Buying advice for a beginner?

[caldiesel]

If/when I get it I'll definitely post pics. And TroyShark send me a pm and we can talk.

Do you all think the auto trans should hold up for a while? It says in that e30 buyers guide that at 120k it will shift hard and at 150k it will go out, so I'm a bit concerned with that. If it happens maybe I'll just swap in a manual though, from what I've read that costs around $1,000 or so...

[caldiesel]

flyboy - You're definitely right, I do really like this car and am probably thinking with my heart more than my wallet. Not sure how much it has been driven in the winter, but I don't think much because the owner has other cars, but it has always been in PA since new. The interior is leather which is cracking a bit, and there are seat covers over top of the seats. One thing that may be influencing me is that most e30s I've seen on CL nearby look pretty beat and are still 3-4k, although some with 240k+ miles are 1.5-2k. Also I need a car when I'm out of school around the beginning of May so time is running out.

[nick123]

Trust me when I say this there are thousands of better deals out there, and near you too.

[caldiesel]

Nick - any suggestions on where else to look? I've checked CL a lot and e30s come around a couple times a week. I'll check ebay motors again, but not sure where else, maybe buy/sell sections on forums.

[Cletonius]

CL all the way. Clean cars come up all the time.

Get the car you want. If you want a 5 speed get one. It will be cheaper in the long run. I searched for 6 months before I found my car. And 250k+ on an E30 is nothing. Just look it over well and get as much maintenance history as you can.

[IAmGary]

I wrote some stuff up based on my experience buying an e30 and paying too much for too little car: http://e30.iamgary.com/how-to-buy-a-bmw-e30/

Here's some comments:

- $4700 is the upper end for a clean car. It's due for maintenance even if it hasn't reach 160K since the belt and pump were done. You should talk him down because you'll need to do that yourself or pay someone to do it immediately (as in the day you buy it). Expect $1000 in repairs right away.

- Get a pre-purchase inspection at a shop of YOUR choice. It should cost $130 and courtesy is to share the results with the seller if you decide not to buy the car. This is especially important if you don't know e30s.

- If you want manual you best hold out for manual. That being said I turned down some nice automatics and regret it because it would have been cheaper to do a manual swap than fix all the broken, neglected, home depot hardware fixes that were done to my car.

- If you buy from someone on R3v you're more likely to get a great car that someone put a lot of work into, is honest and is probably taking a loss on.

- Find, download the Bentley manual and read the first couple of chapters. You'll learn so much and looking under the hood of a car will be less abstract.

- Go to the auto dismantlers and look at e30s. Look for things that are broken, missing. Look underneath them. You'll begin to feel comfortable around the cars and have an idea of what you're looking at when you do a curbside inspection.

Good luck!!

[caldiesel]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Shouldn't the timing belt and water pump cost $400 or around there for the shop to do? Why $1,000 in repairs right away?
also thoughts on this?

http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/3662058725.html

pretty sure it's the same car in this ad, too

http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/3693719682.html

[Kozworth]

The e30 is a great reliable car, both of mine were minimum 200k and my best running cars. A stock 325 was plenty fun, even the eta had its moments. Maintenance is simple, you just need a 8,10,13, or 17mm for the majority of the jobs. Parts are fairly priced and guten parts has a great selection and service to help anyone from the beginner to the expert tinkerer.

The forums have been nothing but informative and friendly, where as vw was hell and unknowledgeable kids.

It's a great summer daily I miss mine since its been under the knife. Best of luck

[750]

Don't do it. Once you get 1, then you start thinking 2 would be nice. Now there are 2 in your car port and you still are looking at cars prices and wondering where you could park a 3rd one.

[caldiesel]

just thought I'd bump this again since the ad has new pics of interior. Thinking of offering 3-3.5k... thoughts?