M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => General Topics => Topic started by: AndeeG on July 20, 2008, 12:38:59 AM
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I might as well start from the beginning so here goes.
I've been into e30s for several years now. Initially I didn't search too hard because a car was not immediately necessary and I wasn't as sure what I want as I am now. However, the inherited 12mpg, 4800 lb behemoth that is the Toyota Landcruiser quickly grew tiresome. I began searching for any 5-speed e30s in my area with a preference for 89+ (plastic bumpers). Eventually I narrowed my preference to the m42 because of the mileage, reduced weight, and surprising lack of a desire for speed given my age. I began searching my area craigslist daily, but never really found anything up to my standards. Soon the search radius increased to encompass all of California, where it stands now.
I've come reasonably close to buying 2 different cars, both in my area, both alpineweiss 318is' (color was a coincidence). It turned out the first one was owned by a kid that was a year ahead at my school and a bit of an enthusiast. My mechanic's inspection turned up a slew of minor work that needed to be done. All together, the cost for parts alone would have been around 800 bucks plus many hours of labor. Unfortunately, the seller refused to budge under $3k so that fell through.
The second car I checked out just a week ago, and was faced with a similar situation. There were clearly some minor cosmetic problems, but the car drove well, had fewer miles than the previous one, and looked to be a reasonable buy. However, what we hoped was oil leaking from the header gasket turned out to be much more. The engine had been overfilled and was leaking all over the place. Several of the spark plugs were drenched in oil. My mechanic advised no higher than $1500 and once again the seller refused to budge.
Now I've been in contact with several people selling e30's in LA and SF (between which I reside) but every time the car sells several hours after posting or the guy stops emailing me etc. It seems as if I'm not going to be able to manage a mechanic's inspection if I end up getting any further with a non-local buy. Are my experiences at all unusual in terms of the amount of maintenance necessary on these cars? While I feel like at this point I could probably detect the problems I've had so far, I really don't want to get home to discover that there's a major issue that's going to cost me hundreds if not thousands to fix. There's one particular car I'm looking at in LA with only 81k miles. That can't possibly be as problem ridden as these other 180k plus cars?
Any thoughts?
Sorry about the length, here are the cliffs:
2 previous inspections turned up many hundreds of dollars of necessary repairs.
I want to expand my search but am weary of getting nailed by not doing an inspection.
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I bought mine real cheap, and very nearby. I knew it needed work. I didn't care, because I wanted an M42 and I am capable of doing all the work on it. These cars are now 17 years old. You'd be real lucky to find one extremely well preserved. Don't give up the chase.
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You were right to pass on the two cars you already passed on. These are pretty well built cars, but they're old so even well maintained examples will need at best a couple hundred dollars worth of work -- but it may not be stuff you have to do right away like suspension bushings, etc. A car this old with only 81k miles also deserves close attention. It seems like it may not have been driven enough (and as a result maintained) in recent years if the mileage is that low. Also, don't necessarily worry about having to fix a few things -- these cars are easy to work on (and easy to learn to work on) and parts are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. But on the other hand, you don't want your to-do list to be too long because it will seem like you'll never get through it and everything will add up $$$
Another possible option that might help to expand your pool of available vehicles:
This probably isn't the forum to say this, but if you're having a really hard time finding a good m42 equipped car -- and the big bumpers aren't a deal breaker -- don't rule out an 84-88 eta powered e30. They're older, not as desirable from a performance standpoint and much more plentiful, so consequently prices are lower. There are still a lot decent examples around and it's probably about the toughest car BMW ever built. A chip will raise the redline a bit and add noticeable horsepower; a diff swap also helps wake it up. They also get high-20s mpg.
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With any used car I purchase I plan on doing at least 200-300 bucks in immediate maintenance and repairs. On a 17 year old car that could easily be 500-800 bucks. I got really lucky on mine and got it for 1300 with a great body and interior, but then bought a new motor for it (fairly fresh rebuild, 23000 miles) for another 1100 with trans. Sooooooo that's 2800 and then I had to do about $400 in suspension, drivetrain, etc maintenance/repairs. Did all the work with the help of buddies who knew what they were doing so labor was pretty cheap :)
Anyway, point is... if you want a solid one that you know will not leave you somewhere, spend about $4000 total on the car. These are highly desirable cars now, all e30's not just the m42 cars. Their prices will not come down... as seen by those 2 sellers.
