Checking in from flyover country...

[ecrabb]

Hey, guys!

First post. Been lurking as a guest for awhile, and just registered last week. I've never owned a BMW, but hoping to sooner than later…

Hoping to find either a decent ZHP, or just a nice ZSP/ZPP. In lust with the idea of a ZHP, but I don't know if A) I'll be able to find one I can afford and B) if I can stand the idea of killing one slowly driving it in this armpit I call home in the winter. Having a hard time getting the wife over the idea of buying a car with 100k miles on it, too which is probably what I'll end up being able to afford unless I stumble onto a steal.

I missed a really nice coupe last week that went so cheap, I'd be physically ill about it, but it was an automatic... Still, it was so ridiculously cheap, I would have snagged it anyway if I'd seen it sooner. I hope somebody here got it. I'll post details if anybody's interested.

Cheers,
SC

PS - If anybody has insomnia bad and needs something to help go to sleep, I can also go into how I went from really not liking BMW at all (don't hate me!) to wanting one - badly - in a matter of a few short years.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

First, welcome to the site. Scour our classifieds section. Keep your eye on it daily. New listings added all the time.

Two, please tell us the story of how you went from not liking a BMW to wanting one badly. We're all ears.

[kayger12]

Welcome to the Family.

No worries about a 100k+ mile car if out was maintained properly.

My first BMW had 95k on it when I got her. Drove her for two years and she never let me down once.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[johnrando]

Welcome. All ears, let's hear it.

[danewilson77]

All ears. In for Story!

Story or ban!

Welcome to La Familia.

[static667]

Story or ban!

+1

Welcome to the Mafia! Keep searching, you will find the right car. I found my ultra-basic, no package having 325Ci with 125xxx for $7k. I love it all the same.

[zhpnsnv]

I want to hear the story!

[mimalmo]

Welcome. There's a big show in Minneapolis this Saturday that will have a number of BMW's in attendance. Make the drive if you can.

[Johnmadd]

Welcome lurker, :-).

[ecrabb]

Thanks for the warm welcome, boys!

OK, so I grew up in a pretty small midwest city, so my perception of BMW was always that it was primarily attorneys, law school students in Chicago, and kids whose parents had money that drove BMWs. I harbored much of that mindset well into my 20's.

I had a few fun GM cars over the years, then switched to SUV's while the wife and I bought a house and had kids. At 30, I found myself totally bored with almost everything the manufacturers were building. No big loss since my wife and I sold and bought another house and had a couple of kids and I just drove SUVs for most of that time… No time or money for toys, anyway.

Event 1 -
A friend gave me of a copy of The Hire on DVD. Admittedly, this is totally pathetic, but I think that was the first thing that really turned me on to BMW. As a car, music, film and home theater nut, the "Star" short with Madonna and Clive Owen kinda scratched all the itches.


http://vimeo.com/5036544

Not that I could even remotely afford an M5, but that's when I learned the definition of "aspirational brand"… It's not like the marketing turned me into a drone; it just made me re-examine the product, and in doing so changed my perception. Up to that point, my impression (right or wrong) was that they were mostly underpowered compact cars. But, here we have a well-designed big sport sedan with a stick that'll roast the tires? Daddy like!!!

Event 2 -
I saw a brand new Laguna Seca Blue M3 at a dealer - probably in '02 or '03, I'm guessing… Judas Priest, what an awesome car that was. That was kind of a big deal because to be brutally honest (please don't hate me), I never really cared much for the BMW design aesthetic. It wasn't until the later E36's and especially the early E46's) that I really started liking the BMW look-and-feel. Regardless of whether it was the cars, me, or both that changed, I started liking what I saw.

Event 3 -
Not to name-drop, but last summer while working with a buddy, I got to hang with Bill Caswell of $500 Craigslist 3-series rally car (http://jalopnik.com/5497042/how-a-500-craigslist-car-beat-400k-rally-racers) fame... First, at his Mom's house, then again at SEMA… He's a ridiculously nice guy, and let's just say his passion for BMW - and especially for the 3-series - was damn infectious.

Life lesson #342: Do NOT go to SEMA if you love cars, but can't afford to buy them or have time to build/mod your own. OMG, it was INSANE!!!

Then, everybody I've ever talked to that has a BMW loves theirs. So, that's it. I'm frickin' hooked. The cars are beautiful and beautifully engineered. I love that the community typically mods so tastefully when they do mod. I've read all the articles, the reviews, seen the brand loyalty, and I'm ready to try owning one!!!

