Advice for a newbie? Found a nice e30 at a used car lot

[BrooklynMW]

Bronzit Pros:
-Automatic - no learning curve (I can drive stick, but I'm new to it)
-325i.... i is good
-Comes with a 3 year guarantee on engine and transmission
-Starting price $500 less than the New Jersey car
-Private deal with a BMW enthusiast/tech
-full 13 button obc
-powered sunroof

Bronzit Cons:
-Automatic - boring!
-Bronzit - not my favorite
-Danbury CT is a 2 hour train ride
-Would have to flatbed it back to Brooklyn
-Would be going by myself. I have a good checklist, but I'm no mechanic


Black eta Pros:
-Clean Carfax, only 140,000 miles, 1 owner
-Manual - which means learning curve, but weeee! Plus no swap later
-Black - wouldn't have to spend an arm and a leg getting it painted the color I want it.
-Would have a trusted BMW mechanic with me looking at the car. (a forum member recommended to me by some of you)
-Only a 1/2 hour train ride to NJ
-Could drive home with a temporary plate


Black etc Cons:
-they want $3000. I would only offer $1800
-Bit of a learning curve on the manual for me
-It's at a USED CAR DEALERSHIP, so who really knows what I'm getting?
-only 6 button OBC
-Manual sunroof


I'll have a decision made soon enough!

[MrSlacker]

I have option #3 for you: WAIT! E30s pop up all the time. I almost made the same mistake as you when I was buying my 1st E30 2 months ago.

Where in Brooklyn are you? I can show you my car and you'll see that patience DOES pay off ;)

[BrooklynMW]

MrSlacker, you're a very wise man. And yes, I'd love to see your car. Unfortunately, timing is not on my side. I sold my car on Monday, but need one for work. I gave myself the week off to find one. ( been looking for a while). So if I don't find a decent DD e30 by the end of the week, I'm gonna have to go ahead and get some reliable cheap transportation...which best case scenario would be a nice golf or jetta

[MrSlacker]

Damn that sucks. 1 week is really not even close to enough time to find an E30. Im gonna keep an eye out for you since I look for them every day anyways.

[BrooklynMW]

Thanks man. Keep each other posted. Where in BK do you live? I could defintiely use advice on how to keep one in good shape without a garage.

[MrSlacker]

Thanks man. Keep each other posted. Where in BK do you live? I could defintiely use advice on how to keep one in good shape without a garage.

Me, dude8383 and mastershake are all in the midwood/sheepshead bay area

[BrooklynMW]

Well, We'll def have to meet sometime. Here's what I decided:

The CT car, (bronzit, automatic) is more of a sure thing. Better price, better guarantee. But I'd be kicking myself if I never even got a chance to look at the NJ car (black, manual) Plus, I'd have a helping hand in NJ to see thecar with me. So I'm going to travel to NJ first and see the car. If it's good, then I'll take it. If it's bad, then at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing it's bad, and I'll head to CT and pick up the other one.

[BrooklynMW]

Me, dude8383 and mastershake are all in the midwood/sheepshead bay area

Oh by the way, when you did finally find your perfect e30, where did you find it?

[KillaCams]

Talk to Levent at Guten for sure, i deal with them all the time stand up guys. I know of a black (i believe 87) 325is at a used car deal for $800 that needs a control arm. I know nothing of the car personally, a friend of mine bought a car recently at saw it at the dealer he was at. PM me if you're interested i can find out more details about it, im pretty sure it's in the newark area so not too far of a ride from NY.

