American who bought cheapest BMW 340i he could find in the country found why it was a terrible idea
- Danny Z always wanted to buy a BMW 340i
- He found an abandoned 340i for just $8,000 and decided to buy it
- He bit off more than he could chew, as it was plagued with problems
Published on Nov 05, 2024 at 8:22 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Nov 06, 2024 at 10:53 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
There’s a saying, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ – and that’s exactly what the owner of this BMW 340i found out.
Danny Z is a YouTuber who – like many gearheads – has an appreciation for the highly acclaimed German sedan.
Who can blame him – the 340i is fast, fun, and well-equipped, too.
But did Danny Z bite off more than he can chew with his $8,000 ride?
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About the BMW 340i
Before getting into the video, first we’ll cover off what makes the 340i so special.
The Beemer in question is the sixth generation of the 3 Series and is in sedan form, also known as the BMW F30.
Produced from October 2011 to 2019, the F30 is powered by a range of turbocharged engines, including the B58B30M0, which is a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six.
No slouch, that engine produces 322 horsepower at 5,500-6,500rpm, and 450Nm (330lb ft) of torque at 1,200-5,00 rpm.
In fact, it’s so good, it’s been named in ‘Ward’s 10 Best Engines’ four times (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020) since its introduction in 2015.
Okay, the 340i may not have the power of the new BMW M5 or the eye-catching looks of the BMW Vision Next 100, but it’s a great care nonetheless.
Danny’s BMW 340i
In the video posted to his YouTube channel, Danny starts off by talking about the current market for Beemers.
He mentions that a 340i typically ranges for anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000, which is out of his budget.
Much to his surprise, he finds one for $8,000 that’d been parked up for a while in a remote around.
Knowing that there would be a valid reason being the low price, Danny is cautious but decides to proceed with the purchase nevertheless.
Its condition
As you can probably imagine, the 340i wasn’t in showroom condition and , if the truth be told, it wasn’t even in good used condition.
After receiving the car, Danny discovered that the former Copart car had been involved in an accident, which caused damage to the front end and side panels.
Someone bought the 340i with the intention of repairing it, however, they gave up part way through, leaving Danny to get it back on track.
Issues included rusty panels, mismatched colored doors, and significant transmission problems.
While Danny knew it’d been parked up for over a year and it was likely abandoned due to these faults, Danny was soon in for more bad news.
According to a mechanic, the previous owner had purchased a used transmission, which turned out to be faulty, leading to further complications.
Will it ever get fixed?
Throughout the video, Danny details the costs involved to repair and restore the car, including expenses for parts like a new battery and potential new transmission.
Despite the difficulties, Danny remains optimistic about getting the BMW 340i running.
He can’t hide his desire to get it back on road, which really shows just how much grit and determination the YouTuber has, despite the project setbacks.
Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
