[noxypaws]

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...&&aff=national

Curse cars.com and their freakishly long URLs.

Anyways, an '07 335 with 35k miles on it, at $23000? Seems incredibly low to me, but I wonder if that's because it all riced....er, "kraut"ed out with aftermarket wheels, what looks like a cold air intake, and some stuff done to the hood and trunk.

And with regard to the aftermarket stuff, would I be laughed and chased out of a dealer if I drove up to one expecting warranty service or maintenance?

Any thoughts? 335i coupe is practically my dream car if I never become rich enough for an M3. And I imagine I could haggle more since I don't like the color and it doesn't have cold weather package on it.

[yakev724]

Umm, the engine bay wiring isn't secured properly, just laying on top of the block like that. This means the dealer doesn't know anything about these cars. Or the previous owner/mechanic was an idiot and broke the clips b/c he didn't know how to remove it properly, and didn't bother to look it up.

If it were me (I'd walk away simply b/c I'm disgusted by how it looks, but besides the point), I'd take it to BMW and have them do a full $200 inspection. If it checks out, I'd consider going for it depending on how it looks up close. To be honest, I'd pass, you never know what kind of history a car's had, and from what I can see with this car, I wouldn't be surprised if it's been beaten, at least a bit. Everything about the modifications/condition point to a brainwashed 19yo owner. And hopefully all that 'CF' is vinyl that u can just peel off.

If it were me, I'd stay patient, save up a bit more, and keep looking. As much as I love my car now, I should have probably followed my own advice and waited for a nice 335 coupe.

EDIT: CARFAX shows 17 records, wouldn't be surprised of a salvage title. Walk away.

[noxypaws]

Originally Posted by yakev724

Umm, the engine bay wiring isn't secured properly, just laying on top of the block like that. This means the dealer doesn't know anything about these cars. Or the previous owner/mechanic was an idiot and broke the clips b/c he didn't know how to remove it properly, and didn't bother to look it up.

Both! It's a Chrysler dealer, and the last owner (who was the 2nd owner) was a kid that had it for 18 months, modded it to hell, and then was too scared to drive it in the winter, so he traded it for a Jeep.

I just took it for a drive. Cosmetically, it's in great shape. And it's got a TON of power. But there was noise coming from the front wheels, like some bad bearings or something. Steering pulled to the left. Gearbox felt slightly grindy. The intake looked like absolute garbage (I would definitely get rid of that; either bring it back to stock or get a respectable aftermarket). The exhaust seems pretty likely to be aftermarket too, but it seemed alright. And the carbon fiber I think was just pasted on.

So I've got 2 options:

1) Walk away and continue loving my 325
2) Take the 335 for a day and have a full inspection done, then use that information plus the fact that warranty is probably totally voided, and see if I can't talk him down in price significantly to where I could restore some sanity to the poor thing and still make out with a killer deal. At the very least, I had a flashy, really fast car for the day for the cost of an inspection (I'd bring it to an indie BMW specialist that I know and trust, so it'd be way less than the dealerships want at $120 and $125).

Either way I'm so not getting worked up over this one, though it'd be pretty nice if it turns out to be sound and I can get a killer deal. I'll definitely have to check on that carfax, though.

[Outlaw 06]

There’s a 99.9% certainty that the car has been ragged senseless by an amateurish boy racer. IMO, your best option is to walk away and continue loving your 325i.

[noxypaws]

Definitely walking away from this one. Thanks for the advice, all. If I had any way cost-effective way of knowing the engine, tranny, and diff were all pristine, I'd consider it, but it was indeed owned and modded up by some kid, so I'm not going to even bother.

Thanks again!

[vladdy328]

Nice color combo ruined.

[noxypaws]

Originally Posted by vladdy328

Nice color combo ruined.

Haha. I normally hate red on cars (had 9 months in a '91 Miata to learn how much I hate the color) but it worked on this one. At least, it WOULD have worked if the carbon fiber was real and not just glued onto the car..

[ScaredOnce]

Originally Posted by loonwings

Definitely walking away from this one. Thanks for the advice, all. If I had any way cost-effective way of knowing the engine, tranny, and diff were all pristine, I'd consider it, but it was indeed owned and modded up by some kid, so I'm not going to even bother.

Thanks again!

Good call, imho...

[Jred22]

I would stay away from it brother, doesn't even have sport package. I just picked up a 07 335i, and scowered the midwest so i have a pretty good idea of the market around you. Check these out...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search..._type=priceASC

[noxypaws]

Originally Posted by Jred22

I would stay away from it brother, doesn't even have sport package. I just picked up a 07 335i, and scowered the midwest so i have a pretty good idea of the market around you. Check these out...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search..._type=priceASC

I'm sure there are tons of postings asking this same question, and tomorrow I'll be looking them up...but are the advantages of finding something certified worth the extra cost and the effort of finding one? Or is it cost effective to find one that's not certified and just deal?

[Jred22]

Originally Posted by loonwings

I'm sure there are tons of postings asking this same question, and tomorrow I'll be looking them up...but are the advantages of finding something certified worth the extra cost and the effort of finding one? Or is it cost effective to find one that's not certified and just deal?

I'm not too sure about it, I was able to get my car for a great price and get a $2500 3rd party warranty for $1500. So i didn't rule out the car i bought because it never had the chance to get CPO'd (first owner had it for 60k miles). The two best tools i found were autotrader and bmwusa.com for searching. I don't think you'll have trouble finding what you want for a good price.