[CincinnatiKid]

Check out this buyers guide for any e30, it's got tons of good advice

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=826530

Also this from e30tech.com

Buyer's Guide

Questions to ask the owner:

Is the engine original, if so was it ever rebuilt. If it isn't the original, then what happened to the original, and how many miles are on this engine?
Was the timing belt ever broken, if not, then when was the last time it was changed. If it did break, then how much damage was there?
Do you have any service records? How about receipts?
Have you had any repairs/work done to the car, if so, then what? Did you do the work yourself, or did you have it done elsewhere. If you had the work done elsewhere, where did you have it done?
How often do you change the fluids. What fluids have you changed? How often was the oil changed?
Has the odometer stopped working? Has it been replaced?
Did you garage the car? How often would you say you cleaned/waxed the car? Did you use it during the winter months?
Have you done any modifications to the car? Do you know of any that have been done prior to your purchase?
How long have you owned your car? Are you the original owner, if not, then what number owner are you? Why are you selling? How long has the car been for sale?
Has this car been in a accident?
Has your car been repainted?
What is wrong with the car? Does the interior ever get wet when it rains?
Do you own the car outright, or is there still money owed on it? Is the title in the sellers name and do they have it handy?
Is it a problem if I have my mechanic look over the car?
Is the registration current?
Has the car ever failed inspection? If so, then for what? Was said problem fixed?


Interior Inspection:

Check the power door locks, windows, and sunroof work.
Check to see if the interior carpet is wet.
Check if there any cracks in the dashboard.
Check to see if the headliner is intact.
Check for stains in the carpet.
Take note of whether the seats fully function - do they recline, do the move back and forth? What's the condition of the seats? Check to see if the seatbelts work and see if they are anchored properly.
Check to see if the horn works.
Check to see id the trunk carpet is wet.
Exterior Inspection:

Check out the wheels. Do they look bent? Do they have any curb rash? Do they have all their wheel caps?
Check out the condition of the tires. Does the rubber look good. Do they look properly inflated? Are there any bulges/bubbles? How much tread is left?
Check to see if all the driving lights work, including high beams, fog lights, and blinkers.
Check the glass around the car. Do the windows look like the go up all the way? Are there any cracks/chips in the windshield?
Check out the lenses on the taillights, headlights, fog lights, and side markers for cracks.
Get under the car and take a look at the brake lines.
Check out the suspension and bushing components.
Check under the engine for oil leaks.
Check to make sure all the VIN numbers match. There is one on each of the front fenders, one in the door, and another on the dashboard.
Check for bent floorpans and jacking points.
Check the following places for rust:
fenders
license plate light area
lift points
rocker panels
four corners of the floorboard
lower parts of the doors
under the battery in the trunk
behind the rear wheel wells
sunroof
fuel tank
fuel door
strut towers
the seal around the front and rear winshield
rear cross-member
brake calipers
taillights
Test Drive:

When you start the engine, notice if any lights stay lit on the instrument panel? Also press the check button on the overhead check panel to see if anything stays lit.
Check to see if you hear any belt noises. Notice if they go away once the engine warms up
Do you notice any noise when you turn the steering wheel?
How does the engine run? Is it smooth? Is there any blue smoke coming from the exhaust? Do it buck or hesitate?
Check to see if the brakes are mushy. Does the car vibrate when you apply the brakes at slow speeds?
Check to see if the clutch engages properly. Is it hard to shift into gear? Does the shift lever feel loose. Is there a smooth transition from gear to gear. Do you hear any unusual noises coming from the tranny?
Check to see if the A/C and heater work. Does the fan operate on all 4 settings?
If you can, check to see if the rear window defroster works? Does the front windshield fog up when the heater is on?
Check the engine teperature. Is it reading normal?
Check the windshield wipers work? How about the washer fluid?
When you are done with your test drive, put the car in neutral(or park) and pull up on the ebrake. Open the hood and see if the engine is smoking. How does everything sound? Do you hear any hissing or ticking?
Note: I suggest you don't do the following:

Look at the car in the dark.
Look at the car in the rain.
Check out the car right after someone else drove it.

Buyer's Guide from e30tech.com

[MrSlacker]

Oh by the way, when you did finally find your perfect e30, where did you find it?

Upstate NY... 100 miles from NYC

[dude8383]

Oh by the way, when you did finally find your perfect e30, where did you find it?

Hey there!

Firstly, welcome to the site and hope you're here to stay.

