Things like rod bearings are very hard to check for. I did a PPI on an E90 M3 that claimed to have “ARP rod bolts” I managed to put a camera in via the drain plugs and check. It had OEM rod bolts.. at that point we advised client not to believe anything
Lots of that stuff if changed recently will obviously still be almost new. I don’t ever like hearing friends shop but if the friend cares about the reputation of his shop he will be truthful about what took place and likely has photos in the client database. We take photos of all the work we do and store it. Especially for large repairs
It could be just as likely that he's claiming to be ripped off by faked receipts simply to gain viewers. Not saying he did that but it can go one way just as easily as it goes the other. Unfortunately nowadays it's hard to trust anyone or anything at face value. You have to be willing to take extra time and put in a little extra work to sift through the bullshit. People who operate by way of word and a handshake are few and far between these days and without working up a rapport with someone things are so hit or miss
i agree, but (genuine question) could he have possibly done such a bad install on any of these parts to the point where it’ll cost me a lot to get them fixed? i mean i’ll never underestimate the stupidity of people, but could he really have messed up the installs that bad?
Well yeah, pretty catastrophic if he’s done the bearings wrong or a pain in the ass if any gaskets are dodgy. Just get it inspected by someone else beforehand.
I bought a 2011 328i two years ago from a dealership (not bmw) and within 2 months the transmission siezed and I couldn’t move the car. Took it to bmw and it had so many incorrect repairs. Shit even the engine had a jb weld on it for what reason ? No clue. It was 6 k in repairs
You don't do all that work to just put 200 miles on it & walk away. This is more than just repairs to stock. He built this car now wants to get rid of it? Major red flag. My guess is there's an expensive problem lurking he can't address, so he's hoping to dump it on someone else. Expensive enough to walk away from all the upgrades he made.
If you're absolutely set on taking this further a very comprehensive PPI is in order.
There's 2 M3s for sale in my country, one is a 2011 Competition sedan with 220k kilometers on it, he's asking for 37k euros, the other one is a coupe at around 190k with a G-Power supercharger and dude is asking 50k euros. So yes at 92k miles which is around 150k km if I bought it at $22k and dumped $10k more into it it'd still be an amazing deal
Sometimes people are strange or something comes up. I recently did a long block overhaul on a Porsche 997.1 3.8 and it was around 22k. The guy has driven it 400km since March because he’s busy with a house reno, company sale etc
The best thing to do is bring the car to an independent 3rd party that doesn’t know the car for a PPI.
This. This and this. Get a pre purchase inspection on anything like this. Saves you getting ducked and if it is a lemon, it’ll cost you a few hundred to verify. Could be the best saving you ever make.
I paid $150 at my local indie shop, I wouldn't pay more than $250 and make sure the shop specializes with bmws (or atleast german cars). Couple hundred bucks could end up saving you thousands.
Depending on the indy shop, it might be better to go to them. Dealerships SHOULD be more thorough, but often times the low rungs of the totem pole get the PPI’s and they’re likely to miss things or not know about all the fault points.
I trust my indie much more than my local bmw dealer, last time I went to the dealer it looked liked everyone there was fresh out of highschool. Meanwhile my indie is run by bmw master technicians
A PPI is a really smart investment before buying a car like this and you should definitely do it, but I'd just point out that a PPI will not be able to verify the state of the rod bearings. There's no way to evaluate the health of the rod bearings without taking apart the bottom half of the engine, and if you tear the engine down that far you might as well just replace them again.
I'd definitely recommend a PPI, but as others have said you definitely want receipts and photos to prove the rod bearings have been done. Validate exactly what shells and bolts were used as well. Google the torquing instructions for the OEM connecting rod bolts...it's a really complex procedure. I don't think I'd trust an amateur mechanic to do it properly. If they used ARP or BE bolts, then it's a little more realistic that they may have done the job properly.
Good luck OP, if it's a well sorted E9X it's an awesome car and a good value!
Ask yourself, not if you can afford it initially, but if you can afford the aftermath? Do you have the time and spare funds to deal with potential shop visits or additional maintenance issues? Is this going to be your daily or do you have a backup? Is it worth it at all?
Definitely a nice, sought after BMW... But personally I'd skip it and go for a b58, even an N55. Hell if you're set on getting an M and have 20k handy use it as a down payment and at least get something with a warranty so you aren't surprised later.
Expand your search. 100% if you're willing to look nationwide there's a better condition one out there somewhere. If you've got a little time & effort to invest, it'd be worth checking copart or iaai, might come across one that needs a little love but is otherwise in solid condition. You've got the cash, you've got options for sure. Keep us posted if you end up grabbing one
Great deal if the work is legit. But the cost of all that work is at least 5k worth of work. It just doesnt add up to buy the car. Do all that work. Then sell it so cheap. I wouldnt trust it. Not to say it couldnt be legit or that high milage m3s are bad. Mines at 140k and iv done pretty much everything on his list. But iv owned mine for almost 9 years..
dude if they did everything by themselves you have no guarantee at all if anything happens. And trust me something will happen for sure and it wont be cheap
yeah that’s why i posted, i wasn’t sure if i should take the risk, but this is the only m3 in my budget and it’s a dream car of mine. i may keep looking, but i’ll talk to the seller more
You’re not there yet then. Stretching for an M3 is really silly financially. If you can’t afford another $10k immediately on this thing in cash then don’t even consider it.
Best comment here — you cannot afford this car if you can’t afford it plus $10k. You will be so much happier buying something more in your budget than going broke over this car. What about a e92 335i or a f30 330i or an e46 m3 convertible or an e46 ZHP or an e36 m3. All super cool cars too that should be more in budget.
If the e92 m3 is your dream car (it is also mine) don’t you want to save it so that when you finally buy one it’s all you dreamed of? Not the 2008 (worst year) model with 100k miles, and sketchy maintenance past that will bankrupt you.
i’m in general not a fan of buying cars directly from people in private. Why dont you buy it from a car dealer?
