Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

Miles are 125Kish... You know those E30 odometers... not always working..

Repaint was 8-9 years ago.. haven't seen it in person, yet.. Owner says paint job was okay, but not perfect...

It is not an -S-.. A previous owner added the front/rear spoilers and the sport seats... It originally came with cloth.. current owner added the leatherette rear seat to match the front seats... Very little rust.. He says the battery box will need to be replaced with a year or two... Says he had some rust issues around the taillight, but re-did that area, himself.

Current owner is a spec-30 racer. He has owned this car for about a year, as a daily driver. Also has the spec-30 and was going to turn this one into a racer, but bought an E30 M3, instead.... so, now... is moving on from this one..

Differences from -S- model:
Sunroof is crank, instead of power (not a negative for me)
No Onboard Computer (again, not a problem)
Black, instead of body color mirrors

He says everything works, except a sensor issue with the ABS... A/C is cold.. Says engine/clutch/tranny all good... handling is tight, but says suspension is likely all original.. Says if I wanted to track it, that's the first place I would need to start.. timing belt re-done about 20K miles ago... He just changed the oil. (I didn't even know that '89 BMWs came with ABS.. go figure).

I agree on the $3K-$3500 value.. He is asking $3700.. down from $4350 back in May... Says it's firm (lol).

He is two hours away from me, but gone to Charlotte this weekend to race... So... it'll be a week or so before I can get a look at it..

isellhondas

I had an 89 just like that one only a different color and, yes, it had ABS.

The non working ABS that may be more than "just a sensor" would bother me and so would the DIY rust repairs. I would REALLY look it over for rust.

Those are tough, solid cars that were fun to drive.

I just think it's closer to the 2500.00-3000.00 range but I could be wrong.

stickguy

basically identical mower, but with Honda instead of b&S engine and with big rear wheels, was $50 more. decided not worth it, since that was a 25% up charge!

fezo

Only $50 more and you pass up a Honda engine?? Tsk. Tsk.

laurasdada

Too little, too late... I had the same issues with my 10 year old Craftsman gas mower. After a Sears tune-up and after first use this year, darn thing wouldn't stay running after initial start up. Friend suggested blowing carberautor cleaner through air intake and, voila, that did the trick. Something was clogging it up, probably grass trimmings! Have had to do this a couple of times, but it's still cutting like a champ!

Friend learned this trick from a friend he had who ran a repair shop. He'd use this trick all the time, charge the customer $50 for the miracle cure.

Now, the question is why am I still cutting my own lawn at my advanced age???

stickguy

well, in my case, same reason I did not spend $50 extra on the Honda engine.

I'm cheap. plus I need the exercise. But, mostly I am cheap.

I may try that trick. I do know the cheap little paper air filter (they used to have a wire mesh over them) is pretty gunked up, and got that way quickly. Maybe I will dismantle to see?

my problems were a broken starter rope and throttle cable. I replaced both of them last year.

it also has some rust spots, doesn't run all that well, the dead man cut off does not work. and it doesn't cut that well. and it is ugly (maybe I should not have let it sit outside uncovered for the last couple of years!)

qbrozen

After your detailed explanation, I gotta re-evaluate. I agree with isell, it is sounding more like a sub-$3k car now.

The ABS is an important issue. Although it could be a relatively inexpensive problem .... what throws a flag for me is that this guy, someone who is that into E30s and obviously knows how to use a wrench, has not fixed it. Yup, BIG RED FLAG. And the rust issues would obviously need very very close inspection.

kyfdx

MIght not matter... it might be sold to someone else..

Oh yeah... find me one for under $3k comparable to that one... Tougher than you might think....

qbrozen

It was only last summer that we sold our 325is vert for $3k. Very shiny paint, decent interior, ~124k miles, IIRC, and, of course, all service up to date. Needed nothing. Only detriment was a big ole dent on the side.

It was also right around that time that I had a chance to buy a 325i coupe with about 112k on it. Really really nice shape. Zero rust, zero issues. THAT car was priced at $3500. In retrospect, I probably goofed not buying it, but I still felt it was a bit much at the time.

qbrozen

How about a california e? I can't tell from those pics what is going on with the paint. Might just need a good buffing. At least it sounds mechanically up to snuff and you could probably get it for $2k or maybe even less.

Maybe request better pics on this one.

Very low miles. Yeah, asking price is out there, but its a dealer. Knocking them down $1500 might not be impossible. I have no idea if this is an e or i.

kyfdx

I think you are making my case for me.... Those two '86s are -e- models, and they don't look half as good as the one I was looking at..

