Potentially cheap and very tidy 2003 E46 330d for auction

[TermiPeteNZ 1316]

From Euroland's $1 reserve selection

• Sitting at $2K currently
• 152KMs
• Oxford green with tan leather interior
• NZ New, 2 owners
• looks very tidy indeed

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=1380802469

 

[Olaf 3308]

potentially great buying as a daily commuter box.  me likey.

[SmithyInWelly 212]

I'm keeping an eye on this... not my dream car; but would be a cheap daily. Assuming it goes cheaply that is.

[gjm 3258]

Need to check swirl flaps.

Gearbox can be a weak link.

I knew a guy in Norway who had the same engine in a 530d Touring - tuned to well over 300hp (he was aiming for 350) and 700Nm of torque. His gearbox was completely rebuilt by a local (to him) firm and even warrantied for 2 years at the output he was after, so it can be done.

[Olaf 3308]

40 minutes ago, gjm said:

Need to check swirl flaps.

Gearbox can be a weak link.

I knew a guy in Norway who had the same engine in a 530d Touring - tuned to well over 300hp (he was aiming for 350) and 700Nm of torque. His gearbox was completely rebuilt by a local (to him) firm and even warrantied for 2 years at the output he was after, so it can be done.

ahh yes, swirl flaps.  it's a case of buy the blanking kit and eliminate them before they break, yeah?  Is it that the ZF5HP doesn't like the torque of the dis-easel?  Mine needed rebuilding simply because it was run under the 'sealed for life' regime. 

[gjm 3258]

6 hours ago, Olaf said:

ahh yes, swirl flaps.  it's a case of buy the blanking kit and eliminate them before they break, yeah?  Is it that the ZF5HP doesn't like the torque of the dis-easel?  Mine needed rebuilding simply because it was run under the 'sealed for life' regime. 

Yup - you can just remove the swirl flaps, but there are several suppliers of blanking plug kits that finish the job.

The 'box was running pretty close to it's max torque spec when it left the factory in a 330d. Proper maintenance - as opposed to that (not) specified by BMW will prolong the life but any tuning will often see it get tired in a hurry.
Same is true of the 'box in the 320d, although it's not quite so bad. Ecotune do some serious tuning kits for the 320d, but their software limits torque to protect the gearbox.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

I bought an E30 from this dealer a while ago, very honest and upfront

One of these went for over 10K a year ago ($1 res auction too), so I wouldn't be too sure about a cheap deal

Edited July 29, 2017 by Young Thrash Driver
Coz I bloody can, alright? Dammit can't a man add a postscript without having to explain himself? Dammit this is worse than being married

[dirtydoogle 383]

Wouldn't this have a rubbish 5L40 or 50E gearbox made from special American cheese? If so they had a GM rated 400nm, and they were very optimistic about the ratings 

Swirl flap removal is easy, did it on my old 530d work car and one of the X5s, made my own blanks for fun 
VGT can seize up pretty nice on them too 
I'm tempted to buy though... 

[Olaf 3308]

7 hours ago, dirtydoogle said:

Wouldn't this have a rubbish 5L40 or 50E gearbox made from special American cheese? If so they had a GM rated 400nm, and they were very optimistic about the ratings 
 
VGT can seize up pretty nice on them too 

"special american cheese"   brilliant!  

What's VGT?

[*Glenn* 854]

Variable geometric turbo

[gjm 3258]

6 minutes ago, *Glenn* said:

Variable geometric turbo

Typically not easy to rebuild - a disposable unit, in effect. I had a long chat with @crunchy about these - it can be done, but parts can be tricky to find and the cost can easily outweigh just buying a new unit.$
I was very fortunate with our car as another forum member had a new (not Chinese! ) unit  from the UK that he wasn't going to use, but the ex-BMW price is $2k+.

However, don't be blindisded by claims that the turbo gives up after 100k kms. Not true - ours ran well through 400k before starting to show any sort of problem. Servicing is key.

[dirtydoogle 383]

Both our work X5s (280km auto and 350km manual) have yet to do a turbo, but our old e39 did one, only due to a swirl flap failure
Cheap non genuine units are available but the VGT arms seize.  And the very chinese ones suffer exh wheel failure and sometimes the compressor wheel falls off
Diesel All tech and Turbo can supply new units at under $2k 

[No name user 379]

2 hours ago, 3pedals said:

Not so - quite easy to do and a fresh one is quite cheap trashed on the X5 which runs the same Variable vane system in the turbo housing, probably the same turbo 

LOL you go for it and rebuild one 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

I think he actually did

[No name user 379]

11 minutes ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

I think he actually did

He went via Alltech from mem

[Michael. 2313]

On 7/30/2017 at 8:42 AM, *Glenn* said:

Variable geometric turbo

How do you rate them? 

[*Glenn* 854]

Mine works a treat in the Mercedes. Have not had an issue yet with a customers

[Driftit 2068]

Tidy.  But that color combo..  I am so sick of seeing it here in the US.  They absolutely love Tan interiors here.  Makes the car look way older than it is IMO.
Other than the steering wheel it looks pretty low spec.

[No name user 379]

9 hours ago, *Glenn* said:

Mine works a treat in the Mercedes. Have not had an issue yet with a customers

Can supply you boxes of failed ones if you want, then again i would see more of it than you on a daily bases.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

I honestly don't know how dealers do it, the sheer f***wittery on display with some of the questions asked- What has it been used to tow, when was the cambelt changed...

Srsly. Fools.

[eliongater 718]

@Young Thrash Driver pretty sure your question didn't help in that regard lol

[SmithyInWelly 212]

Speaking of cheap and very tidy; if you're in the market for an NZ New e36 328 coupe: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1380828625.htm

I think I like that more than the e46 - if it had an extra coupla doors I'd be grabbing it!

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

$5605 final price. Good buying, if you ask me.