1992 BMW 325i M-Technik Convertible FOR SALE SOLDSOLDSOLD

[DMSBimmer]

CactusJacks, you hit the nail on the head every which way. Many who have been commenting have neglected to acknowledge that the car has 200k+ miles AND a salvage title with frame damage AND needs a full paint job! The fact that it's "driveable" is moot. Many cars out there squeak, rattle, shimmy, and whine as they move. What is the fair value of this car in this exact condition and mileage if it DIDN'T drive? No one knows exactly. It's all subjective.

Regarding the M-Tech body kit... sure it's worth more than $1,000. But it needs to be completely repainted. How much would it cost to ship across the country? Do you have a good place to store the parts until they sell? Do you really want to drive around in this car without the body kit installed? And again... parts of the jalopy individually are worth more than the jalopy itself. Apples to apples, folks.

Oh, La Jolla... yes, it's beautiful and ripe with wealth. I'm very familiar with it in fact, having lived in San Diego for several years. Rest assured, there are PLENTY of import/BMW mechanics in San Diego and even within La Jolla itself. These "rich people" have plenty of options. Marco Polo (also highly regarded) is within walking distance of LJI. Oceanside is just a bit over 20 minutes away. The list goes on. And if you think "rich people" are stupid and just throw money at their vehicles anymore than the 99% do... you're very wrong.

[Wild Ride]

La Jolla independent has been around a long long time and they are well respected. At least Carl Nelson is...don't know who Chris is. I asked what they said the car was worth because apparently they rated the car based on condition alone and didn't take into account the rarity of this particular model. So basically, the car is worth the price of the bodykit...a highly sought after kit at that and you tried to offer $1K? this is laughable. I could sell OEM M tech kits along... all day long for $1K. Like Wiggles said, this isn't an E90...this is the E30 game today. You have to keep your ear to the ground to stay up to date with E30 values. I don't know Constantine and his car very well could be a POS but it's a POS with M technic appearance package and that counts for something.

I'll chime in here as I am very familiar with all fronts of this discussion and intend to be as neutral and respectful as possible:
1. I have seen Konstantines car
2. I have conversed in detail with DMS
3. I know La Jolla Independent very well
4. I own two M technic convertibles
5. My friend owns a salvage title e36 m3 purchased from Konstantine

Chris is one of the main mechanics at LJI (La Jolla Independent), he is Very good at what he does and knows e30's well. He even owns a beautiful Ferrari F355 that he maintains himself. I have had him do mechanical inspections on several cars I have bought/not bought in the past and he catches everything and is generally very critical of old cars with old parts.

The mechanical assessment you presented to us must be taken with a grain of salt, LJI is a very exacting shop and encourages owners to restore and maintain cars up to 5 decades old to BRAND NEW Standards, better than the dealership actually. Their no compromises attitude and reputation are highly respected as they preserve classic and historical BMW's to be enjoyed by future generations. Many of their customers rich or not did not are very pragmatic and do not spend as freely as one might think and wealth of the neighborhood has little to do with their success. The truth is 95% of e30's are not maintained to these standards and would fail a mechanical inspection at nearly any competent shop. If you showed me 10 e30's of your choice under 6k on craigslist I'll show you 10 e30's that will have nearly the same results of a mechanical inspection you experienced.

The guys at LJI don't care too much for the MT2 appearance package cars. Karl simply is not a fan of the look, so they do not value the M tech cars any different than a standard model. I bring one of my two Diamondswartz MT2 cars by all the time and it's not a model they get excited about, except Karl wants my evo cloth interior for his M3. Chris being a mechanic looks at the car from an angle of mechanical excellence and truth be told most all the parts may work on Konstantines car probably work fine they are in most cases 20 year old worn out parts that still get the job done for the average buyer who does not hold the car to enthusiast standards. So yes if this was a standard model a 2k assessment for a salvage title car would be accurate, now add 2k because you want a really rare and special model, making the pricing fair for a running salvage title m tech.

Jack did a very good job of presenting a valuation for M technic's so i'll let that stand.

DMS I think you may need to re-assess your expectations for a 22 year old car for your budget. An M Technic that would pass a very exacting mechanical inspection or bringing a 20 year old car up to "like new" standards is a 10k+ car, a standard model to these specifications is a $6500+ car. Konstantines car is offered at less than half that and should be approached accordingly, and is a great deal if bought taking these things into account as mechanically it is average if not a little above.

[DMSBimmer]

And for what it's worth... LJI charged me nothing for the inspection because they quickly realized the car was not even close to how it was presented by the seller. Chris also encouraged me to NOT buy the car. He had no interest in sucking my wallet dry to fix the laundry list of problems.

At least someone in this deal was honest!

[cactusjacks1]

And for what it's worth... LJI charged me nothing for the inspection because they quickly realized the car was not even close to how it was presented by the seller. Chris also encouraged me to NOT buy the car. He had no interest in sucking my wallet dry to fix the laundry list of problems.

At least someone in this deal was honest!

Speaks volumes on the integrity & impeccable reputation they have earned in the BMW community over 40 years. They set the bar high.

[DMSBimmer]

If the car only required reasonable/expected mechanical updating and repair, I would give the seller his full asking price.

