My darling daughter stumbled on a 1977? 78? BMW 320i for sale cheap the other day. I don't know doodly about BMW's and wonder if anyone has any experience with them and things I should look for? So far, I have ascertained that the car has the 2.0L 4 cylinder, Bosch K-Jet injection, 4 speed manual gearbox. I forgot to ask about sunroof(power?) and windows(power?). Tomato red with beige cloth, indicated 88xxx miles.
hi davestlouis
All I can tell you is that the rear suspension of the E21 was updated in the E30 to make it more stable in the wet. As long as you can get parts at a decent price, the old 3 series are cheap and reliable cars. In France, in the select club of cars "still on the road" that are more than 25 years old, old bimmers stand out.
Denis
Paris, France
I've owned a few of them and the biggest thing on them was rusting floorpans.The M10 is a pretty good engine,not terribly fast but peppy at lower speeds.One thing ask the owner is when the last valve adjustment was done.If it sounds like a sewing machine on the camcover ,it hasn't been done or the chain tensioner is shot.
If you want a better BMW of that size I second Denis's E30 recommendation like a 325e or 325i but not the 318i (1983-1985) because it has rear drum brakes just like the E21 (another thing I forgot to mention).
Dave,
I haven't had any experience with BMWs, but I can add that they are more "in" with the younger "in" crowd than MBz, and usually sell for more $$$ on ebay.
If you are able to, it is ALWAYS a good idea to take a car you're seriously considering to a mechanic for inspection. AAA offers a very thorough inspection for under a $100 for members, and they're also good to have on hand if you ever break down (always possible in an older car!).
Mike
AAA is good advice for civilians, but let's not forget a couple of things: 1, it's cheap, asking price $600, 2. I work at a dealership that sells new BMW's, so even if it's a POS, I get parts at cost + 10% and pay a labor rate that is discounted 70% ( normal rate just went up to $124.95/hr, I pay $30)...I'm willing to roll the dice on anything under $1000, just don't want to fall for anything really obvious. I expect there to be problems with the cheap stuff I buy, finding it and fixing it is half the fun for me...I'm doing more and more of the work myself though, because I keep finding that the dealer technicians really don't know much about older cars...even in our MB service dept, there are only 2 guys who know W126's...I know a guy who took his W111 Ponton over there to have the carbs adjusted...said they gave him a blank stare, like they had never seen one before. But, anyway, I digress. I'll let you know if I take the plunge...
I own an 89 318i (M40 engine) in the UK. Manual everything (including steering) but an amazing little car that goes well, stops well and handles well. It was pretty decent on gas and appeared to me as a peppier car then the 320i's of the era. I'm not sure if its as a result of shorter gearing but it was always quicker of the mark then the 320i's belonging to friends of mine. I would recommend that car to anyone.
Quote from: Nutz on 27 May 2006, 12:53 PM
If you want a better BMW of that size I second Denis's E30 recommendation like a 325e or 325i but not the 318i (1983-1985) because it has rear drum brakes just like the E21 (another thing I forgot to mention).
Hey Al,
Get a S14 engine or a M50 dropped in that E30 ;) I miss my 89 M3 tremendously that I used to own and still kick myself for selling it years back :'(
I have an E24 85 635CSi with 5 speed manual to keep me pacified for now but I keep it in Hawaii so I have a vehicle to drive when I'm there.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c328/nutz4benz/635a.jpg)
Little dent in the front corner to fix but otherwise excellent condition throughout.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c328/nutz4benz/635c.jpg)
I do love the 6 series. It's one of the 100 or so cars that are in my top 10.
6 series cars are gorgeous, but they all seem to be rusty around here, and I hate to think what it would cost to reupholster the back seat...the seams tend to fall apart in this climate.
Rusty like every other German car made in the 70's :D Never under estemate how a Mercedes Benz W114 can rust.
Hey Al,
Check out what my buddy in Maui picked up for me the other day for next to nothing. 1988 325is with manual trans and runs somewhat decent but cosmetically challenged. Can't wait to get down there but for now I'll stock up on some aftermarket goodies from Bav and BMP ;D
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j27/nuts4benz/new-bmw.jpg)
Make it something like this 8)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j27/nuts4benz/turbo-E30-2.jpg)
Thats a fantastic little car. If I can make space for it, i would really like a 1991 E30 325I convertible with the small bumpers and the face lift in black with black leather.
You should be able to get them for a drink now.
Well, I didn't get that car, but I did get a 1981 320i on ebay for $250...this one is red too, with tan vinyl interior and rusty rear floor pans. The rest of the car looks OK. It's getting delivered later this week, and I'll give a full report then. My 17 year old daughter is eager to get her mitts on this car, we agreed to let her start driving again, but if she has one more wreck, she's done driving until she is out of school and on her own. I wonder what kind of fuel economy to expect...surely better than the V8-powered Mercedes I have been driving.
Hi Alabassi
QuoteThats a fantastic little car. If I can make space for it, i would really like a 1991 E30 325I convertible with the small bumpers and the face lift in black with black leather.
Wow, did you know that such a car is the generic "drug dealer" car in Paris ?
In fact a 1991 would be an "aspiring gang leader" car.
;D
Denis
Paris, France
I don't think that a "pharmaceutical rep" around here would be caught dead in a 3-series...their taste runs to Cadillac Escalades with 22 inch wheels.
