Bmw Owners Clubs In Sri Lanka ?

[madmax]

That must be one of the very few automatics in SL, and perhaps the only e36 323?

[MkX]

Guys few days ago sudden thought came to my mind.. i.e my next car should be a BMW. Price 1.3M - 1.6M. Need average of 9-10 on gas with A/C. What are the options?

BTW VVTI its maxxa car.. I like it.

Edited February 21, 2010 by MkX

[SpEeD FrEak]

Guys few days ago sudden thought came to my mind.. i.e my next car should be a BMW. Price 1.3M - 1.6M. Need average of 9-10 on gas with A/C. What are the options?

BTW VVTI its maxxa car.. I like it.

Yeah car that is looked after well

i dont know much about Beemers but u would b able to get a E36 3 series or E34 5 series

Edited February 21, 2010 by SpEeD FrEak

[miniace]

Guys few days ago sudden thought came to my mind.. i.e my next car should be a BMW. Price 1.3M - 1.6M. Need average of 9-10 on gas with A/C. What are the options?

I used an E36 recently.Delivered 10.5 km/l in city.Thats a manual 1.8 litre car tuned by Ajith.E36 318i average market price is within your range mentioned.Good car ..gor for it.

MINIACE

[VVTi]

I used an E36 recently.Delivered 10.5 km/l in city.Thats a manual 1.8 litre car tuned by Ajith.E36 318i average market price is within your range mentioned.Good car ..gor for it.

MINIACE

Yep, there was one 318i that was for sale a few months back. A known party bought it. No complains and he too uses it as a daily runner... he paid 14.5 I think.

[VVTi]

That must be one of the very few automatics in SL, and perhaps the only e36 323?

Not sure about that Madmax. This is debadged from new. And I have seen a few debadged E36s plying about. So I guess there are some out there and no one knows about them.

[MkX]

I used an E36 recently.Delivered 10.5 km/l in city.Thats a manual 1.8 litre car tuned by Ajith.E36 318i average market price is within your range mentioned.Good car ..gor for it.

MINIACE

http://autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=9343

This car looks nice. I would prefer darker colour though like wht VVTI got. Is this a modded bumper? And it says M3 side inserts. What does that mean. Well I have to keep on studying on beemers. Because i have no clue on the maintenance side of it. Dealers, workshops, and cost of it.

And I am not in high end category of the market regular guy who normally set off with a corrolla to sunnys and currently using an EK3 (hope you got what I meant).

[pradfred]

Hey VVti

The cat as they say is outta da bag.

Wheres that dude who was shootin off his mouth about dragginn ?

[madmax]

This car looks nice. I would prefer darker colour though like wht VVTI got. Is this a modded bumper? And it says M3 side inserts. What does that mean. Well I have to keep on

Probably replaced the bumper with a M3 bumper. Side inserts are the gills you see on the front side fendors. They came on on the m3. So there's a big chance either the fendors were also replaced or else they were cut to fits the side gills.

[VVTi]

http://autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=9343

This car looks nice. I would prefer darker colour though like wht VVTI got. Is this a modded bumper? And it says M3 side inserts. What does that mean. Well I have to keep on studying on beemers. Because i have no clue on the maintenance side of it. Dealers, workshops, and cost of it.

And I am not in high end category of the market regular guy who normally set off with a corrolla to sunnys and currently using an EK3 (hope you got what I meant).

Well, if you really really want one, and if you are willing to turn a deaf year to the experts who will insist that you buy a Corolla, Nissan or a Honda, then you can find a good specimen. You will have to accept that you will be looking at slightly higher than normal prices for many parts, but then most of the time most of these parts don't need changing all the time. This offsets that 'cost' issue. Also keep in mind that the ones that are lovingly maintained don't get sold that easy and when they do, prices are higher than you expect.

I just wish that people who owns these do some research and study the inner workings instead of taking them to each and every self proclaimed 'expert' that pops up like mushrooms. They screw up the car, the owner and the reputation and they complain that the EU cars are 'crap'.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge or the reluctance to learn about a model and its history and what went in to the design and manufacture is what killed the car market in SL.

[MkX]

Well, if you really really want one, and if you are willing to turn a deaf year to the experts who will insist that you buy a Corolla, Nissan or a Honda, then you can find a good specimen. You will have to accept that you will be looking at slightly higher than normal prices for many parts, but then most of the time most of these parts don't need changing all the time. This offsets that 'cost' issue. Also keep in mind that the ones that are lovingly maintained don't get sold that easy and when they do, prices are higher than you expect.

