Good deal on 1990 325i?

[tire 10]

Hey, I was just offered a 1990 325i auto SE (mtec wheel, mtec body kit, spoiler, leather, 13btn OBC, map lights etc) with 151,000 k's, the odd scratch, missing front lip spoiler, and muffler on its last legs, for $4000.

Would I be right in thinking I should be able to get the price down a little lower? Especially since the muffler won't be cheap to replace... (how much would it be to replace including labour?)

What do you reckon would be a reasonable offer?

Ta.

[nz320i 0]

a standart muffler would be 100 tops man if your just getting the factory one, if your really cheap a wrecker would do it for you, maybe 3500 its whats its worth to you mate, sounds like not a bad car.

If you leave it auto and regularly service it then thats not a bad price, depends how much you spend doing things with it really. Easy to spend a bit on these cars! Pics?

[tire 10]

pics and auction Edited October 16, 2007 by tire

[jjs 64]

I reckon you could do better for $4k. Looks a bit doggy to me. I know they are hard to find, but the occassional manual nz new 325i pops up for around that sort of dosh.

[tire 10]

What looks dodgy about it?

I have test driven it with a more experienced mate and he couldn't fault it. Revved high etc. The only issue was the air pipe for the fuel pressure regulator had become brittle and was leaking / sucking air, probs hurting pickup & fuel economy a wee bit.

Would love any input on more problems!

Edit - typo

Edited October 23, 2007 by tire

[tire 10]

Oh and if you can recommend any alternative E30's in the lower North Island let me know

I wanna have some wheels for the mystery drive!

[jjs 64]

What looks dodgy about it?

I have test driven it with a more experienced mate and he couldn't fault it. Revved to 5,500 (didn't try it any higher). The only issue was the air pipe for the fuel pressure regulator had become brittle and was leaking / sucking air, probs hurting pickup & fuel economy a wee bit.

Would love any input on more problems!

IMHO it just isn't presented very well in the photos. Remember these are old European cars, don't make a rushed decision!

[tire 10]

IMHO it just isn't presented very well in the photos. Remember these are old European cars, don't make a rushed decision!

Please elaborate... do you mean hes a sh*t photo taker or the exterior looks avg? The paint is fadey in patches and the previous owner had done a shite job of repainting the replacement sunroof, but I'm not sure if I should be expecting any more from an 18yr old car?

ta

[jjs 64]

Please elaborate... do you mean hes a sh*t photo taker or the exterior looks avg? The paint is fadey in patches and the previous owner had done a shite job of repainting the replacement sunroof, but I'm not sure if I should be expecting any more from an 18yr old car?

ta

As requested... I personally wouldn't pay $4k for a car that is presented in that way, trim missing, home patch up jobs etc etc. $4k should buy you an absolute minter, a good friend of mine recently sold a very similar car to that for just over $2k.

[tibbs.james 1]

I'm not trying to take down the car you wish to buy, its a nice car being the 325 model and the black leather looks great and the auto's go very well considering they are an old slush box.

My 320 had done 140,000 when i had to rebuild the cylinder head, that was approx $1000 inc all cambelt head studs gaskets and machine work.

It could possibly be ready for some front brakes ect and if not done already it might need some shocks.

This isn't because i have my 320i listed for sale but i was amazed how quickly i spend $2000 in parts alone. (

(at trade price ) considering that my car is the same age and mileage.

$4000 sounds a bit steep considering he has no service history.

Be ready for some maintenance, and i would suggest that you find the "right" car when it pops up becase buying a car just because you want to go on the mystery cruise might bite back later on down the trail.

Great cars, i love mine ! good luck with this dude. ( i wish i had started with a 325 )

[m_power 0]

$4000 isnt too bad for a auto 325. But i have seen better ones than that for $4000.

[tire 10]

Please by all means down the car, I want to make an informed decision!

Taken on board what you said, just one thing; you say "$4000 sounds a bit steep considering it has no service history" yet in the auction it says "Tool kit included and all past and present owners paper work and receipts."

...Is service history something different?

edit - typo

Edited October 16, 2007 by tire

[jjs 64]

Please by all means down the car, I want to make an informed decision!

Taken on board what you said, just one thing; you say "$4000 sounds a bit steep considering it has no service history" yet in the auction it says "Tool kit included and all past and present owners paper work and receipts."

...Is service history something different?

edit - typo

Are you buying this as a first car? What type of driving do you do? I had a '90 E30 318i manual when I was 16 and it was a fantastic car; economical, reliable and easy to work on. Maybe something like that would be a better option? You will find a mint a manual 318 for $4k.

[joel 0]

Would have to agree with the others, bit steep for an auto.

In the end it your choice though, better than a Honda!

[tire 10]

Are you buying this as a first car? What type of driving do you do? I had a '90 E30 318i manual when I was 16 and it was a fantastic car; economical, reliable and easy to work on. Maybe something like that would be a better option? You will find a mint a manual 318 for $4k.

Yea to be honest I would rather have a 320 /318 for cheaper but since the 325 didn't seem much more it seemed like a good deal.

