For Sale: 2004 BMW 330ci ZHP, 110K, Sapphire Black/Alcantara/6 spd - $10K

[BCS_ZHP]

A local (MD/DC/VA) Craigslist find:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/2498378037.html

I just came back from driving it, nice owner, Kenneth. It needs some attention paid to it, mainly cosmetic, he's aware of it and priced it accordingly. He's found a 335 he wants and thus his pricing to (hopefully) make his car sell quickly. If you're really interested, give me a call and I can give you a run down on it.

Bruce
703-232-8535

[BCS_ZHP]

OK, yard work all done, kids fed & in bed, hope Kenneth doesn't mind, here's my assessment if this one should interest you. My opinion is it has strong potential and is priced appropriately for a quick sale:

Mechanical:
Brakes - rotors, pads, & fluid changed recently; however, not enough anti-squeal used so they talk to you.
Coolant system - was replaced @ 100K miles, water pump, hoses, thermostat, expansion tank - he had an $1800 bill
Belts - looks like they've been replaced in the last 20K miles or so, no cracks visible
Power steering pump - it needs a flush, no leaks, just the flush as the fluid stinks
Valve cover gasket - leaking some, not a big deal but will need to be taken care of
Vanos - absolutely no vanos noise
FCABs - they are very tired, on the verge of tearing but not quite torn yet, did feel the looseness in the steering
Underneath - no leaks visible on the tranny or rear end, all looked good

Cosmetic:
- Hood has been painted by a previous owner and they did a poor job; both front fenders appear to be unpainted (factory original finish, no tape lines, not painted under the hood) so must have been minor front end work/damage; hood emblem is gone, he said it flew off on the highway
- Alcantara steering wheel is shot, worn through
- Alcantara seats, especially driver's side, needs some work; not tears or rips but just very loose at the bottom side bolster and worn on the upper side bolster; passenger side is loose to but not as bad
- C Pillars - fabric coming loose, could easily be reglued
- Shift knob - worn and could use a replacement
- Front bumper - repainted recently due to an insurance claim, not a great job, I saw runs; also missing the trim around right fog light
- Left front inner fender - he had to remove this to add the Dinan CAI, didn't get the lower half of the front back in properly and the tire wore through it; its still not secured properly, needs a replacement on the front lower half of the inner fender
- Dents - a couple of door dings on the driver side quarter panel, very small and easily fixed by a dentless repair outfit
Wheels & tires - some minor curb rash, nothing dramatic; tires probably have 5-10K miles left in them, all wearing nice & evenly
- Side window trim - rubber in this trim at the lower part & the corner is dry rotted, a common occurrence on our cars


Other:
- Airbag light was on but no evidence that it had fired before; he said it was intermittent, comes and goes
- Cleanliness -- Kenneth, note to self, clean your car before you show it to anyone, even me; I could see through it but don't make it harder on the buyer (silver cube trim was brown on the drivers door from dirt, but wiped it with spit and no scratches; water spots all over the car from his lawn sprinkler)

All in all, I think a good bit of sweat equity in this car would go a long way to bringing it back. He bought it with 84K miles a year ago and drives 80-90 miles a day, highway, so that's how he racked up 25K miles in a year. It drove nicely, tight with the exception of the FCABs, tracked true, revved properly, shifted fine, braked properly (with the exception of the squeal), etc. A full weekend of detailing would bring it back very nicely, then tend to some of the other things over time.

I did not make an actual offer on this one but told him to call me if he got in pinch on the new car he wants and had to unload it fast. If you are looking for one, don't be afraid of the mileage as I think it has been taken care of mechanically. But plan to put some elbow grease into a full detail, believe it will turn out nicely. If you're anal, you might end up respraying the hood but that's not an immediate.

Since he didn't mention it in his ad, it is a 6 spd (clutch was strong), alcantara interior, no heated seats, no NAV, sapphire black exterior. It turned 110K miles while I was driving it.

And don't hold out an offer to Kenneth on my account, I have too many cars as it is.

[BimmerRules!]

Bruce,

Very impressed with your exhaustive summary that will be an excellent reference for all interested parties. Great work sir! Thanks a lot! :)

[BCS_ZHP]

BR,
No problem, I don't have time for Facebook or Twitter, cars are my passion, ZHPs my current obsession. I'm available to make a check on other DC area ZHPs if someone needs it, just hit me up.

[ELCID86]

Thanks for the info. Wish he had actually taken pictures of the car (close up) instead of from a distance. ...what's up with the water shot?!? :dunno

I'm shying away from black though this is tempting.