Advice Maybe Or Opinon

[bimmer3214]

Me and my dad are going to get my car painted and some new wheels put on when he gets home from iraq. I have a 1994 325i conv if you didnt know. But iv been thinking if we sold the 325i i and save the money on the paint job and wheels that i could have almost enough to get a pretty good condition like 1996 M3. i havent brought this up to my dad yet because i want to know what you guys think. I know the obvious answer is to talk to him aobut an m3 but my dad just bought this car for me and i dont know if i can just be like now i want a better one. what do you guys think?

[Delmarco]

Originally posted by bimmer3214@Aug 27 2005, 11:38 AM
Me and my dad are going to get my car painted and some new wheels put on when he gets home from iraq.* I have a 1994 325i conv if you didnt know.* But iv been thinking if we sold the 325i i and save the money on the paint job and wheels that i could have almost enough to get a pretty good condition like 1996 M3.* i havent brought this up to my dad yet because i want to know what you guys think.* I know the obvious answer is to talk to him aobut an m3 but my dad just bought this car for me and i dont know if i can just be like now i want a better one.* what do you guys think?

[snapback]372830[/snapback]

Interesting Dilemna! Especially if your car is already dependable, Do you sell it and buy a car that may not be as reliable?

lets look at money:

Paint labour is ALOT of money and probably the most expensive thing you could do to upgrade your car. For a 325ic it won't be too much if you are painting the whole car...due to the lack of a roof. You're looking at $2000 to $4000 dependant of where you go and what color (whether the same or different)...
If you wanted to go cheap with the paint upgrade(an was not planning on repainting the car a new color)...just do the panels (Hood, Fenders, Doors, Trunk Lid) and you could make your car look just as good for about $1000.

A 1996 M3 in good condition is between $7000(average cosmetic flaws good engine 100+ k on the odo) and $12,000 (perfect under 70k on the odo)

good luck!
let us know wha t happens

[bimmer3214]

yea i was really planning on change the color to black or like silverish gray if i do get painted. And yea my car is pretty reliiable and only has 60,xxx on the od. the only thing that doesnt look super good on it is the paint and wheels .

[NESS]

If you can find a M3 for $7000 its going to be a piece of sh*t. I havent seen any below $11000 that looked worth buying. Your going to be paying alot more for insurance on a M3 too.

I say go ahead and fix up the 325, you will get alot of the money back when you go to sell it later on for the M3 and it has new paint job and nice rims. Yea if you got 60k on the clock definitely keep it and fix it up, its just now getting broke in.

[4evrwyntr]

Originally posted by NESS@Aug 27 2005, 01:36 PM
If you can find a M3 for $7000 its going to be a piece of sh*t.

Agreed. I was going to say. I got my m3 at 17k, I could have MAYBE talked it down to 15.5k. The lowest I'd look at would be 13k for an m3... any less and it's a: not an m3, just badged to look like one or b: been in way too much racing/accidents.

[kyle_baker]

well, in my opinion you'd be alot more satisfied with an m3 than a 325, i myself own a 1995 325is and i know if i had the option that you have i'd get the m3, lol. painting your car is really expensive and doesn't really help it other than looks, but and upgrade to an m3 could come with good paint on it as well and it would be what you're really after in a bimmer, obviously. i mean, since you are upgrading wheels as well, it is obvious that you want a nice sporty looking ride and an m3 does all that for you in my opinion, but thats just, my opinion, i'm obsessed with m3's, lol, even tho i don't have one yet.

[bimmer3214]

yea i didnt start looking really into bimmers until i got mine and then i just jumped right into wanting a M3 just because i have an automatic. but i love my car and its in awsome condition besides the paint job. and it only has the 60,000 miles so thanks for your opinions but i probably wont even mention to my dad about a M3

[Dudesky_E36]

Little piece of advice . . don't bite the hand that feeds you.

[Delmarco]

yeah don't paint the whole car...that's alot of dough,
IMy car looks repainted...but I just did a few panels and the hood and it looks brand new...
Also getting rims, maybe a new M3 bumper, rear diffuser and chrome tail pipe trim will set you off lovely!

[bimmer3214]

well i probably will be getting the whole car painted because i plan on changing the color hopefully to that laugna blue or w/e on the new m3s