Looking to buy 1M and join the family

[Stoney80]

I've been saving up for a weekend car and have settled on the 1M. With two kids (5 and 7) I like having the ability to tote the entire family around in my "fun" car as opposed to buying a 911 or something similar. Most important to me though is a pure driving experience with three pedals.

I've appreciated reading about your experiences highlighting your passion for the car, now I hope I can get some answers to some specific questions:

Are all US 1Ms 50 state cars?

Is there anything in particular I should look on these cars (any common gremlins)?

I'll probably drive less than 3k miles a year (and buy a car in the 10-25k mile range), so thinking an extended warranty wouldn't pay off - thoughts?

What am I not thinking about that I should be?

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

[Stoney80]

By the way, I haven't actually driven one yet. With nothing for sale locally I was wondering if there are any Bay Area 1M owners willing to meet with me for a quick spin. I am a professional in my 40s and not looking for a joyride - with most of the available cars thousands of miles away I just want to be certain I want to take the time and effort to track down the perfect car.

[eeghie]

check Log for acknowledged/known 1M issues

Welcome to the family fun car forum.

GLWP

[GimmeanM]

Yes, all US market cars are 50 states legal. A couple people have recently brought Canadian cars down successfully as well (NACHOB being one that also lives in Cali I believe).

I would make sure to check for proper service history and try and get one that hasn't been heavily modded if possible. I can help you on the Service History part if you find a car that you're curious about. All I need is the chassis number (last 7 of the VIN).

I agree on the warranty, unless it's a higher mileage car or you plan on putting a lot of miles on it the likelihood of getting you're money's worth is pretty low in my opinion.

If you find the car on this forum I would imagine you can be confident that the car is well maintained. I would assume that we who are active on here tend to be rather passionate about the car.

Good luck with your search! They are awesome!

[kubotarog]

I purchased a 1M in April from private seller, original owner, with all the service records. I had Lemon Squad do an inspection and they do a decent job for modest money and, in particular, check the underside of the car. If possible, I think private seller is the best way to go, particularly if they are a forum member. Physically I looked closely at the finish (the one I purchaed had a full 3M proctective film treatment) and panel alignments as well as under the front bumper for scraping, etc. Actually the owner pointed out one blemish on the front bumper so he obviously knew every inch of the car. Also had a tow hook front license plate which confirmed my sense the original owner was quite particular. Service records also showed he had picked up a small brake issue, which lead to a replaced rotor and pad. This was the third one I had driven, much like another one I drove, very tight and responsive. One with 30,000 miles felt somewhat looser (not a bad thing). Mine had 16,750 miles when I got it and had never seen winter or salt as the underside inspection confirmed.

In my search I had talked to some sellers, all private owners, who knew their car totally and shared records and any minor points. In one case with a dealer, I found out more than they knew or let on including that the rear bumper was repainted and not aligned well when put back on.

That's my experience that worked for me and the car, now with over 20,000 miles, has been flawless. There are some great 1Ms out there but also some that have been worked hard and are in a little rougher shape. As noted, some of the common problems are discussed extensively on the forum. Good luck with your search.

[Stoney80]

Thank you for the responses thus far. I've had multiple PMs as well noting additional cars for sale. It seems the new Ms are luring a number of original owners to sell their 1Ms. I've heard about both new M2s and M4s.

New question - can I get some thoughts on color? I would buy any of the three, I've seen the total build numbers of each, I appreciate the special story behind VO, I've always been partial to black cars (but don't like maintaining them) and AW looks clean and easy to maintain.

[1mm2]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

Thank you for the responses thus far. I've had multiple PMs as well noting additional cars for sale. It seems the new Ms are luring a number of original owners to sell their 1Ms. I've heard about both new M2s and M4s.

New question - can I get some thoughts on color? I would buy any of the three, I've seen the total build numbers of each, I appreciate the special story behind VO, I've always been partial to black cars (but don't like maintaining them) and AW looks clean and easy to maintain.

They're all great colors but it's been pretty well established that the VO is by far the fastest of them all...

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by vocan

They're all great colors but it's been pretty well established that the VO is by far the fastest of them all...

Fastest to attract attention that is, and admittedly a stunning color in direct sunlight, but can be different (copper-like) under some artificial light conditions. Black is a generally beautiful color but only if you're willing to clean it often. White is the best base for ///M colors, if you're into that.

Owners of a black 1M seem to be the most loyal; IIRC we don't see many black 1Ms for sale.

Your pick! What will it be?

[IEDEI]

great choice! the 1M is special! very special! I wouldn't trade it in for any of the 'new' BMW M models!

as for colour, it really is personal preference. In my car history i had owned Black, White, Red, and Blue cars but could have never dreamed that i could pull of Orange........but i have! To me, VO is a magnificent colour-----especially on the 1M. But it's a matter of taste, yeah!

[Kouper]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

By the way, I haven't actually driven one yet. With nothing for sale locally I was wondering if there are any Bay Area 1M owners willing to meet with me for a quick spin. I am a professional in my 40s and not looking for a joyride - with most of the available cars thousands of miles away I just want to be certain I want to take the time and effort to track down the perfect car.

