BMW knowledgable folks

Post #54,584 by boxley 10/2/02 9:44:48 PM Reply	BMW knowledgable folks looking for a new ride as both licolns are now over 200k and one is disabled. Was looking in the local paper and found that BMW's arnt that expensive when compared to other cars of age and milage. So which ones are worth looking at? Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1991 318i 5spd, 2dr, black, ice cold AC, CD player, Mint Cond! $2600. Call 727-546-1018 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1990 325i 4dr, black, 6 cyl, 5 spd, new clutch, new suspension. $3650.....Call 727-726-0004 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1988 CONVERTIBLE $3500/obo. CADILLAC 1972 ELDORADO Convertible, $4500/obo; CADILLAC 1991 ELDORADO, 2dr, sunroof, $3500/obo, DODGE Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1988 325i Red convertible, leather, CD player, new top, brakes, transmission, tires, much more. Excellent condition in & out, dependable, $3,500. 727-584-1757 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1988 325I CONV'T Silver-blue w/new navy top. Auto, A/C, CD, lthr int., 69k mi Good brakes, garage kept. $5Kobo. 727-517-0810/420-8289 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1987 225E 4 door, 6cyl, sunroof, good condition, many new parts $2500/obo. 727-541-5081/727-421-0875 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1987 528e 4 door, auto, leather seats, sunroof, 4 new tires and brakes, garage kept, 120,000 miles, lady driven, fully loaded, ice cold ac, CD player, showroom condition, tinted windows, never been in an accident, just been serviced, must sell. Must see it to believe it! $3100 obo 727-415-9329 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1987 528E Must See! Alpine white, 2nd owner, garaged, non-smoker, CD, tan leather, all power, excel cond., $3500. 727-772-8015 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1985 635csi High miles, looks great, runs exc., must sacrifice, auto., pearl paint. $2750 obo 727-433-9294 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1984 318-i black, 2dr, stick shift $1200. 727-544-0684 Automobiles For Sale - BMW 1981 633 CSI Gray, auto, CD, sunroof new Toyo HS tires, strong engine. Classic car. $4250. 727-906-0811 Antiques,Classics,Parts - BMW 1971 2002 no rust, green, must be seen machine! $2800 obo. 727-347-1482. thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #54,592 by folkert 10/2/02 10:31:16 PM Reply	Bavarian Motor Works All assuming GOOD condition, No major defects and looks nice, feels nice, smells nice, runs nice. Price is what I'd say they worth: BMW 1991 318i $2700 BMW 1990 325i $3600 BMW 1988 CONVERTIBLE (not much info) no guess BMW 1988 325i Red convertible $3600 BMW 1988 325I CONV'T Silver-blue $4200 BMW 1987 225E (should be 325e) $2700 BMW 1987 528e $2400 BMW 1985 635csi $2900 BMW 1984 318-i $1200 BMW 1981 633 CSI $2200 BMW 1971 2002 No guess (but $2800 is too high unless show car quality) `greg - Grand-Master Artist in IT, curley95@attbi.com -- [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!!!] Your friendly Homeland Security Officer reminds: Hold Thumbprint to Screen for 5 seconds, we'll take the imprint, or Just continue to type on your keyboard, and we'll just sample your DNA.`
Post #54,601 by boxley 10/2/02 11:29:33 PM Reply	So not really cheap per se trying to find a dependable ride under 5k that will last for at leat a year with reasonable milage as gas isnt going to get cheaper anytime soon. thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #54,607 by Another Scott 10/2/02 11:46:03 PM Reply	Get a Corolla or Geo Prizm. (Same car, different name.) Dependable, very good gas mileage (30+ city). Things to look out for - intake valve leaks on high-mileage cars (increases oil consumption), plastic bits that break (interior door handles, mounts for windshield washer fluid tank, etc.). My wife's been very happy with her 1993 - 140,000 miles and still on the original brakes. She got 120,000 miles out of the original clutch. Other than the clutch, it's needed a battery, an alternator, and the hydraulic cluch master and slave cylinders replaced under warranty (when the dealer put the wrong fluid in it...) and a couple of interior door handles since she bought it new. Cheers, Scott.
