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jamie (e39)528i
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2005
Location: chafford hundred essex
Status: Offline
Points: 1093
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Posted: 30-March-2005 at 13:54 |
Welcome to the forum paul,
Enjoy looking for your 1st BMW
The only advice i would give you is always buy the best car you can afford ie e36 over an e30 as the e30 will be older and more likely too need work doing,as finding a good example is getting hard,not that i dont recommend one as i had a e30 316 as my 1st bmw and it was a fantastic car just the e36 is plentiful and you should be able to find a nice one within your budget.
Keep us all informed with the outcome.
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BM Fan
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 19-January-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1054
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Posted: 30-March-2005 at 14:59 |
Paul - Welcome to the forum
As you can see, its fairly active on here and npw I'm going to throw in my Tuppence worth also.
I started on the BMW route with a 92 316i E36 saloon that I brought in
from the North. Fantatsic car. Bit of a break from the clan then
due to company cars and no funds but back in the fold and am on my
fifth at this stage - including those bought for my better half.
As for points - check everything that TJ mentioned and the apply
Dergsides rules. Every one I have bought has been purchased as a
result of seeing it and having that gut feeling that "we're on a winner
here". Condition and history are the number one criteria in my
book, age and mileage are not as important if you can be sure of the
other factors.
As for BMWSH's, well - I keep them up as I think its of some
value when you go to sell the car but as for ensuring that the car in
mint - I reckon their worthless. I know of lots of examples with
FBMWSH that I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.
Condition and history!!!! Enjoy looking and BTW if a spectacular
example presents itself tomorrow - Try to Buy it!! Beg Borrow
Steal to get the funds as its when you least expect it that you'll find
the nicest example. Thats how I bought the last 4.
Edited by BM Fan
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Martin
In BMW exile at the moment (Shame on me for lurking!!!)
Previous Models
2001 E39 520i Auto
1996 E36 M3 Evo Individual
1996 E36 328i Coupe
1997 E36 318i Conv
1992 E36 316i Sln
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Dergside
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 16-May-2004
Location: Mid West, Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 4000
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Posted: 30-March-2005 at 15:46 |
[QUOTE=PaulB]But i would rather by in ireland if it was nct'd./QUOTE]
If its not NCT'd, walk away! Ideally anything you buy should have at least a year of NCT left. If its got less than that you should be looking for detailed information about the servicing work since the last NCT, by whom, what, how much, etc. and you should see the invoices.
If its a UK car, an MOT isn't quite as stringent in some respects as an NCT, but it its pretty close. A recent or new MOT should protect you from most nasty surprises at the NCT.
A UK seller will often agree to get a new MOT on a car as part of a deal. Its not like an NCT where they won't do it unless its within 3 months of expiring.
Out of 10 cars in the last dozen years or so, only 1 of mine has been an original Irish car (as it happens, my first BMW), most I have sourced myself from the UK. Its easier to trace the history of a UK car with HPI checks, more complete and fastidious service histories, generally less wear and tear, all other things being equal, etc.
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Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93.
Prev: e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci. e39 523i SE. e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE. e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i.
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BM Fan
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 19-January-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1054
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Posted: 30-March-2005 at 16:06 |
@Dergside - whats the story with checking from the North. I
looked at a Teranno for my bro - ran the HPI check and it came up as
having the plates belonging to a Suzuki.
Phoned HPI as the guy selling it swore blind all was OK. HPI said
that they couldn't verify any info on an NI car unless it had some
history in the UK and only then would it be valid untill it was re
reg'd in the North and only show the UK info. Needless to say on
the Terrano - I steered well clear.
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Martin
In BMW exile at the moment (Shame on me for lurking!!!)
