Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum

There will be plenty of different models to choose from in the 7K region. I suppose you are limited to a 316i concerning insurance but that should'nt put you off. My first BMW was a 316I compact five years ago, i chose that model to get on the ladder as the compact is the cheapest to insure. I'd imagine you'd be able to pick up a nicely specced E36 saloon with reasonable mileage for that money. Take your time, have a look in Auto trader and the like, get some quotes from insurers for different models and once you've that done, go and test drive some of the classifieds. Don't buy the first one you drive, i know its hard but try to drive as many as possible before commiting as you'll soon tell the difference between an abused example and something that has been used run to the shops and no more!

A 316i that has been regularly serviced and maintained reasonably well should be bulletproof, wait for the right example and you won't be sorry. Happy hunting dude

Paul

Welcome.  The budget you are suggesting should put you in to a VERY nice car, but the key is to be very discerning and discard anything less than a mint car, even if it means going a little older.  At this stage I'd recommend sticking to the e36 for the simple reason that nice e30's are getting very hard to find, rust especially being an issue.

If you look hard enough, or can do some homework and source from the UK, you can find low mileage cars with low number of owners and a complete history well within your budget.  If you find this type of car, it will last for years and while some aspects of running costs and servicing are a little higher, the quality of the underlying car should mean that fewer things will go wrong and need replacing. 

The service history doesn't have to be main dealer (I personally consider it an advantage, but there is plenty of debate about the merits of main dealer versus specialist maintenance on the forums here), but if its not, then you need to be sure that the person that has done the maintenance is considered a BMW specialist.

What's the E34 like to insure for a young lad? A tidy 518 might be the way to go.

I recall a few years ago when considering a 325, that a 735 was cheaper to insure - all about perceived risk.

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum,

If you have to go for a 1.6 then I'd agree with Dergside and get the very best e36 you can get your hands on, as good e30s are getting thin on the ground.

Get the Buy and Sell every time it comes out so you can spot the new ads and keep an eye on the autotrader.ie and autotrader.co.uk websites. I also wouldn't touch it without a full service history, prefereably main dealer too.

To give you an idea of what's about I know of a guy who just sold a 97 saloon in great condition with 81k on the clock for €6,500.

Best of luck and enjoy

John

Welcome to the forum, Paul.

I bought my first BMW less than a month ago, and wouldn't consider going back to anything less!  However, as Robbie said, drive plenty and get a feel for good and bad.  If you have a good mechanic you trust, try and bring him along if you see one you really like.  And watch for the service history; I didn't get one on mine and can't source it now.

Another place you could look is http://www.carzone.ie - www.carzone.ie .  Digweed and myself both found our cars on it.  Here's a starting point http://motornet.webzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=214269 - http://motornet.webzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car &carID=214269 .  With this ad I'd be wary; it says it's a customers car, but the garage may just be afraid to warranty it (I used to sell cars in a former life, but I renounced my sins and returned to the world of selling antiques!) Good luck.

BTW, if you have any niggly doubts about the car, ask on here.  You'll find people always willing to express and opinion, and occasionally someone may know the car!

They're not quick, but neither is a 316. But they're not that slow. You have to drive some example to decide for yourself.

Looking at the link to the '96 518; nice spec but way overpriced. You could pick up a similar mileage, similar condition '93 car for around 2 grand. It likely won't have the leather, but that's not a huge loss. My own opinion is that, with a car over around 5 years old, you buy on condition, not age. (My own daily driver is 18 years old and doesn't miss a beat.)

llatsni wrote: hmmm a 518, my initial reaction would be negative because of the power to weight, but this looks interesting: http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=205800 - http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car& carID=205800

That looks nice, and the mileage isn't daft!

E36 318is coupe You'll have 143bhp. Class car to start with.  I had one for two years and loved it. Was sorry to see her go. For some reason the insurance was the same as a standard 318i 4 door.

I presume it's because it's the same cc. I didn't ask the question at the time in case they changed their minds. Just make sure you ask them to send you a quote in writing before you buy the car.

B.

I would advise you not to strech your budget for the purchase, just get the best you can afford and still have some money left in case of trouble.

If you half a working brain, BMW are probably the easiest car to work on. Get a Bentley manual for €30 and save yourself hundres by doing basic (fluid changes, brakes) stuff yourself and only leave the big stuff to the dealer.

Buy a Toyota.