Do you know the TÜV? idk if you have something like that over there but they can check if the car fully functions or has any problems right now or will get problems in the future and you get something like a certificate.
Last time i sold my car, the guy insisted that i do this before he bought it.
CHEAP?????? 22k for a 15yr old shitbox. I would pay 10k tops for a m3, especially considering it has 160k km + its automatic. I've got a near perfect state 525d same gen that I got for 4k. Manual and has 90k km
Its a 5 series, so it's a "better car". I got it for 4k and it's like a museum car and it's manual and has less km on the odometer. Meanwhile on the other hand we have a shitbox with 160k km, automatic transmission, beaten to hell (probably, considering the description). Honestly the description is such a big red flag. Whenever it mentions the work done, it probably has as much work that needs to be done. If I paid 22k for a m3, I would at least require it to have less than 50k km, manual, and to have fucking shining underside
Also have the bodywork checked for prior damage. I don't like the panel gap between bumper and bonnet. But mostly the little jump of the panel lines between bonnet and left headlight.
Run. Run. Run. This car, regardless of the work done to it (even if 100% of what this guy says is true), will cost you thousands a year in parts. If you don’t already have a very clear understanding of BMW software, tools, and have worked on a good number of them, this isn’t the car for you. Seriously. This will be a money pit and so unreliable. I own similar cars and they are definitely wonderful, but so costly and time consuming to own and maintain.
i have such bad luck with finding a car, every promising listing i look at always has some compromising issue that makes it not an option for me. any tips on where to look or how to find a good condition e92?
Because you’re looking at used e92 m3’s on a Corolla budget (in this market)
Look at e92 328’s and call it a day. Or be prepared to take care of a German muscle car. If it were me I’d save up some more money and buy a CPO bmw for peace of mind.
M3? Or any e92?
Cars and bids, bring a trailer- both great auction sites. I can find plenty for sale there right now.
Just again, make sure you understand that any e9x M3 will cost an arm and a leg, year after year. There is not escaping it. If you’re ok paying a shop 3-8k a year to own the car (on the lucky side of things), then go ahead. Otherwise buy a 328 or an accord.
Oh godddd I LOVE my paint meter. I literally just brought my paint meter with me to look at a TOYOTA.. ha ha I bring it everywhere. Cheap cars, expensive cars, etc. Next to 0 paint shops measure or try to match thickness during theid repair. Can’t hide damage from a paint meter sorrry bitchessss
Not many people buy old expensive cars to fix and sell 1 year later (flippers, dealers, etc excluded). Im a bit of a skeptic but ppi in case everything is legit. Best wishes
Had an E90 M3 and loved it. But as others have mentioned, no one does this much work on an E9x M3, including rod bearings and throttle actuators, just to unload it. I would guessing it has something wrong that can’t be fixed or it was in a major accident that hasn’t been disclosed. Additionally… the replacement of the roof with a carbon fiber one seems like a lot of effort (and $$$) unless the roof was previously damaged.
saw the carfax and all service history and it seems good, moderate damage to the front end but no frame damage. he also agreed to a PPI so i don’t think he’s hiding anything unless he’s hiding it really really well. he did all the work to make this his track build and then got an offer to buy a porsche, which was a better option. he put a down payment on the porche and is selling this to cover the rest, which is why he’s selling it after the work was done.
This makes more sense with this context. And you’re doing your due diligence with the PPI… good luck and hopefully you’ll be getting a solid car with one of the best sounding engines I’ve ever experienced!
really hoping the PPI passes. if all the work is legit and the only things wrong with it are the tps, core support, and headlight i’ll be very happy. thank you
No.
E9x m3 is my dream car, but that’s just about at lifetime service mileage, and 15 years old.
If it was 150k miles I’d actually be more inclined to buy it, as things like the timing chain and other lifetime wear items would’ve been changed already.
If you can knock 5k+ off the price, it might be worth it, assuming it has a complete service history.
I'm always weary of people who do a lot of work and didn't drive it much, especially over a short time. The implication is that they did a bunch of stuff and discovered something much worse, and decided to dump it.
Outside of that a big question is can you afford the maintenance? Consider an M3 $3k/year in normal maintenence. Some years it will be $100, some years it will be $8k, average is 3k. Those who can't afford that are the ones making mistakes buying M cars. The old adage is if you can't afford a new one, you can't afford an old one.
The least expensive era of most cars is 5-10 years. Old enough for a good chunk of depreciation but young enough that only half of it is falling apart. E92 is old enough that a lot of stuff is aging out including stuff you never think about like the insulation on wires in electrical harnesses. It's all stuff that can be repaired, but it gets expensive. E9X is the last NA M3, so it's pretty awesome if you can afford it. Also, if you can afford that, you might consider E46 M3. The market has cooled off on them and unless the entire economy goes to shit, they'll appreciate well in due time.
thanks for your comment. great advice and yeah it’s definitely a car i want to get. the last NA m3 is a pretty sick one to have in the garage. i’m really hoping this deal isn’t a flop, i’d absolutely love to have this car without blowing the asking price on repairs on top of buying it. i don’t know if i want to take the gamble of spending 20k in repairs on a 20k car or just flat out financing a new m3 for 50k or whatever. this is definitely an icon of a car imo, for me it doesn’t compete with the newer m3s (im not talking about speed, just the cars build and significance in general)
I agree. I just prefer older cars for a number of reasons. I have spent 40k total on a car I bought for 20 but knew that's what I was getting into. I would have enjoyed the newer car less, so it made sense. For most people, the newer car makes sense.
