car I'm interested in has oil leaks, how bad?

[lostatoll]

This is for an '87 325e I'm looking to buy. Just go the info from the mechanic.

I'm curious to know what you guys think of these problems, and which ones will be the hardest/most costly to repair.

I'm most worried about the leaks.

The front cover is leaking, but that isn't a big deal. It also has leaks at the oil pan, and a bad one at the oil pressure sensor which is a quick fix. How hard is the oil pan leak?

The transmission leaks at the selector shaft seal, and the main shaft seal. These are what I'm looking for info on.

besides that, it needs timing belt and pump done which I'll do almost immediately, obc is messed up, rear shock mounts, hood shocks, some cracked belts, needs a muffler, and will need a clutch sometime soon.

those are the problems, the rest of it is beautiful.

[lostatoll]

yeah, I'm doing some searching and reading now. oil pan gasket will be a pita, removing the suspension and everything.

what would you guys pay for a clean example in this condition?

[nando]

E30s with original engines will leak oil. not that big of a deal - many of those seals are pretty easy to replace, too.

[Cabriolet]

oil leaks are apart of owning an e30. the oil pan gasket is cake to change. the rest of the list suggest this car was neglected and those things in that list are just the surface. id say if the shell is rust free and interior is good $800-900.

[lostatoll]

hhmm.. I do think it was ignored a little bit, but not super neglected.. car seems to have been taken care of. garaged. 138k.

[lostatoll]

just found the prospective e30 buyers guide. mucho helpful. sorry for the waste of a post. but i'd still be willing to hear your price range thoughts.

[woodisgood]

I just read in the Bentely the other day that the acceptable oil loss for an M20 is 1qt every 390 miles. I thought that was crazy.

[lostatoll]

that IS crazy!

[nomansland92]

Ha i've never noticed that, dang wheres my book i gotta look that up

[Car Addict]

^ I just did section 4 page 7 under the Excessive oil consumption "BMW states that the maximum allowable oil consumption for the engines covered by this manual is 1 quart per 390 miles."

that is nuts

[BrettsE30]

Sorry for the thread Jack but what weight are they suggesting burns that fast. Also not familiar withe the 325e engines if they're different but the m20 in my car was easy to replace those seals