Upgrading to an M

[Aries326]

So I'm really close to pulling the trigger on that Z4MR being sold here. It's got the same color scheme that my SI has. One thing I worry about is not seeing the car in person. I just looked at tickets and it's gonna cost me close to $800 to fly out to see the car next week.

Have any of you guys ever purchased a car without seeing it?

[Steeler]

Originally Posted by Aries326

So I'm really close to pulling the trigger on that Z4MR being sold here. It's got the same color scheme that my SI has. One thing I worry about is not seeing the car in person. I just looked at tickets and it's gonna cost me close to $800 to fly out to see the car next week.

Have any of you guys ever purchased a car without seeing it?

See if one of the guys on here will go take a look.

I bought my 3.0 sight unseen after having one of my GTO buds go take a look

[Mtxzptlk]

Purchased mine through these forums close to 3 years ago.

Bought it sight unseen, only saw pics. Finally saw the car itself as it rolled off the truck.
Luckily for me, the car was as good as advertised.

Behind the scenes I was doing lots of homework on the car, checked the VIN, carfax etc. etc. called dealership to confirm that the service records reported correlate.

Everything checked out fine; Not gonna lie when I say that there was definitely some anxiety from the time money exchanged hands till the car rolled into my garage for me to have a look over. Having described my experience as being positive, I'm sure someone out there has a not so pleasant story to match.

I'd say if you can't fly out, do your homework really well on the car prior to buying. Hope it works out well for you as it did for me.

[elerner61]

I have. I purchased a 3 year old Miata from Louisana. It was from a reputable Mazda dealer and was a very fresh car. The dealer provided many pictures of the car. In the end the car was not in the condition as advertised and favored the dealer selling it (dealer said it was "mint").

Here's my advice, don't trust the seller's use of typical descriptive wording for pre-owned cars. "Mint" to me meant something different to the dealer ("well, it's mint for a 3 year old car"). Be very clear in the questions you ask the seller about the condition of the car.

If I had to do it all over, I would demand the seller to send me pictures of every visual defect in the vehicle. You want to have a picture with a description of every scratch and blemish on the vehicle. If it doesn't look or feel brand new, you want it to be disclosed. Try not to leave anything to the judgement of the seller.

Also, if you can't fly out maybe see if another forum member that is local can take a look for you.

[PLCZ4MC]

the white one for 24,500?? that one is a really good sale if thats the one you talking about. I think since is from this forum page is more save than buying one from outside sites with out looking at it. People here seem to be more loyal and honest. even adding 24,500+800 is still not so bad for the white and red z4m if u referring to that one.

[Gladius]

Bought my most recent M this way, from a BMW dealer in North Carolina. I wanted to act quickly because it was low mileage and in really good shape. I had them send me close up photos of some typical troublespots and asked the salesman to walk around the car as I was asking him questions about it on the phone. Took a risk, but I had checked out the dealer online and they seemed to have a good reputation. The last car I bought like this, I first had a local BMW club member who I found in the BMW registry take a look at it, and once he gave it the thumbs up, I drove out to Kansas and had a PPI done on it before I bought it.

[mtrhed]

Maybe a deposit and a PPI? Usually how I do it when buying non-local cars. Bay Area CCA I'm sure can recommend a good shop. Car looks good but I'm sure it has some nicks and scrapes, inevitable. I'd be more interested in mechanical condition. Sweet car by the looks, good price.

[v3.2mc]

I bought mine and had it shipped to me sight unseen. no issues; granted, it was a well documented car here on the forum before I got it.

someone in the regionals area may be able to help with a pre-inspection.

congrats on the future ///m... despite the slightly higher maintenance, I have had zero regrets since making the same decision. :-)

[Aries326]

How much would a good inspection cost? Even though inspection 2 was clear, that was several thousand miles ago. I'd like to make sure the VANOS system is still good to go.

Can anyone recommend a good shop in the San Jose area? Looks like the current owner brought it to an Indy for inspection 2. I'd have to check with the seller if he's willing to get the car inspected before the deal is sealed. I'd really like to avoid having to fly over there and instead put the money towards inspection and getting the car shipped over.

Thanks for the tips!

[StickMon]

I bought mine in the dark, without a test drive.
Did pretty well, although I had to have the Vanos bolts replaced a month later.
Still was a good deal.