Post #54,593 by Another Scott 10/2/02 10:33:36 PM Reply	Depends. :-) The 528e was sneered at by beemerphiles when it first came out. But later 5-series cars were quite similar and not sneered at so much. The 1987 with 120k miles sounds like a good deal, but do you really want to buy a 15 year old car? Rubber parts deterioriate... Check [link\|http://www.kbb.com\|Kelley Blue Book] for a rough idea of whether they're overpriced. [link\|http://www.hemmings.com\|Hemmings Motor News] is also a good place to check prices. If you're really interested in a BMW, you might want to check out the [link\|http://www.bmwcca.org\|BMWCCA] site. In the classifieds in their Roundel magazine they list a lot of hot cars, but a few < $4000 as well, e.g. 1987 325isa VIN WBAAA2307H3110074 White/tan, 133k, major service including timing belt and water pump. Tires 75% tread. New alternator, battery, muffler, tie rods, and shock mounts. Excellent condition! $3,900. Louie: 401 474-2543. (RI) 1987 528e VIN WBADK8307H9708496 Luxor beige/black leather, one owner, 196k miles, original owner, over maintained and garaged, sunroof, a/c, loaded. $3,400. 310 370-8751; kollios@earthlink.net. (CA) Of course, those aren't close to you... A neighbor up the street has a 635CSi and a 535i. They're nice cars, but I know nothing about their reliability and maintenance issues. Good luck! Cheers, Scott.
Post #54,608 by gdaustin 10/3/02 12:26:02 AM 10/3/02 12:32:05 AM Reply	My Uncle is a BMW mechanic in Oklahoma City. He has nothing good to say about any 3xx series BMW. He says that only the 5xx and above are built any better than your "average car". However, he also says that the purchase of any BMW/Mercedes/Lexus etc. is a waste of money, too. He's still driving his 1970's pickup truck, my aunt just replaced her 1980's vintage Thunderbird. And they have a 1947 Cadillac sitting in their garage. My dad has had very good luck with Nissan Maximas. Someone just totaled his 1991 Maxima with 135,000 miles on it, and it still was in great working condition (the interior leaves a little to be desired, but the engine/drive train was still working great). He bought another Maxima, about a 1995 model. I bought a 2000 Taurus SEL ( 3.8 liter, leather, sunroof, Mach stereo, all the toys) last year, fully loaded and I'm really regretting the decision. I paid $17,500 last March with 16K miles on it, and now the car is only worth about $10,500 if I were to sell it now. In 2000, it carried a sticker price over $25,000. I still owe about $14,000 on it. I've NEVER been upside down on a used car purchase before and here I am. UPSIDE DOWN! I do have one consolation, I purchased the 100,000 mile warranty and it is already paying for itself. I expect I'll have about $5,000 to $6,000 in repairs from that warranty (covers everything, windows, stereo, sunroof) by the time I cross the finish line. Talk about an ouchie! When the car is finally tapped out in about 7 more years, I'm not buying any car that hasn't depreciated at least $15,000 off the original sticker price. Edited by gdaustin Oct. 3, 2002, 12:32:05 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #54,615 by static 10/3/02 2:09:01 AM Reply	Buying a car. I have one rule about buying expensive things: Don't get a loan for something that will depreciate in value. e.g. computers, cars. I have never got into debt to buy a car. I save instead. My last car cost my AU$16450 or so, earlier this year. It was a one year old 1.8L Mitsubishi Lancer. No finance. :-) But it took me about a month to choose it - and that's after I started actually looking. I'd been researching on and off for months. Why a Lancer? I'd had another Mitsubishi earlier in life and found it a nice, reliable car. Easy to get serviced, easy to drive. Lots of them about. There are lots of Lancers on the road! The size and the power-to-weight ratio appealed. Other cars I'd considered included Hyundai, but early Hyundais had a bad reputation for ageing quickly and even the newer ones give the impression of cheapness. I wanted to save money, but not that badly. Another thing turning me off Korean cars is that my brother has a Daewoo wagon as a work car. Admittedly, it's a tradie's wagon (he's a locksmith) so it gets pushed hard, but he will complain it about readily if you ask (the steering has never been good). I'd thought about a Toyota Camry, but I'd driven one on holidays earlier this year and even though it was supposed to be a 3L V6, it was very lack lustre. But your foot down and maybe it'd think about it. I'd also considered a Magna: but I was moving down in size from a Holden Commodore and the Magna wasn't that kind of step. (Besides, I wanted a manual and manual Magnas are very rare.) I was tempted in buying a new Mini - my first car was a Mini - but the new price was a bit out of my range. And I wasn't going to get finance on it! :-) So. Have I gotten value for money? I'd say so. My Lancer pulls well across the range - even if you miss third :-). And since I will hang on to it for at least 6 years (that's just me) I will be able to use out the warranty. Wade. "Ah. One of the difficult questions."
