what's this worth...

[TehPilot]

Page 2 has updated pics & Info - requesting cultivated advice
I found a '89 325is that has had a paint job. He states it's a purple from one of the 5 series...he sent me one picture:



Anyway, the car has roughly 150k miles, he stated that the car has zero rust (we shall see soon enough). He did the timing belt and all that but he says the head makes a clicking noise. He told me that his mechanic said that the valves just need to be adjusted. I had questioned this and had asked him if he installed the timing belt correctly and that from what he is describing to me is bent valves. Could unadjusted valves make the noise he is describing? Car has aftermarket front seats (originals will be included), typical cracked dash. The car has sat for 6 or so months. Could unadjusted valves make the noise he is describing?

Scenarios:
a)If the body looks good regardless of the paint job with indeed no visible rust and the motor does not have bent valves but just requires a valve job...how much?
b)body has some rust under the new paint job and the valves are bent....how much?
c) other....

Can I drive 150 miles to bring it home without adjusting the valves if that's all she needs?

He has it listed for $2000.

[stamar]

If it runs perfectly between 1000-1500.

[jasonbk]

You can't disregard paint job.. I would save up bit more ($3k) and get a nicer one(good original paint, little to no rust, running fine, etc)

[Nsquared97]

If the body doesn't have rust and all it needs mechanically is a valve adjustment, I see no reason why $2000 isn't a decent deal, assuming the paint job looks good.

And M20's tick, mine is pretty loud. People have said even some will tick after they have been adjusted, it's just what they do.

Edit: Didn't see the pic before, I take that back. Looks like it has been sitting for quite a while, I would take a good look at everything under the hood to make sure everything is still in good condition. I would take Jonny Cash up on his offer to check it out for you before you make the 150 mile trip.

[der affe]

If it has stock injectors also, the are noisey (ticking sound).

[russhixmo]

Tell him 1000-1200$ cash or he can keep posting it on bargain news and sell it to some other poor soul who will blow it up and 6 months, no 325is with a tick and a hack and shack paint job is worth 2k unless it has a real euro s54 with a stage two supercharger in it and it has close to 0 miles on it in my opinion. But use your best judgement =]

[Jonny Cash]

Im here in ft.lauderdale, (davie blvd&9th ave) I can check it out for you. Send me a PM.

[stamar]

If it has any sort of problem it is actually in the 500 range because it has nice wheels. If the valves are bent I would mostly skip it.

it is definitely not in the range where if it needed a new head, and you got it for 500$ that it would be worth fixing it and flipping it over.

theres just too many things that could be screwed up.

For the most part you should just part it out at that point. maybe worth your time maybe not. You didnt just find a valuable car in a lien lot if thats what you mean? A collectors car? Theres 8 million 89 e30s out there and the kbb is considered 500$ for any car not perfect.

[bastianshaw]

thats an 88 not an 89

[e30jake]

thats an 88 not an 89

This man speaks the truth

[iSOregon]

This man speaks the truth

yep i was just gonna say love i love me an early 88. best of both worlds

[Pl3wA]

i once had a honda cb360(motorcycle). it started making the same clicking sound you describe. after a little while the valve fell in and bent... so yeah, could have been solved with a valve adjustment.

so basically if the valve was bent it would do more than just a clicking sound

[TehPilot]

thats an 88 not an 89

how can you tell from the pics? metal bumpers?

[iSOregon]

its late model tails but with metal as opposed to plastic bumpers means made in the first 5 or so months of 88. Ive got the same car, 5/88 production. If it were 1 month newer it would have come with plastics

[Stanley Rockafella]

its late model tails but with metal as opposed to plastic bumpers means made in the first 5 or so months of 88. Ive got the same car, 5/88 production. If it were 1 month newer it would have come with plastics

Yup, my car in the garage downstairs has the same setup and has a build date of 03/88. It's the only stock e30 that you can tell it's year by simply looking at its bumpers and rear tails to determine it's year.

...unless someone got creative and swapped an 89+ to metals?