Rukster

Same place and same time?

To cut the convo short, there are no AUTO pre-facelift diesels as far as I am concerned. Best place to clarify that 100% would be the expert or the agents (especially since most E46 320D's were brought down on permits). Also, if you planing to get a diesel and not run it much, DON'T buy it. It will give you more trouble than a car that has been actually run a lot. I have seen cars with less mileage 30k-40k miles having failures(turbo, gearbox, etc.) and undergoing engine repairs at the expert. You are better off getting a petrol.

I have been using them ever since 2007 and have no complaints whatsoever. They have always been fair and provided an excellent service. They don't inspect the damage to a vehicle on-the-spot, but mostly do it at the garage once the car is dismantled to assess the damage together with the quotation of the garage. I have used them on three occasions and the last time(Nov 2010)they covered 85% on brand new parts for a 1992 car. They are also very reasonable in their premiums in comparison to other insurance companies.

Yes definitely. Just like the 518i E34 vs. the 520i or 525i E34. Under powered, but good fuel economy within city limits.

Thats just the day to day running costs for fuel. The maintenance and repairs compared to a diesel are less and comparatively a less burden on the purse.

Then should be around the 3MN mark or slightly higher depending on options and condition.

Which model? E39 or E60?

The M3 bumper and M Spot bumper may vary in fitment to the car. Best is to ask the expert or the agents if its doable. I haven't seen any diesel pre-facelift auto E46 cars in SL. If there are, I am sure they will demand a high price due to their rarity.

If you have the necessary means and patience just go for a face-lift. You are better off on value and will also save on a lot of mechanical/technical issues from mating a face-lift engine to a pre-face-lift car. By the time you mate a face-lift engine and get it to run, you would have already incurred more costs than purchasing the face-lift car.

Lets see what the others have to say... Sunday just being around the corner, I doubt that most would be able to fit it in... I myself can't, got plans already.

The diesels are good cars but relatively higher on maintenance. The face-lifts are a better choice as a lot of problems and niggles of the pre-facelift would have been ironed out to a greater extent. Note, although running costs are cheap the maintenance is very high in comparison to its petrol siblings. Petrol cars are a bit high on daily running, but are relatively easy and affordable to maintain than diesel cars. The face-lift is not just a cosmetic change, there are have been lots of other areas that have been looked into including the engine compartment. Check the wiki link below and refer the tables, you will note the changes in the engine compartment after 2001. (engine codes, power, etc.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_%28E46%29 Regardless of the fuel, if you are buying a BMW always go for a car thats been well maintained in all aspects and a non-abused one. These will demand a high price than the average market price, but is worth the premium as you will get hassle and stress free driving!

Mates how about a meeting ?!? Been a long time.

I know the same car and it was originally imported as a standard 530i. The gentleman who owns it has some fine taste in motoring mated lots of M5 goodies to it and a beast was born ! Most of the mods were done at the local expert if I am not mistaken. The gent even worked some wonders with a basic E34 a few years back.

Will surely be a show stopper once it hits the road !!!

Hi K119 The cars (E46) in fact are good rides and good value for money. A decent well looked after specimen will fetch in excess of 3Mn eyes closed. Petrols are rare and can fetch higher prices than diesels in the SL market due to the repairs, replacements(turbos) and maintenance being high. Also, brand new petrol cars are a handful as some came as recons from UK / Japan. I have only seen a few fully loaded petrol cars, other than the diesels that were brought down by the agents for permits. All in all good cars! Answers to your questions are below. 1. Fuelage, spare parts availability and price, any other maintenance cost — Fuel economy is good, you should get in excess of 8+ within the city if its well cared for and serviced. Spare parts are widely available at the agents and specialists. Spares depending on the nature can be expensive. 2. Economical perspective- Decent fuel economy for a car of that size. 3. Reliability - Reliable when serviced on time and even the small problems have been addressed soon. 4. Feel of the ride - Very good feel, although rear seating can feel a bit cramp. 5. 2nd hand market - Good market, if car is in good condition. 6. Its much more car for moneys worth and is full of quality. However, if you are looking to get the economy of a Japanese, looking for a good easy second hand market and a cheaper to run option (in comparison, maintenance, running repairs, etc.) think twice before you make the decision. Cheers R

There was an E36 convertible for sale for 5.2Mn with only ~6k kms on the ODO. Not sure of the one that changed hands for 5.5Mn. Was it an E36 or E46?

There is a pre-facelift 330i and a silver 325ci in the country. Both are 'K' series plates. Not sure about the price or whether they would be sold by their current owners, but I am sure they would be quite high due to exclusivity in SL.

It may take you a little bit more than a month to do it as sometimes there is a waitng list and depends on how extensive the paint job is. One of my friends got some paint work done in December to an E36 - 325i conversion and painted it Imola red (BMW M3 colour) and it looks awesome. He tried Kenzo but they were more expensive, but would take less time to turnaround. I have heard from a few sources that their work is quite good too. Worth a chat and may be a visit. I did go today to Milroys and I was told that the painting department has a bit less work other than the accident cars that will eventually feed in to their process. Worth a shot ! Personally since I have been through the mill, I will always stick to Milroy for a quality, attention to detail and they know inside-out of these cars

Whats your budget like?

For me its been the best brand over the years since 1999.... never looked back since I had my first car, an E30 It always puts a smile on my face with its fine engineering and driving dynamics !

I second that. Lets try to do it next week then. Hopefully we will be able to get the gang together Tharinda: Hope you will be able to get eh tires sorted. Rangerover: Good luck with your exams !

I'm in too... taking the car on Saturday for some minor work (hopefully). Should be able to make it...

Don't know. But hopefully helpful as a source of info since most of the drivers concerned about fuel economy are taking a deep-dive on hybrids!

There is a site for Hybrid Car users in SL: http://hybridsrilanka.wordpress.com This will help to make or take precautions when deciding on Hybrids!

Hi Rob The agents and a few BMW specialists should be able to service and do the running maintenance on the X5. However, there are only a few running on our roads with most being government/ministry vehicles. Due to its rarity parts would be very expensive and would be best maintained at the agents. I have seen a specialist maintain two/three privately owned X5s, common and shared parts would not have a problem, but getting down some of the specific parts may take some time and costs. Cheers R