I've been given a sales task - flog an E36 BMW 3 series soft top on behalf of my sister. It's a 1991 325i cabrio, in white. Automatic. One year's MOT, but the tester said significant work will probably be needed next year. Not sure what exactly at this stage. Car's got 86k on the clock, full main dealer/BMW specialist history. 4 owners. Leather interior.
I'm probably going to eBay it, but want to set a reasonable reserve. I'm thinking it's worth about 2k, set the reserve at 1.5k.
Sister wants shot sharpish, so happy with achieving a reasonable price, even if it isn't top dollar, for a quick sale.
(I'm half tempted to buy it myself.)
Thoughts on my valuation?
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>>>the tester said significant work will probably be needed next year<<<
If the Mot tester has completed the advisories section the information will be available on line.
www.gov.uk/check-mot-status-vehicle
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Cheers. I'll have a look at that once I get the necessary details to enter on the website.
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Well the motor's arrived and it's in my garage. Slight surprise - it's an E30, not an E36. Must be one of the last made. It's a 1991 J Reg, it's got a "private" plate, but it's a J reg one of those. Quite pleased really, I've always liked the E30, but not so much the later 3-series shapes.
It evidently needs a new roof, although the current one is still serviceable. It's got one seam gone, about 4 inches, and is just a bit old and tatty - the rear screen isn't very clear any more. There's bits and bobs of rust around the visible bodywork, can't say what it's like underneath yet. The electric window motors are about to pack up, hardly any power left in them. So I'm not going to use them if possible.
Massive pack of receipts/documentation with the car right back to it's original owner. With the low mileage it has for the year, I reckon there's a really good little modern classic here, which needs about a grand spending on it to make it really, really nice. It goes like a train and feels mechanically excellent. It's just that it's starting to fall to buts a bit around it's good core. Sadly I haven't got the new MOT and necessary reference number to obtain the advisories on line as my sis left it at home. It will arrive in the post shortly.
I'm half tempted to buy it myself. As it has never been tampered with or "Barryed" at all, it looks really clean and appealing. Original BMW alloys, and a set of nearly new "Accelera" tyres on it.
I won't be putting it up for sale for a few weeks due to holidays and stuff, so I'll have a bit of time to talk myself/herself in to it.
Last edited by: Alanović on Mon 1 Jul 13 at 13:42
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Oh i like those AV, lovely handsome real car.
If you do buy it get very used to the handling as those Accelera tyres might prove to not have much going for them in the wet, not an expensive tyre size i suspect but might be worth looking up in case its almost obsolete now.
My lad had a lovely E28 528 BMW, that was on ditchfinders and he was caught out several times despite taking care by the things, i can't even remember the brand now...yes i can ''Corsa''.
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I see the attraction.
However, I fear that if you already owned it you would be on here wondering whether or not you should get shot now while it still has some value, or ride it out to the next MOT and risk it having no major repair bills and retaining some value
So in a situation where otherwise you would potentially be considering getting out, you are in fact considering getting in.
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Sell it to some mug who thinks it will be a collector's item.
Top Gear had a session where all three presenters had to get convertibles and all three ended up with 325is. The MINIMUM spend to get one sorted was iirc £6k and the worst was £7k. +. Once you start , they are money pits..
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Yes, I see both NF and madf's arguments.
If I were to decide to "get in" now, I'd be doing it fully in the knowledge that it would be non-beneficial in a financial sense. But I'm not seeing it as an investment. I'd be seeing it as something to have as a bit of fun for occasional use, which will inevitably cost a couple of nicker to keep. It'd be garaged, used only on dry sunny days and not driven in to the ground as a daily. Which would mean I could quite easily ignore the roof. I wouldn't want nor expect it to be in top nick at all times. I'd also do the easier bits and bobs of repair/maintenance myself. Bit of a hobby, like the Volvo 360 I had for a few years recently.
Fun and hobbies cost money. I won't be taking it with me when I kick the bucket.
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>> There's bits and bobs of rust around
>> the visible bodywork, can't say what it's like underneath yet.
The main issue with these is bodywork. Lift carpets and look very carefully around the rear arches, boot area and sills for a start. Mechanically they are fine.
And be careful in the wet - they are from the era of trailing arm suspension and snappy rear end out handling :)
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Thanks, corax. Good tips.
Keep 'em coming, chaps/esses!
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The E30 was available in touring form until L reg I think, so I'm not surprised a convertible is on a J reg
I had an E reg 325i touring for a few years, and sold it not that long ago. Mechanically it was absolutely fine, though it did average 22 mpg! It was going frilly around the bottom of the front wings, and I expect the ones on the convertible are unique to that model!
IIRC a common issue with the electric windows is dirty/corroded switches, so it might be worth taking a look at that as a quick fix? The folding mechanism on the front seats can also shear which makes the seat wobble about and is an MOT fail. Mine actually passed its MOT three years in a row with no problems!!
