SOLD: JamJay's BMW 335i

[t0m]

Take it easy with all the ice and low temps around mate! But enjoy

 

[SeanCorky]

Lovely, i'm on the look out for an E92 335i at the moment. I've seen a couple of SE's with the Aero kit and 1 or 2 M Sports that are within budget (but higher mileage).

It's a balance with the options though! I want a pretty much fully spec'd model but the ones that tick all the boxes usually have too many miles or are too old! (I'm only looking at 07/57 cars)

What year is yours?

 

[JamJay]

Lovely, i'm on the look out for an E92 335i at the moment. I've seen a couple of SE's with the Aero kit and 1 or 2 M Sports that are within budget (but higher mileage).

It's a balance with the options though! I want a pretty much fully spec'd model but the ones that tick all the boxes usually have too many miles or are too old! (I'm only looking at 07/57 cars)

What year is yours?

Thanks Sean.

I chose the M-Sport because I preferred the body kit however, the M-Sport package commands a much higher price and is an expensive conversion to do on an SE model. Don't discount higher mileage examples if they have been serviced well, same as with any other car but I'd always buy a 335i from a main dealer because the 1yr's warranty is priceless! Common faults are High Pressure Fuel Pump failure and Turbo Wastegates rattling, both you can have replaced free of charge with a BMW used car warranty and these can happen on any 335i from 1000miles to 100,000miles, it really is the luck of the draw so mileage or age really isn't your concern, mine is a 2008 car. This can work in your favour though, inspect a 335i and notice that the wastegates are rattling and right away you can smash them down on the price, then have them replaced under warranty. This is what I did and I knocked over £2000 off the price + road tax, wind deflector & fuel, deals are out there to be had, that's pretty much £3000 back in my pocket.

Specs are hard to find, I searched all over but people spec these cars so weirdly from the factory. My criteria was heated seats, bluetooth, electric seats, upgraded audio with iPod functionality & Saddle Brown interior on a black car or Coral Red on a grey car. I ended up having to sacrifice the heated seats because the Saddle Brown is just that damn rare but I gained Active Radar Cruise Control & Memory Seats instead. I was never bothered about iDrive but cars equipped with it are normally more highly priced, I also opted for a car without the M-Sport MV4 wheels, this is because they are renound for cracking as they're unable to take the punishment run-flat tyres throw at them however, most M-Sport Coupe's will have these wheels so check on the inner and outer lips for any cracks, they're an expensive replacement.

M-Sport didn't come out until '07 so all '56 cars will have originally been an SE...watch out for that and don't pay M-Sport money for one.

I get ribbed by the die hard track fans for having an E93 but TBH in a straight line the extra weight probably sticks my tyres down better . She was never bred to be a track toy but that being said, have you ever seen an M3 convertible around a track...handles it fantastically so the 335i could always be upgraded.

 

[SeanCorky]

Thanks Sean.

I chose the M-Sport because I preferred the body kit however, the M-Sport package commands a much higher price and is an expensive conversion to do on an SE model. Don't discount higher mileage examples if they have been serviced well, same as with any other car but I'd always buy a 335i from a main dealer because the 1yr's warranty is priceless! Common faults are High Pressure Fuel Pump failure and Turbo Wastegates rattling, both you can have replaced free of charge with a BMW used car warranty and these can happen on any 335i from 1000miles to 100,000miles, it really is the luck of the draw so mileage or age really isn't your concern, mine is a 2008 car. This can work in your favour though, inspect a 335i and notice that the wastegates are rattling and right away you can smash them down on the price, then have them replaced under warranty. This is what I did and I knocked over £2000 off the price + road tax, wind deflector & fuel, deals are out there to be had, that's pretty much £3000 back in my pocket.

Specs are hard to find, I searched all over but people spec these cars so weirdly from the factory. My criteria was heated seats, bluetooth, electric seats, upgraded audio with iPod functionality & Saddle Brown interior on a black car or Coral Red on a grey car. I ended up having to sacrifice the heated seats because the Saddle Brown is just that damn rare but I gained Active Radar Cruise Control & Memory Seats instead. I was never bothered about iDrive but cars equipped with it are normally more highly priced, I also opted for a car without the M-Sport MV4 wheels, this is because they are renound for cracking as they're unable to take the punishment run-flat tyres throw at them however, most M-Sport Coupe's will have these wheels so check on the inner and outer lips for any cracks, they're an expensive replacement.

