WTB: 88 325i Convertible 5-Speed

[BeaLongoria]

Bought a lovely 1990 325ic a couple weeks ago! Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. ^^

Hello!

I'm currently looking for a 1988 BMW 325i Convertible.

The color doesn't really matter. I'd prefer it to not be white, but if it is, I don't care that much.

It must be a manual transmission.

It must be near (within a few hours drive) of Las Vegas, NV.

It must be $2000 (at most $3000).

I'd prefer that the top be functional, the interior well maintained and the exterior pretty decent. I understand that this car is 21 years old and that there are bound to be flaws, but I'd like to minimize those flaws as much as possible.

If you know of a car that matches these conditions, I'd love to hear from you. Please send an e-mail to BeaLongoria at gmail dot com

Thank you!

[BeaLongoria]

hmmmm....

Anyone ever have any really good luck with these posts? I mean, how often do you think someone gets their dream car? ^^

[Cha Ching]

I've got a '88 zinoberrot, w/5-spd & a shiiteload of recent work...this is tempting...Why an '88?

[BeaLongoria]

I've got a '88 zinoberrot, w/5-spd & a shiiteload of recent work...this is tempting...Why an '88?

To be honest... I want an 88 because I like their body and features and it amuses me to be able to have a car my age.

[Cha Ching]

To be honest... I want an 88 because I like their body and features and it amuses me to be able to have a car my age.

LOL! I was looking for am '89 since that was the year I graduated! So I see your point...Here's the car in question, but I'm not sure I want to sell it (I really like it!):







These are old, crappy pics & unclean car, it looks better now with some wax & Armor-All! Oh yeah, I am in the process of returning the car to more OEM like status with regards to the taillights. It is lowered on Bilstein/H&R Sports. I also have the original rear deck lid with third brake light. New windshield, too!

[BeaLongoria]

oh wow... that's a gorgeous car, even unclean! lol

If you decide to sell it, how much are you thinking? And where are you? lol

if nothing else, thanks for showing me pictures to make me drool.

[Cha Ching]

Are you serious?! Thanks, but I think the car looks like crap in those pics! Oh well, like I said, some wax & Armor All go a long way!

I am in So Cal, right near Manhattan Beach. I honestly don't know if I want to sell it, this is spur of the moment. I'm just starting to get the car dialed in to where it will be cherry. I've dropped at least $1800-$1900 into it since I picked it up. Let me think about that one...Some other person is also asking me about it, I guess 5-spd drop-tops are rarer then I thought...

[BeaLongoria]

Are you serious?! Thanks, but I think the car looks like crap in those pics! Oh well, like I said, some wax & Armor All go a long way!

I am in So Cal, right near Manhattan Beach. I honestly don't know if I want to sell it, this is spur of the moment. I'm just starting to get the car dialed in to where it will be cherry. I've dropped at least $1800-$1900 into it since I picked it up. Let me think about that one...Some other person is also asking me about it, I guess 5-spd drop-tops are rarer then I thought...

ha ha >< it looks great to me, but you have to understand that the few I've seen anywhere near my price range/area have been horribly torn up. Holes in the roof, grill missing, seats destroyed, no center console... that sort of thing. So even your dirty little car looks amazing to me. lol

I completely understand your hesitance to sell, especially since you're trying to get it back to it's natural glory. ^^

If you do decide to sell, I think I'm only 4 or 5 hours away and would be super-interested.

And yeah... from my searches it seems that finding a car that's both a manual & a vert is amazing... not that I want that info to influence your pricing if you decide to sell lol!

[Cha Ching]

Well, to be honest I wasn't thinking of selling it, but I saw your post & I thought, "what the hell"...Turns out there are plenty of people like me who love this car & like having a 5-spd vert!

But I also understand what you are seeing at your price-range. My car is my daily-driver, so it needs to be reliable. That's not to say it's perfect (not yet!), but from a driving standpoint, it's pretty damn solid. I'd have no hesitations about driving it to Vegas.

[BeaLongoria]

see, that's the kind of car I'm looking for. Not something absolutely perfect because I know I can't afford that, but something that function as is and is pretty reliable. I like the idea of slowly perfecting a car when I get the money, but still enjoying it in the meantime.

That's the main reason why the cars I'm seeing in this price range are so discouraging >< I saw one at a dealership for 1800 + taxes, but it needed about 2k worth of work. The interior was terrible, the ac & the radio had been ripped out, the top was slashed, & it was automatic... I was so sad to see one of these like that. :( Probably would have still tried to purchase the car, though, if AC wasn't a must in vegas, if I didn't want a 5-speed so bad, and if the top at least could hold out water. XD

[Cha Ching]

LOL, well, my ac is on the fritz, but the top does hold water out! Only a small leak near the driver-side edge where the top meets the windshiled frame. But from what I understand, my 'vert has all of the common problems, so at least I'm pulling the status quo!

[BeaLongoria]

fritzy ac is better than no ac. Besides! It's a convertbile >.O.

And yeah... It sounds like you have the usual convertible problems. ^^

It's the unusual problems I'm afraid of.

If you do decide to sell your car, I'd so~ take a weekend trip to LA to visit/love/buy this car lol.

... if it was in my price range lol

[Oodles-of-Noodles]

Vert guy here. The dealer wanted way too much for that car in that condition.

If you like the styling of the metal bumpers, you can go with any vert between 88-90. They are all maunual tops so you do not have to worry about the dreaded electric motor like the one I have in my 93. Common problems with verts are mostly cosmetic. I do not think I have come across a vert without a ripped back seat. Leaky tops are commom but they just need to be reseated. However if the car has been leaking for a while, check the door panels for mold and the rockers for rust.

[wildsnosheep]

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/cto/1138085027.html

[BeaLongoria]

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/cto/1138085027.html

Thanks for the ad, but Albany, NY is a little far from Las Vegas, NV. lol