The 130i Thread

[kwhelan 241]

to be fair low ks are better, 100k is not exactly high ks and is only just out of warranty nowadays so hardly a fair comparison and of course the japan market changes their usage entirely but lows is always going to be better (except those weird japanese issues of crawling in traffic)

every moving part has done less work, be it a key/ door lock, a seat spring or seam, window motor,door hinge  a clutch or brake, even the pedal hinges age with use, suspension and drive train, less creaks squeaks and rattles, brittle plastics from prolonged heating  and cooling, paintwork

there's just no way you can buy a 200k car and not feel the difference in a newer low ks car despite all maintenance being done, Ive owned plenty and now finally can afford to buy newer lower ks cars thankfully and the difference is startling.  yes they can be mechanically sound and enjoyable but to deny they aren't more lived in is laughable I think,  when I think of all my teenagers cars you remember the crap you just accepted as part of owning a car. now its just the odd tyre or oil change for me.

as always you can get a lemon in any ks

[GorGasm 563]

A 20km car could have had the same usage as a 100km car.  It depends on where and how it's used.

With that in mind you can get munted low mileage cars and cars at 200km that feel new.

 

[M3AN 4016]

My 130 is about the highest mileage one I looked at, the paint is poor but it's mechanically the best one I saw and everybody that's seen the interior says 'it looks brand new'. Mileage is a poor indicator of condition, of all people dealers should understand that. I can't help but think they're just trying it on.

[lord_jagganath 421]

i think is its all relative to age and use, a newer high km 6 year old car has a better chance of feeling better than a lower km 10 year old car. unless of course the previous owner carried building tools in his R320CDI for 6 years from new.  

 

[qube 3570]

its the easiest way to sell a car for a premium though... "LOW MILEAGE EXAMPLE - LIKE NEW!" (So pay x2 it's value thanks!)

[Eagle 1662]

4 hours ago, M3AN said:

My 130 is about the highest mileage one I looked at, the paint is poor but it's mechanically the best one I saw and everybody that's seen the interior says 'it looks brand new'. Mileage is a poor indicator of condition, of all people dealers should understand that. I can't help but think they're just trying it on.

Im no fan of car dealers but in their defense they tend to supply what the average car buyer wants\thinks is the most important  - low k's and later models. That line of thinking stems from how the average NZ'er looks after their vehicles, but people making decisions based solely digits is like writing off someone because of their age.

One of the worst condition E39's ive ever seen was a 99,000km Singapore import, it obviously had to used as town car around Auckland for most its life and still mostly original parts.

[qube 3570]

yep, we bought an E91 325i wagon from a dealer a while back, freshly imported with only 50,000kms but suspension was buggered so did a whole overhaul on it to get it back to "normal". By contrast another same car we bought with 3x more kms was fine on its original suspension. so it all just depends on each individual example.

[Jacko 2154]

On 6/3/2020 at 11:26 AM, kwhelan said:

to be fair low ks are better, 100k is not exactly high ks and is only just out of warranty nowadays so hardly a fair comparison and of course the japan market changes their usage entirely but lows is always going to be better (except those weird japanese issues of crawling in traffic)

every moving part has done less work, be it a key/ door lock, a seat spring or seam, window motor,door hinge  a clutch or brake, even the pedal hinges age with use, suspension and drive train, less creaks squeaks and rattles, brittle plastics from prolonged heating  and cooling, paintwork

there's just no way you can buy a 200k car and not feel the difference in a newer low ks car despite all maintenance being done, Ive owned plenty and now finally can afford to buy newer lower ks cars thankfully and the difference is startling.  yes they can be mechanically sound and enjoyable but to deny they aren't more lived in is laughable I think,  when I think of all my teenagers cars you remember the crap you just accepted as part of owning a car. now its just the odd tyre or oil change for me.

as always you can get a lemon in any ks

Ill take this challenge, Ill tape up the odo on my 15 year old 130  

K's mean nothing if looked after, I bet a well looked after 300,000km car has lower k's on individual parts on it than one with 100,000km on the dash.

