Buying or Selling an E30

[Car-Nut]

Guys,

When buying or selling an E30 what are the main sites you look on or what magazines do you read to find your E30?

[pacerpete]

There is nothing wrong with your car, your ad or the mediums you are using to advertise your car. The problem is £3500 for a 4 door 325, no matter how nice and shiny it is , is not going to happen.

[fuzzy]

i reckon plain old auto trader is good for buying from. on there an e30 is just an average old car at average old car prices and not the over priced alleged classics from specialist sites listed at way way over the odds for basic cars.

[djk]

Gotta agree with the above tbh. I've seen your car on a number of sites and thought 'nice car'. Apart from anything it's an absolutely terrible time to be selling a car of any type.

The people likely to pay a premium for a car in condition like yours are most likely zoners or car club members. If you're having no interest from people in either of those avenues, it's time to accept you're keeping it or dropping the price.

Undoubtedly, your car should command a premium over a run of the mill 4dr 325, but in the present climate you may have to wait a long time for a buyer with the balls to splash over £3k on it. Perhaps try arranging brokerage through WLN or similar?

[Car-Nut]

I appreciate all the feedback from you guys who know more about the market.....

Like it says ono so willing to negotiate

Will wait a bit before I drop as have ploughed loads of dosh into the car. I know you dont get back what you have paid in.

If it doesnt go then I will keep it.... but am getting itchy feet ready for a change

[fuzzy]

my comment above was made not knowing that you in fact already had a car up for sale so it wasnt based on your specific car

[Car-Nut]

No offence taken..... Fuzzy

[jibowski]

i'd try classic car mart as you get a lot of mint low miler late 70s to 80s future classics in it, tbh if you stick a 4dr for £3500 on here most members will know you can get a really nice cabby or genuine sport for that kind of money

there will be someone who wants your car somewhere as an appreciating post classic and is willing to pay what you ask its just a question of finding them

[Car-Nut]

to true ... theres a buyer somewhere...... where are you ?????

Is classic mart a website or a mag or both?

[SPADGE]

Got to agree with Pete i'm afraid.
I think you have zero chance of getting anywhere near the figure your asking and you need a reality check.
I'm not being spitefull just stating a fact.
That car is at least 1k over priced in a normal market and in todays market probably nearer 2k over.
Forgetting price for a second your advert on Pistonheads needs more than the one picture just in case someone with more money than sense does happen to be on the look out with 3.5k burning a hole in his pocket.

[Jon_Bmw]

The people likely to pay a premium for a car in condition like yours are most likely zoners

[Andyboy]

E30's might be considered classics here, but to 98% of the population they are an old BMW. Trouble is, they are not old enough yet to feel like a classic car in the way a Mark 2 Jaguar, 3.0CSi or a stacked headlight W108 Merc. I went out in my '84 car this evening whilst the weather was good and there isn't really the sense of occasion you should get in a 'classic' car. It's smooth and competent and it looks nice but that's about it. It's really only the M3 that stands out as a proper classic because it was something special 20 years ago. A regular E30 was a nice middle order car and that was about it. I have a feeling the white 1984 E30 will be my last.

£3500 for a four door 325i? Good luck. £3500 buys a smart 328i E46 which has far more percieved value and is a much better car.

[pacerpete]

I thought you served that minty 320 chromer Everett ? Didn't you have a genuine enthusiast zoner with dollars (even Bellamy hasn't come across one of these mythical creatures ! ) coming to see it last week ?

[e36boy]

Dude im gonna be cruel to be kind here, Your car is worth about 1.5k maybe 2k if youre lucky...3.5k is Sport money mate.

[Simon13]

Everett is in an E30 disliking stage again and big up the E36/46.

[SPADGE]

Everett is in an E30 disliking stage again and big up the E36/46.

Glad that i'm not the only one that has noticed that.
Surely the e30 zone is the wrong place for you in your current mind-set Andy?

[Andyboy]

Everett is in an E30 disliking stage again and big up the E36/46.

Glad that i'm not the only one that has noticed that.
Surely the e30 zone is the wrong place for you in your current mind-set Andy?

