E30 Oppos- Thoughts on this?

"hedbutter" (hedbutter) 07/21/2015 at 13:06 • Filed to: None

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Emailed the owner, but my biggest concerns are that the temps spiked once on it (he stopped driving, and no other issues until recently) and now it seems to be losing coolant somewhere that he hasn’t had a chance to diagnose. Has some other issues, but nothing else really major other than the coolant being used (which is my main concern)

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Details:

For sale - 1991 BMW 318is e30 and parts car

Texts asking if the car is still available or what’s bottom dollar will be ignored. If the ad is up, car is available. Come check out the car, and we’ll talk price.

With that out of the way...

Car has 220,000+ miles on it; still runs strong. 5 speed shifts great, and steering still feels tight. Car has a number of problems, but it’s drivable in it’s current state, and it has a fresh inspection. These cars are the final development of the e30 platform, and it is super fun to drive; light, tossable, it feels quick, and I routinely get 28-30 mpg. Odometer was broken at 196k when I got it, drove it about 5k before fixing it, and it’s now at 220,000.
The car developed a tiny coolant leak last December that I can’t trace. It could be the heater core or radiator, it could be the head gasket; I don’t know. It leaks about 1 ounce or less every hundred miles or so. After the coolant started leaking, I’ve been driving my Jeep instead, so it’s only gotten about 400 miles on it this year. I’m looking for something that’s a little less of a project, so it’s gotta go.

Body is really clean. One rust spot under the battery in the trunk, that’s it. It does have it’s share of dents though, and the paint is shot. Waxing will return the shine for a month or so, but it quickly fades. I’d give it a 5/10. It looks good from 20 feet away.

Here’s a breakdown:

The good:
-clean title
-drives great, shifts great
-fresh inspection
-Upgraded to Bilstein HD shocks, which improved the handling dramatically, but ride quality is not sacrificed
-No major rust! Small spot under the battery is the only thing worth noting. Originally a Virginia car (or so I was told), it is 99% rust free.
-Front sports seats are pristine, no cracks or wear whatsoever. Super comfy, too.
-4.11 lsd differential, a desirable option

The Bad:
-The aforementioned coolant leak
-Tires have <50% tread remaining
-Dash is cracked, and carpet is pretty beat (parts car has like-new carpet and crack-free dash, a rarity in these cars)
-After sitting for a while, check engine light has come on intermittently for the o2 sensor.
-Power steering leaked, so pump was disconnected. I actually prefer the steering feel with it disconnected, and I never had a problem with slow speed maneuvering
-AC pump was removed, I still have it. AC worked before removal
-No radio installed. It came with a cheap Blaupunkt, which is included, but I think it’s missing speakers as well. Parts car has factory radio and speakers.
-windshield is cracked. The crack is on the passenger side, so it can still pass inspection. Parts car comes with a crack-free windshield.
-Manual crank sunroof works, but it needs helps sometimes. I usually give it a push when I’m opening or closing it.

An almost identical parts car is included. This car was involved in a front end collision, and it has sat every since. It’s got 57k miles on it, which is almost unheard of for these cars, but unfortunately I’ve misplaced the title. The interior is complete and basically mint. I’ve already moved the sport seats over to the other car, but the rest is up to the new owner.


Basically, the car is looking for someone to trace and fix the coolant leak, and then start swapping parts from the other car to get it back to a respectable condition. Or it could be gutted and made into a track car or Le Mons car fairly easily.

I’m asking $2500 for both cars. The only trade I would consider would be for a street bike. No hookas, dirt bikes, etc!

Shoot me a text or email with any questions, or give me a call. Phone is listed in contact info.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 13:17

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Blown Headgasket.

Stay away if you’re not ready to fix that

hedbutter > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/21/2015 at 13:24

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Yep- that was my thought as well. I’m not opposed to doing that, just dont want to pay that price to get into it. I’ve wanted a project for awhile, but was hoping to find one i could drive a bit and needed smaller other things

petebmwm > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 13:24

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theres one closer to me that needs a sunroof panel for 3k, i’ll see if its still around. im in jersey

deekster_caddy > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 13:26

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How well versed are you on BMW engines? Are you mechanically inclined or going to pay a mechanic to trace the coolant leak?

It’s not leaking _Much_ coolant - could dump some Bars Leak in it and drive it for a couple years until the leak gets really bad... or you can tackle the problem. I’m assuming if you are asking that you aren’t sure what you are going after for the coolant leak.

Also, the temp spike could have warped a head. Again, not sure. Could all be related.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 13:45

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If it overheats, safe to assume the head is warped and maybe cracked

Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 17:02

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On the other hand, it’s an old car, and it could be nothing more than a hose in need of a new clamp, or a bad water pump. Either way, $2500 negotiable is a good price for a project 318is and a parts car. I may be biased, but the market for these is pretty toasty.

hedbutter > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/21/2015 at 17:46

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The current owner said that it only did once, and he has had any issues with overheating since (overheated three years ago, and hes put a few thousand miles on it since). The coolant issue appears to have started this year.

hedbutter > Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken 07/21/2015 at 17:47

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Yeah, I’ll just need to get what i want out of the parts car quick and get rid of it, dont know how long i want it sitting in my driveway.

hedbutter > deekster_caddy 07/21/2015 at 17:48

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Not too well versed in BMW engines, but I’d be doing the work myself. I’ve never torn down and engine, but have done a lot of other work on them (radiators, belts, brakes, oil changes, ect) and I would say I’m mechanically inclined.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > hedbutter 07/21/2015 at 18:35

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It’s definitely hg related. Bimmer are extremely sensitive to cooling issues.

I’ve had 4. I know

hedbutter > petebmwm 07/22/2015 at 08:01

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Thanks for the offer, but thats quite a long ride for a 3k car. I dont really want to drive 7 hours one way to look at a car that may or may not work out at the price range.

hedbutter > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/22/2015 at 08:25

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Yeah- thats my thought as well. I may got take a look this weekend and see what happens. Thanks for all the info!