First post and wanting to buy an e46

[naminator58]

So a few things. I am operating on a tighter budget so an M3? Not an option full stop. As it stands, cars with 3 peddles are in the $5,000 plus range easily, since everybody "knows what they got". Because I am in Alberta Canada, salting the roads in the winter is common (we use Calcium Chloride and sand) and we get crazy hail storms in the summer. This means most cars will look like the front has been sand blasted, be hiding all sorts of tasty corrosion and occasionally they will look like a crumpled up beer can thanks to hail.

This limits my options significantly but I still want a BMW. Something about a manual, RWD car calls too me... Never mind that anything from Japan that is RWD is ludicrously expensive ($8900 for a car that has a picture of it actively drifting). So I started looking into BMW's because not only does 90% of my companies management team have them, but my father had an E36 when i was growing up (Laguna green on caramel with a 6 disk changer). Being in my early 30's and into video games, I also loved the holy grail M3 GTR from Need For Speed.

So my plan, as it stands, is to find a cheaper 325/328 local too me that doesn't need too much work. This lets me dip my toes into BMWs and get a taste. If the car explodes or completely dies, I can sell it for a loss/scrap it and pray I got the value out of it I needed. Otherwise, somewhere way down the line after I spend dozens and dozens of hours researching, I would love to LS swap the car and make it extra fun. My boss has an E90 M3 and his boss has a an M6. Previous boss also owned an M6 so I think I see a pattern of BMW love.


To summarize, I am looking at getting my first BMW. The goal is to have a fun, 3 series I can get used to BMWs with then eventually find a car to LS swap or LS swap that BMW. The 5 Series also calls too me, but a 3 series feels more attainable. Most of the choices are automatic and crusty from being in a snowy climate. What should I look for vehicle wise, damage, etc. Basically how do I pick the best E46 from a field of potential duds.

[NewB2Beemer]

I have just recently bought our first BMW and will go to one of our teenagers who's about to get his learner's permit and I wanted him to start out on a stick. It is a 2000 323 and so far I find it better than expected and not too difficult to work on. I drove the car daily in the past few weeks after replacing all the fluids. Now parked in the garage and I'm about to replace the windshield rubber trim, pulleys and tensioners, water pump, then rebuild the shifter arm as it is really loose. Once done the only known issue with the car is the pass side window comes out of its rail when rolled down and I'm planning to address it over the winter.
This will be a strictly non-snow/ice vehicle simply because I don't want to store another set of snow tires but would not hesitate to get a set and drive it in the snow if I needed to.
When we bought it I took my Rhino ramps with me and peeked underneath it to make sure there's no major rust or other major issue with the car. If you have an ODBII reader you can check past codes easily to make sure it was not cleared recently without addressing the underlying issue. Check for major oil leaks, clunks, rattles etc. Unfortunately there is no secret recipe to avoid a dud but you can do a lot to avoid one.

[MarcoZandrini]

Whatever you do have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection performed by a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers. Find a shop in your area at www.bimrs.org. There is no such thing as a cheap BMW.

[ConvGeorge]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say a 5-series might actually be more attainable for you. They aren't as desired by the sporty racer type driver, and as a result sell for cheaper in my area.

[dzlockhead]

I'd agree with MarcoZandrini, if you aren't going to wrench it yourself, even the E46 can quickly become a repair bill. Some items to check for include if the cooling system has been changed, the CCV system replaced (also check to see if it has cold weather insulation on it. My 05 325XI had the factory CCV and it didn't have the insulation). The valve cover gasket typically needs replaced, I did that myself though, it isn't too bad. On the cooling system, a lot of the plastic parts will eventually fail. Mine failed beautifully when my mechanical fan blew apart, puncturing my radiator and transmission cooler. The water pump also has a composite impeller that can break apart as it ages. I think some places you can find a replacement with a metal one.