Quote:
Originally Posted by mweisdorfer
I got bored a little this summer and did some initial research on the e90 m3.
Here's what I found;
1) Search for one with less than 45,000 miles on it that is or was a "one owner car". Believe it or not, there are plenty of e90 M3's out there that have 20 to 36,000 miles on them and are one owner cars.
2) once you buy one, do the the rod bearings immediately when you first take it home.
A. There's two schools of thought on which type of after mkt rod bearing to get.
1) are the rod bearings going bad because there's not enough clearance OR
2) are the rod bearings going bad due to faulty design....
3) there is not enough conclusive evidence to prove one theory. However, initial findings after taking the rod bearings apart after say 15-30,000 miles from owners using ceramic coated type bearing show no wear what so ever.......
4) unless you could change out the turbos on a 335i, don't try this DIY.....
3) The throttle actuators will absolutely go bad prior to 75,000 miles. If they don't, you are on "borrowed" time.
1) new ones are not cheap; FCP Euro and it's lifetime warranty is an option.
2) there's a company in Warren, MI that refurbishes used ones to "better than new" with upgraded internals and gives you a lifetime warranty for significantly less cost.
4) the engine mounts are easier to change out than a 335i, and they don't last much past 50,000 miles
5) the maintenance intervals, as far as fluids goes, is much more frequent than a 335i. You will be changing Trans, coolant, oil, differential fluids out much more frequently.
6) If you just want to DD the car, you won't have to worry about upgrading suspension parts like you do for a 335i. The car already has the best parts on it.
A) shocks & struts won't be cheap if you have the auto adjusting ride suspension.
7) there's nothing cheap about an M3; your gonna pay through the nose for parts.
8) from my initial perspective, the e90 M3 might be more reliable than a 335i as a DD, if you keep up on the maintenance and if you do the rod bearings immediately upon purchase.
A) gaskets going bad on the engine are not nearly as frequent due to the fact that it's not turbo charged and therefore does not have the heat.
9) interior wise, there is not much of anything to upgrade; it's already top of the line.
10) water pumps aren't really an issue on the e90 M3; even if you had to replace it, it's on top vs on the bottom on a 335i.
11) gas milage is 20mpg at best and that's on the Hwy.
12) you don't have to worry about swapping out M fenders, bumpers etc, it's already got all those parts.
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dude this should be a sticky or something. way too much great info/nuggets on a semi related thread
