I just recently joined bmwcca because i wanted to make a connection with other bmw owners with more experience. After my first deployment to Iraq from oct06-jan08 i came home with a little extra cash and rented a car to drive while i looked at buying my first car over $2000. and i found 2 1999 bmw 323i's, one baby blue and the other forest green( and a convertable) for about $8000. i had the money, i love green, and i'm german. so i bought the convertable. i talked the dealer down to 6300 because of the deteriorating condition of the paint, front seats, and convertable top wich needed to be replaced. i am currently on my second deployment and have started bringing her back to wonderful. she currently has about 160,000 miles but damn thing never backs down! i dream about my car as much as i dream about my wife and family. i would love to hear tips about how i can keep her going past the 200,000 mile mark. i really like my car. its worth more to me than money now. I left the green meanie with my mom to maintain while i am on deployment because her schedual is much more forgiving than my wifes. currently the car is on a quiet street in louisville where she can see the 'spires' from the corner. also any repair shops that anyone could recomend in the area would be of great help. Thanks So Much! SPC Damien Roberts U.S. ARMY
Hey Damien! Let me start by saying thank you for serving!! Congratulations on your car, it sounds like you have definitely been infected with the BMW bug but don't worry, you are clearly not alone. With proper maintenance, you will have NO problem passing the 200,000 mile mark (heck, if you ask Botond, it's just getting broken in at that point). My suggestion would be to try and stay ahead of the repair issues as much as possible. Instead of waiting for something to break and then replacing it (which is why a lot of people get frustrated with their cars), try replacing things that may be 'getting ready' to go bad (radiator, water pump, thermostat housings and rear trailing arm bushings are some things that come to mind). By staying ahead of some of the items, they never have the chance to break and leave you stranded, which makes for a much more enjoyable owner experience! (Speaking from experience here...).
thanks Dan BTW, I'm stationed at Ft. Hood with first Cav. when i get back will stay there untill at least spring of 2010. would be nice to meet some more enthusiasts.
Welcome D , and thanks for defending our freedom overseas. The main concerns I would have pertain to how it has been cared for. Mike Miller has an excellent 'Old School' maintenance schedule which can be obtained by just emailing him at BimmerTQA@aol.com and asking for it. Mike is also one of my favorite writers and I enjoy reading his columns at Bimmer magazine. That old school maintenance schedule is designed for people who want to take proper care of their cars and it literally details what intervals BMW recommended service be performed before the era of free maintenance and lifetime fills at BMW. The document is about 12 pages and is a great place to start. BTW - Nice stable Dan
i'm the third owner there were some deffinate things that i knew i would have to fix right away. but most of them were simple and cosmetic, some were major i.e. the convertable top was in horrible condition the entire top and motor assembly had to be replaced. the leather on the front seats were cracked and i had to get it replaced. the paint had some rock damage on the nose and wheel wells: i could tell it was parked on a gravel road for a long time.... long key marks on the hood and driver side panels. the hood struts were ineffective. the alarm system didn't work. and the trunk didn't lock. i bet you're wondering why in the hell did i buy this car? hahahaha. we just had a connection. i wouldn't trade her for anything!
Not at all.....a man needs something to do with his time to keep from idle trouble I feel exactly the same about my Z.....the Z is my child since I had no other children Little Z made a new friend at BMW today
