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BenFenner's 2008 White Wagon
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04-29-2020, 04:01 PM | #1 |
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BenFenner's 2008 White Wagon
Table of Contents: Sister threads: BenFenner's 2008 White Wagon (SR20-Forum, must be signed in to view) Facebook Groups updated with select progress: Manual Rear-Wheel-Drive Hatchback Club MWEJ | Manual Wagon Elitist Jerks Wagon Elitist Jerks Wagon Mafia Manual Elitist Jerks Obsessed Garage Ultimate Klasse Gruppe 1) Introduction 2) Up-to-date price record 3) Up-to-date fuel economy record 4) Up-to-date maintenance/modification record 5) Original sale listing 6) "Taking delivery" 7) Save the stick 8) Coupe and wagon 9) Parked at Eggs Up Grill 10) In profile 11) Hauling firewood 12) Replace ignition coils and related 13) Wash car before front brake job 14) Replace front brake pads and rotors 15) Meteor shower 16) Replace low-beam headlight bulb 17) Replace brake booster hose retaining clip 18) New Apex SM-10 wheels arrive 19) New wheel center caps arrive 20) New Autel TPMS sensors and coder arrive 21) New Nitto NT555 G2 tires arrive 22) Mount Nitto tires on Apex wheels 23) Wash car before installing new wheels 24) Install new Apex SM-10 wheels and Nitto NT555 G2 tires 25) A couple pics in Asheville, NC 26) Hauling firewood 27) New battery 28) New wagon mafia sticker 29) First oil change 30) Curbed a wheel 31) Install new starter 32) Car wash 33) 100,000 miles 34) Hauling pallets 35) Bypass rear brake pad wear sensor 36) Fix exhaust leak by O2 sensors 37) New rear hatch roundel 38) Wash car 39) At Charleston house 40) Wash car 41) Perform outstanding factory recalls 42) Replace DME fan 43) Replace crankshaft position sensor 44) Replace water pump and thermostat 45) Perform oil change 46) Replace rear wiper blade 47) Rolling on the freeway 48) Flat tire on the freeway 49) Drive with brother to purchase 2004 Silver BMW E53 in PA 50) Re-torque spark plugs, repair cowl holes 51) Pics with SUV 52) Pics with Coupe and SUV 53) Highway drive back from Charlotte, NC 54) Recharge air conditioning refrigerant 55) Adjust parking brake 56) Replace rear brake pads and rotors 57) New tire repair kit 58) Replace front passenger side door pull
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Last edited by BenFenner; 08-30-2024 at 12:16 PM.. |
04-29-2020, 04:03 PM | #2 |
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Introduction:
Facebook album permalink (in case the images don't show up in the future). 2008 BMW 328i Touring Original listing: 2008 BMW 328i Wagon Sport 6MT Alpine White/Terra (original was deleted, so see it copied here) VIN: WBAVS13598FV95160 Technically this is my wife's car. This replaces her manual 2003 VW Beetle (she still has it and will sell it soon). We were thinking we needed a 4-door car, and were looking at new 2015 (3rd-gen) Mazda3 hatches (we also test drove a manual turbo Kia Forte5 hatch) but just didn't love the dealership experience and weren't sure we wanted to spend the $25k for the top-spec model we convinced ourselves we wanted. For a lot less, we could get a whole lot more used car. We settled on looking for a manual RWD wagon, and this was tough. The easiest things to find were the BMWs, so we focused on those. We saw a few in California that might work, but nothing perfect. We wanted a white car if possible, with non-tan interior, RWD, manual transmission (obviously), no navigation/iDrive if possible, heated seats, and less than 100k miles. Stretch goals were sports seats, sports suspension, non-wood interior trim, and maybe a few other things I can't remember. It took 12 months, but we found our unicorn. For reference, it only took 9 months to find my Coupe. We found an E91 that ticked every single box we could have ever imagined (except for the wood, but it looks great with the leather color), and it was pretty close to us. There was one other car like it in