[mtrhed]

I've paid between $150-$250 for PPI's depending how thorough you want them to be. For the s54 I would at least want the VANOS checked out completely. Exhaust hub tabs, cam bolts etc...Take a look at the CPV to see if it is leaking at all, where the brakes are at...Have them check paint with a meter. I knocked about $2800 off of the asking price on mine for things like this(23.5K for an 06 with 58Kmiles). For a long distance transaction it's the only way to fly. Dinan is all over the place around San Jose. Just a thought. Any shop that knows the e46 m3 should be qualified.

[Pheonix]

How about Dinan Service in Mountainview?

Dinan Service- Mountain View
(650) 318-6224
2232 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View, CA 94043

[Pheonix]

Better yet! Is the current owner belong to the forum? I am sure one of us member here could meet up and check out the car for you

[Aries326]

Originally Posted by Pheonix

Better yet! Is the current owner belong to the forum? I am sure one of us member here could meet up and check out the car for you

Current owner is a member here. If I do buy it and get it transported, how's that all work? Where do they pick it up from? After purchase, where's the car get stored?

Current owner still has a lien so I'll have to go through an escrow service. I really want to make this happen but purchasing something unseen and making sure the entire process goes smoothly for both parties is a bit daunting.

A previous poster mentioned that he was quite nervous about buying a car and having it delivered. I'm at that point now. A part of me wants to fly over to San Jose and make sure everything goes smoothly but a part of me wants to make it happen from afar. Money is part of the issue but a bigger part is family. I already work enough and I don't want to spend what time off I have away from the family.

[Pheonix]

This seems to be a great deal and a very rare combo Z4. However, i would not buy any car without physically check it out by myself first then having a PPI done. That being said, i would strongly suggest that you ask one of us here to meet up with the owner and check it out for you. Then have the car PPI by your choice of shop (of course you gonna have to pay for it). Then proceed only if everything check out.
This is a great deal for a local buyer but you have to factor in the additional costs of travellings (unless you decide not to fly here), cost of transport of anywhere from $1,200-$2,100 depending on carrier (i paid around $2,050 to transport my Mcoupe from Connecticut to the bay area last year). Plus time away from your family!
To be honest, i am not sure if this is the car for you given the limit info given.

[Aries326]

That'd be great if I can get someone to check the car out for me and meet with the mechanic doing the PPI. I checked out uship.com and I got a quote of $1174 so that's not too bad. I'm still waiting on the Inspection 2 report then on Tuesday (day off) I have to look for a loan which shouldn't be bad. I've got good credit. CarFax checked out.

[v3.2mc]

Originally Posted by Aries326

Current owner still has a lien so I'll have to go through an escrow service. I really want to make this happen but purchasing something unseen and making sure the entire process goes smoothly for both parties is a bit daunting.

this was my exact situation when i bought mine.

i had my local dealer broker the deal. they contacted the PO, bought the car from her bank for payoff, arranged all the shipping, and did the preowned inspection (along with the inspection II) all before i bought it from the dealer. it was very smooth. i would absolutely do it again.

[gtMc]

Aries, Agree with all of this. I bought mine the same way from the Midwest sight unseen, and it had a lien, etc. Don't be nervous about it, just be smart, have another forum member lend a hand, get the PPI and get it shipped. People do it every day. you'll be fine!

Go onto that exhaust thread that the folks in the bay area did and you'll find about 15 others out there you could PM and ask. Maybe Phoenix knows some others too he could suggest.

[mbanshchikov]

Definitely get the ppi. I paid 300 at a bmw dealership when I picked up the coupe last month

[HEY32G]

Sorry dude, I did just buy it sight unseen. That white w/ imola is hard to find!! I had to jump on it fast before someone else snatched it up! Oh and by the way, I'm just pulling your leg, I didn't. There has to be someone on here that will run over and take a look at it.

[StickMon]

If it's a 2006, won't it have hex head bolts in the ends of the camshafts, as opposed to the upgraded torx bolts?
The "for sale" post doesn't list having the bolts replaced.

[Aries326]

Thanks everyone for your great advice. I've submitted an application for the loan. A problem that the seller said may pop up is the age of the car. Past 7 years, most places won't give you a loan for a car. Is this true?

Credit rating isn't an issue but the age of the car might be the stumbling block. If I get the loan, I'll be setting up the PPI and look for someone who can check the car out for me. Anyone here in the Bay Area willing to check out the car?

@StickMon
The bolts have not been replaced but according to seller, they have been looked at and all looks good. I'll have the mechanic look at them again. If the PPI looks good and I end up getting the car, are there any preventative maintenance measures I should have done while it is at the shop?