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Old 08-04-2013, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Jazzbass View Post
Looking at an older E46 323/325 for my son. Preferably a manual. Anything to look for when checking out the cars? Looking at the E46 boards, I know the early models had the subframe cracking problems, but it doesn't look like you can really check on that without a lift and removing part of the rear suspension (which they typically frown on during a test drive). So avoid the 1999/2000s? Or is this overblown? I also read the we'd need to plan on a cooling system overhaul. Anything else?
If rear subframe is already torn/cracked, I've read there will be a hard "clunk" you can hear and feel while driving. I inspected these on my 325 and see zero signs of cracking. ~110k miles. I think the problem is more prevalent on higher HP models, especially those that see autocross/track use.
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