the country, but they were asking $45k for it, and at one point went as low as ~$35k or so but they turned down an offer for $28k from what I was told. This other car we found however was listed for $21k and it was probably worth about $18k. I wrote to the seller telling them what I thought it was worth, but that the absolute top of our budget was a little less at $17k, and hoped for the best. We had been scooped on other East coast cars in the recent past so we wanted to give it our best shot . We didn't end up coming to a deal, so my wife and I kept looking. A month went by and the car was still for sale, and the owner had lowered their price a bit to $19,995. We'd saved some more money and I reached out again with an offer for the $18,000 I thought the car was worth. I believe the seller realized this was the best offer they were going to get any time soon, and they accepted. I'm sure it helped that I'd primed them a month earlier. My wife having driven the Beetle for so long was a bit worried the car would be difficult to drive, or too big, or not great in some way. After driving it home on the highway she was in love. It is just as easy to shift as her Beetle, and it is quieter and more stable on the highway so she is extremely happy with it. :bigthumbup: The good:
The neutral:
The bad:
The ugly:
Driving impressions: Not much to say other than that it is excellent to drive under all conditions. The clutch/shifter action is great and the pedal placement is typical BMW making heel-toe action effortless. The car eats up the miles on the highway and tucks nicely into sharp corners with way more confidence than it should. The sport suspension must really help here, as I've driven some boat-like BMW wagons in the past. The brakes probably wouldn't hold up on the track, and the open differential is a big problem when trying to put the power down with the current tires. I think the only room for improvement right now would be better brake pads, a limited slip diff, and a better wheel/tire package. The wheels and tires are coming soon, but the rest may or may not happen. I guess one could also ask for more power. The 335i swap is pretty common, but since this is Katie's car it will likely remain stock power. Future plans: As mentioned already, wheels and tires are probably number one priority. Then I'll eventually want to replace the melty-looking grill piece and mount the lower bumper cover a bit better. We'll see what ends up happening when it needs brakes, if I go with something more aggressive or not. There isn't much else realistic, but dream plans would be a limited slip diff, and then eventually an entire M3 front and rear bodywork conversion. Who knows... We'll see.
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Last edited by BenFenner; 06-24-2020 at 08:50 AM.. |
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04-29-2020, 04:04 PM | #3 |
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Up-to-date price record:
Begin 2016 below. $18,000.00 - Used 2008 BMW E91 (Link) $339.00 - Sales tax (capped in SC at $300) plus misc fees $240.00 - Property tax (estimate, can't find records) $159.84 - Delphi ignition coil (×6) (Link) $35.64 - NGX Iridium spark plug at OEM heat range (×6) (Link) $17.41 - Victor Reinz valve cover gasket (Link) $7.01 - OEM oil filter cap gasket (Link) $11.52 - Victor Reinz camshaft adjuster gasket (Link) $3.09 - Elring eccentric shaft sensor seal (Link) $250.09 - VDO eccentric shaft sensor (Link) $19.68 - Mann cabin air filter (Link) Begin 2017 below. $48.35 - OEM (Textar) front brake pad set (Link) $111.92 - OEM (Zimmerman) front brake rotor (×2) (Link) $4.35 - OEM (Meyle) front brake pad wear sensor (Link) $2.30 - OEM front brake rotor retaining bolt (×2) (Link) $18.00 - Philips VisionPlus low-beam headlight bulb (×2) (Link) $0.99 - OEM brake booster hose retaining clip (Link) $1,201.00 - Apex SM-10 wheels (Link) $48.60 - OEM wheel center cap (×4) (Link) $109.08 - Autel tire pressure monitoring