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I'm definitely not afraid of doing a little work and don't really expect to find a totally pristine car. I just don't want to pay $3k for something in OK condition and then have to put another thousand in necessary parts + labor. With the 81k car, apparently the current owner has been daily driving it for 2 years so if it wasn't driven much that was probably by the owner before him.
I might consider an eta, but I think my parents are pretty set on it being airbag equipped.
To AcSchnitzer318is, why do you think e30s are suddenly so desirable? I've read that they're becoming classic cars and the resale value is increasing if anything, but I'm curious as to why this is.
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So you don;t want to buy a 3k car and put 800 into it? I bet you also refuse to buy a car with no issues for 3,800? The real question is how much money do you have to spend total? Every car will have issues that need to be addressed. I bought a car that was close to problem free, probably paid a few hundred too much because I "really wanted one" at the time.
I should have broke it down and examined/replaced a bunch of hoses and expendable parts right away but I was lazy. I was having fun driving it every day until the water pipe let go and overheated/cracked the head etc. Long story short, I ended up spending more money repairing it because I didn't spend a little money upkeeping it the moment I got it.
If you're in Cali you might find a deal on a "project" but you can also pay a lot more for a great runner.
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So you don;t want to buy a 3k car and put 800 into it? I bet you also refuse to buy a car with no issues for 3,800? The real question is how much money do you have to spend total? Every car will have issues that need to be addressed. I bought a car that was close to problem free, probably paid a few hundred too much because I "really wanted one" at the time.
I should have broke it down and examined/replaced a bunch of hoses and expendable parts right away but I was lazy. I was having fun driving it every day until the water pipe let go and overheated/cracked the head etc. Long story short, I ended up spending more money repairing it because I didn't spend a little money upkeeping it the moment I got it.
If you're in Cali you might find a deal on a "project" but you can also pay a lot more for a great runner.
What I'm saying is that I don't want to pay a premium price AND have to immediately invest time and money into repairs. I'd be willing to spend more on a TRULY problem free car, or less for something that would require a reasonable amount of maintenance. What I'm really trying to figure out here is if my first two experiences are typical, rare, unavoidable, etc. Can I expect to have to do all of this minor stuff on anything I find and still pay $3k? Or were these two cars outliers?
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What I'm saying is that I don't want to pay a premium price AND have to immediately invest time and money into repairs. I'd be willing to spend more on a TRULY problem free car, or less for something that would require a reasonable amount of maintenance. What I'm really trying to figure out here is if my first two experiences are typical, rare, unavoidable, etc. Can I expect to have to do all of this minor stuff on anything I find and still pay $3k? Or were these two cars outliers?
Yes, this is completely typical. An e30 (coupe especially) that doesn't need ANYTHING maintenance wise will run you $4000-$5000. Demand is high on these cars now so of course price goes up... even for cars with problems. It sounds like you are trying to shop blue book value on an e30; blue book doesn't really apply in this case. For example, and this is extreme, but an example... an e30tech forum member's (don't want to give his SN) e30 sold for $10000 with something like 120,000 miles. And this car was PRISTINE. But blue book on that car is like $2500. Shoot I wouldn't let me car go for less than $5000 and it still needs a few things.
If you were shopping 2 or 3 years ago you could get an awesome one for super little cash. But not the case anymore. You have it better than here in Texas. E30's get snatched up like hotcakes unless they are total junk.
Bottom line. Expect to pay 2500 - 3000 and then put 500 - 1000 into it, especially if you aren't doing your own labor.
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Yes, what he said.
What i was getting at was that i bought my car for 3000 and I thought it was problem free, which for the most part it was. I looked at the little nit-picky things and didn't care (broken dash button, some cracked interior trim, basically wear and tear) and I figured I'd just drive it.
