Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

maybe I should look at those for toy time too!

actually the first model I ever went to the BMW dealer to drive. I do remember the clutch engaging really high on it too.

roadburner

The seats look very new...are they cloth?

They are cloth, and they do look almost new; no rips or stains that I could find.

roadburner

I do remember the clutch engaging really high on it too.

I installed a UUC adjustable clutch stop on my ti. It takes all of five minutes to install and makes a world of difference.

stever

A reporter seeks to interview someone on how parents factor carpooling into their car choices. Does the parent with the big car unfairly do the most of the driving? Are the five-passenger car parents left out of carpools? Do you ever wish you had something bigger than/smaller than what you have? Does the price of gas or environmental concerns compete with the need for space? Please email pr@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, July 12, 2011 with your daytime contact information if you care to share your story.

roadburner

I took a hard look at the ti today; no sale. The big problems were a CEL(knock sensor), and a bad ABS hydro or control unit($700-$1500). In all fairness the salesperson revealed those issues before he unlocked the car. It also had the wrong coolant in the radiator. Minor issues: only one key, no owners manual, and a blown RR speaker(less than $50). It might be silly but what really turned me off was evidence of a sloppy repair- a kludge, to be precise; some idiot had removed the interior trim panel on the drivers door and in doing so broke two of the retaining clips. Rather than pay the princely sum of seventy cents to replace the two clips the idiot used two sheetmetal screws to reattach the panel.. It makes me wonder about the existence of short cuts and butchery that I couldn't see.
Oh well, the search continues.

qbrozen

I'll fess up: I've used the self-tapping metal screws to reattach a door panel fix. In my defense, though, it wasn't just a matter of broken tabs but that the cardboard surrounding the tab gave out with age. I remember on my Alfa I even went so far as to try cementing fender washers around the failed cardboard and reinserting the clips to no avail.

roadburner

I'll fess up: I've used the self-tapping metal screws to reattach a door panel fix. In my defense, though, it wasn't just a matter of broken tabs but that the cardboard surrounding the tab gave out with age.

Well, someone did the same on my 2002, but I'm not as critical when it's a 36 year old car with nearly 200K on the clock(and has marginal door panels to begin with).

roadburner

Oh yeah, lat night my son calls from the movie theater at @8:00 PM: "Dad, the X3 won't start." I throw a socket set and a digital multimeter in the trunk of the Mazda and drive over. I usually don't throw parts at electrical problems but the battery was over 7 years old and was reading 11.97 volts so I took the gamble. There was an Autozone directly across the street and they had a Duralast Gold that was an exact fit; 36 month full replacement warranty and after that pro-rated out to 84 months. Problem solved.

roadburner

What work did/does that Club Sport at EAG need? I might be tempted if they will take $4000(or less). It could segue into my son's first track rat when he turns 18....

kyfdx

He had the door panel off to replace a window regulator... Does that model have a vapor barrier like an E46? If so, it's definitely gone..

No stock CS style 18 wheels.... some sort of bottle caps from another E36, I'd guess..

Power mirrors were kind of funky, but he had the door panel off, and there was an extra switch in the console, so that may be fixed.

A/C blows warm

Aftermarket stereo didn't seem to have power.

150K miles...

Brakes pulsed... he suggested warped front rotors, which seemed consistent with the feel..

Engine, clutch, shifter all seemed good... not that I'm a mechanic...

Riding on winter tires, IIRC

It's here: 318ti ClubSport

roadburner

I went back to the web site and it now says "Sale Pending". Guess I'll wait and see...

stickguy

My favorite DIY repair from my younger days (aka when I cycled through cheap bomber cars) was on my '75 Corolla (dang, should have kept that one longer).

at some point, the PO had gotten banged right behind the LF wheel, and crumpled the corner a bit. this created a hole where the floor pan met the side panel/wheel well (forward and to the left of the clutch pedal, roughly where you put your foot or a foot rest would be).

not liking the hole, nor wanting to pay to have fixed, I banged it flat, through down a bead of putty, and slapped a left over roof shingle there. put the carpet back down, and voila. A solid place to rest my foot, no leaks, and couldn't even tell it was there.

kyfdx

It's in New Jersey!

Stick shift wagon

michaellno

That BMW is what, one of maybe 10 stick shift wagons in the US?

Nice car, even though I don't need a wagon.

roadburner

I think EAG in Cincy has an E46 Touring with a stick.

[Deleted User]

I was over there this past week as well, looking at this:

Civic Replacement

:shades:

fezo

Man it's a good thing Wranglers don't come cheap. That looks like a lot of fun.

michaellno

Nice, but won't that cut your mileage in half?

Yikes.

But, for those 10 days a year where you really need 4WD, you are most certainly covered!

[Deleted User]

I'd be lucky to get half!!! It was nice and the three amigos thought it was cool with the top off, but a little I think. We happened to be in the neighborhood so we thought we'd check it out.

michaellno

How old are the kids now?

[Deleted User]

They'll be 8 in November, one of them wanted to know if we could "lift" the Odyssey! I like the way he thinks

lilengineerboy

That looks like a lot of fun.