On trademe there are no decent E30 alternatives in Wellytown that I can see...

[BM WORLD 1283]

its not bad for the money k's are lowish .

i have a freind who has one just like it .

1990-91 325ia black with black leather recaro's , motor has been over heated(by someone else) ,

we are fitting a 2.7L m20 engine to it.

with a referbished hartge head ,hartge S/S headers , hartge rocker cover,

converting to manual at the same time .

has 16" hartge wheels , and rear spoiler .(looking for body kit of some sort)

will be lowered on jamex 30mm springs .

looking for buyer when finished .

nice car in black , with a few goodies .

has obc , A/C , and few other bits i cant remeber .

will be up in the $8k mark. or less if you take it as not done , but with all the bits .

[tire 10]

its not bad for the money k's are lowish .

i have a freind who has one just like it .

1990-91 325ia black with black leather recaro's , motor has been over heated(by someone else) ,

we are fitting a 2.7L m20 engine to it.

with a referbished hartge head ,hartge S/S headers , hartge rocker cover,

converting to manual at the same time .

has 16" hartge wheels , and rear spoiler .(looking for body kit of some sort)

will be lowered on jamex 30mm springs .

looking for buyer when finished .

nice car in black , with a few goodies .

has obc , A/C , and few other bits i cant remeber .

will be up in the $8k mark. or less if you take it as not done , but with all the bits .

Sounds like fun. Are you trying to sell it to me? I don't have $8k sorry

[bravo 35]

mtec body kit, spoiler,

Where??? It's not an SE. It looks like a South African 325i which had extras like the leather seats, cruise control and OBC.

I bought a nearly identical car two years ago in similar looking condition (maybe better). I paid $3500, it wasn't a "bargain" and prices have moved since then. Poorer examples have dropped in price through the floor, and good condition (read very good condition) cars have held, or even jumped a little.

I'd say if it is the same as the one I bought 2 years ago, you need to be looking at offering the seller $3k max. Unless it has has regular services, cambelt and tensioner and water pump done recently, and you get the feeling it has been lovingly cared for. I don't get that feeling from the auction.

Edited October 16, 2007 by bravo

[tire 10]

Where??? It's not an SE. It looks like a South African 325i which had extras like the leather seats, cruise control and OBC.

Someone elsewhere said "It looks like it's an SE, too with skirts and boot spoiler so probably has an electric roof... "

I guess they were wrong.

[bravo 35]

Yup - the boot spoiler is a standard item, and I can't see any side skirts.

If the price is right, then go for it. I think it would be a decent car to own for $3k, but no more. Look for rust, especially around the sunroof, and behind the firewall lining near the fuse box. Also behind the window trims, and under the doors. The South African cars are know for rust problems, although I know of a few that have no rust at all, so it pays to check.

Make sure the cruise control works, and check the condition of the auto fluid, the way the box shifts, and any strange noises.

Inspect the rubber engine mounts, look for leaks in the boot, especially above the battery compartment. Reach down under the battery and feel for water or dampness.

Check for play in the steering and any weird vibrations esp. when under light and then heavy braking. Listen for unusual noises when moving.

Check all electrics.

Enquire when cambelt and tensioner were replaced. Water pump should have been done at the same time.

Check for smoke on startup when cold, under load, and when warm rev the engine to around 2500rpm for a minute then give it a good stab on the gas and check for any smoke. Pull the spark plugs out and look for anythig unusual. Check the colour of fluids. Ask if the car has ever overheated.

That should get you started.

[tire 10]

Shivers. I wouldn't know where to look for half of that! Haha I'll try to arrange another viewing.

Thanks!

[tire 10]

The guy wasn't willing to go below 4000. Before this thread I would've been tempted to pay that, so thanks for saving me.

[bmw.maniac 1]

Are you buying this as a first car? What type of driving do you do? I had a '90 E30 318i manual when I was 16 and it was a fantastic car; economical, reliable and easy to work on. Maybe something like that would be a better option? You will find a mint a manual 318 for $4k.

Untrue now. Because of the race series now prices for manual 318i's have been pushed up incredibly. It took 6 months of very deep searching to find mine.

[martyyn 2]

I think that cars been for sale for a while now. If your happy to pay 4k then do so. You have to decide just how long your prepared to wait to get something a little cheaper. You certainly wont find anything with the same toys on it for much less.

Like Bravo, I have an SA 325 with the same toys but mines only done 95k and I paid 3k for it. Was nearly a year ago, it was in a right state cosmetically but it was all good mechanically and the woman was desperate to get rid of it. So I was in the right place at the right time. Id almost given up looking when it came up too.

Do the check Bravo mentioned to see if its sound underneath and go from there. How a car is marketed is always a good indicator of how a car has been treated.

Edited October 17, 2007 by Penry

[Kpax 0]

Would have to agree with the others, bit steep for an auto.

In the end it your choice though, better than a Honda!

Have to agree...

Also those bubbles around the sunroof is bad man, I've had sh*t loads of trouble with mine, ended up with a whole new roof cos of what I found underneath...