RichS Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) As I think I've mentioned before I am buying a pub and hope to be moving in within a couple of months and for a long time everyone who has their own pub has said I'd need to get rid of my convertible and get something sensible that I can lug stuff around in, as I'll be going to cash & carry's and picking stuff up all day long. Makes sense, right? NO, IT DOESN'T. Why should I get rid of my beautiful vert???? So I just bought a touring to solve the problem, and the vert becomes my weekend and days out car. Result! So when I decided I would get a touring I had a few criteria I wanted out of getting another E46 and the main thing was to get a 3 litre diesel. The next was to get a facelift one. And the last thing was to get a sport version. I've been looking around for the past month and the ones i'm finding range from £2-3.5k ish which is all good. I thought I'd wait until the end of January and push the button. I woke up on Christmas morning with quite a hangover and a load of emails confirming my "winning bid" on eBay saying I'd bought a touring. s**t. This wasn't part of the plan!!! So with trepidation I checked out what I had bought and it was alright - it was from my watch list and is a 52 plate titan silver 330D sport with facelift body but the 184bhp engine.... and a seriously nice black sports leather interior. And it had been MOT'd the day before. Was all shaping up quite well. The bonus bit was the guy was willing to deliver it to me, can't refuse really! Then it started to go wrong. The morning of the delivery he called to say his driver had had a small accident in it. He sent me pictures of a slightly stoved in bonnet and smashed grills - he hit black ice and drifted into the back of a Range Rover apparently. This also caused a water leak. As the damage didn't look too bad (replacement bonnet and grills) I got him to agree £300 off the agreed price. He then delivered it to me two days later after putting on a secondhand rad and waterpump. The car drives really good. While inspecting the car a few things cropped up that he had not been totally honest about - mainly saying the car was rust free when there were a few bubbles on one front wing. And the fact the aircon hose has been sawn in half. We agreed another £200 off and i was happy. I then went on to eBay and found a same colour replacement bonnet in Portsmouth and a few emails later had agreed to buy it, to drive to the guy that afternoon who would then fit it for me - for £70 all in. Wow! 10 minutes into the journey and the coolant light came on so i stopped at the next services to top it up. Got 40 miles down the road and it came on again. This happened every 20 minutes or so for the 200 mile round trip. The culprit was a badly split bottom rad hose that had not been replaced or had been bodged when the guy said he sorted the water leak. The guy who fitted the bonnet was an ex BMW tech snd hooked it up on diagnostics and it came back with a glow plug module fault and an EGR issue. A lengthy email to the seller resulted in another £250 off. The car was cheap at the agreed asking price, even taking into account the few issues I found quickly and easily. But I've now got the net price down to a grand. I'm happy with that. So, the bonnet is now sorted and I've bought a swirl flap blanking kit, an EGR delete kit, a crank case breather vortex filter and a new rad hose that are all being fitted on Wednesday by my awesome local German indie specialist. Even with that little lot and the garage cost this car will come in at about £1500 with (hopefully) most things sorted and a years ticket. The awesome leather, great paint and body as well as some heated seats are keeping me smiling even when it looked like it was all going pear-shaped!! So this morning I put my MV2s (with brand new RainSport 3's) from my vert onto the touring to replace the terrible condition MV1s that were on it, and then sold the MV1s very quickly this afternoon to a local guy for £125... all tyres were barely legal. So take this £125 off my car price and the car keeps getting cheaper! I've got some black grills coming on Monday and then no more money is being spent on it apart from maintenance and diesel. Here it is after the MV2s were put on today, I'll post another picture once the black grills are on next week and then it will be put to work, like a big old smoky touring should!! Edited March 13, 2017 by Rich (BoxClever) RMJ, Markxr, Ruesta and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRyan Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Thats looking really nice now mate! It sucks that you had some headaches around the buying process but I applaud your efforts with the seller - loads of money off. How does it compare with the vert? RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 8 minutes ago, MRyan said: Thats looking really nice now mate! It sucks that you had some headaches around the buying process but I applaud your efforts with the seller - loads of money off. How does it compare with the vert? When it had the little accident it had black grills on the car so i've ordered some for it and that's the last thing i'll be doing to the appearance of it - these touring's are good looking cars, right? The touring is a totally different beast to the vert - is diesel and mahoosive, it feels so much bigger on the road. And because of the size I am feeling like a 17 year old again and not knowing how to park it! But the vert wins, on all levels apart from space and that's exactly what I bought the touring for. After a day of picking stuff and dropping stuff off yesterday I got back in the vert to go out for dinner with friends and it honestly felt like i was getting into a brand new car in comparison, and it drove and felt so much nicer. But it's an unfair comparison really - the touring has 100,000 more miles on it, has been well used, has definitely not seen the love that all my cars do yet, and the biggest thing being is my vert was one of the most expensive cars in the country for sale when I bought it and for good reason because of its history and condition and spec so this sub £1000 touring is doing well even being parked next to the vert!! Ruesta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMJ Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Love this! I Hope you had a great Christmas/New year Rich!. Sounds like quite a saga getting this touring! But it does sound like it's worked out cheap, and I mean look at it! I have a real soft spot for them!. You got great use out of the MV2s after all that!, It sits really well on them! As we discussed before, great choice of car for the pub with all stock runs etc. Keep us posted with progress! RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Thanks a lot, Rob, HNY2U2:) I've still got the two other centre caps to post you at some point! But yeah, I think the wheels really update the car - have never been a fan of MV1s and the ones that came with car had the worst possible budgets ever that were barely legal so