CSL wanted before Christmas

[Shake&Bake]

Hi folks, I'm a newbie so hello to all before I start! :notworthy:

I am currently looking for a:

04 Plate M3 CSL
Silver Grey
Preferrably a known members car with history (good history :wink: )
Low mileage
Standard (apart from possible AP upgrade)

I have been an e30 owner through the years (still am) but now want to move into e46 territory. This car will only be used occasionally so it will be lovingly cared for :smt055 !

I have also got this advert in Pistonheads in case anyone has seen it. It would be a straight sale as I am only back in this neck of the woods recently so there will be no PX.

Any help greatly appreciated :beer:

[windy]

I'd suggest you start by, er, looking? :wink: There's quite a few on PH, AutoTrader, etc, or do you really have to have a members car?

Always a debatable point that - a members car will generally be priced a little higher, and should have been well looked after, though I'd bet it's definitely been driven a lot harder as enthusiasts tend to be just that; rather enthusiastic. These car can take a punishing though.

Think CSL's are still a bit too hardcore/expensive to be owned by complete idiots just yet, so most will be well cared for.

[windy]

Just took me about 60 seconds to get this lot together; some stock, some not, some low mileage too. Easy really...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/743293.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/581494.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754061.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754684.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754676.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754676.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/731878.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/150169.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/787808.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/403271.htm

[Shake&Bake]

Thanks Windy.

Yes as I had said in my original post I have an advert in Pistonheads as well, so I saw those links you posted. You'll find most are 03 or modified, not the right colour I am looking for etc.

I have been away for a while so I am not familiar with the more reputable cars listed for sale. Hence coming to a dedicated forum for guidance.

I take your point on a members car being enthusiastically driven but at the same time I think it would be a much better cared for car.

Basically I don't want to buy a "Lemon". I am sure there are a lot of abused examples out there and I want to avoid wasting my time viewing them.

But thanks again for taking the time to post.

[windy]

Basically I don't want to buy a "Lemon". I am sure there are a lot of abused examples out there and I want to avoid wasting my time viewing them.

Don't know mate. When I decided to go for an M3, I looked at a few CSL's and they were all really genuine cars, with nearly every receipt, invoice, etc.

I certainly would suggest you don't set your heart on an 04 any you may rule out a much tidier 03 car. The CSL's I saw were priced purely on mileage and condition, mainly with regard to stonechips on the bumper/bonnet from track work.

Just my 2p's worth though!

[Shake&Bake]

Good point!

It might be worth my while broadening my circle. But you know yourself I don't want to jump in and buy the 1st one I come across.

Colour wise I find silver grey would be a much easier car to hide the odd stone chips that can be quite comon on CSL's and the reason I want it reasonably unmodified is I understand a car with a lot of mod's will be "generally" tracked quiet a bit as apposed to a standard one that would probably not have been tracked as much (don't get me wrong I know 90% will have been tracked just looking for one that hasn't seen too many days out.)

Appreciate the feedback :thumbs: ! Did you look at many yourself before you purchased? Did you buy through Autotrader Pistonheads etc.?

[Shake&Bake]

Windy this is a good example why I am here.

http://www.cslregister.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=817

Only 422 CSL's (UK) between Pistonheads and here most would be known. Thanks again for the advice.

[windy]

I wasn't even looking for one. Was looking for a 997, and decided to get a 350Z in the meantime as a runaround, then a dealer took me out in an M3 and that was it!.

Looked at loads within the week, and ended up buying that one!

As I was doing a fair few miles, and I like my toys (buttons on the wheel!) and wanted red leather, it had to be an M3. I did look at CSL's just to make sure, but couldn't justify the extra outlay personally.

[Gastro]

What is your budget ?

[Shake&Bake]

For the right car I'm open to suggestions. For a good clean, low mileage example sub 31k seems to be the current market value, bar the rare 4k mile one :wink: .

[Andyk]

Hi shake&bake welcome to the forum.

