Looking for my first Bimmer, need some input.

[Scott314]

I'm looking for an e30 325 (not too picky about whether it's an e, es, i or is, although I'd prefer it be an is ). Can you guys give me any suggestions on what to look for when I go to test drive some, any problems that are common, things to look for and/or avoid, or any tidbits of wisdom?

I've already test driven two, an 89is and an 86e, and they both drove well. The e had a rust problem, and the is was too expensive for the condition it was in, and the owner wouldn't negotiate on the price, so I passed on both.

Also, what are the 91 318is's like? There are a few in my area in pretty good condition, so I might check those out, too.

[MunG35]

i personally like the 94-98 (i think e35)

they have a lot better realiability my frends 86 jus dies on him... and then doesnt and then dies... over and over... his old 94 was the shit though... u'll be happier with a 94 too i'd say only 7k too

[ironman502]

Something to be aware of with the e30's is that three things tend to go bad: 1. the dashboards crack badly, 2. the driver's seat mounts start to wiggle, and 3. the gauges behave erratically. Maybe you know about these problems already, but in case you don't, they are to be expected and should not cause doubt about the overall condition of the car. I don't know about '88 and up, but in the '85 to '87 model years, you probably want to look for a 325. The manual rates the 4 cyl. of the 318 at 108 hp. and like 120 lbs. of torque, where the 6 cyl. has 125 hp. and 170 lbs. of torque. The 6 seriously feels like it has twice the power of the 4, and it keeps a perpetual smile on your face being in such a small car.

[Scott314]

Originally Posted by ironman502

Something to be aware of with the e30's is that three things tend to go bad: 1. the dashboards crack badly, 2. the driver's seat mounts start to wiggle, and 3. the gauges behave erratically. Maybe you know about these problems already, but in case you don't, they are to be expected and should not cause doubt about the overall condition of the car. I don't know about '88 and up, but in the '85 to '87 model years, you probably want to look for a 325. The manual rates the 4 cyl. of the 318 at 108 hp. and like 120 lbs. of torque, where the 6 cyl. has 125 hp. and 170 lbs. of torque. The 6 seriously feels like it has twice the power of the 4, and it keeps a perpetual smile on your face being in such a small car.

Yeah, I saw that the dash on the 86 was cracking. In the is I was grinning like a dumbass the entire time That's too bad about the 318, cause there are a couple good looking 91's around. I don't see why they're that slow though, with ~135hp and 120 something ft/lbs of torque, a 4.10 rear end, and only weighing 2600 lbs

It seems kind of hard to find decent ones in my area (northwest OH). People generally don't know shit about them, don't really take care of them, and try to charge more than they're worth. It would be nice to take a trip down to Georgia or Florida and pick up one down there...

[Scott314]

Originally Posted by MunG35

i personally like the 94-98 (i think e35)

they have a lot better realiability my frends 86 jus dies on him... and then doesnt and then dies... over and over... his old 94 was the shit though... u'll be happier with a 94 too i'd say only 7k too

It's e36. And I don't want to spend 7k. More like 3-4k. I'm a cheapskate E30's seem like they last quite a while if they're taken care of.

[schecter]

u can get a 92-94 for under 4 grand and they are ten times better plus theres more stuff to do to them

[Scott314]

Originally Posted by schecter

u can get a 92-94 for under 4 grand and they are ten times better plus theres more stuff to do to them

There are three that are only even remotely close: two are $4,500, one is $3,500, all have high mileage, one has damage to the interior, one has a screwed up drivers side fender, and they are all about a 3-4 hour drive.

[Scott314]

Here are the autotrader.com ads:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...r=&cardist=154

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...r=&cardist=154

This is the one with the fender that looks like it might be messed up:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...r=&cardist=170

And this one might be worth calling about, just to see what's wrong with it:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...or=&cardist=58

[schecter]

who says u have to use auto trader look at more places than that such as ur local clasifieds, look at dealers, cars.com carsdirect, yahoo, ebay, msn u cant look at one place and say thats all there is good luck tho just spread ur search out dont give up and settle heres a place that has really cool shit
even for the e 30 series
http://www.estrictlyforeign.com/

[Scott314]

Originally Posted by schecter

who says u have to use auto trader look at more places than that such as ur local clasifieds, look at dealers, cars.com carsdirect, yahoo, ebay, msn u cant look at one place and say thats all there is good luck tho just spread ur search out dont give up and settle heres a place that has really cool shit
even for the e 30 series
http://www.estrictlyforeign.com/

I've already checked all the local dealers. No dice. There aren't any in the local classifideds right now, and I've been checking them for quite a while. I've tried yahoo and cars direct as well and came up empty handed...

[ironman502]

Hey, about that idea someone threw out about going down south for a car, I bought a part on eBay a few months ago that came from Atlanta. The seller packaged it with the classifieds from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. There were over 6 full columns of BMW's in that paper, mostly '94 and up. I'll bet there were at least 300 of them (including all series), and the issue was from September, which isn't the best time to sell cars. If you can get a hold of that paper, or access the classifieds on their website, you could easily find a deal that would make it worthwhile to travel down there.

[schecter]

ya well this guy lives in ohio so that would be quite an expedition down there plus theres alot in chicago where im from

[ironman502]

Understood, I just thought he might be the kind of person who likes to road trip. I know several people around here who have flown to Florida or SC for a car and driven it back. But, yeah, there probably would be lots of BMWs in Chicago, too.

[Scott314]

Originally Posted by ironman502

Understood, I just thought he might be the kind of person who likes to road trip. I know several people around here who have flown to Florida or SC for a car and driven it back. But, yeah, there probably would be lots of BMWs in Chicago, too.

Good idea. I checked and there aren't any currently, but I'll check back there periodically.

But I did find an is for $2700, 2nd owner, and 135k miles that's up in Michigan that I think I'll look into.

[schecter]

o no i wasnt sayin that to be a dick i just figured he prolly wouldnt want to go that far but i mean hey personally i would but theres no way to be sure the car would make it back with out problems