Best BMW I Have Owned To Date
Easily, IMHO. Just sold the '11 335d because I needed cheaper car since my divorce settlement, and picked up an '02 330ci with 130,000 miles on it. Have been driving it for a week and it is the best I have owned. Sure there are some cosmetic problems and reliability will be a problem, but from a driving standpoint it is awesome. Previously I had an 06 330i and an 04 325i sport package.
Unfortunately I don't know much about past maintanence, the selling dealer replaced the clutch, and put on new drive axle boots and tires, it was a single owner before me from another state. Suspension feels like it was replaced a bit ago because I remember what my 325i felt like after 80,000. I don't know about the cooling system or fuel filter, etc. I will just have to tackle those as I go, but all appears to be well maintaned.
Anyhow, I love the transmission, the suspension, the seats and inner cabin, the sporty feel, the sporty look and that beautiful engine growl! Looks like I have a good project car to maintain. I am getting ready to replace the shifting arm bushings this weekend to get rid of the shift play. Of course I have already installed the short weighted M shifter.
Advice welcome here (but I plan on keeping the appearance stock).
Unfortunately I don't know much about past maintanence, the selling dealer replaced the clutch, and put on new drive axle boots and tires, it was a single owner before me from another state. Suspension feels like it was replaced a bit ago because I remember what my 325i felt like after 80,000. I don't know about the cooling system or fuel filter, etc. I will just have to tackle those as I go, but all appears to be well maintaned.
Anyhow, I love the transmission, the suspension, the seats and inner cabin, the sporty feel, the sporty look and that beautiful engine growl! Looks like I have a good project car to maintain. I am getting ready to replace the shifting arm bushings this weekend to get rid of the shift play. Of course I have already installed the short weighted M shifter.
Advice welcome here (but I plan on keeping the appearance stock).
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Very nice-looking car....congrats !
Being a coupe, it has the Sport suspension, which you`ve noticed.
As the current legal owner, I think BMW is obligated to give you the car`s service history (although they may not have to print it out for you). It would be nice to know what was actually done....
Good luck with the car !
Being a coupe, it has the Sport suspension, which you`ve noticed.
As the current legal owner, I think BMW is obligated to give you the car`s service history (although they may not have to print it out for you). It would be nice to know what was actually done....
Good luck with the car !
@ fast bob- roughly a year after i bought my car, i was at the dealer getting my drl's turned off and i asked about getting a service history so i could see where i stood on what maintenance was already done vs what needed to be done. the guy at the counter told me that he could only pull up any service history that had been done at that dealership (which is zero! lol) and so i was out of luck. Was he lying i guess?
Sounds like bulldinky to me....in this day and age, with information databases being what they are, I would think that entering your VIN number into ANY dealer`s system would provide access to your car`s history.
okay thanks.... oh and to the OP, congrats on the new to you ride. glad to see you back in an e46!
Great choice! Can't go wrong with an E46.
Bob's right. I bought my car from a Vancouver dealer. the car had been purchased and serviced by a different dealer. When I got to Kelowna ( a third dealer) they printed off the entire history of the vehicle's service/recalls etc and they had never even seen the car before.
The SA is lying or incompetent.
The SA is lying or incompetent.
I had the oppurtunity to drive the '11 335d as a loaner and that was a sweet right....425 pounds of torque is face ripping. I has so much fun with it. I may actually trade mine for that. Wish I knew your situation earlier!!
I loved it also, scary torque, but I really missed the manual tranny more.
Welcome to the 330Ci club! I have a 2002 in silver with the A/T. Enjoy it.
Welcome to the 330Ci club. You will enjoy this car (not that you did not enjoy the others). I like the color. Just keep up with the maintenance and it will last you for quite a while.
I have had mine for 2 months and am enjoying it so much. I have been reading the different threads to get to know what to do when this or that happens.
I have had mine for 2 months and am enjoying it so much. I have been reading the different threads to get to know what to do when this or that happens.
If you replace the things that are mission critical, you should not have a reliability issue. The PO of my ZHP never had ONE single break down and never got stranded in 138k miles of his ownership. It only left me stuck once cause I didn't replace the fuel pump like a good boy should at 100k miles.
I've never been stranded too and I have 155K miles on it! The fuel pump died on me in my driveway but luckily it was a pretty easy fix while still on the driveway! I also blew an expansion tank but Smolck here, coached me enough that I was able to limp my car home to install my "standby" coolant expansion tank and bleed within 20 minutes. 
I have 142k on the clock after logging 83k miles since 59k when I bought it 4 years ago on my ZHP. It's only left me stuck at a gas station 1 time due to a dead starter. Pushed it across the street to a Big-O and they got me back up and running in 3 hours with a new Bosch starter. Negotiated a lower price after I walked across the street to get a lower price quote from O'Reillys.
This is why I can't bring myself to let go of the ZHP, it's as close to the perfect daily driver as I can find.
That is ONE NICE CAR!!
Of course I'm biased..... I have the EXACT same car!
I got it three months ago from a dealer in NJ. I didn't know any of the service history, so I just replaced all of the essentials.....radiator, water pump, vanos seals, plugs, filters, hoses, etc. I'm getting ready to do the front suspension rebuild and struts.
I love mine, too!
Jon
Of course I'm biased..... I have the EXACT same car!
I got it three months ago from a dealer in NJ. I didn't know any of the service history, so I just replaced all of the essentials.....radiator, water pump, vanos seals, plugs, filters, hoses, etc. I'm getting ready to do the front suspension rebuild and struts.
I love mine, too!
Jon
Seems a common thing for guys to trade in their automatics for manuals after a divorce.
I really love that color!
And trade their 40 year-old wife in for two 20 year-olds.... :bigpimp:
Seems a common thing for guys to trade in their automatics for manuals after a divorce.
Here in Mass, divorced guys are so poor after alimony and child support payments, that 20 year olds just laugh at them.
now if you meant before the divorce . . . .
now if you meant before the divorce . . . .
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