[HK Trick]

Hey guys, this is my first post on this forum. I'm based out of Dallas, TX and I'm looking at getting a 2007-2009 BMW E92 335i Coupe 6MT. The owner of this car has had poor correspondence so far, so I'm slowly getting details out of him. Here is the history he has provided so far:

"I don't have any service records I bought this car 3 and half years ago and put bout 4000 miles on it. 2 radiators hoses busted had em replaced. And it kept leaking radiator fluid from underneath so had it parked most of the time then finally took it bout a month ago to get fixed and it was a freeze plug also had the water pump and thermostat replaced. I have no time to drive it Im always on the road for work. That Beemer was my weekend car."

I'm going to run a carfax report on this vehicle(waiting on owner for deets) and will post that information when I get the results. The plan after that would be to get a pre-inspection possibly. I was going to go look at the car today, but it is raining. I'd like to be able to look for leaks... If possible, I would try to get this car to a shop for a pre-inspection.

After doing a fair amount of research on the engine, I know what to look for in the repair/maintenance history. But I believe your experience as owners may give you some insight on some visual red flags of why this car may be a poor choice. Alternatively, you may deem this vehicle worthy of pursuing. We can all see the diamond in the rough when shopping for new toys, right?

Part of me also thinks I'm crazy for even considering this option when I look at the recent vehicles that have been posted in the classifieds of this forum. Unfortunately, none of those have been located close to me. Maybe I just need to up my coin and get one of those shipped to me.

Anyway, Please let me know what your thoughts are on this vehicle! I look forward to chatting and getting to know this community better. The N54 engine is calling my name and it's only a matter of time until I find the right car!


**** I edited the title of this post to reflect the newly discussed pricing by the owner(was originally $6k). He's in over his head with the car and just wants to get his truck fixed. Also, I've added the Carfax report to the main post.

This vehicle still seems to be more of a headache than it's worth at $3k... Still open to hearing your thoughts.*****

[HK Trick]

And I forgot to upload the attachments above...

[Gamb1t]

First question would be are you DIY savvy especially with older BMWs? If the answer is no or not really, then case is close.

Since you said you've done your research, you should come across the numerous threads on forums like these around N54 headaches and issues. Many of the conclusions to non-DIY savvy owners are to ditch the car. This may be one of them. In fact I theorize that many N54 owner issues are due to problematic 335is recirculating back to the pool of unsuspecting buyers.

If we only have a VIN database to track analytics....

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

First question would be are you DIY savvy especially with older BMWs? If the answer is no or not really, then case is close.

Since you said you've done your research, you should come across the numerous threads on forums like these around N54 headaches and issues. Many of the conclusions to non-DIY savvy owners are to ditch the car. This may be one of them. In fact I theorize that many N54 owner issues are due to problematic 335is recirculating back to the pool of unsuspecting buyers.

If we only have a VIN database to track analytics....

Yes, I've seen the threads you speak of. I'm all for going the DIY route, but I currently live in an apartment without a garage... Within the next year I'll be purchasing a house which will make working on the vehicle far easier.

Thanks for your input! My gut tells me to not cheap out and to buy a car like this: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1722475 . Then continue providing the car with a healthy amount of preventative maintenance. For a $3500 difference, these cars are in two complete different classes imo.

[bkwld]

This is the type of example that’s hard to guage.
The pluses is that it has the sport seats and 6M. But looks to be unkept. Not OEM wheels. Broken fender, cowl is off no filter and biggest will be the, what seem like clear coat fading? I personally would not buy a car that I cannot correct at a reasonable price.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by bkwld

This is the type of example that’s hard to guage.
The pluses is that it has the sport seats and 6M. But looks to be unkept. Not OEM wheels. Broken fender, cowl is off no filter and biggest will be the, what seem like clear coat fading? I would personally would not buy a car that I cannot correct at a reasonable price.

My biggest issue resides in how unkept it looks. I figured I could get the fender replaced for a reasonable price. My hope is that the owner's story checks out and the car hasn't seen much action in the past 3 years, but maybe had a good life before then. Still waiting on the VIN to run that carfax. The clear coat may very well be fading. This car seems to be kept outside and the Texas sun can do a real number on our paint jobs.

I appreciate you speaking reason to me. Thanks for your input!

[ctuna]

Stick shift hard to get one of those .
There is a sticky on how to buy a BMW with the known
things to look for.
The turbo car need a lot more stuff so hard decesion
if you are only mildly in love with it.

[tcphoto]

The old phrase is, "that thing is ragged out". I would keep looking for a better car and be sure to get a PPI before exchanging money or you'll spend more on repairs than the price of the car. Yes to MT but no to those wheels, air intake, engine cover and warning lights. Is the owner homeless? It looks like he lives in it.

[Nickco43]

I have been looking at a bunch of F10 535i cars since late February. The price difference between a nice one and a beat one is about 2-3k. By the time you sort that car properly you could have spent the money and gotten a clean car. Now is a golden time to be buying a used car, be patient. Maybe you won't be looking for three months like I am but I am also picky AF.