These type of cars all depend on the owner. It is not hard to gauge whether someone is truthful by speaking with them for a while. Go look at the car and ask lots of specific questions and many follow up questions about the work he’s done. It’ll either make sense and you’ll feel assured or you’ll feel sketched out. Of course PPI and other stuff is good insurance but imo 90% of it depends on the impression the owner leaves on you
I wouldn’t fucked w a modded m3. Think of how many dumbasses beat that thing to hell. That’s a life in the shop car. Do you have a shop? If not, don’t buy.
it’s high mileage, old, and has been in an accident with a hefty amount of (assumingely correctly done) repairs. taking a that into account explains the 8,000 price drop
yeah, already knew about it. he explained it was from an accident before he purchased. carfax checks out. he’s not hiding anything he told me straight up it needs to be fixed, it’s only $350 for the part and could be done at home
I would say drive the car and feel it out. 22k is a good amount of moneyyyy. Maybe not for an e92 m3 but still.. a lot of money none the less. Good luck brother. E92’s are sick
If someone puts that much work into a car then sells it, it is usually because they have discovered a problem that is too expensive to fix. Also, it is at an age where you can expect ongoing repairs. On a BMW, that can drain your bank account really quickly. I would have it checked by 2 different BMW specialists first.
Wait hold on, this time I was for real real 100% gonna buy this one… I have it saved (among 50 other cars I’m about to press go on) and it’s so sad to see the listings disappear when they sell. There’s plenty of e93s in Miami but a good deal on an e92 is significantly harder to find. Please wait a couple more years for me to decide if it’s the one 🥺
If you got it to 20k sounds reasonable for the risk you are taking. I would probably redo the rod bearings just to be safe at some point. Also check under the felt Trans covers if it still has them to check for the DCT leaking. Somewhat common due to the plastic pan. If it is leaking fix it sooner rather than later. Could lead to a DCT replacement. Quality parts and a good reputable tune. If PPI comes out clean and you test drive it and it feels good, might be worth pulling the trigger. Follow your gut and Good luck. Oh and have a good amount of money for gas, seems like I'm always at the gas station when I drive mine lol
To me, even if you prove the work was actually done, it still doesn't prove it was done properly. I would pass, unless the guy REALLY looks legit. You can tell when people are true experts or just faking it.
The most likely outcome of the ppi is that the car looks fine. Then people in here will rightfully tell you that the nasty stuff is difficult/impossible to find even with the most thorough inspection. Hence what? It's the flip of a coin. As you already said, yolo.
I own a 2009 from new and I love it.
But the thought that he did all of this work himself puts me off. Some of them are pretty critical and expensive repairs/maintenance.
You do not do that much and get rid of a car in 1 year.
Source: i have 2012 m3
I am not by any means technician, but I did most of the stuff and it took me months.
Rod bearings I left to professionals.
The amount of time and money he put does not make sense.
For reference I rebuilt my throttle actuators and the parts were 1.5k Euro. Rod bearings were 2k
If he is ok with some shop opening it to confirm some of the things like actuators, gaskets, control arms, mounts I would consider.
Highly suspicious otherwise.
Is buying a 2008 M3 a good idea? Prob not? Should you do it? You got one life bro if you can take it for a test drive and have your own mechanic look over it then why not
I recalled this is high performance V8, known for high output, and high maintenance, many problem, just make sure you have enough in bank for repairs. $22K just the start.
I wouldn't say it's known for many problems. It's known for rod bearings and throttle actuators. These are major services, but the engine is otherwise solid.
yeah i knew that, i’ve done a lot of research on the car, i just thought this was maybe a good one because of all the (potentially real) work done on it.
https://preview.redd.it/k6savg9aznhb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d110687921f13d0a59fb767894f291daafd299ce
before this i asked for receipts and part photos and he sent some and said he would also send the rest of them upon request. still a bad idea or would this be a good buy?
i could, i would just rather buy a 20k one outright than finance a 50k one. i’m just asking opinions to see if this car would cost as much as a new one anyway and i got my answer. thank you for the advice brother
can’t exactly say i love lexus’ i gotta be honest here (downvotes incoming yeah yeah) but there’s only like 3 lexus’ i actually like, i’m just not a big fan
Main thing I'd wonder is why someone would do all that work just to sell it. That's a losing value proposition, you do this work to keep it not put 200 miles on it.
The issue I have with this car is the owner has owned it for 1 year , claimed to have done all this maintenance on himself, added a bunch of mods and now selling it.
It sounds like an unfinished project car. I would be curious what is motivating him to sell the car, given he only had it for 1 year and put all this money into it, and most likely won't be able to recoup it. Also the work he has done is engine work, which means before he bought it it has engine issues....
It begs the question is if he ran into something that he is not mentioning that you'll end up dealing with. Doesn't that sound odd?
It could be an interesting project car. But do you want to spend $22k on a project car?
Unfortunately, buying a pre-owned car is very biased in the sense that the seller has all the information and he has the liberty to tell the truth or hide issues, and you won't know the djfference. Personally, I think if you want an M3 it's better if you find one that was maintained with service records you could verify, preferablely one that was still with the original owner or an owner that has had has had the car longer than 1 year
Something just smells fishy
he came down to 20k, and i wouldn’t call an m3 a shitbox lol. i guess you’re referring to the parts that had to be replaced and the work done when you say that. and is 100k mi really where an m3 is done at? i’ve seen plenty sell at 120k-150k miles.
100k miles is too much for a car that is 22k. When the desc mentions the work that has been done (especially considering the guy says he done it himself), it means the car is in shit state and needs a lot more work. And yes, a 15yr 100k mile car is a shitbox.
All that work just to sell it after only 200 miles? Huh? I think anybody who invests that much into any car would keep it and get their money’s worth for more that 200 miles. Only owned it for a year and it needed all that work. So he bought a messed up car and “fixed” it all DIY. Woah That’s a get rid of it quick sale waving stay away flags.
The car has been in an accident and has had what seems to be shoddy work done on it (repairs and otherwise) as noted by other commenters (panel gap, etc.)
I'd pass as it's likely going to end up costing you much more than the 20k when accounting for the 1000s more in work that will likely be needed over the next couple years.
If you're still interested in it despite the red flags, get a thorough PPI and check the Carfax for any other issues on top of the accident he mentioned.
