As I’ve posted before, I’m getting into HPDE events. I’ve been using my '02 530i (e39), but she’s really heavy and I don’t want to kill her, as she’s on her way to being a classic.
I’ve found an '03 325i for $1200, I’m waiting to hear back from the seller about mileage; he’s the only owner and claims the car is in excellent shape (I haven’t driven it yet).
I have three cars, so this would be a screwing around car - it wouldn’t be a crises if it exploded after summer track season.
BMW forum discussions say the 325 is a great car for amateur trackers (it’s not an “M,” is a 6-cyl RWD). I can rent an M-series from the raceway for about $700 a day, so the car equals less than two day rental - needed repairs not withstanding (and believe me, I KNOW how much Bimmer repairs are!)
So:
Is it a decent amateur track car with no mods?
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What would your “hell no!” mileage amount be for $1200?
As you can and perhaps have checked with online used car pricing tools, an '03 325 at $1,200 in private sale has some combination of:
-genuinely amazing ton of miles on it, like 100’s of k.
-can just be said to be in running condition without lying (no way is it ‘excellent’ as the in the formal used car category ‘excellent’)
-owner who doesn’t know what it’s worth, or similarly is offering for private sale at the same price a used car dealer would given them
How a BMW on its last legs would hold up in tracking I really don’t know. It’s not lots of miles, some people’s fun while tracking doesn’t really the stress the car like a serious driver would (no offence, neither would I necessarily). Similarly for safety aspect on that which is what would rule it out for me.
But in general there’s no such thing as 1 or 2k cars, you haven’t had yourself for years, that don’t have a high likelihood of costing a lot more than that, soon.
I have an X3 with a tow pckg, so if really needed . I doubt I’ll ever be a serious tracker, I could walk away from catastrophic mechanical failure.
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Yups on repair budget. I had my 530 mechanically restored, she was near death.
Well, it really is in EXCELLENT condition, inside and out. 118 k(!) One owner, religiously maintained with records. About 5-8k left on tires (I’d put Contis on it anyway). Carfax checks out.
I hooked up my code reader, it didn’t throw anything.
I asked why they’re selling much below Blue Book --it was wife’s short commute driver, she bought a 535 in August and they’re not really using the 325. Hubby says they’d rather have someone give it love than just have it sit in the driveway, the dealer lowballed it in trade for the 535.
Another guy came by before me and wants the car, but doesn’t have cash on hand. If he can’t get it together by Monday I can make an offer (and they’ll let me take and leave car with my mechanic for a good going over before buying).
What’s your opinion on a base 325i for amateur tracking? Forums say it’s great, but you’re my go-to opinion guy.
BTW, I did you proud and finally got the 530’s pre-cat oxy sensors out and replaced. The car runs like a beast! DTC/DSC light is on, it may just be one of the car’s weird-ass electronic glitches. I am studying hard in case I do need to drop-in a rebuilt ECU.
This morning I visited a colleague who has completely restored his '74 2002. Gorgeous, you’d love it!
My only hesitation, if the car checks out mechanically, is the after-market dark window tints. I don’t think it would pass track tech (and may also be an issue for NJ’s nanny state laws. Car is PA registered).
I got nothin’ on the post-e30 stuff (except for a '97 740). Sorry. But I imagine it would be a good choice. All BMW’s are pretty awesome. Looks like it might be a little harder to work on, but I’ve come to appreciate the engineering that goes into them. They look impossible, but you can get to every nut and bolt and they are actually pretty easy to wrench. But I’m only basing this on the stuff I own.
A car you take to High Performance Driver’s Education courses has to be in very good mechanical condition (and it looks like this one is), but doesn’t have to have 500 horsepower or anything like that, as I explain in this thread. Especially for beginners, low powered cars are the best way to build skills and become smooth.
That said, most BMWs are fine track cars. I’ve never owned one, but I did spend a couple of days running a Z4 around Willow Springs back in 2006, and it was a blast. Unfortunately, apart from a few warm up laps in student cars, I have no seat time in any BMW sedans, but everything I’ve heard about them has been good, and I would have seriously considered one for a track car. One of the great things about them is you have plenty of room in the back seat for a full set of track tires, which was not very feasible in my 350Z (no back seat).
Most Bimmer owners who get serious about track driving seem to end up with some M model, but this deal seems too good to pass up, Jennshark. If I had a little more free time and money, I’d jump on a deal like that and get back on track in a heartbeat.
I’d be surprised if the window tint is a problem, since most sanctioning bodies require windows to be down anyway. At least the ones I ran with always did.
If you are looking for a track car, you will save money by looking for cars with salvaged or repaired titles. If you are planning to cut it up to add safety equipment, anyway.
An early E46 is mechanically going to be close to an E36 without the weakness of the earlier chassis. If it’s high mileage, you’ll want to check the control arm bushings and VANOS, and the automatic transmissions for that year have a poor reputation. I drove one for years (2003 325i 5MT with sport package) without a lick of trouble.
That said, 'twere me I’d look at a base Mini for HPDE. Smaller, more nimble for cone-eating.
Thanks! I’ll see what happens tomorrow. You’re right in that I’m not looking for the fastest car on the track. I actually looked at a guy’s M3 last week that was a dream: Dinan everything, mods galore, and so on ($28 k). The smart part of my brain made me walk away.
KaylasDad: sorry, your quote didn’t paste for me here. You might be surprised how well and long a BMW can run, a lot of track guys get 'em cheap and do high-level repairs and they run for years. Others get them to safety-level and drive until the car dies.
Thanks for the input. My wrench guys will check it out.
My wife has a 2016 Mini and I could wheedle my way into tracking it, but I really don’t like driving it. I feel squished and visually limited. Fun fact: in two years she’s put 3,800 miles on it - our joke is in the year 2048 it will need the 40k maintenance.
I did enjoy using my 530 on the track last summer, but it’s hard on her and I want her to live forever.
I’d drive the piss out of it.