Edited June 3, 2020 by Jacko

[kwhelan 241]

4 hours ago, Jacko said:

Ill take this challenge, Ill tape up the odo on my 15 year old 130  

K's mean nothing if looked after, I bet a well looked after 300,000km car has lower k's on individual parts on it than one with 100,000km on the dash.

if to be well looked after means spending alot of money on things that people don't usually spend money on, someone who has driven 300k has wound the window down alot more times is what I'm saying, worn a low spot in the seat cushion in that time, yes its all maintainable but at what cost, have you replaced all the clips on the door cards as they've aged and got brittle, or do they work so you left them but they have a little creak that wasn't there at new. does the glovebox door rattle or is it still like new, there's a lot of moving parts in a vehicle and every one of them has a life, an intended life and maybe someone who has pushed it past its originally intended life expectancy.

your always going to find exceptions to any ,from a crappy new to a fastidiously maintained older car but car dealers charge more for low kms because the general rule is true.

[kwhelan 241]

21 hours ago, qube said:

yep, we bought an E91 325i wagon from a dealer a while back, freshly imported with only 50,000kms but suspension was buggered so did a whole overhaul on it to get it back to "normal". By contrast another same car we bought with 3x more kms was fine on its original suspension. so it all just depends on each individual example.

so obviously an exception to the rule, what they hell did someone do to bugger a suspension in 50k and if they were that rough or the roads that bad there must be other issues?its not possible to bugger suspension without damaging other parts whether they were noticeable at the time or not,

 

[kwhelan 241]

22 hours ago, Eagle said:

Im no fan of car dealers but in their defense they tend to supply what the average car buyer wants\thinks is the most important  - low k's and later models. That line of thinking stems from how the average NZ'er looks after their vehicles, but people making decisions based solely digits is like writing off someone because of their age.

One of the worst condition E39's ive ever seen was a 99,000km Singapore import, it obviously had to used as town car around Auckland for most its life and still mostly original parts.

there's also the improved safety features, the sometimes lower insurance due to better security, less theft, and the more fuel efficient motors and higher geared trans generally

[BreakMyWindow 1874]

Yeah imo lower kms just feels nicer in the sense that less people have had the opportunity to mistreat or fail to understand maintenance with the car. A properly repaired write off, that has good wheel alignment and good rust prevention, a hight standard of workmanship is also a bittersweet feeling.

I could see though how you could flog out some suspension parts in 50k though, how bad was it @qube ? Enthusiastic driving with heavy braking will take their toll on bushes quickly on heavier cars.

Every bmw I’ve owned has had highish kms. My 99’ 540i had 250k on in 2008 when i paid 11k for it. 8 years Owning and about 14k in it excl fuel and insurance I wonder how much back then a 20k purchase price lower kms example would have cost me in running it in 8 years. High kms doesn’t bother me too much if I have time to enjoy restoring/maintaining/upgrading it as the purchase price is usually half or less of what I’ll end up spending on it ?. But when i get less time i’ll definitely be getting something newish, low kms that I can just put petrol in and drive, maybe a clean now and then.

 

[M3AN 4016]

The manual one in Christchurch is back up again for $7k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2653167567.htm

Beige leather but somebody buy it would you, add the following and be done for less than $8k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653356396.htm

I've been skoold on "comfort" seats so try these instead...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2644758937

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653585079.htm

And Alpine White. 

Edit: although I've just realised you'd need door cards. Easy to get some PRE-LCI black ones for peanuts. 

Edit: But still, it's a cheap manual.

Edited June 6, 2020 by M3AN

[KwS 2425]

1 hour ago, M3AN said:

The manual one in Christchurch is back up again for $7k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2653167567.htm

Beige leather but somebody buy it would you, add the following and be done for less than $8k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653356396.htm

And Alpine White. 

Edit: although I've just realised you'd need door cards. Easy to get some PRE-LCI black ones for peanuts. 