M-Sport didn't come out until '07 so all '56 cars will have originally been an SE...watch out for that and don't pay M-Sport money for one.

I get ribbed by the die hard track fans for having an E93 but TBH in a straight line the extra weight probably sticks my tyres down better . She was never bred to be a track toy but that being said, have you ever seen an M3 convertible around a track...handles it fantastically so the 335i could always be upgraded.

Thanks for the advice!

My budget is changing by the day - it's going to be stretched a bit further so i can get the M-Sport! I'm looking for something along these lines http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...w/page/4/postcode/l11aa/radius/1501?logcode=p

My wish list is:
Black Sapphire
Black Leather
Manual
Bluetooth
Sunroof
Maybe Heated Seats
<50,000 miles
07 Onwards

On a budget of around £14k

I've registered and had a good read of e90post (noticed your Cupra R on there ) and people tend to say to be patient and the perfect spec will pop up at the right price. I believe BMW are decent at finding the right car for you too?

I'll definitely be after a car under warranty/extended warranty as there's 2 turbos to go wrong!

 

[JamJay]

Thanks for the advice!

My budget is changing by the day - it's going to be stretched a bit further so i can get the M-Sport! I'm looking for something along these lines http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...w/page/4/postcode/l11aa/radius/1501?logcode=p

My wish list is:
Black Sapphire
Black Leather
Manual
Bluetooth
Sunroof
Maybe Heated Seats
<50,000 miles
07 Onwards

On a budget of around £14k

I've registered and had a good read of e90post (noticed your Cupra R on there ) and people tend to say to be patient and the perfect spec will pop up at the right price. I believe BMW are decent at finding the right car for you too?

I'll definitely be after a car under warranty/extended warranty as there's 2 turbos to go wrong!

No worries. 2008 cars are normally more highly priced for some reason, I'm not sure why but I think that maybe BMW revised a couple of things in this year after the initial 2yrs passed before, you know how it is, manufacturers release a car to the real world to help identify little issues. Most of the E92's/E93's you see on the road are '07 plate anyway so they can't be all that bad .

Manual is a definite, DCT at very least. The box is tight and unmistakenly German, I like the feel a lot. £14k will get you a very well spec'd '56 SE or a very good '07 M-Sport but maybe missing an option or two, don't forget that M-Sport is technically an option in itself. BMW are good at finding you a car but watch them, they do try to push you into things to close a sale, they are trying to earn their money after all.

Don't be afraid to walk away from a dealership car if it's too highly priced, I did three times before I got the price I paid . What a dealership will normally do is wait for a customer to buy a car will a couple of niggles, then wait for them to bring it back and claim under the warranty, this means the dealer pays nothing. If they were to take in a 335i as trade and notice that the wastegates rattled, they'd have to pay themselves for the replacements...cheeky way of getting around it but that's business for you. New turbo's are around £500 each, it's an engine out job too.

Yup, I'm over on E90post, learning the car inside-out just as I did with my Leon. I'm no expert but I hope what I have learnt can help you .

I don't mean to scare you with the turbo's though, they literally have never rattled on some cars. The wastegate flaps fail to seat properly which is why they rattle, it doesn't affect performancem though, just sounds annoying.

 

[Mark300zx]

Funnily enough I was looking at these as a next car option, mega bhp with relatively good mpg and four seats, any chance of a lift one day?

 

[JamJay]

Funnily enough I was looking at these as a next car option, mega bhp with relatively good mpg and four seats, any chance of a lift one day?

I know that the TTRS/RS3 can get similar figures but I really do love the twin-turbo set up...lag, what lag ?

Sure thing, I'm still waiting for a dry day so I can go out and enjoy it properly myself. Give me a PM and let me know when you're about, we'll figure something out.

 

[JayFR150]

Hey Jason,
How's the BMW treating you?

 

[JamJay]

Hey Jason,
How's the BMW treating you?

