Anyone want a ZCP E90 M3 in Melbourne Red Metallic?

"E90M3" (e90m3) 02/12/2020 at 09:25 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping with E90M3

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If so I’ve found one. This 2011 E90 M3 comes resplendent in Melbourne Red Metallic over black and grey Novillo leather.

Before we go any further, this car has both the correct mirrors and interior.

It also comes with the correct transmission.

Car looks to be in fairly nice shape, at only $22.5k your bank account wouldn’t be in terrible shape either.

What’s slightly worrying is the fact that the car has a Michigan plate, despite being located in Charlotte NC, although the matching Michigan number might help quell any worries.

What is more worrying is the fact the car has a lien on it.

With no VIN listed, there’s no way to run a vehicle history report. It really does look clean, so if you’re looking for an E90 M3 with a ZCP and a 6MT, this might be the car for you. 

Sovande > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:35

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What’s wrong with a car with a lien on it?

And what’s up with the interior ? I understand normal BMW’s are bland as can be, but going full ugly isn’t the answer .

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:39

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Suspiciously low price + lein + no listed VIN = ...usually.

I’m being a little hard on it though, t he listing itself doesn’t look too bad. A lot of the ticking time bombs look to be taken care of and the miles are high which explain the price.

As long as this guy ponies up the VIN and maintenance docs when asked this could be a pretty great deal on a daily  M3.

E90M3 > Sovande 02/12/2020 at 09:40

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9 year old car with 132k and a lien on it? I’m going to be a little lee ry.

It was an option on some of the M cars, like you could get on the E39 M5.

Might not be everyone’s cup of tea though.

Notchback88 > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:41

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Ya’ll are making me consider E90 M3s heavily for my next car.

Concerns with this one:
“Enthusiast owned” read: ragged on
Took 86k to change the tires? Uh-huh.

Lastly, stock rod bearings. At 123k, they’ve opted not to do that as preventative maintenance, leaving the car a ticking time bomb.

If I were to buy this, I’d have #2-4k saved extra to get the rod bearings done, or a week off to do it myself. 

E90M3 > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back 02/12/2020 at 09:43

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The lien and no listed VIN, plus the mention of an accident aren’t great. That said, it’s priced right for the mileage, assuming it’s not hiding something.

If you were looking for one, if you can do your due diligence , could be prefect DD.

E90M3 > Notchback88 02/12/2020 at 09:46

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86k you mean the brakes?

There’s still plenty of debate on the internet  whether or not you need to change them, but at 123k I’d want them changed. I’ve got just under 49k on mine, not sure when I’m going to do them. 

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:50

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I’m sure the M3 is better performance overall, but it’s tough to go there when for basically the same money one can get a used 2018 GTI with only 10k miles instead of 130k miles, still under warranty, and have a lot of fun.

Not that I’d pick this one in particular, but for example:

https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/d/charlotte-2018-golf-gti-white-silver-6m/7067407285.html

You know what, never mind, clearly the BMW is a better sporting car. It’s just not as new (in terms of wear and features) for still a large-ish amount of money.

I almost deleted this comment  as I realize that I’m stating the obvious, but, whatever, here it is for everyone to pick apart.

Sovande > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:54

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Oh wow, so there was an even worse version.  Golly.  That’s tough to look at.

B_dol > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 09:56

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Woah baby high miles and overdue for rod bearings. Price is aggressive but I would love to hand over my E91 dad wagon for an M3 sedan. 

E90M3 > B_dol 02/12/2020 at 09:58

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Think DavesAddiction is still on his original rod bearings at similar miles. However, use that to negotiate , then have them done and get some nice peace of mind.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 10:03

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Not a fan of the wood trim, but that car is going to make someone very, very happy.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 10:03

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Yup. 125k - original RBs, TAs & clutch.

B_dol > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 10:06

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A bird in hand for a potential time bomb hmm ! The N52 E91 (MT) is a tank that will last me to 200K+ miles with limited investment.

This is a great spec though (no sunroof!). If I did not have another S54 time bomb in my garage I would be fervently on the hunt for a v ery similar car.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 02/12/2020 at 10:11

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The GTI is the safer, maybe smarter choice.

The M3 will be much happier at a track, and it won’t depreciate far from here. An E90 ZCP manual is a very rare car (just over a thousand, I think?).

The engine in these things is one of the all-time greats. It’s the last BMW with an NA V8, hydraulic steering and a manual transmission.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g30432214/favorite-cars-of-the-decade/?slide=1

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 10:12

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https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g30432214/favorite-cars-of-the-decade/?slide=1

Been positively itching to drive my car, but it’s been cold and wet for the past couple weeks. Ugh.

B_dol > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 02/12/2020 at 10:15

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We have both a 16' GTI and E9X BMW - such different personalities! I agree that appetite for maintenance and running costs are very important.

Financially a 100K+ BMW is a purchase best made understanding the need for regular maintenance and a trusted indy or DIY capable space.