system sensor (×4) (Link) $75.95 - Autel TMPS sensor programmer/coder (Link) $698.00 - Nitto NT555 G2 tire (×4) (Link) $82.59 - Mount and balance tire on 18" wheel (×4) (Link) $220.63 - Deka AGM Exact Fit Battery (Link) $7.92 - Turnerco (eBay) sourced E91 silhouette "Wagon Mafia" sticker (Link) Begin 2018 below. $10.00 - Mann Oil Filter for BMW E91 (N52 engine) (Link) $45.65 - Amsoil 5w40 Classic European Formula Engine Oil, 1 quart (×7) (Link) $15.69 - OEM aluminum starter motor mounting bolts (Link) $22.91 - OEM intake manifold gasket set (Link) $14.01 - OEM throttle body gasket (Link) $41.71 - OEM exhaust gaskets for between the lead-pipes and the mid-pipes (set of 2) (Link) $8.05 - OEM exhaust bolt (×4) (Link) $5.97 - OEM copper exhaust nut (×4) (Link) $3.55 - Dorman 9.5mm (M10) stainless steel washers (Link) $6.17 - OEM heat shield retainer (×5) (Link) $3.45 - OEM exhaust hanger flange nut (Link) $34.78 - OEM roundel for E91 hatch (Link) $2.51 - OEM roundel grommet (×2) (Link) Begin 2019 below. $148.92 - OEM DME/ECU cooling fan (Link) $106.30 - OEM crankshaft position sensor (Link) $5.12 - OEM crankshaft position sensor o-ring (Link) $4.46 - OEM crankshaft position sensor torx bolt (Link) $289.00 - OEM electric water pump (Link) $111.65 - OEM thermostat (Link) $11.28 - Set of 3 OEM aluminum water pump mounting bolts (Link) $4.91 - Water-pump-to-thermostat mounting bolt (×2) (Link) $13.80 - Mann Oil Filter for BMW E91 (N52 engine) (Link) $45.65 - Amsoil 5w40 Classic European Formula Engine Oil, 1 quart (×7) (Link) $16.47 - OEM (Bosch) 340mm rear wiper blade (Link) $213.00 - New replacement Nitto NT555 G2 255/35/18 tire (Link) Begin 2020 below. $100.00 - Recharge air conditioning refrigerant (Link) $165.73 - Replace rear brake pads and rotors (Link) $40.92 - New tire repair kit (Link) $115.21 - Replace front passenger side door pull (Link) --------------- Total: $23,452.54
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Last edited by BenFenner; 08-30-2024 at 12:16 PM.. |
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04-29-2020, 04:05 PM | #4 |
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Up-to-date fuel economy record:
x.xx mpg - Worst track economy xx.xx mpg - Average track economy (Raw - xx.xx/x) xx.xx mpg - Best track economy 14.97 mpg - Worst city economy 16.49 mpg - Average city economy (Raw - 49.46/3) 17.52 mpg - Best city economy xx.xx mpg - Worst mixed economy xx.xx mpg - Average mixed economy (Raw - xx.xx/x) xx.xx mpg - Best mixed economy 25.87 mpg - Worst highway economy 25.87 mpg - Average highway economy (Raw - 25.87/1) 25.87 mpg - Best highway economy
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Last edited by BenFenner; 10-25-2024 at 02:56 PM.. |
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04-29-2020, 04:06 PM | #5 |
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Up-to-date maintenance/modification record:
Previous owner's maintenance history records: My maintenance history records: 2016-09-03 ...... 85,555 ...... Purchase car from Matthew in Chapel Hill, NC 2016-12-17 ...... 87,xxx ....... Replace ignition coils, spark plugs, eccentric shaft sensor and gasket, and cabin air filter (Link) 2016-12-17 ...... 87,xxx ....... Replace valve cover gasket, camshaft adjuster gasket, and oil filter cap gasket (Link) 2017-02-18 ...... 88,xxx ....... Replace front brake pads, rotors, pad wear sensor, rotor retaining bolts (Link) 2017-04-30 ...... 89,xxx ....... Replace low-beam headlight bulb (Link) 2017-06-28 ...... 90,xxx ....... Replace brake booster hose retaining clip (Link) 2017-07-03 ...... 91,xxx ....... Install new Apex SM-10 wheels, Nitto NT555 G2 tires, Autel TPMS sensors, and OEM BMW wheel center caps (Link) 2017-12-02 ...... 95,528 ...... Install new Deka AGM battery (Link) 2018-01-20 ...... 96,391 ...... Perform first oil change (Link) 2018-04-09 ...... 97,558 ...... Install new starter motor, with new bolts (Link) 2018-04-09 ...... 