So I went to look at this '92 vert yesterday, and I'm on the fence about buying it. Maybe some of you late model convertible owners out there can add 2 cents.
If I'm unable to see the top operate, but the seller has the replacement motor, should that be a deal-breaker? The top fits a bit weird as well, and I have no idea if that should scare me off or if it's an easy adjustment.
The car hasn't been driven much since the seller bought it, and it's been stored in the garage for quite a while. Tough to tell if the top leaks in the rain, since it never gets wet. There were no tears in the top though. If the top did leak at one point, where are the best places to check for rust? The underside of floors looked solid.
The GOOD:
- It's a 1992 with plastic bumpers, and it's not white. This is definitely the look I'm shopping for.
- Tires - All 4 are new
- Wheels - All 4 have center caps & very few scuffs
- 100% complete tool kit
- Only 113k Miles
- Crack-free dash
- Restorable seats - no rips or split seams
- All body panels have matching VIN #'s
- No warning lights on the dash. I confirmed they had bulbs installed when I turned the key to the ON position.
- Odo & Speedo both work!
- Working central locking system
- 95% Rust-free - just one bad spot, noted below
The BAD:
- Dented driver lower rear quarter panel, which is also pretty rusty from a missing antenna grommet
- Top is dirty & doesn't fit quite right at the trunk lid. It sits about 1" away from the body.
- Missing front lower air dam spoiler
- Oil pan & auto trans pan are oily, but I think it's old oil from a previous leak. The driveway & garage had no drips
- trunk lid doesn't fit perfect. Body gap between trunk lid & left fender is wider than trunk-to-right fender gap.
- Driver door paint has some short, deep scratches with shitty touch-up paint job
- Aftermarket cone intake filter (OK so this isn't SO bad)
- Missing front fender-to-hood body seals on both sides (just seemed odd)
- Needs all fluids changed (dirty coolant & brake fluid from what I could see & the seller couldn't tell me anything about the service history)
While the seller does have a clear title in hand, the car isn't registered (has no tags). That said, I was unable to test drive the car on the open road, only around the seller's neighborhood at about 20 mph. I didn't detect any issues during this little drive. Not being able to hit the highway is a bit worrisome, because I wasn't able to check for things like:
- Fitment of the top and wind noise
- Differential noise
- Driveshaft & center bearing noises
- wheel bearing noises
- braking issues like warped rotors (the rear rotors are brand new, though)
- Auto trans shifts under hard acceleration load
I'm pretty handy with E30 engine & interior stuff, but not body work. Are 95% rust-free plastic bumper verts tough to find in the northeast? What's a fair price to offer, given all the unknowns? I will just walk if the convertible top issue seems like a really big problem to avoid.
I wasn't originally in the market for an auto, but it seems that the nature of drop top driving is more relaxed. I have my 325is to drive if I want to do some shifting.
Thanks for reading all this! Would you buy?
If I'm unable to see the top operate, but the seller has the replacement motor, should that be a deal-breaker? The top fits a bit weird as well, and I have no idea if that should scare me off or if it's an easy adjustment.
The car hasn't been driven much since the seller bought it, and it's been stored in the garage for quite a while. Tough to tell if the top leaks in the rain, since it never gets wet. There were no tears in the top though. If the top did leak at one point, where are the best places to check for rust? The underside of floors looked solid.
The GOOD:
- It's a 1992 with plastic bumpers, and it's not white. This is definitely the look I'm shopping for.
- Tires - All 4 are new
- Wheels - All 4 have center caps & very few scuffs
- 100% complete tool kit
- Only 113k Miles
- Crack-free dash
- Restorable seats - no rips or split seams
- All body panels have matching VIN #'s
- No warning lights on the dash. I confirmed they had bulbs installed when I turned the key to the ON position.
- Odo & Speedo both work!
- Working central locking system
- 95% Rust-free - just one bad spot, noted below
The BAD:
- Dented driver lower rear quarter panel, which is also pretty rusty from a missing antenna grommet
- Top is dirty & doesn't fit quite right at the trunk lid. It sits about 1" away from the body.
- Missing front lower air dam spoiler
- Oil pan & auto trans pan are oily, but I think it's old oil from a previous leak. The driveway & garage had no drips
- trunk lid doesn't fit perfect. Body gap between trunk lid & left fender is wider than trunk-to-right fender gap.
- Driver door paint has some short, deep scratches with shitty touch-up paint job
- Aftermarket cone intake filter (OK so this isn't SO bad)
- Missing front fender-to-hood body seals on both sides (just seemed odd)
- Needs all fluids changed (dirty coolant & brake fluid from what I could see & the seller couldn't tell me anything about the service history)
While the seller does have a clear title in hand, the car isn't registered (has no tags). That said, I was unable to test drive the car on the open road, only around the seller's neighborhood at about 20 mph. I didn't detect any issues during this little drive. Not being able to hit the highway is a bit worrisome, because I wasn't able to check for things like:
- Fitment of the top and wind noise
- Differential noise
- Driveshaft & center bearing noises
- wheel bearing noises
- braking issues like warped rotors (the rear rotors are brand new, though)
- Auto trans shifts under hard acceleration load
I'm pretty handy with E30 engine & interior stuff, but not body work. Are 95% rust-free plastic bumper verts tough to find in the northeast? What's a fair price to offer, given all the unknowns? I will just walk if the convertible top issue seems like a really big problem to avoid.
I wasn't originally in the market for an auto, but it seems that the nature of drop top driving is more relaxed. I have my 325is to drive if I want to do some shifting.
Thanks for reading all this! Would you buy?
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