how terrible of an idea is a high mileage track car?

[kolosy]

looking at a 130k E90 that's local to me (this one https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2007897)

am I a complete idiot for considering it? i sold my e92 because it was too nice and i didn't want to track it, but i miss having a track car (the F90 is going on track in august, but I'm sure that's not at all the same). i diy no problem (did valve covers and a bunch of other stuff on the E92), so maintenance and lack of history on its own isn't an issue. i've got the tools, a bunch of spares and whatever else.

talk me out of it!!

[DrFerry]

Originally Posted by kolosy

looking at a 130k E90 that's local to me (this one https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2007897)

am I a complete idiot for considering it? i sold my e92 because it was too nice and i didn't want to track it, but i miss having a track car (the F90 is going on track in august, but I'm sure that's not at all the same). i diy no problem (did valve covers and a bunch of other stuff on the E92), so maintenance and lack of history on its own isn't an issue. i've got the tools, a bunch of spares and whatever else.

talk me out of it!!

The rod bearings have not been replaced. With 136K miles on the clock it's a time bomb. IF you buy it, the rod bearings should be the first maintenance item you take care of.

[kolosy]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

The rod bearings have not been replaced. With 136K miles on the clock it's a time bomb. IF you buy it, the rod bearings should be the first maintenance item you take care of.

not gonna argue that

[rg1220]

I'm not too experience either (~12 track days) so take what I say with a grain of salt, but the instructors I've had have been nothing but amazing and I feel like they gave me a lot of insight into where I could go from here for the future and what they would have done differently if they were starting over.

Determine what your "end goal" is for this car. Per your other thread, it sounds like you're looking for a streetable track car, not a "purpose-built" track/race car. If you're trying to find the best value, this is an important question to answer for yourself.

If you're just looking for a streetable track car and aren't planning on going full-tilt, then imo I'd think a lower mileage car would be better.

But if you're looking to end up with a purpose-built track/race car, you'll find yourself upgrading a LOT of things. Wheels, calipers, suspension, sway bars, every bushing, exhaust, differential, and the list goes on. As a beginner, you'll want to get some good track time under your belt before you start upgrading things. Then do one or two things at a time so you can see how it affects the car, which is also a learning opportunity to understand how you might be able to make a setup change to work better on a different track. So if your end goal is a purpose build track car (gutted, totally modified, etc), then I'd personally think a cheaper high mileage car that is in good condition would be a great option! The high mileage components will probably suffice for a while but will need replaced at some point and you can then upgrade instead of replacing them with OE. This maintenance cost is why higher mileage cars are cheaper - but if you buy a lower mileage car and still upgrade parts it will cost you the same in parts but you spent $10k more upfront.

Also, if you're looking to end up with a purpose-built track/race car, consider talking to some BMW club members at your next track event and see who might be selling a track car with upgrades already on it. It is usually still cheaper than buying a high mileage car and buying parts for it.

Although, I'm doing the opposite of what I just said haha. I picked up the car not knowing anything about anything. Had lower miles (~60k) and got to my first track day and fell in love with doing this. If I had known all this before, I would have bought $20k car and put $10k into over the next few seasons as I grew as a driver. But now that I have the car and I know it's good and solid, I'm just gonna keep it

[kolosy]

yeah, i think i'm looking for "streetable track car that i can end up converting to track only." i tracked my E92 a couple of times when I had it and kept being worried about cosmetic damage because that's what I originally bought it for -- a pristine car. i really prefer the idea of a scruffy car (which that one qualifies for, i just drove it today) vs a clean one that i'm just gonna f*** up at some point anyway...

[jmeenach]

IMHO, track cars get beat up really fast, so I'd almost stay away from a well-kept, low mileage version if you're going to spend ample time tracking it. My car only started going the track car route after it had a sizeable insurance claim from undercarriage damage. Otherwise it would've remained a weekend cruiser to keep miles and wear low for resale. Like rg1220 said, the end goal of the car is important. If the intent is to have a street car with limited track time, your build sheet should reduce significantly. If the intent is more purpose-oriented, I'd say go with higher miles and put that money toward upkeep and future mods.

The biggest thing to do in the short term is RB replacement. As mentioned before, those are a ticking timebomb and you can't truly know their condition without removing, so you may as well replace for peace of mind.

Get comfortable and confident with the car in mostly stock condition, and then you can start working on modifications. You'd be surprised how many people I see at the track bragging about how they have full SPL catalogues underneath their cars plus suspension, buckets, cages, etc. that never learned how to drive the car.

[bigjae1976]

You're almost better off with a higher mileage car as long as the transmission is in good shape for manual cars.

You're going to have to go through the car. Might as well replace many of the suspension components and driveline mounts that are likely pretty old. I'd replace most things rubber.

Some other things...

Replace the AC condensor if retaining the AC - its probably beat up.
Replace the oil cooler if original
Clean, inspect and repack the axle CVs and driveshaft CV
Replace the center support bearing
Plan to rebuild LSD unit or upgrade it

That's all I can think of right now beyond the obvious stuff

[kolosy]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

You're almost better off with a higher mileage car as long as the transmission is in good shape for manual cars.

You're going to have to go through the car. Might as well replace many of the suspension components and driveline mounts that are likely pretty old. I'd replace most things rubber.

Some other things...

Replace the AC condensor if retaining the AC - its probably beat up.
Replace the oil cooler if original
Clean, inspect and repack the axle CVs and driveshaft CV
Replace the center support bearing
Plan to rebuild LSD unit or upgrade it

That's all I can think of right now beyond the obvious stuff

Yeah that’s what I ended up doing. Got a high mileage (145k) car that’s got a good service history and recent RBs and TAs. Needs new brakes and suspension. Bushes look good. We’ll see ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[2PY]

I also have a higher mileage car at 157k, I made sure I took care of all the common maintenance items that needs to be taken care of before I took it to the track. It also helps to make sure to replace those worn bushing and control arms, it'll help alot trust me!

[1FastSicilian]

if you're going to be replacing everything anyway, it doesnt matter the mileage. Focus on the important items, RB/TA, all your bushings, brakes etc.

[tsk94]

I just picked up a 120k mile car with the intention of mostly using it as a track car in the future.
I'm following the logic above. I'm not too concerned with mileage as so much will be replaced given how it will be used. The main thing to do right away is the RB, unless you have history they were done recently. From there basically everything else gets replaced as it's converted to a track car - brakes, suspension, arms, bushings, coolers, etc.

[yahh]

My track car has 159k on it and at least 25k of that were supercharged. As long as RB's, TA's, and suspension components are done, I wouldn't stress.