'03 BMW 330i 5sp....$2k

NMNA, I am nearly local to this, and even needing a head gasket it still is a decent deal for a bit of work.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4238133800.html

Seller said: 2003 BMW 330i. 218,000 miles, Original Owner, Manual Transmission, Leather, Performance Package, Cold Weather package, Luxury package, Sunroof, M wheels, Bi-Xenon Headlamps, Infinity separate speakers, Alpine Red sub, Alpine 4x65 amp, JL Audio 250 Mono Block sub amp, runs but needs a head gasket. No e-mails please. SEVEN 6 5 - Six four 9 - 55 FOURTY FIVE.

I HATE BEING BROKE!!!!!!!!!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Probably needs a complete head and/or the head bolt bores heli-coiled.

If you have the time and resources, could be worth it. I imagine that it needs a lot more than just that though. Deferred maintenance is the most expensive part of a used Euro.

do the math carefully. BMWs don't typically just puke a head gasket. Most common scenario is a cooling system failure, followed by overheating, with corresponding head warpage resulting in head gasket leak. Sourcing a decent head, cooling system parts and doing your own work - could still be a decent deal. Farming it out - probably ends up at fmv or more.

In reply to oldtin:

True, it is a gamble.....if I had the money, I'd probably buy it or the 3k e46 325ix I found during the same search.

Google spec e46 if you are looking for something to do with such a car. new class coming to a club near you!

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

Indianapolis doesn't have spec/club racing......I think we have to travel to Chicago/Michigan/Ohio just to club race

yamaha wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Indianapolis doesn't have spec/club racing......I think we have to travel to Chicago/Michigan/Ohio just to club race

no racing at IRP or Putnum Park?

LS1 will fix that.

aaaaaand it's gone.

westsidetalon wrote:

yamaha wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Indianapolis doesn't have spec/club racing......I think we have to travel to Chicago/Michigan/Ohio just to club race

no racing at IRP or Putnum Park?

No road racing at IRP/ORP/LORI/wtf ever they're calling themselves this week, and Putnam hates the SCCA.....and we don't have NASA in the area. Putnam does have track days, but AFAIK, no real wheel to wheel series.

FWIW it was the ZSP Sport package. The Performance package is the ZHP, and judging from the wheels, that ain't likely to be one.

Agreed. These don't just have a bad head gasket, it's got a warped head.

docwyte wrote: Agreed. These don't just have a bad head gasket, it's got a warped head.

Agreed... but a whole junkyard motor can be had pretty inexpensively compared to buying fresh head if it's cracked or can't be decked. '03 was cast iron bottom end (IIRC) so same/same as any E36 M3 headjob with slightly different cam timing procedures.

IMO, It's good start to a race car if it's just a head... other unknowns notwithstanding.

Agree with others - you don't fix BMW inline six-cylinders that have overheated. You junk them and throw in a $1,500 junkyard engine. Still, for ~$4k all-in, that would have been a pretty solid deal.

speedblind wrote: Agree with others - you don't fix BMW inline six-cylinders that have overheated. You junk them and throw in a $1,500 junkyard engine. Still, for ~$4k all-in, that would have been a pretty solid deal.

That isn't really true - you can deck, seat and re-valve seal a head and do the whole job with all gaskets/bolts etc for $750 if the head isn't cracked between the valves. The cast iron bottom ends of these things are strong and very long lived. I've pulled the head on a motor with cross-hatching still visible at 175k.

If you are building the bottom end for a race application anyway - boring it 2x over, balancing everything to 1g, etc then these are very serviceable motors and a fresh head might be worth $1500 to you to have the whole thing as good a known entity as can be. It's just not cheap.

The tipping point for me to go to the junkyard is when I just want a stock or close to it engine installed quickly and the head core is toast and/or the bottom is also a little tired. It's just easier/cheaper to swap a whole motor than waste three weeks and $3k rebuilding one. It's not always better.

Pretty sure by 03 they had the all alum m54... Could be much worse than a warped heD, sunk liners, etc.