I should have still spent my 3-400 changing out everything i could afford, but i procrastinated and it bit me with a couple hundred to just get it running again. Now i know better, but I still have a car (after the work I've done now) that I feel is at a great position. I'd sell it for above 4k and I'm adding some more mods for me that add a tiny bit of resale value (but I don't have false hopes).
good luck, anything you get will need work so budget it.
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I saw this add in the Los Angeles craigslist. Perhaps it is still for sale.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/car/758277521.html
good luck.
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Saw that one too. Thanks for the heads up!
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http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/car/762074276.html
What do you guys think of this? Seems like a pretty reasonable deal to me.
As far as unmentioned issues go, I noticed that the front valence is pretty bent and there appears to be a weird looking ding on the right front fender. See anything else?
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I'd work on that price, because of lack of engine work. There's more than "Tune ups" needed after 100K of his driving on it. I'm sure the suspension is shot, the timing and cooling system need a full going over and replacing parts since he never did. The front valence and fender are whacked beyond dent-guy repair. Craptastic wheels, but hey, whatever you like, and a window held up by wood? Geeze, what else did he rig up? Since paying for parts and mechanics are certainly not his type of thing? Lots of little things to replace like fogs, lip, dash, repair seat, tires, brakes, speedo and odometer gears, etc.
I don't believe anyone with odo failure that it "just happened". More like 200K. That just says to me "when my car breaks... i ignore it"
Price 'might' be in the right ballpark if the engine is strong, leak free, A/C works and P/S is leak free and works. No overheating etc. Go look at it very closely, wouldn't hurt to scope it out.
I'd look at the white one if it's closer.
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Thanks for the advice, Nomad. I called the guy selling the white one and he should be sending me some more pictures today. Apparently he has the original rims, which is a nice bonus considering I'd be swapping them out anyway.
Also, does the white car look lowered to you? The tops of the wheels look very close to the fender, but maybe they're just oversized or something.
Edit: I seem to remember him mentioning that the odo had recently broken at around 180k. I think he also said that he had recently bought the car, so maybe I could look at the title to confirm?
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Ride looks to be stock height.
No sport seats but you can add those later. I bet the driver side bolster is toast, he didn't show it in the photos.
You notice he has a rear roundel on his front hood? weakness
In his ad he says 156k the odo broke.
The key will be the condition, sounds, wear, of engine/transmission and suspension. Cosmetic stuff can be taken care of and at a price of 1500 you have a lot of money to work with to fix a lot of stuff. Still looks like you'll be spending $3000 when it's all done.
Black is nice, not sure if you prefer 4 doors either.
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I was actually talking about the white 318is. Sorry for not making that clear.
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ha ha, didn't read closely.
white car looks like something may be done to the suspension and it has aftermarket wheels that could probably be sold. If it is close to you then look at it.
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I found another two:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/car/767187345.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/767251734.html
Is it just me, or were 80% of 318is' alpineweiss?
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I found another two:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/car/767187345.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/767251734.html
Is it just me, or were 80% of 318is' alpineweiss?
i hear that.. i looked for about a year before i found my DS 318is.. you gotta look at every single one because there isn't enough around... well i didn't stretch out of my area code... go check out and drive the car.. look at steering, brakes, oil, coolant... check the shit out of the car..
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I love it: "Runs OK" WTF is that supposed to mean?! Ha
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Well, luckily I don't really have a color preference. I'd probably be checking all of these cars out ASAP, but they're all a 6 hour+ round trip and $70+ in gas alone.
I love it: "Runs OK" WTF is that supposed to mean?! Ha
yeah i saw that too...
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Does anyone have some sort of regular maintenance schedule written up? As in, suspension should be replaced every xxx miles, brakes ever xxx miles, etc. I think if I had some resource like this, it could be easier to estimate the cost of maintenance if the seller has a decent amount of records.
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Not quite what you are asking for but a great source of info., click on Febi's link. :cool:
http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5 (http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5)
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Thanks for the link, vonkamp. I had actually seen that before but forgot about it. Very helpful!