Well, the 320i was rusty enough in the rear strut towers that I stripped everything I thought I could ever want off an E21, and called a company that hauls off derelict cars for free. As a consolation prize I bought a 1984 BMW 528e (E28), balticblau metallic, blue vinyl, 5 speed, 178xxx miles, every record since the car was new, including the window sticker. I was struck by how cheap this car was new, MSRP was $25500, while the MSRP on my 86 420SEL was roughly $55xxx. Having said that, it doesn't have the bank-vault solidity that a W116 or W126 has.
Congratulations on your E28 purchase 8)
Couple of to do's I would suggest;
1. Remove the cover that is on the backside of the timing belt cover and inspect the timing belt for wear.
2. If you're not sure when the last valve lash adjustment was,go ahead and adjust.Very easy job especially since you have a manual transmission (put the shifter in 4th gear and push the car forward and backwards to spin engine)
That being the first year for Motronic,you will find it tempermental on occasion.Things that go out are the airflow meters and temperature sensors causing all kinds of driveability problems.
The 5 series are surprisingly tough, little cars but are rust magnets most of the time.Can't say I'm surprised to hear that there was rust on those rear shock towers on that e21,quite common :-\
Thanks Nutz...I brought it home tonight and will play with it over the weekend.
I was picking through the receipts, the timing belt was done 21xxx miles ago, the most recent valve adjustment was 10xxx miles ago. The car was sold new at Saddleback BMW in Mission Viejo CA, the only option was an on-board computer for $595. The MSRP was $25520.00. The paint on the roof and decklid look bad, the hood has been painted at some point, I assume there was some sort of collision damage in the past. The only rust I can find is just a dot of it along the weld between the quarter panels and rear lower valance under the rear bumper, on both sides.
Quote from: davestlouis on 04 July 2006, 08:33 AM...their taste runs to Cadillac Escalades with 22 inch wheels.
That is "taste"? I did an image search for Cadillac Escalade, and found some of the ugliest yank tanks since the Edsel! I thought Cadillac was supposed to be a luxury car? That Escalade is nothing but a grossly overdecorated mini-truck. Send the stylist to the guillotine immediately!
As for little black-on-black Bavarian Money Wasters' being the vehicles of choice for Parisian drug dealers ... Well, at least
they show some style, class, taste. 8)
The 2007 'Slade starts at $59500, goes to nearly $80,000. They are flying off dealer lots as fast as they come in. GM got in the bling-bling business too, with standard 20 inch wheels from the factory on some, multiple TV's and DVD systems, seats in the front and middle row that blow cold or warm air up your behind. My issue with them is that they are basically a Chevy Suburban in a tuxedo, and the cost difference is staggering: a base Suburban with cloth seats can probably be had for $35000. The 14 MPG fuel economy doesn't seem to scare anyone off either. A long wheelbase one with 20 inch wheels must weigh 6000 LB's and has to be close to 20 feet long. They are great on the highway but a bear to drive in town, and good luck getting in or out of a tight parking space.
I also work with a guy whose daily driver is a Dodge Ram 3500 dual cab long bed dually truck, 5.9 L Cummins Turbo diesel, 4WD, weighs 9800 LB's. This tank must be the most impractical commuter car for a single guy I have ever seen in my life. Let's not lose sight of the fact that in the US we are accustomed to large vehicles, the gaudier the better. People bitch about $3/gallon gas, but they keep buying huge SUV's and trucks...
Quote from: davestlouis on 12 July 2006, 10:13 PM... but they keep buying huge SUV's and trucks...
But what are they compensating for? ;)
The dealership where I work also sells Porsches...those guys are the ones who are compensating for something...
Quote from: davestlouis on 13 July 2006, 06:12 PM
The dealership where I work also sells Porsches...those guys are the ones who are compensating for something...
I used to own a 928 so that model
must be the exception to that belief ;) ;D
Must be about time for that old one about the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? ::)
When I see a PCA sticker in the window I just cringe...these guys have been known to count the number of welds on the underside of a replaced frame rail to be sure the number is the same as that on the factory part on the opposite side. I also had one who did almost $50,000 damage to the car, and came to visit it twice a week while we put a whole front tub on it. You should have seen the look on his face when he came in and the interior was gutted...priceless.
Pete Rose, the Cincinnati Reds baseball player, was a neighbor of mine in the mid 70's. He drove the first Porsche 930 I had ever seen, brown with that wild brown and white checked cloth interior. That was neat, but then the guy across the street from him bought a 1978? 928, champagne with brown leather. I used to mow that guy's lawn, and the instrument cluster that moved with the tilt wheel blew me away. I was a car-crazy kid and couldn't keep my eyes off that 928. Older 928's are super cheap now, rough ones selling for less than $1000, but even the dealer is afriad of them...chasing electrical gremlins is not for the faint of heart.
I added to the fleet today...I had gotten a wild hair and looked at several late-80's SAAB's...couldn't find one that was in good shape, in a color combination I could live with, so I was perusing the newspaper. There was a 1988 BMW 735iL sedan for $2000...ice blue, blue leather, rear sunshade, 135xxx miles, garaged most of its life, got booted to a spot under a tree 6 months ago, so it's covered with leaf debris and tree sap, but it should clean up nicely. There is a front suspension issue, it has a nasty shimmy over 55 MPH, so I threw a $1250 offer, which was accepted. I even told my wife about it, which led to a trip to the aquatic pet store, where she bought $100 worth of fish for her new aquarium. Anyway, I'll pick up Monday evening and start playing with it...