M3AN

My personal opinion is that it's lusty. I'm paranoid about rust on imported cars so I would have that really thoroughly checked but if it passed that inspection (behind the wheel well liners) then I'd set my base price at $30k and negotiate down from there based on: Front wheels are clearly too wide or the wrong offset so need to be replaced, factor that cost in. No mention of subframe repair and it will be required because of the suspension so factor that cost in. No mention of VANOS seals or pump hub being fixed so factor that cost in. Big end bearing are problematic and need to be inspected (minimum) and potentially replaced, factor that potential cost in. Seller seems to be a dealer also, ask for it to be supplied via the dealership so you're covered by the CGA. Given how the market is at the moment, if you want a manual one then even with the above to be considered this does look like a nice pickup (edit: if it has no rust and you can get it for ~$26k then pounce and use the saved cash for repair/preventative).

If I were in your shoes Tom I'd probably see it the same way as you so no need be concerned about 'bad' days' or 'self promotion', your comments are perfectly valid (even on a 'good day') IMHO. Indeed if I knew somebody that purchased any other Phoenix/SMG I'd call them a fool because yours can't be overlooked for the reasons you mention. Even though SMG is a personal preference I'm pretty surprised you've not even had a nibble... I also don't think many people appreciate the difference the CSL control makes to the SMG. My best guess is that if you can hold on and stick to ~$30k, the market will come to you.

Keeping in mind that your 135 is pretty ace I think that's a good decision Kyu... reevaluate when you're bored of the 1'er.

I shan't be bullied! Somebody says: sedan M3's are more popular than coupes Dave says: no, not really Somebody says: you forgot the E9x Dave says: sedan numbers were even lower there Ya see the thing is, it has nothing to do with my opinion, the original proposition was clearly incorrect. ? You can keep trying to troll me Kelvin, it won't work. ?‍♀️

It's also a great car to drive or be a passenger in if you don't own it! ? I fear for all of the examples out there that are less cared for than your own, buying one these days would seem to be a big risk. So was the E36/E39 era the last in which BMW built almost bulletproof cars? I'm not sure but since the E46 almost everything seems to have at least one fatal flaw and more problematically most of the flaws seem to be ///M related... ?

Of course you're right about the E9x, my bad. How well did the sedan go there? So few made and sold that I even forgot they existed. ? More convertibles than sedans made/sold, that tells a story. ? Defence rests.

OMG. When, precisely, did BMW forget how to make good cars? 1995?

Not sure what you guys are smoking. The only M3 that's been available in 2 and 4 doors is the E36 and the coupe was wildly more popular and has a much, much higher resale value. It's the only apples for apples comparison that can be made and you're trying to undermine or invalidate it. Confirmation bias much?

Historical production and sales data would suggest most people did.

Well it wasn't my intention to make it sound trivial when I said "without significant changes to the long block". I'll stand by what I said though because whilst non-trivial changes do need to be made they're not "significant" (e.g. you're not going to need to bore or stroke or change the crank or so-forth). And the video that @KwS posted above (thanks) is clear in stating that N54's are not reliably obtaining the same HP levels as your worked 2JZ or RB26. And the BMW engines have way more inherent problems. There's a lot of misdirected love in this thread that doesn't make sense to me but I'll stand by my initial statement - "pretty sure a N5x isn't quite that strong..." because it's true. And poo poo to you all. ?

I thought they were sh*t? No, that's not what I said at all... ?

I see the note now, cheers. And yep, I understood what Graham was saying.

It's because those 90's JDM 6 cylinder engines were good for 1000 hp + without significant changes to the long block... pretty sure a N5x isn't quite that strong... Not saying they're not good, just identifying why I think it's a different proposition. Heck, the JDM 4 cylinders of the day could probably push more than a N5x of recent times.

That ^ link is interesting... no tread depth requirement for tyres that can be identified as "winter" tyres... embossing a snowflake on the sidewall of your slicks would qualify them as a winter tyre... letter of the law and all.

So the emblem was removed after the airbag way recently replaced? Either way, it's a $5 v's $100's proposition and on that basis alone I'd replace the emblem only, your airbag is practically brand new. I suspect the whole front flap folds up upon inflation (needs to be confirmed) and in that case replacing the aluminium emblem is simple, just get one from ebay.

Nice. If you swap out your diff I'm interested in your existing cw and pinion.

Nice one, I hadn't made the connection lol.

The Black or Blue one?

^ that's why SUV's should be banned in urban areas, they and their owners are incredibly inconsiderate.

You know, there's some truth in that... used my mum's Swift for a few weeks a few years back and was suitably impressed with its around-town ability. Long trips? Not so much. But as a daily point-to-point sure. Having said that I was stunned at the high resale values they command, I suspect people realise they cost nothing to run and don't need any meaningful maintenance for 100's of thousands of km's. They're the new Corolla.

They measured the brake rotors? And bump stops are not a matter for a WoF, many cars come from the factory without them. How do you not notice missing wheel bolts... on all wheels? lol.

Realistically you're not going to have much more fun in the M over the 135 (unless perhaps you're Scott McLaughlin) and it's going to cost way, way more. There are very few environments where and E9x M will be better than a F20 135i (although in those environments the gap will be vast) so you really don't gain much. However, it would look good at the coffee meets and we'd all love to see it and it's your money not ours so... To be honest, you'd be far better off getting an E46 M3 and pocketing the change if you're looking for a weekend driving experience (but again, it's not going to be leaps and bounds better than your current car). IMHO.

I do agree with @Young Thrash Driver but if you can't do it with gravity and two people then you're best to take it to a proper* mechanic. * If you can't tell, I'm quite bitter for missing out on that loot. ?

True that. Part of the reason I think the E46 M3 shape is iconic and the E36 equivalent lacks a lot. Sadly.

Yeah, I know, I'm just a traditionalist... BMW's M division 'broke' in about 2005 in my view when they succumbed to the 'raw horsepower' movement. I'm sure it was inevitable, doesn't mean I like it. My comments are a little bit tongue-in-cheek and a little bit nostalgic. Probably a reflection of why I own a 20 year old M when I could afford to own a new one.