If I have to sell my E30, what's it worth?

[MazterDizazter]

Hey guys,

I bought a '91 318is in November with the plan of restoring it to clean daily driver status until my 2013 Subaru BRZ came in. Well, the BRZ is here and I'm moving soon, so I can't keep 3 cars at the moment, as much as I'd like to!

Here's the info:

1991 BMW 318is
Alpine White II
193k miles
sunroof
99% rust free
Numbers-matching drivetrain, body panels and glass

Parts replaced/added since November:
-Upper and lower timing chain gasket
-Lower oil pan gasket
-Reman. power steering rack and inner/outer tie rods
-Front wheel bearings
-Battery
-Bosch alternator
-BavAuto lowering springs
-Bilstein Sport shocks/struts
-Upper shock mounts
-Front control arms
-Front and rear sway bar endlinks and bushings
-Front and rear brake rotors and pads (Brembo OE, Pagid Red)
-Intake manifold and plenum gasket, "Mess Under the Intake" cleaned up
-TB heater plate delete
-Clutched fan replaced with electric fan
-Water pump, thermostat, and coolant flush
-Fuel filter
-Fuel pressure regulator
-Air filter
-Spark plugs
-Turner Motorsport 93 octane chip
-New OEM BMW keys
-New foam hood insulation
-Motorsport front spoiler
-Fog lamp covers
-Roundel emblems
-License plate filler panel
-UUC heavyweight shift knob
-UUC clutch pedal stopper
-MOMO Monte Carlo 350 special edition steering wheel

Right now it is also having an issue holding an idle at initial start-up. Once it warms up it's fine, but I don't have time to diagnose this issue. The rear wheel bearings and parking brake need replacing. I have the bearings, new rear dust shields, and all the parking brake components. I also have a new driveshaft giubo and center bearing, rear trailing arm bushings, diff and trans output shaft seals, and UUC shifter/clutch pedal bushings which I will include with the car. I also have a spare crack-free dash and KMAC camber plates which I will include at the right price. All of the stock parts that I have will be included.


The car was been re-painted the factory color with clear coat this past December. It looks great from 5 feet away, but you will see some imperfections in the paint up close; this was not a $5,000job. I'm a perfectionist so these do bother me, but really you don't notice them from 5ft away. There are still a few dings that we missed. The exhaust has been replaced with a 2.5" custom exhaust using Magnaflow high flow cat, Magnaflow resonator and muffler that's pretty loud, might be OK depending on your taste. There are a few cracks in the dash. The interior is very clean otherwise with only minor wear on the driver's side seat bolster.

I have the factory wheels with new Falken Ziex ZE-512 summers, steel wheels with BMW hubcaps, and four non-BMW 14" basketweaves with nearly-new Hankook snow tires. The car was just aligned a few months ago.

I have a clean Mass. title and registration.





Well, that's what I got. I would think it's one of the better 318is's out there; it took me a long-ass time to find one that wasn't totally clapped-out!

Am I insane to start the asking price at $5k and go down from there? ?

[bmw325csi]

3500-4300 imo

[Trptguy]

in this economy $4000 tops. Best to sell it to an enthusiast

[bmw325csi]

BTW always start high to give your self wiggle room and make the buyer feel like he got a deal.

Learned that shit from Richard @ GMG

[ScHpAnKy]

ugh, that's like my dream car right there. I bought my first 318is in similar shape for $2500 back in the heezy, start at $5K I'd say and probably take $3500?

[M-technik-3]

Why is the rear suspension so jacked up? Sits on the ground very odd.

[Trptguy]

damn wish i could buy this! I passed the info along to some friends.

[travish325]

Ask 9000 for it, thats what all the cool kids are doing.

[MazterDizazter]

Why is the rear suspension so jacked up? Sits on the ground very odd.

Only thing I can think of is that I had the spare tire and seats out of the car when I took the photo. I was cleaning everything. Suspension appears 100% stock. I'm getting BavAuto springs for uber-cheap next week, so that'll get rid of the monster truck status a little.

damn wish i could buy this! I passed the info along to some friends.

Thank you! I really, really hope I don't have to sell it (I've wanted one for so long and I've only driven the damn thing twice so far. Once from Maine to NH to get painted, and once from the body shop to my house. It's been getting wrenched on constantly ever since) but I will if need be. The part that sucks is that I'd definitely lose money, on something I never really drove.

Ask 9000 for it, thats what all the cool kids are doing.

Haha, perfect! Then it'll never sell! Like when I went looking for Datsun 280ZX Turbos - they were either MINT and the owners wanted $10k or they were absolutely thrashed... and the owners still wanted $10k.

So I'm thinking put it up at $5200, just 'cause it's clean and rare enough to start there. Haggle back and forth to $4-4500. New owner gets a great value even if it's above market. Damn, where else can you get a car like that for $5k or less?

[SlapDash]

Hmmm... I'd say donate it to Slapdash Racing. We'll need a back-up car sooner or later...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69045070@N07/

[doucy2]

$4500 is prob the top end in my opinion..

[MazterDizazter]

To all the people blowing up my PM box - I said "if", IF I sell it! LOL, I appreciate all the inquiries, but I'll definitely be sure to post a "FS" thread if it goes up for sale. I haven't even gotten to drive it yet! At least let me do that :)

[MazterDizazter]

Hmmm... I'd say donate it to Slapdash Racing. We'll need a back-up car sooner or later...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69045070@N07/

Or I could turn it into a rally car! Brilliant!

It's so tempting... the car is just begging for a set of Cibié lights, some mudflaps, a skid plate and a catchy livery!

[SlapDash]

Yes!

Drop what you're doing and go directly into the garage and start building your rally car.

You owe it to yourself, really.

Whatever you do, good luck with the sale and have fun with that BRZ!

[I8UR911]

Worth between $3,500-$4,000 IMO. Just bought a very similar car; 91 318is slicktop with 190k on chassis and 137k-fish on drive train. Paint was good, interior redone and just needed the standard e30 TLC. Paid $3,200. Ask $4k and take $3,500 regardless of what you've invested because you don't get your money back on any of the stuff.

Just my .02

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2