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[GHG]

Speaking of BMW's...

I went to sell my x6 yesterday, something I've been planning for a while to raise funds for my business startup. Got to the dealer who I agreed to sell to, everything was all good as I'd had the car cleaned up last week in preparation for this - had a look at the car, ran some checks, took it for test drive, said it was one of the best examples he'd seen for the age and mileage, and said he was going to give me what he previously quoted me for it which I was happy with. I was all like "yeh I've taken really good care of it, it's been a good car, blah blah blah"... Famous last words.

We get back to the dealership, get out the car and there is white smoke coming out of the exhausts. He looks at me and says "that could be a problem". No shit...! The valve seals are gone (it's an expensive job on these v8's as it means the engine needs to come out). His valuation of the car then went right down and the deal is off. So I take the car away with a problem that I need to solve before I can get rid of it or I'll end up with a shit price for it. The drive home was a difficult one as I hold back the urge to punch the car or drive it into a wall. I think everyone around me felt the wrath of my road rage, living up to the BMW driver stereotype.

I think my car is trying to tell me something. What timing huh?

Spoiler

If you're thinking about getting a BMW out of warranty... Don't fucking do it. Just don't do it. Turn 180 degrees and walk away. No, in fact, run away so that you don't even get a chance to potentially become attached to the car you are considering.

 

[SliChillax]

Why on earth pick Coventry in the first place?

It was a 3 hour direct flight away from Albania, my home country and it was a major advantage as it was the first time for me living by myself. I didn't know the city was this bad but the university itself has a great reputation for automotive design and it actually is very good, I just can't stand living in this shit hole for another 3 years. Being in the UK it's also in English so it was easy for me to pass all the necessary tests. I can't go to Germany or Italy because of the language.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

"Plan didn't work, had to drop engine"

So I never knew that I needed one, but now I need a professional steam cleaner. Just look at the difference.

And just in general, dude has some nice cars in his shop. My car's off on the lift just trying to pretend that it hangs out with 599s and SLRs all the time--like it ain't no thing.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Is that your 3.0 in blue back there?

It's saved in the blog backend if you dig through revisions. I'd rather not share it, since it's not my business to do so.

Of course, no worries.

 

[matmanx1]

Yep, that's the three liter all lost and alone out of its home.

I feel your pain. Hopefully it will be returned to you in tip top shape soon with many miles of happy motoring ahead.

I was mostly looking at the art center college of design at Pasadena and the academy of art in San Francisco. Leaning towards the one in Pasadena more. I'm just looking at the moment since I still need to research about the entry requirements etc. Considering I'm already an automotive design student in Coventry, it shouldn't be much of a problem and I don't mind starting the first year over again in Pasadena if I have to. It's already expensive here in Coventry and everything is shit. I pay around 21,000 pounds a year for uni and accommodation in Coventry plus food is very expensive and horrible. I don't mind the high costs as long as it's worth it. I regret coming here and I'm looking forward to moving somewhere else.

I don't know about Pasadena but I love San Francisco. I've been to Macworld there several times (don't laugh at me, I was paid to go through my work several years) and I loved the food and the scenery. I could walk around San Fran all day and not get remotely bored (and get lots of exercise from all of the hills!) although it is an expensive place to be.

Sorry if this question is too plebeian for this thread but there is a pretty clean, manual 2001 325i on cl for a $5000. Do these cars hold up, or do BMWs still turn into money pits?

Older BMW's are actually more reliable, as a general rule. This, of course, is dependent on how well they were maintained and there are always exceptions to the rule. The older ones have less electronics to fail and tend to be a little simpler which leads to greater lifespan. I definitely know of some 325i's that are still on the road and going strong around here where I work.

As with any BWM or older automobile, it would be a good idea to have it looked over by a mechanic before purchase and you definitely want as much service history on it as you can get. I could have saved myself a couple thousand dollars had I not been in such a hurry when I bought my 128i. Don't make the mistake I did.

Speaking of BMW's... (snip)

Spoiler

If you're thinking about getting a BMW out of warranty... Don't fucking do it. Just don't do it. Turn 180 degrees and walk away. No, in fact, run away so that you don't even get a chance to potentially become attached to the car you are considering.

