Can it be done? E36 for less than $5k?
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For best price comparo, check Ebay Motors (ebay.com). I've got once a BMW on Ebay for 6.5k, and it was a good deal - '96 318i E36 sedan, excellent condition. 6cyl engine BMWs (325, 328 etc) of the same age start at $7,500. I suggest you go for a 6cyl version - sometimes I really lack the power 
There're plenty of automatic trannies out there - but do your homework and find a stick shift. As somebody mentioned in this forum, a bimmer with an automatic is like a woman without a vagina Have to agree completely with this one. As for E30s - stick shifts on Ebay are a rarity, and for 6k you are looking at '94 or earlier E30. I really should add that 3-series feels kinda small inside, so if you have 2 or 3 kids, go for 5-series - much roomier. (I know, I know - nobody in THIS forum would ever let their kids approach their favorite bimmer toy :cya - but you gotta be objective and cover your bases).
There're plenty of automatic trannies out there - but do your homework and find a stick shift. As somebody mentioned in this forum, a bimmer with an automatic is like a woman without a vagina Have to agree completely with this one. As for E30s - stick shifts on Ebay are a rarity, and for 6k you are looking at '94 or earlier E30. I really should add that 3-series feels kinda small inside, so if you have 2 or 3 kids, go for 5-series - much roomier. (I know, I know - nobody in THIS forum would ever let their kids approach their favorite bimmer toy :cya - but you gotta be objective and cover your bases).
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well this becomes a matter of choice. i honestly think the more you shop the better the deal will be when you find it. however if you have time to wait , i suggest saving a little more money and getting exactly what you want. no one wants to be dissapointed in a decision, even though its a bimmer and usually dissapointment and bimmer are rarely ever used in the same sentance. good luck and happy hunting also welcome to BMW-forums
Well, as of now im still exploring my options.. but i think im going to stick with the E30s and see what there is to be foun here. New autotrader comes out tomorrow (i think) and i'm going to start hunting for a E30 325si just the way i want it. To put it into perspective i wont have the cash for another two weeks, and i have until the beginning of September to find a car.. so plenty of time to start hunting. Living in CA they're all over the place, just gotta find the perfect one.
You can find one... you jus have to be patient. I got my 93 318i for less than $5K. And actually saw a 92 325 for less than $4K the other day.. I almost bought it, but damn.. that one sold fast. Gone the next morning. You just have to be patient and look EVERYWHERE!.. Ask around.... as I found out when I got my first BMW... Many BMW owners will help another out easily. Just my spare change. good luck
i agree with everyone... it would be better if you go out of state to find a really good deal... i found my car in pennsylvania and i got it for less than 7 gran... or you can check edmunds.com, autotrader.com, or cars.com... they have some pretty good deals too if you're patient looking for the right one for you...
I bought my 1994 325i for 5k. I did have to talk the guy down from 6k, and the mileage was a little high, 137000, but I think it was worth it. I also saw a '92 325is on www.cars.com for $4750. So if you look, you can find an E36 for under 5k.
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3,677 Posts
i'll tell ya this.. newer e36's can still range from 10 and higher!! depending on mileage!
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YES IT CAN BE DONE I BOUGHT A 1993 318IS FOR ONLY $3450 AND THAT WAS BEFORE I KNEW ABOUT BMW'S AND AFTER I PURCHASED IT I REALIZED THAT I WISH I GOT A 6 CYLINDER BECUASE YOUR POWER IS JUST NOT THERE. EVERYONE LOOKS AT YOUR CAR AND IS LIKE WOW THAT IS NICE AND THEY WANT A RIDE IN IT AND THEY ARE KIND OF SHOCKED AT HOW LITTLE HORSEPOWER IT HAS. I AM TRYING TO GET NEW RIMS ON MINE AND THEN FIX IT UP A LITLLE AND TRYING TO SELL IT FOR AROUND 6000 DOLLARS.
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Sure it can be done. I got my 92 318is for $650. I got a little lucky being a mechanic that had a customer that didn't want to pay 500 for a new computer (previous one went out after a car wash, seems to be a big problem with these cars...) and after asking him how much he got it for it seems he got it for less than 1300. So sure
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299 Posts
I paid 4500 for my 318IS. I dont know about you but my car has quite the power enough to blow the doors off two mustangs. I can easily reach 135 on the highway. I max out at 140. On normal tires and zero mods. I suggest you have a tune up and some throttle body cleaner.
My current upgrades will be K&n filter, bosch platnium +4 plugs, bosch premium wires, bosche high performance brake pads and unsure of which rotors though.
man BMW's are expensive in the states. I live in the UK i got my 92 320i 4 door about 2 years ago for 3000 pounds. That is like 5800 dollars. I have spent another 10k doing it up. Under the hood everything is new,
6 speed gearbox
stering rack
fan
all bushes and joints
shock absorbers
springs
headlights
leather seats
braking system
fuel injection system with preformance injectors
ECU with chip
air induction system
exaust
intakes
and all the other mods you can imagine to bring the standard 2 liter 150 hp engine to 214bhp and i did test this .....
.... and some other stuff i can't even remember anymore
It even has a flip out TV screen with GPS
If i wanted to sell it now after spending 13k pounds on the car, i would not be able to sell it for more than 2k. In dollars that would be like 4800-4900.
It has 142k miles on it but all these parts were done less than 20k miles ago
6 speed gearbox
stering rack
fan
all bushes and joints
shock absorbers
springs
headlights
leather seats
braking system
fuel injection system with preformance injectors
ECU with chip
air induction system
exaust
intakes
and all the other mods you can imagine to bring the standard 2 liter 150 hp engine to 214bhp and i did test this .....
.... and some other stuff i can't even remember anymore
It even has a flip out TV screen with GPS
If i wanted to sell it now after spending 13k pounds on the car, i would not be able to sell it for more than 2k. In dollars that would be like 4800-4900.
It has 142k miles on it but all these parts were done less than 20k miles ago
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7,256 Posts
Not happening...There more to increasing retail value than putting rims on a car and cleaning out the interior...
I always end up saying this to these "how much is are BMW worth if....threads"
GO TO EBAY and look up the cars you are interested in...and you'll find out three main things........
1. The Average Selling price/Buy Now Prices for cars. This is not computed blue book value stats but the real worth of cars since all cars are different in there own way and carry diiferent histories and owners.
2. The Supply and Demand for certain types of car (for example the BMW 3 series has the most supply for used BMW cars and the most demand in people who are currently bidding for those cars. BMW 7 series has the least supply of used cars on sale and the fewest bidders for those cars.)
3. The real-milage averages for cars of a specific year and how that affects car value (for example I once saw a 1997 328i with a buy it now for $7,000 and a 1996 328i with a buy it now for $13,000....can you guess which car had 198,870 miles on the odometer and which had 65,000 miles on the odometer )
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