Previous Models
2001 E39 520i Auto
1996 E36 M3 Evo Individual
1996 E36 328i Coupe
1997 E36 318i Conv
1992 E36 316i Sln
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Dergside
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 16-May-2004
Location: Mid West, Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 4000
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Posted: 30-March-2005 at 17:39 |
Not sure Martin. Personally I've tended to steer clear of buying in the north. No real reason, just don't feel as comfortable about it, too many middlemen for there to be value and things like service histories have a tendency to get lost as cars come through the north from the UK.
Before anyone takes offence, I realize that this is huge and vague generalization and there are loads of people that have bought successfully and well there. For me, its as easy to get to the UK as the north.
I'm open to correction on the question of HPI and NI, but suggest the following. HPI have access to the DVLA database at Swansea, but registration administration for NI is handled by DVLNI and they may not have access to that database.
btw, HPI will pick up on personalized reg changes on cars. My 325i carried a personalized plate for a number of years and its recorded on the report. Up to about 10 years ago this wasn't the case and personalized plates were a commonly used way of making a car "disappear" as far as HPI records were concerned.
Edited by Dergside
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Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93.
Prev: e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci. e39 523i SE. e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE. e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i.
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Fey!
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Funs over, Scotty; beam down my clothes!
Joined: 28-February-2005
Location: Galway
Status: Offline
Points: 4161
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Posted: 31-March-2005 at 05:29 |
BM Fan wrote:
I looked at a Teranno for my bro |
What does he need the Terrano for? And is he looking for one of them specifically?
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BM Fan
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 19-January-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1054
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Posted: 01-April-2005 at 12:21 |
Fey - hes a chippy / cabinet maker and part time farmer. I traded in my wellies for the yuppy BMW city life.
Hed des kitchens / wardrobes /building etc so was looking for a commercial jeep for tools and towing the trailer.
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Martin
In BMW exile at the moment (Shame on me for lurking!!!)
Previous Models
2001 E39 520i Auto
1996 E36 M3 Evo Individual
1996 E36 328i Coupe
1997 E36 318i Conv
1992 E36 316i Sln
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Fey!
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Funs over, Scotty; beam down my clothes!
Joined: 28-February-2005
Location: Galway
Status: Offline
Points: 4161
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Posted: 02-April-2005 at 05:03 |
Does he need commercial? If not, give me a shout; I know where there's a good freelander.
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Robbie Bradford
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 16-July-2004
Location: Co. Laois, Ireland.
Status: Offline
Points: 2124
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Posted: 02-April-2005 at 07:29 |
Fey! wrote:
Does he need commercial? If not, give me a shout; I know where there's a good freelander.
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.........a good Freelander, did'nt know you could use those words in the same sentence
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Mac
Senior Member II
Joined: 15-October-2003
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 200
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Posted: 02-April-2005 at 07:45 |
Hi guys,
With regard to HPI Checks on Northern cars, I'd say Mr Dergside is right with that guess, i rang about getting the history of a northern car checked and they said that they could only do Mainland UK Registrations.
I'd personnally prefer to go to the Uk as I'd say the better cars are there. Not trying to tar everyone with the same brush, but I get the impression that our northern neighbours tend to drive hard..
Coming down from the north last year, it was all I could do to stick to 70 Mph on the new motorway, I was being left for dead by vectras etc, etc all with northern regs.
Mac
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Fey!
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Funs over, Scotty; beam down my clothes!
Joined: 28-February-2005
Location: Galway
Status: Offline
Points: 4161
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Posted: 02-April-2005 at 11:06 |
Robbie Bradford wrote:
.........a good Freelander, did'nt know you could use those words in the same sentence
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Biggest problem with them is that you have to check coolant levels every 2 weeks and keep topping it up with water. Otherwise, not too bad; a bit noisy after driving a Beemer though (not that I'd know at the moment!!!)
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stuartbyrne
Newbie
Joined: 22-February-2005
Location: dublin / northside
Status: Offline
Points: 12
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Posted: 03-April-2005 at 15:44 |
try and keep it in the 316 or 318i as the insurance shoots up when you hit the 320i or higher because of the six cylinders
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kbannon
Admin Group
E39 525i Sport Individual
Joined: 09-October-2002
Location: 64 Zoo Lane
Status: Offline
Points: 15508
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Posted: 03-April-2005 at 16:10 |
When I got my 1989 E30 320i I was told that it was going to be more to insure than a 1993 318is despite the fact that the E36 has more bhp and was worth slightly more!