My only consolation with my car is that it is relatively simple and the N52 engine isn't known for self destructing. Yeah, the oil leaks are a pain but I haven't had a single electrical problem (knock on wood) and I don't have any fancy 4 wheel drive, power equipment, nav or high tech sensors to fail. The best BMW is a simple one but yeah, I totally feel your pain. Nothing will break your heart faster than a car that you have loved totally letting you down to the tune of thousands of dollars in repairs.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Speaking of BMW's...

I went to sell my x6 yesterday, something I've been planning for a while to raise funds for my business startup. Got to the dealer who I agreed to sell to, everything was all good as I'd had the car cleaned up last week in preparation for this - had a look at the car, ran some checks, took it for test drive, said it was one of the best examples he'd seen for the age and mileage, and said he was going to give me what he previously quoted me for it which I was happy with. I was all like "yeh I've taken really good care of it, it's been a good car, blah blah blah"... Famous last words.

We get back to the dealership, get out the car and there is white smoke coming out of the exhausts. He looks at me and says "that could be a problem". No shit...! The valve seals are gone (it's an expensive job on these v8's as it means the engine needs to come out). His valuation of the car then went right down and the deal is off. So I take the car away with a problem that I need to solve before I can get rid of it or I'll end up with a shit price for it. The drive home was a difficult one as I hold back the urge to punch the car or drive it into a wall. I think everyone around me felt the wrath of my road rage, living up to the BMW driver stereotype.

I think my car is trying to tell me something. What timing huh?

Spoiler

If you're thinking about getting a BMW out of warranty... Don't fucking do it. Just don't do it. Turn 180 degrees and walk away. No, in fact, run away so that you don't even get a chance to potentially become attached to the car you are considering.

Seriously, that's one of my nightmares when I trade in cars. I'm always thinking the appraiser or GM is gonna walk out to my car, try to start it, and it's going to make some awful noise or won't start. LOL.

But man, sucks that it happened to you.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Is that your 3.0 in blue back there?

Yep, pacific blue metallic. Actually they were matching the paint to repair a spot of rust on the door and...well I forgot that the PO had left an unopened bottle of touch-up paint from Porsche in the glovebox. Sigh.

I feel your pain. Hopefully it will be returned to you in tip top shape soon with many miles of happy motoring ahead.

Yeah it hurts a little, but I'll just think about its condition after the work. I should have it back on Monday with new gears and synchros for first and second along with new gaskets on just about everything in the rear. Much, much more than I wanted to do right now but at least it'll be done. Hmmm... The total list of stuff was this: Swap front tires on wheels, rebalance front wheels, check strut housings, readjust front wheel bearings, replace rear wheel bearings, test A/C system, repair A/C compressor, replace air receiver/dryer in A/C system, strip and recoat muffler, replace oil t-stat and sensor gaskets, replace rear engine vacuum lines, replace transmission housing gaskets, replace first and second gear and finally replace engine bay fire protection matting.

There were a few more things I had asked to have replaced but upon inspection they said it wasn't necessary.

I'm just going to close my eyes when I get the bill and hand them my credit card.

Older BMW's are actually more reliable, as a general rule. This, of course, is dependent on how well they were maintained and there are always exceptions to the rule. The older ones have less electronics to fail and tend to be a little simpler which leads to greater lifespan. I definitely know of some 325i's that are still on the road and going strong around here where I work.

As with any BWM or older automobile, it would be a good idea to have it looked over by a mechanic before purchase and you definitely want as much service history on it as you can get. I could have saved myself a couple thousand dollars had I not been in such a hurry when I bought my 128i. Don't make the mistake I did.

I remember when I was looking at late 90s E36s about five years ago that I could find 200,000 mile samples all over the place that were still in pretty good running condition (minus all the Ohio rust). Those things were pretty stout. I wouldn't trust a new one, though, with everything I've heard.

Almost bought a 328is, actually, until a shop tried to put it on a lift for inspection and the lift punched through the frame rail. Not good.

 

[Smokey]

Who is the GS-F aimed at?

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yep, pacific blue metallic. Actually they were matching the paint to repair a spot of rust on the door and...well I forgot that the PO had left an unopened bottle of touch-up paint from Porsche in the glovebox. Sigh.

