Looking to buy an E30, need opinions.
 

Hello,
I am very interested in purchasing my first E30. Here is the link to the ad: http://www.eurowerks.org/showthread.php?t=4010

If you cant visit the link, the car is an '87 325is with 230k on the motor. Good tranny/clutch, fair to poor interior and needs a few engine things. So, do you think the car is worth the asking price? With that many miles on the engine, would I need to do an engine rebuild in order to have a "fun weekend car?" I would love to turn this into an autox car or something i can take to that track.

thanks for any input. :cheers2

The sunroof may have some rust (from underneath). The clutch fan, fuel and water pump all may have been replaced, you'd like to know when. You'd like to know how long since the timing belt and valve adjustments were done. All suspension bushings may need checking.

you can get much better (something with less miles) for less money. Getting something that is stock is cheaper for you, and the car usually is in better overall condition.

Looks pretty good but I don't like the mileage, 220k is a little too much.

blue book it. im supposed to be writing a paper right now...:bash

^disagree with the last two - a maintained E30 should last well past 300k. also, though i have not looked up the blue book for this one, the values tend to be quite off for E30s.

$2800 seems somewhat high to me. you might be able to talk him down some, but he's obviously put some work into it (note rims, new paint, lowered, etc) and might want to get some of that money back out of it. to give you some idea of price, mine was $3600, had a spotless interior, 170k miles, and minimal rust. also, it's a 5-speed AWD, which is rare. the 325is is fairly and could make a good track car, but not for $2800 in that condition, IMO.

other than that, listen to witeshark. and actually, just go ahead replace the timing belt anyway.

i wouldnt purchase that. I would get an unmolested E30 (no mods) because you dont know what kinda crap they did to it, and what mistakes they had to learn from.

i agree with everyone else's suggestions too, and add my own, check the power steering rack. if it hasnt been replaced already, it prolly will need to be, and that costs about a grand.

i have an 87 325is it's stock with 152k miles and i got it for $2500. i'd say in your case the price is a bit much even if it runs forever. i do agree with thesmelsinator too if he put a lot of money into the car hes gunna want a lot more for it over if it was stock thats the problem i ran into finding an e30. also what sucks is the interior is what can get costly and hard to find. i say go for a stock e30 way cheaper and then you can do whatever you want to it after that. but good job on the 87 325is thats whats up! :clap just take your time and find the right one.

thanks for all of the informative replies. I will ask about those things mentioned.. Would you pay somewhere in the range of $1500-$2000 for it?

that sounds about right.

yeah... b/c then you can get half the money back just by selling the rims XD j/k
I'd look for rust in the wheel arches, the car jack points, the side sill mouldings, in the trunk where the battery is at. Also watch anything that's been freshly painted, and be careful if the car's recently got underbody coating.
The torn seats are a huge neg because they cost a lot to replace, and check if the car has been properly maintained (regular maintenance intervals).
If you test drive it: Go there with another person. Have him stand outside the car while you drive (f.e. on a parking lot) so he can hear noises. Keep the windows down and turn up the radio only for a short time to check the sound system. Find out if you can have the car checked out at a garage or sth. Don't buy a pig in a poke. After the test drive, check each rim if it's warmer than the others/hot. That would show a problem with the brakes. Check out the seals, they shouldn't be torn or porous. And don't do the test drive only on city roads, a bit of highway driving is helpful as well.

To be honest, I wouldn't buy a car with such a high mileage...

Car looks alright but with the mods and that harness in it i'm betting it has been driven hard. It is too much money to pay. As far as trying to price it up for mods I feel that you can't get any real extra cash out of them unless everything i almost new or there are too many things to list.

your range sounds better, but of course you should be smart about it and not give him the range or he'll immediately go high. also, be patient; there are good E30s out there if that's what you want. you just need to wait and find them.

well, ive decided to pass on the car. i just dont want to deal with all the engine problems and he said he is pretty firm on the price. but thanks everyone for the helpful info.. ill keep looking for my e30!

^ +1. Little late on this one. I would say if you like a project car look for an e30 with no rust and a good interior and only worry about big things. However I bet you're looking for an every day driver which means you want to find one with minimal rust, lower than 200k miles, and has had regular maintenance done to it. Personally leaks aren't that big of a deal but the fact that so many things are leaking means the car in general hasn't been taken care of. Also the fact that it takes three times before it starts... My car is 230k miles now and it starts right up. I'd say if you're willing to put work in to it the price range you stated will be fine if you're willing to live with the interior problems.

EDIT: damn.... I took to long typing this