I wouldn't get huge up on it being an 04 plate, if I was you, as all CSL's were produced in 03 but BMW struggled to sell them so some were registered in 04. History and condition is the most important factor. Good luck with purchase.

[Shake&Bake]

Thanks Andyk,

Appreciate your input the reason I was looking at an 04 was that I had heard obviously incorrectly that there was a software update done on the 04 models for the SMG box? That the 03 models didn't receive.
Is it the same box in all CSL's so? Apologies if that sounds like a stupiid question.

[sailorbaz]

It is the same 'Box in all the CSL's yes, SMGII.

There was an update performed on the software for the SMG aswell as the Air filter element and another couple of things, but ALL CSL's were recalled and these were performed F.O.C. When enquiring about one, ask if its had the recalls done. (I am sure someone on here will know exactly what recalls were to be done and thier codes...Mine are at home and I Am not for a while otherwise I would check myself, sorry)

Even if they've not been done, BMW can tell you if they have and do them F.O.C if they haven't...I believe. :notworthy:

[Helli2020]

Hi shake and Bake look at mine, link on piston heads.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754061.htm

If your interested let me know

[Shake&Bake]

Hi Helli2020,

Thanks for the link.

I have made a provisional deal on a 04 17.5k CSL that I hope to wrap up in the next 2 weeks. Hence my add still up. So all going well I will have the exact car I want. As soon as deal is finalised I will remove this thread.

BTW your car looks fanastic! Its a credit to you :notworthy: .

Rgds
S&B

[neil]

04 17.5k CSL :-D :smokin:

[Shake&Bake]

My thoughts exactly :drool: . Low mieage examples VERY hard to come by. Pics to follow when deal complete. Shake&Bake baby :hahaha:

[windy]

Hmm... 4,375 miles a year? Must be a second car. And in all honesty, what reason would someone purchase a CSL as a second car for... weekend drives? Plenty of much prettier kit about for that.

I'll bet that's never been tracked. Not ever. Nope. Honestly not ever... :whistle:




:wink:

[Shake&Bake]

Hot air - sorry Windy,

Is the glass always halt empty with you? I'm finding it very hard to reply to your comment politely.

New member, new car would of expected a more welcoming post. How's ever it would be a very boring world if everyone was the same

Since you so nicely pointed me in the direction of finding my car thought I would help you find the car you have been looking desperatley for since you became a member here.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=857

Let me know how you get on! :wink:

S&B
"Its nice, to be nice."

[SMD]

My CSL has only 10k on it! I have quite a few cars in the house hold that are used before the CSL! It wont be back on the road until end of feb early March! There are lots of low mileage CSL around! Dont forget a Tracked CSL is just as good as one that has never been tracked!
BMW built them for that reason! :smokin:

[windy]

Ooo... touched a nerve there S&B? :blalalala:

All light hearted banter my dear :yawinkle:









ps, 997's off the cards since I had so much fun in my M3 on the track!

[Shake&Bake]

Taken on the chin my friend, :beer: , taken on the chin.

Just seems you could do a bit of research on a person before you talk down to them, might surprise you what else has been in ones garage.

You seem to an expert on CSL's but don't actually own one yourself. The only post's you put up here seem to be one's to get a reaction.

Your not an only child by any chance??

(Just a bit of friendly banter :wink: )

[windy]

Sorry mate, didn't mean to talk down to you, just offering some realistic advice from my experience of looking at CSLs - the plate, and to a certain extent mileage made little difference, it really was all down to condition. And the two super-low-mileage cars I viewed were both track toys, hence my jest about the one you've found.

I actually chose not to buy a CSL (cue shock/horror by the CSL-elite) as it's just not for me. It is a quicker car, but it just didn't feel nearly £10k quicker. And with the weight thing, a Gruppe M exhaust, set of OEM CSL wheels, and me being just over 12.5 stone make it fairly equal, though obviously it's higher up in the lowly M. And I doubt I'd notice it day to day. The sound is amazing though, but still not worth £10k IMHO.