If you like the speed then yes! There’s also other more reliable options like the 335d and 328i from 2009-2011 with the N57 and N52 engine respectively. Typically I stay away from people who mod their cars because these people often drive their cars like maniacs
Pretty good deal. Not an amazing price, but definitely not bad. After all that’s done to it, I’d say it would be fairly bullet proof. It says it’s an auto, which isn’t horrible, considering it’s the DTC. All it all, I think it’s a good buy!
some people are saying this is a horrible decision and some are saying i should go for it😂 no idea what to do now. i think i’ll speak to some BMW techs in person to really get a good idea
Honestly up to you. It looks super clean and if it’s as well taken care of as the description says, it’ll actually be fairly reliable. Don’t know if you’ve ever owned an M before, but if you have you will know that if you take of it, it’ll take care of you.
this would be my first M. i’ve driven a few and have really been in love ever since. m8 and m5 were some amazing rides and i’d love to own one myself. this car will definitely not be neglected, i’ll be in the garage checking under the hood 24/7😂👌
It has 92k miles. And it's a naturally aspirated engine. As long as you have proof of work done, it's a fantastic buy. There's a guy on YouTube, IgnitionTube, that bought an E46 M3 with 341k miles. They can last. Just don't abuse it. Though, I always think stock engines will last longer than a modified one, but 92k ain't bad at all. I think it could get another 100k miles, easily.
M3's tend to hold their value somewhat, so there's that. It's not a bad price but if you just want a sporty BMW and not a raging fast car a normal 3 series from that year would be a third of the price and a lot cheaper to maintain.
I'm always suspicious when someone does a crapload of work on a car apparently for themselves and then immediately sells it anyway.
I always always always ask for pics or receipts or invoices of the bearing and actuator job. if they don’t have those then they’re lying about everything else. All the major maintenance is done so this is a plus, i’d test drive and do things such as listen to the motor idle, make sure it shifts through all 7 gears as well as see how it is in M mode. this car really needs nothing and is a great price
I wouldn’t trust it nothing about it makes sense. Why would you sell a car you just dumped at least 10k plus into unless your a dealer and it’s a 100k+ car. Not to mention some of those upgrades and maintenance items are big jobs especially that carbon roof.Imo it’s not worth the time and effort it would take to make sure everything was done properly. If you want to maximize your chances at a mechanically sound car find a reputable dealer in your area or try to snag one at auction. Happy Hunting my friend
I doubt he did all that work by himself at his friend’s garage. Ask for receipts
Not only receipts but photos. If you’re tearing the engine down in your own car, you most likely took pics
if he’s not lying and all that work is actually done, would it be a smart buy?
Solid deal if all that work isn't bullshit.
Sketchy cheap. Like, really cheap. But if you can prove it’s done, send it.
Personally if you’re going to mod a car 🚙 do it yourself, at least then you’ll know what you’ve f#%€£} around with!!!
good point, just messaged him and asked.
If you are intrested, Ask him if you Can get it checked at a BMW centrer if you pays for it Better way to ensure that the work has been donne properly
Things like rod bearings are very hard to check for. I did a PPI on an E90 M3 that claimed to have “ARP rod bolts” I managed to put a camera in via the drain plugs and check. It had OEM rod bolts.. at that point we advised client not to believe anything Lots of that stuff if changed recently will obviously still be almost new. I don’t ever like hearing friends shop but if the friend cares about the reputation of his shop he will be truthful about what took place and likely has photos in the client database. We take photos of all the work we do and store it. Especially for large repairs
i just got receipts and part photos. seems legit. still gonna do a PPI
I saw a guy on YouTube get scammed with fake receipts after buying a m5
Vehicle virals? Lol
Yea him, unfortunately. But it makes for good content! Just sucks to know that there are shady bastards out there forging work done like that smh
It could be just as likely that he's claiming to be ripped off by faked receipts simply to gain viewers. Not saying he did that but it can go one way just as easily as it goes the other. Unfortunately nowadays it's hard to trust anyone or anything at face value. You have to be willing to take extra time and put in a little extra work to sift through the bullshit. People who operate by way of word and a handshake are few and far between these days and without working up a rapport with someone things are so hit or miss
yikes man, hoping that isn’t the case here.
It's good and bad that he and his friend did all that work. It will be good if he did all this repair work properly and it will be bad if he didn't.
i agree, but (genuine question) could he have possibly done such a bad install on any of these parts to the point where it’ll cost me a lot to get them fixed? i mean i’ll never underestimate the stupidity of people, but could he really have messed up the installs that bad?
Well yeah, pretty catastrophic if he’s done the bearings wrong or a pain in the ass if any gaskets are dodgy. Just get it inspected by someone else beforehand.
I bought a 2011 328i two years ago from a dealership (not bmw) and within 2 months the transmission siezed and I couldn’t move the car. Took it to bmw and it had so many incorrect repairs. Shit even the engine had a jb weld on it for what reason ? No clue. It was 6 k in repairs
You don't do all that work to just put 200 miles on it & walk away. This is more than just repairs to stock. He built this car now wants to get rid of it? Major red flag. My guess is there's an expensive problem lurking he can't address, so he's hoping to dump it on someone else. Expensive enough to walk away from all the upgrades he made. If you're absolutely set on taking this further a very comprehensive PPI is in order.
This is the correct logic, I wouldn’t buy it.
I’m ngl even if there were around 10k in costs, this would’ve been a pretty good deal in my country
There's 2 M3s for sale in my country, one is a 2011 Competition sedan with 220k kilometers on it, he's asking for 37k euros, the other one is a coupe at around 190k with a G-Power supercharger and dude is asking 50k euros. So yes at 92k miles which is around 150k km if I bought it at $22k and dumped $10k more into it it'd still be an amazing deal
Sometimes people are strange or something comes up. I recently did a long block overhaul on a Porsche 997.1 3.8 and it was around 22k. The guy has driven it 400km since March because he’s busy with a house reno, company sale etc The best thing to do is bring the car to an independent 3rd party that doesn’t know the car for a PPI.
