So I found this old 70's BMW...

[hawkeye122]

So, I graduated High School! Go me. As a friendly gesture, my parents swapped me cars- My Tracker for their 2001 Camry!

To be honest, it's a great car. It has no glaring deformities, and based on my knowledge, will probably run for another 100k miles (Currently 192k). My parents bought it new, so I know it's been reasonably well maintained. Unfortunately, I know the clutch is nearing the end of it's life- If I shift poorly it slips a little bit under moderate acceleration. This job is usually around $800, which for me, is a lot.

I'd love to get a new car, but it would have to be within my price range of 2-3 thousand dollars. I get this based on the sale of the Camry (~2500?) in addition to my graduation money and final paycheck from my job (Work for a Middle School, so I'm not currently working. But am looking for a job, and have a pretty good lead)- Totaling about $1000. My birthday is also approaching (the 27th).

Since most of my friends are leaving, and I'm going to a JC, I really dont need a 4 door, but it sure is alot nicer to have some space.... In terms of Fuel Mileage, I'd love to get better than 25 MPG routinely. Also, I autocross once every month or 2, so something which is dynamically well-off would be good.

I searched for a Miata locally, and none were really in that great of shape, so I looked elsewhere.

I'm quite a BMW fan, and found 3 that were fairly close to me-
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3827434471.html
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3855922636.html
http://chico.craigslist.org/cto/3790713360.html

I cant help but cringe when I look at the first one, it's been riced with the blacked-out lenses. But thats hoenstly just cosmetic stuff, and I can deal with that.

The 2nd worries me- What issues lurk underneath, especially since the dude clearly has no idea what sort of engine he has. Also, I'm not sure what the registration fees are for changing plates. Plus, if it's registered to Washington, it may not meet CA emissions standards. But at $1800 obo (So, 1500, right?) I may be able to put some funds up to get it working.

The 3rd seems most reasonable. I've read up on the door handle fix, and it seems simple enough. It's more expensive, but still a bit too cheap for a BMW, or so I think...

While these would be nice, I'm not sure how well off they actually are, and am slightly worried.
In fairness, I have nothing against other car brands, but I see no point in getting rid of my Camry for a Honda Accord or something similar, since I KNOW my Camry works.

I'm also considering a bike, but a decent one would force me to get rid of the car, which would present a problem in the rain.

Other sports cars could be neat, but I didn't really see any which jumped out at me.

If you want to help me look, the CL areas to search would be Redding, Chico, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

Thanks!

 

[Joel]

Does the Camry have the 2.2L? If so, don't ever sell it.

 

[hawkeye122]

Does the Camry have the 2.2L? If so, don't ever sell it.

It is. But eventually you have to trade in the world of Bugatti-Beating performance for something more ordinary.

 

[GTMail]

God that 2.2 thing is getting old. And to be honest I'd stay away from those 3 BMWs you have posted. All of them have very high miles, two of them don't have clean titles and the first one that does have a clean title look pretty beat on. If you're looking for anything somewhat sporty and luxurious I'd take a look at older Volvos. But if I were you I'd stick with that Camry until you get some more funds up to buy something better.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

The Camry is probably worth keeping, but if you want something else, I'd look into sporty Japanese cars. Try finding an older Civic so.

 

[Crash]

So, I graduated High School! Go me. As a friendly gesture, my parents swapped me cars- My Tracker for their 2001 Camry!

Congratulations.

To be honest, it's a great car. It has no glaring deformities, and based on my knowledge, will probably run for another 100k miles (Currently 192k). My parents bought it new, so I know it's been reasonably well maintained. Unfortunately, I know the clutch is nearing the end of it's life- If I shift poorly it slips a little bit under moderate acceleration. This job is usually around $800, which for me, is a lot.

It's a lot, but is not as much as what could possibly be wrong if one of the following BMWs break down.

I searched for a Miata locally, and none were really in that great of shape, so I looked elsewhere.

Miata would be a good option. Have you checked the Miata forums in addition to Craigslist? What's your time scale? It may be worth waiting until late fall to purchase a Miata, during you know, the convertible off season, as prices tend to be lower then.

I'm quite a BMW fan, and found 3 that were fairly close to me-
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3827434471.html
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3855922636.html
http://chico.craigslist.org/cto/3790713360.html

My gut instinct tells me to run away from those three.

I think we've had this discussion before, but I think you would be better served by an E30 anyways.

The 2nd worries me- What issues lurk underneath, especially since the dude clearly has no idea what sort of engine he has. Also, I'm not sure what the registration fees are for changing plates. Plus, if it's registered to Washington, it may not meet CA emissions standards. But at $1800 obo (So, 1500, right?) I may be able to put some funds up to get it working.

