Buying a Z4m from member, need advice!

[jon_y]

Hi everyone, I have been a huge fan of the z4m coupe ever since it first came out and now that lease on my g35c (always regretted this decision) is ending, it's time for me to pick up another car, after driving both a cayman s and z4m, I have decided that the z4m is the better car for me.

I have found a car for sale by a member http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=478633

Because I live in Canada, I will most likely be buying the car without inspecting it in person. This member seems to have taken care of his car very well and know what he is doing. But do you think it is a good idea to buy sight unseen? I thought about getting a shop to inspect it, but is that even worth it since I can't really can't hold them accountable anyways. And if I do, what should I tell them to look for?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, this would be my first M car and I just want make sure it is a pleasant one.

Thanks for reading!

[mfanatic325]

Hrmm...I suppose if you're REALLY serious about getting that car (which I wouldn't be surprised if you were, since Alpine White is pretty rare!), I'd probably fly out to the states to check it out in person, test drive it, schedule with the seller to get a pre-inspection done, etc.
Then if you like it, put down a deposit and sign a self-drafted sales contract perhaps with some witnesses.

Otherwise, unfortunately, you're just going to have to take his word for it =/

[VinnieAces]

ask another forum member within the sellers area to check it out for you, post pics and write up a quick review if they are generous enough,


REALLY hoping that you get this one as it would be awesome to see you come out to some meets with it, such a nice MC

[Nikki]

I bought my car in Illinois and I had already decided that I was going to get it before I even flew out. I picked up the car and went through all the paperwork without even driving it, which in hindsight was probably not the smartest idea, but then again neither was dropping all that money on it lol. I like to think I made the right decision though.

[wrh3]

I can vouch for Dan's car, I have seen it several times in person. Make a list of pics/angles that you would like to see and ask Dan to email them to you. If you still like it/think its the car for you why not fly down, check it out, schedule a PPI at a shop while you're here, and then take a road trip home? This is probably the only way I would buy a car that was not local.

[mb1]

I've met the seller several times (I bought wheels from him as well not that long ago). He's a good guy. I'm confident that the car is sound although I haven't seen it in person, just some of his other cars.

Once upon a time I had a 2005 G35 (which I really didn't enjoy). You're going to love S54 ownership! My G35 compared to my M3, well, other than both being 2 door 6mt's, there really isn't a comparison in terms of driving dynamics and enjoyment. You'll have a great drive back I'm sure.

Originally Posted by jon_y

Hi everyone, I have been a huge fan of the z4m coupe ever since it first came out and now that lease on my g35c (always regretted this decision) is ending, it's time for me to pick up another car, after driving both a cayman s and z4m, I have decided that the z4m is the better car for me.

I have found a car for sale by a member http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=478633

Because I live in Canada, I will most likely be buying the car without inspecting it in person. This member seems to have taken care of his car very well and know what he is doing. But do you think it is a good idea to buy sight unseen? I thought about getting a shop to inspect it, but is that even worth it since I can't really can't hold them accountable anyways. And if I do, what should I tell them to look for?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, this would be my first M car and I just want make sure it is a pleasant one.

Thanks for reading!

[Dan Parker]

I'm Dan and let me tell ya...I'm a great guy and the car is great as well!

I understand your concerns because I've been on your side of the situation.

I bought a 2002 Audi TT Roadster (Nimbus Gray, Baseball glove leather interior, suspension, exhaust, etc) from Autotrader.com once. The car was in Utah and I'm in Georgia. I didn't have it inspected but photo's were very detailed. It was the scariest thing I've ever done but when the car was rolled off the trailer and was better than I could have imagined I was very very relieved! I'm sure there are horror stories out there but when I did sell that same car to someone (autotrader.com) the buyer emailed me a week later thanking me for representing the car exactly as it was. Reputation in the racing community is very important and word of mouth goes a long long way so I don't mess around, especially with other people's money.

Had to chime in myself,
Dan

[wrh3]

Originally Posted by Dan Parker

I'm Dan and let me tell ya...I'm a great guy and the car is great as well!
Had to chime in myself,
Dan

[Nikki]

hey, he sounds like a great guy.

