Looking to make a buying decision: Please give me your opinion

[Huntak]

Ok, not too sure if this is the right place for this (and if an admin wants to move this thread please do I do not mean to offend) but i have found a few pretty interesting deals in the last few weeks of searching:

My ideal car is one that is a 2-door 325i with a manual transmission and lowish miles

I have found 1 that seems almost too good to be true and i will post the ad and pictures right here:

1991 BMW (325i) Good Running Condition
Registered up to MAY 2013 , Pink slip in Hand, Clean title
Reliable
30 MPG Highway
5-Speed Manual Stickshift, clutch good, changed last year

Passed Smog Check MAY 2012
Odometer 163K miles
Good Engine and Saves Gas
No major damage to car
All Brakes were changed last year
Tires 90% Good Tread
Oil changed 9/9/12

No Engine Light on, No Major Leaks, No Overheating,
Power Windows
Power Locks
Sunroof works
No rips in leather

So here is my problems with this car:
1) Its gold
2) it looks like it has some front end damage
3) The drivers seat has a sheepskin cover
4) its a 4-door when I would prefer a 2
5) Its insanely cheap at $1600 so I'm assuming something is wrong with it but the guy assures me nothing is wrong.

And now for car #2!

Very Clean 1987 BMW 325IS series with manual 5-speed transmission. Been in family for over 11 years. Solid White, Straight Body, Interior Excellent, New Stereo/CD player. Regular oil changes, new starter, new struts, new plugs and wires, modified exhaust, A/C needs freon, possible drive shaft joint replacement. Driven on a daily basis until Christmas last year when driver purchased a different car, been non-oped since then but with regular start-ups. This car is fun and you will get lots of admirers. :)

So my issues with car #2 are:
1) No pictures of interior
2) Talked to the guy and he said odometer is frozen at 210,000 or so which is a little high
3) No 325is badge on the back
4) 1987 is a bit older than id like honestly like
5) almost twice as much as car #1, the seller wants 3500
6) I don't know how difficult it would be to replace a drive shaft joint

So there's my dilemma, please help a first time E30 buyer find a new baby! Any opinions, tips, advice, or questions are more than welcome!

And if I posted this in the wrong place, I am sorry, I didn't see a better place to put this. Forgive me for being a

[mr.vang]

i would buy the 4 door in a heart beat. after getting my 2 door, i want a 4 door. since its my DD, 2 more doors would be nice to have.

[illest318i]

Yeah the 4 door looks pretty sick, not only that but 1600 is quite a deal. I just sold mine for 1500 and that was an '84.

[jefrolison]

Looking to make a buying decision: Please give me your opinion

Car #1 is Bronzit and in your climate certain colors (bronzit, calypso, diamond schwartz) will have clear coat peeling if not garaged for a lot of their lives. This car has an airbag steering wheel and that can be a plus to some people but others will argue that how safe is a 21 year old air bag? This car looks like it has its maintenance kept up and has some new parts.
Car#2 paint has almost 0% gloss- this might polish up or might not. It hasn't been on the road for over nine months and if it has to be repaired by some one other than you will cost at least $500 to fix. It is an iS so it's has more options that car #1 doesn't have but it is pre- facelift with diving board bumpers. There isn't really much data on maintenance other than oil changes and one key item is when was the timing belt changed on both cars? Also coolant flushes and brake fluid flushes? All these can lead to costly repairs if not performed in the last two. three years.
I would say Car #1 is such a good deal its probaly already sold..... Good Luck and welcome to the fold!

[SpeicherBimmer]

Car #1 definitely...but I am also partial to moardoors.

[wikkid]

Economics and practicality: car 1.

But ride #2 is more pimped: white car, basketweaves, 2-door. Don't count on that price to stay put: you will realistically want/need to put money into the car right away: drive shaft joint and maybe shaft support bearing; maybe it's not that - maybe it's wheel bearings, or a loud differential. AC not working. Interior (?) You may very well have these with car 1 as well, but I am going to bet someone who bought a bronze 4 door took more "standard" garage care of the car than the owner of #2. Now how's that for a stereotype! :-)

Check other needed maintenance as well, like timing belt. Check how the fluids are on both - how do they look and feel? Ask the owners who did maintenance.

[Buzztt]

if possible wait and buy the right car for you, sounds like neither of these are it

[JasonC]

if possible wait and buy the right car for you, sounds like neither of these are it

This here. If you don't want a 4 door, then don't look at one! I'd wait for the right one to come by, instead of being unhappy with something you didn't really want in the first place.

[agent]

Between those two cars the 87iS is the easy choice. Values of well-kept and/or reconditioned E30s are only going up, and 87s have the unique front valance which makes it a little less common than cars with plastic bumpers (which are very common). Put a little time and money into that '87 and it will easily be worth more than the asking price.

[TurboJake]

I call BS on 30MPG highway from the 4 door.
But so does everyone else on here.



I'd rock that 4 door. But I already have 2 bronzit cars....

[dougie30]

4 door, less miles, less money.

[Wild Ride]

Seller of the bronzit probably drives like a pus and is very frugal when it comes to repairs with that gas saver claim and non enthusiast description. Any $1600 e30 that the seller claims "everything works" really means it gets point a to point b without overheating, it dosen't have any major vibrations and the car turns somewhat where you point it.
Here are common thigs i see when looking at 20+ year old vehicles in this price range: all the suspension components are badly worn the tires are 10 years old and dry rotted. Loose shifter bushings, no record of timing belt replacement, needs a new fuel filter, at least 3 lightbulbs don't work, one of the seat functions are broken, one light on the check panel is on etc.Etc etc. on the other hand you have plenty of money left over to knock out all the deferred preventative maintenance, plus 4 doors are pretty cool when done right as is bronzit with a black trim euro plate filler and smoked headlights approach with a black sport interior. Being that the car is not a sport you will end up spending another 500-1000 on sport interior and LSD. you can't really go wrong with a $1600 e30 late model 5 speed as the part out value is more than the car is worth.

I had an 87is in alpine. It was and is a beautiful car and the metal bumpers with that aggressive valence really do look special. Sport seats are a plus as is equipment levels and LSD. A full day of hand polishing and sealing the paint can really bring back alpinewiess 1 (a single stage with no clearcoat) to 98% perfect. As shown in my before and after pictures. The car without an enthusiast owner will likely have similar issues not disclosed as stated above for car #1. Since it has been sitting you will need to drain the tank and replace the fuel filter, timing belt and the tires are likely out of round, the battery will absolutely need replacing.
The fact that this one is twice as much makes this decision a toss up, honestly if you get bitten by the e30 bug your spending will quickly eclipse the purchase price of the car, often several times over so buy the absolute best platform you can or you will just be polishing a turd.

[Wild Ride]

Btw the 4 door is missing the entire front valence below the bumper. They cost a couple hundred and are easily swapped out in an afternoon.

[u3b3rg33k]

So my issues with car #2 are:
1) No pictures of interior
2) Talked to the guy and he said odometer is frozen at 210,000 or so which is a little high
3) No 325is badge on the back
4) 1987 is a bit older than id like honestly like
5) almost twice as much as car #1, the seller wants 3500
6) I don't know how difficult it would be to replace a drive shaft joint

Dollars to donuts it's a VDO cluster.

[ramielm]

you're the one driving the car, you make the decision