He's probably selling because he can't get it to pass emissions in CA. It's also a rebuilt. I wouldn't buy it.

The 3rd seems most reasonable. I've read up on the door handle fix, and it seems simple enough. It's more expensive, but still a bit too cheap for a BMW, or so I think...

That price is low, even if it's a rebuilt title. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. I guess worse case scenario is you could probably part that car and make a little bit of profit off it.

While these would be nice, I'm not sure how well off they actually are, and am slightly worried.

I think you hit it on the head right there. If you are worried about those cars, then I think it's a good indication that you should walk away from them.

Also, the 5 series are great handling cars for their size and class, but I think you'll probably want to stick with a 3 series if you want more of that smaller sports car feel.

In fairness, I have nothing against other car brands, but I see no point in getting rid of my Camry for a Honda Accord or something similar, since I KNOW my Camry works.

I'll be completely honest with ya. Personally, I would keep the Camry, fix the clutch, and keep driving it until you have more money saved up. Sure, it's not as fun, but you can still autocross it, and you know the history of the car; there aren't really going to be any surprises. As I say in other threads, if you are mechanically inclined and you have the time, you can work on your own BMWs and save a lot of money, but if you're not, and money is a concern, then BMWs are not exactly the best cars to own. Well maintained BMWs are reliable, but you have to be willing to spend the money to do the maintenance.

 

[hawkeye122]

Congratulations.

Thanks!

It's a lot, but is not as much as what could possibly be wrong if one of the following BMWs break down.

Thats the sort of info I wanted. I was hoping that any fix I'd have to do on the BMW would be the same as the clutch. But no.

Miata would be a good option. Have you checked the Miata forums in addition to Craigslist? What's your time scale? It may be worth waiting until late fall to purchase a Miata, during you know, the convertible off season, as prices tend to be lower then.

My timescale is "Whenever it is convenient." I know the Camry will have VERY few problems in the next year or 2, but at the same time I crave something a bit more. If I get a Miata, I will likely wait until the proper season to get one cheaper. As said before, however, I may have a hard time fitting into one... I sat in one at the track a while back, I fit, but he had an insanely expensive racing seat fitted in it.

I think we've had this discussion before, but I think you would be better served by an E30 anyways.

Reasonable E30's have been "Street Cred" priced out of my budget. A decent one runs upwards of 5000. Any less and they dont run...

But if thats a good starting price for any BMW, then I guess I've got a bit of saving to do.

That price is low, even if it's a rebuilt title. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. I guess worse case scenario is you could probably part that car and make a little bit of profit off it.

Thats not a bad idea either, in itself.

I think you hit it on the head right there. If you are worried about those cars, then I think it's a good indication that you should walk away from them.

Also, the 5 series are great handling cars for their size and class, but I think you'll probably want to stick with a 3 series if you want more of that smaller sports car feel.

That said, whats a decent price to expect to pay for a 97-2002 BMW 3 or 5 series?

I'll be completely honest with ya. Personally, I would keep the Camry, fix the clutch, and keep driving it until you have more money saved up. Sure, it's not as fun, but you can still autocross it, and you know the history of the car; there aren't really going to be any surprises. As I say in other threads, if you are mechanically inclined and you have the time, you can work on your own BMWs and save a lot of money, but if you're not, and money is a concern, then BMWs are not exactly the best cars to own. Well maintained BMWs are reliable, but you have to be willing to spend the money to do the maintenance.

I would be very willing to work on it myself. But it does seem, however, that I dont quite have enough funds to start with a decent one. I'll keep my eyes open, and if I see any that look even remotely reasonable, I'll bring them back here. Thanks guys!

 

[opelgt1969]

Thanks!

I would be very willing to work on it myself. But it does seem, however, that I dont quite have enough funds to start with a decent one. I'll keep my eyes open, and if I see any that look even remotely reasonable, I'll bring them back here. Thanks guys!

Why not keep the Camry, fix clutch yourself ($150 clutch kit). Look for something else after finding job fix up other car while driving Camry, then let mom/dad keep it after you have fixed up something else, this way you can borrow Camry when needed.

 

[hawkeye122]

Why not keep the Camry, fix clutch yourself ($150 clutch kit). Look for something else after finding job fix up other car while driving Camry, then let mom/dad keep it after you have fixed up something else, this way you can borrow Camry when needed.

Because replacing the occasional pump/intake/hose or whatever on a BMW would be more something I can do, compared to the difficulty of taking apart a FF car to replace the clutch.

But, finding a car to fix up isn't a bad idea either. Having a beat to death E30 wouldn't be so bad then...

 

[opelgt1969]

Because replacing the occasional pump/intake/hose or whatever on a BMW would be more something I can do, compared to the difficulty of taking apart a FF car to replace the clutch.

