eschey 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2010 Hey guys, Just thought it'd be good to introduce myself. I've been sifting through the forum for a while now simply out of interest , though I am definitely going to be looking for a car at the end of the year (when I finally graduate) and fingers crossed I can find a BMW to get. Might be asking for lots of advice then Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
e30plz 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2010 Welcome. Do a skid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phatputer 3 Report post Posted July 17, 2010 Well, when you do finally set your heart on somthing, come and ask questions before you buy, mainly when the common things you should be looking for that may turn your "good buy" into an expensive experience. Well at least I have found that situation, owned a 318i e30 for about 5 years, lots of repair work done with things that do wear down over time , no gripes about it, just a couple of them should probably have been done well before I purchased the car. Finding the same thing with the 325i e30 I just purchased (albiet cheap) Steering rack end - swapped due to excessive play Fuel Lines - swapped due to perishing cracking Lower Control Arm Bushes - Swapped due to cracking / perishing Also on a recent trip to petrol station found the starter motor probably needs a re-furb / new solenoid, which I had to do on my other car already. All things that needed to be done, but had the car not been so cheap / not known about before purchase would have been frustrated as a budget for buying a car often doesn't include several hundred dollars worth of repair work straight out of the gate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted July 18, 2010 Well, when you do finally set your heart on somthing, come and ask questions before you buy, mainly when the common things you should be looking for that may turn your "good buy" into an expensive experience. Well at least I have found that situation, owned a 318i e30 for about 5 years, lots of repair work done with things that do wear down over time , no gripes about it, just a couple of them should probably have been done well before I purchased the car. Finding the same thing with the 325i e30 I just purchased (albiet cheap) Steering rack end - swapped due to excessive play Fuel Lines - swapped due to perishing cracking Lower Control Arm Bushes - Swapped due to cracking / perishing Also on a recent trip to petrol station found the starter motor probably needs a re-furb / new solenoid, which I had to do on my other car already. All things that needed to be done, but had the car not been so cheap / not known about before purchase would have been frustrated as a budget for buying a car often doesn't include several hundred dollars worth of repair work straight out of the gate. personally i think that is a little bit unrealistic.I mean you are buying an old car which has prolly had many many owners,it is unlikely that maintenance will be up to date.I think you have to bank on some "unscheduled" maintenance items,on obscure things such as you have mentioned Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phatputer 3 Report post Posted July 18, 2010 personally i think that is a little bit unrealistic.I mean you are buying an old car which has prolly had many many owners,it is unlikely that maintenance will be up to date.I think you have to bank on some "unscheduled" maintenance items,on obscure things such as you have mentioned Sorry, I did get a bit off track More what I was getting at was if you are looking at getting a particular car, check to see what things you should be looking for, often asking people who have owned the same car highlights areas which often cause issues. Common rust areas Common car faults Questions you should be asking the previous owner Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark247 38 Report post Posted July 18, 2010 Sorry, I did get a bit off track More what I was getting at was if you are looking at getting a particular car, check to see what things you should be looking for, often asking people who have owned the same car highlights areas which often cause issues. Common rust areas Common car faults Questions you should be asking the previous owner Of course but this applies to any second hand car you buy, not just BMWs. By the way, welcome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gouba 0 Report post Posted July 18, 2010 My recommendation is get a good mechanic to really look over it. It can save you alot of time/hassle/money. After buying my car, I found some issues which hadn't been identified before buying it. Some were major, some minor. I didnt mind too much (as it's been a really good learning experince) but if you are short on cash/time/knowledge, it could really mess you up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gouba 0 Report post Posted July 18, 2010 They are great cars btw. I absolutely love my e30, it's like driving a go kart Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