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Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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Beemerboy
Senior Member II
Joined: 28-March-2005
Location: Cork Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 201
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Posted: 03-April-2005 at 16:47 |
when I bought my E36 320i, I was told that it would cost the same to insure as a 316i or a 318i, that they were all considered "high performance vehicles". A year and a half later I couldn't even get a quote for a 323i, while a 325i could be insured for €100 more than the 320i,another year on and the quote for the 323i was €800 more than the 320i.It's crazy ,what we put up with!
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BM Fan
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 19-January-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1054
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Posted: 03-April-2005 at 17:24 |
Who are you telling - my current prominent insurer wants to increase
my fully comp from 1300 on the 328 to 3000 for the M3 while I have
another quote from another company for 1300 for the M3 - go figure.
Edited by BM Fan
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Martin
In BMW exile at the moment (Shame on me for lurking!!!)
Previous Models
2001 E39 520i Auto
1996 E36 M3 Evo Individual
1996 E36 328i Coupe
1997 E36 318i Conv
1992 E36 316i Sln
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Fey!
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Funs over, Scotty; beam down my clothes!
Joined: 28-February-2005
Location: Galway
Status: Offline
Points: 4161
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Posted: 04-April-2005 at 06:24 |
For the M3, try a company in Dubln called St Pauls; they deal in high performance and high risk. They quoted me for a Vitesse a couple of years ago and came in a lot cheaper than anyone else.
I just shelled out €850 to FBD for insuring my 520; I'm 29 with 7 years NCB and a full license for 11 years; no points or endorsements (I wasn't even asked about them!).
Edited by Fey!
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mikerd4
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-November-2004
Location: Dublin
Status: Offline
Points: 1105
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Posted: 04-April-2005 at 06:59 |
insurance varies and its not the price you pay but how they deal with you when you try to claim, cheapest is not always best as I have found out to my detriment in the past. Find a good insurer and stick with them, if they are good they will at least match better quotes when it comes to renewals!
I got prices on a 318 coupe last year and it was only 40€ more than my 1.4 polo but the 323 was 600€ more (they also quoted me one price on the friday and dropped it by over 600€ when I rang up to pay on the monday). All depends what you are willing to pay I guess
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All about the sounds:-
Source:-Alpine 9833R Comps:-Phoenix Gold Ti6 Elites, Sub:- 2 x Focal Polyglass V2, Amps:- Arc Audio XK4150 & Soundstream Van Gogh All in a custom boot build
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BM Fan
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 19-January-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 1054
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Posted: 04-April-2005 at 15:31 |
Paul - Just some more useless info but this is the results at the Merlin Auction in March
Year Make/Model Features Grade Price CC Miles Owners Fuel Colour
1997 BMW 316i 1.6 4 Dr AB AC CL EW PS SR NG €4,600 1596 116,000 5 Unleaded White
1996 BMW 316i 1.6 4 Dr ABS CL EM PS SR 1ST GEAR NEEDS ATTN NCT 01/07 NG €3,600 1596 107,500 4 Unleaded Black
1993 BMW 318 1.8 IS Coupe ABS AW CL EM EW LTHR PS SPLR SR NG €2,650 1796 106,000 3 Unleaded Black
1996 BMW 318i 1.8 4 Dr AW CL EM EW SR NCT 05/05 NG €4,200 1796 102,000 3 Unleaded Silver
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Martin
In BMW exile at the moment (Shame on me for lurking!!!)
Previous Models
2001 E39 520i Auto
1996 E36 M3 Evo Individual
1996 E36 328i Coupe
1997 E36 318i Conv
1992 E36 316i Sln
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