Advice needed over potential purchase

[Ramsden15]

Hi guys, this is my first post on here. I am in the market for my first CSL and I have been to view a nice low mileage car today.

The car is a 54 plate, silver grey, with only 30k miles. Reg LX54 VSK, £29,850

The car is in great condition but I have concerns over the service history.

It had the running in service at 4,325miles 09/05 at Chandlers Hailsham, which I assume is very late and should have been 1,200miles.

11,132miles 10/06 Oil service +micro filter Murketts
15,412miles 9/07 Oil service Murketts
22,811miles 8/09 Inspection 1+ micro filter Murketts

And nothing after 2009, I was told by the seller that the next service is due in 5kmiles.

I was told there is no movement on price.

Does anybody know the car?

The car itself is in really nice condition and I would get a BMW PPI done before perusing it further.

My concern would be whether the above service intervals could have caused any long term problems and what affect this would have on the resale value.

My current thinking is, if I do go ahead, try and get the seller to fund the next service. Would a PPI pick up more potential faults that just a service?

Any advice would be greatly received.

[Neil M]

Is it this one: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e46-3-series-98-06/m3-coupe-m3-csl-smg/865802
If it is, then see this thread before proceeding further: http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9326

[Steve B]

For sale at Tollgate Volvo..??

Read the post below if it is...

http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9326


Steve

[Steve B]

Bugger too late lol

[Mark CSL]

Welcome Ramsden15 (http://www.cslregister.com/forum/member.php?u=2365)

The running in service should have been done before 2000miles as it is a special oil and after 2000 miles i would think bmw will not cover the engine.
:119:

This would make me walk away its top money at 30k i would be looking for a full bmw service history and warranty for that money :whistle:

[Bounce]

Welcome Ramsden15 (http://www.cslregister.com/forum/member.php?u=2365)

The running in service should have been done before 2000miles as it is a special oil and after 2000 miles i would think bmw will not cover the engine.
:119:

This would make me walk away its top money at 30k i would be looking for a full bmw service history and warranty for that money :whistle:




+1.I don't suppose your name is Harry by any chance:whistle:

[Ramsden15]

+1.I don't suppose your name is Harry by any chance:whistle:

That’s right, I have made my fortune frying fish:wink:

Thanks for all the feedback, looks like a known car then.

I feel slightly deflated, but relieved forums like this exist, I will walk (run) away.

Out of interest, is the late running in service really going to cause a probem and what would you value this car at, is it even worth a cheeky offer?

Thanks again for the heads up. I will continue the search. Is Nick Johnson my best bet, his prices are on the high side but I want to make sure I get a good car.

[Steve B]

That car owes them £22k it was PXd against a new M3 so a cheeky offer of £25k might be worth a punt....

IMO due to the history and the fact they are a limited model car and people use the www to find places like here to ask about them the chances they'll sell it at £30k is pretty slim..... All in my opinion obviously.

It's all well and good buying a cheap car thats not 100% but I always have in the back of my mind resale value in years to come.

Steve

[s.mac]

services are every 2 years, even if you dont do the mileage.

As Mark says, it should have BMW warranty at the price and you wont get one with that running in service.

£60k for a car are they don't bother with a few quid service :banghead:

[Yanto]

POWER of the register.....:smokin:

Good luck in the search....the right one will come up :beer:

[bryce]

services are every 2 years, even if you dont do the mileage.

As Mark says, it should have BMW warranty at the price and you wont get one with that running in service.

£60k for a car are they don't bother with a few quid service :banghead:

Few quid? Its free!

[s.mac]

I paid for the 2nd one on my car :hahaha:

[Ramsden15]

POWER of the register.....:smokin:

Good luck in the search....the right one will come up :beer:

Cheers Yanto, I went to have a look at the black one at Stephen James Cars ( CSL Beasts old one I believe) and apparently I wouldn't finder a cleaner one, so the salesman said, a lot are tracked but not that one!!! It took 30sec on here to find it has had engine troubles in the past and I found pictures of it on track. Not that it being tracked is an issue, that's what there for.
I actually spoke to the salesman at Tollbar about how, with such a small community of owners, it is possible to find the back story of the cars on sale.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[shane@mbtech]

Cheers Yanto, I went to have a look at the black one at Stephen James Cars ( CSL Beasts old one I believe) and apparently I wouldn't finder a cleaner one, so the salesman said, a lot are tracked but not that one!!! It took 30sec on here to find it has had engine troubles in the past and I found pictures of it on track. Not that it being tracked is an issue, that's what there for.
I actually spoke to the salesman at Tollbar about how, with such a small community of owners, it is possible to find the back story of the cars on sale.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Its still CSL beasts car.

Contact him for any/all info on the car if you are interested.

I will call Stephen James monday and tell him to be more honest in his approach, but to be fair to them, they probably thinks its not been tracked.

[Ramsden15]

Its still CSL beasts car.

Contact him for any/all info on the car if you are interested.

I will call Stephen James monday and tell him to be more honest in his approach, but to be fair to them, they probably thinks its not been tracked.

To be fare to the lad I was speaking to, I had already told him it was not the car for me and the tracking statement came up when chatting about that car and others. I did not delve into the detail of the car enough for them to need to tell me about the engine. I am not suggesting they would be deliberately dishonest. My point was more our easy it was to find information about the car via the Internet.
It is a nice looking car by the way and IMO well priced.

