E46 M3 Pre / Post Purchase Inspection (PPI)

This can be known as 3 things:

Pre Purchase Inspection:
An inspection before the vehicle is purchased (either the seller or buyer can arrange/pay).

Post Purchase Inspection
An inspection after the vehicle is purchased (always the buyer arranges/pays).

Pre Sale Inspection
An inspection before the vehicle is sold (always the seller arranges/pays).

At Redish Motorsport all these 3 names (above) include the same amount of detailed work.
Here is a video showing the type of checks we carry out on a PPI:

Your situation:

If you're buying (or selling) an E46 M3 you're likely to be asking (or be asked) some questions relating to the 'common issues'

• Rear Axle Carrier Panel (RACP) - (sometimes referred to as Subframe).
• Conrod Bearings
• Vanos
• Headgasket

Introduction:

The Redish Motorsport E46 M3 PPI is split into 5 parts:

• Roadtest
• Initial Paperwork/Mileage/History/Credentials/HPI checks
• Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection (including Engine Bay & Interior)
  
• Paint & Bodywork Inspections
  
• RACP, Conrod Bearings, Vanos, Headgasket Checks

Roadtest:
We carry out a 12 mile fully-insured road test on varying roads taking in a mixture of slow urban traffic, mid range dual carriageway, higher speed dual carriageway, a B-road ascent and finally B-road descent.

Initial Paperwork/Mileage/History/Credentials/HPI Checks:
We check through the paperwork provided with the car (Service Book, original Book Pack with Instruction Manuals etc), then cross reference the Mileage stored with VOSA via Historic MOT data as well as check the mileage is matched in the Vehicle Dash, Engine ECU, and Light Control Module.

Then we check through History records and Invoices provided with the car.
We search through historic online records to check any of the previous registration numbers to see if there are any unfavourable hidden pasts.
Finally, we carry out a HPI check which includes an outstanding finance check amongst the usual HPI reporting criteria.

Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection:
A lot of our customers also wish to know more about the condition of their BMW E46 M3 and therefore take advantage of the opportunity to have their E46 M3 with a dedicated M-power specialist like Redish Motorsport.

This consists of us (arguably one of the UK's leading BMW E46 M3 specialists) studying the mechanical and underside components of your BMW E46 M3 to report on the condition of them.

We are extremely thorough and will even report on missing undertray screws, and incorrectly used or sited fixings for example.
We are all E46 M3 owner/drivers at Redish Motorsport and currently (2020) have 6x E46 M3's between us staff and have even built many E46 M3's from bare bodyshells.

So we're perfectly placed to inspect, check, test, and report on all manor of items like:

• Engine & Ancillaries
• Fuel System
• Cooling System
• Exhaust System
• Clutch System
• Gearbox & Gearshift 
• Propshaft & Driveshaft
• Front Axle & Suspension
• Steering System
• Rear Axle & Suspension
• Braking System
• Wheels & Tyres
• Bodywork including corrosion assessment
• Vehicle Exterior & Interior Trim
• Vehicle Electrical Systems
• Lighting & Instruments
• Audio & Navigation
• Parking Sensors
• Airbag & Safety Systems

Once we've carried out our 'Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection', we will write a detailed report of any findings and present that to you in the form of a printed 'Advisory Report'.

Paint & Bodywork Inspections:
We will inspect the general condition of the paintwork using our keen eye for detail and moderate understanding of detailing procedures and years worth of bodyshop painting experience.

We will report on which body panels have poor paint in quality/finish/colour match.
We will report on any potential panel gap or alignment issues.
We will check for any signs of accident damage or panel replacement and advise.