I just got a response to an email I sent a while ago about a craigslist ad with very little information. The guy is asking $2900 for an alpineweiss 318i with about 140k miles. From the pictures it appears to be in pretty good condition. Looks like decent paint, with no noticable body damage other than what appears to be a slightly bent front bumper and missing right and possibly left sideskirt trim. The driver's seat is fairly cracked and worn, but the rest of the interior appears fairly pristine - clean, no cracked dash etc. I'll post some pictures in a few minutes.
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Here are a few pics:
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/Enginebay1small.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/frontseatssmall.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/frontsmall.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/rear2small.jpg)
Any thoughts?
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I just talked with the guy on the phone for a bit and got some more information. He thinks he's the third owner, bought the car at around 121k miles, and doesn't have previous maintenance records. While he's had it, he's changed the oil every 3k miles with synthetic replaced the battery and belts. The car was resprayed before he purchased it for unknown reasons, and apparently the suspension was replaced before he bought it as well.
He says that the right rear window is not functioning and while the A/C blows cold, when the blower is set to the third level it makes a "grinding" noise. He says that the clutch feels fine, but doesn't know if it's been replaced. The same goes for brakes. The odometer is still working.
When I asked about leaks, he said there does appear to be a very small oil leak, but he can't identify where it's coming from. He does not think it's coming from the header gasket, but somewhere lower. Is there any way to easily identify the source of the leak? Judging by the last car that I looked into, it seems like the severity of this problem could vary greatly.
oh yeah, one more thing. I told him I'd pay $2400 cash as long as the car was as described.
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Looks like a nice car. Window problem is probably just a switch. NBD a dime a doz. If the suspension has been replaced, thats a big plus. Color is definatley right too...:D
when the blower is set to the third level it makes a "grinding" noise.
Does it feel like a vibration in the gas pedal? Mine does and I have no idea what to think about it. I guess I wont worry about it until something stops working. :confused:
Looks real nice for $2400.
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Looks like a nice car. Window problem is probably just a switch. NBD a dime a doz. If the suspension has been replaced, thats a big plus. Color is definatley right too...:D
Does it feel like a vibration in the gas pedal? Mine does and I have no idea what to think about it. I guess I wont worry about it until something stops working. :confused:
Looks real nice for $2400.
Not sure, he didn't mention anything like that.
What of the oil leak? Should I be concerned? I want to be really certain as this is a 4+ hour drive away.
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4 hours away? Hmmm. How bad does he want to sell it?
This may be too complicated but for 4 hours it might be worth it. Find out if there is a local (to him) mechanic that you can call to do a 100 point inspection, you call them, you pay them, they talk to you about whats wrong (check timing components, suspension etc).
He just drops it off there to get checked. If it comes back as a normal used car then you make one trip to pick it up. 4 hours is a long way to find out things look and sound good in photos.
I drove 1 hr one way to be disappointed big time when I was looking at E36 325's. I was pissed.
For all intents it looks like a normal buy. No fog lights ($50-60 used), No sport seats (one of the many reasons i bought an E30), Oil leak could be lower oil pan or steering rack (common leaks from hoses). A/C not working flawless can be expensive but we're all buying old cars so it's a crapshoot right?
Respray on the car was hopefully done well and not sloppy or starting to fall off.
Seems ok for $2400. I'd budget the remaining $600 and more for all new cooling hoses, plugs, plug wires, vacuum lines, water pump, thermostat, gaskets, all filters, all fluids, brakes, misc interior bits as needed, suspension bushings (typically not replaced by shops). And then there are the whole timing gear/chain/guides that, if not replaced make big problems. These are what I'd consider essential for the best experience. With careful buying and planning you can get all these things in time.
Good luck
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4 hours away? Hmmm. How bad does he want to sell it?
This may be too complicated but for 4 hours it might be worth it. Find out if there is a local (to him) mechanic that you can call to do a 100 point inspection, you call them, you pay them, they talk to you about whats wrong (check timing components, suspension etc).
He just drops it off there to get checked. If it comes back as a normal used car then you make one trip to pick it up. 4 hours is a long way to find out things look and sound good in photos.
I drove 1 hr one way to be disappointed big time when I was looking at E36 325's. I was pissed.