97,558 ...... Replace throttle body and intake manifold gaskets (Link) 2018-08-24 .... 100,184 ...... Bypass rear brake pad wear sensor (Link) 2018-09-03 .... 100,184 ...... Replace exhaust gaskets and hardware between the lead-pipes and the mid-pipes (Link) 2018-09-03 .... 100,184 ...... Replace rear hatch roundel (Link) 2018-09-17 .... 100,430 ...... Perform outstanding factory recalls (Link) 2019-07-02 .... 105,514 ...... Replace DME fan (Link) 2019-07-04 .... 105,514 ...... Replace crankshaft position sensor (Link) 2019-07-06 .... 105,514 ...... Replace water pump and thermostat (Link) 2019-07-06 .... 105,514 ...... Perform oil change (Link) 2019-10-04 .... 106,xxx ....... Replace rear wiper blade (Link) 2019-12-28 .... 107,xxx ....... Replace driver's side rear tire (Link) 2020-05-11 .... 114,391 ....... Re-torque spark plugs (Link) 2020-05-11 .... 114,391 ....... Repair cowl holes (Link) 2020-06-26 .... 115,204 ...... Recharge air conditioning refrigerant (Link) 2020-07-12 .... 115,596 ...... Adjust parking brake (Link) 2020-07-15 .... 115,633 ...... Replace rear brake pads and rotors (Link) 2020-09-27 .... 116,370 ...... Replace front passenger side door pull (Link)
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Last edited by BenFenner; 08-30-2024 at 12:17 PM.. |
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04-29-2020, 04:07 PM | #6 | |
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Original sale listing:
Note that the Style 189 wheels in the last picture were not included for the price we settled on. Facebook album permalink (in case the images don't show up in the future). Quote:
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Last edited by BenFenner; 04-29-2020 at 04:33 PM.. |
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04-29-2020, 04:08 PM | #7 |
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"Taking delivery" | Album
Since the wagon was only ~60 minutes away, the trip to pick it up wasn't very eventful. The seller was very nice, accommodating, and easy to deal with. We went to a branch of our bank and had a certified check drawn with the sellers in attendance. I think NC is a notary title-swap state and the seller had that worked out for us. My wife (Katie) really enjoyed getting to know the car on the highway drive home. She was a little worried it would not be as easy to drive as her 2003 manual VW Beetle, but she found the clutch and shifter just as workable, and really enjoyed the extra stability the wagon has over the Beetle on the highway. She will be a bit sad to see the Beetle go but she is over the moon about her new wagon. Pics (more in the album linked above):
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Last edited by BenFenner; 04-29-2020 at 04:33 PM.. |
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04-29-2020, 07:53 PM | #9 |
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Thanks man. It is not wasted on us. We love it.
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04-30-2020, 10:24 AM | #11 |
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04-30-2020, 11:34 AM | #13 |
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Ha! Wasn't expecting someone to recognize me from e30tech.
I still have the Coupe (linked in signature, but must be a member of that forum to see). Funny you mention it... While I'm posting about us getting this wagon, we are looking hard at manual X5s now. How's life been treating you since the e30tech shutdown? |
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04-30-2020, 02:29 PM | #14 |
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E53? The V8 is nice (power, torque, etc), but the fuel economy really sucks, and it's literally almost always broken (we have the E70 4.8is). It's a huge nightmare in contrast to my 330i, which hasn't needed much other than a coil and a waterpump since I bought it in 2014. I guess with $2 gas it's not that big of a deal, but we spent like $500 a month on gas when we were taking the X5 skiing every weekend, lol.