Very nice, absolutely gorgeous color!

 

[matmanx1]

Who is the GS-F aimed at?

Someone who wants to pay $20,000 more for two more doors than the RC-F? Sorry, that's all I got right now.

 

[Frustrated_me]

We talking BMWs? Ohh boy.

Here's my my story. Back in 2008 I purchased a brand new e90 2008 335XI, fully loaded, from the first week things started to break:

High Pressure Fuel Pump replaced under warranty
4x4 Sensor broke (outside warranty, 3000$ repair bill)
Fragile OEM 19" rims, had 3 break (1400$ a piece)
Incredibly loud, heavy and over-engineered run flat tires always busting (692$ a piece)
Water pump (outside of warranty1400$ repair)
Folding side mirrors stopped working, then they started to fold the OTHER way around
Constant mis-fires every 6 months, mechanics (3 different dealers) clueless on how to fix issues (replace all 6 3000$)
Thermostats (outside of warranty 400$ repair)
Turbo Wastegate Rattle!!!!!!!
Oil filter housing gasket cracked in 1/2
GPS sensor lost it's location, GPS stopped working
DVD/CD drive stopped reading discs
High Pressure Fuel Pump broke again (2x time)
High Pressure Fuel Pum broke once again (3x time, can you believe it?)
Recall on countless components
...So much more repair, I barely started to name them. I have a full stack binder at home to remind me to never ever purchase another BMW.

What a fucking disaster that car was holy shit. Think of a sensor, any sensor, it broke. Guaranteed to break.

I will never, ever in a million years give a penny to BMW again. That company can go fuck itself. I lost thousands of dollars in repairs, countless days/weeks stressed, complete regular at the local BMW dealers.

Want a BMW? Just make sure you have thousands of dollars in reserve for the repairs. They are not well engineered cars. Don't believe their marketing hype.

 

[djSyndrome]

We talking BMWs? Ohh boy.

Here's my my story. Back in 2008 I purchased a brand new e90 2008 335XI, fully loaded, from the first week things started to break:

I keep thinking I want to make the jump to a 3 series.

Then I see posts like this and think, 'nah, I'm good'.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Who is the GS-F aimed at?

Uninformed idiots. Lexus can blow all the hot air they want up their own asses...but no one's buying it. Literally. I don't even know if the car is on sale or not, but there is literally no excitement for this car. Not to mention that the facelifted car has ALTEZZA TAILLIGHTS now and looks like a 5 year old Hyundai.

The GSF is an $85,000 joke. Seriously, the amount of car you can buy for $85,000 is fucking insane. Only a true uninformed idiot would spend that on a Lexus.

 

[Smokey]

I keep thinking I want to make the jump to a 3 series.

Then I see posts like this and think, 'nah, I'm good'.

I can counter with my 08 335i has only had a few problems (water pump which was replaced under warranty) and other small issues which were under warranty. I currently have 104k miles on my car. HPFP was replaced but that was before I bought it when it had 19k miles on it.

Uninformed idiots. Lexus can blow all the hot air they want up their own asses...but no one's buying it. Literally. I don't even know if the car is on sale or not, but there is literally no excitement for this car. Not to mention that the facelifted car has ALTEZZA TAILLIGHTS now and looks like a 5 year old Hyundai.

The GSF is an $85,000 joke. Seriously, the amount of car you can buy for $85,000 is fucking insane. Only a true uninformed idiot would spend that on a Lexus.

I had no idea it existed until i saw a commercial. Was reading up on it during lunch and that's when I posted my question because for 85k I kept saying...for what?

 

[TylerD]

Another BMW work maintenance post!

Been busy with work lately and have let all my current jobs stack up on my e46 ZHP coupe.

Holding about 1800 in parts right now, with the major chunk of that being Koni yellows and new mounting hardware/accessories.

I'm around $3700 over 3.5 years and 28K miles on my car recorded.

Here are records of everything done since 50K if anyone is interested. I've owned since 62K.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d_Bmi1qdxby4zpC56xQxwXABOwtaE6AdBF-W9K3MTgQ/edit?usp=sharing

The 12/1/2014 entry is a doozy. Insurance cost was $7500 and I didn't even pay my full deductible.

