Hey Everyone,

I'm a new member of the forum and not yet an owner.

I found a CSL for sale and will be going to see it in person in the coming days.

Would appreciate some help/tips on what to look for, most importantly to make sure it's an original CSL and not a regular E46 M3 with swapped parts..

Perhaps something in the VIN that identifies the car as a CSL?

Appreciate any help as I am new to the CSL and M Power world.

Thanks,
Maz

Maz

Welcome to the register!!

The V5 will specify the car as a CSL so easy to confirm its an authentic car.

Buy on condition not mileage

Look out for consistent servicings as some of the low mileage garage queens often have big gaps between oil changes.

BMW Service History is great to have but there are plenty of Indie Specialists worthy to stamp the book.

Low mileage examples fetch big bucks....IMO a higher mileage example is a better choice if you intend to use the car moderately with the odd track day thrown in.

Welcome to the Forum mate, and good luck with your viewing.

If you can get the VIN number to Shimmy or Neil on here, I'm sure either of them can check the car out for you.

As Ben aka 'cslsuperfan' has said it's clearly indicated on the log book. ;)
Vin numbers are subject to data protection, so as you can appreciate they are not discussed in public on an open forum. :whistle:

PS: Welcome to all things CSL and good luck with the viewing.

Good luck with the hunt. Loads of knowledge on here so don't be afraid to ask.

MC

Welcome Maz.

The suspension turrets have a VIN and other info on it, including production date and model etc, which will say M3 CSL.

If a car has got all that, plus the recaro's, airbox, wheels, bumpers, roof etc and is still a fake, I'd like to see it !

Having said that, i just remembered someone has built that manual blue M3 from the ground up with almost every part http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10736 in fact you can see the turret sticker in the pics, won't say CSL on that one.

Welcome Maz :thumbs:

Update on Viewing
 

Thanks for the support and warm welcome folks.

Good News:
I went to view the car and ran the VIN on a decoder site and everything checks out! She's the real deal! Owner took me for a spin and she seemed to run really smooth.. No rattles or squeaks on bumps or holes as well as engine sounded good and shifts were smooth (considering SMG).

Bad News:
No service history as well as wear and tear on the car include small dings (one with rust) as well as extensively scratched rims.

Long story short, I am in a country where cars like these are not too common and as a matter of fact this might be the only CSL here. It was imported from new from Germany but not bought through the dealer here. Current owner/seller bought it from its first owner just 2 months ago and it had apparently been stored for almost 8 years. The BMW dealership has little information on the car since they switched systems in 2014 and all data before then is in archives somewhere, but they said I'm welcome to bring the car in for a check up (note they don't have a list of checks they'd do, I would have to point out specific things I need checked and will be billed hourly accordingly).

That said, any advice on how I should proceed? What would I need the dealer to look into? Engine + transmission? Are there any known issues with these cars that I should be aware of? Car has 71k kms and from the ride along I received seemed to run smooth (even AC blew cold).

Had this been a normal car or a simple e46 I would've stayed clear due to the lack of service history.. However, we all know the true value of these machines and how rare they are to come by, she's worth the trouble!

Appreciate your help guys!

Maz

Must of bin fake in that case anyway :hahaha::hahaha:

Welcome to the register matey :thumbs:

Not to burst your bubble - but personally I'd walk away.

No service history with a spurious origin, can't get much worse!
A good service history is a pre-requisite when it comes to purchasing a CSL even more so than the standard M3, IMO.

If it's cheap walk away, there are a few European CSL's which are not all they seem - be careful - don't let your heart rule your head! ;)