Post #54,642 by folkert 10/3/02 10:14:25 AM Reply	With the Lancer, I concur... I just bought(well, actually 12/31/2001) a 2002 Lancer... super nice car. And I did, get a 2 year 0% loan with 0% startup fees. Drove on the Lot with my 1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra... drove off with my new Lancer. I love this car, the one and only thing I miss from my Buick is the Auto-Dimming Rear-view mirror. I will be changing out that soon with on from a 2000 Olds Aurora. Slick. The whole exudes quality. Motor runs GREAT. Great Mileage, Great response, firm suspension, Positive shifts. I run Shell Rotella-T in all my vehicles year round, keeps em really clean. `greg - Grand-Master Artist in IT, curley95@attbi.com -- [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!!!] Your friendly Homeland Security Officer reminds: Hold Thumbprint to Screen for 5 seconds, we'll take the imprint, or Just continue to type on your keyboard, and we'll just sample your DNA.`
Post #55,057 by admin 10/5/02 11:46:17 AM Reply	It's definitely a nice car. Any car you can ride 24 hours in over the space of a few days... :-) Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #55,233 by static 10/7/02 6:22:25 AM Reply	That's it in a nutshell. Or, to put it like my sister would: "it just goes!". And the very positive gate on the gear shift was an immediate like when I test-drove one. My prior car was an automatic, but all before that were manual and I thought it was time to go manual again. Wade. Manual Holden Commodores are very rare and I'd almost wished I'd found one if only to keep the resale value up. However, they are known to have a heavy clutch. :-/ "Ah. One of the difficult questions."
Post #55,251 by boxley 10/7/02 9:39:03 AM Reply	the last mistubishi I drove was a gallant at about 91 mph the front end got very light, is the lancer the same way? Thats why I didnt consider a mistubishi. lancers are being offered new locally at about 12,900 thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #55,252 by bepatient 10/7/02 9:41:35 AM Reply	Front end doesn't lighten on mine... ...till well over 100...not that I would ever actually know this ;-) It cruises at 90 quite nicely...not that I would ever actually know this either ;-) 2001 model year. Front aero package. You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,254 by boxley 10/7/02 9:42:53 AM Reply	well they were rentals, hmm time for test drive will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #55,262 by bepatient 10/7/02 10:17:23 AM Reply	one possible reason... ...I got the V6. Front end is alot heavier. You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,383 by folkert 10/7/02 8:41:54 PM Reply	Well.... NOPE! I have ummm... well... Here is WHAT I heard, at least: My Lancer puportedly has been seen above 130MPH... through the Downtown Grand Rapids "S"-curve... it was supposedly trading the lead with a Subaru WRX, which just so happens, the owner lives about 10 doors down from me... I believe, it took about 5 minutes to get from 44th street on the south end... to Ann Street on the north end... ~11 miles... Only thing I HEARD about the handling... was the rear-end was a bit filghty turning at speed... But, now really folks I don't KNOW who was driving my Lancer... but all I can say... is it is still in one piece. And it still runs great... Yes this Lancer has the "OZ Rally" package. Makes it have better downforce at speed... or so I have heard about that... `greg - Grand-Master Artist in IT, curley95@attbi.com -- [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!!!] Your friendly Homeland Security Officer reminds: Hold Thumbprint to Screen for 5 seconds, we'll take the imprint, or Just continue to type on your keyboard, and we'll just sample your DNA.`
Post #55,386 by bepatient 10/7/02 8:51:09 PM Reply	rofl...reminds me of a story I heard... ...about a guy who was tempted to make last call in Tempe AZ from Glendale...a 45 minute drive at the posted limit...the problem was there were only 20 minutes available... The top speed of a Mazda MX6 Turbo is 142 mph (trust me)...and the guy managed to get in 2 drinks;-) There was another story about a trip to AC, a Santana concert and a red convertible Jag with an embarrassed driver. 142mph (trust me) Who would do anything like >that< I wonder..... You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,415 by Ashton 10/7/02 11:41:19 PM Reply	Those short trips can be fun How about SF to LA (IIRC using a lot of Hwy 33 to avoid such as 99 and 101) - and about 50 years ago BTW - in 5 hrs ~15 min. Over the lengthier route stealth required, that was ~ 93 mph average. (not moi; but less'n a cargo plane plucked him off the road - the times were noted door-door) Hmmm ever seen 130ish on a farming area blacktop with no lines, sometimes? But then, these sprints are Ok too, for getting the flavour of what it might be like to - Ashton Oh yeah it was on a Vincent - any extras for 2 wheels and no A/c?