A good chunk is preventative maintenance. Things that have outright failed during my ownership: battery, thermostat (on both engines), oil level sensor, upper intake boot, front left sway bar end link, valve cover gasket (first engine). I've done VCG 3 times total, 1 my fault. edit: forgot oil filter housing gasket

 

[ascii42]

I had no idea it existed until i saw a commercial. Was reading up on it during lunch and that's when I posted my question because for 85k I kept saying...for what?

I had no idea they were that much. I mean, I get the idea. A Japanese alternative to the M5, much like the Cadillac CTS-V is for those who want an American alternative. But...not for that much considering what you get. It should be closer to the 550i in price or closer to the M5 in power.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I had no idea it existed until i saw a commercial. Was reading up on it during lunch and that's when I posted my question because for 85k I kept saying...for what?

I had no idea they were that much. I mean, I get the idea. A Japanese alternative to the M5, much like the Cadillac CTS-V is for those who want an American alternative. But...not for that much considering what you get. It should be closer to the 550i in price or closer to the M5 in power.

I can buy a CLS550 for that kind of money and have a monumentally better looking and faster car. A CTS-V. An M3/M4. A C63S Sedan. A BMW M5 (which if you take European delivery comes out to almost the same price). The upcoming Jaguar XF SVR. I mean really...the list is embarrassing for Lexus. I barely see RC-Fs on the road to begin with. If I see a GS-F I will chase it down in my XKR, take pics, and laugh.

 

[No Love]

IMO BMW repair costs (especially on older BMW's) is massively overstated for vast majority of the available models. I find that only uninformed people that use the stealership for everything maintenance related are the ones crying and throwing out huge repair bill numbers. It's not uncommon to see repairs for 70-80% less than the dealership would charge.

Also the most interesting thing about Tyler's maintenance log is that you can see his repair costs go do down over the years as he begins to DIY more of it and get parts cheaper himself instead of letting the dealership mark them up 50-250% and bend him over for maintenance.

 

[No Love]

Sorry if this question is too plebeian for this thread but there is a pretty clean, manual 2001 325i on cl for a $5000. Do these cars hold up, or do BMWs still turn into money pits?

To answer your question, a manual '01 325i is not worth $5k. Not at all. Even if it's clean. I can get clean E46 330i's and E39 530i's in better shape for $2-4k. $5k is way too much. You can always find a clean E46/E39 for cheap, and an '01 325i isn't worth shit. Go for 330i or 530i, 325i is such a disappointing car for $5k. A few months ago I bought a mint 530i for $2300 and sold it for $5500 so you can definitely do way better.

And no, they're not really money pits. They are dirt cheap to fix now and the motors are rock solid. E46's are really good cars and cost to repair is only a bit more than an Accord for example.

Just wish the valve cover gaskets would last even if it's a shit simple/cheap thing to fix LOL.

 

[finalflame]

Anyone in here own a recent Cayman S? Experiences, likes, dislikes? Heavily considering it against an M2 for my next vehicle once my current lease is up in a year. I just love it in Miami Blue:

 

[AlphaSnake]

Look what popped into the shop for a full track clear wrap + detail.

 

[SliChillax]

Ohhh the Spyder! Wish I could cruise around the French Riviera in that, it really must be a religious experience.

 

[SliChillax]

Anyone in here own a recent Cayman S? Experiences, likes, dislikes? Heavily considering it against an M2 for my next vehicle once my current lease is up in a year. I just love it in Miami Blue:

It's not on the same league as an M2 since it's much more expensive. With the M2 you'll get a more practical car, for everyday use, better sounding (than the 718), it'll be way cheaper with more options and probably slightly faster in a straight line. Meanwhile the 718 S will be much more better in terms of quality inside, will feel much better in terms of handling and it will look more special than an M2, even though the M2 looks amazing with its flared fenders.

 

[Qblivion]

I can get clean E46 330i's and E39 530i's in better shape for $2-4k.

yeah not where I live. $2-$4k is about what a clean econobox goes for around here.