And, the '88 looks like an -e-, as well (In '87 and '88, the 325 by itself meant it was an -e-).. But, also.... $4995, as you noted...

I haven't really looked to much at Autotrader, etc.... because I don't really want to pay the $1000 premium to buy it through a dealer..

I'm not trying to paint the last one I linked as a prime example.... but, decent... I can find plenty of prime examples for $5500-$7000.. :surprise:

stickguy

My current grand plan is that a Z3 is the next car I should get. the older ones shouldn't be too expensive at this point, right? though a 3 series convert could work OK.

wonder how much I would have to spend on a decent Z3?

kyfdx

My barber bought a '98 Z3 with the larger 2.8 6-cyl. for $6800... that was a couple of years ago.. 120K miles and a slushbox..

It was actually in pretty nice shape... he doesn't drive it a lot, but has had no issues..

corvette

"...it also has some rust spots, doesn't run all that well, the dead man cut off does not work. and it doesn't cut that well. and it is ugly."

Around these parts, any faults like that would be sufficient grounds for dumping a car...

michaellno

...but I thought I'd post a picture of the ION, since I just had it washed .....

stever

Nice wheels. I'm more of a hubcap guy, but I'd be real tempted to pay extra for a set of those. Best I've ever seen.

fezo

My current grand plan is that a Z3 is the next car I should get.

And to save money you'll get one with a Briggs and Stratton engine.....

Sandman6472

Great looking alloys there! I won an Ebay auction back in early 2007 for Honda alloys for my '06 Civic LX. I bought rims from a '05 Civic SI and they fit perfectly while transforming the look of the car 1000%...just love 'em and smile each time I see the car! One wheel had a slight bit of curb rash but I never notice it and when the car is freshly washed, well... y'all know what I mean...amazing!

The wife thinks I'm out of my mind in buying them but I'm still thrilled. Of course, her '05 Mazda 3s came with those really nice alloys but that's another story...lol!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

michaellno

Thanks for the comments ... what's funny is that the alloys are the least expensive sold by Discount Tire.

I really wanted to jump a size to 16" but the tires were purchased last October so I couldn't justify new tires as well.

Just turned 55K last week and everything is great. The inside needs a bit of attention, but I'm not going to worry about that until I retire from the pizza delivery business.

Kirstie_H

If you live in S. California and are in the market for a new car, a reporter wants to interview you. Please email pr@edmunds.com with your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience to date no later than July 1, 2011. Thanks!

qbrozen

Those two '86s are -e- models, and they don't look half as good as the one I was looking at..

But that's just it ... the one you linked LOOKED good, but then you found out it had just as many issues as any of the others. So to take a $2k car and get to your $3700 example wouldn't take another $1700, hence our valuation.

The e doesn't concern me personally. I'd just swap the head and fix that problem.

stever

So, how much is a $100 detail worth when you put your car on the market?

qbrozen

Basically zero.

A car is worth what it is worth. It is like staging a house. You aren't making the house worth more, only making it more appealing so it sells faster. A dirty car or cluttered house isn't worth less, but it may have to wait for the right buyer who can see through it all to come along.

stever

Can't say I agree, since I went through the house exercise last summer. Took about a year to clean out the debris, take most of the stuff off the walls and hired a pro to paint the outside and the main floor of the inside. And redid a bombed out bath into a new bath. All that cost $10,000.

Every realtor gave us an estimate $30k less than my wife thought it would bring (we got numbers from 6 or 7 different ones). I agreed with the realtors, but didn't much care if the house sold or not, so we listed it at my wife's price.

They (and me) were all wrong - we had 4 serious buyers in a down market in one month and sold for $30k more than the experts said it was worth.

A dirty car will turn off potential buyers and make people think that you didn't take care of the car at all. A detailed one may not fool you or someone who takes it to a mechanic, but I still bet the rate of return is more than the cost of the detail.

qbrozen

Well, obviously, you did much more than stage the house.

And it sounds like you are talking about much more than a $100 detail. A $100 details will only clean off the dirt.

But take a 12-year-old car and spend a few hundred bucks on buffing the paint back to a like-new shine, throw in a new set of floormats, and detail the engine compartment and that's a different story.

stever

Good point. So, would there be a decent rate of return if you spend $500?

Not that I'm selling my old rigs, just curious.

Also, we always prep the house before we move and we always wish we had done "staging" stuff years earlier. Maybe I should have the van polished. :shades:

qbrozen

Well, you'll easily get back 100%. It is tough to say how much exactly until given a specific example.