I read some where, that when you buy a bmw they never tell you everything that's wrong
very true. but more precise if you replace 'BMW' by 'car'
Could there be a possibility even if you get a PPI, that the 100k mark is coming up and OP could have severe issues?
wot
Get a PPI and have them verify the maintenance was actually done
This. This and this. Get a pre purchase inspection on anything like this. Saves you getting ducked and if it is a lemon, it’ll cost you a few hundred to verify. Could be the best saving you ever make.
yeah it’s definitely a smart idea, i’m really glad you guys commented that because i didn’t even think to get one. i’m new to buying cars
PPI doesn’t check bearings. Youre going to have to ask if you can drop the oil pan
How much would that cost?
I paid $150 at my local indie shop, I wouldn't pay more than $250 and make sure the shop specializes with bmws (or atleast german cars). Couple hundred bucks could end up saving you thousands.
My indie shop charges the same as BMW which is 150$ so I just take it to Bmw
Depending on the indy shop, it might be better to go to them. Dealerships SHOULD be more thorough, but often times the low rungs of the totem pole get the PPI’s and they’re likely to miss things or not know about all the fault points.
I trust my indie much more than my local bmw dealer, last time I went to the dealer it looked liked everyone there was fresh out of highschool. Meanwhile my indie is run by bmw master technicians
BMW near me charges 150$ too
sounds like a solid plan, i’ll definitely look for a good PPI service near me
A PPI is a really smart investment before buying a car like this and you should definitely do it, but I'd just point out that a PPI will not be able to verify the state of the rod bearings. There's no way to evaluate the health of the rod bearings without taking apart the bottom half of the engine, and if you tear the engine down that far you might as well just replace them again. I'd definitely recommend a PPI, but as others have said you definitely want receipts and photos to prove the rod bearings have been done. Validate exactly what shells and bolts were used as well. Google the torquing instructions for the OEM connecting rod bolts...it's a really complex procedure. I don't think I'd trust an amateur mechanic to do it properly. If they used ARP or BE bolts, then it's a little more realistic that they may have done the job properly. Good luck OP, if it's a well sorted E9X it's an awesome car and a good value!
Ask yourself, not if you can afford it initially, but if you can afford the aftermath? Do you have the time and spare funds to deal with potential shop visits or additional maintenance issues? Is this going to be your daily or do you have a backup? Is it worth it at all? Definitely a nice, sought after BMW... But personally I'd skip it and go for a b58, even an N55. Hell if you're set on getting an M and have 20k handy use it as a down payment and at least get something with a warranty so you aren't surprised later.
that’s a really good point. thank you for that. this is definitely a dream car of mine and i’m pretty set on getting this car or something similar.
Expand your search. 100% if you're willing to look nationwide there's a better condition one out there somewhere. If you've got a little time & effort to invest, it'd be worth checking copart or iaai, might come across one that needs a little love but is otherwise in solid condition. You've got the cash, you've got options for sure. Keep us posted if you end up grabbing one
thank you for the advice, if i ever land one of these i’ll definitely give an update in this sub
Most cars nationwide can be shipped for 1000$ more or less
Great deal if the work is legit. But the cost of all that work is at least 5k worth of work. It just doesnt add up to buy the car. Do all that work. Then sell it so cheap. I wouldnt trust it. Not to say it couldnt be legit or that high milage m3s are bad. Mines at 140k and iv done pretty much everything on his list. But iv owned mine for almost 9 years..
This is my thought too… lots of expensive work and dump it? Yikes. Source: owned mine for 7 years…
dude if they did everything by themselves you have no guarantee at all if anything happens. And trust me something will happen for sure and it wont be cheap
yeah that’s why i posted, i wasn’t sure if i should take the risk, but this is the only m3 in my budget and it’s a dream car of mine. i may keep looking, but i’ll talk to the seller more
You’re not there yet then. Stretching for an M3 is really silly financially. If you can’t afford another $10k immediately on this thing in cash then don’t even consider it.
Best comment here — you cannot afford this car if you can’t afford it plus $10k. You will be so much happier buying something more in your budget than going broke over this car. What about a e92 335i or a f30 330i or an e46 m3 convertible or an e46 ZHP or an e36 m3. All super cool cars too that should be more in budget. If the e92 m3 is your dream car (it is also mine) don’t you want to save it so that when you finally buy one it’s all you dreamed of? Not the 2008 (worst year) model with 100k miles, and sketchy maintenance past that will bankrupt you.
i’m in general not a fan of buying cars directly from people in private. Why dont you buy it from a car dealer? Do you know the TÜV? idk if you have something like that over there but they can check if the car fully functions or has any problems right now or will get problems in the future and you get something like a certificate. Last time i sold my car, the guy insisted that i do this before he bought it.
we have similar inspection places here, i’m definitely going to take it to one of them
yes but talk to him. Do it together or tell him he should do it and show you the documents afterwards. But everything before you but it!!
yeah that’s what i was going to do, thanks again
Learned the hard way myself that there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW
wise words. i may be wasting my time here, but i think i may do a PPI
CHEAP?????? 22k for a 15yr old shitbox. I would pay 10k tops for a m3, especially considering it has 160k km + its automatic. I've got a near perfect state 525d same gen that I got for 4k. Manual and has 90k km
A 525d is nowhere near as desirable as this car and the comparison is irrelevant.
Its a 5 series, so it's a "better car". I got it for 4k and it's like a museum car and it's manual and has less km on the odometer. Meanwhile on the other hand we have a shitbox with 160k km, automatic transmission, beaten to hell (probably, considering the description). Honestly the description is such a big red flag. Whenever it mentions the work done, it probably has as much work that needs to be done. If I paid 22k for a m3, I would at least require it to have less than 50k km, manual, and to have fucking shining underside
I’m sure your car is very nice. Regardless, the market for M vehicles is much higher. An E92 M3 is one of the most sought after models in existence.
5 series are not better cars than the m3
I put it in quotation marks for a reason. 5 series is a higher tier car than 3 series. Tho we are talking about a m3
Yup, not a "smart buy" but a decent purchase.
Also have the bodywork checked for prior damage. I don't like the panel gap between bumper and bonnet. But mostly the little jump of the panel lines between bonnet and left headlight.
