Author Topic: Talk about your buying experience (Read 128439 times)

Febi Guibo · « **on:** March 10, 2006, 11:06:36 AM »

Hey, a lot of folks will hopefully find us while researching the 318i/iS for a purchase... maybe post some comments about how you came to find your car, etc. ?

bmwman91 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2006, 11:31:05 AM »

The first one was found on AutoTrader in 2000. The price was rght (talked him down to $5700).

The 'new' 318iS was found on CraigsList. I posted a WTB ad, and the guy replied. I got it for $2000. After some polishing, disassembling & toothbrushing the sawdust out of the interior, and completely rebuilding the timing case, it was a sweet sweet ride. CraigsList is awesome.

Eurospec · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2006, 12:54:54 PM »

Quote from: bmwman91

CraigsList is awesome.

Amen, thats where I found my baby. I went to see it the night it was listed (I don't recommend this) and ended up buying it the next day for $3500. This figure could've been much less if it hadn't been my first time in this type of situation. It was essentially a learning experience. However, I don't regret the purchase as it was well taken care of by the two previous owners.

Febi Guibo · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2006, 01:17:17 PM »

oh man... you guys haven't seen the crap on craigslist new york... I got mine on ebay (GA car) for $2200. It was straight and rust free, but like, tired.

I was able to get a local shop to check it out and do some basic fix it stuff... so smooth sailing ever since.

You southern california guys get some *incredible* looking E30s up so sale... it blows my mind, actually. Cars around here get so beat up from our crappy roads and winter abuse.

Fife318is · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2006, 05:49:26 PM »

I found my mint 318is on e30tech last fall. I had been searching for the perfect e30 for some time and was able to find a perfect example. I paid 4200, but the car only has 77k, mint interior, everything works, beautiful exterior. The works. It was defiantely worth paying a premium IMO. I know I have a car that will last for a long time.

m42 fan · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2006, 06:21:10 PM »

I spent quite a bit of time looking for the right car. Even test drove a few 325e's, but those weren't for me. I finally took a gamble on one that was on Ebay. Thankfully it has been a good gamble so far. The seller was just a guy who picks up cars at auction and flips them, which isn't so good, but the car had all of the documentation and maintinance records with it, which was a plesant surprise. I'm actually the second owner somehow. The car is straight, paint is good (evidence of a respray) clean interior, no cracks in the dash. Motor runs strong, the compression on all four cyllinders is ~185.
I went into this expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. Paid $2750 for the car, which has less than 150k. After having some time to assess the condition of the car, I would say it's probably worth ~$4000.

Cliff notes version: There can be some good deals on Ebay, just be patient and wade through all the junk.
Brian

sheepdog · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2006, 09:41:46 PM »

I went through hell.

Went and looked at a 318i. Peice of shit. Every panel was dented/dinged/ Every emblem was no better. The pan had also recently been smashed. INterior was OK at best.

On the good side, it had a new waterpump, alt, belts, hoses and more.

This one one of the ONLY late e30's in the are.. (St. Louis). He wanted $3500!

Over a period of 3 months I watched Auto Trader and everywhere else I could within 300 miles. Preffering a late model IS, I was willing to take and I.

I finally found one, at 300 miles. Called, the guy wanted $4200! but it was a 318IS. I managed to get him down to reality somewhat. I convinced him to at least consider $3600, if it was in good shape. Apparently in Chicago they can get nearly $5k for decent.

Unfortunately, the map was wrong, turned out to be 500 miles (each way) and a time zone change, so we arrived almost 3 hours late. Dusk.. The second worst time to look at a car. Plus I was tired and wanted to head home. In the end, I took it, it was all I could get. While I love it, I am probably going to sell it and buy another in better condition. However, that will probably require a trip out to California.

CO318is · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2006, 11:09:28 PM »

I found mine on bimmerforums.com, and also saw it listed for a lower price in the local newspaper. I had a 2002 that I was trying to get running for the winter so I could drive to work but found out that a new windshield would cost 350 bucks installed, and the car needed a wiring harness rebuilt and new brakes etc..

So I went and checked out my car, even though its paint isnt in the best condition and the bumpers seem like they were put back on wrong after the partial repaint, I fell in love with the car as soon as I found it.

I talked him down from 4000 to 3500, probably to much but it was one of the first 318is I had found with a 150 miles it had all of its maitence records, and has been lowered with bilstien sports, has recaros out of a VW i think and it checked out great at the local mechanic.

I love it, in the first month or so I drove a canyon a night and put like 2500 miles on it. I have had no problems with it so far and am just now starting to think about what I would like to do to it...

thumper3ld · « **Reply #8 on:** March 11, 2006, 12:39:40 AM »

I purchased mine from my friend's father 4 yrs ago who is a used car dealer. He doesn't have a lot, he mainly buys and sells back at the dealer auctions but upon request, he'll look for a car for you. Anyway, I had asked for a e30 325 or e30 m3 knowing that his son had 2 m3's in his driveway. My other friend, whom some of you met at DPA, were begging the dealer's son to sell either one of us an m3. At the time, he was in med school and claiming he planned on super charging one, and doing an s50/52 swap on the other. Anyway, when my friend's father saw what was to be my 318is, he purchased it because the previous owner had put an "//m" emblem on the back and he quickly bid on it not realizing it wasn't an actual "//m". He won the bid and realized he f'ed up and hoped it was the m42 knowing that I would not have bought the m10. When he told me he got me a 318is, I was a little upset. I really wanted a 325 if not the m3. However, after driving it. I instantly fell in love with it and purchased it for 3200.

