[bobbytomorow]

Longtime BMW owner but I've only ever owned older models (E30, E36, E39, E90, E85) and they were all naturally aspirated. Right now my daily is a 2004 Z4 2.5 manual for nice weather and I have a 4x4 pick-up for lousy weather and when I need to haul stuff. I've always stuck to older models with NA engines because of the ease of DIY maintenance and the price savings that comes with that. However I've been wanting something with newer creature comforts but also with some power so I've been browsing local classifieds for M235i's and 435i's. These seem to be the sweet spot for price+performance+practicality.

That brings me to a recent local find, a 2014 435i with MPPK and quite a few bolt-ons.

Here is the post:

Testing the waters on my Manual 435i, open to reasonable offers and some trades! The worst I will say is no.

-2014 BMW 435i with M Performance Package from factory.
-Rare 6-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
-Rebuilt title from minor front-end collision (headlight, bumper, hood, no structural damage)
-Brembo brakes, MPPK adds +35 horsepower, +32 ft/lbs of torque
-Dinan carbon cold air intake, JB4 tune, VRSF downpipe.
-New brake pads, Pirelli P-zero Trofeo R tires
-Some scrapes and dings, but overall good condition, it’s been daily
driven on highways mostly.

I have owned the car for 3 years and it’s always been great to me.
If you have any other questions or want additional photos feel free to
message me!

Googling the owners name I can see that he has owned BMW's in the past and is a member at a local track. Personally I would prefer to buy from another enthusiast than say a normie who doesn't even know what oil weight the car takes, in my experience this generally means the car is at least maintained well.

pro's are:
-low milage @ 100,000kms (62,000 miles)
-mppk installed
-manual + rwd
-open to offers = decent price

cons's are:
-buyer has been super inconsistent with replying (eg when asked for VIN he replied he will send it later that day but didn't reply for 3 days)
-rebuilt status
-could have tracked it aka beat it up

I guess my main questions are:
1) is $28k a fair price (and likely lower)?
2) never had a turbo BMW before, what do I look for when inspecting?
3) how is the N55 for DIY at home?

Attached are some images from the post, it is super clean looking.

[tturedraider]

Rebuilt title and not replying are both BIG turnoffs for me. The N55 is a fine motor, but the B58 takes it up a notch and is my preference. Is a 440 in your budget? If your budget is fairly healthy and given you own a Z4 you might want to look at F33s, too. And the F36 Gran Coupe provides a lot of great utility!!

[bobbytomorow]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Rebuilt title and not replying are both BIG turnoffs for me. The N55 is a fine motor, but the B58 takes it up a notch and is my preference. Is a 440 in your budget? If your budget is fairly healthy and given you own a Z4 you might want to look at F33s, too. And the F36 Gran Coupe provides a lot of great utility!!

I would say the 440i is a tad out of my budget, which I want to keep under $30k CDN ($22k USD). Also the 435i is about as large as I want to go, I am also open to 2 series (I prefer their size but not as big on their looks) but they seem to be fewer in my region particularly in manual.

When looking at an N55 are the items to look out for typical BMW I6 stuff, such as oil leaks at gasket points more or less? This car (and others I am looking at) also have the variable suspension, I have no experience with this tech either.

[sapphire black]

28K is way too much imo. Not sure what the market is like in Canada but based on rebuilt title, he is asking too much. Sure he may be able to convince you the car is fine despite the branded title, which it may or may not be, but then you have to convince the next person, which is a big issue for resale, especially as the car approaches higher mileage and issues start popping up.

Save up for the 440 or 240/340 - the engine is worth it and the handling updates also make a big difference in the LCI (2017+) models.

In the US, a 435 is probably low 20s high 10s. Usually Canada is similarly priced in CAD (i.e. cheaper), so Im surprised a branded title car is listed that high.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by sapphire black

28K is way too much imo. Not sure what the market is like in Canada but based on rebuilt title, he is asking too much. Sure he may be able to convince you the car is fine despite the branded title, which it may or may not be, but then you have to convince the next person, which is a big issue for resale, especially as the car approaches higher mileage and issues start popping up.

Save up for the 440 or 240/340 - the engine is worth it and the handling updates also make a big difference in the LCI (2017+) models.

In the US, a 435 is probably low 20s high 10s. Usually Canada is similarly priced in CAD (i.e. cheaper), so Im surprised a branded title car is listed that high.

I think you have your conversion switched around. $28k CAD is about $20,500 USD.

I actually think this car is priced pretty well for what it is and what it has. A manual, rwd in Canada is quite a unicorn I imagine. And the MPPK adds more value.

The biggest turn off for me was the poor communication. That really drives me nuts when people are trying to sell something and it always raises my suspicions. If you can work through that I think it’s probably unlikely you’ll find a similar deal anytime soon.

Yes, the issues to expect are the typical ones. The oil filter housing gasket leaking seems to be pretty common.

Good luck!!

[sapphire black]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I think you have your conversion switched around. $28k CAD is about $20,500 USD.

I actually think this car is priced pretty well for what it is and what it has. A manual, rwd in Canada is quite a unicorn I imagine. And the MPPK adds more value.

The biggest turn off for me was the poor communication. That really drives me nuts when people are trying to sell something and it always raises my suspicions. If you can work through that I think it’s probably unlikely you’ll find a similar deal anytime soon.

Yes, the issues to expect are the typical ones. The oil filter housing gasket leaking seems to be pretty common.

Good luck!!

I meant as in like a car that is 30K USD in the US is often 30K CAD in Canada, so its cheaper in real terms - again not sure if the market is still like that but I remember considering shipping a car over from Canada since it cost like 6K USD less than the same car in the US

As far as MPPK holding more value, it's certainly not enough value to offset the rebuilt title

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Rebuilt title and not replying are both BIG turnoffs for me. The N55 is a fine motor, but the B58 takes it up a notch and is my preference. Is a 440 in your budget? If your budget is fairly healthy and given you own a Z4 you might want to look at F33s, too. And the F36 Gran Coupe provides a lot of great utility!!

Rebuilt title can be an open invitation to a myriad of unknown issues that will continue to surface.

Poor communication makes it even less attractive.

Suggest to pass.