I make questionable choices.

"Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!" (eurylokhos)
09/30/2018 at 20:49 • Filed to: None

Today started off badly. Plumbing issues led to renting a huge power auger and cleaning out my sewer line. After finishing up, I was sitting in line waiting for a coffee and saw that I had a Facebook alert. I have a habit of looking at sub $2k cars on FB marketplace, and they know their audience.

What do I see but a 2002 E46 325XI Touring with 212k miles and 5 Speed manual for...

$500!

Description has the standard stuff, needs a few tings, runs and drives, has been a daily driver for last 9 years until this last Wednesday. In a desperate attempt to improve my mood, I send him a message that I’ll come get it. I never expected to hear back. Amazingly enough, I did, and went down and bought the car.

It’s got needs.

It’s got some needs. It drove home fine, runs perfectly, smooth and steady at 80mph, no weird noises, shifts well, cruise control works. Clutch is good, the PO did maintain it over the 9 years he had it. So what’s the list?

Battery is dead. Needs jump everytime. It’s the original.

Tires are junk

VERY dirty inside, smells like smoke, cigar butt in ashtray

Windshield cracked

One CV boot torn (axle is fine)

Thermostat is stuck open

AC doesn’t blow cold

Driver window regulator on the way out

Various spots of body rust, none are rusted through.

What’s the plan, Stan?

So what should I do? First, this is a unicorn car for me. My favorite generation of 3, favorite body style, favorite transmission. I have 0 need for another car though. I’m more than capable of fixing everything myself. I have a 4 car garage, and this makes 4 cars, so storage isn’t an issue.

First instinct is to clean it, it’s full of trash and grime, and do a quick flip, doubling my money or more. I’m confident I could get $1000-$1300 as it sits if it was cleaned. However, it IS something that really speaks to me, and I love a good project.

Biggest issue I see is the rust in a few spots around the windshield frame. It’s not rusted through, mainly just some bubbles here and there with a few slightly worse. It also needs that windshield, so the 2 kinda go hand in hand. I could have Safelite come out and pull the windshield, then spend a couple weeks fixing the rust, then have them come out and put a new one in. The price is $229 for a replacement, so it’d total a bit more than that to have them make 2 trips, but if I keep it around I’m not going to live with that rust.

It does have those nice ZHP 18" wheels on it too. Those are worth some money. There are a bunch of sets of snow tires on CL on stock BMW wheels that I can pick up for between $250-$400, and Winter is coming, John Snow. This thing would be a winter beast on good tires and I bet I could sell the wheels on it for as much as I spent on the whole car. That’s not even counting the factory roof rack on it, that’s got to be worth money.

I feel like I’d enjoy having it, and at $500 investment, there is no way to come out behind if I bail on it now, or even if I put another $500 or so into it, which is exactly what it’d cost me for the parts to do everything it needs aside from tires. Making it harder is that I have the world’s most permissive wife, and she’s told me to keep it. I just don’t have any need for it with my Outback and 996 also in the stable.

I dunno. I’m definitely going to clean it up, do the battery and window regulator and see where I’m at. Maybe put it up for sale at that point and see what bites I get, or maybe offer it up for trade and see if I could score a 4Runner, which is why I’ve been clicking on the cheap car ads on FB and CL.

One thing is certain. I’m either very brave, or very stupid.

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DISCUSSION (16)

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:22

Lol, do you have a significant other and if so, what was their opinion on it?

Kim Jong - Healthy > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:24

great find! definitely a keeper, you never see these on the round.

as a fellow beamer wagon owner from those years, I would say to check the subframe bushings and control arms.

before I got my e39 I checked out numerous e39/e46 tourings and every time these were two common problems, like all e39/e46 in general.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:30

Oppo-approved! That sounds like a steal of a deal as long as there is nothing MAJOR major wrong with it.

Maybe get a shop to look at it first before you sink anything extra into it in case there is something lurking that you missed?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:31

I approve of this purchase. For $500 you honestly can’t go wrong, even at BMW parts prices.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
09/30/2018 at 21:37

I said I was going to clean it and put it back for sale with a new battery and my wife told me to keep it. Best wife ever.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:38

Super jealous. I’ve been looking for an E46 steal and it hasn’t come across my plate yet.

Good luck, the only thing I don’t like to tackle is rust (I’m just not good at it). Let us know how it progresses.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:43

How many cars total?

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:46

I’d say keep it. You said it yourself, it’s a unicorn car for you. You have the space and your wife approves, so I see no reason why you should flip it, at least right away. Clean it up, fix the biggest issues, and enjoy it for a little bit.

CompactLuxuryFan > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
09/30/2018 at 21:47

Wow! What a looker with the LCI. Those wheels look awesome! Can’t believe $500 gets you so much E46 right now! Time to 1) cry about how much I can get for my B7 A4 Avant, probably and 2) go E46 shopping!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
10/01/2018 at 05:23

i’d go with fixer up and keep for winter... and if after winter you still want to flip it , flip it

if by then you dont want to flip it anymore keep it and start really hurting your wallet as it must be love :p

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/01/2018 at 08:35

4 now. My DD Outback, Porsche 996, Odyssey, and now this. Which exactl y matches the number of spaces in my garage, assuming I clean out the 4th one.

Her only rule is that I not start parking things on the lawn. I have serious redneck tendencies, so that rule is necessary.

dannyzabolotny > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
10/02/2018 at 03:36

Sell the Outback, keep the E46 touring. Simple. Of course I’m biased, in the sense that I would never drive anything that wasn’t a BMW.

dannyzabolotny > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
10/02/2018 at 03:38

I’m already past that... I’ve got two BMW parts cars in the backyard (E39 540i/6 and E39 540it) and an E36 M3 in the front yard. Along with an E39 540it and an E34 525it/5 in the driveway. At one point I had 3 non-running cars in my front yard, and like 5 in the backyard. I am every neighborhood’s worst nightmare. So glad there’s no HOA where I live.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > dannyzabolotny
10/02/2018 at 06:52

My wife is my only HOA.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > dannyzabolotny
10/02/2018 at 06:53

Eh, the Outback is a leased 2018, it’s not going anywhere. I have the kind of job that requires me to be there in any weather no matter what, the Outback is ideal.

NojustNo > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
10/02/2018 at 19:53

not bad at all! I’m looking at a similar vintage 330i right now at a dealer for 2400. Manual sedan with sport package, m body kit and 180k. It may replace my recently purchased g35 automatic. They are getting the seat motor r eplaced on the driver side and then I can test drive it. I’ve never actually driven this new a BMW before so it should be interesting to see how I like it. Stay tuned!