[shane@mbtech]

To be fare to the lad I was speaking to, I had already told him it was not the car for me and the tracking statement came up when chatting about that car and others. I did not delve into the detail of the car enough for them to need to tell me about the engine. I am not suggesting they would be deliberately dishonest. My point was more our easy it was to find information about the car via the Internet.
It is a nice looking car by the way and IMO well priced.

I know the previous owner tracked it once, it was then they had the engine issues(not the greatest csl ownership stint for them), we bought it fixed it and then did a very cold october trackday at Oulton.

And to add the trackdays were done on AP brakes, and Nitron coilovers, the suspension on it has not seen a track, and neither have the brakes as these are brand new, standard items.

Thanks for the review on the car,:beer:.

And good luck with your search, I think you have your heart set on Silver Grey:supz:

[Neil M]

Hello Ramsden15

Am I right thinking your local with you going to see the car at Stephen James?
This might be worth a look: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e46-m3-00-06/bmw-m3-csl--bmw-warranty-until-nov-2013/590141

Its up on price and owners with average mileage, but well looked after IMO and local being South East Manchester.
Its been for sale for some time because it's overpriced, but I sure he would be open to offers.

It would at least give you a comparison with the SB already viewed if nothing else.

Good luck with the search and always use the register (it's like the Borg, a collective consciousness) someone will always know something :thumbs:

[Ramsden15]

Hello Ramsden15

Am I right thinking your local with you going to see the car at Stephen James?
This might be worth a look: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e46-m3-00-06/bmw-m3-csl--bmw-warranty-until-nov-2013/590141

Its up on price and owners with average mileage, but well looked after IMO and local being South East Manchester.
Its been for sale for some time because it's overpriced, but I sure he would be open to offers.

It would at least give you a comparison with the SB already viewed if nothing else.

Good luck with the search and always use the register (it's like the Borg, a collective consciousness) someone will always know something :thumbs:

Hi Neil M, thanks for the warm welcome, I am from West Yorkshire so, in terms of sourcing a CSL, yes I am fairly local.
I have had my eye on this one as well, but it kind of falls outside my ideal spec on mileage and the price is doing nothing to persuade me. Ideally I am looking for a lower mileage car, 30kish. Although it is more condition really I am interested in.
The other thing about that car was the service gap between 2008 and 2011, again, like the car at Tollbar, nearly 3 years between services!

[Pooky]

Can I ask what the driver for low mileage is? Is it for a better car or longer term investment?

Certainly when I looked for mine lower mileage didn't really mean anything in terms of body/interior or mechanical condition. Lots of low milers out there but without a really good history.

[Pip1968]

I will call Stephen James monday and tell him to be more honest in his approach, but to be fair to them, they probably thinks its not been tracked.

I cannot imagine that there are more than a handfull of CSLs that have not been tracked in the UK. It is a bit like trying to find a GT3 RS that has "never been on track". Buying one of these which are now nearly ten years old they will all have had a quick go. I think you have to assume it has unless someone can prove otherwise.

Anyway what is wrong with taking a track car on track. They are more likely to be properly looked after.

Just my opinion.

Pip

[Neil M]

The other thing about that car was the service gap between 2008 and 2011, again, like the car at Tollbar, nearly 3 years between services!

That's the big problem with low mileage cars, if they are not used most people will only consider the auto service indicator and not the Bi-Annual proviso, "15,000mls. or Bin-Annual Service" as per the book.
Not a major consideration if you don't want or need an Extended Warranty, but an absolute killer if you do. NJ has a number of low milers in stock, but I would think that every one of them would fall short of the Bi-Annual proviso.

In my quest I found a two owner car with 35,000 on the clock, but it had missed an Inspection 11 and had been given a cursory oil service instead the owner said it didn't need an Inspection II until 45K but according to Williams in Manchester and the Warranty providers it did. Bottom line is that this would have added 2.5K to the asking price, as he had also allowed the Warranty to lapse, which put it beyond my budget as the seller wouldn't budge on the asking price.

So beware of the hidden costs associated with low mileage examples, you can get your fingers burnt very easily.

[Ramsden15]

That's the big problem with low mileage cars, if they are not used most people will only consider the auto service indicator and not the Bi-Annual proviso, "15,000mls. or Bin-Annual Service" as per the book.
Not a major consideration if you don't want or need an Extended Warranty, but an absolute killer if you do. NJ has a number of low milers in stock, but I would think that every one of them would fall short of the Bi-Annual proviso.

In my quest I found a two owner car with 35,000 on the clock, but it had missed an Inspection 11 and had been given a cursory oil service instead the owner said it didn't need an Inspection II until 45K but according to Williams in Manchester and the Warranty providers it did. Bottom line is that this would have added 2.5K to the asking price, as he had also allowed the Warranty to lapse, which put it beyond my budget as the seller wouldn't budge on the asking price.

So beware of the hidden costs associated with low mileage examples, you can get your fingers burnt very easily.

I am going to take my time and try and find a very clean example with correct service history. Hopefully my budget will allow me to get a car on the lower end mileage wise but I would not buy based on mileage alone.
I haven't enquired about the NJ cars yet because I would struggle to get to him for a couple of weeks, so I don't know their service history.