So as the title would state, i had to say goodbye to my N20 320i. Genuinely could not have hoped for a better car and experience since purchase. Still have mixed feelings about it. Hopefully they will subside with time...
That being said, I was in the market for a new car as a personal celebration for a few things coming right after a long period of losses. I felt i was ready for a significant leap, so I started the hunt for an F82 M4. There were a couple floating around on the forum at the time but i was too slow to pull the trigger and next thing i see the dreaded 'Not open for further replies.' error. Anyway, after hitting the streets and taking about 3-4 for a run i realized a 2 things:
1. It was close to impossible to find one that was decently priced and did not have worn seats/steering wheels, rattles and was unmolested; and
2. After jumping in and out of a few, i really loved the car and everything about it but after owning a 4-door, i knew i would prefer the practicality.
ENTER THE SEARCH FOR AN F80 M3 THEN! RIGHT?
Well, let's just say i was in for a ride. Literally. Against my better judgment i ventured into the dark corners of facebook marketplace. Found an Austin Yellow M3 that seemed to hit the right price, mileage, spec, etc. From the outside, there was not much to complain about. Car looked neat. Panel gaps were not out of the ordinary. Etc etc.
RED FLAG 1 - The guy mentioned there was paintwork on the bumper due to a minor fender bender. Provided there was no major work needed, i was willing to factor that into the price. But first thing i noticed on startup was that there was an aftermarket exhaust. Mind you, this car was listed as 'stock with no mods and full service history with agents.' His response was that BMW installed a 'custom exhaust' for him. I s**t you not. Not an M-Performance or Akrapovic. This one was fully 'custom.'
RED FLAG 2 - When i took it out on the road, I also noticed was that the car was pulling significantly to the right. Apparently, this was due to him putting on new tyres and not having the time to balance and align the car. At this stage i already knew i was not buying this car but hell, i had driven all the way to Krugersdorp from Sandton in peak traffic. I was gonna get a joy ride at least...
RED FLAG 3 - The car also had excessive creaking and rattling. I'm used to the occasional creaking noise as i owned the F30 with the shadowline trim. It's a known thing and an easy fix with some teflon tape. But this specific case was borderline ridiculous. I could feel all engine vibrations through the seats, door handles, steering wheel, everything. Maybe at this stage the joyride was not necessarily a good idea...
If you have made it this far, don’t worry, there is more…
So I reached out to Francois (
@Coisman ) for his help in getting the history of the car. Just for sanity. In short, the car was written off by Old Mutual in 2019. It was then bought by a salvage company as a disposal and after that it was bought by a panel beater. So it was a proper clusterf**k and not just a couple of curtain airbags popping off.
Anyway, back to the drawing board. I was still in the market for an M3 but I was now deliberate in looking for one at a dealership. Just my luck I found one in Audi Somerset West. Also Austin Yellow. Not my first choice but I could live with it. Called them up on a Monday afternoon and was on a plane first thing Tuesday morning. Went there straight from the airport and when I got there, the sales agent said that someone came by that very morning and dropped a cash offer for the car. Keep in mind my refundable holding deposit just needed to clear because I made the payment after cutoff the previous day.
What a gut punch… May as well have flushed that R 6000 odd for the plane ticket down the drain. I was just about to request my Uber when he suggested I have a look at something else that was just traded in….
For now i have to go an be a good employee.
But stay tuned...
👌