[lucid]

Have it inspected by a local BMW dealer. If the owner agrees, you can pay for the inspection and have them report the outcome of the inspection to you. That does not guarantee anything, but at least you are asking a BMW dealer to put its reputation and integrity on the line. Also, the local BMW CCA chapter might be able to help you find a local member who would be willing to check it out for you (or you can do that via the forum here). Again, that doesn't negate the possibility of conflict of interest, but it is better than doing nothing IMO.

[FerRrari]

I'm sure the car is as described and is very well taken care of, however I think it'd be wise to get a PPI, maybe arrange with Dan to take the car to a dealer and you pay for the PPI?

[Huz-Z]

I know of a car that was inspected by a US BMW dealer before a purchase and the dealer missed a TON of issues.

You need the service history and Carfax, clearly. Can you get the owner to sign a document where he warrants that the car has not been in any collisions, accidents, used as a rental etc, or the like?

Can you find a local inspector to look at the car? If there is any sign of paint work or body work (look for clear coat over spray and mis-matched paint), do not walk away. Run.

[FerRrari]

Carfax will only tell you about major collisions, I T-boned another car with my old M3, ~$15K in damages for my car alone. The carfax 18 months later was still clean.

[nofear]

I agree with the posts above
I don't know Dan or his car but he seems to be an honest guy and I would trust him but the best bet for you to do is to chk it out yourself....then you will not have any regrets!and have no one to find fault with
I bought an M3 with 11 k miles 2yrs ago,(e46) was given an absolute clean history by seller who had a MB dealership handle the transaction for her,paid top dollar and when I got the car ,I was shocked!!! It was repainted and the rear quarter panel was replaced! car fax was clean,pictures of the car looked fantastic and above all you would think you can trust a MB dealer.....anyways moral of the story " look at it yourself and make the decision" best of luck

[Huz-Z]

I don't know the seller personally. But I note that his number of posts is low at 37. That would make me a bit wary. I think I had 37 posts one week after I joined this board. Others here may know the person and be able to vouch for him and eliminate any concern that the car is being advertised for a quick sale to folks who may not exercise due diligence.

But do be careful. Ideally, get a good trusted person to look at the car and consider a quick trip yourself. For a few extra dollars, you may very well end up with the car you want and an equally valuable commodity - peace of mind.

Having said that, the car does look lovely.

[Nikki]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I don't know the seller personally. But I note that his number of posts is low at 37. That would make me a bit wary. I think I had 37 posts one week after I joined this board. Others here may know the person and be able to vouch for him and eliminate any concern that the car is being advertised for a quick sale to folks who may not exercise due diligence.

But do be careful. Ideally, get a good trusted person to look at the car and consider a quick trip yourself. For a few extra dollars, you may very well end up with the car you want and an equally valuable commodity - peace of mind.

Having said that, the car does look lovely.

Not everyone here lives on the internet....

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by Nikki

Not everyone here lives on the internet....

Very true. I'm just advocating being careful. The seller could quite literally be the most trustworthy and fair individual one could ever hope to find. And there are all kinds of jerks out there, too.

There are folks here, such as yourself, who are fairly frequent posters here. As such, there is a bit of a relationship established. This fellow though, is a bit of an unknown. I'm certainly not saying he can't be trusted. But as we don't "know" him as well as we know others here, I'm just saying be careful.

Ultimately, I hope to hear that the car has been purchased by the OP and that he is delighted with it. But if he checks it out and finds a reason not to proceed, there are lots of other cars out there.

[doozyj]

I don't know Dan either and never even talked to him here, but I can vouch for him, he IS a great guy.

[Alicate]

What nonsense! Equating number of forum posts with probability of being honest? Come on. Some of us actually try to put value in our posts, whereas some others intervene all the time, frequently with useless commentary or "me too" statements. Does that make them trustworthy?

[dazed^]

Treat it like you would any other car purchase. Don't be too trusting just because someone has such a friendly screen name, or appears to be so nice in some forum posts.

[fighting_fish]

When I bought mine, I had the seller take it to the local BMW dealership for a full inspection. I think it was about $200, and I was told it's pretty much the same inspection a CPO goes through. Do have it checked out, and do fly out to check it thoroughly is my advice. Car looks beautiful so I hope you get it

[wrh3]

Dan primarily posts on BimmerForums (dtothepowerofp) ....... post counts would not be an issue for me, some people have a job that allows them to be on multiple forums all day and some do not......I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor. As mentioned above, I would treat it just like any other car buying experience.