• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

A Y

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
6,081
Reaction score
1,037
Originally Posted by ramuman
Am I crazy for thinking about getting a '04-'06 E46 M3 while still in grad school? There is everything right with this car and for what it is, I haven't seen terrible reports of problems in the later generations. I'm been perusing bimmerfest for info.

EDIT: The subframe issue is a problem for all E46 cars right? Not just the M?


How much disposable income do you have? The M3 is a high performance car, and its maintenance bills will reflect that.

--Andre
 

ramuman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
4,615
Reaction score
710
Originally Posted by JayJay
I think it's a great looking car, and will be through the years. I know nothing of its reliability though.
Well I could've told you that...and how it drives
tongue.gif
. I'm looking at the 2003.5 onwards with relatively low miles.
Originally Posted by A Y
How much disposable income do you have? The M3 is a high performance car, and its maintenance bills will reflect that. --Andre
That's a bad question to ask a Ph.D student. I'd fund this partially through savings I have from prior to entering grad school and might take out a loan for ~$300-400 a month which I could afford (all assuming a 20-25k purchase price). I expect to be out of school in about a year and should be moving so I'd likely sell the car at that point. Basically it's a gift to myself for being fairly prudent for 27 years of my life. I put very low miles (~4-5k a year) so I'd try to get a car that didn't need anything major like tires and try to skirt around the major Inspection I/II. As far as regular maintenance like oil changes, fluid flushes, I've been doing that on my cars since I was 16 so I'd be comfortable doing that here - the forums suggest this is certainly possible though the parts will have a premium. I'd also mentally build into the purchase price a rainy day repair or two. Something like this: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
 

A Y

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
6,081
Reaction score
1,037
Originally Posted by ramuman
I put very low miles (~4-5k a year) so I'd try to get a car that didn't need anything major like tires and try to skirt around the major Inspection I/II. As far as regular maintenance like oil changes, fluid flushes, I've been doing that on my cars since I was 16 so I'd be comfortable doing that here - the forums suggest this is certainly possible though the parts will have a premium. I'd also mentally build into the purchase price a rainy day repair or two.

I admit that it was a rhetorical question.
blush.gif
I always hate to see cars like that undermaintained, so you can guess what I'll say already! The E36 M3 is available for much cheaper, and maintenance is much lower, too, since its engine and various parts aren't quite as exotic as its older and younger M3 siblings. It's also more fun stock than the E46 M3.

--Andre
 

spertia

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2006
Messages
2,126
Reaction score
7
Just picked up this pristine '02 e39 M-Sport and absolutely love it:

1-7.jpg


Here is what my carport now looks like:

2-5.jpg
 

JayJay

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
24,297
Reaction score
439
^^^A very nice looking addition. They look great together. Enjoy!
 

jet

Persian Bro
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
22,391
Reaction score
11,133
Love e39s too, wish they didn't have all the little niggles like the e46.
 

gnatty8

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
Messages
12,643
Reaction score
6,139
Originally Posted by ramuman
I put very low miles (~4-5k a year) so I'd try to get a car that didn't need anything major like tires and try to skirt around the major Inspection I/II. As far as regular maintenance like oil changes, fluid flushes, I've been doing that on my cars since I was 16 so I'd be comfortable doing that here - the forums suggest this is certainly possible though the parts will have a premium. I'd also mentally build into the purchase price a rainy day repair or two.

Something like this:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false


Nice looking car. You need to buy that.
 

ramuman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
4,615
Reaction score
710
Originally Posted by gnatty8
Nice looking car. You need to buy that.

I expect to get a similar specimen within a month or two. I've realized I can afford to lose about 5k a year on this car in non-maintenance related issues (depreciation and repairs) - that sounds in no way unreasonable.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I have a 2 week out of country vacation coming up so I won't be hunting until I return.
 

ramuman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
4,615
Reaction score
710
Originally Posted by voxsartoria
I haven't had any problems yet with my E46 M3. - B
Can I buy yours when you get your Vantage or GT3? I may, however, question the authenticity of your wheels and non-plastic trim pieces.
 

jet

Persian Bro
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
22,391
Reaction score
11,133
Originally Posted by voxsartoria
I haven't had any problems yet with my E46 M3.


- B


One cannot break what one does not use.
 

JayJay

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
24,297
Reaction score
439
Originally Posted by Arksz
2007 grey VW GTI. I need to find some pictures of it.
Two of these passed me on the highway today, and I couldn't help but admire them. Nice cars.
 

voxsartoria

Goon member
Timed Out
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
25,700
Reaction score
180
Originally Posted by jet
One cannot break what one does not use.

Even after the 4:10, most of the time, I'm only in the first or second.

- B
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,132
Messages
10,578,712
Members
223,889
Latest member
KeraBiotics
Top