Howdy Paul, & welcome to the club.

While they are well built in terms of solidity, lack of rattles after big miles etc.., whoever says BMWs are reliable is lying. But its the same stuff that goes wrong with most of them, so once you know what you're looking for, you're away on a hack.

Things like the cooling system going AWOL is common. This is due to either the fan clutch going (around €60 to replace), or the plastic impellers in their water pumps failing and blocking a vital waterway (BMW replacement water pumps have steel impellers, yet to the best of my knowledge they still fit plastic ones to new cars). Usually either of these, if not spotted & corrected, causes the car to overheat, resulting in a failed head gasket which is another common problem. Look out for the telltale smoke from the exhaust (white for water mixing, grey for oil), and have a look in the radiator expansion tank to see if it's milky (oil & water mixing somewhere)

Suspension makes or breaks the drive of a BMW. Bushes wear out quite commonly and the whole drive is lousy as a consequence. While most bushes for the 3 are reasonable, even from BMW direct, there are a few of them in there. Ones like the subframe mounts can be a pain & require you to make up a tool to extract them. So ensure it drives free from slop. Soft is fine, but slop is bad. As was mentioned, drive as many as you can to get an idea of what's good & bad.

1.6 & 1.8s can get a bit tappety - this will require a new cam, followers, and guides. So make sure anything you look at doesn't sound like it has had percussion fitted as an optional extra. Diligent oil changes by its previous owners do alot to prevent this.

Happy hunting!

kevin_1990_316i wrote: . A purchase from a garage will give you some extra assurance as there will be a guarantee, but at a cost.

I agree with that; if you buy privately and find a problem in your first 3 months, you have no comeback.  A garage legally has to give you a 3 month warranty.  They usually state engine and gearbox only, but I'm getting my clutch and snag list done after a month.  Some garages attempt a "trade sale", stating that they won't warranty it but you're getting the car cheaper, or use the line "it belongs to a customer, so we won't cover it"; this is an illegal practice; if it comes of a forecourt to a private individual, it comes with a warranty. If it's one of their customers, they will have been servicing it, so they should be happy to back up their own work.  There is also the option of buying a 12 month warranty; it used to cost ir£350 but only if you bought of a garage.  I'm not sure how you go about it these days, though.  Ask someone in the trade; they should be able to help you.

If I've gotten this all wrong, please feel free to correct.

Welcome to the Club Paul......

Happy hunting!

Paul

Back to your main needs, dependability and running costs.  A 316i will suffice, you can grow in to the iS, etc. later.  There has been lots of good advice and TJ covered a lot of points of use. 

My own opinion is that buying privately is a better option because a larger % of the purchase price from a dealer at this price level is margin.  Buy sensibly and you'll more than compensate for the risk of not having a waranty that a dealer would offer. 

The key is that you need to have a very clear and detailed history available and the most comprehensive check possible done before buying, if you haven't enough experience, bring someone that has.  If the service history has disappeared or there have been a large number of owners that has clouded how much the seller knows about the car, walk away. 

As has been mentioned here already, buy firstly on condition and history rather than age.

Welcome to the gang PaulB its also a know secret that if you change the head of a 316 with the head of a 318 you get to increase your engine size etc I can find out more but the 316 & 318 are the same engine except for the head and you cannot tell the difference.

I stand corrected but I was told this a while back by a BMW mechanic. BMW are also aware of this but don't go about announcing it

Topazman   

I can make enquiries tomorrow if possible and will get back to you llatsni (install)

Topazman

Here's an example from the UK Autotrader website.  Its an auto, but its more to illustrate the point.  €4k would have that on the road with VRT paid.

Tel: 0796 3282952

Email:  Email Advertiser

Price:  £2,350 ono.

thanks guys, anybody there voluteer to come look at cars with me in the future if needed?

I was thinking very much about shopping in the UK and bringing it over as i did with a mini before. Works out inexpensive for the car. But i would rather by in ireland if it was nct'd.

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. 

[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.

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.

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?

Does he need commercial?  If not, give me a shout; I know where there's a good freelander.

Fey! wrote: Does he need commercial?  If not, give me a shout; I know where there's a good freelander.

.........a good Freelander, did'nt know you could use those words in the same sentence

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

Robbie Bradford wrote: .........a good Freelander, did'nt know you could use those words in the same sentence

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!!!)

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 

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!

 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!

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!).

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