For all intents it looks like a normal buy. No fog lights ($50-60 used), No sport seats (one of the many reasons i bought an E30), Oil leak could be lower oil pan or steering rack (common leaks from hoses). A/C not working flawless can be expensive but we're all buying old cars so it's a crapshoot right?
Respray on the car was hopefully done well and not sloppy or starting to fall off.
Seems ok for $2400. I'd budget the remaining $600 and more for all new cooling hoses, plugs, plug wires, vacuum lines, water pump, thermostat, gaskets, all filters, all fluids, brakes, misc interior bits as needed, suspension bushings (typically not replaced by shops). And then there are the whole timing gear/chain/guides that, if not replaced make big problems. These are what I'd consider essential for the best experience. With careful buying and planning you can get all these things in time.
Good luck
Thanks for the reply, Nomad. Unfortunately some logistical problems have made this impossible, as I wasn't able to find anyone willing to drive down with me tomorrow, plus I'm leaving for the east coast early saturday morning and apparently the seller is moving to the Philippines while I'm gone. I'll be gone for the week but will probably continue to check craigslist and keep this thread updated. Thanks again, I really appreciate all the input from the thread.
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Well, I'm back from my trip and it looks like I could have another potential test drive lined up. I found this one on craigslist as well and have been in communication with the seller via email. The car is a brilliantrot 318is with 202,000 miles in good mechanical condition with some problems. The radio is broken, there are a few rips and tears in the front black vinyl seats, and the paint on one side, the roof, and the front and rear bumpers appears to be severely faded. Otherwise the body appears straight, with few if any dings and no visible damage.
She also sent me an incomplete and kind of confusing maintenance record, notable repairs including the A/C system and front shocks at an unknown date, "MW driveline" in 2000 (whatever that means, but apparently expensive), a leaking profile gasket in 2000, and a timing chain + front and rear brakes in '04 (not sure about the date).
Any thoughts? I can post a few pictures in a bit.
Edit: She's only asking $1750, which could probably be talked down
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price?
If she has records and isn;t asking too much then it's certainly worth a look.
Lowball with cash and drive it home
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Price is $1750. Edited my post to reflect this.
Pictures!
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/BMWandTahoe001.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/BMWAugust2008001.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/BMWAugust2008002.jpg)
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s260/a-gealy/BMWAugust2008003.jpg)
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Very nice for 1700 bucks as long as it's in good shape mechanically. That leaves you 1300 to do maintenance and suspension upgrades. I'd look into it.
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I talked with the seller some more and apparently the only leak she's aware of is from the PS system.
What do you guys think of the paint? Does it look shot and in need of a respray or do you think I could get away with some serious waxing?
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You usually aren't going to get perfect paint on a 17 year old 1700 car. It WILL need a respray. It probably has some oxidation going. But I would clay bar, polish, and then wax the sh$te out of it and see what it looks like. Most likely you'll go through the clear if there is any left like I did, but hey mine still looks damn good from 10 feet or further.
Honestly with these cars... the paint should be the least of your concerns unless you are dropping 3 - 5000 bucks. Anything less than that and you aren't paying for great paint.
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http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=85120
Stereoinstaller's post at the bottom is inspiring!
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Well, it sold to some other guy before I was able to drive up and take a look.
On the other hand, it turns out that the guy selling the very first 318is that I looked at has reposted his car asking $700 less than before. Since then he's replaced the guibo+csb and the antenna grommet, but a small chip in the windshield has become a large crack, so the windshield needs to be replaced. After consulting the list of suggested repairs from my mechanic:
differential side axle seals
brake pad wear sensors
rear sway bar bushes
lower A arm bushes
front brake hoses
fan belts
front struts with top bushes
power steering hoses
oil pan
+windshield ($150?)
+fuel pump (it's pretty noisy)
I added everything up real quick on pelican parts and it came out at about exactly $1000 including the windshield. In addition to the aforementioned problems, the AC doesn't blow as cold as it should and there are a few exterior dings and scratches mentioned in the ad. Does this look like it's worth anything close to $2800?
here's the ad: http://slo.craigslist.org/car/783107786.html
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Well, it sold to some other guy before I was able to drive up and take a look.