 

[Stinkles]

Looks like somebody's a big fan of Halo.

Custom ordered GT4 in Master Chief green. The one color where the orange reflectors are appropriate I'd say.

I APPROVE THIS COLOR. You should get this helmet for track days.


http://necaonline.com/51331/product...lo-video-game-master-chief-motorcycle-helmet/

 

[op_ivy]

Looks like somebody's a big fan of Halo.

Custom ordered GT4 in Master Chief green. The one color where the orange reflectors are appropriate I'd say.

thats my dream car :O

Spoiler

ok, despite being a massive halo guy, thats kinda tacky... and not a 458

 

[shinshoryuken]

seem like theres alot of people here are from northern cali. We should have an auto gaf meet and go on a cruise...weather is nice now.

 

[No Love]

yeah not where I live. $2-$4k is about what a clean econobox goes for around here.

Take a trip to California. Tons of rich older people letting super clean older BMWs go for way too cheap.

 

[m_shortpants]

seem like theres alot of people here are from northern cali. We should have an auto gaf meet and go on a cruise...weather is nice now.

We can't keep up with you man in our Miatas and Civics LOL

That said, this week a co-worker of mine and I brought our Miatas to work and then went for a hour long canyon run just west of our work in San Mateo.

Great experience. He's had his longer than mine and has coils and tires so was far more confident than myself, but it was still a hell of a time. Got some nice oversteers on a few roads too.

 

[GHG]

.



My only consolation with my car is that it is relatively simple and the N52 engine isn't known for self destructing. Yeah, the oil leaks are a pain but I haven't had a single electrical problem (knock on wood) and I don't have any fancy 4 wheel drive, power equipment, nav or high tech sensors to fail. The best BMW is a simple one but yeah, I totally feel your pain. Nothing will break your heart faster than a car that you have loved totally letting you down to the tune of thousands of dollars in repairs.

Yeh man it really sucks. I've cared for and loved this car more than any car I've ever had before since its been the first "luxury" car I've ever bought. Unfortunately the engine is the N63 which is anything but simple so fixes can be expensive.

Seriously, that's one of my nightmares when I trade in cars. I'm always thinking the appraiser or GM is gonna walk out to my car, try to start it, and it's going to make some awful noise or won't start. LOL.

But man, sucks that it happened to you.

Funnily enough I dreamt something similar would happen a few weeks ago after finally 100% deciding to sell it. But in my dream the engine completely gave up and started leaking fluids everywhere, so thankfully it was nowhere near that bad. The really annoying thing about all this though is that I could really use the money I would have got from selling it for my business. There are several potential overseas clients that I need to go and meet for some pitches and proposals and the travel/accommodation costs are not going to be cheap. I'm most likely going to have to push those back to H2 of this year now. My car is either scared of having a future owner that doesn't take care of her or is telling me not to travel for some reason. It's the only logical explaination!

IMO BMW repair costs (especially on older BMW's) is massively overstated for vast majority of the available models. I find that only uninformed people that use the stealership for everything maintenance related are the ones crying and throwing out huge repair bill numbers. It's not uncommon to see repairs for 70-80% less than the dealership would charge.

Also the most interesting thing about Tyler's maintenance log is that you can see his repair costs go do down over the years as he begins to DIY more of it and get parts cheaper himself instead of letting the dealership mark them up 50-250% and bend him over for maintenance.

I agree with this. If you find a good indie then the costs can be manageable. But you need to go into this having already found one and also be accepting of the fact that things will go wrong on these cars.

 

[shinshoryuken]

We can't keep up with you man in our Miatas and Civics LOL

That said, this week a co-worker of mine and I brought our Miatas to work and then went for a hour long canyon run just west of our work in San Mateo.

Great experience. He's had his longer than mine and has coils and tires so was far more confident than myself, but it was still a hell of a time. Got some nice oversteers on a few roads too.

doesn't matter what car...a car enthusiasts is a car enthusiasts..

 

[CrazedArabMan]

First time posting in Automotive GAF. Just really started getting into cars maybe about half a year ago. I have always done my own maintenance and such but never really started looking into them until recently. Current car is an 09 Focus SES, got it in 2012 with about 67,000 miles on it. Now I have it up to 190,000 (mainly long highway commute though not anymore) and the thing still runs great! Though I should have my student loans paid off this year and then saving up for an M235i (drove a 228i last year and loved it).

