E30 Zone

Hi all,

Bit of a random one, but I was wondering if anyone had been down to view the following 320i down in Looe?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bmw-e30-320i ... 438.l2649

On paper it's exactly what I'm looking for. I've sent the seller a fairly long list of questions re: the old girl but not heard back yet. If the replies are positive I was planning on getting a pre-purchase inspection carried out before taking the plunge.

I'm sure there's a few other eBay surfers on here that would have seen it, so curious to hear your thoughts.

It has a few things going for it, bodywork does look above average from the pics

Pros - tech 2 kit, manual, uncracked dash, clean interior, 320i are generally bulletproof, shadowline

Cons - not a 325i, eyebrows, black kidneys, wheels (assuming they are reps, they almost look like 18s to me?) HLWW wipers missing

If the bodywork is as good as it looks and you want to keep it long term then it's a good starting point, but they are asking top money, I think it was up for sale around 5k a couple years back?

Thanks mate, it's great to get another opinion on it. I'd definitely be replacing the wheels, refitting HLWW and a few other tweaks, but overall I'm quite keen. I think the price is way off though. What would you suggest is a fair price for it out of interest?

I may be out of touch but 10k sounds like very strong money for a 320i.

Cloggy Saint wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:01 pm

I may be out of touch but 10k sounds like very strong money for a 320i.

Agreed. They seem closer to the £7k mark overall. It's good that the bodywork has been apparently sorted, but it's not particularly low mileage and not sure it warrants that extra £3k.

Lot of chancers out there.....

I love what they’ve said ...........”it starts every time”
&...........”it drives with no knocks and bangs”

Phew, that’s a relief!

If its been " re finished" in its original colour I would expect to see some photos of the rebuild ....and without wanting to be a ponce and without prejudice in any way...I'm always bothered by a badly written description, it makes me feel unsure about the entire thing.

Just my opinion.

Paul

paultv wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:42 am

If its been " re finished" in its original colour I would expect to see some photos of the rebuild ....and without wanting to be a ponce and without prejudice in any way...I'm always bothered by a badly written description, it makes me feel unsure about the entire thing.

Just my opinion.

Paul

It is Cornwell Pual od lot dewn therye. ;o))))

paultv wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:42 am

If its been " re finished" in its original colour I would expect to see some photos of the rebuild ....and without wanting to be a ponce and without prejudice in any way...I'm always bothered by a badly written description, it makes me feel unsure about the entire thing.

Just my opinion.

Paul

Agreed. I asked them for some photos of the entire restoration process, so interested to see what comes back.

So, I had a detailed pre-purchase inspection carried out on this today, and needless to say it's a bit of an eye opener. Will post up the findings later, but I think I've just seen a new UK record.....It's got 17 PREVIOUS OWNERS.

Let's also just say the sellers description of 'Superb Condition Throughout' is not quite accurate.

The tech 2 kits can hide a multitude of horrors, im looking forward to the list! Who did you get to do the inspection?

waiting for the pics,

but i noticed the add says the seller relisted it?
something's not quite right

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:13 pm

So, I had a detailed pre-purchase inspection carried out on this today, and needless to say it's a bit of an eye opener. Will post up the findings later, but I think I've just seen a new UK record.....It's got 17 PREVIOUS OWNERS.

Let's also just say the sellers description of 'Superb Condition Throughout' is not quite accurate.

That’s a hire car!

I had the inspection done by Matt at South West Vehicle Inspections, as they were nearby. Really good service, and decent report. Unfortunately it's a fairly superficial inspection, so christ knows what is lurking under that M-Tech body kit.

So, here is the main points from the report.

• rust around sunroof could be a cause of serious concern due to the tubes rusting, potentially meaning roof needs to be chopped and replaced.
  
  badly rusted front cross member needs chopping and replacing.
  
  inner wings rusted through
  
  all bushes need replacing
  
  suspension arms need replacing
  
  exhaust isn't mounted correctly (with cable tie and rubber hose).
  
  all brake hoses are perished and need to be replaced. some are also cable tied.
  
  Most if not all tires need to be replaced.
  
  17 previous owners .....interesting!
  
  no anti freeze in cooling system...full of rust.
  
  water present in boot, carpet in poor condition.
  
  diff is leaking.
  
  oil leak from bottom of engine.
  
  headlamp washers don't work - no wipers.
  
  mileage went from 129,000 in 2018 to 127,987 in 2019.....
  
  wheel arches have been replaced, but rust is already present on replacements.
  
  new paint job is of a poor quality and needs to be re-done.

Now, compare and contrast with the ebay description:

Exterior.
Exceptional condition no rust. Its had a top full restoration in its life and been refinished in its original colour. Fitted with 5X 17” alpina alloy wheels and good tyres. Full mtech 2 kit. Photos REALLY don’t do this car justice it’s beautiful!!!

It has just had a full 12 months Mot with no advisory’s.

I didn't realise Stevie Wonder opened an MOT station.

I also noticed that back in June it went unsold on eBay for £11k, then dropped to £10k, and now just under £9k. So it's been sitting a while. I imagine a few others have been to view and walked away.