Post #55,424 by boxley 10/8/02 12:16:53 AM Reply	howsabout bakersfield to carson <5 hrs including beer stop on 395 natch, thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #55,437 by bepatient 10/8/02 1:28:04 AM Reply	Extra points for 2 wheels... Long term averages are separate stories...Copenhagen to The Hague would be on the list...but wheres the fun in that...since most of the trip was Audobahn...and thus legal ;) You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,426 by boxley 10/8/02 12:18:52 AM Reply	now I have seen these lancer thingys advertised <12K new locally, what do I look for and what should be included and at what price. thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #55,444 by CRConrad 10/8/02 3:07:31 AM Reply	If you need data, ask about the Colt. Judging from your unfamiliarity with it, the Lancer is rather rare in the USA. More so than the Mitsubushi Colt, it seems...? If so, then you can ask around about the Colt, that info shouold be applicable to the Lancer too -- because the Lancer is basically just a Colt with a "backpack" in the form of a trunk/boot grafted on. HTH! Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #55,457 by ben_tilly 10/8/02 7:13:24 AM Reply	Reminds me of a story Happened to a friend of my sister Suzanne. He had two cars. One of them a rather nice sports car that he didn't use most of the time. One night he was using it. Noticed that he had breezed past a police car doing well over double the speed limit. Soon noticed the police car disappearing in the distance. Also noticed that he was on a long interstate with no exits, and didn't have a hope in hell of getting away with this. He ditched the car. Hitchhiked home. Next morning a nice officer came to his door. "Do you own a ____." "Yes, why?" "Were you driving it last night?" "No, why?" "It was seen on I-5 doing 140 mph..." He runs down to his garage and asks the officer if it is OK. "Oh it is fine. Some kids just took it out for a joyride." This related to me as we were sitting in a car waiting for the nice officer to finish writing her her first speeding ticket in years. :-) Cheers, Ben "Career politicians are inherently untrustworthy; if it spends its life buzzing around the outhouse, it\ufffds probably a fly." - [link\|http://www.nationalinterest.org/issues/58/Mead.html\|Walter Mead]
Post #55,675 by static 10/9/02 2:47:29 AM Reply	91 mph, lessee that's 146 km/h... ... so I have no idea. The fastest mine's ever been with me in it is ~120 km/h. And it seemed to be holding the road just as fine at that speed as it does at 60-70 km/h. shrug But it was down a relatively straight stretch of freeway. Wade. "Ah. One of the difficult questions."