No, I just think of the stunning black Sport Evo Pacerpete sold me 7 years ago and get a warm glow. A four door E30 is just transport.

[pacerpete]

Everett is justy p1ssed because he has his barmitzvah money tied up in his chromie, and he wants it back !

[Andyboy]

I thought you served that minty 320 chromer Everett ? Didn't you have a genuine enthusiast zoner with dollars (even Bellamy hasn't come across one of these mythical creatures ! ) coming to see it last week ?

Indeed. Vanished without a trace, as usual.

[Simon13]

you shouldn't of sold it and let Richard Baxter drive it hard for all those years as a daily car!

[Andyboy]

you shouldn't of sold it and let Richard Baxter drive it hard for all those years as a daily car!

That's okay. I made £4000 from it.

[pacerpete]

you shouldn't of sold it and let Richard Baxter drive it hard for all those years as a daily car!

That's okay. I made £4000 from it.

I only had 3 bags and i done all the work !

[Andyboy]

I know, I'm such a bitch. The deal involved a 1972 3.0CSL though so I didn't escape unscathed. If memory serves I paid £11'500 for it, sold it for £8000 plus the CSL which was sold to a Kiwi for £8000 after £500 spent on 'chassis fabrication' and a stem seal job.

Baxter did drive the M3 quite a lot (I think he put 15 k on it in 2 years) but he does look after stuff. It looked quite good at GayDon last year in the hands of it's current owner.

Bwtween us, Pete and I have probably saved/restored more E30's than anyone else here.

[Simon13]

it's not all about the money, didn't baxter make even more on it when he sold it though!

[pacerpete]

it's not all about the money, didn't baxter make even more on it when he sold it though!

He did indeed on a risng market. If he had waited longer he would have made a sh1t load more. Nice sport evos are only going one way price wise.
To think that turd was bought about 6 years ago from the loot free ads taxed and tested and tatty with BBS splits for £5700 !

[Andyboy]

Most likely - If I had kept it and done 1000 miles a year it'd be worth £25'000 now but I wanted an 840Ci and they didn't come cheap in 2003. The current owner paid £14'500 so Richard had two years virtually free motoring. It really was a superb example, totally unmolested and all matching numbers and original panels and not the typical track shagged old knacker. Apart from the usual scuttle which was replaced during the paintjob it had never gone rusty anywhere. It was grubby and covered in little marks and stone chips but was completely original. It spent the first three years of its life with BMW, being sold to the main BMW Dealer in Hamburg in 1993.

Oddly enough I enjoyed driving that dog rough Griffin 2.7 powered C1 2.3 more.

[bss325i]

Most likely - If I had kept it and done 1000 miles a year it'd be worth £25'000 now but I wanted an 840Ci and they didn't come cheap in 2003. The current owner paid £14'500 so Richard had two years virtually free motoring. It really was a superb example, totally unmolested and all matching numbers and original panels and not the typical track shagged old knacker. Apart from the usual scuttle which was replaced during the paintjob it had never gone rusty anywhere. It was grubby and covered in little marks and stone chips but was completely original. It spent the first three years of its life with BMW, being sold to the main BMW Dealer in Hamburg in 1993.

Oddly enough I enjoyed driving that dog rough Griffin 2.7 powered C1 2.3 more.

What happened to the C1?

[Andyboy]

I sold it to a Mate who is slowly - and I mean at a glacial pace - restoring it. The body was completely rebuilt and was painted about 2 years ago. 18 months ago I put the wiring loom in and that's as far as it got. A house move means it probably won't be restarted until next year and I reckon it will see the road again in 2010.

Maybe.

It will be retaining the 2.7 though as it was really nice to drive.

[Car-Nut]

Got to agree with Pete i'm afraid.
I think you have zero chance of getting anywhere near the figure your asking and you need a reality check.
I'm not being spitefull just stating a fact.
That car is at least 1k over priced in a normal market and in todays market probably nearer 2k over.
Forgetting price for a second your advert on Pistonheads needs more than the one picture just in case someone with more money than sense does happen to be on the look out with 3.5k burning a hole in his pocket.

