1937hd45 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Out of character vehicle for me, please let me know about them. This is a 1987 with a sun roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest straight shooter Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 They are good cars but there is nothing special or unique about them since so many were made and many are still around. The older 2002 are more collectable and command high prices since there are less of them. They have much simpler electrical systems, lack the emission control systems found in the later models and have a more unique body style. The 325 might become more collectable as they get older but will never surpass the 2002. If you are buying it to use as a daily driver than the above doesn't really matter but plan on doing most of the repairs yourself. Having to take it to the mechanic for everything could get expensive and quickly surpass the value of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I was going to make a comment that involved a ten foot pole, but the last sentence in Straight Shooters post pretty much covered it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I owned one of these and I totally disagree with the above statements. Mine was an '84 and it was probably the best car I ever owned. The 325e is different than the later 325i which I also owned. The 325e had a tall 2.42:1 rear end and the engine was tuned for low end torque. It redlines at 4500 rpm. Mine consistently returned 35 mpg and I didn't drive it slowly. I found it easy to repair and parts were very reasonable. I sold mine with 200k miles and I've regretted it ever since. Bob, if you don't buy this car I would be interested in it. I've been looking for one, but all the cars I've found have been thrashed and have tons of miles on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest straight shooter Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I owned one of these and I totally disagree with the above statements. I found it easy to repair and parts were very reasonable.I don't quite understand why you don't agree with my statement. I never said that they were bad cars in fact I stated that they were good cars in my first sentence. I just recommended that all repairs be done by the owner just like you did when you owner yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Thanks Steve! I took it up the road at a good clip, it was fun running it through the gears. Body and paint is real nice for a daily driver. Got to dump the wheels, goofy after market items. Wonder if there is a normal steel wheel that would fit, with a small center cap, sort of a 1940 Ford looking wheel/cap combo. At 61 this is will be my first running foreign car, wish me luck. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 37aitchdee45, if you're driving this baby now, congratulations. I bought one of these new, a 2-door, Henna Red. I'd previously had a '72 2002 and, although it was only 7 years old, I could practically hear it rust. Hooked me on the BMW driving experience, though.As Steve said, the "eta" engine is a strong, real world performer, with buckets of torque, good mileage, and a sweet sound. My car was generally trouble-free but it was somewhat plagued with squeaks and rattles.For reasons unrelated to how much I loved the car, I only kept it a couple of years. The second owner drove it a long time and also loved it. He eventually gave it to his mother, who drove it for several more years. Oddly, in a metropolitan area of around a million people, I kept running into them.Three or four years ago, this same car showed up again, in my own neighbourhood. Still looking good at about 300,000 km (190K mi), although the cloth interior was pretty shabby. Happy to say, it had very little rust showing through the mostly original, brilliant red paint. I vaguely tried to buy it back but the young student owner wasn't interested.I'm still hugely enjoying my next BMW, which is threatening to last forever.not mine but just like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) I daily drive a BMW E30 (91 318i) and have owned a 86 325E like you are looking at as well as a 2002. They are almost bullet proof cars - great handling cars and the Eta engine will get you decent mileage. Parts are not that expensive (not like my Z4 that I drive on the weekends) plus the cars are great looking IMO. There is a large following for the E30s and when you tire of it, you should be able to sell easily.OTOH, if it is an automatic, it will be sluggish and the tranny is the weak point. One other thing, the 325 engines do not like heat so if the temp gauge ever starts to rise above normal, stop immediately and see why - they will blow a head gasket quicker than a lot of engines.By the way, I slightly modify my older BMWs My current E30My 86 325EMy 2002 Edited January 12, 2012 by Bob Hill (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Bob, keep us posted, I have heard accounts of these surpassing the 200K mile mark and really one of the more interesting/infuential cars of it's era, albeit most likely useless in the wintertime I would guess.Forget the steelies and caps, this is NOT a '40 Ford, it's a european sports sedan. Try to source wheels like the one Rob pictures above, buy a nice pair of leather driving gloves, aviators and a subscription to Road and Track and your in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 One other thing - the odometers are notorious for failing - sometimes they are replaced with lower mileage odometers so try to run a carfax before you buy.BTW, the OEM wheels like on Rob's picture are DIRT cheap and readily available on craigslist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Good point, I think you are still within pretty reliable car fax year range with a 1987. One plus is you just hit the 25 year mark, the magic number in CT for no more emissions testing...HD Bob, BTW there must be soemthing in the water here in CT, we just added a 1989 MB 560 SL -we wanted a quasi collectible car that can be parked at a restaurant, etc. without too much stress... