1989 E30, Good Buy?

[itsonlygeorge]

Found a listing for an 1989 E30 with 177K miles. Owner wants $3100 for it. I am wondering if this a good deal. Pictures look good, I am planning on looking at it on Saturday. Are there some things I should specifically look at?

Red
Tan interior
5-speed
177k (working odometer)
No-crack dash
Good seats
Cleaned and re-dyed tan carpeting
Coilovers w/Bilstein shocks
Plasti-dip bottlecaps (the original paint was flaking)
Manual moon roof needs new gear (opens but it slips)
New coolant temp sensor
New Fuel Pressure Regulator
New Plugs
New Wires
New Fuel filter
Throttle Body replaced by P.O.

[DMSBimmer]

If paint is good, then yes!

[matthugie]

Check for rust, that can kill the value pretty quickly. Otherwise it seems decent.

[itsonlygeorge]

Is price fair? What would be a acceptable price range? I checked NADA/Edmunds/KBB and the values are all over the place or dont go back far enough. I think NADA was the only one that went back and classified it as "classic" along with a much higher value. If it's in good shape is $2500 too low? Edmunds puts a 1990 E30 at $1800 for dealer value, and this is private party.

[Conorz24]

Let me tell you the price is fair from what your telling us, try to heckle though, look for rust under the driver floor board and the passanger floorboard where it rocks up for the weel well, look under the car, besides the trunk battery compartment that is where the rust starts!

[VanillaGorilla12]

Check under the battery tray in the trunk, as well as the tail light gaskets/spare wheel well for rust. As well as doors, sunroof, and wheel wells. Aside from that, CHECK FOR LEAKS. I've seen about 12 (in the process myself) E30's and 9 of them had leaks somewhere on the car like shift seal, cam seal, valve cover, or head gasket.
The price sounds great though, especially if the paint is like an 8 or 9 out of 10.

[KIRIEIW]

Check under the battery tray in the trunk, as well as the tail light gaskets/spare wheel well for rust. As well as doors, sunroof, and wheel wells. Aside from that, CHECK FOR LEAKS. I've seen about 12 (in the process myself) E30's and 9 of them had leaks somewhere on the car like shift seal, cam seal, valve cover, or head gasket.
The price sounds great though, especially if the paint is like an 8 or 9 out of 10.

Damn every e30 I checked out had leaks. I would say almost all of them need every gasket changed at this point. Keep that into consideration OP, if you don't know how to work on cars your looking at a lot of $$

[mr2peak]

What else could you spend that $3,100 on? Re-evaluate that, then look at the car again.

[itsonlygeorge]

What else could you spend that $3,100 on? Re-evaluate that, then look at the car again.

You are right, there are probably better cars to spend $3k on, however I am going to take a look anyways. My current Nissan truck is in bad shape and needs a new timing chain, and I would rather buy a new car than keep pouring money into an old beater truck. I am stuck in Cincinnati and most of the cars in this price range are beat up pickup trucks or honda civics. I would rather buy a decent bmw and drive it for a while than buy another beat up truck or trashy car.

Craigslist Link

[jesse_e30]

It might just be the angle of the pic but, the trunk lid looks like its sitting high. Seams look off

[agent]

tags: e30, bmw, 325, 325i, m20, Obama sucks, other random shit

lulz

[Restoman]

Focus on getting the best car with the fewest issues. Buy the best car, don't think about it costing too much. I can think of 10K to spend on my car to make it what a cali car for 5K would sell for.

[FLG]

I believe this is the car in question...

Its posted in the FS section by a member

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/4342231573.html

Personally, i feel there is some wiggle room but it seems like a fairly sorted car.

[PrakATTACK_Holla]

its a great looking car... i like sedans ^_^ LOL