Insomnia cured, right? ;)

SC

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Great story. And, if you haven't figured it out yet, we don't hate around here. We're the "pleasantville" of BMW forums. See article here: http://roundel.imirus.com/Mpowered/imirus.jsp?volume=rd11&issue=6&page=106

We're looking forward to you getting your BMW. And if it's a ZHP, all the better.

Again, welcome to the site.

[billschusteriv]

:hi Welcome SC! Great story, thanks for sharing! Good luck with your search! Whatever you find, you'll always be welcome here.

I've owned two high mileage BMWs and I've found that when these machines are properly maintained they run like a top all day long. Be sure to read about the issues and maintenance others have done so you can keep your car running and that smile on your face. Feel free to ask us questions, too.

[ryankokesh]

We're the "pleasantville" of BMW forums..

lol...it's funny cause it's true...

Sounds like you're from the Chicago area? (at least I refer to it as the "armpit" of the country...even in summer sometimes)

Edit: I now see you're a little west of us. I also see that you're an interactive designer...It seems like you've moved a lot recently, but hit me up if you decide you want to be in Chicago :) ...or New York, Boston, or Denver for that matter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ecrabb]

Damn, you guys are killin' me with your warm welcomes and polite demeanors... It's like you're all adults or something! ;)

I help moderate a home theater-related forum, so it's mostly electronics geeks and home theater nuts, mostly age 30-50 or so, and I don't think that group is nearly as friendly as this bunch... Kudos to you guys! Seems like a mighty fine place to hang out. All I want to know is how the hell I'm supposed to get any work done with all the BMW porn you guys post in your mod threads... I've fallen asleep a couple of nights now looking at all your cars. Must.... Get.... Z... H.... P.... :drool

So, here's the one I missed that I'm (almost) sick about... Mystic Blue '04 coupe with <65,000 miles... The price? How about an "internet special" of $13,992?

http://www.ecrabb.com/zhpmafia/listing.png

:jawdrop

Judas Priest, that's at least, what, three- or four-grand too cheap, and more than that from a dealer? Hard to say without seeing it in person, but from here it looked like a a total steal. Tried calling Saturday and was told it was sold a few days earlier. I'm just hoping it was an enthusiast that got it, and not some 19-yo girl taking it to college to get beat to death in the in the dorm parking lot for the next four years.

Oh, and don't bother calling - I've bugged the used sales guy two different times now to verify the car was indeed sold. ;)

SC

[GMATT]

Welcome! Lots of good info here, and yes seems to be a "grownup" forum. No haters here!!!!!!!!! heck they even welcomed me, even thou my former car (just sold in March) was a Camaro SS.

Wait for the right car, they are out there!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

SC, sucks that you were not able to get that mystic blue ZHP. Would have been a nice acquisition. But there are others out there. Keep looking.

We're really happy that you're enjoying our forum. If you ever have any trouble here, please feel free to send me a private message.

[danewilson77]

That would have been an incredible buy. If I haven't welcomed you...welcome to the Mafia!

Droid + Tapatalk = FTW!

[Mike V]

Haha funny. I hated BMWs until I drove one. :) I always thought they were overhyped and overpriced. After my VW Scirocco was wrecked by an old lady who decided to take a nap at 45 mph, a buddy offered to let me drive his 95 325is at an autocross. I've been a BMW owner ever since (10 years now).

[johnrando]

Re: pricing. It's crazy, but some places don't know that they have a performance package and price the cars like a non-ZHP. Great to find those gems. Good luck with the hunt.

[C Withers Media]

Welcome and good luck in the hunt.

[ecrabb]

Thanks to Marcus and Dane (and everybody else). The site looks like an awesome resource, and with a bunch cool cats running in it and hanging out here to boot!


Re: pricing. It's crazy, but some places don't know that they have a performance package and price the cars like a non-ZHP. Great to find those gems. Good luck with the hunt.

This is what I'm shooting for... A steal... Looking for that gem! ;)

Three newbie questions if you guys don't mind...

First, looking at the registry, it seems like there are about two automatics for every one 6MT, but looking at cars for sale, it's way more lop-sided toward automatic; probably 10 to 1. Is the registry makeup skewed because it's enthusiasts registering their cars, and that group would tend to have way more stick-drivers? Or, is it that the automatics just change hands a little more and the stick-drivers hang on to their cars longer? Combination of both perhaps? I want a 6MT, but I don't want black (love black, just not practical where I live)... Damn, it is REALLY hard to find a 6MT - especially that isn't Jet or Imola!!!