Anyways, I was down in Naples a month ago and we were given a tour of one of the exotic dealers down there and look what they had (sorry for grainy/glare cell phone pics, best I could do at the time):

 

[matmanx1]

We talking BMWs? Ohh boy.

Here's my my story. Back in 2008 I purchased a brand new e90 2008 335XI, fully loaded, from the first week things started to break: (SNIP)

The first couple of years of the turbo E90's were bad. Really bad. Later ones got better after BMW went back to the drawing board and redesigned the turbos and the HPFP. It sucks to be on the receiving end of such a tragedy of a car but as a result the new F30 3 series turbos are much more reliable.

Should they have done it right the first time? Absolutely. But the newer BMW's seem to be on a reliability uptrend, at least for the warranty/ lease period. I don't believe there are any out of warranty F30's yet (or not many anyway) so we'll have to see if they hold up better over time than the E90's did.

I'm 50/50 on BMW right now. Certain models I would avoid like the plague while others I would consider on a case by case basis with preference given to cars still under warranty in all cases.

First time posting in Automotive GAF. Just really started getting into cars maybe about half a year ago. I have always done my own maintenance and such but never really started looking into them until recently. Current car is an 09 Focus SES, got it in 2012 with about 67,000 miles on it. Now I have it up to 190,000 (mainly long highway commute though not anymore) and the thing still runs great! Though I should have my student loans paid off this year and then saving up for an M235i (drove a 228i last year and loved it).

Anyways, I was down in Naples a month ago and we were given a tour of one of the exotic dealers down there and look what they had (sorry for grainy/glare cell phone pics, best I could do at the time):

La Ferrari? Nice! Good luck with saving up for your new ride. It's a good feeling to save up and then get what you want.

 

[kharma45]

Ford Focus RS vs Honda Civic Type-R vs Audi RS3 vs Mercedes-AMG A45 & more: Hot Hatch Mega Test

Focus RS is beasting in all reviews

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

doesn't matter what car...a car enthusiasts is a car enthusiasts..

For real, I just love seeing people get into cars in a serious way, regardless of what their car is. And for how Porsche heavy this thread is, it's always nice to see some other stuff!

(Though I fucking love the above Spyder. Those cars are such a trip.)

Anyways, I was down in Naples a month ago and we were given a tour of one of the exotic dealers down there and look what they had (sorry for grainy/glare cell phone pics, best I could do at the time):

Enzo! They look so ridiculous and awkward in photos but in person they're really something else.

 

[CrazedArabMan]

La Ferrari? Nice! Good luck with saving up for your new ride. It's a good feeling to save up and then get what you want.

Nope, Enzo

 

[matmanx1]

What irony. After somewhat defending BMW in an earlier post I got in my 128i today and the ABS, Brake and DSC lights came on. After looking at some possibilities it could be anything from a $100 wheel speed sensor to a $2400 DSC / ABS pump failure.

I already have an appointment at a local shop to have my brake fluid flushed and refilled on Tuesday so I will let them pull the code and give me an estimate.

My wife is now totally ready for me to get rid of the car as soon as possible and I am pretty much there as well. Fixing things on a car that you are still making payments on is no fun.

 

[ascii42]

doesn't matter what car...a car enthusiasts is a car enthusiasts..

Yeah, you know what got me into cars? The '80s land yacht I drove in high school, and the '70s land yacht I got in college and still have today. Love all kinds of cars now but I'll always have special place in my heart for those.

 

[Frustrated_me]

What irony. After somewhat defending BMW in an earlier post I got in my 128i today and the ABS, Brake and DSC lights came on. After looking at some possibilities it could be anything from a $100 wheel speed sensor to a $2400 DSC / ABS pump failure.

I already have an appointment at a local shop to have my brake fluid flushed and refilled on Tuesday so I will let them pull the code and give me an estimate.

My wife is now totally ready for me to get rid of the car as soon as possible and I am pretty much there as well. Fixing things on a car that you are still making payments on is no fun.

Trust me, stop now.