Ok... for example... let's look at a couple of my recent turnarounds.

'85 300z. Bought that for $1100 because the seller couldn't be bothered to clean it up or take decent pics when posting on Ebay. As it was, I could have taken that car, put $500 into it and sold it for $2500. Paint buffed up beautifully (only took elbow grease in my case), threw in $200 in stereo stuff, and another $150 or so for a full tune-up.

(I did much more on the above car because I kept it for a while and enjoyed it, but sold it for $3k)

'92 Benz 190E. Bought for $1500. Fixed a heater valve for $80, cleaned it up and polished it, and sold it for $2k. Figure my detail job is probably what you'd pay a pro $300-$350 for. And if you paid an hour labor on the heater valve, you are talking right around that $500 number. So that's 100% return. Not to mention I used it as my daily driver for several months.

stever

Thanks. Now we're going to get Fezo all excited about being a curbstoner again.

kyfdx

But that's just it ... the one you linked LOOKED good, but then you found out it had just as many issues as any of the others. So to take a $2k car and get to your $3700 example wouldn't take another $1700, hence our valuation.


I don't agree with that assessment, at all... Those cars weren't even in the same ballpark, as far as condition, etc.. (not to mention, California cars don't help me..lol).. And, the -e- thing matters.... If I had the ability to "swap heads" myself, I might feel differently.. It isn't a matter of cosmetics, only.

I still haven't seen a sub-$3000 car that can match that one (which sold, by the way)..

So, anyway, here is another candidate... lol

Craigslist.. 90 minutes away

isellhondas

Looks nice but I love the way the seller tried to make light of the 238,000 miles!

They always say the car has a lot of miles left in it and perhaps that's true but maybe not.

Thsoe miles are going to make it very hard to sell I would think.

kyfdx

Yeah.. the magic 200K threshold.. not that hard to sell... just hard to sell for $2500..

Little google action.. turns out the seller is a service advisor at the local dealership...

You'd think that would make me feel better... but, it doesn't... :surprise:

corvette

That one looks sharp, and well-maintained. Seats are in incredible condition for the mileage. Plus, it's in my old neighborhood... :P

nyccarguy

+1 - Nice car. I can't believe the condition of the seats. 238K is A LOT of miles. Could it go to 338,000 miles? Yes. Could it only go to 239,000 miles? Yes. It could be a ticking time bomb my friend.

kyfdx

Well.. you guys see it as better than I do..... Yeah, the interior looks good, but those are CL photos...

I'd like to see the full array, like the last guy had....

isellhondas

The Service Advisor part is interesting and, like you, that wouldn't increase my perception of the car's condition. He could have bought it for next to nothing after the owner gave up on it.

Then he did what he had to to get it running better spending asd little money as possible in the process.

I don't remember if the ad said how long he had owned it. He could be a curbstoner?

kyfdx

Nope...doesn't say..

I'm pretty good about asking the right questions... I'd guess he bought it cheap from a service customer... nothing in the ad suggests that he drives or services the vehicle himself...

isellhondas

It may not even be in his name if he just bought it to flip it.

None of this means it's a "bad" car. Just a lot of money for a ton of miles.

If that car were traded in, the wholesalers would either not bid or hit it around 800-1300 dollars.

They would be afraid of it and for good reason.

kyfdx

Well, yeah.. .it's not a car you would try to trade.. It has a lot more value to an individual.... and, you really wouldn't want to buy it from a dealer, either...

Hey, a service advisor can run across some good deals.... If he got it for $1400-$1500, and is willing to flip it for $1800-$1900, we might be able to do business, depending on the condition...

I mean... the chances of me running across that car from the owner for $1400 is one in a million...

fezo

Thanks. Now we're going to get Fezo all excited about being a curbstoner again.

Nice to see I'm thought of even when I don't post......

Have another thing waived under mt nose - a Genesis with onlt 22K on the clock...

akangl

I love the way the seller tried to make light of the 238,000 miles

Local chevy dealer has a 96 F-250 with 238k on it, asking price is $8300, justification.........its a diesel. So? Its still a ticking time bomb in my book.

breld

I don't know much about these, but I know several of you do.

Thoughts? I'm guessing the price is a bit high, but they're looking for the buyer who's targeting something like this specifically, right?

CO 318ti

qbrozen

just for fun, i searched to see if any E30s have run through the auction. Only 1 came up that is due to run next week. Claims it is an e, but it has power roof, IS seats body kit. So methinks it is an IS. Has 243k miles, worn interior, CEL and ABS lights on, but body looks OK. Projected selling price? $350.

