Impulse Buy for Track Car - BMW 330i 2001 Manual - NPOCP

"ciscokidinsf" (ciscokidinsf) 09/17/2019 at 11:05 • Filed to: BMW e46 NPOCP, e46, track car

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Like the stupid idiot I am, I’ve been filling my brain with fantasies of buying a beater car to take to the track (The TT-RS is AWD so I wanted a RWD ) so I’ve been looking at the usual suspects: S2000, Miatas, salvaged FR-Ss, BMW 300ci even 500 Abarths... then this BMW popped up in CL and my stupid brain would not let it go. 2001 330i Manual complete. Has a wrapped hood on cheap ‘carbon fiber’ vinyl that bugs me. But the rest of the body is clean. I like the color. Engine looks healthy and oil was g ood. Although it was running on water, not coolant. (?) I did check for signs of glass water or whatever but none were found. It has the M sports package and the winter weather package .

Carfax says NO ACCIDENTS amongst the last 7 owners. Clean title. AC works but fan is weak sauce. No overheating, no CELs. Was already registered for a whole year. Also the airbag recall was done, so the steering wheel looks almost new. M-style knob and short shifter with the 5 speed.

So.... I got it for $2500... Made it the 40 miles commute back home so I was elated . Clutch feels good but looser than I like . Shifted well in all gears. Problems are: the digital reader has switched to KM and has stopped counting , the trip odometer works though. B ut should have 157 K-165K miles extrapolating the Carfax . Maybe the Odo/cluster computer is bad as the title didnt have a declared mileage? Mixture of good and about to replace   tires. The window tinting needs to be removed ASAP . But so far, so good. Clutch made a test drive in Hilly San Francisco.... it survived.   So, what do you say Fam? Am I an Idiot? Or at least an Idiot that got lucky on the deal? Ad below in case is gone.

It is at the local mechanic getting some fluids changed and the car inspected. next will be new brakes, tires and clutch for the track. Probably another $1,2 00 to spend before we are all ready.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 11:38

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Impulse buy? Why not an IMPULSE? After all it was “Tuned By Lotus” and “Ignored by America”...

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 11:39

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Excellent buy on the 330i BTW.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 11:48

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For the money it sounds like a good buy. Did you get any records? I would refresh the cooling system ASAP if you don’t know if/when it was done last. Doing that on my 330ci this coming weekend. Tons of DIY instructions out there, so as long as it’s not your commuter and you can work on it yourself it’ll be pretty cheap to keep running.

CompactLuxuryFan > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 12:00

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Nice! E46s are sweet on the road and I’m guessing very fun on the track. Great buy!

ciscokidinsf > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 09/17/2019 at 12:03

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Um... Coz I already have one? (Braggart Alert ) That’s my  87 Isuzu Impulse Turbo RS at SF Radwood.

ihm96 > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 12:05

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You’re smart. Those engines are pretty bulletproof. I have the m52tu which is the earlier iteration of your engine and its at 166 and still takes a constant beating with no issues. Most of the stuff you have to watch out for is fairly easy to replace on these cars if you have some okay wrenching skills.

M.T. Blake > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 12:08

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Time to go spec E46 racing!

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 12:16

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Heh. I stand corrected. That’s incredible.

They were pretty awesome, if somewhat unappreciated. Hell, StarFleet kept a few around— with back up beepers.

BeaterGT > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 12:33

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This is the epitome of an Oppo reply .

ciscokidinsf > ciscokidinsf 09/17/2019 at 22:52

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Day Two Update:

Fluids all changed. NO LEAKS. Butt warmers work!

Brake Pads are recent, but the Rotors are in their last mission.

Passenger side rear window not working (but in closed position, so OK) probably needs a regulator

AC not sure what the hell is going on. No Fan, but I do hear the compressor and AC clutch. Maybe just an AC charge?

Removed the horribly spoiled tint. OMG - looks so clean now

Button in stalk unoperable. Doesnt change the digital display, stuck in KM

Mechanic says clutch is fine. Dont break shit that aint broken. But yes recommends for the track a decent braking kit.

See some minor rust issues. Car in the lift looked ok. No immediate issues. But it has spend time in Cali and Illinois!

Bit of a burned out plastic cover for the passenger rear view mirror. Also some crude repainting of the front bumper. But at least matches the color. hmmm. but engine parts and bay show no sign of uglyness.

Will keep the ugly- as- hell ‘hood’ carbon fiber cheesy vinyl hood cover. who knows what demons may be under? Let them be.  This one doesnt have to be perfect.