New Guy...maybe/almost. Bought a 30th Jahre Edition

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by RElias21

Curious what this deal ended up being.
6MT or DCT?
Miles?
Price?

$59K. 6MT.

[jkronq]

Great find and I hope you can get the tint issue worked out. All of the BS regulations in Maryland is why I moved from MD to NC. Good luck

[CWatsM4]

Originally Posted by jkronq

Great find and I hope you can get the tint issue worked out. All of the BS regulations in Maryland is why I moved from MD to NC. Good luck

Good thing you skipped VA. It is even worse here.

[Poochie]

It's probably was one of those restricted options that slipped through the cracks and made it to the US.

I would still take it and tell them I know a "guy" that can get it inspected..

The 420 glass is a cool, unique feature

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by swagon

you have mixed up US and ROW cars together. The first car on Vossen wheels is from Poland, for example.

I have the 420 code on my German car where it is a factory option for about 250 bucks. If yours is a true US car with Privacy Glass only available outside the US, and you cannot get it registered in your state, there is something wrong and fishy going on. It's like BMW would sell you a car without front bumper reflectors or with kph gauges.

Sorry I didn't mean to gloss over your informative post. I understand what you are saying and you bring up a good point about my random collection of images being some ROW.

I ran my VIN in the decoder:



S420A "Sun Protection Glazing" is on the car according to the decoder. The other stuff in there looks like a normal US car. Type is "M3 (USA)". DVD area code 1. US stereo.

here is the stamp on the factory tinted glass:


This is even more interesting with the input from Tintking.

Tintking - if the photo above if there were film over the letter/logos and over the dot matrix part would it be possible to detect the tiny bit of lifting over the raised bits? I've seen this on other tint jobs.

Maybe the car has film but I really can't believe that myself, sales guy, sales manager, service manager, general manager of dealership, and staff at MD certified inspection shop cannot detect it when looking as closely and carefully as possible. If I were near the car I would use a razor blade to attempt to lift a hidden edge or even try to cut/scrape a hidden place as tint would cut/scape but privacy glass would not. Something just doesn't add up. This is a US vehicle and it must have been a legal option.

So lets take a look at another 30th Jahre that is for sale in Pennsylvania. I tried to contact this guy but he does not seem to answer PMs.



https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1669711

he has his window sticker linked in the for sale post. It does not mention privacy glass but he car has the exact same look as "mine." The ad doesn't say it but i get the impression he is the original purchaser since he is claiming no rain etc. I'm trying to ask him if he has film on the car which I highly doubt.

I ran the VIN decoder on his VIN (WBS8M9C52H5G83655). Interestingly his VIN is 1 sequence number higher than "mine." His VIN decode report looks to be IDENTICAL to "mine" including the S420A "Sun Protection Glazing"

I'm not convinced of any explanation offered so far including:

1. There is film.
2. There is no film but car has factory installed ROW privacy glass option that is not 50 state legal.
3. Glass has been changed to non-US glass.

Thanks for all the participation. Any other theories?

[RElias21]

Originally Posted by l00semarble

$59K. 6MT.

Miles?

[woosolow]

Originally Posted by l00semarble

$59K. 6MT.

Interesting. I thought all jahre edition came in with dct transmission only. 6mt FTW

Good luck with ur ride. Such a nightmare because of the stupid tint, this is torturing, GM should just replace the rear windows for u at no cost and wrap up the deal lol

[Tintking]

Take a couple of pictures of the quarter glass or around the edge of the rear window where the dot matrix is and I can tell you if I see film. Take it from the outside of the car and you don’t need to get real close just make sure it’s clear. I will bet $1 million plus ownership of my car if I’m wrong LOL.

[f80er]

Just tell them to don't worry about inspection and you go get it inspected on your own. Have the dealership compensate you for your time and trouble.

There are places in MD that will pass you even with illegal tint, IE I 'know a guy.' Hell there is a spot in Baltimore that will pass you without even seeing the car, just have to pay a little more for it.

[Tintking]

Originally Posted by f80er

Just tell them to don't worry about inspection and you go get it inspected on your own. Have the dealership compensate you for your time and trouble.

There are places in MD that will pass you even with illegal tint, IE I 'know a guy.' Hell there is a spot in Baltimore that will pass you without even seeing the car, just have to pay a little more for it.

That’s your best option if you don’t want to take the tint off the back.

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by RElias21

Miles?

10K

[f80er]

Originally Posted by Tintking

That’s your best option if you don’t want to take the tint off the back.

OP is saying there is no tint to be taken off, IE its OEM shaded/tinted glass my man.

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by woosolow

IGM should just replace the rear windows for u at no cost and wrap up the deal lol

No realistic for a couple reasons. That would be 5 pieces of glass with 2 in each rear door plus the big rear window which is of course glued in. I would not want someone to saw out the rear glass on my special edition BMW. Is the small fixed glass in rear door glued in? More butchery to change? Even if I did the cost would be so far beyond what the dealership is making on the car. It would make no sense for them to do it and I would not want the butchered car anyway.