Hi Jason,

It's going good (touch wood ) so far, car feels especially quick since the remap but I really want to take it out and test it on my own this weekend where I can do a few pulls. RWD is fun, the snow was interesting but she coped really well. I love having the folding roof but there's something in me that's says I should trade for a coupe and try the track & lose a few KG's.

 

[SeanCorky]

No worries. 2008 cars are normally more highly priced for some reason, I'm not sure why but I think that maybe BMW revised a couple of things in this year after the initial 2yrs passed before, you know how it is, manufacturers release a car to the real world to help identify little issues. Most of the E92's/E93's you see on the road are '07 plate anyway so they can't be all that bad .

Manual is a definite, DCT at very least. The box is tight and unmistakenly German, I like the feel a lot. £14k will get you a very well spec'd '56 SE or a very good '07 M-Sport but maybe missing an option or two, don't forget that M-Sport is technically an option in itself. BMW are good at finding you a car but watch them, they do try to push you into things to close a sale, they are trying to earn their money after all.

Don't be afraid to walk away from a dealership car if it's too highly priced, I did three times before I got the price I paid . What a dealership will normally do is wait for a customer to buy a car will a couple of niggles, then wait for them to bring it back and claim under the warranty, this means the dealer pays nothing. If they were to take in a 335i as trade and notice that the wastegates rattled, they'd have to pay themselves for the replacements...cheeky way of getting around it but that's business for you. New turbo's are around £500 each, it's an engine out job too.

Yup, I'm over on E90post, learning the car inside-out just as I did with my Leon. I'm no expert but I hope what I have learnt can help you .

I don't mean to scare you with the turbo's though, they literally have never rattled on some cars. The wastegate flaps fail to seat properly which is why they rattle, it doesn't affect performancem though, just sounds annoying.

I think i'm slightly pushing it what i want for 14k like

There is a Black '07 335i SE with M-Sport kit, Black leather, gloss black interior, rear spoiler, bluetooth, 19" alloys (230 SE ones), full BMWSH for £10,750! Downside is it has 79k on it which is a fair bit more than i wanted. The other half doesn't like the fact that it's an SE dressed as an M-Sport either. I keep looking at it though!

I'll be paying for the warranty anyway, too risky IMO.

 

[JayFR150]

If you're having doubts about this one now, then I'd trade it for the coupe before you spend too much money on this one ! I do really like these cars, but for me the coupe would be my first choice. By the way... Rwd in the snow?! You've got some balls... Or good tyres !

 

[JamJay]

I think i'm slightly pushing it what i want for 14k like

There is a Black '07 335i SE with M-Sport kit, Black leather, gloss black interior, rear spoiler, bluetooth, 19" alloys (230 SE ones), full BMWSH for £10,750! Downside is it has 79k on it which is a fair bit more than i wanted. The other half doesn't like the fact that it's an SE dressed as an M-Sport either. I keep looking at it though!

I'll be paying for the warranty anyway, too risky IMO.

That is quite a lot of miles, a bit much perhaps if you're planning on keeping it for a while. That's reflected in the price of course so pay less now but sell for less later. For looks, the SE with M-Sport kit looks the same but should be priced lower. It's up to you though, only you'd know .

If you're having doubts about this one now, then I'd trade it for the coupe before you spend too much money on this one ! I do really like these cars, but for me the coupe would be my first choice. By the way... Rwd in the snow?! You've got some balls... Or good tyres !

No second thought about the cabrio Jay, love it but if I ever wanted a track toy I'd change it. Right now I don't but all the mods including the remap are direct swaps .

 

[SeanCorky]

That is quite a lot of miles, a bit much perhaps if you're planning on keeping it for a while. That's reflected in the price of course so pay less now but sell for less later. For looks, the SE with M-Sport kit looks the same but should be priced lower. It's up to you though, only you'd know .

I only do ~5000 miles a year but that is still too many miles! I want a genuine M-Sport too, that's just a wild card if i wanted something cheap!

I've got my eye on another one now, it looks immaculate too:

Manual
49,000 miles
Sapphire Black
Grey Nappa Leather
Full BMW Service History
Professional Sat Nav
Bluetooth
Front & Rear Parking Sensors
Electric Folding Mirrors
Factory Sun Protection Glass
Heated Front Seats
18" M Alloys

Up for £15,490 - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...i/radius/1501/postcode/l11aa/page/1?logcode=p

I've contacted them about it but i could do with it being a bit cheaper!

