[happycow6171]

hi all,
have been looking for a cheapish convertible for a while now,looked at several vw eos,slk etc.
have almost decided on a 2007 335i convertible with a media pack fsh and a few goodies.
just wondered if their is any potential pitfalls with the car etc.
price is between 7-8 k
cheers happy

[A15X]

Porsche Boxster 987 can be picked up for that kind of money unless you need 4 seats

[MrChumley]

Not sure about reliability etc on a 10 year old car but the main issue with the E93 (as the 92 etc) was the ride quality on M Sports, especially with 19" rims. Presumably you'll test drive so listen out for trim rattles, seal chatter, scuttle shake etc and note how the car handles on different road surfaces. Easy to overlook but quickly becomes a pain with day to day driving.

[Tengocity]

I think that age of 335 has the original (first) N54 turbo 6 pot that BMW made, which was the one with two turbos IIRC.

It's never had the reputation as the best engine BMW made and known for fuel pump issues and also turbo issues.

The N55 engine that replaced it from 2009 is better apparently.

But at that age I'd just want to see plenty service history and a well looked after car.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by A15X

Porsche Boxster 987 can be picked up for that kind of money unless you need 4 seats

Maybe you can but it would be high mileage or crappy condition. I bought one that had low miles and plenty money spent on it and I've still had to do quite a few things to it. And none of it comes cheap, even using independent specialists.

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I think that age of 335 has the original (first) N54 turbo 6 pot that BMW made, which was the one with two turbos IIRC.

It's never had the reputation as the best engine BMW made and known for fuel pump issues and also turbo issues.

The N55 engine that replaced it from 2009 is better apparently.

But at that age I'd just want to see plenty service history and a well looked after car.

Also I think that N54 twin turbo was quite high on emissions IIRC. So the road tax will be quite expensive for an old car. (around £500?)

http://www.parkers.co.uk/bmw/3-serie...-2007/car-tax/

I wouldnt want to be shelling out £500 a year on a car worth £7-8K. Like 7% of its value. And as the car loses money each year that percentage goes up.

[A15X]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Maybe you can but it would be high mileage or crappy condition. I bought one that had low miles and plenty money spent on it and I've still had to do quite a few things to it. And none of it comes cheap, even using independent specialists.

Hi tengo, your probably right maybe a few thousand on top of that budget might get you into a nice example.

I had a 2007 2.7 and loved it, only sold due to first born on the way.

It had 80k on the clock and only cost me a set of disks and pads and front tuning forks.

I’d own another in a heartbeat just waiting for my father to get board of his 981 so I can buy it off him for peanuts lol

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by A15X

Hi tengo, your probably right maybe a few thousand on top of that budget might get you into a nice example.

I had a 2007 2.7 and loved it, only sold due to first born on the way.

It had 80k on the clock and only cost me a set of disks and pads and front tuning forks.

I’d own another in a heartbeat just waiting for my father to get board of his 981 so I can buy it off him for peanuts lol

Yes, absolutely superb cars! I've done brakes all round and also suspension, and clutch/IMS bearing, so I should be good for a few years now hopefully. Just tyres for the track days!

[AlanYoro35i]

Get an 08+ 330i E93. Media package is a waste of space now. 330i was quite a good engine. I had a 335i and i loved it but i did have my fair share of troubles and lucky i bought bmw warranty. If you want trouble free experiance and some good engine sound the 330i is a no brainer. Just make sure it's a low millage And M sport

[moff]

Easy - Honda S2000

[F30Andy]

E46 M3?


SL500?
Another £4k and you can make that a SL55.

Also as moff said the S2000. You will even have change leftover for mods.

[moff]

Then only other I can think of but might not be available for the price would be an early SLK55.

Depends if you want country road blasts or GT cruiser.

I want a roadster to keep ?forever? and after two Honda S2000?s and the appeal of 9000rpm and amazing reliability it?s well worth it.

The other option will be an amazing V8 like the SLK or maybe a Z4M with its great 6 cylinder.

[happycow6171]

hi all,
went to see 335i vert,the car is in Monaco blue with cream nappa leather,2 owner car with 73k miles and fully stamped service book.
driving the car was quite good with the heavier steering,ie non electric.
engine still pulls well and the mrs wants an auto.
the story behind all this is we wanted to get away from pay monthly on cars going around in an endless loop of finance payments every month.
we work from home so I don't need to commute anymore.
put deposit down and picking up end of next week,thanks for all your advice
cheers happy

[Sullym6]

What about a Honda S2000

Oops just seen mof suggested it a few posts ago

[Ajs_435d]

Originally Posted by moff

Easy - Honda S2000

Cheap, but it'll get the op a high mileage pre facelift one.

[MrChumley]

Originally Posted by happycow6171

hi all,
went to see 335i vert,the car is in Monaco blue with cream nappa leather,2 owner car with 73k miles and fully stamped service book.
driving the car was quite good with the heavier steering,ie non electric.
engine still pulls well and the mrs wants an auto.
the story behind all this is we wanted to get away from pay monthly on cars going around in an endless loop of finance payments every month.
we work from home so I don't need to commute anymore.
put deposit down and picking up end of next week,thanks for all your advice
cheers happy

Good choice. Hope you enjoy it.

[dizzy619]

Hi mate just check it's had the turbos and hpfp done.... The n54 is an awesome engine if you are happy to spend some money taking care of it.... But bmw bill 19 hrs for a turbo change... The fuel pumps not cheap either... See if you can find a friendly bmw dealer who will tell you it's warranty history to see if they have been done... (they probably won't tho... So check the history closely