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Thread: To keep or to sell, looking for advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    New Orleans
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    6
    My Cars
    1999 M3

    To keep or to sell, looking for advice

    I'm hoping some of you fellow (and more knowledgeable owners) can give me some advice. I've got a 1999 M3 Coupe (manual) that runs like a dream and only has about 65,000 miles on it, but has a few issues that are currently preventing me from driving it. The major one being that air has stopped flowing from the vents. No hot, no cold, nothing. Other smaller things are the power windows aren't aligned properly (the little plastic part has broken, or the scissor thing is bent), the plastic throughout is drying up in places so things are starting to snap (like the dome light cover) and in a few places, the glue is giving out. That is really all that is wrong with the car.

    However, I live in New Orleans. The streets are bad here and there isn't a lot of opportunity to open her up. Also, there really isn't a shop anywhere in town that I know and trust to work on it, reviews from people are always mixed and I don't have a lot of faith. Additionally I'm not really mechanical. I can fix some things, but overall, I need to take it somewhere to get repairs done.

    Does anyone have any advice? Is it worth investing more money in to get it fixed and keep driving it for a few more years or should I accept that it's gotten out of my control and sell it to someone who can care for it? If selling is the way to go... how much to ask for? I see wildly varying prices when I look and it's all pretty confusing.

    I need to make a decision soon because it's not doing anyone any good in its current state. Any opinions are very appreciated. And I do realize that I'm just asking for opinions here, there is no hard and fast answer. Thanks so much, guys!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    18,000
    My Cars
    '03 Z4, '06 Forester
    All the problems you list can be fixed relatively cheap if you go to a salvage yard or two and/or buy parts online and do the work yourself (and none of it is really that hard ... there is a DIY on this forum for everything).

    That said, if you don't feel that you're up to the job of getting it sorted, it's better if you sell now: with low miles like that and the minor problems, you can get good money for it and put the car in the hands of someone who will fix it back up and enjoy it ... if you keep it and neglect it (if that's the right word here ... maybe "not keep up with the things that need attention" is a better way to say it), you'll just end up with a car that will be worthless in a year or two, even with low miles.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    504
    My Cars
    E36 M3 vert/E32 750/Alfa
    @slocar +1

    How would you feel about the BMW CCA? Not trying to push any certain organization, but if you were interested and you didn't mind the dues you could plug into the membership network to check for sleeper independent shops near you. Plus they have Tech Support Lines you can call for a specific problem (if Bf.com doesn't solve it for ya...). There's a pretty good montly mag in print and online that could be another resource. Dealerships usually give a discount at the parts counter (15% locally here) if you're a member.

    idk...just sayin'. From what you say, it sounds like you've got good reasons for being on the fence

    We lived in Shreveport for a while and I really hear ya about the state of the street paving. Add that to all the stop signs, stop lights, and totally straight roads, it had me shouting for an autotragic transmission after a couple years. Normally this would come right before total insanity (for yrs trly anyway).

    Best wishes and keep us posted. If you decide to keep 'er, at least most of the issues you mentioned have fairly inexpensive or straightforward fixes.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    North Potomac, MD
    Posts
    1,054
    My Cars
    2011 E90 328i
    If you spent $2 to $3K fixing this car, it would probably be the best $3K car you could buy in the whole wide world!

    Regarding the AC, can you hear the fan running?

    Also, are you sure this car is not older than the odometer says it is?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Greenville, NC
    Posts
    1,718
    My Cars
    1997 328i convertible
    You say you can't fix it yourself and you don't know of a good repair shop. Not a good combination. BMWs tend to need more attention when they get past 10 years old. I think you should sell it and get a more trouble free car.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    New Orleans
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    1999 M3
    @slocar: I'm really not up to the task. I've followed a lot of the tutorials available here over the years and I rarely get it right. I'm good at a lot of things, but fixing cars is evidently not one of them. I'm really thinking I may have to sell. You say the value is decreasing pretty rapidly, assuming everything else is top notch, do you have a ballpark of what I could get for it? I'd really like to get 10, but I don't know if that's reasonable or not.

    - - - Updated - - -

    @marvinstockman I agree! I just don't know if it'll be worth sinking 3k in at this point. I know that things are going to continue to fail as time goes on and I can probbly fix some of them, but how much is too much, you know?

    Yes, the fan is running. I think that's a good sign, right?

    I am sure about the age. It's been my car since 2001.
    Last edited by lizery; 05-20-2013 at 07:57 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    New Orleans
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    1999 M3
    Quote Originally Posted by slocar View Post
    All the problems you list can be fixed relatively cheap if you go to a salvage yard or two and/or buy parts online and do the work yourself (and none of it is really that hard ... there is a DIY on this forum for everything)...
    I really wish I were more mechanically inclined, it would make my decision much easier. The few things I've tried fixing myself with the tutorials have ended up breaking again right away. At this point, it comes down to whether or not it is worth putting more money in to fix it.

    If selling is the way to go, is there anyway to estimate what I could get for it? I'd really like to get 10, but I don't know if that's reasonable considering the things that need fixing. Any advice?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by marvinstockman View Post
    If you spent $2 to $3K fixing this car, it would probably be the best $3K car you could buy in the whole wide world!...
    I know! But is it worth putting 3k in? How long is that going to delay the inevitable?
    Yes, the fan is running.
    I'm sure on the age. It's been my car since 2001 and had only one previous owner.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Kentucky
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    18,000
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    '03 Z4, '06 Forester
    Quote Originally Posted by lizery View Post
    I really wish I were more mechanically inclined, it would make my decision much easier. The few things I've tried fixing myself with the tutorials have ended up breaking again right away. At this point, it comes down to whether or not it is worth putting more money in to fix it.

    If selling is the way to go, is there anyway to estimate what I could get for it? I'd really like to get 10, but I don't know if that's reasonable considering the things that need fixing. Any advice?

    - - - Updated - - -



    I know! But is it worth putting 3k in? How long is that going to delay the inevitable?
    Yes, the fan is running.
    I'm sure on the age. It's been my car since 2001 and had only one previous owner.
    With low miles like that, even with a couple of things that need attention, I'd say 10 is easily doable ... at least it would be in my neck of the woods. Not very many true low mileage cars left at this point (newest is 14 years old) ... someone who wants a low mileage M3 will be willing to look past the small issues.

    That said, I do somewhat agree with marvin: say you sell the M3 for 10k ... what else are you going to get for that money that's even remotely as nice to drive and as nice to look at ... and more importantly what can you get that wont have the same issues that the M3 has?

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