What happened with me is I thought once I fixed the repairs it'll then be alright. Nope. After the repairs, comes more repairs and more repairs. With each passing repair, you may think that it's finally OK - it never is. Vicious, never ending cycle.

Good GOD.

 

[SliChillax]

Crazy guys of Team Galag did it again. The Arkham Knight batmobile in real life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUTjm3iXMk

They also used the Tumbler batmobile back in 2014.

 

[AlphaSnake]

What irony. After somewhat defending BMW in an earlier post I got in my 128i today and the ABS, Brake and DSC lights came on. After looking at some possibilities it could be anything from a $100 wheel speed sensor to a $2400 DSC / ABS pump failure.

I already have an appointment at a local shop to have my brake fluid flushed and refilled on Tuesday so I will let them pull the code and give me an estimate.

My wife is now totally ready for me to get rid of the car as soon as possible and I am pretty much there as well. Fixing things on a car that you are still making payments on is no fun.

Holy crap...that sucks. How does the car drive?

 

[AlphaSnake]

La Ferrari? Nice! Good luck with saving up for your new ride. It's a good feeling to save up and then get what you want.

That's an Enzo. Enzo Ferrari would be rolling in his grave if read that mistake. Something tells me he wouldn't be thrilled with how some of the Ferraris look today.

 

[GHG]

What irony. After somewhat defending BMW in an earlier post I got in my 128i today and the ABS, Brake and DSC lights came on. After looking at some possibilities it could be anything from a $100 wheel speed sensor to a $2400 DSC / ABS pump failure.

I already have an appointment at a local shop to have my brake fluid flushed and refilled on Tuesday so I will let them pull the code and give me an estimate.

My wife is now totally ready for me to get rid of the car as soon as possible and I am pretty much there as well. Fixing things on a car that you are still making payments on is no fun.

Shit, hopefully it's not as bad as it seems.

This is what scares me about my car. I know I will get it fixed up now and then get all attached to it again. Once it's been fixed I need to find someone to drive it from the garage straight to the dealership for me in order for it to be sold. If I hear that V8 and get the shove in the back when I go WOT again then I'll get all mushy and the cycle will continue.

Fucking cars man.

 

[matmanx1]

Trust me, stop now.

What happened with me is I thought once I fixed the repairs it'll then be alright. Nope. After the repairs, comes more repairs and more repairs. With each passing repair, you may think that it's finally OK - it never is. Vicious, never ending cycle.

Good GOD.

I know, right? I was just thinking it had been 4 months of trouble free motoring and everything was going well. I only drive it twice a week now that I have the GX470 so it isn't even getting that many miles put on it.

Holy crap...that sucks. How does the car drive?

Normally. Even cruise control still works, which is one of the symptoms of a bad DSC unit. That makes me hopeful that it is something on the simple side and not the DSC control unit or pump.

We'll see.

 

[Bandit1]

Yo what up guys, haven't been posting much lately cause I've been crazy busy, but I have to brag on my dad a little. This is a truck we've been working on for a customer for quite some time and we just got it on the road a few days ago. It's a 1967 Chevy 1 ton dually, and up until 1973 the duallys didn't have a dually bed like you see today, they were flat beds, box trucks, wreckers, etc. So my dad fabricated the bed on this truck to appear like a factory narrow bed and fabricated extensions to bolt on the factory step side rear fenders. He also made the running boards and tail light brackets and did the body and paint. I did much of the welding including patching some rust that the truck had. We're very happy with how it turned out, and I'm really proud of my dad's work.

 

[jongkookie]

That's awesome man!

Classic trucks somehow speak to me, whereas the modern trucks seem like POS' to me lol.

BMW troubles

This is the world telling you to get this:



Lol.

More pics since I literally just finished washing it an hour ago:







I've been in New Orleans the past week for work so what better way to get re-acquainted with your baby with a car wash right?

 

[m_shortpants]

Cleeeaaaan.

One day I'll restore my NB to such a condition haha.

 

[jongkookie]

Cleeeaaaan.

One day I'll restore my NB to such a condition haha.

Thanks man!

