Anyone know where to import E46 M3?

[eliongater 718]

Strange that they went to the effort of putting arguably the wrong offset Apex wheels on that blue one, they could easily have gotten ones that were a better fit.

[M3_Power 636]

I am sorry to say that those that think that’s a $32k car are deluded ... more like $45k by the time you do all the necessary repairs and upgrades needed for this type of mileage assuming nothing has been done at all.

[qube 3570]

that blue one was indeed sold for 28k or less by the previous owner with the plate "SHANE3" a few months ago 

http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/60418-heaps-of-e46-m3s-on-tm/

I *think* I know the owner who owned it before "shane" because he bought my old E39 and came to view it in a topaz blue manual m3 with the colour stitched interior.

Anyway, the guy who is selling it now from WLGT is just trying to make a quick buck and to be honest it might even sell at over $30k to another delusional buyer. Its definitely not worth that for all the reasons pointed out above.

 

[KwS 2421]

i dont care what you guys say, that colour and interior combo is what makes it worth that money. Im a fan of (and one of few at that) PY/Kiwi, but it doesnt hold a candle to that blue with the ///M cloth interior. Swooon.

[lbo99 39]

23 hours ago, M3AN said:

Well, I can't tell you what to do but I don't believe it's worth $32k without the necessary fixes (see Tom's for $30k with the fixes). I'd also question how it went from $28k to $32k in 3 months and why somebody would want to flip an apparent unicorn (blue E46 M3 manual) in that timeframe?

A desperate buyer makes for a happy seller, keep that in mind!

I'd challenge his offer of $32k armed with the knowledge that you'll need to spend literally thousands more, if they won't budge then I'd walk away.

The only E46's that are truly going up in value are the ones that have been fixed and the owners of ones that haven't been fixed know this all too well and are trying to cash in on a rising market. Look at the one recently purchased by a member here... looked great and now needs multiple thousands put into it to fix the subframe less than a month after purchase...

 

 

Hi I asked dch automotive today and they told me installing subframe reinforcement plates and changing the rear subframe bushing to powerflex will cost me around 1.5k.

They also told me that installing a vanos repair kit will cost me around 6-800 dollars. So it'll cost me around 2.5k for the necessary fixes (assuming bmw still covers the rod bearing issue). I'll ask christchurch bmw tomorrow and check whether the car has gone through the rod bearing and airbag recall. Any good places that I can send the car in for a pre purchase inspection? The current owner service the car at page european which I know is a good mechanic but i'm also thinking about sending it to winger bmw.

[M3AN 4016]

I can't help with Wellington or Christchurch recommendations sorry but there's are few clued-in people here from both regions that should be able to help.

I think that pricing is pretty fair although that VANOS quote can't include a replacement hub (https://store.vacmotorsports.com/s54-vanos-hub-upgrade-p3771.aspx) because they're pretty expensive and it's a fatal flaw in the system that, to the best of my knowledge, was never addressed by BMW. I think you can get less expensive options than VAC (who tend to be in the upper price range for most things but quality is second-to-none). Subframe quote is reasonable if no damage has already been done (otherwise it will cost more for labour).

I would NOT recommend poly rear subframe or transmission bushes for a daily, if the repair is done properly (ideally structural foam and welded reinforcements) then standard rubber bushes will be fine and will provide a much more compliant ride.

Airbag is a compulsory recall so shouldn't cost you anything, bottom end bearings is NOT a recall (in NZ at least) and won't be fixed out-of-warranty for free by BMW. If the car has always been run with 10w60 then a bottom-end failure is a much lower risk.