E46 m3 cab

[Low20 1]

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-5272545404.htm
 

Has anybody viewed the vehicle? Judging from the photos condition looks average but pricing seems very sharpe.

 

[M3AN 4155]

It's a rusty UK import, unless you're preparing to do a ground up restoration, or simply run it into the ground, avoid.

Look at all of the aluminium (magnesium?) corrosion in the engine bay... imagine what the steel under the car and behind the arch covers looks like?

Edited Thursday at 12:26 AM by M3AN

[topnotchrally 173]

It could be corroded because it's been on a salty boat for a month?  But anyway.. it has cruise control!!!!!  😀 (just wanted to point that out)

[E30 325i Rag-Top 3039]

12 hours ago, topnotchrally said:

It could be corroded because it's been on a salty boat for a month? 

No, it MUST be rusty because it’s from the UK and the internet says so. 🙈 

Don’t let the fact that it has just been complied (and compliance officers are very hot on corrosion at the moment) fool you! 🤔

[Driftit 2222]

It does look like it has sat outside a lot.  And the steering wheel suggests much more than 80K miles, though the tamper dot is not on.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 3039]

Looks like it’s gone from TradeMe..??

[M3AN 4155]

Yep, looks like it's gone.

The fact that it's from the UK means you must consider rust. The fact that you could actually see corrosion and rust at the top of the engine bay confirms it has rust, just like most UK imports. The strut tower bolts were clearly rusty. Where there's smoke there's fire.

[KwS 2450]

49 minutes ago, M3AN said:

Yep, looks like it's gone.

The fact that it's from the UK means you must consider rust. The fact that you could actually see corrosion and rust at the top of the engine bay confirms it has rust, just like most UK imports. The strut tower bolts were clearly rusty. Where there's smoke there's fire.

It won't get through compliance with rust, they're pretty bloody picky about that.

[M3AN 4155]

3 hours ago, KwS said:

It won't get through compliance with rust, they're pretty bloody picky about that.

It had visible rust.

It's an "extent" thing, it wouldn't get compliance if the current amount of rust compromises the vehicle, I'm sure. But rust grows and something that might be okay now won't necessarily be the same in 10 years, we all know that. I'm also not convinced that import compliance checks can actually see everything, for example you'd need to take the arch liners out of every car and I bet they don't do that.

The visible deterioration of the M3 in question would be obvious to even a casual observer, that might be fine for some prospective M3 owners but most wouldn't accept that state, or future risk, and it will never, ever, be a "mint" car without a full (and likely uneconomic) restoration. It was priced to reflect that so kudos to the seller, they obviously see (literally) the problem.

By way of comparison, my M3, which is 8 years older than this E46, has no visible signs of corrosion. At all. And it was a daily for 15 odd years. This is the standard I apply if anyone asks about the condition or perceptions of an M car, because I'm assuming they're enthusiasts with high standards.

If other people have lower standards than that, fine, I don't care, but if they ask for my opinion that's what they'll get.

I turned down a UK M2C because of exactly this, and it was way better than this M3. I'm glad I did because otherwise, every time I looked at the engine bay, I would see "compromise".

These cars are not built of Cor-Ten, they're not meant to rust. This is an endemic problem with UK cars and UK car enthusiasts, or at least those without their heads in the sand, accept and acknowledge this every day across forums and socials.

YMMV.

[Gaz 1077]

https://www.trademe.co.nz/5438639529

Still listed

[E30 325i Rag-Top 3039]

7 hours ago, Gaz said:

https://www.trademe.co.nz/5438639529

Still listed

Weird the original link doesn’t work but it’s still on there..? 
If only it wasn’t a cabrio, I’m seriously hankering after an E46 M3. I already have the wind in hair itch scratched.

Any vehicle will start to corrode from the day it is born, even the electro-phorretic coating for BIW doesn’t get into every cavity, especially around spot welds. The bright zinc passivate finish on the fixing hardware under the vehicle doesn’t last too well in some UK conditions, but those are easy to replace if you are so inclined. 
Being a cab, with less than daily usage miles, this could well be in better than average condition if it’s been used mostly for sunny summer days, as they put salt on the roads in UK in winter. That’s why Land Rovers have a nice covering of oil on the underside.

Looking at how generally clean the engine bay is, just wondering if the oxodisation around the oil filter, etc has come from the result of a “steam clean” with harsh additives to meet a MAF certificate requirement?