Im not trying to start an arguement here but you're saying my car is worth 1.5 -2.5 k. We all know you loose money on cars and you dont get back what you put in. But like with big engined cars if everyone drops the price significantly its gonna kill the price of second hand car market.

If you can hold out for your price I believe its worth doing, obviously its a buyers market as theres a credit crunch, but surely we dont want to be giving our cars away after all the time,effort and money we put into them.

Look at the prices on this site:-

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/classic_ ... Search.y=5

This site has a large turnover of cars

[SPADGE]

Got to agree with Pete i'm afraid.
I think you have zero chance of getting anywhere near the figure your asking and you need a reality check.
I'm not being spitefull just stating a fact.
That car is at least 1k over priced in a normal market and in todays market probably nearer 2k over.
Forgetting price for a second your advert on Pistonheads needs more than the one picture just in case someone with more money than sense does happen to be on the look out with 3.5k burning a hole in his pocket.

Im not trying to start an arguement here but you're saying my car is worth 1.5 -2.5 k. We all know you loose money on cars and you dont get back what you put in. But like with big engined cars if everyone drops the price significantly its gonna kill the price of second hand car market.

If you can hold out for your price I believe its worth doing, obviously its a buyers market as theres a credit crunch, but surely we dont want to be giving our cars away after all the time,effort and money we put into them.

Look at the prices on this site:-

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/classic_ ... Search.y=5

This site has a large turnover of cars

And i'm also not having an argument with you fella.
Fact is your car will not sell for anywhere near what your asking as it is way over priced for the model that it is.
Unless you can find someone who falls in love with it and has money to burn it simply will not sell!
As for killing the prices if they are dropped too low i agree but yours is starting way too high to start with.
Fact is its a 4 door which may be in great condition but it isn't a low miler, special edition or a standard concours car so its simply not worth what your asking.
Its your car and your decision but having been in the motor trade for the best part of 20 years you can regard my advice as qualified rather than guess work.
If the price doesn't drop to less than 2k in the current market it won't sell its as simple as that!

[gIzzE]

Totally agree, the market is dead!
You have to have something really special to sell at the moment.

There are some nice Sports out there with 100k on them going for £3500 when you ask what they actually sold for.

I would say ebay is the best judge of what things are really worth, you can see what they ended at, what people were prepared to pay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=002



All cars are loosing shed loads, was offered a 57 plate M3 last week for £39k, it cost £57k 7 months ago.

I was offered £23k for my 320d sport touring last month and the best bid this week is £21k.

Look at E46 M3's, they were still nearly £20k for a 2001/2 car with smg 3 months ago, you can get them now with the same spec and mileage for around £12k.

I had people lined up for my 325i touring 2 months ago at £1200, I have added new brakes, bushes, H&R anti roll bars and had an inspection II done since then and decided to sell it again and the best offer so far is a grand!
I spent that on doing all the above on it.

If you want to sell now then the price has to be right.

It is not undervaluing the cars by selling them cheap, it is more a case of the market is showing what they are really worth, and in a time when money is getting tight buying something boring but reliable can be more appealing to a lot of folk.

[ShepsEvo3]

If you have a nice E30 the best thing to do is run it into the ground.. its the only way to get value for money out it them now. Unless its an M3 - advertise it abroad and you'll make money.

[march109]

If you have a nice E30 the best thing to do is run it into the ground.. its the only way to get value for money out it them now. Unless its an M3 - advertise it abroad and you'll make money.

Agreed, I spend alot of money on mine, I won't be selling anytime soon though because it isn't worth bean. Its a toy, a big boys toy but a toy.

I personally agree with Spadge on the value of that particular car, I don't mean to upset you or argue but it isn't anything special, look on ebay what other 4 doors are selling for. peanuts.

It does look very nice but you need more of a description and more pics to get it to sell at all, if you keep the price as it is two things will happen, a chancer will try his luck and negotiate down to a fair price and it will sell, or it will not sell.

[gIzzE]

And putting that people can negotiate is a bad move because of lot of people don't want to or simply don't know how to.

You are best to stick a car at the lowest you are prepared to sell it and get some interest, they may fall in love with it and pay that price, even if it was a little higher than they wanted to pay.
Setting it at £1000 more than is realistic will just mean people ignore it.