New 'almost' owner

[cruizin54]

I've been searching pretty hard for a ZHP sedan for almost 2 months. By hard, I mean multiple times per DAY hitting my various search buttons. I finally found one and am flying up to New Jersey tomorrow morning to see it for myself and complete the purchase if it is what it looks like. I had my son go last week and take a test drive. After checking it out and driving it, he put a deposit on it for me. He told me it is a beautiful car! Unless I find something overwhelmingly wrong, I'll be completing the purchase Thursday morning.

It is a 2004 imola red slicktop 6 speed manual with the alacantara interior. I have maintenance records from the current owner and from the previous owner when he listed it on the m3forum: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/archi.../t-406010.html

The mileage at this point is about 165K. In the 6 years the current owner has owned it, he's only put about 14K miles on it.

I'll be taking a leisurely drive back to Florida next week. My son and I are going to do some camping and ATV / dirt bike riding in PA while I'm up north. Plan on taking Skyline Drive and then a slight detour from there to do Tail of the Dragon and a few other twisties in Western NC / Eastern TN. I did Tail of the Dragon last year in my Corvette and wish I would have had the time then to just stop and let the slowpoke that loved having me in his rear view mirror get a few miles ahead. I had a deadline, so I didn't pull over. Hindsight what it is, I probably should have.

This isn't my first Bimmer. I owned a 2008 BMW 335i for a few years. Twin turbo with the automatic. A couple years later, I was looking for a good ZHP and finally gave up and bought a 98 M3 sedan 5 speed. I had my share of troubles with the M3 and sold it about a year or so later. I was still working then so I didn't have time to fix it myself. I'm retired now and have a well equipped garage/workshop. I have two lifts (2 post and a 4 post), plus a lot of miscellaneous tools (welders, trans jacks, engine hoist, etc). Spending a lot of time right now learning everything I can about the E46's.

Hope to be able to contribute something here in the future. Right now, I'm yet another FNG.

Steve

[JETSET303]

I've been searching pretty hard for a ZHP sedan for almost 2 months. By hard, I mean multiple times per DAY hitting my various search buttons. I finally found one and am flying up to New Jersey tomorrow morning to see it for myself and complete the purchase if it is what it looks like. I had my son go last week and take a test drive. After checking it out and driving it, he put a deposit on it for me. He told me it is a beautiful car! Unless I find something overwhelmingly wrong, I'll be completing the purchase Thursday morning.

It is a 2004 imola red slicktop 6 speed manual with the alacantara interior. I have maintenance records from the current owner and from the previous owner when he listed it on the m3forum: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/archi.../t-406010.html

The mileage at this point is about 165K. In the 6 years the current owner has owned it, he's only put about 14K miles on it.

I'll be taking a leisurely drive back to Florida next week. My son and I are going to do some camping and ATV / dirt bike riding in PA while I'm up north. Plan on taking Skyline Drive and then a slight detour from there to do Tail of the Dragon and a few other twisties in Western NC / Eastern TN. I did Tail of the Dragon last year in my Corvette and wish I would have had the time then to just stop and let the slowpoke that loved having me in his rear view mirror get a few miles ahead. I had a deadline, so I didn't pull over. Hindsight what it is, I probably should have.

This isn't my first Bimmer. I owned a 2008 BMW 335i for a few years. Twin turbo with the automatic. A couple years later, I was looking for a good ZHP and finally gave up and bought a 98 M3 sedan 5 speed. I had my share of troubles with the M3 and sold it about a year or so later. I was still working then so I didn't have time to fix it myself. I'm retired now and have a well equipped garage/workshop. I have two lifts (2 post and a 4 post), plus a lot of miscellaneous tools (welders, trans jacks, engine hoist, etc). Spending a lot of time right now learning everything I can about the E46's.

Hope to be able to contribute something here in the future. Right now, I'm yet another FNG.

Steve

Nearly congratulations on your almost purchase


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[Vas]

Looks like a good example. Hopefully all checks out for you.

BTW I am just off Skyline drive if you have time and desire to meet up.

[fredo]

Congrats. Hope this is the one.

[Oli77]

Good deal. Hope you sign on the dotted line. Pics or it didn't happen!

[johnrando]

Welcome! No FNGs here. Good luck with the car.


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[Vas]

SO how did the purchase go?

[cruizin54]

The car was exactly as advertised! I am really amazed at how well it runs and drives. There are, of course, a few scratches and nicks in the paint but everything that was wrong was disclosed in the craigslist post. I'd almost ignored the post because it was in Brooklyn. I spent almost 60 years living up north and am way too familiar with rust. I didn't want a car that had been driven in salt. The car spent the first 8 years and 152K miles in Florida and Georgia. The guy I bought it from owned it for 6 years and put a whopping 13k miles on it. I'm going to put it on my lift and change the lubricants in the engine, transmission, differential and power steering. I have to check the FAQs here and at e46fanatics to see what fluids are recommended. The car came with a nice printed full factory service manual, so I should be able to figure out just about anything. Have to figure out why I don't have high beams. I've read a few threads and know that I currently have aftermarket headlights in it but don't know what it had from the factory.

It does need the airbag recall. The P.O. had the passenger side airbag removed (it was in a box in the trunk). My guess is his wife was afraid it would kill her if they were in an accident. The interior is in really nice shape although the driver's seat is showing some wear. Headliner needs to be replaced, but being a slicktop should make that job a bit easier.

Well, I know the rules. If there aren't any pictures, it didn't happen. Here are some pics:

The first picture I took was deep in the woods at our ATV camp in PA, the rest are at home in FL. (Sorry, all I get when I try to upload the file, is an upload failed message).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lade0ygn6j...54.13.jpg?dl=0

And here are a couple at home in FL:

[johnrando]

Great news!

[danewilson77]

Congrats!

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