Re: Advice on 1984 325e

[alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Rick Birkenstock <rbirkenstock@domain.elided> wrote:
> A friend is looking to sell me his 1984 325e with about
> 140,000 miles on it for $2,000.

Rick,
At the first glance this seams to be a really good deal. The engine and
drive train are very fresh (100K is when BMWs are finally broken in! ;-)
but there are a few things that should be considered:
1. The engine is a low rev low horsepower 'eta'. It is very economical, but
runs out of revs really quick (~5K red line and 10+ seconds 0-60). That's
OK for a grocery getter or a wife's car, but is otherwise on the sluggish
side of E30s (M42/44 318's are quicker).
2. 18 year old car with 140K miles implies very little use extended periods
of time. Add all rubber components (fuel lines, bushings, belts -
especially the timing belt) to the "replace real soon" list.
3. $2K would still be a great deal provided the exterior and interior are
in great shape.

> He's very open and honest about the problems it has...the
> biggest of which seems to be it's diet for a quart of oil
> every week or two.

That's a big fat red flag.
BMW's spec is 1 liter of oil every 600-1000 miles (I think it's the latter
for the E30s).
So unless your friend drives 1K miles every week or two (unlikely based on
the car's milage) or there are signs of a major oil leak, you are looking
at an engine rebuild or dropping in a new engine.
Unless the body is in a superb shape and the purchase price includes the
cost of a new used engine, I would walk away.

> There are plenty of other tiny issues
> - everything from a missing glovebox door, to fussy driver's
> seat belt to a sluggish power window - but otherwise, the
> car seems reasonably tight and strong. About one year ago,
> the owner had a slew of "preventative maintenance" done to
> the car - replacing belts, new tires on the front (treads
> don't match rear however), etc.

As someone has already pointed out, check to make sure that the timing belt
has been replaced within the last 50-60K miles or 4 years (whichever is
first).
The 'preventative maintenance' was probably rather shallow if the owner was
cheap enough to replace only two tires.
Get the car's maintenance history and give to the reputable independent
wrench who will be performing a pre-buy inspection.

> So, my request is this. Steer clear of this car or negotiate?
> Opinions please.

Unless money is a major obstacle, I would suggest shopping for an 'i' E30.
A relatively fresh one (sub 200K) can be found for under $4K. Given proper
maintenance, it will serve you faithfully well past 300+K miles withOUT any
major issues!

> ps  The car is not intended for serious daily commuting,
> just to be a "grocery getter" and runabout town kind of car.

'eta's are good grocery getters and commuter cars, but fun weekend toys
they are not.

Hope this helps,

alex f

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