Would you buy back your old car?

Associate
Joined
28 Mar 2007
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2,496
Location
Edinburgh
I sold my E46 M3 in May 2009. Needed the cash at the time and was made a good offer. I've been looking for about 3 months for another E46 M3 but the right car hasn't come up yet and I'm under no real pressure to buy again.

Today, I found the car I sold is up for sale again. I'm in two minds and would like the restrained and always reasoned OCUK Motors forum help me to decide if I'm being stupid or not. Let me give you a bit of background:

I bought the car when it was about 6 months old and had appx 4,500 miles on it. I then kept the car for roughly 4.5 years and sold it with 44,250 miles on it. In that time, other than me running out of skill on a few ocassions, nothing went wrong with the car at all except me knocking off an O2 sensor on a speedbump, the HK amp needing replacing and the door seal being replaced. Not faultless, but nothing major at all given the car.

I made some modifcations to the car and these are all still on it, so I know quality parts were fitted by experienced guys. It was fully serviced, all consumables replaced with the proper stuff and I changed all the bushes twice (anal I know, but you really should try it, makes such a difference) in my ownership. It's now for sale, less than a year after I sold it with appx 47,000 on the clock. This is how I see it:

Pros

1. I know that for 95% of it's life it was very well looked after
2. Not a lot of mileage put on it
3. My chosen spec & colour combo
4. I did an Insp II just before I sold it.
5. Struggling to find one I'd consider worthy of buying

Cons

1. I don't know what it's done for 5% of its life (low miles - off road, crashed/repaired, surely not a sunday driver?)
2. It will probably cost me £1k more than I sold it for - hey ho
3. I sold it knowing that the breaks (discs/pads) would need replaced at some point soon, they haven't been done
4. I'm now quite proud of my clean licence
5. No warranty currently on the car

5 each so as not appear I've already made my mind up. I haven't. Help me please....Thanks.
 
Associate
Joined
12 Nov 2003
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2,342
Location
Skipton
Surely the simple thing would be to say will you be able to find a better one for the same money? If not then I can see no reason for not buying your old one.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
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12,706
Location
Leicestershire
[TW]Fox;16416334 said:
Buy it. You dont know its life for 5% of its mileage.

As opposed to 100% of its mileage for every other M3.

this.

if you get it and something breaks - it could hav broke on any of the others 10fold but the chances are you'd have picked it up and fixed it.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
28 Mar 2007
Posts
2,496
Location
Edinburgh
Surely the simple thing would be to say will you be able to find a better one for the same money? If not then I can see no reason for not buying your old one.

95% of the cars history is 100% known to you, whereas a normal scenario would be...well, one never knows as much as that I'd guess

[TW]Fox;16416334 said:
Buy it. You dont know its life for 5% of its mileage.

As opposed to 100% of its mileage for every other M3.

These are generally what I keep coming back to. There's just so many shabby M3's about. It's hard to explain but when you've got so used to one that you feel is sorted, others just feel a bit too loose. Probably all in my head.
 

DM

DM

Permabanned
Joined
11 Jul 2009
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11,386
Location
West Kingsdown, Kent.
Cheers, I just don't read much into it. Why would it cause you to lose confidence? Just curious.


I suppose because when i buy a car i just have to get everything that needs doing done, and in an ideal world i'd like to buy cars from like minded people.

Of course that dosent always happen, if it was a 1.8 mondeo it wouldnt bother me, but enthusiast cars, i suppose i just like seeing them with a bit of love lavished.

Bah, i shouldnt post when iv had a couple of drinks in the evening :)
 
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