There's no way you can wait more than a week to find a car? The subway isn't an option?

I only say that because I told Mr.Slacker to be patient because I learned the hard way.

Whats the maximum you're looking to spend?

[harv]

I know an automatic is a bummer but I'd run away from a used car dealer. The other car owned by a tec and enthusiast sounds like a real deal. I wonder if Matt at Sports Car Restorations has any e30's kicking around?

John

[BrooklynMW]

Hey all. Sorry to keep you hanging on my status. Yesterday was a long day, travelling back and forth from NY to NJ to NY to CT to NY.

Went to NJ in the morning to look at the Black 325e at the dealership. Met up with a forum member who was nice enough to come see the car with me. It was great to have his e30 wisdom on my side, and I hope to return the favour soon. So, the blackie, 325e. It looked great from 20 feet away, but as we got closer, we noticed how shotty the paintjob actually was. The one thing all the buying guides tell you to look out for - the door handles, washer nozzles, gaskets, etc, were all painted over. And not primed either, so it was clear the the shiny black coat of paint would start peeling away within a month. Also had a rusted exhaust, and the clutch was going out. It ran well, and the suspension was ok. But with the amount of repairs it needed, we offered the dealership $1500. Since they had it listed for $3000, they wouldn't go lower than $2500, so we walked.

I headed to CT to check out the Bronzit 325i Automatic. Thanks to my earlier experinces, I now had a better idea of what to look for by myself.

The car is not in the best physical condition. Will def need a paint job soon, coupla dents and dings, but absolutely no rust. No rust under the battery, or by the license plate, or anywhere. Has a couple of minor issues on the interior. Door locks shotty, window switches questionable, and the right side instrument cluster light is off (so I can't see the tach at night). However, no dash cracks, nice seats, fairly clean.
Took it for a test drive, ran very well. Engine & transmssion both in good shape. Minor oil leak, and a coolant sensor issue.

The guy wanted $2500, way to high. I talked him down to $1700, as is. But we agreed, "as is" after I drive it home....so if I noticed anything on the highway, we can address the issues.

Sure enough, as I drove it home, I discovered the following:
-Tempurature runs very very hot. Not quite in the red, but damnnear close.
-Suspension is SHOT. Every time I go over a bump, the car loses control, and I veer left and right. That's bad right??
-needs wheel alignment
-Rattle on the underbody. Tranny mount must be loose
-Muffler is also loose
-Power steering leak, very noisy on hard turns.
-squeaky brakes
-fuel gauge is questionable
-"brake lining" light blinks on and off as I drive over rough terrain.


Anyway, it's way too much for me to get into right now, so I will be returning the car to the seller in the next few days, and continue my search for a little while longer.

My mechanic might have a 1987 528e, which I may be taking a look at.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks!

[Burnera]

The guy wanted $2500, way to high. I talked him down to $1700, as is. But we agreed, "as is" after I drive it home....so if I noticed anything on the highway, we can address the issues.

Sure enough, as I drove it home, I discovered the following:
-Tempurature runs very very hot. Not quite in the red, but damnnear close.
-Suspension is SHOT. Every time I go over a bump, the car loses control, and I veer left and right. That's bad right??
-needs wheel alignment
-Rattle on the underbody. Tranny mount must be loose
-Muffler is also loose
-Power steering leak, very noisy on hard turns.
-squeaky brakes
-fuel gauge is questionable
-"brake lining" light blinks on and off as I drive over rough terrain.

-could be thermostat or water pump, $200 if simple fix. IF.
-suspension = ~$800 for parts alone
-alignment probably fixed when you replace suspension
-rattle could be lots of different things.
-muffler, so what.
-Don't need power steering anyway, but yeah the groaning is bad.
-pretty damn easy to replace brake pads, and cheap too
-fuel gauge, dunno bout that
-brake lining light is dumb anyway, it's just an electrical contact that goes haywire

I JUST did the suspension myself, so i know that part is correct.