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Question about buying a used 328i

3K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Mach 5 
#1 ·
I am looking to buy a 1999 to 2000 used 328i, I have been looking over the posts and did some searches but did not find what I am looking for.

I looked at a 99 with 48K miles last night and i noticed a couple of issues and would like an opinion from you seasoned owners.

There seemed to be a little shimmy in the steering wheel during driving, just a little back and forth. It did not happen while braking so it would seem the brakes are just fine. My guess is it is an alignment issue as there was some very slight feathering on the front tires. Out of spec camber or toe-in would be my guess. Is the alignment anything out of the ordinary on these. Thoughts?

Secondly the car looked to be in pretty good shape, the rims seem to have a little curb rash which I guess is expected but it also seems that some of the finish was coming off on spots. Is this normal? They were the 17" wide spoke rims.

Brakes looked good from what I could see, no visible fluid leaks, anything else I should look for?

Finally, I have looked at Edmunds for pricing info but I have usually found them to be high on their estimates, anyone have a ballpark on a fair deal for a 99 or 2000 with 50 to 60K? Feel free to ignore this question, as I understand there are a lot of variables. Thanks, Rob.

Edit to add, My intent is to purchase from a private party instead of a dealer, usually get a better deal and there are state tax issues that make it preferable to buy from a private party. Much lower tax.
 
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#2 ·
The shimmy could be alot of things. Something as simple as a need to rebalance the tires, it is most likely related to the control arm though either a ball joint or the lower control arm bushing. If in doubt take it to a shop and have a mechanical check done prior to buying the car.
Ben
 
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