On the other hand, it turns out that the guy selling the very first 318is that I looked at has reposted his car asking $700 less than before. Since then he's replaced the guibo+csb and the antenna grommet, but a small chip in the windshield has become a large crack, so the windshield needs to be replaced. After consulting the list of suggested repairs from my mechanic:
differential side axle seals
brake pad wear sensors
rear sway bar bushes
lower A arm bushes
front brake hoses
fan belts
front struts with top bushes
power steering hoses
oil pan
+windshield ($150?)
+fuel pump (it's pretty noisy)
I added everything up real quick on pelican parts and it came out at about exactly $1000 including the windshield. In addition to the aforementioned problems, the AC doesn't blow as cold as it should and there are a few exterior dings and scratches mentioned in the ad. Does this look like it's worth anything close to $2800?
here's the ad: http://slo.craigslist.org/car/783107786.html
I'd offer him 2000 for it.. You gotta barter.. 220k is a ton of miles but from the looks of the car it was well taken care of. Noticed the Blacked out low beams and the painted lip. I'd start off with 2k and work your way up if hes not willing to barter
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I'd offer him 2000 for it.. You gotta barter.. 220k is a ton of miles but from the looks of the car it was well taken care of. Noticed the Blacked out low beams and the painted lip. I'd start off with 2k and work your way up if hes not willing to barter
Well, I fully intend to try to talk him down if I decide to get it, but I really don't think he's going to want to budge much. It was priced at $3500 before and he didn't want to go under $3k. Also, he's selling it to get money for a truck so he wants to get as much as possible.
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I told him that I might be willing to pay $2200 and he said he thinks the lowest he'll go is $2500. It's really tempting to just go for it and end my search, but on the other hand I'm not sure I'd be getting the best deal.
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Looks like it to me... I'd go for it, but that's me. Have you driven it yet?
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Yeah, I drove it a few months ago but it was the first e30 I had driven. It seemed fine to me, but the front shocks are pretty shot. Also, in comparison to the second one i drove, his seemed to be more "squeaky" for some reason. Maybe it was just the suspension parts that need replacing. At this point, it's really the mileage that's keeping me from jumping on it. 222k is a lot... but at the same time, what does that really mean? If cosmetically it's clean, compression is good, and I know what parts need replacing, does the milage make that much of a difference?
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Any Bimmer engine that has been well maintained will last twice that, if not longer. I've had 3 bimmers with over 200000 and all ran great. LOL actually with the new motor this e30 of mine is my lowest mileage bimmer ever at 23,000 at install of motor.
I'd buy it and do all the seals, vacuum lines, hoses, belts, and all fluids. I'd check the timing system health and replace tensioner/gears if needed. Check the pan for loose bolts at the time of oil change... etc, etc.
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Looks like I found another potential buy about 3 hours away.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/791262351.html
Obviously the valences looked pretty trashed, but it could be a deal if it's in good mechanical condition.
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Well, after some further communication with the seller, I found that the only real problem that needed to be was broken blinkers. A friend and I drove up to Santa Cruz yesterday and took a look at the car at 1:00PM. The paint was in worse condition than I had hoped and it looked as if there could be some minor oil leaks from the engine (Nothing dripping, but plenty of thick black gunk). During the test drive, the engine felt a little rough at low RPM, but smoothed out at around 3500 or higher. The transmission felt fine, and the only other thing I noticed was some faint "ticking" from the engine which I presumed to be noisy valves (am I right on this?).
This being said, I still felt the car was worth $1700 but I figured I might try to barter a bit so I offered the woman and her dad, who did most of the talking, $1550 assuming it would pass smog. They said they would think about it and get back to me in an hour and half or so. After about two hours hanging around the beach and boardwalk, I got a call from the woman saying that someone had driven it before us and offered $1700. I said that if she was firm on the price, I would accomodate, but apparently since we had left she promised it to the "first" drivers.