The problem is that there are many thousands of dollars worth of undisclosed neglect in this car, not to mention a salvage title and frame damage from an accident!! If a seller claims his father is a mechanic that did a lot of work to the car to bring it up to shape... and a highly regarded BMW expert looks at it and tells me that's not the case whatsoever, there's a big problem in my book.

Are each of you honestly telling me you wouldn't run the other way and blow a whistle as well??

And again... if it's such a deal... why has it been for sale for nearly a year now with no takers?

[ZoomZoomBoom]

DMSBimmer, when you say the shop said the paint has been overbuffed to death and needs to be repainted, how did the shop determine that? Did they use a paint thickness gauge or did they feel it has clear coat failure?

[bmwstephen]

^ his is alpine white, they don't come with clear coat i believe

[DMSBimmer]

I'm not certain as to his method.
His answer was definitive though, that's for sure.
Given his reputation, I don't doubt his assessment for a second.

[ZoomZoomBoom]

^ his is alpine white, they don't come with clear coat i believe

Single stage paint can fail, as well as both base coat and clear coat on multi stage paint.

[cactusjacks1]

DMSBimmer, when you say the shop said the paint has been overbuffed to death and needs to be repainted, how did the shop determine that? Did they use a paint thickness gauge or did they feel it has clear coat failure?

Pretty easy really - the sharp edges at the center of the hood are usually the first place a buffer can go thru the paint to the primer. If white is over buffed the color gets thin & you can see the spray pattern first then the primer. By '92 I'm pretty sure BMW had gone to a clearcoat finish on all colors.

[Wild Ride]

1.) Convertible power top does not work
They never work and had a reputation for failing when brand new so much that all the mercedes convertible owners made fun of BMW back in the day. They are just fine as manual tops

2.) Thermostat needs to be replaced
$50 and an hour of your time, plus you knock out a coolant flush at the same time

3.) Shocks need to be replaced
Most people put aftermarket suspension and lower it on springs/coilovers on anyways so the stock components don't matter to many, Shocks are $300-600 (KYB/Bilstein)

4.) Car needs to be entirely repainted
Saw it in person it looks fine from 10 feet, not a show car but nicer than most

5.) Front seats need to be reupholstered
They look better than most judging from the pictures, no large tears are present, it is white 22 year old leather after all

6.) Dash is bubbling in several places
Thats better than most as it is uncracked and a clean dash is $200

7.) Front end frame still shows signs of impact from the accident
The car is salvaged from an accident so that would be expected that it is imperfect, price reflects this.

8.) All belts, hoses, and plugs desperately need to be replaced
$600 in parts and $600 in labor and then you will have all new stuff!

9.) Suspension bushings need to be replaced
$50 for the upgraded M3 offset bushings,
$200 for control arms/ $100 for tie rods if the ball joints are worn, rears are a little more time consuming but doable if it is truly needed.
$60 alignment

10.) Engine/transmission mounts need to be repaired or replaced
$80 for 4 new mounts, pretty easy to DIY

Labor is the biggest killer here, these cars are very affordable and easy to maintain if you like to DIY.

DMS it sounds like Chris keyed into what you desired in an e30 and was quick to point out this was not a recommended car/ investment for your expectations, especially if you want to pay a shop to do the work. If I were a mechanic I doubt I would recommend someone buy a car that needed the above work, many e30 owners will choose a car that is affordable initially (that would definitely fail an inspection) that they can fix up along the way as time and money permits, this car falls into the latter category. It sounds to me like you would be best off looking for a car with a detailed and documented recent mechanical overhaul that you will pay more up front for but will cost you less in the long run.

[ZoomZoomBoom]

Pretty easy really - the sharp edges at the center of the hood are usually the first place a buffer can go thru the paint to the primer. If white is over buffed the color gets thin & you can see the spray pattern first then the primer. By '92 I'm pretty sure BMW had gone to a clearcoat finish on all colors.

I know how to tell when paint is FUBAR. I was asking how the shop determined it.

[Todd Black 88]

I have exactly what you are looking for. Drive over here and pick it up.
12k
92 DS/black heated leather/ three year old black top. M-Tech II Appearence pack 5-speed with 140,000 kilometers/80,000 miles with hardtop.
All maintenance up to date

That's what a car of this model that meets the standards you are looking for will cost you.

[DMSBimmer]

No, you don't. It has a 5-speed. I also don't have any interest in paying such a premium for incredibly low mileage. Read my WTB post before assuming you have exactly what I want...

I also don't want/need a hardtop. Nor is that one of my preferred color combos.

I don't mind 200k miles as long as the car has been cared for... and it shows.

[reelizmpro]

WildRide's thoughts echo mine as well. You're buying a 25 year old car that is original and tired. Most of that stuff on the list is maintenance related. I pretty much laugh at that list. Did they measure tire tread depth as well? brake pad thickness? That's really nitpicking for a PPI of a 25 year old car and they did a great job but take it for what it's worth. To you it was a deal breaker but to many of us, that's leverage to get a better price and a weekend worth of work tops. Just not a big deal as you make it seem and the thing is you are just going by what Chris says so you yourself can't form your own opinion on it. Anyway, goodluck with your search.