Next, if I'm looking at '04-06 cars, I shouldn't have to worry about the whole "subframe" issue, right? That was an '02-'03 thing, IIRC.

Finally, what do most guys typically spend on these cars for the 100k service? I know there's the cooling system, which I assume is all pretty easy DIY... What else, and can you do most of it yourself? I saw a YouTube video of a guy doing the VANOS and it didn't look too bad.

Thanks!!!

SC

[Marcus-SanDiego]

SC, I can address the first two questions.

First, the 6MT is just more rare. More people buy BMWs in automatic. What's more, many of the spec cars you see on BMW lots are automatic, because they'll appeal to a wider audience (think the woman from Des Moines who doesn't drive stick). When I had my 335, my local dealer used to beg me to bring it in for a trade in -- because it's a highly sought after car (in 6 MT).

As for the stick v. auto situation at the Registry, it's difficult to know why. I can't say that enthusiasts predominantly buy 6 MT. Indeed, there are a lot of enthusiasts on our site and they have auto. So, who knows. I do agree, though, that there are more manuals in the Registry than there are outside of it.

As for 2004-2006, no subframe issues. It was the early E46 vehicles that were plagued with that problem. I don't recall seeing any 2004-2006 cars with that problem.

I am not at 100,000 miles yet, so I am not sure how much money will be expended at that mileage. My friend, at reputable BMW indy in San Diego, says that the E46 is the last, great DIY car that BMW made. My guess is that you'll be able to wrench on it.

Up until two weeks ago, I would not have been able to comment on the VANOS. But I was able to watch several people at the ZHP Mafia meet in Virginia (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?83-ZHP-Mafia-Family-Reunion-2011) swap theirs out. Didn't look that extremely difficult.

[ecrabb]

Yeah, I knew there would be way more automatics in general... That's true of practically every car - even "sports" cars, these days. I have no idea why anybody would buy a sports car with an automatic, but I digress... No, I was just wondering about the difference between what I saw on the registry and what I was seeing on the used market (which was that sticks are damn hard to come by).

Thanks, Marcus!

SC (Steve, by the way)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Steve, thanks for the heads up on your name. Many of us use our first names around here (pretty comfortable and informal site we have here).

[johnrando]

You know Steve, it may just be a "driving enthusiast" thing with the registry. Maybe you hit on something about the type of people who would register their cars. Maybe it's coincidence. BTW, I am a car enthusiast but I drive the automatic for a few reasons, but if it weren't for those reasons I would have a stick. But yes, enthusiasts do drive auto. :)

[ecrabb]

Oh, I know enthusiasts drive autos too, John... I over-generalized. I could see how if it was your daily driver and you had to do a lot of stop/go traffic like in SoCal, or if you had to share with your significant other that had no interest in learning to drive a stick, etc... I'm just surprised that the sticks seem so few and far between. I suppose there were just a lot more sticks built, and therefore a lot more available now.

SC

[johnrando]

Oh, I know enthusiasts drive autos too, John... I over-generalized. I could see how if it was your daily driver and you had to do a lot of stop/go traffic like in SoCal, or if you had to share with your significant other that had no interest in learning to drive a stick, etc... I'm just surprised that the sticks seem so few and far between. I suppose there were just a lot more sticks built, and therefore a lot more available now.

SC

Yup. Those both are close to my reasons. It is hard to find sticks too. I think Car and Driver used to always complain about finding these (or other sport sedans) in stick. I had a Mercedes 230 (gasp) with a stick and liked driving it... have to imagine those were not common.

[ecrabb]

Oh, one more thing... So, while I was out over lunch, I thought I'd swing by the "stealer" (love that, by the way) to see what they had sitting around and how I fit in a sedan since up that point, I'd only sat in a coupe... Maybe drive a high-mileage 3-series just to see how one feels.

So, sales guy (ahem, "consultant") first tries to sell me a really nice, really low-miles '02 540i... Seriously, this thing only had 42,000 miles on it and it was super-clean. Still, I think he got the idea that I wasn't that interested when I told him it looked like something my doctor would drive, not what I would drive. ;)

Anyway, we drive the 540i around to the lot around back to see if they had any E46's, and there are only two... A rough-looking white '02 325i and a pretty clean '04 Imola Red ZHP sedan with blk leather and 6MT... ZHP was SOLD. I don't think that one ever hit the sales list because I'd been watching. I assume it went to an employee or a friend of an employee or something right after it was traded. Anyway, I asked him if I could just see how I fit in the white 325 and he says, "let's just take it for a drive!" OK, fine.