So overall, it's listed for £9k at the moment, which is ludicrous. I'd love to take this car on, give it the long term ownership and proper restoration it needs, instead of the turd polishing it's had this far. But how much would the above cost to put right?!

Happy to send the full report to anyone who's interested in reading further. Makes good bedtime reading.

minesapint wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 8:25 pm

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:13 pm

So, I had a detailed pre-purchase inspection carried out on this today, and needless to say it's a bit of an eye opener. Will post up the findings later, but I think I've just seen a new UK record.....It's got 17 PREVIOUS OWNERS.

Let's also just say the sellers description of 'Superb Condition Throughout' is not quite accurate.

That’s a hire car!

My thoughts exactly!!!

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:12 pm

I had the inspection done by Matt at South West Vehicle Inspections, as they were nearby. Really good service, and decent report. Unfortunately it's a fairly superficial inspection, so christ knows what is lurking under that M-Tech body kit.




I didn't realise Stevie Wonder opened an MOT station.

I also noticed that back in June it went unsold on eBay for £11k, then dropped to £10k, and now just under £9k. So it's been sitting a while. I imagine a few others have been to view and walked away.

So overall, it's listed for £9k at the moment, which is ludicrous. I'd love to take this car on, give it the long term ownership and proper restoration it needs, instead of the turd polishing it's had this far. But how much would the above cost to put right?!

Happy to send the full report to anyone who's interested in reading further. Makes good bedtime reading.

I think Stevie Wonder also did the restoration.........

That's quite amusing. Although perhaps 'amusing' is the wrong word.

£170 spent to discover the seller is talking pish. Always fun

Better than spending 10k on a shed.

Walk away.

Quote from Advert:
“It drives with no knocks and bangs and has just had a full 12 months Mot with no advisory’s.”

REALLY!!

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:12 pm

mileage went from 129,000 in 2018 to 127,987 in 2019.....

The mileage on the MOT history is consistent so maybe it was just an error by whoever did the service. It's still nowhere near a 10k car though, probably not even half that value.

Cloggy Saint wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:37 pm

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:12 pm

mileage went from 129,000 in 2018 to 127,987 in 2019.....

The mileage on the MOT history is consistent so maybe it was just an error by whoever did the service. It's still nowhere near a 10k car though, probably not even half that value.

Good point, I can only guess they mixed their 6 and 9s up.

So the time has come to either chuck a realistic offer on the table or walk away. I keep thinking £5k would be realistic to allow funds for restoration, but my head tells me this has nightmare written all over it. Would you all leave this one well alone?

Walk, there are much better alternatives out there.

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:12 pm

• rust around sunroof could be a cause of serious concern due to the tubes rusting, potentially meaning roof needs to be chopped and replaced.

If this is on the external roof skin, rather than the sunroof panel, then forget it.

Just messaged seller to say I'm out. Such a shame, but the search must go on!

If anyone in future needs the report give me a buzz, as I'd be happy to share it.

Compare this piece of crap to the cabby in the for sale section - night and day!

Paul

Got to say, if you’re looking for a four pot & a cabby with cloth interior, the one Paul’s referring too looks the nuts from the pictures.
Probably the price will be negotiable as it’s been for sale a while now & the summer is rapidly ending. But you need a good dry garage it you get a cab, they’re not for keeping outdoors.

£170 well spent I say. This car needs a full strip down resto with money spent in every area of the car, you would easily sink another 5k into this and that's optimistic.

Offer him £1500.....

Satan wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 5:21 pm

Offer him £1500.....

Even at £1500 it’s a liability! IMHO

minesapint wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:55 pm

Satan wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 5:21 pm

Offer him £1500.....

Even at £1500 it’s a liability! IMHO

Break it for parts........

minesapint wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:43 pm

Got to say, if you’re looking for a four pot & a cabby with cloth interior, the one Paul’s referring too looks the nuts from the pictures.
Probably the price will be negotiable as it’s been for sale a while now & the summer is rapidly ending. But you need a good dry garage it you get a cab, they’re not for keeping outdoors.

I would absolutely love that cabby, as it looks immaculate. Alas, I'll be using my E30 as a daily for nursery & school run, so I'm in need of either a 4 door, or squeeze them into a 325 at a push.

After telling the seller I'm walking and sending him the report for his records, he's of the opinion that it doesn't accurately reflect the condition of the car and the inspector got many things completely wrong / over exaggerated issues...

daveyheats wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:09 pm

minesapint wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:43 pm

Got to say, if you’re looking for a four pot & a cabby with cloth interior, the one Paul’s referring too looks the nuts from the pictures.
Probably the price will be negotiable as it’s been for sale a while now & the summer is rapidly ending. But you need a good dry garage it you get a cab, they’re not for keeping outdoors.

I would absolutely love that cabby, as it looks immaculate. Alas, I'll be using my E30 as a daily for nursery & school run, so I'm in need of either a 4 door, or squeeze them into a 325 at a push.

After telling the seller I'm walking and sending him the report for his records, he's of the opinion that it doesn't accurately reflect the condition of the car and the inspector got many things completely wrong / over exaggerated issues...

Like a lot of chancer sellers, he's delusional and thinks you have nobbled the appraiser. How long has he owned it for BTW?