WTB: 04 or 05 330i Sedan MT lower miles

[Agincore]

All- my first post here in the forum. interested in a lower mileage, close to stock, 04 or 05 ZHP MT. Not shy to fix cosmetic issues or minor mechanicals. Looking for a long term car that has not been abused. Thank you for your help in advance.


Year(s): 04 or 05 (ideal is 05)
Desired Mileage:50-80k
Transmission type: MT (must)
Desired number of Doors:4
Desired Color combos: ideal Sapphire Black/ Black; silver or graphite w Black interior; alpine white/black
Desired Packages: cold/premium/performance/ or no premium w Alcantara cloth/HK stereo
Funds lined up? Yes (cashier's check)
Have a car you need to sell first? No

I also saw this but not sure on the mods/condition.Thoughts appreciated-
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1079584

[fredo]

Welcome, sir. Car looks clean and the seller seems to be honest. Good thing the OEM wheels are included. For that price, I would expect a car that doesn't need service or repairs anytime soon. GL !

[ELCID86]

Welcome. Fred nailed it ^


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[Agincore]

Thanks again to all who have commented. What is a good mileage range to pick up a ZHP? When is it time for retirement? Thanks in advance

[NoVAphotog]

Thanks again to all who have commented. What is a good mileage range to pick up a ZHP? When is it time for retirement? Thanks in advance

I need to pull them up or maybe you can find them, but there are some good threads on this matter. "Well maintained, higher mileage zhp vs. low mileage" is a common debate. Each of them have their pros/cons I would say.

From own experience, I bought mine last year at 58k and have about 74 on her now. In that time, a LOT of preventative maintenance has been completed along with routine maintenance I felt would benefit the car and has. I would say at this point, looking back, I would have wanted to get a higher mileage car that had been well maintained. Obviously, doing the PM was a choice and I could have probably waited at least another 20-30k for most of it, but at this point these cars are all at least 10 years old and have a lot of parts that wear on time as well as use. So, expect to put at least 1.5-2k into any ZHP you find REGARDLESS of mileage.

You can find a well maintained higher mileage car...there are definitely quite a few that pop up where folks have gone above and beyond. There is no "premium" they can charge (private sellers) for that sort of upkeep if the mileage is high so instead of paying the "premium" for a lower mileage car and then still having to pay more on top, it's better at least from a purely financial standpoint to hunt for those sorts of examples which could be anywhere around 100k. I mean, it doesn't take much to see there are some members on here with 150-200,000+ miles and their cars run great some even have the original clutches! Well maintained, these cars will definitely last so "retirement" is relative to attrition and maintenance.

[markmiller.xu]

I need to pull them up or maybe you can find them, but there are some good threads on this matter. "Well maintained, higher mileage zhp vs. low mileage" is a common debate. Each of them have their pros/cons I would say.

From own experience, I bought mine last year at 58k and have about 74 on her now. In that time, a LOT of preventative maintenance has been completed along with routine maintenance I felt would benefit the car and has. I would say at this point, looking back, I would have wanted to get a higher mileage car that had been well maintained. Obviously, doing the PM was a choice and I could have probably waited at least another 20-30k for most of it, but at this point these cars are all at least 10 years old and have a lot of parts that wear on time as well as use. So, expect to put at least 1.5-2k into any ZHP you find REGARDLESS of mileage.

You can find a well maintained higher mileage car...there are definitely quite a few that pop up where folks have gone above and beyond. There is no "premium" they can charge (private sellers) for that sort of upkeep if the mileage is high so instead of paying the "premium" for a lower mileage car and then still having to pay more on top, it's better at least from a purely financial standpoint to hunt for those sorts of examples which could be anywhere around 100k. I mean, it doesn't take much to see there are some members on here with 150-200,000+ miles and their cars run great some even have the original clutches! Well maintained, these cars will definitely last so "retirement" is relative to attrition and maintenance.

+1

I just bought a 60k mile zhp and am sinking money into it because the preventative stuff wasn't done. I'd be more comfortable with a higher mileage well maintained version with all preventative maintenance performed.

I took it to the dealership to have inspection II done and they wanted about $4k for the preventative maintenance (i.e. Changing fluids and what not). That didn't even include a cooling system overhaul or any new hardware really. Most of this was recommended due to the age. Now, I'm not paying that because I will do it myself, but you get the idea.


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[san]

I bought mine last year, a 2006 coupe with 95k miles... I wanted a an 05 or 06 with less than 100k miles on it... The previous owner didn't do much preventive maintenance, so within the first few months I had to change to cooling system, diff bushings, sway bar links and bunch of other stuff... I recently also bought koni yellows... I agree with Daniel, expect to spend close to $2k regardless of miles in the car....


