Buying an '86 325i - HELP

Hello BMW enthusiasts !

I'm looking at getting my first E30 ('86 325i) and have a few questions on what to look for and tech. spacs.

I've read this: http://www.bmw-forums.com/forum/inde...howtopic=14702 which was very helpful.

The tach isn't working, i'll check the fuse. If it's not a fuse is the tach a cable connection or a electronic sensor? Est. cost of replacement?

There is a major water leak somewhere and I believe it's the sunroof but not sure. When i checked the car it had rained the night before and the back passenger floor was soaked! Drivers side wasn't so much, front floor was dry...?? Related to this, the car is in Nova Scotia Canada and we have a lot of salt on the roads in the winter. Where are some common rust problems, what should i look for? The bottom of the front fenders are a little seedy, what else?

Specs:
The odo says 188,000Km which is low for the year (suspicious) and so I'm going to do a quick compression check. What was the stock compression for this engine? The oil looked ok (on stick), rad also looked in good shape. Anything else i should know about the engine while i'm in there? It's fuel injected right? (didn't look).

[BimmerKris]

LIAR, there is no 86 325i unless a new motor was dropped in the chassis. Other wise it's an e block, Revs to 4500 rpm. If the tach is not working, chances are the the SI Batteries are toast. Two AA batteries in the guage consol that power the SI board and seem to effect the Tach. Compression for an ETA is 9:1. Check inside the wheel wells for rust. If you take the side panel off the inside in the back seats you can get a good veiw of them. And it sounds like you need a new seal for the Sunroof, or else it;s not closing properly.

good luck and congrats on your new car

Originally posted by BimmerKris@Sep 5 2004, 04:43 PM
LIAR, there is no 86 325i unless a new motor was dropped in the chassis. Other wise it's an e block, Revs to 4500 rpm. If the tach is not working, chances are the the SI Batteries are toast. Two AA batteries in the guage consol that power the SI board and seem to effect the Tach. Compression for an ETA is 9:1. Check inside the wheel wells for rust. If you take the side panel off the inside in the back seats you can get a good veiw of them. And it sounds like you need a new seal for the Sunroof, or else it;s not closing properly.

good luck and congrats on your new car

Whoa, Ok, thanks BimmerKris. I though he said 325i but this was over the phone. I've see the car once in person briefly.

I can't remember what the tach looked like, but maybe it only reved to 4500, i'll double check all that.

What else can you tell me about the SI Batteries? Is there an FAQ? How hard is it to replace/get at? A 5spd without a tach is almost as bad as an auto.

I like to do compression tests to get a quick feel for the engines condition. I need to know what to expect the PSI to be at. I'd expect to see somewhere around 160psi in a health engine. Anyone have an idea?

"Check inside the wheel wells for rust. If you take the side panel off the inside in the back seats you can get a good veiw of them."
What's that? Take the inside, back seat trim panel off to see what?

Lastly, i forgot on my original post. The factory stereo says "CODE" and won't work. Was it tampered with? How can i fix it? (He has a 10 disk changer in the trunk, not sure if it works since the stereo says "CODE").

[BimmerKris]

not to sure about the PSI and shit. The SI batteries can be done yourself although i am not to fimilar with that, mine had already been rigged up when i got it.

Take the side panel off, under the back windows, and you'll get a good view of the wheel well, to see the condition. If it is rusty in there it is very hard to fix.

The CODE that you see on the stereo, is a security thing. When power is lost to the stereo, you have to enter the secturity code to get it to work again. If the guy you bought it off of, doesn not know then you can uasully find out from a dealership.

Usaully the eta's are pretty strong motors. The strongest the BMW made, and shouldn;t have to worry to much about the motor, as long as the reg things are kept up with.


if you havent bought it already, and don't end up buying it, mine is for sale and it is already done up, you just have to transport it across canada. hehehe

I just ran out and took a look at the car again. Body isn't great, but ok. I can work with it for sure. I got the VIN and it's an '86 325e, you were right!

My main concerns now are the leak (where is it coming from) and how is the underside of the car, especially since it has a leak AND of course the engine.

Rims are 4x100 bolt pattern?

[witeshark]

Are the VIN stickers on the fenders hood and trunk lid?