So I just bought an 89 325i...

[Knoepfler]

I decided it was time to step up to an I, so i sold my eta, and found a good deal on craigslist for an 89 325i in portland (like 4 hour drive).

So I call the guy up blah blah he says clean title and i KNOW he said 163k miles, so i was like fuck yea im picking this up tonight (he was asking $1950) and it was very clear he didnt know shit.. he got confused when i called it an E30...

So I'm home alone with no way to get down to portland, so I pay some strangers to give me a ride (ok they werent COMPLETE strangers) and i end up meeting him around 10pm. So the people who drove me left and i start talking to the guy, because iwas figuring on buying it, if not i would stay at a motel for the night and get a ride tomorrow.

Anyways so i get in the car to drive and see that it has 263k so im like wow big miscommunication or just me not listening, he did say the engine was replaced sometime because of a recall bmw had? Anyways it still ran fantastic and pulled really hard. So I proceed and say alright well despite the miles this is pretty nice, so he pulls out the title and it turns out it has a reconstructed title. Well fuck now I'm stuck in Portland and I really wanna come home tonight and I've got no ride.

So I drove the car some more, and decided to buy it for $1950

Now I have no idea whether i should keep it or just resell it. My original plans were to find a clean late model I and see some track events with it as well as DD it. But now I have an I with lots of miles and i don't know what to do. I am considering just keeping it for 9 months when i will get a free low mile civic from my sister, but i dont want to put any money into this thing (timing belt/water pump).

So I wanted some thoughts/opinions on what maybe you guys would do in this situation...

[smonkbmw]

hahaha, i was looking at this car. called JJe30 on here and told it about him also. looks like he/we didnt miss out on much. i say clean it and flip it.

[sticksdaman]

its gunna be kinda hard to resell a car that you bought with 263k on the clock. That and the fact its got a reconstructed title. Im not sure you'll get back the same amout of money you purchased it for. part it out perhaps? Hows the paint/body panels? Rust?

[Rogan]

flip it for 1950 to someone wanting a track car..

or keep it and track it. if you ball up a "R" titled 2000$ car in the corner, it's TONS easier on your mind, than to ball up a $2000 clean-titled 'I' car..

[JJe30]

Yeah, I called him. Said he didn't know too much about it as he inherited it about 6 months ago, 3rd car, wasn't needed. He said the motor was replaced but wasn't sure when and how many miles were on it really, only like you said, 263k on the body. Depends on what you plan to do with it, are you goin to swap motors on it? If so, who cares about the M20 in it now.

[DragonOrta]

You gave him his asking price after finding out it had 100k more miles than you thought and it have a reconstructed title? That's great ammo for getting the price lower!

I'd still keep it.

[Knoepfler]

Sticks: It is completely rust free, Im not sure if i could part it because i have no where to put a torn apart car.

JJ: I was considering swapping the engine but i'm honestly not sure if i want to with 263k on the body.. And honestly i drove it back for 4 hours and it runs really nice at least...

Dragon: I gave him 1800 for it, I just said 1950 because it cost me 150 to get down to portland, I was in a pretty shitty situation and i was stranded in a target parking lot and i didnt know where shit was.


Im honestly considering just keeping it for 9 months until i get a free car, but im not sure it'll last without some maintenance, or just saying fuck it and track it. But that seems like a lot of miles to be tracking a car with... I don't know enough about that though.

[smonkbmw]

mileage doesnt really matter if your planning on swapping or doing any modification. wear items i.e. motor, suspension WEAR OUT over time. the body does not wear. so if youre planning on keeping it youre obviously going to mod if you were going to do things right, id assume youd start replacing these items. there by the argument of mileage goes out the window at that point as everything is new.

my swap car had right about this many miles also, but i through a m52 in it and all new suspension anyways. bought the car for $600 and sold it for $6250.

[Knoepfler]

Well i've only got about a grand left.. Not sure how far that will get me in terms of motor. And I don't have a shop so I can't do the labor myself.

mileage doesnt really matter if your planning on swapping or doing any modification. wear items i.e. motor, suspension WEAR OUT over time. the body does not wear. so if youre planning on keeping it youre obviously going to mod if you were going to do things right, id assume youd start replacing these items. there by the argument of mileage goes out the window at that point as everything is new.

my swap car had right about this many miles also, but i through a m52 in it and all new suspension anyways. bought the car for $600 and sold it for $6250.

[Knoepfler]

Actually yea im just gonna keep it and get the engine swapped, think i can have that done for under 1200?

[//MPower]

I say keep it. If the engine runs good, then just drive. There's no need to swap a good running m20 unless you want a 24v.

It's nicer than my 325es with over 200,000 mi and Iv'e got about $1700 in my car. Comparatively; that's not a bad deal.

[Money$hit]

Why pay more than 2k for a car that you plan to DD and flog the shit out of on occasion at the track?

If it runs ok, rock it, do some preventative maintenence and replace things as they break. Hell, if he lied about the milage on the engine, you wouldnt be paying more than 1k for a good running M20 if yours decided to blow. Your total investment at that point would be 3k (+ or -).

Keep it and drive it.

[Nicademus]

I personally think you should resell it..........to me :D

[StereoInstaller1]

I personally think you should resell it..........to me :D

twoooooooogrand do I hear twennyone fittaaaay, twennnnyone fittay twennyone fittay it is, can I get twennnnnytoo, do I heara twennnnytoo....

So yeah, clean little bucket for $1800 (the road trip is on you, bucko, not the car) with poopie papers...well, I dunno. At 263K on the clock we all know that the car already had its midlife crisis, flirted with that hot little S2000 from across town and probably got it on with a few Miatas too...so now its ready to settle down and get back to work.

Maybe go beat up some cones on a a weekend or three, but all grown up like.

So yeah, looks like a great start. Be careful not to fuck it up, keep it pretty, you can flip it in a few and do fine.

[smonkbmw]

Well i've only got about a grand left.. Not sure how far that will get me in terms of motor. And I don't have a shop so I can't do the labor myself.

a grand will refresh the whole suspension bushings, shocks and springs. thats a start. and if you dont have a driveway and basic tools along with a jack and some jackstands go buy a civic. you dont need a shop to work on a car.