I'm actually a little surprised at how the paint is still in good condition. Like sure I wash it once a month, and clay it once a year... but it's seen all elements, except for snow. I don't even have any of the fancy stuff Alpha or Evo on their cars, it's just how the car has looked in the 4 years I've owned it.

Rumor has it that Mazda used some fancy ass paint for the special edition NC's, but I've also seen some standard NC Miatas in good or even better shape than mine so I'm not too sure. Maybe maintaining it actually does wonders? Lol.

 

[Jackson]

Speaking of BMW...

Local dealer had a demo M2. I had an hour to kill, so I gave it a whirl.

It's $62k fully optioned with carbon fiber bits, $51k starting. It looks better in person than in photos. Especially a fun color like this. I would describe it as handsome, not gorgeous. With the exhaust and it's color it definitely got looks on the road (which is a plus since most BMWs look incredibly boring or just plain odd).

It's got a nice exhaust note (could be louder imo, but I think I have problems in the "it could be louder" department). You can definitely feel the turbo lag, but it's not obnoxiously pronounced like in some cars where you slam your foot down, get nothing then get a massive rush. I've driven an Audi S3 (which I'd say is a direct competitor) and the turbo lag on that car is inexcusable. In that car power goes from a drip feed for 2 seconds to an instant headrush. I hated it. Anyway, the M2 (being an I6) has some initial oofmph, then the juice kicks in with a rush (but not kick you in the back of the head kind of rush).

Steering feel was great, Sport+ takes off TC (and ESC?) so flooring it hard or cornering makes it get squirrely (in a good way, not in a "oh man I can't handle this car, I'm gonna crash it" the way the RWD F-Type R feels like). Overall it felt very competent and strong.

It was a paddle shifter, shifts felt good, no problems there. Was comfy. Brakes were touchy/grabby compared to my car. Probably something you just get used to. I'd rather save $2.5k can get the manual option though.

Bottom line -- When I parked back at the dealer I had a big smile on my face and that's all that really matters. This is a really good car for the money that would make anyone happy as a DD with extra room in the back (for storage, lulz @ 2 adults sitting back there) and some nice trunk space that they could also occasionally track and have a good time with!

It's no substitute for a Cayman though.

 

[finalflame]

Speaking of BMW...

Local dealer had a demo M2. I had an hour to kill, so I gave it a whirl.

<snip>

It's $62k fully optioned with carbon fiber bits, $51k starting. It looks better in person than in photos. Especially a fun color like this. I would describe it as handsome, not gorgeous. With the exhaust and it's color it definitely got looks on the road (which is a plus since most BMWs look incredibly boring or just plain odd).

It's got a nice exhaust note (could be louder imo, but I think I have problems in the "it could be louder" department). You can definitely feel the turbo lag, but it's not obnoxiously pronounced like in some cars where you slam your foot down, get nothing then get a massive rush. I've driven an Audi S3 (which I'd say is a direct competitor) and the turbo lag on that car is inexcusable. In that car power goes from a drip feed for 2 seconds to an instant headrush. I hated it. Anyway, the M2 (being an I6) has some initial oofmph, then the juice kicks in with a rush (but not kick you in the back of the head kind of rush).

Steering feel was great, Sport+ takes off TC (and ESC?) so flooring it hard or cornering makes it get squirrely (in a good way, not in a "oh man I can't handle this car, I'm gonna crash it" the way the RWD F-Type R feels like). Overall it felt very competent and strong.

It was a paddle shifter, shifts felt good, no problems there. Was comfy. Brakes were touchy/grabby compared to my car. Probably something you just get used to. I'd rather save $2.5k can get the manual option though.

Bottom line -- When I parked back at the dealer I had a big smile on my face and that's all that really matters. This is a really good car for the money that would make anyone happy as a DD with extra room in the back (for storage, lulz @ 2 adults sitting back there) and some nice trunk space that they could also occasionally track and have a good time with!

It's no substitute for a Cayman though.

You just answered my question on the previous page to the T with this post. I am currently sitting between an M2 in LBB and a Cayman S in Miami Blue. I've yet to have a chance to drive the M2, though, as no dealers around me have one sitting on the lot.

I'm thinking it's gonna be the Cayman S, and your post helps push me in that direction.