Post #55,697 by boxley 10/9/02 7:54:36 AM Reply	Eh, what do ya do with the other half of the motor? since yer not using it to drive :-) thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] "Therefore, by objective standards, the leading managers of the U.S. economy...are collectively, clinically insane." Lyndon LaRouche
Post #54,639 by drewk 10/3/02 9:30:40 AM Reply	Sounds like my dad And in fact like the two mechanics who live next-door to me. None of them will buy a new car. They all insist it's not worth it. But they leave off the last couple of words: It's not worth it to them. Any one of the three can diagnose whatever might go wrong. If they can't fix it, they either know someone who can or at least know exactly what to have done. If my car breaks down, I usually need to take it to someone.[1] Even if I'm treated fairly it's still unexpected time without my car, which can sometimes cost as much as the repairs. For the forseeable future, I don't plan on having anything that isn't still under the original factory warranty. I've noticed one thing the manufaturers are really good at is predicting how long their cars will last, and the warranty length tends to be a pretty good indicator. [1] Having a mechanic for a neighbor has saved me some big money, though. He diagnoses and I do the work. === Microsoft offers them the one thing most business people will pay any price for - the ability to say "we had no choice - everyone's doing it that way." -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=38978\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,611 by Andrew Grygus 10/3/02 12:45:04 AM Reply	'Prestige' German car means . . . . expensive parts, expensive repairs. Of course, a Bemer is nothing like a Merc in that respect. My favorite Merc story was published in the L.A. Times about 2 years ago. Owner took it in with a headlight out. Came back to face an $850 tab for replacement - and only a few dollars was for labor. Asking why so high, he was told, "It's a Mercedes - it doesn't have ordinary headlights". My client - "I like my new BMW, but it has a little shimmy in the steering. The dealer says they'll get that fixed". Mechanic - "No they won't. They all have front end shimmy, and it won't get fixed because they can't fix it". [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #54,617 by Ashton 10/3/02 2:53:12 AM Reply	Random gossip Scuttlebutt I hear from people who spend far too much time thinking about the intricacies of various models: Most Hondas survive quite well over 150K miles, often with truly brutal == incompetent maintenance; many make 200K. I know of a few Acuras (Honda mfg. too) at the 300K mark. Ditto (as mentioned) Toyota Corollas generally - dunno about their expensive spreads, but ~ditto on the Maxima. Mitsubishi - at least US versions - not quite so wonderful as has been Wade's experience with an Oz version. BMW - I haven't enough credible info to trust; above comments are close to the impression I have. Expen$ive parts = think "boat parts". (Disclaimer: I admit to a certain prejudice in favor of Acura, based on only a few samples of 1st-degree hearsay; lots of 2nd-degree.) Also I recently bought an 8 yo one, a 'sleeper' model (= underpriced because nobody knows about it - only ~ 30K mfg. in an unusually brief lifetime of '91-'94). You could.. get a '92 Vigor, more likely on the web - for 5K, but maybe ~135K miles = still only half-used IF not abused horribly. Stick or auto available. A clean one Is a jewel; quality throughout. 5K should get you a clean Acura Integra with ~100K mi = hardly half used-up, good brakes, handling - decent if 'sporty' ride - but 'low' = getting in & out ya gotta stoop. Consumer Reports ~ echoes the above from owner data; I believe they have never been 'bought', unlike most other sources of "unbiased" auto reliability info. Hell, for a mere 1 year guar. use - should be able to pay less than 5K for any number of OK models. Lastly, and common to most DOHC engines nowadays: note the expen$ive Service at from 60K to 90K miles: replacing the cam/timing belt. A necessity that you or somone has done this; if it breaks, with a few exceptions == total engine disaster as pistons bend valves and maybe the rods too. [There's a link I think I could find re WHICH few cars are designed such that valves can't hit pistons.. even if the belt breaks] So if you aren't SURE it was done on your specimen.. well, to get close enough to tell, ya might as well replace it. Oh - usually a new water pump and various other inaccessible things are done at same job; for obv. reason. Note too: time.. is a factor; these belts ought to be renewed after 4-6 years - they are organic not steel - nuff said. Anyway.. the cam-belt labor can set you back from $3-400 at independents to $4-900 at dealership rates. A factor in a 100K mile purchase. (push-rods? what are Those?) For any hi-mileage auto xmission, de rigeur among the wonks is: use factory recommended auto xmission lube and Not generic. Have it flushed with a machine not just "pull plug and change". This alone can restore smooth shifting from either dirty or wrong fluids - I have some data on this last. More $$ to add to base cost. Here's to serendipity for ya, Ashton
Post #55,003 by pwhysall 10/5/02 12:51:49 AM Reply	My car... ...is a 1989 Nissan Bluebird with 185,000 miles on it. Got it for free, too :) Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #55,215 by Meerkat 10/6/02 10:43:47 PM Reply	All hail the Bluebird club :) Mine's a '94. Not free, though! John. Busy lad.