Not sure what difference it makes (if any) but what have/had you got in your garage if you don't mind sharing!

Good luck with the car anyway!

[Shake&Bake]

No probs - see that was easy wasnt it! I appreciate you trying to look out for fellow members but if all CSL's seem to have too much mileage or too little for you what is the ideal mileage to have on a CSL to purchase? How can you tell if a car has been overly tracked or not hypnosis of the previous owner ahhhh..... enough conversation over I'm bored.

[windy]

You need your eyes testing dear. Never mentioned high mileage. At all. And you said you were looking for an un-tracked one if possible.

Enjoy keeping the miles low. I'm off to use my car.

:smt039

[Shake&Bake]

It must be past your bedtime! Go to sleep now, you have to be up early for school tomorrrow!! :wink:

[windy]

Jesus. Looks like I've fallen out with yet another old man :rolleyes:

Night dad.

[Rags]

Hmm... 4,375 miles a year? Must be a second car. And in all honesty, what reason would someone purchase a CSL as a second car for... weekend drives? Plenty of much prettier kit about for that.

I'll bet that's never been tracked. Not ever. Nope. Honestly not ever... :whistle:




:wink:

You must be on crack mate :clown: :-D .

A CSL is the perfect compromise for a toy, its manageable, affordable and unique. Granted, its not a supercar but its the kind of car you can just 'jump into' and have 90% of the enjoyment of a ferrari or something exotic!

I would never feel comfortable driving my CSL 60 miles a day on my commute so bought a Cooper S Works for that.

This keeps the mileage down on the CSL (mine is high miles, well normal mileage but high for a CSL) and this will help to optimise the condition as well.

The last thing I wanna do is leave my CSL parked in supermarket car parks, on the side of roads, or even parked at work.

Rags

[windy]

Each to their own, but it's still only a car, and I really can't see the point in making it a garage queen like a Ferrari or something exotic. If it was was as hardcore as that mental 997 with the cage and deathwish as standard, I could understand leaving it for non-wet days. But it's a BMW M3 with lighter bits, a touch more power and better handling, and was built to be used. Both on the road and on a track. And to be able to take it. Actually, I'd like to think that if I had a Ferrari, I'd use is as much as possible. I take my hat off to the guy with the Lambo who writes in Evo.

When I met Darren (DazBlackCSL) the other week, he was on his way up to Bolton from down south for a work thing, and having both an M3 and a CSL, he chose the CSL to drive up in. And seemed to rather enjoying doing so!

I tried the second car thing a few years back and there is absolutely no way to justify the extra expense of ownership, tax, insurance, etc, against the depreciation you'd suffer adding the miles to your CSL.

You bought it, so enjoy it! Even on the drive to work you can have fun. Mine's busy-motorway all the way, but I never tire of the enjoyment I get when it clears for a mile or so and I put my foot down, or when I decide to take the back roads home instead. Maybe I'm too much of a hardcore 24/7 petrolhead. It does get dirty though...

Anyway, just expressing my personal opinion as usual, which I don't think I'm allowed to do here...


:whistle:

[windy]

OldManS&B, don't know if you're committed to the 17.5k miles one, but there's a very well spec'd CSL over on M Torque at the moment... an extra 7,000 miles, but with AP's all round and the ad reads like a well cared for car.

Link (http://www.mtorque.co.uk/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=674155#Post674155)

[DazBlackCSL]

Hi shake and Bake look at mine, link on piston heads.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/754061.htm

If your interested let me know

I will second that .. Saw Hells's CSL at Brands this week and it is Proper mint !
One of the cleanest black ones ive seen ... (note to self must try harder)!!

Daz

[Shake&Bake]

Thanks Daz,

Ya looks gorgeous alright. Can't believe the "liquid black" look it's gorgeous. If the black one's are faster this one must be the fastest :hahaha: .

I'll let you know about other car when time is right.

S&B

[E46ACS]

If the black one's are faster this one must be the fastest :hahaha: .


