I'm tired of dealing with flaky sellers. There have now been 3 times where a seller and I have agreed on a price, working out logistics for me to pick up the car and the seller either sells it to someone else or disappears entirely.
For both, I'm looking for a car that's mechanically sound but can be rough around the edges. Budget for the M3/4/5 - hoping to stay around $10k or under $20k for the E39 M5.
Hoping someone in the GRMiverse has something so I can deal with normal humans. I'd be happy to pay the opposite of GRM discount to not pull my hair out anymore, I just don't want too nice an example of either because it'll be driven a lot, lug two small kids around, etc.
I saw this really spectacular 540/6 in palmyra PA a few weeks ago. $17k seemed steep but looking around they have shot up in the last year.
In reply to chandler :
Without knowing the miles, that's probably on the high-side, yeah. The 540/6 is definitely on the list, there's actually a really nice blue one near Philly that I've talked with the guy about but I just sort of feel it's time for me to have an M car.
I don't want to come across as a pessimist, but your budget is too low for today's prices. I think you need to add $5k to both the cars you are looking for, otherwise you will be spending a bunch of money to bring them back into shape mechanically.
I just saw this one that might be a good fit. I do not know the seller nor have I seen the car.
AxeHealey said:
In reply to chandler :
Without knowing the miles, that's probably on the high-side, yeah. The 540/6 is definitely on the list, there's actually a really nice blue one near Philly that I've talked with the guy about but I just sort of feel it's time for me to have an M car.
Having spent a long weekend road trip with a 540 Sport 6-speed and having lived with an M5 for a while - there really is a difference between the two. The M5 feels special. The engineers got their way and they built what they wanted to build. The 540 feels more mundane. It's probably less likely to break your heart, but it just doesn't have that feel about it.
docwyte
PowerDork
2/23/22 1:07 a.m.
Under $20k for an E39 M5 is going to get you a car that you won't want to own. No way will it be mechanically sorted. Under $10k for an M3/4/5 is going to be hard to find as well...
Shoot me an email - username at yarhoo.
I've been considering letting my 3/4/5 go. It would be on the higher end but not as high if it goes to you.
In reply to Slippery :
There are certainly cars going for high $ right now but, granted I haven't actually been able to buy one, I've had agreements to buy a 3/4/5 at $6,800, $10,500 and $12,000. At $6,800 it had a TON of miles and the interior was trashed but it was a solid car mechanically/body wise. $10,500 was a Techno sedan with a bit of body rust, faded clear and a CEL for what seemed to be vacuum leaks and the $12,000 is an extremely solid car that hasn't happened yet because the guy keeps doing work to it and won't let it go until it's "perfect" which likely means it'll grow out of my range. You're right that I could go out any buy any number of these cars for ~$15k.
As for the M5, you could be right there. I've come across a handful in the mid-teens and none of them would interest me. Low $20s though seems pretty reasonable.
In reply to jfryjfry :
Sending an email now, thanks!