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by Tintking

Take a couple of pictures of the quarter glass or around the edge of the rear window where the dot matrix is and I can tell you if I see film. Take it from the outside of the car and you don’t need to get real close just make sure it’s clear. I will bet $1 million plus ownership of my car if I’m wrong LOL.

I don't have access to car to take more pics. It is 1.5 hours away and supposedly at a inspection place waiting for a MD state trooper to come check it.

Did my picture above not come through? I posted a close up with the dot matrix.

I would love for you to be right because that would give an obvious path to ownership for me. The dealership would be happy is this were true too but so far they agree this is not the case.

I would be more likely to think you are right if this were the only car with these dark rear windows but the fact of the S420A Sun Protective Glazing option listed and the fact there are numerous examples out there of these unbalanced front/rear tint jobs on the 30th Jahre cars makes me wonder.

How often do customers ask for this kind of untinted front and fairly dark back on this kind of car? I would imagine anyone paying for tint on a nice M3 is going to get something that looks more balanced even if it is 35%/20%.

Thank you again for your thoughts and participation.

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by f80er

Just tell them to don't worry about inspection and you go get it inspected on your own. Have the dealership compensate you for your time and trouble.

There are places in MD that will pass you even with illegal tint, IE I 'know a guy.' Hell there is a spot in Baltimore that will pass you without even seeing the car, just have to pay a little more for it.

This may be an option. One thing i do know is that teh state police have been severely cracking down on the inspection stations for last year or so. Stuff that used to be a little flexible got tightened up. They are using mystery shoppes and other tactics to bust shops bending the rules. I have a friend down here by me that owns a shop and he said they are doing everything to letter of law due to frequent oversight.

Still...there is always some way.

[f80er]

Originally Posted by l00semarble

This may be an option. One thing i do know is that teh state police have been severely cracking down on the inspection stations for last year or so. Stuff that used to be a little flexible got tightened up. They are using mystery shoppes and other tactics to bust shops bending the rules. I have a friend down here by me that owns a shop and he said they are doing everything to letter of law due to frequent oversight.

Still...there is always some way.

True, but like I said I know for a fact there are still shops that will pass you. Also if the dealer or BMW can prove the car came with that glass than its OEM and the inspection station has no recourse, they have to pass it. Not sure what a state trooper is going to do other than measure it and even if its 35% they will still fail it because 35 is actually 32 or some shit like that. I mean can a statey tell the inspection station "go ahead and pass it?" Who knows. Hell having no film or nothing to 'take off' should be proof enough that its OEM.

And I think most european cars have dark tint in the back and nothing up front..like so:



Doesn't look bad to me IMHO.

[RElias21]

Originally Posted by l00semarble

10K

Nice! Good to know the going rate for these.

Enjoy in good health.

[IB M]

Maybe it was a US spec car ordered and picked up in Europe like a military or government officer ordered it and then shipped to US as used.

[l00semarble]

Well...got the call. MD state trooper tested glass and "it failed". Nobody at the dealer ship though to ask the emissivity number.

Sales Manager said he has done all he can do. Says that cars are ordered sometimes that are not 50 state legal.

He said I can come pick up the car with bill of sale only and I am responsible for inspection, tax, tag, title or he will refund my deposit.


You know....i do have blue eyes. I am pretty sensitive to the sunlight.

I have some phone calls to make. Optometrist, local inspectors, people who know people, etc.

[l00semarble]

Originally Posted by IB M

Maybe it was a US spec car ordered and picked up in Europe like a military or government officer ordered it and then shipped to US as used.

I've ordered a BMW under teh military sales program when I was stationed in Germany. Basically you are ordering a US spec car that is delivered first in Germany. You don't get to pick/choose ROW options on this kind of order from my understanding.

[Mendoteach]

Even in super regulated California we don't have inspections on vehicles, save for SMOG, and even that varies by county. For example, where I live, you have to SMOG when you sell. That's it. Everytime I get on a motorcycle or car forum I think, wow, Maryland, Virginia etc. are WAY worse than California with inspections. We don't have them!

[f80er]

Originally Posted by l00semarble

Well...got the call. MD state trooper tested glass and "it failed". Nobody at the dealer ship though to ask the emissivity number.

Sales Manager said he has done all he can do. Says that cars are ordered sometimes that are not 50 state legal.

He said I can come pick up the car with bill of sale only and I am responsible for inspection, tax, tag, title or he will refund my deposit.

You know....i do have blue eyes. I am pretty sensitive to the sunlight.

I have some phone calls to make. Optometrist, local inspectors, people who know people, etc.

That sucks man but a previous love of my life had bad eyes and she had no problem getting a waiver for limo tint all around. Best of luck with it.