For about the first 15-20 minutes...then the vibration through the steering wheel from those tires, the tread squirm and tendency to wander on the highway, 16 mpg, wind noise, window rattle, etc starts to get old.

If you live on top of a mtn road that is prone to mudslides/landslides, snow, ice, etc, then its probably a good choice, but for any real life situation, not so much.

stickguy

Cool. Paint it a different color and change the interior, ditch the AWD, make it 3 years older and 15K cheaper, and I am in! Actually pretty close to me.

seriously though, if it was time now to replace the family truckster (aka the wifes car), something like this would be a very interesting option to say a CRV or lower line Santa Fe. And would have the side benefit of forcing my wife to pack lighter!

breld

I'm still thinking about that 318ti, and learning quite a bit about them from online research.

Here's another one that I've inquired about:

red 318ti

I'm not a big fan of red, but I like the other additions this owner has made to it (wheels, HIDs, etc.). It has 108k miles on it - so 30k more than the silver one I drove earlier, but also asking a bit less on price.

Roadburner - given your first-hand experience, as well as your recent searches, what are your thoughts on pricing on that silver one I posted recently, as well as this red one (without knowing the true condition yet, of course)?

roadburner

I was over there this past week as well, looking at this:

Civic Replacement

I love the 1997-2006 TJ Wranglers(I have a 1999 Sahara), but I'm less impressed with the new JK Wranglers. The one you linked to has two potential issues. The manual transmissions have been problematic and the hardtops leak like a sieve around the removable panels. And the V6 is an anemic performer compared to its I6 predecessor. Find a 1999-up TJ; they are a blast.

roadburner

Roadburner - given your first-hand experience, as well as your recent searches, what are your thoughts on pricing on that silver one I posted recently, as well as this red one (without knowing the true condition yet, of course)?

I'd say $5,000-$6,000 is all the money on either car. As for the 1995, the M body kit only came on the 1995 Club Sport and on 1996-1999 Sports. It's not a Club Sport since it doesn't have the M3 mirrors. I would definitely want a good BMW tech to inspect the cars. The tis are reliable but you need to make sure it doesn't have any hidden issues.

roadburner

I'll tell you one thing, if I could grab this sled for under $35,000 it would be in my garage tonight. I like the subtle & sophisticated look...

nyccarguy

I HATE when an ad says: "call for price."

roadburner

I HATE when an ad says: "call for price."

I know; it's code for "We don't want everyone to know the stupid money we are asking for this car."

breld

Thanks roadburner - the seller of the red '95 Ti sent me some interior pictures. From the pictures, it looks to be in good condition. I like the gray leather a bit more than the cloth/vinyl seats in the '96 Ti at the broker.

So, on the '95, you're basically saying the M body kit was added afterward, so just be aware that modifications were made post-factory; or are there other things to consider? I mean, since it only "looks" like a Club Sport, are there other things to be wary of?

Any strong preference between the '95 and '96 with regard to the engine change (M42 vs. M44 - see I've been doing my research )

I'm becoming more and more interested in these as I learn more - not being very mechanically knowledgeable, the best peace of mind I can get if I decide to pursue these further is, as you suggested, to have a BMW tech perform an inspection.

Thanks for all the info and advice - roadburner and everyone.

roadburner

So, on the '95, you're basically saying the M body kit was added afterward, so just be aware that modifications were made post-factory; or are there other things to consider? I mean, since it only "looks" like a Club Sport, are there other things to be wary of?

Yes, the kit was added later; if it is a 1995 Sport it should still have sport seats.

Any strong preference between the '95 and '96 with regard to the engine change

The M42 is a bit easier to modify. The M44 has a plastic coolant fitting on the rear of the cylinder head that will eventually crack- it's a bit of a pain to replace. Other than that there's no real difference aside from the bit of added displacement and torque the M44 brings to the table. I'd definitely buy on condition and not year.

graphicguy

burner....YOWZA! Really like that Saleen Mustang. How much they asking?

roadburner

"burner....YOWZA! Really like that Saleen Mustang. How much they asking? "

$35,990. I may be in serious marital trouble before this is all over...
There are currently four on AutoTrader and only one is priced over $36,000- a garage queen with just 95 miles- and the dealer wants $42,900.
Here is a Motor Trend article on the car.
The only down side is that you can buy a 2011 Mustang 5.0 with the Brembo package for just about the same money- and the new 'stang is faster and handles better.

kyfdx

Friend of mine just bought a used 2011 Cobra convertible for somewhere in the low '40s.... 550 HP..

graphicguy

Very slick....I've got a friend who work at Ford locally. He bought a new Cobra 'vert in '98. It's never seen rain (and obviously no snow). It's always garaged. 28 K miles on the odo. He wants $9K for it, and it's pristine. Really tough turning that down.

nyccarguy

I priced on the ford website the other day, a Mustang GT with the only option being that Brembro Brake/Track Pkg & it came out to an MSRP of under $32K. That would be fun!

corvette

You took the words out of my mouth. No way could I live with something like that. Also, $31k seems pretty steep for a three year old Wrangler. The people who have them seem to love them, though.

roadburner

You took the words out of my mouth. No way could I live with something like that.