Eww, replacing Sport seats with comfort seats. Nope.

[M3AN 4016]

14 minutes ago, KwS said:

Eww, replacing Sport seats with comfort seats. Nope.

Fine...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2644758937

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653585079.htm

Edit: I didn't notice a difference immediately but are the bolsters deeper? And no adjustable thigh support it seems.

Edited June 6, 2020 by M3AN

[leichtbau 525]

16 minutes ago, KwS said:

Eww, replacing Sport seats with comfort seats. Nope.

Wisdom there. The only bmw that has had better seats than the Sport option is the E39 with the comfort seat option.

 

edit: anyone with an E82 should snap those seats up immediately.

 

edit 2: those seats are from the most modded from factory 1M in NZ, it had every single BMW Performance option available to the 1M back in 2011, and then got KW V3 coil overs, 20” BBS wheels, and an akrapovic exhaust before they became a bmw supplier.

Edited June 6, 2020 by leichtbau

[kiwi535 538]

the very first time i sat in sports seats i thought....nope too hard and a bit hard to get in and out....After i had driven from tauraunga-wellington-waimarama in one go i changed my mind and have been sold ever since...I have been told that proper comfort seats are also amazing.

And the bonus with electric seats is that you can adjust them to exactly where you want ,not thats click is too far ,and that click is too close

Edited June 7, 2020 by kiwi535

[Jacko 2154]

Id definitely go for manual sports seats given the option, particularly in a 1, they have a way bigger range of motion than the electrics (especially in ass height) 

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Jacko

[Kodachrome 151]

On 6/6/2020 at 8:11 PM, M3AN said:

The manual one in Christchurch is back up again for $7k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2653167567.htm

Beige leather but somebody buy it would you, add the following and be done for less than $8k.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653356396.htm

I've been skoold on "comfort" seats so try these instead...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2644758937

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/interior/listing-2653585079.htm

And Alpine White. 

Edit: although I've just realised you'd need door cards. Easy to get some PRE-LCI black ones for peanuts. 

Edit: But still, it's a cheap manual.

If it ends up at an auction/bidding I'd be seriously tempted as a donor car for my e28. Found a place selling sensor simulator harness to allow the N52 work in any chassis, the pinnacle of NA 6 pot engine design from BMW.

[kiwi535 538]

On 6/7/2020 at 1:09 PM, Jacko said:

Id definitely go for manual sports seats given the option, particularly in a 1, they have a way bigger range of motion than the electrics (especially in ass height) 

 

didnt know the range of movement wasnt as good,but in a e34 535 it was perfect(the sports seats i mean)

 

[M3AN 4016]

Another manual for under $10k, epic wheels, darkline lights, with some BMWP bits too (including what looks like a BMWP rear diffuser and back box).

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2680478447.htm

Looks tidy, could be had for close to $9k I reckon. I sort-of want a white one just so I can add the motorsport stripes lol.

Edited June 28, 2020 by M3AN

[Jacko 2154]

6 hours ago, M3AN said:

Another manual for under $10k, epic wheels, darkline lights, with some BMWP bits too (including what looks like a BMWP rear diffuser and back box).

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-2680478447.htm

Looks tidy, could be had for close to $9k I reckon. I sort-of want a white one just so I can add the motorsport stripes lol.

I really dig the optional bmw performance stripe that runs along the crease, but its only in black/grey  

[M3AN 4016]

8 minutes ago, Jacko said:

I really dig the optional bmw performance stripe that runs along the crease, but its only in black/grey  

Agreed. I like both the tri-colours and the dark versions, exactly that location. I haven't seen them look good on any colour other than white though. ?

[Driftit 2078]

Whites the best colour for them.

[Jacko 2154]

Considered tweaking mine into an ACS1 awhile back, but then decided I didnt like the look of the ACS wing or rear valance.. kinda dig the eurotrash vinyl though... maybe after a respray to fix the 300,000km of stone chips.

Edited June 29, 2020 by Jacko