Another BMW E46

[BCS_ZHP]

Stumbled onto a new (to me) E46 for the family corral. 2001 325ci, original owner, TIAG and gray leather, ZSP, ZPP, 5 spd, 107K miles. It was totally repainted earlier this year (freak incident where his car was sprayed by gravel from an out of control 4x4 truck, they also replaced headlamps and taillights, most all glass), all windows and trim removed for the repaint, quite an impressive repaint, none of the typical BMW orange peel. And car has been garaged since day one.

Broke a couple of my own car buying cardinal rules (but other observations warranted it) -- I looked at it at night albeit in his well lit garage, he didn't have service records for review but his Indy has all of them, I didn't run a VIN check but he told me it's never had a collision, I didn't put it on a lift though I crawled all around his garage floor checking underneath. Spent an hour an a half looking at it and was content I had covered everything.

The other observations -- his '66 mustang with 58K miles, original paint & interior, he's the second owner and has been for over 30 years; his early '70's 240z with under 60K miles, he's the original owner and it's immaculate in every respect; and his collection of pre-1920 gas engines, I recall at least 6, these ran your well pumps and other required "motors" before electricity became reliable, big honking pieces of early American machinery, quite impressive; his 1917 Model T pickup in the middle of a restoration. He's a tinkerer on old US iron but apprehensive with German engineering so he entrusted it's care to one of the most reputable indy's in our area.

Think I got it for a decent price, didn't steal it but I'm content. Belts and minor coolant refresh just done. Not one oil leak anywhere, new tires, slight bolster wear on drivers seat, otherwise interior is Immaculate. 65 year old owner whose wife didn't like the ride, so pretty much he's the only one who ever drove/rode in it. I'll redo the brakes and radiator/water pump as PM over the next six months, doesn't need anything else. The low oil sensor is giving the flickering light at start-up and then goes out, so will replace that at the first oil change next week. Otherwise, not one darn thing that it needs.

I have a set of ZHP wheels for it if I decide to go that way. I've PM'd a family member about a stock ZHP exhaust, even local to me, if I decide to do that. I'm pondering an AFE CAI and the Conforti Shark but not rushing on any of this.

I'll see it in the daylight in the morning at 0800 and will conclude the transaction. Then off for a state-required emissions inspection and my favorite place -- DMV.

And the oddest part -- I am always looking for and at ZHPs and E46s, kind of my hobby, I'll drive pretty much anywhere, and have, drives my wife nuts. I found this one half a mile from where I found my wife's IR ZHP conv a year ago, both less than 3 miles from my house.

I'll post pix sometime tomorrow.
Bruce

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Bruce, sounds great. Looking forward to pictures.

[kayger12]

Congrats on the pickup, Bruce.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[az3579]

Interesting acquisition. Look forward to the pics.


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[SoarinZHP]

Score!!

[danewilson77]

Pics...tomorrow.....or ban.....for life:shifty

[Hornung418]

LOL You sly devil! Let's hope the kids think this is a hip car to be seen in. Grandpa wagons need not apply hehe.

[GMATT]

Bruce.nice pickup!:like

[BCS_ZHP]

Okay, here's some shots of the latest acquisition (Dane did I meet the "ban for life" dealine?). Pix were quickies after I concluded the transaction and completed the DMV routine, then parked it back at the original owner's house. Since then, he moved it back into the garage where it will remain until Xmas (more on that later).

Made a trip to the local BMW dealer afterwards and procured the low oil sensor plus oil filter & oil (for both cars), some odds & ends fasteners & a new rear license plate bracket. Also bought a new set of carpeted floor mats for the conv (a planned Xmas gift for the wife, she'll be about as happy as if I bought her one of those backpack vacuum cleaners -- and I've threatened this in the past, don't you guys think it would be practical?) & then will move the black coupe set of carpeted mats that are in the conv to this 325 coupe so the interior has some color contrast. Looking at other minor things but no firm plans yet. It drove great, tached it up to 6K today repeatedly and no issues.
Bruce

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[danewilson77]

Sweet ride. You crack me up dude.

[BCS_ZHP]

Here's the full (& long) story, its not for me. Recall I lowered the death penalty on my son for a super bone head move last June, and I immediately sold the ZHP coupe that we both shared. But I missed having access to my own BMW (the wife rarely lets me drive her ZHP, unless its for maintenance), so a month later I bought the touring for me. Thought my son would beg to drive it since it was an E46 but that plan backfired on me. Both he and the wife hated the wagon and wouldn't drive it, the other two kids saw this rebellion and didn't even want to ride in it. So since my purpose in life is to provide for the family, and my personal pleasure is supposedly secondary (single guys, you'll grasp this some day), I sold the touring to try to restore household harmony (my wife's distain for the wagon was palatable, emotional, almost physical, as if I had had an affair; discarding that extra vehicle luggage made sense to me; it worked, family harmony has returned). Luckily, I got out of that one on the positive side financially (but I still regret it, it was such a nice and unique vehicle; Al in Arkansas is the new owner and loving it).

