Approaching a stranger in an attempt to buy their car?

[einhander]

Show up at his door with a wad of cash in your pocket. Be friendly and polite, tell him you will take it off his hands today, show him cash.

Otherwise you're just some all-talk creeper who is up in his business.

[McGyver]

How is ^^this spam just as helpful as any other post in this thread? (and possibly more polite?)

[dubsport87]

I have a white 318is in my neighborhood that looks a little neglected, my only problem is that I have 4 cars and my wife would kill me if I bought another.

[dannyyisntt]

Steal their dog and leave a ransom note saying "give me the e30 or I'll sell your puppy to science"

[kensol20]

Just introduce yourself and inquire about the car


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Cletonius]

Show up at his door with a wad of cash in your pocket. Be friendly and polite, tell him you will take it off his hands today, show him cash.

Otherwise you're just some all-talk creeper who is up in his business.

I've had good success with this method. I'll put $250 in two pockets and $500 in another. Then you can pull out a wad of cash and not have to count anything. After talking to them you should be able to figure out which pocket/pockets to reach into.

Make an offer, show them that exact amount of cash without tipping off that you've got additional cash. Most people see the cash and get greedy; cash in their face helps them make an uneducated snap decision in your favor.

[ClayW]

Introduce yourself and explain that you just moved into the neighborhood. Point to your house. Then mention that you noticed his older BMW under a tarp.

#1 THIS IS IMPORTANT: Start by admiring his car. "I noticed that you have a great-looking car under that tarp. Are you into old BMWs? I love old BMWs. Such great cars....blah blah blah." just laud the praise on him for having such a cool car.

#2 Play a little dumb on the details of the car. Don't go on about the rarity of a 318is or the LSD or anything. Believe it or not, there are still E30 owners out there that bought is cars and don't particularly care or know about rarity, performance or current market value. Some people hear enthusiasm and think that it's an invitation to jack a price up. As far as he needs to know, you just like older BMWs (not necessarily his, specifically).

#3 DO NOT start with, "I want to buy your car." Just admire it and make the conversation more about meeting your new neighbor and possibly sharing BMW repair advice, parts, etc. You're just meeting another enthusiast. At some point toward the end of the conversation, say something like, "If you ever want to sell it, let me know." This will show that you are interested, the car will go to a good home, and that you're not in a hurry to buy. Some potential sellers are looking to cash in on what they think is gold ("$13.5K for my rare 200K mile E30, yo!") and others are just BMW owners that are looking to sell their old car. In the last year, a local guy sold his E28 535is for $500. He had no idea what it was worth; he just bought a new 5-series and wanted to get rid of his old car.

#4 Don't forget that he will be your neighbor for a while. If you screw things up or get annoying, you still have to live by him. Be cool and, if he doesn't want to sell, be cool with walking away.

[mattio523]

I've knocked on doors as well as left notes in mailboxes and under windshield wipers.

[blunttech]

you likely already have an e30 or you wouldnt be on this board asking questions. So why go through all the uncomfortableness of meeting new people, awkward silences etc etc. I would just go over at night, Take all the good parts and leave the barren carcass in his driveway

[Lake]

Step 1. write " can i have your car " on a piece of paper
step 2. get the biggest knife you have and stick it in his door
step 3. when he comes out to look at the note just smile and wave.

[Herr Faust Schinken]

uh wat

[goldfishe666]

I left a note on a e30 I found sitting on the side of someones house undriven for a few weeks. She texted me back a few days later and I got it for a good deal

[lenoelon]

Just stop by on the premise that youre new in the neighborhood, and you want their car. Direct ftw.

[xolomom]

I like the idea of midnight auto parts...

[Bimmer_man]

you likely already have an e30 or you wouldnt be on this board asking questions. So why go through all the uncomfortableness of meeting new people, awkward silences etc etc. I would just go over at night, Take all the good parts and leave the barren carcass in his driveway

Win