ADVICE on BMW Please

rcanpolat

Hi guys,

I've found a cheap 2000 bmw 318 1.9 with reasonable milage. I have a few questions about the car.

The user is saying that the NCT expired over a year ago and they never bothered to NCT the car. The user said that he/she never NCT's cars because they aren't bothered.

So question 1: What happens if i buy this car and try to NCT it? Will the NCT charge me twice because its over a year out? (because NCT is backdated)

The user said it won't take much for me to know that the car is sound. They said that it prob needs the lights to be aligned and the wheels to be tracked and thats all it should need. The user said that they are selling the car because they want to go back to college and needs a smaller car.

question 2: what do you think about the above statement?

I think i can get this car for under 1000. it has cruise control etc.. all the bells and whistles. Is there anything i should look out for when viewing this car... or would you advise me to stay well away from this car?

Interslice

Stories are stories, get a mechanic to check it out. May save you a fortune as BMW's aren't cheap to fix. If they don't bother NCT'ing cars they may not bother servicing or maintaining it. Also NCT'd over a year ago increases the chance that it has failed an NCT and is being sold on.

rcanpolat

Interslice wrote: »

Stories are stories, get a mechanic to check it out. May save you a fortune as BMW's aren't cheap to fix.

I think i will do that.

Interslice wrote: »

If they don't bother NCT'ing cars they may not bother servicing or maintaining it.

Very valid point

Interslice wrote: »

Also NCT'd over a year ago increases the chance that it has failed an NCT and is being sold on.

i would know this by looking at the log book though right? i would see the owners name and when it was registered to them and i would know if they are trying to flip the car. Do you know is it possible to call the NCT center and ask them if this registration plate tested and failed in the last year or two? Would they give me that information?

visual

NCT will be back dated to car anniversary and not to when last NCT'ed

Most people don't NCT a car because they believe it won't pass.
Its very difficult to sell a car without current NCT unless its seriously cheap.

Chances if owner feels it needs wheel alignment that there is a suspension issue.

If you do buy be prepared to spend money to get it through a NCT

rcanpolat

visual wrote: »

NCT will be back dated to car anniversary and not to when last NCT'ed

Most people don't NCT a car because they believe it won't pass.
Its very difficult to sell a car without current NCT unless its seriously cheap.

Chances if owner feels it needs wheel alignment that there is a suspension issue.

If you do buy be prepared to spend money to get it through a NCT

what do you mean by the NCT wil be back dated to the car anniversary and not to when last NCT'd? In this case the car is out of an NCT for 12 months (so it should have been tested in october 2012)

Interslice

rcanpolat wrote: »

i would know this by looking at the log book though right? i would see the owners name and when it was registered to them and i would know if they are trying to flip the car. Do you know is it possible to call the NCT center and ask them if this registration plate tested and failed in the last year or two? Would they give me that information?

I mean the current owner has had it a 1 year plus, failed the NCT on it's due date recently and decided it wasn't worth fixing and to just sell it instead. AFAIK there is no way of checking this.

You have a link to the car? don't know much about bmw's myself but there's the odd 3 series driver on here now and then:pac:

rcanpolat

Interslice wrote: »

I mean the current owner has had it a 1 year plus, failed the NCT on it's due date recently and decided it wasn't worth fixing and to just sell it instead. AFAIK there is no way of checking this.

You have a link to the car? don't know much about bmw's myself but there's the odd 3 series driver on here now and then:pac:

I just done a quick google search and found this company. Apparently they can get up NCT history reports etc. I dont know if they show the latest failed report though. Its prob worth the 8 quid anyway!

https://www.mywheels.ie/payment-form/?VRN=00D107020&type=IrishHistoryValuation

This is the latest advert put up about an hour ago:

http://www.adverts.ie/car/bmw/3-series/bmw/4065715?notification=27d89197da6c5d20b0cf888396e0f5a4-1383095054#comment_20074853

Prior to that there were 2 more but the user took them down and relisted (god knows why)

http://www.adverts.ie/car/bmw/3-series/bmw-318ci/3969009

and...

http://www.adverts.ie/car/bmw/3-series/bmw-318ci/3758947

Mister Man

Seeing him re-list the ad a few times could mean a few things:
-He's trying to save money instead of paying for a bump (Which is understandable)
-He's been driving it recently, and something is going/gone and is trying to offload it as quick as possible, before all hope is lost.
-He's just flipping it for a bit profit.

Go for a viewing and bring a mechanic - Have him give it a good look over and see if he can find anything other then what he said. Don't tell him you're bring a mechanic. That way he can't prepare any stories or talk his way out of it.
Don't get your heart set on it just yet. Be mindful that it seem's dodgy. Has he given a reason for sale?

What has me interested is how he knows it needs the lights re-aligned? Is that an easy thing to tell yourself, and I'm just too stupid to spot it? The tracking I can understand at least.
I'm also interested in how he's not been stopped with NCT out for over a year! :O

kfog

Walk away, there are plenty of 3 series BMW's on donedeal, newer and NCT'd and also advertised for less money.

visual

rcanpolat wrote: »

what do you mean by the NCT wil be back dated to the car anniversary and not to when last NCT'd? In this case the car is out of an NCT for 12 months (so it should have been tested in october 2012)

If the anniversary date is oct if you nct it now then it would from now to next anniversary date oct 14.
Looking at the add the guy is a dreamer
It isnt worth 1400 without NCT

You could get a nice NCTed BM for that money else where

exaisle

Do the words "forty-foot" and "bargepole" mean anything to ya? ;-)

The last couple of posts are IMHO excellent advice....

S28382

OP I wouldn't go near that car as was said already them cars are a dime a dozen you would easily pick up a good one with NCT no problems. As a BMW owner I know how some car parts are expensive so you could find yourself with a big money pit if the car isn't right.

It really is worth the wait for the right one to come up go see a few of them and ask the right questions if you don't get the right answers walk away.

rcanpolat

Hi everyone.

Firstly i want to thank you all for your sound advice. Going on the general vibe im getting from most of you its a bit of a no go area with this car. Even with a mechanic there could be issues he doesn't spot. Added to that a failure to NCT the car for a year is a pretty long time. Not being bothered isn't a decent enough excuse to not NCT a vehicle for an entire year which makes me believe there prob is more wrong with the car then the user is saying.

On that note im going to pass on this car.

Thanks again for everyones sound advice and input.

Idbatterim

you could always ask the seller to put it through the nct, even if it fails, you will know if it is expensive or cheap to get rectified. I had this a few years ago in a private sale for about 10k, seller had no problem with it. then again for this type of money and with the way the seller sounds, he or she probably wont be bothered..

what is your budget? mileage? requirements etc?

Can you link to the car? also the 118bhp engine isnt bad reliability wise, but my god its underpowered in heavy bmw's...

If you are going for a saloon and 2L is the max, something like the below is incomparable to the underpowered 4 pot 3 series IMO...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sal...petrol/5880515