M3 Advice please help
Discussion
New to this forum so please be gentle!
In a bid to have a more sensible car I am selling the cerbera, and am looking at an E36 M3.
Budget around 14 -16k
Have done a search of the forum for info, but there are some questions I've got
Does anyone know of any respected independant dealers specialising in selling M3, a company I've seen is the Independant motor compnay (Reading) has anyone had any experience with them?
I would like to ahve the security (see profile!)of a BMW warranty , can this be purchased as an aftermarket add on or does it have to be continous? (haven't seen any BMWs of this age sold by official dealers)
Can't quite get my head around the VANOS issue- should I be looking at cars that have had this sorted out?
Many thanks
Chris
In a bid to have a more sensible car I am selling the cerbera, and am looking at an E36 M3.
Budget around 14 -16k
Have done a search of the forum for info, but there are some questions I've got
Does anyone know of any respected independant dealers specialising in selling M3, a company I've seen is the Independant motor compnay (Reading) has anyone had any experience with them?
I would like to ahve the security (see profile!)of a BMW warranty , can this be purchased as an aftermarket add on or does it have to be continous? (haven't seen any BMWs of this age sold by official dealers)
Can't quite get my head around the VANOS issue- should I be looking at cars that have had this sorted out?
Many thanks
Chris
Your best bet is to check out a site called (e36coupe.com) a whole host of useful data....I have an Evo ....Vanos issue, complex....But great cars, very reliable and good fun.......Happy hunting...
Ps. Independant motor company have a lot, also try Munich legends.....I would recommend one with extended warranty for piece of mind, but the only real expense is vanos £2000 a time fitted at BMW...Mine needs doing soon....
Ps. Independant motor company have a lot, also try Munich legends.....I would recommend one with extended warranty for piece of mind, but the only real expense is vanos £2000 a time fitted at BMW...Mine needs doing soon....
Vanos is a tricky subject.
I am a moderator on the aforementioned E36 site.
One of our members is currently fighting BMW over this. His car is a P plate with FBMWSH and 75k on the clock.
The general consensus was that with <100k and full history, BMW will pay for the work in full, leaving the owner to stop sweating. However, we have seen a trend where this si not purelyteh case. Yes there are guys who have had it done gratis, but there are others who have had to fight tooth and nail, and some who have failed.
BMW as a rule offer to pay 30% as a goodwill gesture. Best thing is to either get a car that has had the vanos replaced, or put £2k of your budget into a fund as "insurance"
Good luck anyway.
I am a moderator on the aforementioned E36 site.
One of our members is currently fighting BMW over this. His car is a P plate with FBMWSH and 75k on the clock.
The general consensus was that with <100k and full history, BMW will pay for the work in full, leaving the owner to stop sweating. However, we have seen a trend where this si not purelyteh case. Yes there are guys who have had it done gratis, but there are others who have had to fight tooth and nail, and some who have failed.
BMW as a rule offer to pay 30% as a goodwill gesture. Best thing is to either get a car that has had the vanos replaced, or put £2k of your budget into a fund as "insurance"
Good luck anyway.
Chrissy - bought my last E36 from Independant - and then sold it back to them. Great guys.
They tend to be a little more expensive than some non-specialists - but then they don't sell sh*t - only very tidy cars with the right history etc.
As far as warranties go, yup, the BM one has to be re-newed every year - you can get other warranties from 3rd parties that will cover work to be done by a main dealer - but I've never had any experience of dealing with them.
I nearly bought a Cerbera before my E46 M3, and Warranties Direct would've covered me for £650 pa (it was a high mileage TVR remember) - and that would've allowed me to have any mech and elec work done by TVR main dealers.
I've never had a warranty on a car until my current one....and all I can say is I must've been MAD! I must've had over £1000 worth of niggles sorted that previously I would either have botched myself, or just not worried about. Nothing major - but for example the seat belts weren't retracting quickly enough - volia - 4 new seat belts at no charge.
Get a warrantied car mate.
They tend to be a little more expensive than some non-specialists - but then they don't sell sh*t - only very tidy cars with the right history etc.
As far as warranties go, yup, the BM one has to be re-newed every year - you can get other warranties from 3rd parties that will cover work to be done by a main dealer - but I've never had any experience of dealing with them.
I nearly bought a Cerbera before my E46 M3, and Warranties Direct would've covered me for £650 pa (it was a high mileage TVR remember) - and that would've allowed me to have any mech and elec work done by TVR main dealers.
I've never had a warranty on a car until my current one....and all I can say is I must've been MAD! I must've had over £1000 worth of niggles sorted that previously I would either have botched myself, or just not worried about. Nothing major - but for example the seat belts weren't retracting quickly enough - volia - 4 new seat belts at no charge.
Get a warrantied car mate.
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