of guy who does his own maintenance, but every time I have to fix something on my wife's passat, it makes me want to punch a VW engineer in the nuts. The e46 is a maintenance dream in comparison.

That is an interesting data point. The M3 is the first car I've done maintenance on myself. So far I've done the valve cover gasket, replaced the springs with stock, RTABs, and just did my rear brakes. Aside from the special tools needed for some tasks everything has been pretty straightforward.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2010 19:01

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

VibrioCholera posted:

Yay! Did some work on the E46 M3 today. Put in a new center console and cupholders. Replaced the door panel clips (the drat tweeters still vibrate or something), cleaned the car, and changed the oil
.

How much was the new center console? Mine has a few bits flaking off near the e brake handle. I'm guessing it wasn't too hard to replace...

# ¿ Aug 6, 2010 03:01

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

VibrioCholera posted:

...parts...

The worst thing in the entire car on the interior to pull out is the center vents. These things may as well be cemented in there. It's actually a bonus to break the clips (which are like unbreakable) because then it comes out with regular human strength the next time you need them out. You won't be messing with these for the center console obviously.

One of the first things I did when I got the car was to install an aux in. The vents took me an hour to pull off because I kept thinking 'surely it can't require that much force. they're going to break before they come off' until I finally got pissed enough to just yank them out.

Then for a cool down I had the fun of using metal nail files to get the nav free.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2010 14:39

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Deceptor101 posted:

diff and suspension e46 stuff

You need special tools to do the bushings. If you ask on e46fanatics on the local boards, someone may loan them to you (or invite you over to work together). The rear bushings have to be pushed out and without the tool it is nearly impossible. The front bushing require a hydraulic press, I think, but some people buy the arms with the bushings pre-pressed into them to avoid this, though there are still gotchas. Here's an RTAB DIY
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5352749

He claims no special tools but you'll notice it involves sawing and prying and all sorts of other crazy stuff.

I borrowed an RTAB tool from a local guy and the task was pretty easy. The bolt directly through the bushing is torqued really hard and the bushing allows it to rotate in place so it was a colossal pain to get undone, but other than that the job was pretty easy. Once you finish, wait a week or so and then go get an alignment done (if you find the right NTB guy you can get a 'dealer alignment' for like $50).

My diff seals are leaking too but the shop wants $700 to fix it (only $40 is part or something) and I haven't gotten around to trying to tackle it myself yet. I've seen DIYs for diff stuff and they don't look too bad (you need torx bits or something to disconnect the half shafts from the diff).

The basic summary is to search e46fanatics or bimmerforums for DIYs and then make absolutely sure you have the special tools. I use getbmwparts.com (Tischer BMW) and they are great. You can message them on AIM and they will help you get the right parts for what you're doing.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2010 20:49

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Deceptor101 posted:

So my head just lightly exploded. I'll definitely go for the easier route of pre-installed bushings and have my mechanic friend help me out with the whole process. It is my only car, so I'd like to have it done in a day. With the right amount of prep and knowledge, and someone to drive me to a parts store in an emergency I should be okay right? I don't see any mention of the diff seal, while I'm down there with everything apart I should do that too right?

Ok I'm going to start looking at parts and prices and when I can do this. In the meantime, any CA-Bay Area guys who would love to help me through this in person? I think over the weekend I'm going to crawl under the car and stare at the parts, this will help me feel a lot less overwhelmed. Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it.

Just keep in mind that the pre-pressed stuff only works for the front bushings, not the rears. The rears you still have to press out and back in yourself. Good luck

# ¿ Aug 14, 2010 13:54

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Taco Box posted:

Sumitomo HTR Z3's are nice and not too expensive, assuming the ZHP uses 245 R17's

I had some of these on my Z4 and they got greasy when auto crossing. I've got Hankook Evo V12s right now and they seem to be doing better, if they're available in your size. The price should be similar.

# ¿ Aug 28, 2010 13:36

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Guinness posted:

Doh, guess you can't get an Avant with a manual, but you can still get the Sedan with one (which is what I test drove). Well, I guess that rules out the Audi.

You can get a B7 A4 Avant with a manual (model years up to 2008). That's what I ended up with after getting rid of my e46 m3. This is the wrong thread to say this in, but I think I like the Avant more.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2011 22:38

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

I posted on the local section of e46fanatics when I needed to borrow one and someone helped me out.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2012 21:07

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Kenny Rogers posted:

I think practicality is winning me over - that, and the thought that the car payment on that Z4M would be a little north of $500/mo.

We spent the day looking at Mini Clubman S' (Clubman Ses? Clubman EsseEsses? I'm so confused). REALLY liked them. Doubly for them being in the $17-18k range, instead of $26k.

I presume this is the right thread to continue to camp out in if/when we get one?

Seriously go drive a Focus hatch. We traded my wife's mini for one and never looked back. It drives very German and can be had with lots of options for 19k ish (the sticker on hers was 23k ish and we got it for 19.5k)

All this z4m stuff has made me miss my 3.0si coupe.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2013 14:45

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

An hour of progressively longer cheater bars and jack combinations to break loose the carrier bolt that is stock torqued to some ungodly number...for an e46 anyway.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 02:55

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

neckbeard posted:

Took a pic of my buddy's M3 last night, it's going away for the winter pretty soon. Laguna Seca Blue is the best colour ever.

That doesn't look like LSB to me. Estoril?

# ¿ Oct 26, 2014 17:06

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:29

havelock: Jan 20, 2004; IGNORE ME; Soiled Meat

Does anyone want an e46 Bentley manual? I haven't had an M3 in a long time and this monster is just taking up space on my shelf. PM an offer.

I think I used it to do the RTABs and the valve cover gasket and it was quite helpful.

# ¿ Jul 16, 2021 18:45

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