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Thread: Guidance on a 3 for my son....

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Bella Vista, Ar
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    2001 BMW 740iL

    Guidance on a 3 for my son....

    So, I'm an E38 owner. LOVE my car. I'm really thinking of picking up a 3 for my son who's 17. I'm rebuilding a 87 944 for him, but that project is still a ways off. The 7 guys praise how reliable the straight 6's are, but I'm wanting to know what input 3 owners have. Personally I'm a E36 guy, but I'm thinking he might be better off with something in the E46 age range. I would be doing all the work, and I can do it all, so no issues with repairs or cost. Plus I'll be teaching him, so things needing fixed isn't a huge deal. Just showed him a 4 wheel brake job on the E38.

    If you were getting a 3 for your kid, what would you be looking for? Oh price range is 3.5k or less. I crashed my first car (68 Mustang) twice in the first 6 months. Sooo... something that I won't cry if he crunches it a little here and there. Mileage isn't an issue.

    Thanks guys!
    2001 740iL "Silver Beauty"
    1986 Porsche 951 "Silver Bullet"
    1987 Porsche 944 NA Auto (rebuilding for my son's first car)
    https://home.doonze.net/filepage.php <- BMW/Porsche doc's and files, work in progress

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    2018 BMW M240i
    I owned a 330Ci for 17 years. Great power and handling. Repairs aren’t that tough but I had a Bentley manual for guidance. The handled well but was a bit heavy for the track. The car, like all modern cars, was a rolling computer. But, OBDFusion was a great help. The car’s Achilles heel is the cooling system as it’s made primarily of plastic. Stay away from any car that has experienced overheating if it’s aluminum engine. An overheated BMW engine typically results in the head bolts pulling out of the block.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Bella Vista, Ar
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    2001 BMW 740iL
    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    I owned a 330Ci for 17 years. Great power and handling. Repairs aren’t that tough but I had a Bentley manual for guidance. The handled well but was a bit heavy for the track. The car, like all modern cars, was a rolling computer. But, OBDFusion was a great help. The car’s Achilles heel is the cooling system as it’s made primarily of plastic. Stay away from any car that has experienced overheating if it’s aluminum engine. An overheated BMW engine typically results in the head bolts pulling out of the block.
    Thanks! Are there any combos/years to stay away from? And engines better reliability wise than others? I don't know 3s super well.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    2001 740iL "Silver Beauty"
    1986 Porsche 951 "Silver Bullet"
    1987 Porsche 944 NA Auto (rebuilding for my son's first car)
    https://home.doonze.net/filepage.php <- BMW/Porsche doc's and files, work in progress

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Arlington, VA
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    9,933
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    2018 BMW M240i
    The E46 sold in the USA used 2 different engines. Model years 1999 and 2000 have the M52 engine. Later models have the M54 engine. The M54 is considered the better engine. The M54’s sore point is the crankcase ventilation system (CCV). I claim it was designed by an engineer who’d been fired by Audi. It’s job is to separate liquids and gases scavenged from the crankcase. It doesn’t do a very good job. And it becomes clogged. It’s a real pain to replace. I did it 3x in my 330Ci. I replaced it with an oil catch can. Go to E46Fanatics and search for “02pilot mod.” It’s a relatively simple and easy mod that increases crankcase vacuum.

    Be advised that the 3 liter M54 engine (M54B30 in BMWspeak) is a bit of an oil burner. Why? The oil control rings are of a low tension design. They have a tendency to get carboned up over time/mileage. Many folks over at E46Fanatics use Shell Rotella T6 oil as it greatly decreases oil consumption in the M54B30 engine. So, using this oil in conjunction with 02pilot mod seem to manage the oil consumption.

    The Achilles heel of all E46s is the cooling system. It’s made primarily of plastic. It’s high quality German plastic but it’s plastic nonetheless. Most folks overhaul the cooling at 100k miles. It’s a fairly easy task. INSTALLATION OF NON-OE/OEM PARTS IS STRICTLY VERBOTEN! The only coolant you want to use is BMW coolant and distilled water. Period!! Buy quality OE and OEM parts at fcpeuro. Why? Great customer service, excellent prices and a lifetime warranty on everything it sells! These engine are aluminum and do not tolerate overheating at all.

    Any BMW you consider should undergo a pre-purchase inspection performed by a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers. Try www.bimrs.org. All used cars have issues.

    Browse E46Fanatics. It’s a great forum.
    Last edited by MarcoZandrini; 06-21-2018 at 08:09 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    USA
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    04 ZHP, 83 320i, 00 M5
    Get a 330i or a zhp with ~100k miles. If standard maintenance is done they are much more reliable than your e38. No valve adjustments needed just like your 7 however like your 7 all coolant system replacement at 100k miles and pulleys at 60k unless you go metal from ecstuning.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    _________

    1980 320i - Kashmir Metallic - Sold in 1993
    1985 535i - Cosmosblau Metallic - Sold in 1995
    1985 535i - 1985-06 - Delphin Metallic - Sold in 2016
    1983 320i - 1982-09 - Kashmir Metallic - Currently own!
    2004 ZHP - 2003-08 - Titanium Metallic - Currently own!
    2000 M5 - 2000-02 Titanium Silver - Currently own!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Rock Hill, SC
    Posts
    785
    My Cars
    2000 BMW M Roadster
    I'm also considering a E46 for my son. I have a 2000 M Roadster which has been very reliable.

    Am I safe to expect the same reliability from a 2002 325i once all the normal things are fixed (cooling system, valve cover gasket, etc....)?

    The one I'm considering has been garaged the majority of it's life and has 100k miles. Seems to be a solid well maintained car.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    USA
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    04 ZHP, 83 320i, 00 M5
    Yes the e46 platform is probably one of the best BMW has made from a reliability perspective.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    _________

    1980 320i - Kashmir Metallic - Sold in 1993
    1985 535i - Cosmosblau Metallic - Sold in 1995
    1985 535i - 1985-06 - Delphin Metallic - Sold in 2016
    1983 320i - 1982-09 - Kashmir Metallic - Currently own!
    2004 ZHP - 2003-08 - Titanium Metallic - Currently own!
    2000 M5 - 2000-02 Titanium Silver - Currently own!

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