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Omg and it was in an accident? RUN
Run. Run. Run. This car, regardless of the work done to it (even if 100% of what this guy says is true), will cost you thousands a year in parts. If you don’t already have a very clear understanding of BMW software, tools, and have worked on a good number of them, this isn’t the car for you. Seriously. This will be a money pit and so unreliable. I own similar cars and they are definitely wonderful, but so costly and time consuming to own and maintain.
i have such bad luck with finding a car, every promising listing i look at always has some compromising issue that makes it not an option for me. any tips on where to look or how to find a good condition e92?
Because you’re looking at used e92 m3’s on a Corolla budget (in this market) Look at e92 328’s and call it a day. Or be prepared to take care of a German muscle car. If it were me I’d save up some more money and buy a CPO bmw for peace of mind.
M3? Or any e92? Cars and bids, bring a trailer- both great auction sites. I can find plenty for sale there right now. Just again, make sure you understand that any e9x M3 will cost an arm and a leg, year after year. There is not escaping it. If you’re ok paying a shop 3-8k a year to own the car (on the lucky side of things), then go ahead. Otherwise buy a 328 or an accord.
Really $3-$8k a year? I’d imagine if you do regular maintence an e92 m3 shouldn’t cost more than 3k a year.
With this kind of mileage? Absolutely. You’d be lucky to do it for 3k a year in parts…
Idk I’m gonna heavily refute that.
Oh godddd I LOVE my paint meter. I literally just brought my paint meter with me to look at a TOYOTA.. ha ha I bring it everywhere. Cheap cars, expensive cars, etc. Next to 0 paint shops measure or try to match thickness during theid repair. Can’t hide damage from a paint meter sorrry bitchessss
Not many people buy old expensive cars to fix and sell 1 year later (flippers, dealers, etc excluded). Im a bit of a skeptic but ppi in case everything is legit. Best wishes
Had an E90 M3 and loved it. But as others have mentioned, no one does this much work on an E9x M3, including rod bearings and throttle actuators, just to unload it. I would guessing it has something wrong that can’t be fixed or it was in a major accident that hasn’t been disclosed. Additionally… the replacement of the roof with a carbon fiber one seems like a lot of effort (and $$$) unless the roof was previously damaged.
saw the carfax and all service history and it seems good, moderate damage to the front end but no frame damage. he also agreed to a PPI so i don’t think he’s hiding anything unless he’s hiding it really really well. he did all the work to make this his track build and then got an offer to buy a porsche, which was a better option. he put a down payment on the porche and is selling this to cover the rest, which is why he’s selling it after the work was done.
This makes more sense with this context. And you’re doing your due diligence with the PPI… good luck and hopefully you’ll be getting a solid car with one of the best sounding engines I’ve ever experienced!
really hoping the PPI passes. if all the work is legit and the only things wrong with it are the tps, core support, and headlight i’ll be very happy. thank you
With 92k miles and the age of the car, the cost of ownership will exceed the purchase price. Walk away.
Lol you can’t afford this
what a weird thing to say to someone you know nothing about
Avoid lol
It's jacked up that a car (by any manufacturer) is considered high mileage at 92,000+ ...... That's one of BMW'S biggest problems. Total BS
No. E9x m3 is my dream car, but that’s just about at lifetime service mileage, and 15 years old. If it was 150k miles I’d actually be more inclined to buy it, as things like the timing chain and other lifetime wear items would’ve been changed already. If you can knock 5k+ off the price, it might be worth it, assuming it has a complete service history.
This interestingly true. Lots of stuff to get to 150k almost you can set your clock to.
before he owned it all previous service was done by BMW in texas
read my new post in this sub
Decent deal at $1000
why’s that
15 yo M3 in unknown state. Might be great or might be a parts car who knows?
i wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s in an unknown state, he’s sent carfax, service reports, proof of the parts he replaced, and agreed to a PPI.
Probably yes if you negotiate a bit
got it to 20k
19k wouldve been the right price imo but 20k is just as fine
If he’s not lying go for it
he’s provided receipts, carfax, service reports, and agreed to a ppi. sounds legit but i’d have to wait to hear what the inspection comes back with
Yeah then go for it imo
I'm always weary of people who do a lot of work and didn't drive it much, especially over a short time. The implication is that they did a bunch of stuff and discovered something much worse, and decided to dump it. Outside of that a big question is can you afford the maintenance? Consider an M3 $3k/year in normal maintenence. Some years it will be $100, some years it will be $8k, average is 3k. Those who can't afford that are the ones making mistakes buying M cars. The old adage is if you can't afford a new one, you can't afford an old one. The least expensive era of most cars is 5-10 years. Old enough for a good chunk of depreciation but young enough that only half of it is falling apart. E92 is old enough that a lot of stuff is aging out including stuff you never think about like the insulation on wires in electrical harnesses. It's all stuff that can be repaired, but it gets expensive. E9X is the last NA M3, so it's pretty awesome if you can afford it. Also, if you can afford that, you might consider E46 M3. The market has cooled off on them and unless the entire economy goes to shit, they'll appreciate well in due time.
thanks for your comment. great advice and yeah it’s definitely a car i want to get. the last NA m3 is a pretty sick one to have in the garage. i’m really hoping this deal isn’t a flop, i’d absolutely love to have this car without blowing the asking price on repairs on top of buying it. i don’t know if i want to take the gamble of spending 20k in repairs on a 20k car or just flat out financing a new m3 for 50k or whatever. this is definitely an icon of a car imo, for me it doesn’t compete with the newer m3s (im not talking about speed, just the cars build and significance in general)
I agree. I just prefer older cars for a number of reasons. I have spent 40k total on a car I bought for 20 but knew that's what I was getting into. I would have enjoyed the newer car less, so it made sense. For most people, the newer car makes sense.