I could probably get that car back up to snuff for about $1200-$1500. But, with that many miles, I still consider it just a $2k car at best. Too often, there is just no money to be made and sometimes cars are just destined for the junkyard.

ab348

What is the price on that Genesis? Curious because I cruised thru the Hyundai dealer's lot yesterday and they have a leftover 2010 Genesis 3.8 sedan, dark red over tan, with a big $6000 off sign on it. But the sticker on this thing is $48K Cdn. That seems a ridiculously bad buy even with the discount.

fezo

Yeah, this one is a base model - maybe mid-30s new. A Genesis is not something I'd buy new but that's a lot of car at two years old.

I'd love to know how Equus is working out for them.

kyfdx

That's a nice low-mileage car with a stick and the M-sport package... Really, really low miles.. I'm actually surprised that the asking price isn't higher at a dealer...

That said, I have no idea what it books for....

I was looking at a '95 a couple weeks back... 150K miles, A/C blew warm.. No longer on those nice stock wheels (old crappy alloys from another BMW). It was a Club Sport model... the dealer wanted $3600, as is.. He has since cleaned it up.... put on some different wheels (though still not as nice as those stock ones), and is now asking $4500...

That one you linked might be one of the nicest I've seen... If I wanted one, it might be that one.. nice color and interior.

breld

Interesting. I was wondering if that "M" emblem meant anything as far as a package or such. The dealer is near my work - maybe I'll go check it out next week.

Thanks for the feedback and info.

Bruce

kyfdx

Craigslist ad

It's pretty obvious the car has sat outside for most of it's life... has a lot of baseball parking lot type dents... and plenty of scratches, though not hardly any through the paint. And, stains on the paint from bird droppings (quite a few of these... all horizontal surfaces). The rubber rear spoiler has turned almost white in a lot of places.. No big dents that looked accident-related, though... Just dings and elbow-sized dents.

But, the worst part is that front bumper.. It's pushed up... So, plastic cover is cracked into pieces, and obviously the bumper supports are bent.. Almost like it had a low speed collision with a wall.. Some how, they managed to do it without getting into the under=bumper spoiler or the grill. It doesn't look terrible, but not great either.. I'm not sure of how the bumper is attached to the supports or how the supports are attached to the car (that might be the expensive part to fix).

Amazingly, with all this... there is absolutely no rust that I could find... Door and trunk seals all look good. Power windows and sunroof work. The interior looks as good or better than the pictures... Some wear/cracking on the driver's seat, but overall amazing shape.. The car is really solid...

So.. while the car was cold, idling was a little erratic.. It would rev a little, then settle back.. but, no issue with running.. After we drove it and it was warm, that behavior went away. Motor was really strong, clutch felt good, gears were easy to find, though shifter was typical for a 20-yr-old car... a little loose.. Car handled well, and felt tight, but a little play on-center in the steering.. It was an airbag car, so it doesn't have the nifty three-spoke M-steering wheel.

Previous owner snapped a timing belt, which trashed the head.. That's when he gave up on it, and this guy bought it.. He replaced the belt, new head.. It has a fairly new battery, new tires, nice basketweave BMW alloys.

But... brake lights didn't work, and coolant sensor must be bad, because coolant light was on, even though coolant level was good. Owner said neither light was on the day before.

Even with all this, I made an offer, which drew no counter.. He said he could knock off the price of a new brake light switch, but just put the car up for sale, and thought he could get his price.

So.. there ya go..

kyfdx

Yeah... the M-Sport package (or, maybe it's just called the Sport Package), gets you the nifty emblems, those style-18 alloy wheels, special leather/cloth interior, and the sport seats... Might even have a sport suspension, but not sure about that.

Those cars are fun to drive, but to get power, you really have to rev them.. Once you get above 3500 RPM, they don't feel that different from the 6-cylinder.... But, it will feel sort of slow, if you don't wind them out.. That's not a bad thing, though..

[Deleted User]

Sorry for the interruption, just thought I’d throw this out to you experts real quick! It seems the battery in the Odyssey is on its last legs and the last thing I want is to get a call from my wife saying they’re stranded somewhere! Should I go with another Honda battery, or is going to Sears/Pep Boys/etc. just as good? We plan on keeping it around for at least another 4-5 years, so I’d like this to be the last battery we buy for it. Thanks in advance for the help!

fezo

To me you are just as well off buying from Sears or whoever. Just get a good battery - one that's designed to last that kind of time. A nice Die Hard or Interstate is fine. Just went through the same thing with our Ody.