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I have a 1986 325E. Running, driving car with a straight rust free body and trashed interior. I paid $200 for it. They can be bought for very little money. The biggest problem I have is that at 6ft 2in, the car is small for me. It's about right for my wife, however. The 2.7 liter "E" motor puts out a pavement-ripping 121 HP. I'm working on swapping in a Caddy Northstar motor instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 You can buy less than nice examples for cheap money but low mileage nice ones are not cheap - at least not dirt cheap as you bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Back when they were new . . . the "eta" engine was a way to keep people who already had BMWs from jumping ship to a brand with higher "stated" fuel economy. From what I read, it was not universally liked by the BMW traditionalists at the time, as they liked to run theirs through the gears and enjoy the glorious BMW engine sounds (at higher rpms) when doing so. When they tried it with the lower-rpm-tuned eta motor, they were not pleased or satisfied, so there were some that didn't like the eta at all. So, early "word" was "Stay away from "eta" BMWs."But it was also a way for BMW to get "conquest sales" from people who didn't own Bimmers at that time and were first-timers. In this area, things seemed to work pretty well.As with any major import brand of vehicle, you can either take it to a BMW dealer to get things done OR you can take it to a private shop which specializes in BMWs. In many cases, these shops are populated with BMW-certified technicians who used to work for the dealers and decided they wanted a different environment to work in.Other than the engine over-heat issue mentioned, some of the BMWs take a specific viscosity of motor oil to keep them alive. Therefore, follow the factory's recommendation in viscosity levels--period! This might have been something which came along in more recent times, but it's something you might want to be aware of, too.I've always liked BMWs more than other brands of import vehicles, for a long time. When possible, I'd go do the Susan B. Komen ride/drive events when they came to the local BMW dealers. And then there was the year I signed up for the 780iL . . . such a deal, feeling the computer release all of the overrides as it went through 1st gear!!!Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Just after Hurricane Katrina we bought a 1988 BMW 528e with 15,000 miles from cousin's ex-wife - granted, not the same car -- 2800 engine / auto tranny - still a fun car to drive.Wife & daughter drove it for 3 years and then the mechanical problems kicked-in. Water pump, timing chain(belt?), steering, front suspension components, rear wheel hubs, etc, etc, etc.Repairs have drastically exceeded the value of the car.Mechanical parts are very expensive - often on back-order. Haven't seen it for many months, waiting for replacement left and right side-view mirrors.Plan on doing your own repairs, or get friendly with your banker for a second mortgage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 My 325e was a joy to drive in the winter and I didn't even getting around to putting snow tires on it. I still love being able to steer with the gas pedal on a slippery road.Nittix, your comment on lubricants recalled for me that, when it got below minus 20C (zero F), the manual gearbox oil turned to clay. I could barely get it into gear and, until it warmed up, every shift grawnched terribly. The dealer changed over to automatic transmission fluid and life was good again.The heater was terrific and the door locks had little electric heaters in them, so I never got frozen out after washing the car. Which I had to do every other day in the winter slush because I so liked that eye-popping red paint. Can you maybe tell I still miss it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 The car I'll be getting is a tudor, has any one over the age of 6 ever sat in that back seat. Think I'll replace it with a plywwod box to haul the crap isell on eBay to the post office. Someone must make atractive wheels for this thing, never had a car with fog lights, they are the first things to hit the trash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 "The car I'll be getting is a tudor"Bob, you HAVE to reallize you are probably about the first person to ever apply early that Ford terminology to this iconic euro sedan! I think this will be fun to follow - seems like you want to hate it, but little by little it will suck you into the post war world!!Good luck with it - I once had a set of wheels with a kind of cross hatch design to them, aluminum, on a '69 Chevelle, they were out of place on that car, but they would look so good on your new ride. If I can find a pic I will post for your consideration; with all the wheels out there you should find something - try googling the "tire rack" & "BMW Forums". AACA is by far my favorite but you would be surprised what is out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 For real economy look for a 524TD but does anyone here buy an old car for MPG ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 The car I'll be getting is a tudor, has any one over the age of 6 ever sat in that back seat. Think I'll replace it with a plywwod box to haul the crap isell on eBay to the post office. Someone must make atractive wheels for this thing, never had a car with fog lights, they are the first things to hit the trash.Give the 325 a chance before you mark it off as I think you will be pleasantly surprised with it. As I said, I use one as a daily driver although I have a new Z4 sitting in my garage, 99 times out of a 100 I will choose the E30 for my trip. I even drove it to Dallas (1300 miles round trip) over Thanksgiving because I love the way it drives/handles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I bought an '87 325e in July of '09. Original interior & red paint, for pretty cheap. Has been a wonderful little car. After having the car for a while, my husband experience "Bimmer Envy", so he got himself an '84 320i Baur (Euro only, convertible conversion), and is almost as nice as my car. Parts are far cheaper for the 3 series in these years than the larger series cars. Just be sure that the car hasn't been "bodged" - the E30 platform (3 series from '84 to about '91) are very popular for the youngun's to modify the dog out of for motorcross type of events due to the great handling. If the car is left stock, you shouldn't have any problem with working on it.Here's a picture of mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'll have to try the picture again later. I'm having a problem uploading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 The current owner is a Model A Ford guy too, so Tudor is fully understandable to him. I think I'm getting a good deal, plan is to load eBay with the extra crap around here and get the car for free, and run the risk of having the family turn me into "Hording Buried Alive". This should be a fun ride up Rt 7 and look proper in the Lime Rock parking lot. Have to check the "Dog Fight" website for wheels I can stomach looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Be sure to get a catalog from Bavarian Autosport in NH. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earl e rizer Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 As with most German cars, parts can be expensive. Rust was a huge problem with that model here in Ontario Canada or wherever they salt the roads, so check underneath closely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 You'll want to get on the bimmer forums, like bmwmafia.com Like on the AACA forums, there is wealth of knowlegde on how toos/where to find stuff cheap/etc. There have been instances where I have posted a need for a part, & someone offered me a good used part for free, just pay shipping. There are several places to get good, cheap parts from. Steve named one, then there's Pelican & several others. Also look into joining BMW Car Club of America Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 My wife bought a 325iX new in '88. When she got a Z3 in '97 the iX was relegated to strictly winter duty. It now has 107,000 miles on the original clutch.Rust is the biggest issue, but parts are plentiful. She says I'm going to need to pry it out of her.....................I've offered to replace it with something new, and she won't hear of it. How's that for a testimonial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vila Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Here, if you want to look at the cost of parts you can check out the following websites. Most are original BMW parts. For my top of the line 1984 BMW 633 CSi I have found the parts are no more expensive, but generally a lot less than they would be for your average new Honda Accord.OEM and original car Parts For BMW Mini cooper Porsche Mercedes Audi Volkswagen Saab Volvo| BimmerSpecialist.comhttp://www.germanautoparts.com/Auto Parts at AutohausAZ - OEM Auto Parts - Discount Replacement Parts, Resources and Car Care TipsDiscount Auto Parts Online - Import Auto Parts -- PartsGeek.comBMW Parts - OEM Factory Replacement BMW Parts | BMW of South AtlantaVila1933 Chevrolet1962 Triumph TR41984 BMW 633 CSi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earl e rizer Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 My daughter really likes these. Told me she wants one to play around with. Her boyfriend is into German cars and they want to modify one for rallying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 A 325i would be a better rally car. The eta engine can be a bit of a dog. We had an '82. the "i" engine is positively zippy compared to the "e". Plus, there are a pile of aftermarket speed parts for the "i" engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GaWajn Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have owned four older BMW's. One was a 325ix (most fun car I have ever owed). The 325i is zippier than the eta engine, and more fun to drive, but both are reliable. I have also owned a 1986 (high mileage) and 1987 (low mileage) 525e's. They were all good cars, fairly reliable. The eta engines offer a very relaxed cruising experience as opposed to the i engines which give a sportier or quicker driving experience.If you have to have them dealer maintained ... they will be expensive to own. A BMW or german car specialist will save you money. Many mechanical parts are available as after market items and are comparable in cost to many american cars. Where you get expensive is when you need parts that are only available from the dealer ... that's when you get a price shock! Also ... rear sub frame bushing (mounts) seem to problematic for these cars. I replaced them on the two 5 series cars.I enjoyed my experiences with the old Bimmers. I would stil have one today, but they don't tow fifth wheelers very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'm starting to rethink this deal, maybe a $1,500 pickup truck would be money better spent, and people would'nt look at me as being out of place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 So, should I walk away on this, or do I need to know something you guys know about the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Just ask yourself the "Am I going to kick myself?" question before you proceed.Driving a 3 series can be about as much fun as you can have with your pants on. I don't think you're going to get that from a pick up truck. If you're single, well then, there's no question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Future Grandparent, but I could make money with a pickup truck. Going to put one item on eBay that will cover the BMW, so only time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Let me know if you want to sell the Bimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 37aitchdee45, c'mon what have you got to lose? The best '80s 3-series on the planet Blue Books out at about $2000 and you're probably about to spend something less than that. Yeah, if it's a lemon, that'd be a disappointment, but you can always flip it for close to what you paid. If it turns out to be as nice as my own BimBox (bought at 8 years old, 8 years ago), you'll be finding out what makes the world so crazy about German cars.As for the price of parts, I'm always surprised at how cheap they are, right at the dealership counter. A new radiator cost $360 a couple of years ago. A brand new tailgate cost me $800 - please don't ask how I came to be needing one.I drove a Ford Taurus for too many years before this. Now there was an expensive car to run. Not only was stuff always breaking, repeatedly, the price on the parts was awful, as was the skill of the dealership mechanics.You buy an old truck and what'll you have five years from now? An older truck. Buy an old Bimmer and in five years you might have a whole new love for great cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Boudway Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Hi,Recommendation here from a 3-BMW owner. (No, not all at one time)Get the car to a recommended, local, independent import mechanic and spend the money to have him (or her) tell you what surprises are in store for you.First item is when and at what mileage the timing belt was replaced.Next is: Where is the rust?Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) It's official! I've added it to my "could have had" list, a mom & dad bought it for their kid to drive to college. It was an extra $1,500 I didn't have, and I would have felt odd driving it, to say nothing about the remarks I'd get from friends and people that know me. Edited February 10, 2012 by 1937hd45 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Phew, you had me worried. Now you can shop around for a good pre-war pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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