[S65Hunter]

Anyone who would put those wheels on that car probably wouldn't respect the car enough to treat it right.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Stick shift hard to get one of those .
There is a sticky on how to buy a BMW with the known
things to look for.
The turbo car need a lot more stuff so hard decesion
if you are only mildly in love with it.

The stick shift is a must. The lack of history is hopefully a temporary issue. If I can't get more information out of the owner and carfax, this is a definite no go. The vacuum line setup is careless and it obviously has been worked on due to the lack of metal partition/mount that I've seen in so many other stock engine compartments. The air filter setup is atrocious as well... These red flags are obvious but not absolute dealbreakers at this price point.

The owner just said he's grabbing the VIN now. More info to come.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

The old phrase is, "that thing is ragged out". I would keep looking for a better car and be sure to get a PPI before exchanging money or you'll spend more on repairs than the price of the car. Yes to MT but no to those wheels, air intake, engine cover and warning lights. Is the owner homeless? It looks like he lives in it.

You're absolutely right. My problem is that I'm looking at this car like a mistreated puppy with so much potential. It checks a few of the right boxes in specs, but the poor ownership deems this a lost cause.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I have been looking at a bunch of F10 535i cars since late February. The price difference between a nice one and a beat one is about 2-3k. By the time you sort that car properly you could have spent the money and gotten a clean car. Now is a golden time to be buying a used car, be patient. Maybe you won't be looking for three months like I am but I am also picky AF.

You hit the nail on the head. The quality of cars I've seen on here in the classifieds along with the presentation of history from the owners make buying a car from this guy seem irresponsible. Those wheels make my stomach turn.

[r4dr]

Run. A cheap N54 is the most expensive N54.

What's your budget? And, what's your budget after setting aside a couple grand for repairs and proactive maintenance?

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by AlpineE93

Anyone who would put those wheels on that car probably wouldn't respect the car enough to treat it right.

What's up Dallas local?!! Yeah, those wheels might be the biggest red flag of all. It really tells you everything you need to know about the owner. Whoever swapped the stock rims for those should be cited and have their vehicle revoked.

[Gamb1t]

Originally Posted by AzaTuR

You're absolutely right. My problem is that I'm looking at this car like a mistreated puppy with so much potential. It checks a few of the right boxes in specs, but the poor ownership deems this a lost cause.

Or an abused mongrel waiting to unleash revenge on future unsuspecting owners.

Now that i have a chance to look at the photos, it tells the story of the ownership neglect. And if the owner is unable to divulge detail ownership history, you must wonder why? What's he hiding? Just look him in the eyes when you ask the hard questions. A proud owner with nothing to hide will be beaming away his pride and joy.

335i are dime a dozen (where I am anyway) and they are cheap (for a reason). So take your time to find a good one...preferably N55.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by r4dr

Run. A cheap N54 is the most expensive N54.

What's your budget? And, what's your budget after setting aside a couple grand for repairs and proactive maintenance?

My original budget was $8500 for the car and $3000 for initial preventative maintenance. I saw this option and saw more room for the maintenance and upgrades budget. The rose colored glasses are coming off. This would be my fun car and there's no reason to not be patient in finding a better option.

[Biginboca]

Looking at the pics I’m seeing nothing about that car which would make me consider buying it even at a lower price. A bad 335 is gonna cost you way more than the buy in to get sorted. That car doesn’t show any signs of a meticulous prior ownership which for me would be an absolute must on a N54.

Lack of clear and fast communication from seller is a huge warning sign btw. That right there would have me running away from most cars.

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

Now that i have a chance to look at the photos, it tells the story of the ownership neglect. And if the owner is unable to divulge detail ownership history, you must wonder why? What's he hiding? Just look him in the eyes when you ask the hard questions. A proud owner with nothing to hide will be beaming away his pride and joy.

335i are dime a dozen (where I am anyway) and they are cheap (for a reason). So take your time to find a good one...preferably N55.

I see exactly what you're saying. The real eye opening moment for me is when I compare his engine bay to one that was loved.

A picture is worth a thousand words... Here's two:

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

Looking at the pics I’m seeing nothing about that car which would make me consider buying it even at a lower price. A bad 335 is gonna cost you way more than the buy in to get sorted. That car doesn’t show any signs of a meticulous prior ownership which for me would be an absolute must on a N54.

Lack of clear and fast communication from seller is a huge warning sign btw. That right there would have me running away from most cars.

I see what you're saying. This isn't the type of car that should have foggy details. It's a performance luxury vehicle and should have been cared for as such. If I had this car, the history would be filed properly. If I was selling, transparency would be absolute and responsiveness would be prompt. Why would I want to do business with someone different? Makes no sense. Especially on these cars.

Thanks for your input.

[S65Hunter]

Originally Posted by AzaTuR

What's up Dallas local?!! Yeah, those wheels might be the biggest red flag of all. It really tells you everything you need to know about the owner. Whoever swapped the stock rims for those should be cited and have their vehicle revoked.

What part of Dallas are you in? I'm right off Belt line and 75

[HK Trick]

Originally Posted by AlpineE93

What part of Dallas are you in? I'm right off Belt line and 75

Awesome. I'm actually just north of Dallas in the Colony. Off of Sam Rayburn Tollway and Josey!