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Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:00 pm
by markalp
bensz4mc wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:35 pm
I am planning on buying my M privately if possible - what's the best company to do a pre-purchase inspection please? Can a BMW dealer do this?
I used the RAC to inspect mine, however it was from a family run garage 200 miles away from me, the guy at the garage said the RAC man was totally professional, showed him insurance before taking it for a test drive and treated the car with respect. It wasnt cheap because I also got an oil analysys, under body check, paint thickness test, etc... the full monty.
It highlighted a few things that I used to get the price down, infact the cost saved paid for a full Ins I + brake fluid change, from a BMW indi, and also to fix the bits that the RAC highlighed, and some the indi found.
All of that has givin me the confidence that I will be safe using the car to its fullest until an Ins II may next year just before its MOT.
Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:03 am
by Sae
Dont know if youve already done this but you can check the cars owner and mot history for free online.
The mot history shoukd give you list of advisories etc on the car... its not a replacement for inspection and test drive but does give you some premeptive details to look into further, but as previously advised take a knowledgeable forum member with you if you can.
Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:02 am
by Scrammer
wspohn wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:58 pm
When I bought mine, I just arranged for the owner to take it down to a local BMW garage to have it inspected. I think that driving it there himself and the fact that it was a shop that dealt in BMWs reassured him. I told him that I was paying in any case and even if I didn't buy it, I would give him a copy of the report so he knew what might come up again.
The shop did it in a couple of hours, the fee was modest and they emailed me a report right away.
If the owner has no time to take it in, you can always ask if he could drop it off and leave it and consider using his shop that services it rather than an independent, although the latter would obviously be better.
No way would I buy a car like this without having an inspection. The days when I could do a satisfactory inspection myself are long gone - cars are just too darned complex today but OTOH they also offer easy hook up to the ECM for error codes etc.
Absolutely this is the only way to go about it When I was in the USA for work, I sold my E46M3 ZCP to a guy who was over a thousand miles away. He said take it to the local BMW dealer if it checks out just leave it there cuz I'll buy it and take delivery by way of the BMW dealer. This past spring I sold my E90 to M3 zcp Frozen to a buyer in Montreal which is 3500 km away. Same thing take it to the dealer, pass the pre-delivery inspection, i will send a shipping company to pick it up directly from the dealership.
We're not selling bicycles here ... we're buying and selling expensive (and expensive to fix) performance automobiles.
If you want big money for your car you might have to take half a Saturday and drive to the dealership for an inspection. If you want to buy a nice car set the expectation with the seller ... and if they don't want to play ball find another car / seller.
Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:09 am
by Mangozac
At the value you're paying for a performance car like a Z4M, really you're mad buying without having a reputable mechanic do a pre purchase inspection. Pretty standard practice here in Oz, even when I sold my 3.0si: the buyer places a deposit for the sale pending a pre purchase inspection (paid for by the buyer).
Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 3:38 pm
by wspohn
Hey, Scrammer - see you are in Kelowna. I'm in Penticton right now on my annual wine buying trip.
Didn't bring the Z4M as it doesn't hold enough wine!!
Pre Purchase inspection
Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 10:58 pm
by bensz4mc
Any one know how much a a dealer in the UK charges for an inspection?