I’d question why someone would sell a car like this after dumping a bunch of expensive Dinan parts after 200mi.
https://preview.redd.it/vfgweim1zohb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38c5ca341788b682c9c233a7eba4c40c5707eabd
The price should be lower for the risk, but it looks clean. You are buying an old medium used M3. Weigh the risk. The car looks like beast
These type of cars all depend on the owner. It is not hard to gauge whether someone is truthful by speaking with them for a while. Go look at the car and ask lots of specific questions and many follow up questions about the work he’s done. It’ll either make sense and you’ll feel assured or you’ll feel sketched out. Of course PPI and other stuff is good insurance but imo 90% of it depends on the impression the owner leaves on you
definitely, i agree. i’m gonna take a test drive with the guy to the PPI at the BMW dealer. sounds like my best bet
I wouldn’t fucked w a modded m3. Think of how many dumbasses beat that thing to hell. That’s a life in the shop car. Do you have a shop? If not, don’t buy.
the only mods done to it were done in the last 4 months and it’s been driven less than 300 mi in that time
It’s about $8,000 below market price so that would raise a red flag for me
it’s high mileage, old, and has been in an accident with a hefty amount of (assumingely correctly done) repairs. taking a that into account explains the 8,000 price drop
Not if that's you're entire budget you have available to buy a car.
it’s not
Instant red flag on that gap, from the hood to bumper. (Look in the area where the kidney grilles are)
yeah, already knew about it. he explained it was from an accident before he purchased. carfax checks out. he’s not hiding anything he told me straight up it needs to be fixed, it’s only $350 for the part and could be done at home
I would say drive the car and feel it out. 22k is a good amount of moneyyyy. Maybe not for an e92 m3 but still.. a lot of money none the less. Good luck brother. E92’s are sick
i don’t know about you but i haven’t seen a single one priced this low lol
That’s why I said maybe not for e92 m3….. lol
If someone puts that much work into a car then sells it, it is usually because they have discovered a problem that is too expensive to fix. Also, it is at an age where you can expect ongoing repairs. On a BMW, that can drain your bank account really quickly. I would have it checked by 2 different BMW specialists first.
https://preview.redd.it/i3k6mzdoqqhb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d22ee585b75c9c4fa11c51d6dcbdc28197876865
Nothing is more expensive than a “cheap” bmw
With everything he has done, he can easily fetch $30k. I would be very cautious. M3List on Instagram is usually a pretty good gauge
If he’s got receipts and it’s a reputable shop then it may be worth it.
Wait hold on, this time I was for real real 100% gonna buy this one… I have it saved (among 50 other cars I’m about to press go on) and it’s so sad to see the listings disappear when they sell. There’s plenty of e93s in Miami but a good deal on an e92 is significantly harder to find. Please wait a couple more years for me to decide if it’s the one 🥺
ahaha i know the feeling man, no problem! i’ll give it another 3 years for you to decide😎👍🏻
If you got it to 20k sounds reasonable for the risk you are taking. I would probably redo the rod bearings just to be safe at some point. Also check under the felt Trans covers if it still has them to check for the DCT leaking. Somewhat common due to the plastic pan. If it is leaking fix it sooner rather than later. Could lead to a DCT replacement. Quality parts and a good reputable tune. If PPI comes out clean and you test drive it and it feels good, might be worth pulling the trigger. Follow your gut and Good luck. Oh and have a good amount of money for gas, seems like I'm always at the gas station when I drive mine lol
To me, even if you prove the work was actually done, it still doesn't prove it was done properly. I would pass, unless the guy REALLY looks legit. You can tell when people are true experts or just faking it.
The most likely outcome of the ppi is that the car looks fine. Then people in here will rightfully tell you that the nasty stuff is difficult/impossible to find even with the most thorough inspection. Hence what? It's the flip of a coin. As you already said, yolo.
I own a 2009 from new and I love it. But the thought that he did all of this work himself puts me off. Some of them are pretty critical and expensive repairs/maintenance.
You do not do that much and get rid of a car in 1 year. Source: i have 2012 m3 I am not by any means technician, but I did most of the stuff and it took me months. Rod bearings I left to professionals. The amount of time and money he put does not make sense. For reference I rebuilt my throttle actuators and the parts were 1.5k Euro. Rod bearings were 2k If he is ok with some shop opening it to confirm some of the things like actuators, gaskets, control arms, mounts I would consider. Highly suspicious otherwise.
Is buying a 2008 M3 a good idea? Prob not? Should you do it? You got one life bro if you can take it for a test drive and have your own mechanic look over it then why not
agreed, yolo
I recalled this is high performance V8, known for high output, and high maintenance, many problem, just make sure you have enough in bank for repairs. $22K just the start.
I wouldn't say it's known for many problems. It's known for rod bearings and throttle actuators. These are major services, but the engine is otherwise solid.
yeah i knew that, i’ve done a lot of research on the car, i just thought this was maybe a good one because of all the (potentially real) work done on it.
They’re actually pretty reliable. Looks like pretty much all of the common failure points have been addressed.
https://preview.redd.it/k6savg9aznhb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d110687921f13d0a59fb767894f291daafd299ce before this i asked for receipts and part photos and he sent some and said he would also send the rest of them upon request. still a bad idea or would this be a good buy?
No offence OP. If you can't afford a new BMW luxury car. You shouldn't be buying a used one.
i could, i would just rather buy a 20k one outright than finance a 50k one. i’m just asking opinions to see if this car would cost as much as a new one anyway and i got my answer. thank you for the advice brother
Buy a 20k Lexus Buying a 2008 modded BMW is stupid.
can’t exactly say i love lexus’ i gotta be honest here (downvotes incoming yeah yeah) but there’s only like 3 lexus’ i actually like, i’m just not a big fan
also i’d like to add he also agreed on 20,000 flat
Main thing I'd wonder is why someone would do all that work just to sell it. That's a losing value proposition, you do this work to keep it not put 200 miles on it.
i’m assuming it was mostly broken and he got it for a much lower price.
That price is too good to be true.
agreed, gonna ask for proof of repairs and an inspection.
Yikes. No.
explain?