 

[JamJay]

I only do ~5000 miles a year but that is still too many miles! I want a genuine M-Sport too, that's just a wild card if i wanted something cheap!

I've got my eye on another one now, it looks immaculate too:

Manual
49,000 miles
Sapphire Black
Grey Nappa Leather
Full BMW Service History
Professional Sat Nav
Bluetooth
Front & Rear Parking Sensors
Electric Folding Mirrors
Factory Sun Protection Glass
Heated Front Seats
18" M Alloys

Up for £15,490 - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...i/radius/1501/postcode/l11aa/page/1?logcode=p

I've contacted them about it but i could do with it being a bit cheaper!

Same here, I do around 4000miles per year and most of those are weekend 'enjoyment' miles.

That one looks good but the spec is what's commanding the price, that really is a loaded car. It's a shame almost that this isn't at a BMW main dealer, if you go for it then make sure you read whatever warranty it has very carefully, you want ALL major components covered! That's not to say these are unreliable but being a BMW even little parts are expensive. Also, I see they offer a remap, be careful with this and ask who it's by. The DME was notoriously hard to crack and took a couple of years for reputable tuners to tune properly. As with SEAT you have your reliable tuners so stick with these to be safe.

Evolve
Burger Motorsport (Juice Box JB4)
Vishnu (PROcede V4)
COBB (AP)
P-Torque

 

[JamJay]

Here is am update after my first proper drive of my car post-remap and most definitely a few brown pants moments.

First thing, note to self, the speed I feel like I'm doing is not the actual speed, it's much more, 0-60mph is around 4.5s now and my neck feels it. I got caught out big time doing a 2nd & 3rd gear pull where warp speed was achieved & there were still three gears to use, this thing is insane and just doesn't stop going, I will openly admit that it scared me in places as I just wasn't expecting such a power hit. In the wrong hands this car will kill someone, it's a serious big boys toy and I'm glad I have some track experience to handle it. RWD & TCS off (no silly driver aids or 4WD), it's pretty f@cking raw and you need to be paying attention. For your average motorist, remapping this car is not a good idea and God only knows whats Stage 2+ feels like (440bhp) which is essentially just as big of a jump as Stage 1. I'm really going to enjoy driving this about but it's all about being safe so don't expect any street racing, I'm not sure I'd have the balls at the moment anyway, it's just in a differnt league to any hot hatch. The car had plenty of grip, I was really surprised but it handles so well even with all the power however, I am definitely going to ditch the OE wheels & run-flats some time very soon for something wider and stickier.

I wanted to test out my findings with some extra weight in the car so went and picked up my Dad (big guy), the car wasn't phased at all so I can only guess at the torque it's throwing out, I'm sure I'll see at the AMD RR day .

 

[SeanCorky]

Same here, I do around 4000miles per year and most of those are weekend 'enjoyment' miles.

That one looks good but the spec is what's commanding the price, that really is a loaded car. It's a shame almost that this isn't at a BMW main dealer, if you go for it then make sure you read whatever warranty it has very carefully, you want ALL major components covered! That's not to say these are unreliable but being a BMW even little parts are expensive. Also, I see they offer a remap, be careful with this and ask who it's by. The DME was notoriously hard to crack and took a couple of years for reputable tuners to tune properly. As with SEAT you have your reliable tuners so stick with these to be safe.

Evolve
Burger Motorsport (Juice Box JB4)
Vishnu (PROcede V4)
COBB (AP)
P-Torque

I've spoke to them today and that one is already sold You snooze you lose!

There's one someone has shown me over on e90post which is a BMW AUC, 45000miles up for £17,000. I doubt the discounts will bring that down enough for my stretched budget!

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

Here is am update after my first proper drive of my car post-remap and most definitely a few brown pants moments.