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/12/2020 at 10:33

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It snowed here last Saturday , so mine remained in my garage. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 10:34

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We had snow on Wednesday, and rain and more rain since...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > B_dol 02/12/2020 at 10:36

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The purchase price is just part of being able to afford an old German car - ha!

facw > Sovande 02/12/2020 at 10:48

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I like the blue better than the gray, but I can’t help but feel that both would look substantially better if they were just black.

Sovande > facw 02/12/2020 at 10:55

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It's like the horrible cream inserts in my old C30. Whoever thought that was a good look was on glue. 

Tripper > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 11:11

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I almost had a red one, it sold when I was on the way to see it. There is an Atacama Yellow one out there somewhere. Normally I’m not a big fan of yellow on 4 door cars, but this is good.

E90M3 > Tripper 02/12/2020 at 11:13

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I think I’ve seen that one on insta, I think it’s in ATL. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Tripper 02/12/2020 at 11:15

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I would absolutely drive that. 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 11:16

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thsts a lot of miles .

Sakiv1087 > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 12:19

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Or... You could spend a little more and get this:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=543832651&zip=90803&makeCode1=BMW&modelCode1=M3

Sakiv1087 > Sovande 02/12/2020 at 12:25

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I agree- my 2010 M3 bought two weeks ago has a lien on it because financing through my credit union was 1.99%. As in, why would I not use their money instead of my cash? “omg a lien! What a big red flag!” Everyone relax.

Saracen > Tripper 02/12/2020 at 12:40

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wow, that’s a RARE color for an M3!

Saracen > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 12:42

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My perfect E90 M3 doesn’t exist, because it’s impossible to get a Competition in Sparkling Graphite.

Tripper > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/12/2020 at 13:57

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Same on My 92k E46 M3. Minus 1 TA

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tripper 02/12/2020 at 13:58

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[knocks wood]

Tripper > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/12/2020 at 14:10

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[ knocks wood in response ]

Notchback88 > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 14:22

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Tires are listed at 86k and 123k.

I’m seriously considering an E90 M3 after some comments around here and some research. But I haven’t found data on failure rate on the rod bearings, or at average mileage. (Doubt BMW has put it out.)

I tend to believe in replacing something early over risking it dying when I need it. Given it’s a risk to the motor as a whole, I’d probably get it done within the first few months of buying one.

But that risk is also why I’m not considering a lightly used RX-8. Those apex seals will  go and it’s even more work to fix those. 

E90M3 > Notchback88 02/12/2020 at 14:47

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I didn’t see that. It depends on what tires he has one and which axle they’re on. The front tires did 15k before they got put on my 328i and are still going strong at over 35k . I squeezed 21k out of the PS2's on the back. That was push ing it.

There still doesn’t seem to be a consensus on what’s causing the failures and when. I believe it’s a combination of the heavy oil, tight tolerances, and people not warming the car up enough before getting deep in the rev range. I don’t DD mine and only take it out when I know I’ll have time to fully warm up the engine. Throttle position actuators are also an issue , but they’re a non-fatal failure, more just a pain in the ass. 

Notchback88 > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 15:06

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Ahhh, I see. We have a similar issue with Focus STs with Low Speed Pre-Ignition -the theory to prevent it Don’t lug the motor and slam down the throttle.

Several have blown the motor/turbo because of going WOT when the engine oil temp hasn’t gotten to operating temp as well. So if I go to an E90 I’ll probably bring those habits with me.

Sakiv1087 > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 16:33

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How do I get my comments un-grayed

SmugAardvark > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 18:08

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It also has 132k miles,  w hich seems like a lot for a $22,500 car. To me, at least.

E90M3 > SmugAardvark 02/12/2020 at 21:25

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It’s hard to price these cars when they get up to those miles. It seems 14k is about the bottom of the market for a 2008 with 150k+ miles. So this might seems a little expensive, but the market will tell us it’s true value, which I think is pretty close to 22.5k. 

E90M3 > Sakiv1087 02/12/2020 at 21:25

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You need to ask for authorship. 

E90M3 > Sakiv1087 02/12/2020 at 21:35

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I think that’s missing the point of the E9X M3, which is the high revving N/A V8. If you want to go fast, spend just a little more and get an F10 M5 .

SmugAardvark > E90M3 02/12/2020 at 21:38

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When it comes to cars these days, it seems a lot of things are excessively priced. So it might very well be worth $22k+ to someone, as it is a desir able car.

Danny Korecki > E90M3 02/13/2020 at 00:42

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Melbourne Red Metallic E9X M3s are the best.

Ask me how I know....

Mercedes Streeter > Sakiv1087 02/17/2020 at 17:06

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I gave you a comment follow so your comments should be black from here on out . Welcome to Oppositelock!! :) However, as I’m not a mod I cannot grant you the ability to write your own posts. For that, ask a mod for authorship.