[fe7565]

I feel your pain... My 2012 328i N26 runs better than when I bought it used with 30k miles and looks near brand new at 103K miles. Trade-in value $4,200. When I look at the car knowing that I could drive it round trip from the East Coast to the West Coast without any issues....but my car is only worth about two months of car rental costs (at $500/week rental)....it sounds unreal.

For you, it's almost worth to buy for $4,000 an entire used BMW car that has the same engine, swap the engine out into yours, and sell the other car for parts...if you insist on your current car.

Or make the move to a new (used) car. It's subjective what you like. I have my sights set at a 2018-2020 X2. Can get them between $18-24K with under 60K miles, no accidents...depending on your region. But I will wait until the new facelift X2 comes out next January or so....that way current X2 drivers will dump a lot of them on the used car market as a trade-in. Right now the X2 used car market seems to be low on stock which allows the dealers to be arrogant asses.

By the way...what happened to the Craigslist private-party car offers? A few years ago Craigslist was saturated with them...now almost none. Is that all gone now towards Carvana, Darcars and other millennial-ways where you pay up 10% above value so you don't have to "socialize" with the car salesmen?

[Billfitz]

All of the on-line used car shopping sites have been pretty much taken over by dealers. Private sales are still there, but you have to trudge through a lot of dealer ads to find them.

[wildcat10]

Originally Posted by sqwinny

since you are in austin, abr performance in houston is local and a well known bmw engine building shop and is a skip away. might eb worth a phone call to discuss your options.

otherwise most people part out/sell the car and go into something else.

Thank you for the tip about ABR performance. Definitely worth a call.

I have never sold a car for parts/non-running car, so that would be something new for sure.

[wildcat10]

Originally Posted by fe7565

For you, it's almost worth to buy for $4,000 an entire used BMW car that has the same engine, swap the engine out into yours, and sell the other car for parts...if you insist on your current car.

The problem is that even though the trade-in value may be closer to $4k, it's impossible to buy something at that price that would have an engine that is worth pouring more money into, and then have the timing chain issue fixed, etc.

Originally Posted by fe7565

Or make the move to a new (used) car. It's subjective what you like. I have my sights set at a 2018-2020 X2. Can get them between $18-24K with under 60K miles, no accidents...depending on your region. But I will wait until the new facelift X2 comes out next January or so....that way current X2 drivers will dump a lot of them on the used car market as a trade-in. Right now the X2 used car market seems to be low on stock which allows the dealers to be arrogant asses.

I have never taken a serious look at the X2, but maybe I'll take a look. The price is right.

[wildcat10]

I just got a quote for $16k for parts and labor from a local independent BMW specialist. It includes a new long block from BMW for $8k with 2 year warranty.

Very tempting.

[rickchitown]

Originally Posted by wildcat10

I just got a quote for $16k for parts and labor from a local independent BMW specialist. It includes a new long block from BMW for $8k with 2 year warranty.

Very tempting.

Crazy story here… exact same thing happened to my 2013 328i Xdrive, at like 95k miles. “Engine is seized” were the exact words from my local BMW dealer, and a quote of $21k to put in a new engine. Car was/is very, very clean, had brand new front brakes, 19in MSport rims, had just had windows all re-tinted, brand new painted/installed MSport front bumper from Kies, LCI headlights & taillights and on & on I could go. So obviously I immediately began my search for plan B.

Found an independent BMW tech, then we found an N20 out of a 2016 228i RWD (more on that later), with less than 40k miles that had been totaled. Next up, in my luck, found the engine on Craigslist, less than 30 minutes from where the car was. Engine was $2000, tech agreed to do the swap for $2500, so for $4500 bucks, I think I’m in business, right!?? Well, yes and no. Engine gets delivered, and we had known that it was out of a RWD car, and would require a different oil pan from an AWD. Apparently that’s not that easy of a swap? Regardless, he made it happen. Engine is in, now the car needs to be reprogrammed to know it’s got a different engine in it. Apparently that is a VERY LARGE program to rewrite a car? Anywho, gets that done, and we’re in business.

There are some minor details I’m leaving out, so as to not write a book. But all in, new engine, installed, zero dummy lights on dash, and car is running as good as it ever has, in fact, prob better. This whole engine swap process was probably a 90 day adventure, all in. I just couldn’t come to accept that the car was literally going to be worth towing away, and basically scrap value. And so now, we’ve done some other work to it, I have prob $7-8k into it total, and the car MIGHT be worth $9k, on a sunny day.

Again, just crazy, but car is better than ever. Your results may vary, and seriously… good luck. Persevere, and you can probably get her back together!

[wildcat10]

Originally Posted by rickchitown

Crazy story here… exact same thing happened to my 2013 328i Xdrive, at like 95k miles. “Engine is seized” were the exact words from my local BMW dealer, and a quote of $21k to put in a new engine. Car was/is very, very clean, had brand new front brakes, 19in MSport rims, had just had windows all re-tinted, brand new painted/installed MSport front bumper from Kies, LCI headlights & taillights and on & on I could go. So obviously I immediately began my search for plan B.

Found an independent BMW tech, then we found an N20 out of a 2016 228i RWD (more on that later), with less than 40k miles that had been totaled. Next up, in my luck, found the engine on Craigslist, less than 30 minutes from where the car was. Engine was $2000, tech agreed to do the swap for $2500, so for $4500 bucks, I think I’m in business, right!?? Well, yes and no. Engine gets delivered, and we had known that it was out of a RWD car, and would require a different oil pan from an AWD. Apparently that’s not that easy of a swap? Regardless, he made it happen. Engine is in, now the car needs to be reprogrammed to know it’s got a different engine in it. Apparently that is a VERY LARGE program to rewrite a car? Anywho, gets that done, and we’re in business.

There are some minor details I’m leaving out, so as to not write a book. But all in, new engine, installed, zero dummy lights on dash, and car is running as good as it ever has, in fact, prob better. This whole engine swap process was probably a 90 day adventure, all in. I just couldn’t come to accept that the car was literally going to be worth towing away, and basically scrap value. And so now, we’ve done some other work to it, I have prob $7-8k into it total, and the car MIGHT be worth $9k, on a sunny day.

Again, just crazy, but car is better than ever. Your results may vary, and seriously… good luck. Persevere, and you can probably get her back together!

Wow, only $2k for the engine? pretty cheap, glad you were able to fix your car back up