I just wish that people who owns these do some research and study the inner workings instead of taking them to each and every self proclaimed 'expert' that pops up like mushrooms. They screw up the car, the owner and the reputation and they complain that the EU cars are 'crap'.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge or the reluctance to learn about a model and its history and what went in to the design and manufacture is what killed the car market in SL.

Well I am concerned about the cost of maintenance. What would be the price difference in regular service / maintenance like filters, oil, plugs, shock absorbers. However i will not go for one in near future but most likely 1 - 2 years. But better still start learning on Bs.. so when time comes i can decide.

[xXx]

Well, if you really really want one, and if you are willing to turn a deaf year to the experts who will insist that you buy a Corolla, Nissan or a Honda, then you can find a good specimen. You will have to accept that you will be looking at slightly higher than normal prices for many parts, but then most of the time most of these parts don't need changing all the time. This offsets that 'cost' issue. Also keep in mind that the ones that are lovingly maintained don't get sold that easy and when they do, prices are higher than you expect.

I just wish that people who owns these do some research and study the inner workings instead of taking them to each and every self proclaimed 'expert' that pops up like mushrooms. They screw up the car, the owner and the reputation and they complain that the EU cars are 'crap'.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge or the reluctance to learn about a model and its history and what went in to the design and manufacture is what killed the car market in SL.

machang i don't think people consider euro cars as crap. i can’t think of anyone who don’t want to own one. it’s just that the poor secondhand value and the high cost involved in replacing certain parts has limited the ownership to a niche group of individuals.

the way I see it regular maintenance bill or the daily running costs is not the issue. it’s the big repairs that come along the way due to regular wear and tear that'll cost an arm and a leg. and then you have the whole issue/cost of body parts like side mirrors, indicators, head lights in a case of an accident. lack of support offered by 3rd parties other than the agents is another concern.

why don't all you euro owners start a new thread and list down some contacts for support other than the agents. will be very helpful for existing and future owners

[VVTi]

I retract the word crap. But Euro cars do have a bad rap here in SL due to the down playing of their reliabilities and parts availability.

However, the cost of servicing a Euro is no worse than getting your Jap a premium service. Also, if one has the insured the car properly then the replacement costs for accident damaged exterior parts are not an issue.

Also most of the commonly replaced parts ARE available from 3rd parties. I get mine from one such person. Who has turned out to be reliable and carries a extensive range of parts.

Then again, owning a Euro and its running costs cannot be compared to owning a Jap... but neither is the experience.

[MkX]

Yes if euro car owners start sharing the info it will be very usefull for potential buyers like me too. However I don't mind the about 50 - 100% increase of regular service cost. But worry is possible major replacements after buying a used one.

[Ripper]

Yes if euro car owners start sharing the info it will be very usefull for potential buyers like me too. However I don't mind the about 50 - 100% increase of regular service cost. But worry is possible major replacements after buying a used one.

i think the key point is to get an immaculately maintained used car or bite the artillery shell and buy brand new!

so many people end up taking certain euro cars to the usual wayside garage dude to sort out when trouble brews but those chaps end up ruining it cos they might not have the experience or the knowledge to attend to a non-jap car.

[VVTi]

i think the key point is to get an immaculately maintained used car or bite the artillery shell and buy brand new!

so many people end up taking certain euro cars to the usual wayside garage dude to sort out when trouble brews but those chaps end up ruining it cos they might not have the experience or the knowledge to attend to a non-jap car.

Absolutely. I remember Bugatti saying that a reputed Pug Mechanic ruined one of his friends 406. So there you are. Who do you trust? I'd rather screw it up myself... Than let some guy experiment with my vehicle.

[MkX]

i think the key point is to get an immaculately maintained used car or bite the artillery shell and buy brand new!

so many people end up taking certain euro cars to the usual wayside garage dude to sort out when trouble brews but those chaps end up ruining it cos they might not have the experience or the knowledge to attend to a non-jap car.

Yes key is to find out well maintained car. And then I need to consider the routing services as well. Now I spend 2500 for oil 1800 - 3950 (air filter genuine) 1000 - 1500 oil filter so around 4000 - 6000 for regular service. What will be the service cost for BMW?