Post #54,630 by boxley 10/3/02 8:39:48 AM Reply	thanks for the input, will stick to lincoln towncars There are quite a few towncars for sale with 70-80k miles less than 5k dollars, most licolns arnt broke in until 100k and the milage is 18-25mpg. I thought the bmw's were rather long lasting, glad to be set straight. thanx, bill will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] qui mori didicit servire dedidicit
Post #54,648 by deSitter 10/3/02 10:44:45 AM Reply	2002 One in good shape will be a good ride until it rusts out. Avoid the 318i, seriously underpowered. I luv Beemers (bikes too)! -drl
Post #54,874 by CRConrad 10/4/02 11:21:38 AM Reply	Zope Error Zope has encountered an error while publishing this resource. Error Type: NameError Error Value: forumid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Troubleshooting Suggestions This resource may be trying to reference a nonexistent object or variable forumid. The URL may be incorrect. The parameters passed to this resource may be incorrect. A resource that this resource relies on may be encountering an error. For more detailed information about the error, please refer to the HTML source for this page. If the error persists please contact the site maintainer. Thank you for your patience. Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,878 by CRConrad 10/4/02 11:26:35 AM Reply	Glen's uncle notwithstanding, I'd think... ...they were all once great cars, when they were new. Thing about BMW's is, they're usually seen as "sporty" cars (much more so than Mercedes, for instance), so they've often been driven commensurately. What this leads to, at least over here, is that the best ones to go for are the ones around (or just above) the middle of each model range: Don't buy an M3, which may have been used to demonstrate its owners manhood by displaying its top speed (somewhere close to 300 km/h; i.e, ~180 mph); but neither buy a 316, which if its (much poorer, but quite possibly wannabe-M3) owner has attempted to do the same, may have had its tiny little four-pot heart flogged to death. Go with the 323 (though not the very first ones, as they were then the top model of the range) or the 325 or, recently, 328; go with the 528, 530, and 540 (again, not the first ones), and not the 520, 523, the early 535 or the M5. The above might be assuming European attitudes; with the slow bumbling you Yanks (sorry, Bill, I'm afraid you count as one for the purposes of this discussion) are notorious for calling "driving", this issue may be moot? [To be continued...] Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,879 by CRConrad 10/4/02 11:28:26 AM Reply	Part 2 [Continued from previous post] As best I know, BMW engines -- including the main engine blocks -- are nowadays made out of aluminium, with the possible exception of the diesel in the 324/524 [t]D[i]. This used to be seen as High Black Magic back in the seventies when I was a kid, when even aluminium cylinder heads where looked upon with some suspicion and quite a lot of trepidation. During the eighties, though, aluminium heads became rather the norm, and I'd say that by now even aluminium engine blocks are rather "normal". With modern material science (nickel-cadmium-silicon surface treatments for pistons and cylinder linings, etc), I don't think that the longevity of an aluminium-block engine has to be any the worse than a traditional cast-iron lump. (For one thing, making the block out of the same material as the head would tend to eliminate problems due to different thermal expansion coefficients, which were the main cause of problems -- and thus, suspicion and trepidation -- with aluminium cylinder heads in the seventies!) Sure, any new engine can have teething problems... But those are usually ironed out within a year or two of its introduction to a larger market. [To be continued...] Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,880 by CRConrad 10/4/02 11:30:08 AM Reply	Part 3 [Continued from previous post] The 6-series really is a classic -- but it's not what you'd call a practical family transport: a cramped-in-the-rear, but big and gas-guzzling, two-door; the coupe' version of the 7-series. If you're getting it as a second car (or first, if your wife has a van or wagon that gets demoted to second! :-) then yeah, but otherwise... No, not for a man like you, with a zillion kids. (Then again, the same could be said to go for the 3-series -- it's certainly no Caprice Classic or Suburban.) I would of course be curious as to why the newer 635 CSi is cheaper than the not only older but smaller-engined 633 [BTW -- you've figgered out that the first number is the model series, and the last two are the engine size, I hope?]