Even worse, she said that they weren't sure they wanted the car but refused to sell it to me. The seller also said that she couldn't tell me that day, but might be able to tell me the next (today) if they had made up their minds. My friend and I ended up visiting some of his family in San Jose, but she never ended up returning my calls. Our assumption is that the "first" drivers had really checked it out after us, but the whole thing still doesn't make much sense. Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have to pass on this one so my search continues. I'm still considering that one in SLO, but I'm not too sure about the price.
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Found this guy on craigslist earlier: http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/802905565.html
The guy says it needs a new head gasket, which is clearly a big job but he's only asking 850 OBO. Now bear with me here - I don't know that much about cars, but is there any chance that car could be driven 135 miles without it taking a shit? Also, roughly how much would it cost to get the head gasket replaced?
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Nope... I wouldn't drive it 150 miles. Bought mine in Austin with a blown head gasket... wouldn't chance even the 60 miles back to SA. Called a flatbed.
If u do drive it... she will over heat most likely. How long it takes depends on how bad the head gasket is leaking. Mine was shot totally... oil was moca coffee colored.
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Man, I feel your pain. I went though this crap looking for my car last years.
By the way the white car you posted at the top of this page has august registration. $5 says he was selling it because it failed smog.
Good luck
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Nope... I wouldn't drive it 150 miles. Bought mine in Austin with a blown head gasket... wouldn't chance even the 60 miles back to SA. Called a flatbed.
If u do drive it... she will over heat most likely. How long it takes depends on how bad the head gasket is leaking. Mine was shot totally... oil was moca coffee colored.
Did you fix it yourself or did you have someone else do it? If you did the latter, how much did it end up costing? Also, how much was it to ship?
This is the guy's response to my email: "I think the gasket just went bad friday night after I put in the waterpump and thermostat. I test drove Sat morning and it was running strong, but the exhaust was showing intermitent steam. Overheats if sitting idle and runs upper hot on driving around town here. Mileage is a bit over 200k."
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I just ended up replacing the motor/trans with a freshly rebuilt one ~20,000 miles on the motor I bought. Cost me $1100 for the motor and trans... I didn't want to mess with a motor with a bad head gasket. Sold it for $250 with 250,000 miles on it to the owner of my shop. Engine turned out to be good so he got a good deal.
I wouldn't drive that one though... you could turn a relatively cheap fix into a very expensive one.
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I just ended up replacing the motor/trans with a freshly rebuilt one ~20,000 miles on the motor I bought. Cost me $1100 for the motor and trans... I didn't want to mess with a motor with a bad head gasket. Sold it for $250 with 250,000 miles on it to the owner of my shop. Engine turned out to be good so he got a good deal.
I wouldn't drive that one though... you could turn a relatively cheap fix into a very expensive one.
Wait I'm a little confused. Are you saying if I drove it the 135 miles I would make the "cheap" head gasket into a bigger problem? After what you said before, I wasn't planning on driving it more than whatever's necessary for a quick test drive.
Update: Found a 230k DS 318is just a few miles away. He says that it needs plugs, a sunroof crank, and seat covers. Asking price is only $1200! I should be checking this out tomorrow.
Update #2: I just came back from test driving the car. The exterior was in surprisingly good condition with no obvious dents and decent paint. However, it ran horribly so I ended up passing.
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^Grrrrr... the ones that look good and run horribly are the ones you want. As long as it's not making crazy weird noises. You might have to throw $1000 worth of parts into it and then BAM you've got a great looking AND great running 318is for $2200.
Oh and ya... you can turn a bad head gasket into a much bigger problem by over heating it. I didn't want to risk it... since on the <2 mile test drive it was already starting to overheat.
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I'd say "running horribly" is an understatement. My friend stalled it 3 times just backing it out of the driveway, and he's plenty experienced with a 5-speed. It made all sorts of puttering noises, and in general just sounded horrible. In addition, the front seats were totally trashed and needed replacing. On a side note, they were gray non-sport cloth seats with a checker pattern. I thought sport seats were standard on the is model? Anyway, the car also smelled like smoke which would have been a bitch to get rid of.
Sure, there's the possibility that I could have fixed it up for not too much, but the effort would not be worth it in my situation.
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the search may have come to an end....
with mine