Would I be completely crazy to buy this '86 325?
 

A guy bought it in an auction at a storage lot. The owner parked it there about a year to 18 months ago and left it. I live in the Phoenix area to give you a little weather perspective.

Back to the story. The new owner has the title, but he has no key. Can a BMW dealer do that if I have the VIN? What if the ignition was changed out w/o dealership involvement, would that mean if I got a key from them it might not work?

I went out to look at the car baking in the sun. It was 108 today. The paint is peeling, the front windshield is cracked. The engine compartment is a little dusty from sitting and looks like it could use a valve cover gasket. The front left fender is damaged and needs to be replaced, but the damage did not get to the hood of the car and the fender damage is really minor. The car is a 5 speed, but I will need a key to put a battery in the trunk and try to crank it over, right?

The owner is asking $550 for it. Odometer says 235,000 and nobody really knows anything about the car other than it was driven there and parked.

Could this be a nice purchase for me or do you guys recommend I just let this one go? They seem to be hard to find in good condition and I want a 5 speed.

Thanks.

check all the rubber, shocks, linkages, cv boots. It'll most likely right off the bat need new fuel and fuel filter. 235,000 isn't a problem provided it wasn't abused (good luck figuring that one out). The key and key switch is just a normal key and switch, no computer stuff. Can do it yourself fairly inexpensively. Just understand you get what you pay for, which is a fixer upper and you will be fixing it up for some time from the sound of it. If you like the car and are willing to spend the money and do the work, great. Just go into with your eyes open, get a good manual and a torque wrench.......and USE IT. Can't tell you how many bozo screw ups I've had to fix because some bonehead thought a 10mm bolt needed to be 150 ft pounds.