RE: What to look for in a '95 M3 (buying)

[jaymiller@xxxxxxxxxx]

Water pump Alex's right. Cheap easy to replace, sucks to by a used car with
50K and have to start taking 
it to bits straight away for a repair job you're not aware of, like I did.

My car has no traction control or DSC or whatever and eats rear tires in
10-15K, which I believe is costly. Especially with my damn ZR18s. 

Grounding: Parking with the curbs too high, water drains, entrances to
certain places. The front of my car is only a few inches off the ground.
LA streets are like flying though the asteroid belt, if the crap roads don't
take your car, some car-jacker will.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. 

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Fadeev, Alex [SMTP:Alex.Fadeev@domain.elided]
	Sent:	Monday, May 22, 2000 1:23 PM
	To:	'bmw@domain.elided'
	Cc:	'jaymiller@domain.elided'
	Subject:	RE: What to look for in a '95 M3 (buying)

	jaymiller@domain.elided wrote:
	> 
	> Find out if the waterpump has been replaced! You do not want 
	> the plastic impeller. They go pop. 

	Correction: the life span of _some_ OE water pumps (with a plastic
impeller)
	is known to run out starting with 50K miles. Not a red flag for
buying,
	since the pump costs around $50 you can replace it yourself.

	> Also look at the rear tires make sure they're not bald. I 
	> believe all '95 M3's don't have LSD or anything like it. SO 
	> they eat rear tires.

	Not true!
	All M3s have LSD (unlike 96+ MY 328's, pre '96 325's with sports
packages
	also had LSDs).
	The rear tires do wear out a bit faster (hint: BMWs are rear wheel
driven).
	The tires can be rotated to extend their life span since '95 M3s
came with
	17x7.5 wheels all around.

	> Check the exhaust fumes, starting it from a cold engine. 
	> Usually a little white smoke comes out till the catalytic 
	> conv heats up. Check under the front spoiler, it's really
	> low and a careless driver tends to dig it into the ground.

	INTO THE GROUND??? 
	During a serious off-track excursion, perhaps.  
	The front spoiler, or more importantly the under-engine plastic tray
that
	hangs even lower then the spoiler, gets frequently scraped over
parking
	herbs and is known to brake off at speed. No easy way to check for
this
	unless the car is on the lift (inspect the mounting tabs/holes of
the
	shield).

	> I'd also look at how dirty the brake fluid is. Run the Vin on 
	> Carfax. Ask if it's ever had any track time.
	> 
	> Any check all the usually stuff, hoses, tread depth and how 
	> even it is from side to side (alignment, wheel balanced), 
	> 
	> You should buy one from a Bimmer fanatic, they tend to keep 
	> they're cars in optimal shape.

	And track them, he, he...

	Other then the first pass inspection of body panels, VINs and
overall
	condition of the car, consider scheduling an pre-purchase inspection
with an
	independent mechanic YOU trust. This may cost from $60-300, but is
well
	worth the price since you can always negotiate the cost of uncovered
	problems with the seller.

	alex f
	'95 M3 (among other cars)

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