[VVTi]

Yes key is to find out well maintained car. And then I need to consider the routing services as well. Now I spend 2500 for oil 1800 - 3950 (air filter genuine) 1000 - 1500 oil filter so around 4000 - 6000 for regular service. What will be the service cost for BMW?

For a full service with all the filters changed and oil, Around Rs. 23K at the agents.... Service intervals are around every 10K.

[MasterDon]

My Baby... 1996 BMW E36 323. One Owner, bought her last July. 2500cc 6 cylinder M52B25 power plant. 5 Speed ZF Auto tranny with Sport/Econ settings, Full leather interior, CD, Dual Zone Climate Control, Sunroof, 16 inch rims with 225 rubbers, Sold the P11... this is now the daily runner.... and for that all important question... yes, she does better gas than a K11 March... and relatively cheaper to maintain than a Jap.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9358/img0341r.jpg

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6476/img0348f.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/5000/img0352w.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/5861/img0356fo.jpg

So when can we start the club????

nice car dude...kudos to you and the previous owner for keeping it looking gorgeous all these years.

BTW where do you go for repairs...milroy?

i think the key point is to get an immaculately maintained used car or bite the artillery shell and buy brand new!

so many people end up taking certain euro cars to the usual wayside garage dude to sort out when trouble brews but those chaps end up ruining it cos they might not have the experience or the knowledge to attend to a non-jap car.

true!

[VVTi]

nice car dude...kudos to you and the previous owner for keeping it looking gorgeous all these years.

BTW where do you go for repairs...milroy?

Thanks Don...

No.. and I will not be taking it to him also. The car has a service record from the time it hit the SL shores. Each and every service was done at Prestige and I intend to keep it that way as I hate cutting corners. They know this car inside out.

Repairs or replacements, I have a contact who brings down OEM parts and replacing is a breeze if you have the Workshop manual... which I do.

I need to invest in a torque wrench one of these days.

Edited February 24, 2010 by VVTi

[MadMMX]

Yeah actually the BM's are not hard to maintain. Have had them for the past 5 years - E46 diesel and then E46 318i petrol (facelift). The newer cars have a much higher service interval - ie the 318i facelift service interval is 25k kms. On the previous diesel it was 14k kms. Do a bunch of stuff myself and as long as you have the service dvds (TIS / WDS ETK ...) they are not difficult to maintain. Also useful to have the OBD2 cable. Hook it up to the laptop and there is no guesswork with diagnostics. The car's multiple computers are pretty accurate in detecting the little niggles. Prefer to do the service at the agent since its not all that expensive - as the interval is long and get most of my parts direct from uk. And the keeping the service record in good shape adds value later.

The torque wrench is useful but beware its difficult to get them into most places when doing maintenance - better to have a flexible head 1/2 inch drive.

Just my 2 cents.

[xXx]

Then again, owning a Euro and its running costs cannot be compared to owning a Jap... but neither is the experience.

Amen to that.....

[VVTi]

Yeah actually the BM's are not hard to maintain. Have had them for the past 5 years - E46 diesel and then E46 318i petrol (facelift). The newer cars have a much higher service interval - ie the 318i facelift service interval is 25k kms. On the previous diesel it was 14k kms. Do a bunch of stuff myself and as long as you have the service dvds (TIS / WDS ETK ...) they are not difficult to maintain. Also useful to have the OBD2 cable. Hook it up to the laptop and there is no guesswork with diagnostics. The car's multiple computers are pretty accurate in detecting the little niggles. Prefer to do the service at the agent since its not all that expensive - as the interval is long and get most of my parts direct from uk. And the keeping the service record in good shape adds value later.

The torque wrench is useful but beware its difficult to get them into most places when doing maintenance - better to have a flexible head 1/2 inch drive.

Just my 2 cents.

Absolutely correct on all points.... There have been times in this car the service was done after 12 months. The Manual actually says to follow the Service Indicator ONLY and not to service at the whim of the owner.

[VVTi]

MaddMMX, do you know where I can get hold of the OBD Cable and the software?

[MkX]

For a full service with all the filters changed and oil, Around Rs. 23K at the agents.... Service intervals are around every 10K.

looks like BMW is little over my budget. considering the age factor or E36 - 1992 - 1995 models, service will needed more frequently and other costs involve in it isn't it?