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[Agincore]

Thanks for all the comments on impact of mileage. The $2k "rule of thumb" for misc preventative, etc. is a good assumption to keep in mind. Good advice.
K

[BMWCurves]

I'm late to this thread but I have a similar sentiment to what the others have said. I got mine a few months ago and it had only 49k miles. While I love the low mileage, it is a 10 year-old car meaning many of the parts that should be in good shape mileage-wise may or may not be in good condition on a purely time-based evaluation (fluids, rubber hoses, etc). I am in the process of doing a lot of preventative maintenance myself to save on labor, but in parts it has cost me about $2,000+ to change fluids front to back, replace filters (fuel, cabin, intake, oil), cooling system refresh, spark plugs, pulleys, belts, and suspension refresh.

[fredo]

138,000 miles on my 2005 sedan and running strong.

[Aesora]

That's my car! I was actually just about to come back here with my tail between my legs and post it for sale...I just lowered the price a little more too. I am absolutely open to answering any question you can possibly imagine about the car.

[Aesora]

Actually, I think you may have tried to call me about it at one point. If you want my actual number instead of my google voice number since it was messing up, just shoot me a pm or email (I think I texted you my email address)

edit: sorry I should have edited this into my last post instead of adding another one. I just got excited.

So the backstory is my girlfriend (hopefully soon to be fiance) recently moved from here to New York City, and now I'm here selling off my stuff so I can afford to follow her out there. I absolutely hate to sell this car. I have put blood, sweat, and tears into getting every single thing taken care of so that it can take care of me for a long time to come. I'm honestly not sure I've listed everything I've done to the car over the last year or two. My brother works from home and as such, the car didn't get driven a lot other than evenings and weekends. I also didn't drive it through the winter because I had it in the garage to do the VANOS seals and CCV and hoses replacement. I also replaced both front wheel bearings at one point over this past winter too. I've put 5k miles on the car since I bought it. Basically I've done everything recommended to be done through the 100k mile mark other than flushing the transmission and rear diff.

If the price it's listed at now is anywhere near your ballpark, let's talk shop. If you want to face time or want me to send you a video or two about the car, I'm more than happy to. If you can get to the price it's at right now and are willing to send me a deposit on it, I'll order a Coby wheel in the colors you prefer and install it since the steering wheel is a little iffy. And if you don't want to make the drive down, I can actually make the drive up since I have a friend who recently moved up there, and agreed to drive me to the airport so I can fly back. (This offer is open to anyone in the Minneapolis area, or STL area, really.) The only thing with this is that since there's a lien on the title, I'd need the check for the car to take to my credit union so they will fill out the lien release, before I can drive it up. This drive will also put the car just over 80k miles, btw. But honestly on these that doesn't mean much.

edit 2: I can also agree with the 2k rule of thumb. However, the only mechanical flaw with the car currently is that the service engine soon light comes on sometimes after I drive on the highway for a few hours. I've scanned this with the diagnostic laptop I put together and it is one of the pre-cat O2 sensors. Other than that, the car is mechanically sound. Now, if you have the front bumper touched up, that's a different story. It shouldn't cost much, but it also isn't necessary for the car to be mechanically set.

Personally, I like the stock wheels more than these V703s on it, but because of why I'm selling the car, I haven't been able to justify taking them all up to the shop and having the tires unmounted, re-mounted, and balanced on the factory wheels when honestly either set would sell for about the same price online. But that's why I wanted to include the factory wheels with the car. I also have 4 of the ///M stickers for these V703s, I bet that'd make some M3 owner pretty excited.

Again, ask me whatever you'd like to know if you're still interested.

[BMWCurves]

^Well said. Seems honest and open to me!

[Agincore]

Thanks again guys. You are all correct. I just drove one and the guy took care of it. Invested around $1500 to put it up for sale. I would check this one out. My wife wants a different color. Super clean. Interior looks almost brand new. Rims have been well taken care of with no road rash. No wax marks on the exterior trim. New shift knob replaced. Pics do not do it justice. Guy is an enthusiast/reasonable
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5108512987.html
K

[NoVAphotog]

Thanks again guys. You are all correct. I just drove one and the guy took care of it. Invested around $1500 to put it up for sale. I would check this one out. My wife wants a different color. Super clean. Interior looks almost brand new. Rims have been well taken care of with no road rash. No wax marks on the exterior trim. New shift knob replaced. Pics do not do it justice. Guy is an enthusiast/reasonable
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5108512987.html
K

Looks super clean, I like the description of owner. Definitely get a PPI regardless as you never know. If you like the color then it's a great option, that's the only con in my book so far, but that's personal preference all the way.

[Aesora]

If that's who I'm thinking I talked to, I think I've actually seen this car in person at a cars and coffee. It definitely is a clean, well maintained car! The only thing I'd be wary of right off the bat with that car is those pilot super sport tires in the Minnesota winter. (that's where my Conti DWS would come in handy haha)

(also to be fair to my own listing, you can sell the extra tail lights and front corners and whichever wheels you don't keep to make up for the $200 price difference! ;D )

Also make sure you check out the MNBMW facebook group if you aren't in there. Great group of guys, and they set up cruises and stuff fairly regularly.