to have these on with Rainsport 3's that I'd only had on the vert for less than 1000 miles is nicely reassuring! RMJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markxr Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Looks good on the mv2s Was thinking of a set of them for my one RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Looks sound Rich, but get those X5 rims on there, they look awesome on a touring RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Daz 330 Cs said: Looks sound Rich, but get those X5 rims on there, they look awesome on a touring Ha! You're like a devil on my shoulder, Daz!! I haven't got round to selling the tiger claws yet and the thought has crossed my mind....... !! But that would be the third set of tyres i'd bought in less than two months!?!??!?!!?!!?!!!!!?!?!?!!!!! Daz 330 Cs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Rich I feel your pain, I bought my Ispiri ISR10 with 255s on the rear, too much stretch so off they came after 1000 miles, a pair of 275s replaced them. Now I've just bought a set of ISR6 as I love them too, with tyres. Oh and I've got the mint set of MV4s the car came with.... with tyres of course 👍😂 Ruesta and RichS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Out of curiosity, Daz, sheer curiosity..... what tyres would you put on the tiger claws on this standard sport suspension set up car for it to never rub and need no other work to be done!?!? 10J at the rear is a fat wheel, do they fit fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Fronts are no problem, 225/35 with a 15mm spacer to clear the strut. I think the widest you can have on the rear is a 235/35. Yes the 10 is a fat wheel but the offset is good. It's only half inch wider than a 9.5J which go on so easily. ( 1/4 each side ). Now get the trolley jack out 👍😂 Ruesta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 39 minutes ago, Daz 330 Cs said: Fronts are no problem, 225/35 with a 15mm spacer to clear the strut. I think the widest you can have on the rear is a 235/35. Yes the 10 is a fat wheel but the offset is good. It's only half inch wider than a 9.5J which go on so easily. ( 1/4 each side ). Now get the trolley jack out 👍😂 Hmmmmmmmm.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerFish Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Nice purchase - I do think the touring is the best E46 shape they did Just FYI, the rear arches on the saloons/tourings are meant to be a bit less spacious than the coupes/verts. Not sure by how much (if at all, in practise), but something to keep in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) 15 minutes ago, TriggerFish said: Nice purchase - I do think the touring is the best E46 shape they did Just FYI, the rear arches on the saloons/tourings are meant to be a bit less spacious than the coupes/verts. Not sure by how much (if at all, in practise), but something to keep in mind. Thanks, Joe, I like the shape too... been looking at tourings that have taken the roof rails off and i quite like the look.... but not sure about doing it! But much to Daz's annoyance I won't be putting the X5 wheels on, I love the look of the touring with MV2s on, looks really classy. Edited January 7, 2017 by Rich (BoxClever) RMJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruesta Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Looks great that, decent purchase with all the money off after the problems it had. Pleased to hear you've kept your 'vert too, she's well nice. Shame the X5 wheels won't be going on though, would've looked epic ;-) RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Noooooooo Rich, they look awesome on tourings 👊🏽 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz 330 Cs Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 MRyan, Ruesta and RichS 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 2 hours ago, Daz 330 Cs said: You b4st4rd, now I'm going to have to put them on!! avalaugh and Ruesta 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerFish Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Has that got tyres fitted?! The_Judge_, RMJ and RichS 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 2 hours ago, TriggerFish said: Has that got tyres fitted?! The X5 wheels are sat on a pallet at my pub, with the old X5 size tyres on so no, they don't have the correct E46 size tyres on.... yet!! And actually, I haven't even taken them off the pallet to examine them after I bought them so they may be dreadful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 I went to Argos this morning to collect the black grills I'd bought cheaply from eBay and they fit far better than the set on my vert and were half the price. Well happy:) I'll um and ahh about putting the X5 wheels on for a week or so, but if I do then they'll be on the cheapest of cheap budgets or maybe secondhand if I can find some. Daz - definitive answer time now please... the X5 tyres you said will fit this car with NO work needed and will not rub? I can't be arsed with sorting out suspension and arches for this car as it was supposed to be a cheap workhorse. But obviously I want it to look good, and I do have the tiger claws just sitting around doing nothing but looking pretty:) R11CH, Markxr and Ruesta 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruesta Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Any chance of a link to the seller you got the black grilles from? And are they a nice gloss black or matt? Good to hear you've been convinced into putting the x5's on RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 2 minutes ago, Ruesta said: Any chance of a link to the seller you got the black grilles from? And are they a nice gloss black or matt? Good to hear you've been convinced into putting the x5's on Not convinced, just thinking about it!!! Here's the link, they're matt black and I'm pleased with them. Cheap enough that if they were crap then I can bin them later and get better ones, but they're OK! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172403260474?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Ruesta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruesta Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Thanks mate, have to see if they have some coupe ones. After gloss black really but if they're a good fit I can spray them, mine are just getting tatty. I'm convinced :-) If you've already got them may as well try them out.... Can always sell on with E46 fit tyres if necessary! RichS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichS Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 14 minutes ago, Ruesta said: Thanks mate, have to see if they have some coupe ones. After gloss black really but if they're a good fit I can spray them, mine are just getting tatty. I'm convinced :-) If you've already got them may as well try them out.... Can always sell on with E46 fit tyres if necessary! True. Just waiting for Daz to lay down the law on absolutely correct sizing Ruesta 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
