1st Post: Thinking Of Buying 93 325i

[streetdreams]

Hey all, I just sold my car and was looking for something different. I stumbled upon this 93 325i and the price is really low. Black with tan colored leather. The car has 193k on it, the auto tranny was rebult 20k ago. The guy told me the engines in these go forever.

The things that I am really concerned about are in the interior of the car.

-glove leather is starting to peel
-piece that goes around the sunroof controls is gone
-he said something about a gear in the sunroof that needs to be replaced, he said it was common.
-the message thing under the climate control is screwed up, it comes on but the words it shows are kinda messed up.
-both seats look awful on the lower part, the upper leather is perfect.
-the leather on the arm rest is ruined and torn
-auto shifter handle is broken and needs to be replaced
-headliner is coming down a little around the sunroof

Exterior-

-emblem on hood is messed up and needs to be replaced
-emblems on all the wheels are coming apart and need replacement
-dent in the ground effect or whatever the lower grey piece is on the passenger side
-drivers side fog light is out

Thats all I can think of thats wrong with the car now. Are all these problems going to be cheap/ easy fixes or should I buy something else?

[kearnyme]

Most of the problems you just described are common on these cars The interiors eventually come apart. Most of the time you just have to shop around for replacements either online or last resort is the dealer $$$$$

[Delmarco]

THIS IS AN ESTIMATE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE W/ BMW DEALERS AND OTHER PLACES THAT I CHECKED OUT...see average prices

-glove leather is starting to peel (NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN...Glove Box?)

-piece that goes around the sunroof controls is gone
>$50 (ebay) to $200 (dealers)

-he said something about a gear in the sunroof that needs to be replaced, he said it was common.
>$50 (ebay) to $200 (dealers)

-the message thing under the climate control is screwed up, it comes on but the words it shows are kinda messed up.
>If you mean the OBC about $15-$50( on ebay replace the whole unit install it yourself...real easy) BMW told me $500 to replace the "matrix" behind the LCD

-both seats look awful on the lower part, the upper leather is perfect.
>$799 at www.leatherseats.com w/ new door panels as well. or about $200-$700 full seat replacements sold on Ebay

-the leather on the arm rest is ruined and torn
> $50 (worn)-$200 (new-good condition) on Ebay or $300 at BMW dealership

-auto shifter handle is broken and needs to be replaced
>$20 on Ebay...don't go nowhere else or pay more. I'll give you my OEM one for free since I replaced it.

-headliner is coming down a little around the sunroof
>NOT SURE...but if its entire cieling interior upholstery trim replacement then like $100-$300 anywhere more at dealers

Exterior-

-emblem on hood is messed up and needs to be replaced
>$5 -$20 on Ebay or most sites

-emblems on all the wheels are coming apart and need replacement
>$5 -$20 on Ebay or most sites

-dent in the ground effect or whatever the lower grey piece is on the passenger side
>(No idea what you mean)

-drivers side fog light is out
>($20-$55 on Ebay or $100 at Dealers)

Good Luck...you'll find most of what you need real easy...on Ebay or most other BMW websites. But keep in mind the most expensive things to fix on these cars are internal things and not surface flaws...

[streetdreams]

Thanks for the replies guys. Very helpful.

[NeverLeaned]

193K is a little high, even for a BMW. I've seen guys keep them for 250K if maintained right, but I would strongly suggest that you a mechanic go over the car in much detail before you purchase.

As for parts, do a search for Bavarian auto Recycling on the web, they have pretty much everything (used of course) but you may be able to replace everything you want to without breaking the bank.

Whats the price out of curiousity?

[93 325i]

i bought my 93 325i in sept. Car was in very good cond. 124K, 5spd paid $4000. As how you described the aforementioned car I wouldnt pay over $2500 for it. It obviously hasnt been maintained well and you can expect to pay to maintain it. The engines are bulletproof but anything else can go wrong on it and it will be expensive..