buying a 1985 bmw 325

[1996Chreokee]

I am looking to buy a 1985 bmw 325e. 6 cyl with 5 speed. It looks to be in good shape. mileage shows to be 97000, but the guy said it stopped working 20k ago. mileage looks appropiate for condition.

interior is decent, good tires , new front brakes, new starter. clutch feels good, idles well.

ac doesn t work, needs rear brakes. leaks a little oil from somewhere( not bad though)
around 1000 dollars to buy it.

are there any known problems with this make and model?

are they tough to work on?

do they last a long time? I know its old but could i get a lot more mileage out of it?

are they decent on gas?

thank you

[bimmerpilot]

Originally Posted by 1996Chreokee

I am looking to buy a 1985 bmw 325e. 6 cyl with 5 speed. It looks to be in good shape. mileage shows to be 97000, but the guy said it stopped working 20k ago. mileage looks appropiate for condition.

interior is decent, good tires , new front brakes, new starter. clutch feels good, idles well.

ac doesn t work, needs rear brakes. leaks a little oil from somewhere( not bad though)
around 1000 dollars to buy it.

are there any known problems with this make and model?

are they tough to work on?

do they last a long time? I know its old but could i get a lot more mileage out of it?

are they decent on gas?

thank you

If the radiator, water pump & thermostat have not been replaced after the 100,000+ miles on this car, you can expect to do this work (cost depends on whether you or a com'l shop does it). I had a 1985 Euro 323i and this work was done after 100,000 miles. Don't forget the rubber cam belt after about 60,000 miles! First thing to do is change ALL of the fluids; oil trans & diff lube, coolant. Generally, the 1985 325's are good reliable cars; The automatic tran is an unknown. My 1987 535iS started to have auto trans problems after 100,000 miles - big bucks to fix. I prefer the 3 series with manual trans to the auto or the 5 series, any day. I am driving a 1993 325 iS with manual and wish I still had the 1985 323iS!