But, finding a car to fix up isn't a bad idea either. Having a beat to death E30 wouldn't be so bad then...

Watch this video and see if you think you might be able to do it yourself, the only thin I see bad about it is I wouldn't leave the motor sitting on a jack. I would try and find a way to place jack stands under motor as you could get your arm/hand hurt.
Link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...x4GgCg&usg=AFQjCNGW9Hr_RqE8v8fzkS8860GClhHfTQ

 

[Mike Rotch]

God that 2.2 thing is getting old. And to be honest I'd stay away from those 3 BMWs you have posted. All of them have very high miles, two of them don't have clean titles and the first one that does have a clean title look pretty beat on. If you're looking for anything somewhat sporty and luxurious I'd take a look at older Volvos. But if I were you I'd stick with that Camry until you get some more funds up to buy something better.

Pretty much all this.

You don't want to end up with a money pit and as the Camry is reliable and handy for carting friends around, there is little reason to flog it until you can afford something that won't be a money pit.

 

[Slash]

My 2 cents:

Keep the car, fix what's wrong with it and stick with it until you can afford to get something really nice that will be just as reliable as the Camry. And as already said, you already know the characteristics of this car as well so you won't have to learn something else so soon.

Like I said, stick with what you have and save up for something awesome.

 

[Crash]

Thats the sort of info I wanted. I was hoping that any fix I'd have to do on the BMW would be the same as the clutch. But no.

Eh, it depends on how the car was driven and maintained. With a used car that you have very little history on, it's all a gamble. Everything could have been fixed, or it could be a bomb waiting to go off (receipts and maintenance is key!). With any higher mileage car, you're going to start having certain long life items wear out and need replacement. Unfortunately, a lot of those can be very difficult, time consuming and expensive to fix. One fix itself on a BMW may be about the same as the clutch fix, but it's when multiple things stack up, that's when it gets expensive. The Camry at least you know works.

Reasonable E30's have been "Street Cred" priced out of my budget. A decent one runs upwards of 5000. Any less and they dont run...

I took a peek on Craigslist and there are a few E30s that look like are in decent condition for around $3k. Prices are going up for sure, as I remember when those cars would have been only $1.5k, but those are still quite reasonable prices.

There are still deals to be had, good running E30s for $2.5k-$3k. You just have to be patient, and be willing to travel.

That said, whats a decent price to expect to pay for a 97-2002 BMW 3 or 5 series?

A decent E36 would probably be around the same price as or just a tiny bit more than a decent E30. I'm not sure about E39s ($6k+?).

I would be very willing to work on it myself. But it does seem, however, that I dont quite have enough funds to start with a decent one.

I recommended E30s because those are still mostly mechanical, and would be a good platform to learn to work on cars. They made so many of them, and it's gotten old enough that parts are at a relatively reasonable price as compared to a new BMW. Another thing is that there are enough crashed that it's relatively easy to find used, but still good, parts for sale.

Of course, I would recommend having a little extra cash set aside with any used car purchase in case you need to fix stuff, and just keep driving the Camry until then.

 

[hawkeye122]

On craigslist, I found a BMW Bavaria from 1973. The guy claims it's mechanically functional, but it evidently needs some Interior work.
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3861792820.html
If I can get it for $1000 (Which is a big ask, i know), then I'm going to have it, and try to restore it.

Unless that's also a bad idea. Aren't these based on the 2002 Chassis, which was like the first sporty one?

Also found a 80's 735i. Again, at $950, I can afford to purchase it and keep my current car, in case something goes wrong or I'm doing some kind of work on it.
http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3816404556.html

 

[motortrend]

There's not that much that can go wrong with a 73 bav as far as I'm concerned but keep in mind you'll be driving a 40 year old car that's probably missing a lot of refinement and some comforts from newer cars. Also, it can be expensive/hard to source parts for them as they are older now, though if you want to start working on your car it would probably be a nice car.

I'd stay away from any 7 series TBH

EDIT: Remember as a general rule that the older the car is the more chance there is that the car has been messed with and BMWs don't tend to respond well to half assed things

 

[hawkeye122]

There's not that much that can go wrong with a 73 bav as far as I'm concerned but keep in mind you'll be driving a 40 year old car that's probably missing a lot of refinement and some comforts from newer cars. Also, it can be expensive/hard to source parts for them as they are older now, though if you want to start working on your car it would probably be a nice car.

I'd stay away from any 7 series TBH

EDIT: Remember as a general rule that the older the car is the more chance there is that the car has been messed with and BMWs don't tend to respond well to half assed things

Alright, thanks for the perspective! I'm still considering it, however.