Finally got some pics of my CSL together!

[derin100]

Thank you, Sir!

[cslgirl]

Very very nice

[david_h]

Originally Posted by derin100

I've only driven it 500 miles since buying it in early February...and about 100 of those miles were accounted for just bringing it home and probably another 100 just taking it to and fro from my local BMW Dealership to have a couple of things replaced under warranty.

The statement above is criminal. If I had a CSL I'd be in it all the time just to hear the noise. My stock M3 makes a horrible rasp and badly needs that induction raw.

As for running out of road, it's not so much speed, it's more the handling and balance that impresses me with these cars. Get up early and even down south I have the pick of the roads.

The Merc sounds nice, I nearly bought an E320 coupe in Nautic blue (dark metallic) with full cream leather about 6 years ago, turned up and it had a leaking gearbox seal so walked. Still regret it to this day as it was so clean.

As for values on the CSL, couple of my friends nearly bought E30 M3's when they hit rock bottom around £7k and instead ended up in other cars. That said, cars are a really bad investment, and even in real terms I think you'll find an E30 M3 has lost money.

[Alx]

Originally Posted by derin100

Thanks David!

I've got a couple of other cars 'in the pipeline' at the moment:

1) An E36 328i Cabriolet....causing me some grief with running issues at the moment But should a nice little thing once sorted.

2) (And following in the quirky theme ) A Mercedes W124 230CE Coupe. 'Going to Town' on this one but it's turning out to be costing me an arm and a leg! I think it'll will have taken me over a year by the time it's finished but should be a 'nice thing'!

I can't decide what to do about the CSL. I've only driven it 500 miles since buying it in early February...and about 100 of those miles were accounted for just bringing it home and probably another 100 just taking it to and fro from my local BMW Dealership to have a couple of things replaced under warranty.

Realistically, it's also more car than I can actually cope with! I don't do trackdays and even where I live with relatively empty roads I quickly run out of road such is the performance!

On that basis I really ought to sell it but a) after wanting one for so long it's hard to 'do the right thing' and b) I keep reading how values are and will continue to go up (latest was in the BMW Car Club Magazine which arrived yesterday). I don't want to make the same mistake that I made with my E30 M3 which I owned for over 7 years and then sold just before values on good examples of these went through the roof!

Having said that but also having just renewed the full comprehensive, no excess warranty now might be a good time to offer it up as it might make an attractive proposition to potential buyers as such?

Arghh...decisions, decisions.....

Hello,

I am in a similar situation as you.

I have owned a 1996 850CSi Individual for 5 years and I have recently purchased an M3 CSL.

I go to work walking, so I only use my cars during the week-end, which makes owning 2 rare BMWs quite redundant.

Still, I don't know which one I would sell if I should just keep one.

Desicions decisions ...as you say.


Cheers,

Alex
1996 BMW 850CSi Individual
2003 BMW M3 CSL

[derin100]

Thanks all!

Hi David,

The problem is the CSL is one of seven cars that I own and amongst those are others that (like Alex's 850CSi) are only very, very rarely driven.

1) I have owned my 840Ci Sport for over 5 years. I bought it with just about to touch 25K miles on the clock...and it has only just turned 27K miles now!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/840cisport01/index.html

2) I also own the third from last (non-M5) E34 Saloon ever built by BMW on the very last day of production. I bought it (IIRC) about 3 years ago with 39K miles on the clock. It STILL has 39K miles on the clock now!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery...34_540i_Saloon

So, in relative terms the 500 miles I've put on the CSL is actually high for me!

Whilst for the first time I've actually SORN'd both the E31 and E34 I've kept the CSL actively taxed, MOT'd, insured and just renewed the BMW Warranty because, as you say, it is intoxicating to drive and to hear that noise! Also, I think it does it some good to have a regular run and at the same time I don't have to worry about stuff going wrong because of the warranty.

For me keeping the 840Ci Sport is now an easy decision. I've promised myself and my wife that one day we'll do a proper 'grand tour' around Europe in it and wrestled with the dilemna of selling it versus the E30 M3 in the past so now it's not a difficult decision. No one would give me (at the moment anyway) what the E31 is worth to me.

Yet, I don't want to rack up the miles on the CSL as I do believe a CSL does have investment value as a car...I don't think all cars are a bad investment?

I sold my E30 M3 (I'm guessing) about 3-4 years for £13K (with all the other 'extras' you see in the photos below). I thought that was decent money at the time. Six months later the chap who bought sold it to someone in Italy for £16.5K having done absolutely nothing to it except drive it home. That's roughly about a 25% increase in his investment in 6 months! And whilst I think prices may have steadied a bit since then I don't think one could by an E30 M3 as good as mine was now for anything like that figure?

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery...spgmGal=E30_M3

I think the 'right' car models still make sensible investments. The trouble is being in the right place at the right time...sadly, I have all too often not been!

Another example: Not even two years ago I could have bought a very nice (not 100%...but near and very nice indeed), rust free(!) and mechanically well-sorted E9 CSL in white for £14K. I let myself get talked out of it... Duh!

Final (and best/worst example...):

About 5-ish years ago I could have bought a red BMW 507 that was for sale in the USA. IIRC the price was mid-40sK...I can't remember if it was in dollars or pounds...but the punch-line almost makes that irrelevant! Two years later...the cheapest one I could find was 250,000...again whether it was £ or $ was irrelavant because by then they were all totally out of my league anyway! I'm not good at arithmetic but that sounds something like a 500-600% increase in the value of the investment? Then...to crown it all...I discovered that apparently there's no Capital Gains Tax payable on classic cars!

You might be right though (hence my dilemna). I figure the CSL will cost me about £1500/ year to just 'keep' (i.e Tax, Insurance and Warranty). Personally, I'm fairly confident their values will now go up...especially on low mileage ones...as the years go by. BUT...will they go up by more than £1500/year? That's what I don't know...and even if they don't might the difference be marginal enough for me to keep a car that I've always wanted, occasionally have the pleasure of driving and "sod the cost".

We have to factor in the "tied up money" that I'm constantly being reminded of by 'someone' and that: "We could be putting to better use and all enjoying as a family". It's worth noting at this point that since buying the car last February my wife has studiously declined any invitation to go for a drive in the CSL and has never even sat in it!!! Do you think she's trying to make some sort of a statement about it?


As Alex said:"...decisions, decisions...". And as you can see....I'm not really any further forward in mine!....

Cheers