OMG, what a POS that thing was. I'd barely left the parking space and knew I wouldn't be leaving the frontage road. It had a BAD wobble in the front end. Felt like a bent wheel - probably slid into a curb on the ice this spring. Filthy interior, a little rust developing on the rear quarter flares, and scrapes and scratches everywhere. The thing was trashed! It only had 102,000 miles on it, but it was a very rough 102,000 miles, apparently. Still, I was surprised that a car could be abused (obviously) as much as that one was, and still drive as good as it did. Never got over 35mph, but it seemed like a little TLC and a long weekend of cleaning could have brought back even that old girl.

Regardless, mission accomplished. I know I want a 3-series, now. I know I fit just fine through the door opening in the sedan, and I know the 330 is negligibly smaller inside than my wife's Maxima. I'm 6'3" and 22... OK, 240, and I could sit behind the driver's seat (where I left it) almost as comfortably as I could in my wife's '03 Maxima SE I just sold. I swear the driver's seat/space was maybe even roomier than the Maxima.

SC

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Steve, glad you were not tempted by the 540. Was the 540 a 6MT? Those are very cool.

Anyhow, glad to hear that you'll be staying in the 3er family.

[ecrabb]

No, the '02 with low miles I drove was a luxmobile... Lotsa wood grain and motorized sun screens. ;)

They did have a silver '03 540i right behind that one with the 6MT and the M package for a couple grand less at $13,950, but it was because it could have gone around the earth six times. 145,000 miles on it. That's when you sell cars, not when you buy them. ;) j/k Probably make somebody an interesting weekend cruiser.

SC

[ecrabb]

OK, John has me thinking about an auto, now... I know my wife would be relieved that she might want to drive it. Well, that and the fact that there's one in my part of the country. I posted it in the FS section. What do you guys think? I'm in no hurry, so no biggie one way or the other.

Make wife happy and get automatic and get a car soon (and possibly cheap), or make myself happy(er) and get a stick... Decisions.

I don't know if I could drive a black car here in armpitsville, though.

Hmmm...

SC

[johnrando]

OK, John has me thinking about an auto, now... I know my wife would be relieved that she might want to drive it. Well, that and the fact that there's one in my part of the country. I posted it in the FS section. What do you guys think? I'm in no hurry, so no biggie one way or the other.

Make wife happy and get automatic and get a car soon (and possibly cheap), or make myself happy(er) and get a stick... Decisions.

I don't know if I could drive a black car here in armpitsville, though.

Hmmm...

SC

Tough call. Happy wife, happy life. :) One thing that made it easier for me to get an auto is that my other car is an 1980 Triumph TR8 manual, so I can still get my shift kicks when needed.

[billschusteriv]

My wife has no desire to drive or learn stick - so for now, I'm driving an auto.

BlackBerry. Tapatalk. Fixed.

[kayger12]

My wife has no desire to drive or learn stick

BlackBerry. Tapatalk. Fixed.

Mine either- so I'm driving a 6MT. :biggrin


Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[danewilson77]

Mine either- so I'm driving a 6MT. :biggrin


Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

:rofl. Way to man up Keith.

Droid + Tapatalk = FTW!

[ecrabb]

Mine either- so I'm driving a 6MT. :biggrin

Oh, now that's some good stuff right there!!!

SC

[johnrando]

Mine either- so I'm driving a 6MT. :biggrin


Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

Too funny! Didn't quite catch it at first.

[ecrabb]

I was 100% going to get a stick, now after seeing how few there are around, I've waffling a little... Still leaning towards getting a stick and just making the better half learn if she wants to drive it. Even if I taught her, I could see it would make the car less appealing to drive... Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I can visualize the splitters sliding across a curb somewhere and I don't even have a car, yet. ;)

SC

[Mike V]

Mine either- so I'm driving a 6MT. :biggrin



I actually Lol'd at this. Thanks for that. :)

[kayger12]

:)

[Mtnman]

ive read this before, and forgot to say, welcome!

[ecrabb]

Thanks! Just hangin' out here gettin' to know you cats, learning about the cars, trying to save up a bit more cash to open up my purchase options a little...

It still amazes me how I went from just being totally bored with almost everything out there (stuff I could afford, anyway) to knowing that I just have to have one, specific car, and being totally obsessed with it!

I think my wife is ready for me to buy the car just so I'll stop talking about the damn things. ;)

SC

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Steve, if there is any group that can understand the statement you just made, it's us.

[ecrabb]

I'm sure!

Preaching to the choir, right? Or, perhaps the inmates running the asylum? ;)

SC