I think you'll find that Silver Grey cars are quicker than the Black ones.

The black paint is heavier and creates more drag!

FACT!!!!!!! :whistle:

[csl_mba]

Yep you have to get a SB one they are faster :thumbs: , the SG ones are :ANAL: cars :blalalala:

[Helli2020]

thanks buddy, good luck matey

[Mark CSL]

i THINK Darren said it in a post

They made SB CSLs to give the SG CSLs something to chase

Thats the fuse lit now stand BACK :blalalala:

[Rags]

Each to their own, but it's still only a car, and I really can't see the point in making it a garage queen like a Ferrari or something exotic. If it was was as hardcore as that mental 997 with the cage and deathwish as standard, I could understand leaving it for non-wet days. But it's a BMW M3 with lighter bits, a touch more power and better handling, and was built to be used. Both on the road and on a track. And to be able to take it. Actually, I'd like to think that if I had a Ferrari, I'd use is as much as possible. I take my hat off to the guy with the Lambo who writes in Evo.

When I met Darren (DazBlackCSL) the other week, he was on his way up to Bolton from down south for a work thing, and having both an M3 and a CSL, he chose the CSL to drive up in. And seemed to rather enjoying doing so!

I tried the second car thing a few years back and there is absolutely no way to justify the extra expense of ownership, tax, insurance, etc, against the depreciation you'd suffer adding the miles to your CSL.

You bought it, so enjoy it! Even on the drive to work you can have fun. Mine's busy-motorway all the way, but I never tire of the enjoyment I get when it clears for a mile or so and I put my foot down, or when I decide to take the back roads home instead. Maybe I'm too much of a hardcore 24/7 petrolhead. It does get dirty though...

Anyway, just expressing my personal opinion as usual, which I don't think I'm allowed to do here...


:whistle:

You can express your opinion fair enough, just do not agree! :119: :119:

The main reason I sold my Z3M Coupe was that it was too impractical for daily use and it was track prep'd which made it a nightmare on some of the UK's finest back roads.

The CSL, it does get taken to work on occasions, but why would I want to leave my car parked in a random car park, or in a strange part of town or even overnight somewhere.

I bought a mini cooper s works as I can afford to have a second car and would much rather prefer to take that to work, park it in random places and leave it on the road.

The CSL gets used at weekends and when I feel like it.

:hahaha:

[Shake&Bake]

I am now the proud owner of a 04 silver/grey CSL :smokin: .

Four and a half hour drive home I was like a kid in a sweet shop!

It is everything I was expecting and then some!

I only realised this morning that its got a radio I nearly got pnemonia coming home with the windows rolled down...

So how many CSL's in West Wales now???

cslbecks Best of luck with the GT2 in January!

Shake&Bake

[glendog74]

Nice one mate - enjoy! :beer:

[Andyk]

I am now the proud owner of a 04 silver/grey CSL :smokin: .

Four and a half hour drive home I was like a kid in a sweet shop!

It is everything I was expecting and then some!

I only realised this morning that its got a radio I nearly got pnemonia coming home with the windows rolled down...

So how many CSL's in West Wales now???

cslbecks Best of luck with the GT2 in January!

Shake&Bake

Congrats shake&bake.......the sweet shop feeling never goes :smt055 ....I'm South Wales.

[Shake&Bake]

I think your going to have to show me some nice flowing Welsh B roads Mr K.

[dave1]

well done enjoy :smokin:

this black against silver thing really cracks me up :gayfight:

[Andyk]

I think your going to have to show me some nice flowing Welsh B roads Mr K.

Up around brecon area is good. Used to go round reg with the Lotus group so will have to sort a run out in the new year me thinks..

[Shake&Bake]

Sounds good to me

[Shake&Bake]

Cheers Glendog and Dave. :thumbs:

[Helli2020]

Well done fella..............enjoy

[Shake&Bake]

Thanks Helli. Just wish it would stop raining :banghead: !!