Buying my 1st e30, 1991 318is 245k miles, too many miles?

[werke-t]

Hey guys, been a long time lurker here. I own a 335is coupe looking for a fun daily driver to keep miles off my e92.

Im looking at a MINT alpine/beige 1991 318is coupe, its everything im looking for. Only downside is it has 245,000 miles. (odo still works)

I know the m42 is known for going over 300k but should I be worried about headgasket or engine issues around this mileage? He has kept up with preventative maintenance such as belts, water pump, hoses, and suspension bushings.

He claims everything is fully operation on the car, no issues at all. It has fresh paint, only small issues is a/c need rechange and driver seat has a rip, $6000 seems fair price given all the info?

I really appreciate any help/info guys. My other option is a nice sedan, but its a 318i (prefer is model of course) and has cloth seats and more issues, but only 120k miles.

Cheers hopefully I will be posting photos this weekend.

[Car Addict]

As an owner of a 91 318is which currently sits at 217,xxx miles purchased 11 years ago with 146,000 miles, if it has been maintained you shouldn't have too many issues. Hopefully you are at least slightly mechanically inclined because things do break on these cars, they are not getting any younger. If you are not prepare yourself for some truely shocking price quotes, when a classic rolls into a shop especially one that appears to have been well maintained Prices for everything start gaining zeros very quickly.

[2mAn]

I dont see an issue, but this would probably be worth a PPI to give you peace of mind before forking over the cash. I also think the price is on the higher side, maybe closer to 5000 but if its mint...

[DIIRTY-30]

Is the 318is a slicktop or does it have a sunroof?

6k is a lot of money; and mint + 245k miles doesn't really mix in my book. Records are always a good thing..

Is the 318i an 84/85 or is it a late model? That makes a big difference between having an m10 or a m42 under the hood...

[Benjamin_Button]

Wow e30 pricing went to hell. I hope more stance/drift idiots continue to crash.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[Joe G]

Call me crazy, but $6,000 for a 245,000 mile, 24 year old car seems high even if it is "mint".

I bought a VERY clean, 3 owner, 1984 Porsche 944 with ~52K miles on it for $5,400 last summer....I know it's not the same thing, but great deals are out there, you just need to be patient.

I would keep looking. That is a lot of money for an old high mileage car.

[Stanley Rockafella]

245k miles is almost 400km!

unless it's had body work and engine work, I'd have a hard time paying that kinda cash!

[werke-t]

Is the 318is a slicktop or does it have a sunroof?

6k is a lot of money; and mint + 245k miles doesn't really mix in my book. Records are always a good thing..

Is the 318i an 84/85 or is it a late model? That makes a big difference between having an m10 or a m42 under the hood...

The other one I was looking at is a 1991 318i sedan,

here the info: 1991 BMW 318i E30

Clean title
113,875 miles

1-owner

M42 4-Cylinder Engine
5-speed Manual Transmission

All matching VIN on all body panels

A ton of maintenance records dated back to day 1

Recent preventative maintenance:
Oil Filter
Thermostat
Thermostat housing & gasket
Fresh BMW Antifreeze
Radiator Hoses
Fan clutch
Water pump & gasket
Fuel filter
Air filter
Mobil-1 Synthetic oil
Timing chain tensioner
Front control arms & bushings
Hood shock
Dash cover

The bad: Radio doesn turn on
rear driver door doesnt open
cracked driver tail light
cracked rear bumper trim
rear windows do not go down
need alignment (steering wheel is slight off center)
sunroof doesnt work either.

(given the amount of "bad" it kinda turned me off), but not im reconsidering it given its history and mileage.

To everyone else I really appreciate all the feedback. There are actually quite a few in my area but I just gotta sniff out the good ones.

[ajhostetter]

That sedan looks like a better deal. With 245k on the odo EVERYTHING better be perfect on that car, including the A/C.

I didn't see a price on that sedan, but it might be worth the price even with the needs.

[getouth]

Maintenance over mileage! I have 268k on my 318is and will confidently drive it anywhere, if it drives and looks the way you like , It's a personal decision to pay 6k or not. Satisfaction doesn't have a price in my book. Buy it if you want it!! This mileage thing is just an angle to get people to lower their price. It's a BMW not a pinto!

[werke-t]

oh sorry forgot to post that its $5k, but most likely will take $4500. Only big downside is the cloth interior,

Again thanks EVERYONE for your feedback, and AJ thanks for chiming in, good to hear from some 200+k mile owners. I asked the owner to consider a PPI, waiting to hear back.

Maintenance over mileage! I have 268k on my 318is and will confidently drive it anywhere, if it drives and looks the way you like , It's a personal decision to pay 6k or not. Satisfaction doesn't have a price in my book. Buy it if you want it!! This mileage thing is just an angle to get people to lower their price. It's a BMW not a pinto!

That sedan looks like a better deal. With 245k on the odo EVERYTHING better be perfect on that car, including the A/C.

I didn't see a price on that sedan, but it might be worth the price even with the needs.

[ST1G]

That sedan looks like a better deal. With 245k on the odo EVERYTHING better be perfect on that car, including the A/C.

I didn't see a price on that sedan, but it might be worth the price even with the needs.

Agreed.

[varg]

That's way too much money for the 318is. So many things that could be worn out. The maintenance has been "kept up with" but for $6,000 most of the wear parts should be new. Fresh repaint isn't always a good thing because you can't always tell if it's a crap job that's going to be peeling up in a couple of years, and most of the time that is the case with a car that has been painted right before selling. Also, the AC doesn't even work? That's a huge chunk out of the price right there. The 318i is priced way too high too IMO. $5,000 for a car with that many problems, and it isn't even a desirable model? Sounds like the owners of these cars have been hitting the pipe.

Check those rear suspension bushings, they're an expensive job if you don't DIY and a pain in the ass if you do, so they're a price dropper.

[estoguy]

245k miles is almost 400km!

unless it's had body work and engine work, I'd have a hard time paying that kinda cash!

Agree with Stan.

That sedan is a better bet, but with the problems, it's over priced. Haggle it down - even if you DIY, you might few a few hundred into fixing those issues and the price should reflect that.

Get it inspected before you do anything.

[ButtJuice]

Just wait for a better 1991 318is to pop up. $6k is absurd for that mileage.