Contemplating a $1600 E34... with no service history

Hello, I've been on the fence with many cars in the last few months. I have a miata, a Triumph Spitfire, and the wifey has a reliable Jeep Patriot that gets used daily. I need a back-up four seater to haul the two little boys around, but I'd like some style and a good fun factor. I'm not finding any late model Volvo 960 wagons nearby, which I would love, but I found this:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4415709096.html

The owner has no idea of recent service, no service records, and for the most part he probably just wants to sell it and is tired of guys asking questions. He also just stated that he's sending to an auction on Friday. So I know BMW's lacking records is a bad thing, but... should I run away? I've never had a BMW, and a part of me says to get a Lincoln Town Car and be done with it as far as reliability is concerned, but dammit... something tells me I need to own an E36 or E34. Talk some sense into a somewhat strapped car enthusiast looking for a deal.

Thanks, Hamid

I'm scared of that car for a number of reasons. But I also wouldn't run away--for one, you can probably negotiate the price down farther. If you can get into it for $1,200... Well, that would be pretty nice. Secondly, go and see, does it really run like a champ? If it does, I'd probably be pretty interested in it. It has made it to 200,000 miles. It probably has had some maintenance done along the way, even if you don't know what/when it was.

I guess it should be noted that I love these cars. I just talked with my uncle this weekend and told him to let me know if he ever sells his 95 525i (that used to be my dads).

The M30 is a pretty damn stout engine, I've seen them do 500k+, and lacks most of the cheap cooling system woes that the later engines suffered from. E34 front suspension is a PITA to rebuild; at that mileage it may be begging for it if it hasn't been done. Really, though, the lack of rust on that car makes it worthwhile. If the timing chain doesn't rattle (not common on the M30 but it can happen if really neglected) and it runs, drives and shifts well, it is worth his asking price. Older BMWs are much less finicky than the new ones, these are not like E46 M3s where you have to worry about main bearings and crap like that.

Thanks for the response. He did state that there are no check engine lights, which is positive. Good point on the mileage! He might just be trying to flip it or something. I'm ok with putting about $1k into it to get it reliable again (as long as it's not a clutch job or something) as my budget is under $3k. It's tempting!

-Hamid

If you're willing to put the work in, go for it. Probably will need cooling system stuff, bushings, hoses, AC work and lots of oil leaks addressed. Or not, if you just want to ride it into the sunset.

Solid, simple cars. It's the Honda Accord of BMWs, but it is well-used and under $2k.

That is my one issue with this. I'm willing to do some work to get it solid, but I don't want to be over my head in replacing a bunch of stuff. My Triumph is taking most of my mechanical work right now, but it's more of a fun little project. Both of my boys are under the age of 5, so repairs are usually done late at night due to the shortage of time. I'd love one of these though, and I've been battling with making a good purchase for nearly 5 months but not jumping on anything. Kind of tired of looking!

-Hamid

Conventional wisdom is 'buy the nicest one you can afford.' I'm of two minds on old BMWs. Either aim high, or buy one like this and just drive it until it dies. It depends on what you want to use it for.

Gotcha. Well, I like to hang on to things and make them nice. Seeing the potential in things is what I dig the most, but this is also a weakness of mine, hence the thoughts of a Town Car. I guess if it isn't what I expected after purchasing it, I wouldn't lose too much $$ out of it, and could sell it for equal or less. I looked at a Volvo 960 wagon for $700 the other day hoping the same thing, but damn that thing was trashed....

Thank you for your insight.

-Hamid

E34 + M30 + 5spd . . . Yes please!!

Everything has been covered in previous posts.

These cars a pretty DIY friendly and fairly easy to on. If you can get that for closer to a grand, you can replace the cooling system, front suspension and rubber bushing with a lot of change left over out of $3k.

TylerH spotted out my E34 M60. I got it cheap, fixed to known issues, and proceed to beat on it without any issues for less than $2k.

In reply to Strike_Zero:

Fantastic!!!!! I like to hear info like that. I hope that this could be one of those stories as well. Thanks for all the info guys; I'm checking it out shortly and will post if I buy it!

-Hamid

So a bit of a twist to the car; I did my usual Craigslist hunt and came up with the same BMW but a different listing:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4429503806.html

Here is the original listing that I've responded to:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4415709096.html

Same license plate #, but different year, different price, and has 250k miles as opposed to "just over 200,000 miles."
What is the meaning of this? I was planning on looking at it tonight, but this is just weird. Also, if the mileage is 250k, I'm not as excited. I emailed the seller inquiring about the other ad but haven't heard back yet. Any thoughts?

-Hamid

Looks like your original seller had the year wrong and exaggerated the mileage, then sold it to a dealer. Clearly the exact same car, but the dealer's posting is newer. I bet the seller hasn't responded because he no longer owns it/sold it on to the current poster.

Hmmm... Well he just responded with my inquiry. Here's what I said to him in my email:

"May I ask you something? I just noticed that this same BMW seems to be listed elsewhere on Craigslist with 250,000 miles. The plates also seem to be the same. Is this the same car? The price is listed differently in both. Just wondering what it's all about."

His response:

"I have no idea."

WTF?!

I went ahead and called the dealer selling it, and they thought that maybe one of their salesmen has it listed separately and incorrectly. Still not sure about the mileage being higher than I like though. Paint is shot and the suspension a little old. I'll sit on it a little I think.

-Hamid

In reply to AverageH: at this point I would run from that particular E34, but keep E34s in general on your radar.

I own a '95 525iA, its a very good car, and I would definitely consider buying another one. What I've learned from mine is that they need proper maintenance to be reliable, the maintenance isn't particularly hard, but there is a lot bits that need maintaining.

I bought mine really cheap, with a bad engine, but otherwise good overall condition. By the time I had it back in the road I had @ $1800 into it, including the purchase of the car. IMO it was a good deal. I've since put about 25k miles on it, and the only major work that it's needed was a front suspension rebuild, and some pesky oil leaks fixed.

In reply to HappyAndy: Thanks for some clarity. I think I am sold on an E34 now; I just feel a little let down on this one, and the manuals are a little harder to find. I get a car in my head and sometimes get over-fixated. It's frustrating at times! I'll keep an eye out for a better one closer to 200k miles. Thanks!

-Hamid

You really have to make arrangements to see both cars, find out which one is screwing around ! !

If the dealer can't produce the car for a test drive, report them. If the original seller no longer has the car, dirty mack him to the dealer.

Either way, it's gonna be a fun afternoon for you ! ! Just remember to play innocent and see which of them digs themselves into the bigger hole.