should i keep it or not?

[mikejungle]

i recently bought a 325e which has lots of little problems and i'm wondering if i should pay to fix them and drive it, or if i should just fix basic things and sell it.
i bought it for $1,000 and it's got the following problems:
1) starter grinds when starting.
2) u-joint needs to be replaced. it vibrates when gassed.
3) headlights and tailights aren't connected properly. they don't work right now.
4) it's got over 200,000 miles on it.
5) tranny and clutch both seem like they're at the end of their life.

i think that's about it for major problems.
you guys think it's worth it to fix these and make it a daily beater, or should i just fix basic things myself and sell it?

thanks

[MikeE30325i]

How good are you with tools?

[ivo316]

1) starter grinds when starting. Easy fix.
2) u-joint needs to be replaced. it vibrates when gassed. Not that easy but it'll not kill you.
3) headlights and tailights aren't connected properly. they don't work right now. - open the trunk and fix 'em - easy
4) it's got over 200,000 miles on it. BMW's are known to go well beyond that.
5) tranny and clutch both seem like they're at the end of their life. mmmm... that one is not easy, but why do you think that ?.

Look, change the oil in the engine and tranny (maybe it doesn't have any), while you are at it add fluid to the differential. If they still don't feel right start thinking. ;)

Also, do you like the car ? if you do, then it's worth keeping, if you don't, sell it and get something you like. ;)

[mikejungle]

i love the car itself, but like any relationship worth having, there are times when i get depressed.

1) how is the starter grinding an easy fix? i thought the grinding meant that it was getting old and it'd be time to replace. people say it's a bitch to replace the starter in this car.
2) directions?
3) what's the problem with the headlights? when i turn on the hi-beams, all 4 lights light up, but not when i turn on only the headlights. and the taillights aren't even connected. i took out the cluster to look at them and there's no connector for the bulb. Is it a burnt filament?
4)well, the odometer has stopped at 213,000. meaning there might be more than that in actuality...
5) well, the friction point is very far back in the clutch. hasn't slipped yet though. and the car just vibrates at weird points at high speeds.

i'm good with tools and fixing shit...i'm pretty handy at everything i've tried. only problem is i don't know too much about cars yet.

cool.

[rede30]

buy a late model 325i and keep this car for parts. Hey you could use it as a donor car for 5spd parts on a lagoon green automatic. If the body is in great shape dont part it, i was just trying to plug the car i am selling.

[mikejungle]

yeah, a 325i would be cool.
but the body is in surprisingly good shape for an 85.
the rear right fender panel seems like it was replaced or something. the rest of the body is great, but that panel is a splotchy, faded black.

it also came with a BBS valance that's cool, but due to the fact that the car was lowered and not driven carefully over bumps, there are cracks in it.

[Jscotty]

If you fix the basic stuff, you won't even get half of your investment back. I am sure if you knew all of that was wrong with the car you probably would not have bought it in the first place. But now thats water under the bridge, I suggest you bite the bullet and get what you need done.

One thing that I can attest to the ownership of my E30 is that every dollar spent on this car is never wasted. Every time I get something fixed I am making it a better car vs. other cars that become a money pit. Invest $5000 in this car and you will probably have something nice in lieu of selling it and spending $5000 on some 5-6 year old piece of crap with some of the same problems. Doing every one of those repairs, regardless of the cost will be well worth the investment.

[Tom@POLIZEI]

Keep it.

-From the 240,000mi E36 owner...knock on wood...