What to look for when purchasing an 87 325e?

[OkBranko]

Theres a guy relatively close to my school with an E30 325e he's selling for $1500. He says it runs but needs new brakes and has a little rust. What are the areas I should focus on when I see the car in person? what kind of things should I look out for when I test drive it?

[Jordan]

Don't buy it.

[Jand3rson]

Re: What to look for when purchasing an 87 325e?

What to look for when purchasing an 87 325e?

A 325i.

Jordan's right on, don't buy it if it's got rust. Keep looking, there are better examples out there. Believe me, it's worth it to keep looking.

[87 325iS]

What's worse than an e? An e with rust. I payed $1500 for my is, although it has rust too, but not for long.

[Ryan Stewart]

If anything look most for a car with a good chassis/body. Everything else can be replaced.

Unless your intent is just to drive it until it dies, then offer him $500.

[Dave]

Unless it is in otherwise showroom condition, any 325e that needs any work is not worth more than 1500.

As with any e30 purchase, there is a laundry list around here of things to check - most notably the timing belt/tensioner. Do a search, there has to be a a good thread around here with a checklist.

There seem to be a lot of e30s up for sale lately. Wait to get an i or is if you can. Especially if the car has rust. I was looking at an e that was rusty recently that had a lot of mechanical repairs done to it and seemed sound from that standpoint, but it had rust on the doors and rear quarters. I think it was a $700 car.

[Rob]

when shopping for a 325e, i suggest stopping, and looking for an i car.........

[Charlie]

Between this, and your "should I swap an S14 in" post, I have come to the following conclusion.

Buy a honda.

Seriously.

-Charlie

[royalflush313]

If anything look most for a car with a good chassis/body. Everything else can be replaced.

Unless your intent is just to drive it until it dies, then offer him $500.

looking at your car, your theory looks more than reasonable 8)

[James Crivellone]

If anything look most for a car with a good chassis/body. Everything else can be replaced.

Unless your intent is just to drive it until it dies, then offer him $500.

What he said, 325i motors suck too :p

[surebimmer]

I bought a 86 325es for $1000 that was in good shape from the orgnal owner. No rust and i use it as the daily beater to get me to work. And the "eta" gets 28 mpg, a lot better then my 89 325i with a 4.10 rear end. Plus its 30 miles one way to work. Make sure it runs good, take a good test drive. But for $1500 and rust I would say stay away, or offer $500. Oh ya I don't know were live, but if in CA make sure it passes somg.

[DSchultz325e]

What he said, 325i motors suck too :p

soooo...what's a good motor then?

[MR 325]

My Eta was $700, I would not pay a dime over that for another one.

[DSchultz325e]

don't tell that to the sap i try to sell my car to.

[OkBranko]

Between this, and your "should I swap an S14 in" post, I have come to the following conclusion.

Buy a honda.

Seriously.

-Charlie

As a moderator are you required to make asinine comments?

In the same amount of time it took you to come up with that snappy remark you could have wrote something intelligent about why 325e's should be passed up.