Thinking about an (a specific) e30 for my dad...

[dogsbark26]

Good to hear. Hope it provides years of enjoyment.

[Vivek]

Yes, most of those reasons^ are why we passed up that car. He wanted what he put in, and there's no way I'm paying him that. He got a beautiful 318i vert last weekend needs minor maintenance stuff and it'll be awesome.

[dogsbark26]

When I buy a car I'd rather buy one that someone else hasn't put a lot of money into repairing recently. I'd rather buy a car that needs some repairs and do / have them done myself. That way I know who did the work. That corners were not cut and parts reused, etc.

Just makes me suspicious. Why would someone spend a bunch of money to fix and THEN decide to sell it? I'd only do that if I found out there was something wrong that more money couldn't fix.

Anybody with any sense at all knows you NEVER get back what you invest in repairs when you sell a car unless you cheat the buyer.

[Vivek]

Re: the tach and speedo... Is it possible the po popped the needles off at some point for painting or gauge faces? I have seen this a lot, when they put the needles back on they aren't exactly where they are supposed to be sitting. Borrow a cluster and see if a different cluster does the same thing. On another note, that car does seem to be overpriced by a few thousand dollars.

The cluster was definitely taken apart. To what extent....I don't know. This is a possibility. The owner seems to want what he put into it, which isn't gonna happen imo. Maybe ill try to talk him down but if he rejected an offer for 6800 like he said it's not worth my time.

[delatlanta1281]

No bronzit sir.

Torrance, don't mess with it. I like your car. If I was still in CA, I would buy it.

[CrusherCurtis]

at this point in time a $7500 e30 should net you a car that has been maintained meticulously and is in (virtually) perfect working order, with either really nice stock paint or a good quality respray.

if the car you looked at doesn't meet those criteria, you either need to pay less for it or find a different car. from the looks of it (and what you've described) that might be a $4500 car on a good day.

Very true. I was thinking like $4k for that car.

[gp.plus]

Re: the tach and speedo... Is it possible the po popped the needles off at some point for painting or gauge faces? I have seen this a lot, when they put the needles back on they aren't exactly where they are supposed to be sitting. Borrow a cluster and see if a different cluster does the same thing. On another note, that car does seem to be overpriced by a few thousand dollars.

[8380 Labs]

at this point in time a $7500 e30 should net you a car that has been maintained meticulously and is in (virtually) perfect working order, with either really nice stock paint or a good quality respray.

if the car you looked at doesn't meet those criteria, you either need to pay less for it or find a different car. from the looks of it (and what you've described) that might be a $4500 car on a good day.

[e30trooper]

I'll ask him about it...but a 22 year old convertible DD isn't too practical for him. He needs at least something with a roof.

true , just thought id toss it out. Bake on it. Ill be posting a forsale ad soon.

[Vivek]

No bronzit sir.

I'll ask him about it...but a 22 year old convertible DD isn't too practical for him. He needs at least something with a roof.

[e30trooper]

Sorry...no bronzit :-(

No bronzit sir.

[Vivek]

Sorry...no bronzit :-(

[e30trooper]

i have a vert forsale under 3k ??? needs some tlc
car in sig minus some parts

[Vivek]

That's a valid point, but I don't think he'd lose much on the e46. if he buys an 8-9k e46, he could probably get 6-7 back in a few years. I'm not sure what he'd like more, because spending the same amount of money on an e30 will buy him a better condition car (mechanical and cosmetically) compared to an e46.

[CrusherCurtis]

1 point to try to sell him on the e30 is that in the long run he's not going to loose money. The e46 is going to depreciate while the e30 is going to appreciate. I'm 100% convinced that if you buy an e30, you can drive it daily and in 5 years time sell it for more than what you paid for it. So long as its in at least the same condition.