Oh the dilemma . .

[Dudesky]

Here I am again, I don't know who's worse with indecision, me or craig. I still want an E39, but an E90 in graphite metallic is getting hard to resist. But the real question is, do I want to make payments on a new car, or enjoy the fact that I don't have car payments? I have 2 major loans that are ending in couple of months, so I can handle it, but maybe I should just keep restoring my E36. I keep weighing this in my mind, but I can't come to a decision, maybe you folks can give some insight.

What I've done:
New tires, rims, shocks, struts. Replaced CAB's & RTAB's, water pump, radiator, thermostat, expansion tank, hoses. New shifter linkage parts & bushings, new brakes, belt tensioners, and fuel pump. Plus various other replacements, like door locks, window parts, etc.

What I need to do soon:
Replace transmission, might as well do the clutch too. Wheel bearings, subframe mounts, rear control arm bushings. Need new catback exhaust. Fix headliner. Replace ICV, O2 sensor, tie rods.

I've also considered the various other things that will need attention or replacement that may come along with a car this old, and I'm thinking that alternatively, a new car with a warranty doesn't sound too bad. But then have I spent enough money on this one that it might be a waste to not get my money's worth? Ultimately, I will have made a decision one way or the other come Sept or Oct, but I'm just wondering what you guys would do.

[xsperf]

get both... i mean think about it, your probably not going to get much for your car anyway, you may as well drive both, and i test drove the new e90, it is a very nice car actually, even the 325, it still has a 3.0L engine which makes the car less than sluggish, oh yes, and the warranty and maintenence, including brakes and oil changes is a great deal!

[Linds]

I guess I would agree with xsperf except that if you keep your car now, you'll have to put money into to keep it going. If you had already fixed everything I'd say keep it, but since it needs more work I say cut your losses and get the e90.

[xsperf]

well you see, if he sells his car as is right now, hes going to get, what, 2K max for it? thats not worth it, what i was saying is drive it to the ground and dont really bother all the problems it has...

[Linds]

^^True

e90 then, yay! We need one on ub!

[c1apton]

Dsky, the big consideration (for where you live) is: What will your Insurance rate go to? I've read NJ has the highest Ins. rates in the country. I tend to agree w/the previous posts - keep the "old girl" for the daily driver but the E90 for the "evenings out" etc...

[defkon99]

GEt both ! i Agree!

[EnvyM3]

How bout a lease on an e90??? If you keep your current car, you can still drive it for the "long drives" to avoid going over the alotted miles on a lease. Just thinking that b/c it is much cheaper to lease than buy. And then in 4 years when the new model comes out, you can get another new one.

[jms]

IMHO If I were in your shoes, I would keep what I have with no payments and save money for the new car. Essentially dumping your monthly car payment into an account for a large downpayment. The longer you can go without buying the new car the more interest you would save on a loan. Then if a deal comes along that you can't resist you can take advantage of it without any difficulty. Personally I can't get past the huge drop in value in the first year. When I buy my next one I will buy something around 3 to 4 years old. At that point it loses value at a much lower rate.

Of course, YMMV.

[craig]

oh, im deffinatly worse... no question.(im not making anymore threads like that again btw) and i agree with jms.

[Dudesky]

Thanks for the input, folks. I know my E36 isn't worth anything in trade, no matter how much restoration I've done. But I just can't help thinking that the $1k I'll be spending to replace the tranny could be better spent towards something else. Right now she's still running fine, as long as I don't rely on the synchros to shift. But I gotta face the music sooner or later, and I'd rather deal with it during the warmer months.

Yes, Envy, it would definitely be a lease, probably 30 months . . regular financing to own is much higher. I'd love to keep the E36, but as c1apton mentioned, NJ insurance is brutal. jms also has a good point, and I've thought long and hard about that too. I think it's gonna come down to one of those spur of the moment decisions, which I'll probably regret

xsperf: $2k?? I wish . . right now with the tranny the way it is, I'm lucky if I get a grand for it

[c1apton]

Dsky, just bank your bucks, while torturing your savings w/cash (lol) shop the salvage yards for a trans. They can't be that expensive and I'm sure there's an abundance of them out there.
Knowing the care you've given that car, I'll give you a grand right now sight unseen for your car. (How's that for motivation? ) Bank the bucks bro, while the interest rates are good and remember "times on your side".

[Chris]

Dudesky, I see a track car in your E36... no insurance payouts on track damage anyways, so you can just uninsure it.

And i've seen some pretty sweet deals on E39 M5's lately. And since insurance companies do their rates based on where the car ranks in safety and wheteher its the newest model or not, you could probably get decent insurance on it.

99-2002 M5's are going for the Mid 30's around here. Keep in mind everything is over priced in atlanta so you could def. find some better deals. definitely more wow factor and more fun than an E90 no matter which one you get. Its really something to consider. Look into hiking up deductibles a bit because you especially do most work on your own, you only need insurance if your car is totalled or hit.

[Chris]

see great example 2001 M5 $28,xxx 84k miles but probably perfectly maintained

Atlanta Area M5 2001

[94bmw325i]

I mean you can probably do most if not all of the work you need to do by yourself, but once you do that I hope that your car would run fine for a while, so for the next few years you could keep saving for a new car? And sell that minivan!