The clever eBay trick that can give your old car a high-tech makeover from just £300 – so how did we buff up this BMW?
3BAY
Almost a third of the 36 million cars on our roads are more than 12 years old. Which means lots are missing out on useful tech
Published: 0:16,
Updated: 0:16,
EVERY week it seems there's a new special edition to drum up sales.
But here's something we haven't seen before.
9
9
9
The eBay Edition.
Upgrade your motor — of any age — with some modern low-cost tech you can fit in a jiffy at home.
Search for eBay's 'My Garage' page, tap in your car reg, and away you go. Only parts and accessories compatible with that vehicle will show up.
This 20-year-old BMW 3 Series, a tasty 330CI, was bought on eBay for a smidge under £9k.
Manual gearbox.
Rear-wheel drive.
Sweet 3-litre in-line six with just 85,000 miles on the clock.
Goes like stink.
But it didn't have any of the in-car tech people want today.
Incredible car modification from Hum Rider means you will never have to sit in traffic again
It does now.
It's got Apple CarPlay for music and maps.
Head-up Display to project speed and other data on to the windscreen in front of you.
Even a reversing camera to stop you hitting something you shouldn't.
All for less than £300.
9
9
9
Some drivers like the added assurance of blind spot warning sensors, dash cams and a GPS tracker. So it's got them too.
Then there's the bangin' aftermarket Gladden sound system with the woofer fitted neatly inside the spare wheel in the boot.
BMW M Sport floor mats — from BMW's official eBay store — and refurbished kick plates freshen things up.
The Michelin rubber was ordered and fitted via eBay's one-stop tyre shop.
My friend spent a total of £2,123 on kit. So that's just over £11k all-in.
For a stonking 'E46' Beemer that's been modernised and personalised yet still looks exactly as it should.
I'm a little bit jealous.
Almost a third of the 36 million cars on our roads are more than 12 years old. Which means there's lots of drivers missing out on useful everyday tech.
If that's you, jump on t'interweb and configure your own eBay Edition.
Then ask a mate to help fit it.
9
9
9
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
New driving test centre set to open in Reading
A new driving test centre is due to open in Reading to replace one that closed earlier this new centre at Pacific House, in Whitley, will have "more examiners and offer more tests" than the old one when it closed, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) previous centre on Elgar Road closed in March when the landlord announced plans to redevelop the site for Gaines, the DVSA's operational delivery manager, said it wanted to "bring waiting times down and provide a permanent driving test centre for the town". It will have five examiners, conducting seven tests per day, meaning 35 tests can be taken on a typical Gaines said: "Our new site in Reading will be home to extra driving examiners who will provide more tests than the old Elgar Road site used to."It's a modern space, which will benefit instructors, examiners and learners."We'd like to thank local instructors and learners for their patience while we worked to open this new centre."Examiners had been moved to a temporary driving test site at the Holiday Inn campaign manager, Lorna Lee said: " Unfortunately, long waiting times for driving tests aren't just a local issue, they are prevalent across the country which doesn't really help anybody."Sadly, this is just a hangover still from Covid where tests were stop start and we've just never had enough extra tests added to the system in order to elevate the pressure.""Capacity is the main issue, so anything that can improve capacity would be welcomed and that will start to make a difference to people." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Teesside bin lorries to help tackle 'rubbish' mobile signal
Bin wagons are being used to help tackle "rubbish" phone coverage in digital vehicles have been fitted with smartphones to monitor signal strength as they travel on their rounds in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton.A partnership between five councils in the area, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and digital mapping firm Inakalum, data will be collected from each of the four major mobile results will be used in the development of a mobile coverage checker aimed at helping people understand signal quality in their area as well as identify areas where changes are needed. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said it was time to "go further to tackle digital blackspots that hold back people and businesses"."Whether you're on a farm in East Cleveland or running a business in Darlington, decent signal shouldn't be a luxury - it should be the bare minimum."If we want to build on our potential as a digital powerhouse, we need to make sure everyone is properly connected."Steve Harker, leader of Darlington Council and cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, added: "We're using our bin wagons to sort more than just our rubbish - we're sorting rubbish signal out, too."This will give us hard evidence of problems people who have poor signal know only too well and arm us to go to providers and government to get it sorted."Lisa Evans, leader of Stockton Council, warned "many people still struggle with poor signal and slow data speeds".The project has been funded with the help of £32,490 from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and follows similar programmes elsewhere in the country, including Liverpool. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Manchester drivers hit by yellow box fines of almost £450k
Drivers in Manchester have been fined nearly £450,000 over yellow box junctions, after enforcement powers were made available to councils, figures RAC, which obtained data showing £1m of fines were issued across the UK from 36 boxes in the last year said the "enormously high number" of penalty charge notices (PCNs) should "send alarm bells ringing in council offices".Manchester City Council issued the most PCNs with 13,130 in relation to six junctions, bringing in £446,706. The authority said cameras had been put in place as a "deterrent" to illegal manoeuvres and they were well signposted and visible. Yellow boxes are used to try ensure traffic flows smoothly through busy junctions and motorists should not enter them unless their exit is clear or they are waiting to turn are generally £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 a fraction of yellow box fines are appealed against by drivers, with the highest proportion appealed being 18% in the Manchester City Council single junction that generated the largest revenue was at Dennis Roundabout in Guildford, Surrey, costing drivers £81,445 as 4,250 PCNs were and Cardiff were the only parts of the UK where drivers could be fined for yellow box offences until new legislation was introduced in of Information data provided by English councils showed 36 yellow boxes outside London and Cardiff were enforced last year, with drivers paying £998,640. 'Must be fair' Rod Dennis from the RAC said a yellow box which generates a small number of fines indicates it was "working as it should", which must be the ambition for councils rather than using them as a "revenue-raising opportunity"."Very few people set out to deliberately flout the rules and get fined," he said. "The large number of penalties being dished out over a small number of locations and in a short space of time should send alarm bells ringing in council offices." Manchester City Council said the cameras, which were well signposted and advertised, had been put in place to "act as a deterrent" to illegal turns or blocking of the boxes and the "majority" of drivers obeyed the rules and "help prevent unnecessary gridlock".A "six-week period of grace" was also implemented, it said, with any first offences within the first six months only sent warning Local Government Association said: "All councils follow guidance to ensure motorists are treated fairly."There are processes for appeal if anyone believes they have been unfairly fined." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