M42boy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2006, 12:09:22 AM »

I bought my car off Ebay from Budget Auto Sales of Cleveland (OH). Very smooth transaction, but didn't get any records or know a whole lot about the car when I bought it.

JDNo.5 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2006, 11:12:23 AM »

Hahaha� Ebay pwns� Here�s my story on how I found my 2nd e30 m42... After returning from vacation I enlisted the help of thumper3ld to help me find another e30, there were a bunch of nice ones up for sale before I left, but either the price wasn�t right, or I just didn�t want to spend that cash before going on my trip. Anyhow, after just a few days I found something promising in the vicinity of where I live (read @60 miles away from my house). To make a long story short, I picked up mine from Ebay for a little over $2000, thump went with me to pick it up and we were both pleasantly surprised at the condition. It does need some work, but nothing I wasn�t going to do anyway (ie. suspension, exhaust and new paint, just to name a few things). Took the car up to speed on the way home and it took it like a champ. The car drives straight no shakes no shimmies even at speeds much higher then the posted speed limits. Now I just have to get to work setting it up just right.

hamann318is · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2006, 12:32:05 PM »

I'm probably the only person that bought his car from Roundel. There was an issue of the magazine about the 8-series and building a budget E30. That article about the E30 sparked my interest about getting a E30. I had been online and there was this site, "John G. Burns - I think - BMW Site," and on the site, he raved about the 318is. He said things like, "it was the poor man's M3." I didn't know jack about BMWs at the time, so I just started reading more and more sites on the M42.

I'm sure you know "BP's 318is site." This car was the perfect 318is in my opinion, and once I saw it, I knew I had to buy one. Lucky for me, in that Roundel, there was an ad for a 318is.

The ad stated the car was Dark Gray (I assumed Delphin) and it had 67k miles. I called the guy up, and he informed me that the car actually had 59k miles on it. My dad and I agreed this was the car to buy. We head out to Alabama, and right when we see the car, it looked a bit sketchy. The color was DS, and the car looked pretty bad. However, it drove like a dream, and the interior was brand new. We settled on a price of 4800, and I drove back with my ghetto exteriored DS 318. I learned more about detailing and mods, and I got it to where it was today. I'll post up pictures of what it looked like in the begining, and you'll wonder why I bought it. I just saw it, and I knew that it wasn't being cared for and I could do a better job. So, I'm pretty happy with my choice.

dude8383 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 12, 2006, 12:43:32 PM »

It took me 6 months to find my E30, and only because I had another car (a 1995 Honda Civic coupe) sitting in my driveway..

Anyways about 3 months before I found the car, a friend of mine that lived around the block was selling his 87 325is...It was a sick car, delphin grey, black E30 M3 Seats, Euro bumpers, head was rebuilt blah blah blah..he was selling the car but minus the rims (15x7 Euro baskets). He was like ill sell you 4 rims with tires and one spare without a tire for $500..i didn't even hesitate.

Now its late july, and this same friend sends me an email to a link on craigslist. It was located in Hartford, CT so it wasn't gonna be a long drive. I contacted the owner which was an incredibly nice older man.

The ad said $1300, 199k, service records, runs strong good paint. Heh it was really surprising to see a 318is going for this cheap, so i was hoping that it wouldn't be in terrible shape.

My friend and I went over to meet the guy and turns out he used to work for Triumph way back as their mechanic! That took a huge load of my shoulders b/c i knew that the car was in good hands. He converted the a/c to R134a coolant and pretty much kept the rest of the car bone stock...just kept up with maintenance.

So i was definitly impressed with the car...it ran really nicely, no strange noises coming from anywhere, just a tired car that needed some life put back into it!

My friend helped me bring down the price to a grand total of $1200! I drove away quite happy!

D. Clay · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2006, 07:07:52 PM »

I went with my daughter to look for her first car. The seller bought all of the trade-ins from the Infiniti dealer that were worth less than $5000. I saw the 318is and it had that look. I knew nothing about BMW's and had never owned one since college in the sixties and that was a 500cc motorcycle that was owned by about 20 hippies that I knew of. The dealer had low-balled the trade-in a $1100 for an exhaust, $500 for a seat cover, etc. I paid $3600 in 2002. It was original and I put a $225.00 muffler on it and paid $120 for the seat cover at a trim shop. Then I fell in love with the car and was converted into the cult of the E30. My wife has unsuccessfully attempted deprogramming, hence the nickname "World's oldest high school kid".

thumper3ld · « **Reply #14 on:** March 13, 2006, 12:43:41 AM »

Ooh forgot to add one little fact to my story. About 2 years later, when JDno.5 and I were broke, my friend with the 2 //m3's, decided to sell them both for $5000 each and gave us first dibs. Needless to say, we wanted to beat him since at that time, we couldnt afford it.

Author Topic: Talk about your buying experience (Read 128439 times)

Febi Guibo

Talk about your buying experience

bmwman91

Talk about your buying experience

Eurospec

Talk about your buying experience

Febi Guibo

Talk about your buying experience

Fife318is

Talk about your buying experience

m42 fan

Talk about your buying experience

sheepdog

Talk about your buying experience

CO318is

BF.com

thumper3ld

Talk about your buying experience

M42boy

Talk about your buying experience

JDNo.5

Talk about your buying experience

hamann318is

Talk about your buying experience

dude8383

Talk about your buying experience

D. Clay

In the right place.

thumper3ld

Talk about your buying experience