Well done Si..

[Woody]

Going to be boring and go for silver / grey.....

Woody - was yours a SMG or manual? General wisdom seems to siggest that maunals are the way to go, but could be tempted by the SMG for the blips..

Thinking about taking a look at this one at the weekend if I can get over there:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2617223.htm

Si,

The cab was an SMG. The closest thing I had to a problem was that it would occasionally judder when very warm, on an incline. Other than that, it was pretty faultless. I had a manual a few years back too (Carbon Black with Imola Red leather) and of the two, I would say I prefered the SMG. If I bought again, I'd go for an SMG (but that may be because I'm a bit lazy! )

I know there are scare stories about SMG's being problematical and as they age, I guess they are likely to become more prevalant, but.... I would say that considering the number of SMG there are around, you dont hear of tooooo many issues. Plus, as time passes, poeple seem to come up with better fixes/preventative maintenance.

If you're serious, pop over to www.m3cutters.co.uk - its a great site with a lot of very knowledgable chaps on there and a raft of information! There'll also be a couple of cars for sale too.

With regards to the one you've posted up, the ad looks very comprehensive and its nice to see the seller is upgrading (some people buy M3's and don't realise they can be costly to run!). It looks like it has a number of desirable options (folding mirrors, HK stereo, Nav, 3rd rear seatbelt etc) and (perhaps an odd positive!) it needs the wheels refurbing. If you don't know, getting someone to do the M3 wheels well is a pain! I tried a very well regarded company and was ultimately dissapointed. I think Lepson's are well thought of.

Happy shopping!

 

[dem maser]

thats some good advice woody.......

i love the M3 as does andy.........

 

[Andyk]

i know Laguna was a limited colour. Estoril or Imola are probably the colours to go for.

Laguna was on the price list for a number of years....It was never limited...Just unloved to be honest.

 

[Andyk]

Going to be boring and go for silver / grey.....

Woody - was yours a SMG or manual? General wisdom seems to siggest that maunals are the way to go, but could be tempted by the SMG for the blips..

Thinking about taking a look at this one at the weekend if I can get over there:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2617223.htm

Si I had an SMG and loved it.....and mine was grey and does look great.....The SMG I found to be quicker than the GS paddle shift to be honest...Violent on full sport setting but not as lazy as the GS box....

 

[GransportFan1]

on the e46 id buy a manual......

grey is a nice alternative......

Grey with Red leather i do like.

 

[dem maser]

When i said id buy a manual its only in ordinary form....
The CSL SMG i have heard is a lot better.....its a complete car and suits it

 

[Woody]

Si I had an SMG and loved it.....and mine was grey and does look great.....The SMG I found to be quicker than the GS paddle shift to be honest...Violent on full sport setting but not as lazy as the GS box....

Totally agree. I like the CC but I would say that the SMG feels like a more refined system. (I need a DBW!)

 

[dem maser]

Andy will testify how much i love M3 alll of them really ist not as much with the e36 but the problem we have here is it has a drug dealer rep...
Wouldnt mind having a conv for a bit to replace maser for a year or so but the rudeboy rep is bad....

 

[Woody]

I'll be frank - the image was a big contribution to me selling the car. That, and how many of them there are around!

In a couple of years, a nice original example in a rare colour will be a great buy. For the money, they really are very, very hard to beat.

 

[dem maser]

The money they go for they best on the road.....
I saw a coupe with 80k with most extras going at 7k....
The rep here though, well tlno one will take tou seriously they will think your a bum whos saved up bought one and now runs the streets with dealing......

Shame as i do love them

 

[GransportFan1]

what you have got to remember is the chavs go for the cheap examples which have not been loved. If you seek out an example which has been owned by an enthusiast then you probably wont go wrong as the car will have probably been maintained well at no expense. If you want something fast that you can use every day for sub 15k, e46 M3 is hard to beat.

 

[GransportFan1]

going back to the colours, i really like that blue ice colour which was part of the bmw individual range, looks gorgeous i think.

 

[dem maser]

What ice blue?? You mean silverstone looking one, my neighbour has it

 

[GransportFan1]

it is an individual colour you could get on the e46 m3. I dont know what it is called, looks nice though. It is not silverstone, has a bit more blue compared to silverstone.

 

[dem maser]

Its the one my neighbour has.......

Good looking its an individual colour....

 

[Andyk]

Totally agree. I like the CC but I would say that the SMG feels like a more refined system. (I need a DBW!)

When I got out of the CSL and into the GS it was a suprise out far you had the pull the paddles before the gear engaged...The CSL had a far shorter throw.....Still love dthe GS mind...

 

[Andyk]

When i said id buy a manual its only in ordinary form....
The CSL SMG i have heard is a lot better.....its a complete car and suits it

You may have a point Dem...Early SMG wasn't as sorted as later ones...but suppose thats the same with most things......The CSL I believe had a fast box but this was carried over to later cars and the CS....

 

[Andyk]

it is an individual colour you could get on the e46 m3. I dont know what it is called, looks nice though. It is not silverstone, has a bit more blue compared to silverstone.

Think you may be talking about silverstone blue.......Very silver but with a light blue colour in the sun which makes it look...well as you say...ice........Again this was not an individuel colour . It was on and off the colour list over the years. It was on the price list for the last few years of the E46 life and was on a limited edition M3 that came out around 2004 I think.....Saw a new M3 in Newquay last week in Silverstone and it looked great.

 

[Andyk]

Andy will testify how much i love M3 alll of them really ist not as much with the e36 but the problem we have here is it has a drug dealer rep...
Wouldnt mind having a conv for a bit to replace maser for a year or so but the rudeboy rep is bad....

Dem, yep you love the M3 as I do...So some CSL **** pics for you Dem and just because I can of the CSL......God I yearn to have this one back...

 

[sibradbury]

Thanks for all the input guys.

I've already been looking on m3cutters and this car was on there and PH - one of the reasons why I was looking at it to be honest.

I get the who drug dealer image - and this 'aint too cool (and I'm not to sure about the polished alloys - bow selecta) - but what quicker way to shift my 'gear' than in an M3 and I wouldn't even need to advertise my services.... Seriously though I can't really think of many cars out there with 4 reasonable seats around that price mark which would be good to drive and quick enough to keep me happy when I get the urge to press on. Not too sure about depreciation on these cars, but they do seem hard to shift at the moment. Its good that many of you hold them in high regard..

My thinking is have one of these for a year or so, then look at an M5 / QP when I feel I need a bit more space.....