... OK, it says "High miles", but wouldn't ya think the '35 has that too? These were once the "ne plus ultra" in sporty-luxo-coupe's, so owning one must be (is to me, anyway) a great temptation -- but I suspect that [modulo the above reflection on different driving styles Over There] they warrant all the more "has this been flogged to death?" caveats on the part of the emptor. [To be continued...] Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,881 by CRConrad 10/4/02 11:31:41 AM Reply	Part 4 [Continued from previous post] The 2002 is of course also a classic, in its own more down-to-Earth way; a precursor to the 3-series, it was born on the cusp between the carefree sixties and the "Hey, this is almost a modern car!" seventies. I might not have minded having one fifteen years ago... But now, we (well, I -- and therefore presumably you) are too old and comfortable for these little drone-boxes from an actually rather Spartan era. All in all, I'd say go for a late-eighties to early-nineties five-series, a 525i or a 527/528 e (that's actually a Greek 'eta', not a Latin 'e', BTW) or possibly even a 530 -- only, I can't recall when they introduced the little 3-liter V8; again, just to be on the safe side, don't take one from the first two years it existed. Hey, and lots of Fahrvergnügen! :-) [Not to be continued -- I hope...] Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #54,890 by deSitter 10/4/02 11:49:29 AM Reply	Re: Part 4 I love the 2002 - honestly, given a choice of cars, I'd pick a new 2002 or Beetle for just banging around town. BTW I saw - believe it or not - a sporty looking new Volvo the other day. -drl
Post #54,892 by a6l6e6x 10/4/02 11:58:45 AM Reply	One of these? [link\|http://new.volvocars.com/models/detail.asp?model=C70conv&method=ip\|C70 Convertible]. Not in my lifetime. Alex The sun will set without thy assistance. -- The Talmud
Post #54,899 by wharris2 10/4/02 12:22:58 PM Reply	Re: One of these? (drool) Quite out of my price range (my absolute upper limit is 30K and that would be a major hurt on my bank account) but it looks wonderful. The lawyers would mostly rather be what they are than get out of the way even if the cost was Hammerfall. - Jerry Pournelle
Post #55,004 by pwhysall 10/5/02 12:54:32 AM 10/5/02 12:55:43 AM Reply	My dream motor [link\|http://www.tvr.co.uk/graphics/tuscan_s/new/8.jpg\|TVR Tuscan S] Sex on wheels, from Preston, Lancs. Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog] Edited by pwhysall Oct. 5, 2002, 12:55:43 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #55,019 by bepatient 10/5/02 1:38:50 AM Reply	I have several... ...[link\|http://ladiesman99799.tripod.com/myfantasycars/id12.html\|This is one of them] You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,078 by bepatient 10/5/02 5:19:58 PM 10/6/02 7:27:17 PM Reply	I get to drive this one...sometimes.... [link\|http://members.aol.com/bpatient01/nsx.jpg\|Its pretty sweet]...runs on rails You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient] Edited by bepatient Oct. 6, 2002, 07:26:28 PM EDT Edited by bepatient Oct. 6, 2002, 07:27:17 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #55,148 by CRConrad 10/6/02 3:05:42 PM Reply	"Cannot find server" - DNS not propagated yet? You think we wouldn't realize this was just an excuse to mention the [link\|http://www.bepatient.net/\|bepatient.net] domain? :-) Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #55,196 by bepatient 10/6/02 7:28:30 PM Reply	No...but I switched it for you... ...Comcast is starting to get wise to servers in my area. You were born...and so you're free...so Happy Birthday! _{Laurie Anderson} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #55,227 by CRConrad 10/7/02 3:47:58 AM Reply	Thanks, but you needn't have. Got it to work a short while later. But thanks anyway! Christian R. Conrad Microsoft is a true reflection of Bill Gates' personality - the sleaziest, most unethical, ugliest little rat's ass the world has seen unto this time. -- [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=42971\|Andrew Grygus]
Post #55,024 by Steve Lowe 10/5/02 1:44:32 AM Reply	Re: My dream motor Sex on wheels No thanks, too busy driving for that. ----- Steve
Post #54,911 by CRConrad 10/4/02 1:09:12 PM 10/5/02 1:37:30 PM Reply	Really? How many doors did it have? Edit: No, this is a serious question -- if it had two, it was probably a C70 (personally, I find the coupe' better-looking than the cabriolet); if it had four, maybe it was an S60? Only, then we'd have to establish whether it wasn't, in fact, an S80 -- you familiar with them, Sittah? Though at a guess, it wasn't; I'd think most people find the S80 more luxo- than sporty-looking... So, again, this was a serious question, not any kind of dismissal or put-down -- please respond, if you can be bothered to. Edited by CRConrad Oct. 5, 2002, 01:37:30 PM EDT Expand All History

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