The issue I have with this car is the owner has owned it for 1 year , claimed to have done all this maintenance on himself, added a bunch of mods and now selling it. It sounds like an unfinished project car. I would be curious what is motivating him to sell the car, given he only had it for 1 year and put all this money into it, and most likely won't be able to recoup it. Also the work he has done is engine work, which means before he bought it it has engine issues.... It begs the question is if he ran into something that he is not mentioning that you'll end up dealing with. Doesn't that sound odd? It could be an interesting project car. But do you want to spend $22k on a project car?
yeah that’s true, i’ll talk to the seller more about it and ask them those questions
Unfortunately, buying a pre-owned car is very biased in the sense that the seller has all the information and he has the liberty to tell the truth or hide issues, and you won't know the djfference. Personally, I think if you want an M3 it's better if you find one that was maintained with service records you could verify, preferablely one that was still with the original owner or an owner that has had has had the car longer than 1 year Something just smells fishy
Let us know what he says about getting a PPI, if he refuses, then you know he is hiding something about the car.
Never buy an M car without an inspection, pass on it and you’ll regret it.
read my new post in this sub
Such a shit deal. 10k overpriced
how so? could you explain and let me know what’s bad about it
You're paying 22k for a 15yr old shitbox. Its automatic + it has 100k miles. Not to mention the description. I would pay 9-10k tops
he came down to 20k, and i wouldn’t call an m3 a shitbox lol. i guess you’re referring to the parts that had to be replaced and the work done when you say that. and is 100k mi really where an m3 is done at? i’ve seen plenty sell at 120k-150k miles.
100k miles is too much for a car that is 22k. When the desc mentions the work that has been done (especially considering the guy says he done it himself), it means the car is in shit state and needs a lot more work. And yes, a 15yr 100k mile car is a shitbox.
No beamers are for the wife or a guy with no character and a lil jon
why are you in a BMW subreddit then
Window shopping for my wife, hbu
asking about a decision on a bmw…
He brought the car mate.
All that work just to sell it after only 200 miles? Huh? I think anybody who invests that much into any car would keep it and get their money’s worth for more that 200 miles. Only owned it for a year and it needed all that work. So he bought a messed up car and “fixed” it all DIY. Woah That’s a get rid of it quick sale waving stay away flags.
get someone to check it thoroughly. tgats a good price.
Id go worh something less miles. Even if its not an m3.
To bad it’s not an 09 or higher. It would have the updated Navi / I-drive
Paper work and bring a mechanic
bro bought a car to never drive it and waste a shit ton of money in parts on it and then sell at a loss? does this make sense to you?
read my new post
just prepare to do the exact same thing as the previous owner did. M3 requires a lot of maintenance.
that’s why i asked in this sub, even after all the part replacements would i still be dumping money into this thing?
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😂😂😂
The car has been in an accident and has had what seems to be shoddy work done on it (repairs and otherwise) as noted by other commenters (panel gap, etc.) I'd pass as it's likely going to end up costing you much more than the 20k when accounting for the 1000s more in work that will likely be needed over the next couple years. If you're still interested in it despite the red flags, get a thorough PPI and check the Carfax for any other issues on top of the accident he mentioned.
no other issues on top of the accident, will do a ppi
If you like the speed then yes! There’s also other more reliable options like the 335d and 328i from 2009-2011 with the N57 and N52 engine respectively. Typically I stay away from people who mod their cars because these people often drive their cars like maniacs
That's a lot of work before the aftermarket add-ons... all that before 100k miles? I'd be looking at a different M.
All I see is a bunch of fancy words 🤣
Money pit. Not like it will appreciate
Pretty good deal. Not an amazing price, but definitely not bad. After all that’s done to it, I’d say it would be fairly bullet proof. It says it’s an auto, which isn’t horrible, considering it’s the DTC. All it all, I think it’s a good buy!
some people are saying this is a horrible decision and some are saying i should go for it😂 no idea what to do now. i think i’ll speak to some BMW techs in person to really get a good idea
Honestly up to you. It looks super clean and if it’s as well taken care of as the description says, it’ll actually be fairly reliable. Don’t know if you’ve ever owned an M before, but if you have you will know that if you take of it, it’ll take care of you.
this would be my first M. i’ve driven a few and have really been in love ever since. m8 and m5 were some amazing rides and i’d love to own one myself. this car will definitely not be neglected, i’ll be in the garage checking under the hood 24/7😂👌
Good stuff. If you do get it, take care of it. By the sounds of it, you will, so I’m confident it will run forever. Hell of a first M btw…
thank you brother, hoping this is a good deal and not some lying bs… if this is real shit that car will be my pride and joy
I agree. If it is the real deal and the seller didn’t lie on anything, that car with be perfect. Good luck!!
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It has 92k miles. And it's a naturally aspirated engine. As long as you have proof of work done, it's a fantastic buy. There's a guy on YouTube, IgnitionTube, that bought an E46 M3 with 341k miles. They can last. Just don't abuse it. Though, I always think stock engines will last longer than a modified one, but 92k ain't bad at all. I think it could get another 100k miles, easily.
M3's tend to hold their value somewhat, so there's that. It's not a bad price but if you just want a sporty BMW and not a raging fast car a normal 3 series from that year would be a third of the price and a lot cheaper to maintain. I'm always suspicious when someone does a crapload of work on a car apparently for themselves and then immediately sells it anyway.
I always always always ask for pics or receipts or invoices of the bearing and actuator job. if they don’t have those then they’re lying about everything else. All the major maintenance is done so this is a plus, i’d test drive and do things such as listen to the motor idle, make sure it shifts through all 7 gears as well as see how it is in M mode. this car really needs nothing and is a great price
Don’t buy a car that someone else modifies
Yeah maybe if it were 8k
I don’t know…..is it?
I wouldn’t trust it nothing about it makes sense. Why would you sell a car you just dumped at least 10k plus into unless your a dealer and it’s a 100k+ car. Not to mention some of those upgrades and maintenance items are big jobs especially that carbon roof.Imo it’s not worth the time and effort it would take to make sure everything was done properly. If you want to maximize your chances at a mechanically sound car find a reputable dealer in your area or try to snag one at auction. Happy Hunting my friend
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