I bought my 1999 Wrangler to use as a parade car and I fully expected that I would be sick of it within a couple of months. To my surprise I really liked it and my wife and I decided to sell our Pathfinder and keep the TJ. The HVAC system is excellent and the ride and handling is much better than I expected. I've since installed Bilstein HDs, MB Quart speakers and Hella E Code headlamps and the Jeep has proven to be an excellent and reliable suburban runabout. I only wish it had the six speed manual fitted to the later TJs.

breld

Well, I went to look at the red 318ti this afternoon and was quite taken with it. It's in really nice condition - there's a few spots of oxidation (or something along those lines) in the paint, but otherwise the finish is superb. The leather interior has normal wear on the driver's seat, but has no tears. Sunroof, windows, hatch all function. 109k miles.

I got a good vibe from the owner too - he's owned many BMWs, including a 2002 that he "rebuilt" and then sold. Currently has a 1-series and a E46 'vert. And his intention was to keep this 318ti as his daily driver, but he's getting married to a "non-stick" driver, and has 4 cars as it is. He's made a lot of upgrades, mostly cosmetic - HIDs, LED rear tailights, short shifter kit, black kidney grills. All tastefully done.

I offered $5,000 and he came back with what he said was his bottom line at $5,500. Wife and I are mostly there on going with it at the $5,500. That pricing seems to be in line with roadburner's and kyfdx's thoughts.

Here are some pics I took of it today (yeah, not really hiding my interest in the car very well in front of the seller).

photo album

stickguy

looks nice. If it was local to me when I was looking, I would be tempted at that price. more so if it wasn't red!

not that much above beater level. and worth paying a little for condition. And it can't depreciate that much more!

breld

Yeah, I've had one red car in my life - my first new car, a '90 Civic Si. I never thought I'd get another red car, but I've warmed up to this one, mostly due to the nice condition.

The wife really likes the red, so that never hurts.

oregonboy

Personally, I don't like the miss-matched tint or the black grill. I do like the M3 wheels, although I would prefer stock. Red is much better than black.

But my opinion doesn't matter. If you like it and have a place for it in your life... buy it !!!

ab348

That looks to be in much better condition than I would expect. $5500 seems a very fair price.

kyfdx

If it were me, I'd see if I could get the other one from the dealer for $5500, before this one.. I'm not fond of any of the mods, personally.

As far as red cars, I've got one.... it really wasn't my first choice in color, but just about everything else was what I wanted, and you can't really order from the used car factory ( ), so there you go.. I'd rather be a little less conspicuous, but it does look good.

That's just my $0.02, though.... It looks like your portion of the contribution is a little more, so I'll let you pick..

breld

Yeah, I certainly don't want something that looks like a "boy-racer" got their hands on it, but this red one has me excited and ready with money in hand, much more than the silver one did. So, I'm kinda relying on that gut feel. And the red won't be all that glaring parked next to my yellow Miata (I have to make up for my conservative CPA personality somewhere I guess ).

My main concern has been whether the pricing is fair, but based on the feedback here, it is.

Here's another seemingly nice stock one that just came up locally - miles are higher than what I'm looking at, but nothing crazy.

Blue 318ti

kyfdx

He sure knows how to take pictures! A little light on interior pics, though.. Sounds like he has kept up on maintenance, but that is a boat-load of miles.... Looks very nice, though.... with those miles, I'd put it down around $3500-$4000.. It's going to have that two-tone upholstery of the silver one..

It's funny how one can look at miles.... each one looked at has just a few more miles than the last one... But, in reality, this car has twice the miles of the silver one..

elias

hello my name is elias and I am a chronic carbuyer who had purchased a factory-new car on average once every year from 1985 to 2005, more than 25 cars (some for others / multiple drivers).

Recently with therapy and intense negative-cashflow treatments, I had gone FIVE WHOLE YEARS without acquiring a new vehicle, a lifetime record for me.

Yesterday I traded my newest (06-VW/120k/most-miles-ever) vehicle for a new Chevy, a low-$/economical/makes-sense-car, not the Corvette Grand Sport or caddy CTS-V wagon I want to be trading for... next time...

thank you...

elias

roadburner, in my parts of USA, there's no gamble in a 7 year old car battery due to yearly extreme heat as well as extreme cold.

my experience is there is a 99.999% chance that such a way-past-expected-lifetime battery will fail catastrophically and soon: able to start the car no problem one time, total zilch the next time.

Also just so you know, once the battery is weak or the wipers are a bit streaky, that is an excellent reason to trade-in the car for a new vehicle.
Need new tires? forget about it! Time to definitely get a new car! let's get with the chronic-car-buying, people, STEP IT UP ALREADY!

by the way, in the gender-based dept, are all the people afflicted with CCBS/chronic- car-buying-syndrome male or have one or two females also been discovered? If we can find them, much can be learned from these especially fine women!

isellhondas

Has brought my attention to this one.

Anyone have any thoughts?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2485882351.html

roadburner

Anyone have any thoughts?

A nice looking classic E30 at a very good price. If it gets a clean checkup from a good BMW tech I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Seriously. I'd definitely buy it if it wasn't at the other end of the country.