E30 Zone

Hi Guys
I am interested in a car but it is not local.
Owner has sent the attached pics of the underside.
What are peoples thoughts on the rust / condition please?

Rust you see is always the tip of the iceberg, but from what is in the photographs there is nothing that would worry me and it looks like it has not been in a high corrosion area. The fuel pipes look original and in good nick and they are the type of thing that can show rust.

That said, the bit on the door could be an issue and the Mtech pods are renowned for hiding rust. I would need photos of the usual places though like boot side pockets and inner arches, front corner "jacking points" (that are not jacking points) front lower scuttle etc etc

All the suspension bits are consumables and easily replaced and to be expected on a 30-40 year old car no matter how well kept.

All depends on price though, I would still need to go over it with a magnet and give a few places a gentle poke with a screwdriver.

Thanks for the info...

...I am also looking at another one, again , at the opposite end of the country ...

...but it say on the MOT history it has been undersealed ...

MOT Checker says - Underside under sealed not allowing proper inspection.

This was not mentioned on the previous MOT...makes me suspicious

MOTs can be a variable thing, some write war and peace some say nothing, Something to check when you get there or ask for photos or info. Difficult to say unless you see the car in the flesh at the end of the day, not first time I have driven across the country and walked away, If I go by train I always buy a return ticket,

Good advice...I am waitng for a video of the underside of one of the cars..

You want to see all the high risk areas, wheel arches, boot floor, front floor corners and bulkhead, a friend of mine just bought a 325i last year and the rust was twice as bad as he originally thought when he pulled back underseal and dislodged mud.

Looks very clean to me.

As mentioned above you need to see the areas that are common to gauge it properly. Front of the front footwells on both sides is very common but easy to fix. The front battery tray. Both rear wells in the boot (each side) and the rear valance in that area. Also check around the roof and with the sunroof open if it has one. Front scuttles in the corners.