First thing, note to self, the speed I feel like I'm doing is not the actual speed, it's much more, 0-60mph is around 4.5s now and my neck feels it. I got caught out big time doing a 2nd & 3rd gear pull where warp speed was achieved & there were still three gears to use, this thing is insane and just doesn't stop going, I will openly admit that it scared me in places as I just wasn't expecting such a power hit. In the wrong hands this car will kill someone, it's a serious big boys toy and I'm glad I have some track experience to handle it. RWD & TCS off (no silly driver aids or 4WD), it's pretty f@cking raw and you need to be paying attention. For your average motorist, remapping this car is not a good idea and God only knows whats Stage 2+ feels like (440bhp) which is essentially just as big of a jump as Stage 1. I'm really going to enjoy driving this about but it's all about being safe so don't expect any street racing, I'm not sure I'd have the balls at the moment anyway, it's just in a differnt league to any hot hatch. The car had plenty of grip, I was really surprised but it handles so well even with all the power however, I am definitely going to ditch the OE wheels & run-flats some time very soon for something wider and stickier.

I wanted to test out my findings with some extra weight in the car so went and picked up my Dad (big guy), the car wasn't phased at all so I can only guess at the torque it's throwing out, I'm sure I'll see at the AMD RR day .

Sounds insane, i think mine will be staying standard tuning wise, the insurance will kill me (either that or the car)

 

[t0m]

Can't wait to see this at the RR day on the rollers!

 

[JordanMk3]

I bet this is a monster! Personally, I think you should keep the cabrio.. Because when summer comes around, and (if) its cracking flags, you can lower the roof, and listen to the sound of those 2 exhausts growling behind you..

 

[JamJay]

I've spoke to them today and that one is already sold You snooze you lose!

There's one someone has shown me over on e90post which is a BMW AUC, 45000miles up for £17,000. I doubt the discounts will bring that down enough for my stretched budget!

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!



Sounds insane, i think mine will be staying standard tuning wise, the insurance will kill me (either that or the car)

That's a shame but keep looking, the right one will be out there for you, just don't rush. Besides, your Leon is a nice place to be while you wait .

I said that too but you'd be suprised at how little it goes up. Get used to standard power first though, in retrospect I might have waited a little longer but owning my LCR had me wanting more.

Can't wait to see this at the RR day on the rollers!

Looking forward to it! I'll take you out for a spin.

I bet this is a monster! Personally, I think you should keep the cabrio.. Because when summer comes around, and (if) its cracking flags, you can lower the roof, and listen to the sound of those 2 exhausts growling behind you..

That's a good arguement, cabrio it is


On a sad note, I was involved in a car crash this morning. It wasn't the BMW though, my girlfriend's poor little Toyota Aygo got beaten to death. We were travelling along an A-road and all of a sudden this woman shoots out of a side-road without stopping and hits us square in the drivers door, opening it up like a baked bean tin. We were thrown left in the car where me being the passenger smashed myself into the passenger door and my girlfriend managed to injure her left arm. The impact was with such force that we shot off up the pavement and had a head-on at 30mph with a lamp post where my GF hit her head on the wheel (airbags didn't deploy?!), my neck snapped forward and my knees whacked the dash. I immediately check my GF was ok, she appeared to be and was in a huge state of shock so my anger turned to the woman on the school run who was genuinely apologetic but seriously, WATCH THE ROAD! As luck would have it a police woman was coming down the road and pulled in and helped everyone, also two witnesses took their time to stop and testify that it was not our fault so I'll drop them both a bottle of wine soon once things are sorted.

Now, I'm not one to rape the system for a fake claim but we're now both in pain with neck, shoulder and back issues. It feels like I've just tried to shoulder press and dead lift the weight of a car and by the hour I feel less mobile, my GF has the same pain as well as a bruised face and arm. I've already lost one day at work and will lose another this week to be checked out by the doctors, should I bother to claim or am I taking the p*ss? If we were ok then no question we wouldn't but we're falling to pieces. We didn;t accept an ambulance at the scene as I guess the adrenaline was pumping.

 

[JordanMk3]

Sorry to hear Jason.. I just hope you are both okay and recover as soon as..
Im not someone that would claim for no reason, as I am a fond believer in what goes around comes around.. But if I was in your situation, I wouldnt think twice about claiming.. Definately push for a claim. 100% go for it.