There are currently 1Ms listed for sale on Bay Area craigslist.
Enjoy the hunt!

[nachob]

Originally Posted by eeghie

Fastest to attract attention that is, and admittedly a stunning color in direct sunlight, but can be different (copper-like) under some artificial light conditions. Black is a generally beautiful color but only if you're willing to clean it often. White is the best base for ///M colors, if you're into that.

Owners of a black 1M seem to be the most loyal; IIRC we don't see many black 1Ms for sale.

Your pick! What will it be?

I have owned AW and VO. I think VO is stunning in certain light conditions but it also shows every nick and imperfection. The primer under the orange is white. The rear fender section takes a beating and it shows in black and orange a lot but less obvious in White. So VO is probably faster but it can be a bear to keep looking nice. If you want to drive a lot, I think white will hold up better. If you want the wow factor and spend a lot of time in garage, VO is great. My teen son likes VO more my preteen daughter likes the white more...so go figure. I think VO is very cool but with all the chips with white primer, I might just take white?

Black is awesome looking in 1M but not for me in SoCal...too hot and with drought, can't watch often enough.

Good luck.

[craina]

Every time I see one in VO I want that color, it is striking in person. I would have ordered white if I had bought new. Ended up with black because I bought it from my brother . Pretty standard black car: looks great when its clean, PIA to keep clean, and shows imperfections easily. I always said I would never own a black car for those reasons. Look at me now. This car does that sort of thing to people, I just had to have it.

Good luck with your search!

[sergeremi]

Hey bud, if you were still looking for a ride around and test drive, I'll be taking a morning drive this Sat/Sun around Sonoma.

[Dee Pee]

You might see a slight uptick in available cars in Q1 of 2016 as the M2 shows up. I don't know what the prices will do. That's a topic of uh "lively" debate in the forums and I try to stay out of it lol.
If you get to PDX I can show you my AW. I'm in total agreement with the group's sentiments regarding that color. I got it in AW as it was in the highest demand in the NW and NorCal according to the customer waiting lists. My CA accessed the requested build lists to optimize my chances of flipping the car if I hated it--he made me buy it sight unseen right before he retired. The car looks great in all three colors though. There was a VO an "independent dealer" in Stumptown called Jordan Motors I think. They were asking a premium and I think the car had some Carfax alerts but I can't recall exactly. I can look at it for you when I'm back from China next week. Good luck with the search! You could look at an M2 as well. I bet the price points will be the same.

[Stoney80]

Thank you to all that responded to my post and through pm. I went silent a couple of weeks ago after I locked in on a car (I didn't want to draw any attention to it!). I have now purchased a beautiful stock BSM 1M with 18k miles. I had the opportunity to drive about 60 miles before loading it onto a truck for the cross country journey - I can't wait for it to arrive in California!

Looking forward to many adventures in this car. I truly is as you all describe in these pages. I was looking for a car that provides a connected driving experience and the 1M delivers.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

Thank you to all that responded to my post and through pm. I went silent a couple of weeks ago after I locked in on a car (I didn't want to draw any attention to it!). I have now purchased a beautiful stock BSM 1M with 18k miles. I had the opportunity to drive about 60 miles before loading it onto a truck for the cross country journey - I can't wait for it to arrive in California!

Looking forward to many adventures in this car. I truly is as you all describe in these pages. I was looking for a car that provides a connected driving experience and the 1M delivers.

Congrats!

[bdaddylo]

Congrats on your find. Welcome to the family.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

Thank you to all that responded to my post and through pm. I went silent a couple of weeks ago after I locked in on a car (I didn't want to draw any attention to it!). I have now purchased a beautiful stock BSM 1M with 18k miles. I had the opportunity to drive about 60 miles before loading it onto a truck for the cross country journey - I can't wait for it to arrive in California!

Looking forward to many adventures in this car. I truly is as you all describe in these pages. I was looking for a car that provides a connected driving experience and the 1M delivers.

ah very nice! congratulations! you will love every second in it!

[frenzy757]

Looks good!

[nesnah]

congrats! now lets see how long until the modding bug begins. Caution: this forum makes you want to buy stuff

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

Thank you to all that responded to my post and through pm. I went silent a couple of weeks ago after I locked in on a car (I didn't want to draw any attention to it!). I have now purchased a beautiful stock BSM 1M with 18k miles. I had the opportunity to drive about 60 miles before loading it onto a truck for the cross country journey - I can't wait for it to arrive in California!

Looking forward to many adventures in this car. I truly is as you all describe in these pages. I was looking for a car that provides a connected driving experience and the 1M delivers.

LOL at stealth mode ! Nicely played ! Congratulations !

Always bet on black!

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by Stoney80

... I went silent a couple of weeks ago after I locked in on a car (I didn't want to draw any attention to it!). I have now purchased a beautiful stock BSM 1M with 18k miles. ...

The first reported account of a 'snipped' 1M, and a rare black one at that, congrats!