I still have my E30, but it's under a very dusty cover on a trickle charger 99% of the time. I drive it once in a while but really don't have much time for it unfortunately. Losing all the stuff we posted over there really left a bad taste in my mouth.. |
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04-30-2020, 04:09 PM | #15 |
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Yes, E53 since they are the only ones with manual transmissions. The manual E53s only came in the 3.0L straight 6, so that's what it'll be. They are also dirt cheap. Fuel economy is still shit though.
The idea is that it will play MTB hauling duty, and lumber runs. But not get used much at all so fuel costs shouldn't be too bad. I'm not going to daily this thing, or take it on long trips if I can avoid it. Just use it as a truck essentially, and a 4-door car if/when I need one and the wife has taken the wagon to work/etc. I still have the coupe I can daily with no worries. I prefer it. Losing the records on the forum it a huge blow. That nearly happened to the SR20 Forum, but I actually ended up saving it by writing new forum software from scratch and taking over ownership... |
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05-02-2020, 01:48 PM | #16 |
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Save the stick | Album
Katie has had the wagon for 12 days and it is time to make it her own with some flair. Sure the sticker is a 5-speed and the car is a 6, but the overall design was the best option. She also ordered a t-shirt with the same design. No stickers on paint obviously, so it got turned into a magnet and now the virtue signalling can begin. Only 36 more pieces to go. Pics: |
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05-02-2020, 04:07 PM | #17 |
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Super clean wagon. Love the color combo!
M3forums went down, too. Basically, that makes buying and self maintaining an e46 M3 a pretty daunting proposition :-/ What was the e30 tech issue? I believe with m3forums they’re still can’t get ahold of the original owner... |
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05-03-2020, 07:30 AM | #18 |
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So many forums dying of bit rot and neglect. Google insisting on SSL everywhere did a number on some. And obviously FB is not helping.
I had to rescue my home forum by taking over ownership and writing entirely new forum software from scratch. It was down for 3 months but I got it all back with improvements and fixed a few dozen bugs in the process. It still needs work on features, but I've been busy with other things right now. The E30tech owner just slowly ghosted the forum over the years and didn't care to fix it the last time it ran into trouble. At least that's what it looked like from where I was. Same thing happened to the SR20 Forum. No succession plan or upgrade path to deal with the changing landscape. I had to manually resurrect it, which took a superhuman effort and years off my life.
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Last edited by BenFenner; 05-03-2020 at 07:57 AM.. |
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05-03-2020, 08:40 AM | #19 |
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Coupe and wagon | Album
Since Katie picked up her new wagon, I wanted to make sure I got some pictures of the cars together. Mainly because I regret not getting more pics of the Coupe with the SE-R. I think I have one such picture, and it's not very good. So I set out to document these two together. I did a horrible job. I will do better. Pic: |
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05-03-2020, 12:06 PM | #20 |
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It looks nice and tidy. I bet it sounds nice as well
I've found with the e91, it seems to shrink around me when driving it. Even on tight back roads, I find I can squeeze past things without too much worry. I hope your other half enjoys it |
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05-03-2020, 12:23 PM | #21 |
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I agree with you there olz_e91 about it feeling smaller than it is. And in the world of SUVs it is certainly narrower than most things out there.
No worries, my wife really loves it. |
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05-03-2020, 12:24 PM | #22 |
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Parked at Eggs Up Grill | Album
Bear with me while I try to catch up on updates. I know it's been a lot lately, and mostly boring. I promise you things will slow down and the updates will get more interesting. While at breakfast I took a few pics of the wagon in the sun. Pic: |
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