Buyer Looking for Some Tips

[hopefule30owner]

So I've run a vehicle history report that came back clean. The car looks in great shape from the pictures. The next step is to see it in person.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/4069931423.html

My short-term goal is an LSD swap. My medium term goal is a 5 lug conversion. My long-term goal is an S62 conversion.

With those goals in mind, what should I look for? Obviously rust is the biggest concern. But since a suspension swap is in its 1-3 year future, maybe I don't need to worry about rotted bushings. So fire away. Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

P.S. What is that color called?

[AndrewBird]

More than likely if bushing haven't bee replaced, they will need to be. That's just how it is for 20+ year old rubber.

Ask if the timing belt has been changed. If there is no proof of it being changed, expect to do it and replace the water pump first thing. If it snaps, it will bend valves and you will need to replace the head.

Check for rust in the trunk in the battery well and the opposite side where the jack is. The sunroof drains exit through vents here and often leak into the car. Some cars end up with a small lake on each side.

Small things like the glove box latch being broken or various check lights being on are pretty common and are easily fixable. The odometer not working is another, as is tach/econometer not working due to bad SI batteries. All things to expect from a used E30.

Basically if the body is solid and the paint is good, it would be worth buying. These cars are only going up in price.

[anabolice30]

^Pretty much said it all. That's a really good deal even if you don't talk him down. Go buy that car!

[agent]

Maybe worth buying, but that's not a $2500 car. The paint is not an original color. Shock towers/engine bay not resprayed. Bottle of brake fluid (?) in the engine bay. Sock (?) around the (leaking?) PS reservoir. Not sure what intake boot that is, other than it's not an OEM part. The exhaust is not OEM. Roundels are on upside down. Non-retracting antenna. Seats don't appear to be out of an E30, though it's tough to tell for sure. And everyone's favorite, the M badge on the grill of a non-M car.

Minor details to be sure, but those types of things - and the quantity of them - throw up flags for me as to what other sorts of "out-of-spec" work may have been done.

[hopefule30owner]

Maybe worth buying, but that's not a $2500 car. The paint is not an original color. Shock towers/engine bay not resprayed. Bottle of brake fluid (?) in the engine bay. Sock (?) around the (leaking?) PS reservoir. Not sure what intake boot that is, other than it's not an OEM part. The exhaust is not OEM. Roundels are on upside down. Non-retracting antenna. Seats don't appear to be out of an E30, though it's tough to tell for sure. And everyone's favorite, the M badge on the grill of a non-M car.

Minor details to be sure, but those types of things - and the quantity of them - throw up flags for me as to what other sorts of "out-of-spec" work may have been done.

Thanks for the post. I noticed the exhaust. It failed smog a few years ago so I think that was thrown on. Definitely going to affect my offer.

The paint looks original to me. I think it's saturnblau. Around the doors and inside trunk lid have it, and it's visible in the engine bay in a couple shots. Here's a reference picture of the color: http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/i...a/P1020102.jpg

All of your other points are really going to help me in the negotiations. Thanks a lot.

[agent]

If the shock towers aren't the same color as the rest of the car, it's not original paint. Look for the paint code sticker on the driver side tower.

[TurboJake]

That car was originally bronzit, zero question. So who knows what that color is. Could be anything now, even a color that isn't a BMW one..

That, and what others before me said. Except that I don't feel it's worth $2500.

[hopefule30owner]

I have a new candidate. 91 318is with 260,000+ miles. Owner said he recently had new gaskets, hoses, fuel filter, etc installed. I'm going to look through the maintenance records when I see the car this weekend. New wheels and lowering springs as well. Looks like the rear camber is bad but I'm a very low mileage driver.

He's asking $4k. I'm very interested because the color is killer. Need to do some high mileage research on the M42 though.