So the wife started working on me recently saying that 6 months of no-driving punishment was enough, I should offer an olive branch, the son had shown marked signs of improvement in following the house rules and even had improved his grades unexpectedly. And I couldn't disagree with her, our son has seemed to finally get the big picture, the world doesn't revolve around just him. So I relented to her requests and said I'd find a vehicle that could be solely his. With her blessing, started the search out on S-10 pickups, Blazers, Ford Escapes, etc. -- all American, non-sporty, utilitarian, some with 4x4 -- the quest to please my queen (you married guys know how important this is). Well, set my target at $5-6K and found, there's a lot of crap out there in that range, not much very good or without big issues that quickly push them to a higher investment level. After a few weeks of futility, I delved back into my comfort zone and concentrated on a couple of fixer-upper E46s in this price range. Its an understatement to say the wife was not happy, but...I was willing to take the heat on this one, I wanted to shop where I felt more comfortable. I overspent the budget by a little bit, but think I got a super car from a great original owner. And the real key, with a Bimmer that's under my sole ownership I'm almost positive I will regain the lad's undivided attention. Though I looked at them, I intentionally did not go for a ZHP because he doesn't need it, a 325 is just fine (the extra 50 hp of a ZHP would just beg for trouble for a teenager) plus the ZHPs cost significantly more.

So late Xmas eve after he we return from the in-laws, I'll sneak out and place this new chariot in the driveway or garage.

Some of you might not agree with my methods or rationale, and you're entitled to your opinions. My view is, teenage boys are attached to their wheels, or at least I was and my son is, so it appears to be a button to push. And if you've been through PI/SD or somewhere similar, there's a way to cleanse someone's beliefs and bring them back to your expectations (Matt, I know you understand what I'm saying). My son had his views on how things should be, thought he controlled everything, but he didn't. His parents broke down some of his misperceptions over the last few months and are now building them back up our way (and yes, I wished I had gotten it right the first time, but I didn't, I didn't give it the attention it needed at the time; now I believe I'm getting a second chance to do it correctly, and I will). I believe he and I are on the same page now, I'll find out shortly if I'm correct. If I'm right, you'll never hear anymore on this topic. And if I'm wrong, look for a nice 325ci on the market.

And sorry for the dissertation, with no Bentley manual on raising our first teenager, I'll admit I've fumbled a bit, this has been weighing on my mind for months, hoping I've got it headed in the right direction.

Bruce

[kayger12]

I think you're handling things perfectly, Bruce.

Kudos for taking what you believed to be the best road, even though it wasn't the easy one.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[az3579]

I hope all turns out the way you want it, Bruce. I can't say that I will ever know what it's like to put a child in front of myself (don't plan on going the children route) but I definitely understand that you did what you thought was right, and I agree.

I just hope that attitude where it stands now doesn't change, and that the smiles from this lovely "surprise" don't fade away from anyone (except the wife, of course, who is already disgruntled!) anytime soon. He should have the big picture now. :)

[cakM3]

Bruce,

Thanks for sharing your story with all of us. I can relate to what you have gone through and understand what you are trying to do. I agree that the 325ci is a good car and hopefully your son will appreciate this, I know I would if I were his age :). What you are doing is challenging and I applaud you on this. It is not easy trying to get your children to see things the right way. This is a hands-on thing and communication is so important there...hopefully your son will remain on the same page as long as he knows what is expected of him. I'm sure you have taken care of that. Best of luck and hopefully all things will okay :thumbsup

[GMATT]

One simple sentence.................A fathers Love..........

[midlandtech]

Refreshing to see a parent set consequences for inappropriate actions and them go through with them as for the car he is lucky to have such a nice ride my first 3 cars were worth a total of less than 2000 bucks but it did force me to learn how to work on cars so I am great full for that


~Steve
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[zhp43867]

How did the gifting go? :innocent

[spencers]

Sweet car. Looks familiar

[BCS_ZHP]

Zhp43867,
Caught him totally by surprise. My wife put the key in the bottom of his stocking, he thought she was giving him a key to her car. His two younger siblings got it, they took off for the garage immediately. But it wasn't in there, it was outside in the driveway. After a couple seconds of dumbfoundness, my younger son hit the garage opener button and all 3 of them danced around it.

And the changes have started. I had an extra set of 135s, those are on it with some new Kumho 4x's. He tinted the windows with Xmas money, added the ZHP shift knob, and got the front end aligned. We had an electrical lighting ground problem fixed and I'm probably going to order the cooling system overhaul kit next week. After that will be slotted & drilled rotors & brakes from Ray (Smilez), then maybe lower the suspension a bit (Bimmeryota). He's cooling it a bit right now as his wallet is hurting. After two quick tank fills of gas, he's now starting to spread out carpooling with his buddies. I offer free labor to him but parts and maintenance are his responsibility.

All in all, a nice car with no surprises yet.

[zhp43867]

Sounds like it was a success! As a teenager myself you did the right thing and I applaud you. It's shameful the amount of things my peers were able to get away with in high school, and they are much worse off for it in the long run. I'm sure he will thank you later (if he already hasn't). I'm sure he's not taking his seemingly well deserved 2nd chance lightly!

Your new E46 also reminds me of my sisters silver/grey 01 325ci 5 speed, looked pretty much exactly the same as yours! Also one owner, bought in 06. Another 50k have been put on it and no problems, so maybe you and your son will have the same luck.

[BCS_ZHP]

Actually don't mind working a bit on it, hoping to teach him how to work on his own cars. Slowly, he's learning that dad's free labor is much preferable to the Indy or dealer.