Should I buy an E46 for $1000?

A work friend of mine just bought an E92, specifically a 335xi. His current car is an E46. I'm not sure of the specific trim level but it's probably a 323 or 325. It has 230-240k on it but it's very clean and seems to run and drive well (I've ridden in it several times). It's been lightly hit (backed into) on the passenger side rear quarter, which pushed in the lip of the fender behind the door. Also, the tint on the rear glass is bubbling and I think the front power windows are kinda slow.

I've never owned a BMW before but I think I could get this car from him for about $1000. I am tempted. Does this sound like a good deal to you guys?

Um... berkeley yes?

It runs right?

EDIT: 240k is a lot of miles... unless it was all highway, you can expect that it needs love. But, at 1k... you could clean it and flip it or start building a race car. As long as you aren;t in the rust belt parting it out - you get half your money back for the wheels.

Flip it or turn it into a track car...

I'm interested in this as well. I've seen cars like this around me and my love for BMW's coupled with my auto ADD make me want one REALLY BAD!

Aside from the possible cooling system overhaul, what would be something else for him to be wary of?

Yeah, do these have inevitably disintegrating wire harnesses?

This video is making me lean towards "DO NOT WANT."

E46 subframe failure

If it's a pre-facelift chassis (01 or earlier), no. It's going to almost certainly have crippling subframe damage with that mileage, and even if it doesn't, it's going to eat up thousands of dollars in parts.

Source: I DD a 190k E46. They're great at being "grown up" cars, but parts are too expensive to really make a good sub 1k beater, IMO.

Assuming it runs and isn't seriously broken, worst case deferred maintenance scenario means complete suspension (control arms/bushings, sway bar ends/bushings, shocks/struts); cooling system; CCV; VANOS seals; VCG, OFH gaskets; all fluids. Maybe 3k or so in parts and a few days labor.

Whoa, I've never heard of those kind of chassis stress fractures! I was just looking at older BMW's today too, and there are so many in the $1500-2500 range. So tempting. Do the E36 chassis have this same problem? E30's? Looking for an occasional family hauler.

-Hamid

I know E30s don't have that problem, but I think E36s might. I wouldn't say it's a dealbreaker, but it's certainly something to look into, especially if the seller is reporting problems getting the rear to take an alignment. If you're good with a welder, it's completely fixable. Turner sells some laser-cut plates to fix/prevent the failures for $140. Could be a great way to breathe new life into an otherwise good chassis.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-91-e46-rear-chassissubframe-reinforcement-kit.aspx

The OP doesn't say: manual or automatic? I'm pretty sure everyone's recommendations to "buy" are assuming it's a manual. IMHO, if automatic: run away.

Subframe cracking is more prevalent in the E46 than E36 but happens for the same reason - when the bushings go bad and you drive the car with the subframe floundering around yanking on things - the things fatigue. A car that wasn't driven with bad bushings will be fine (unless lots of rust... then run away because that is too much work).

Go look at the car - how hard is that damage to spot? If it's not present in a running car with a manual and no rust... all win at $1k.

If you are building a race car out of it then you are likely capable of fabricating a cage. If you are capable of fabricating a cage... then that sort of damage represents no intimidation whatsoever and constitutes a $500 discount on a $1k asking price. If you are building a race car then you weren't racing it with a 240k mi stock 2.5L motor in it or likely anything in the current powertrain or suspension remaining. A clean $500-$900 E46 roller with stuff to sell off and a running rebuild candidate in the engine bay? Still a "Yes, please!".

You people that are freaking out sound like the weatherman frothing over a polar vortex. HTFU!

It will likely need all the same parts replaced that a $3500 one would.

I would buy a complete, drivable e46 for $1000, definitely. THEN I would figure out how to slip it past the (very understanding) wife.

The car in question is a manual. Sorry I forgot to mention it. Like I said, it seems to run and drive good. It's real clean, inside and out. Maybe when he gets the new one I can borrow the E46 and get it on a lift to check it out properly.

I have and can use a welder, but the frame cracking thing scares me. I don't have time for that. I've got too many other projects to be tearing the entire suspension off of a car I'm unfamiliar with, cutting pieces out of the floor, making patches, and welding in new stuff. This is especially so if I have to remove the interior and carpet.

Well, buy it for $1000 and then sell it to me for $1500.

Well I think it's ridiculous that the chassis can tear like that, and I never figured I'd have to factor that crap into a used car purchase. Freaking out or not, it's still bs.

AverageH wrote: Well I think it's ridiculous that the chassis can tear like that, and I never figured I'd have to factor that crap into a used car purchase. Freaking out or not, it's still bs.

It doesn't seem to happen that much, at least on normally driven cars. I've specialized in BMWs for over 15 years and have only seen it twice. A shop owner near me has bought two with bad subframes and had them both repaired under extended warranty at the dealer though.

I drive a 99 e46 328i with 205K on it and the subframe is fine. I had to replace all the bushings, rebuild the cooling system, replace all shocks, fix oil leaks, rebuild the vanos, replace cam sensors, replace MAF and a E36 M3 ton of other stuff in the first 6 months of owning it though. Whatever money I saved from ditching my Lexus car payments has been spent on repairs. I've begun to hate this car and want an appliance now.

Price seems low enough to be able to flip, but bodywork could kill any profit.

In reply to Cone_Junkie:

Thanks for the honesty! Always looking for a nice euro rwd four-door for a few grand but always get scared from the expenses after the purchase. I guess there's a reason why they're 2 grand!

-Hamid

I would at least go look at it with the thoughts of "do I want this". I wouldn't get the friends hopes or expectations up, just really look at it and consider it. If it really is good, and you can get it for a song, well, do it. If you find things you don't like, or he wants a fortune for it, you spent some time with your friend and time learning about a BMW. No loss that way either.

AverageH wrote: In reply to Cone_Junkie: Thanks for the honesty! Always looking for a nice euro rwd four-door for a few grand but always get scared from the expenses after the purchase. I guess there's a reason why they're 2 grand! -Hamid

Pretty much. I have to admit the idea of a $1000 E46 is tempting.. but then I look at the pile of parts I need to install in my TDi as well as the to-do list for the other two hobby-cars and I'm glad I bought a much newer "appliance" car rather than something cheaper/more interesting. Plus, while I'm familiar with BMW's (having wrenched on an E30 and E36), it would still be another car I'd have to "learn" if you know what I mean - and tasks always take longer when you're learning.

Right now, the only modern-ish car I casually look for is another MINI - not because I think they're great cars - they have their faults like any other, but mainly because I've already spent a lot of time wrenching on them and learning how to deal with those faults so I wouldn't really have a learning curve.