I'd prefer one to our Audi Cabriolet I think, though the Audi does feel more modern. Worth taking a look at E30zone.net if you do keep it...
Peter
Last edited by: PeterS on Mon 1 Jul 13 at 16:35
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By the way, if it's Calypso red with the cross spoke BBS wheels I'm interested!! ;-)
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I guess this one, despite being a Hartge version, is broadly similar in age/colour/condition...
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E30-325i-convertible-Hartge-H26-/221238559850
so there's an idea of what that sold for.
I'm all for a bit of fun but I wonder if something needing hood, bodywork, electrical and known future MOT repairs at a minimum will either remain tatty or need a few thousand to get it worth pulling out on a nice day. Rust on a white car is very unsightly and bodywork costs are very high now.
I have a thing against converible saloons anyway but that's just me.
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Echo the remarks on the rear end - rip those horrid tyres off or it will bite you on the bum. Get a decent set of Contis or Pirellis - This will have no nannying software to iron out life's little power slides. Sounds a nice car. Any pics ?
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>> Sounds a
>> nice car. Any pics ?
>>
I'll take some soon as I think I'm going to sell it. Will post them up when I do.
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The good news is that parts availibilty from BMW is traditonally excellent, even for older models. I know I was able to purchase, brand new, a satin black gutter trim for my old touring some 20 years after it was first registered, and it was delivered to my local deal next day. Not only that, but BMW replaced the coolant header tank cap FOC as there was an outstanding recall from some time in the 1990's!!
Replacement front wings were available from BMW when I enquired, and weren't that much more than pattern parts, given that fitting and painting is by far the largest cost associated with replacing them. I didn't replace them in the end, but was, momentarily, tempted to do so...
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I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I quite fancied that black M3. Tidy looking motor if a bit flash. There's something annoying about four exhaust pipes on a six cylinder car. It would look better without the M badge and with one exhaust pipe. And the front wing grilles painted black. I'm sure it could be arranged.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Mon 1 Jul 13 at 20:06
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Great car, snappy in wet (but fun), good tyres essential to calm nerves. As above check rear arches, bottom corners in the boot, headlamp levelling if fitted probably no longer working. Has a myriad of behind dashboard illumination bulbs that are a pain to replace, but the result is worth it. Drive shaft coupling worth a good look and oil swap for the differential worth doing.
Another big weakness on the body is rust through of the scuttle below windscreen on n/s. Fixable but a pain.
Enjoy for how ever long you have. The straight six is quality and the handling old school and fun. Many parts still available new from BMW dealer...........
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I will not be keeping it. I have received the list of woe now.
Here's a picture of the garage's advice when it was MOT'd recently....
i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa332/alanovich/b67d607c-c50c-4186-8988-770bf5995446_zps04ab0d1a.jpg
Last edited by: Alanović on Thu 4 Jul 13 at 09:32
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timing belt ? Surely a chain on a 325?
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No, it's a cambelt on the M20B25 (I think that's the engine code) engine in an E30. Quite a short change interval as well I recall - 30k miles?
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Definitely a cambelt. I had a 2 door saloon one of those back when they were current. Nice car but as mentioned, could be tail happy. The cambelt let go on mine on Christmas Eve at 5.00 in the evening when I was 500 miles from home with 50 still to go to our holiday destination. Try getting a hire car in a hurry at any kind of reasonable price or indeed at all on Christmas Eve...
:-(
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>> i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa332/alanovich/b67d607c-c50c-4186-8988-770bf5995446_zps04ab0d1a.jpg
I think it's the 'bad corrosion to rear of body' that seals it's fate for me. All the other things do-able, but you'd have to love it a lot. Rear brake pipes are a weakness on BMW's. I had to have mine done on my old 323i touring, and damn expensive it was too, because the fuel tank had to be dropped. The actual copper pipe cost peanuts. Even quite late models can start to corrode. They site them just in front of the rear wheels where one small section gets a full dose of road salt. But once it's corroded in one place, the whole pipe needs renewing.
I got the rear wheels off the Forester to waxoyl the brake pipes and hardly had to do anything. It's all tucked away sensibly near the chassis away from crud thrown up by the wheels.
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There's not much there really. A few pipes and hoses, replace the brakes, & give it a service. It's not so long ago that that list was fairly common every few years for an MOT.
And what's 'badly corroded'? Holes though vital structural components, or a lot of surface rust?
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Can tell you are not in sales or marketing.....
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I'll take that as a compliment, Zero. Honest listing for an honest car with faults. No point beating about the bush, we just want a fair price and no comebacks.
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You've got to be as honest as possible, fair write up. I'm half tempted.
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Already had 3 offers in my ebay messages. 500, 650 and 1000. They've been politely asked to bid through the proper method.
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>>I'm half tempted
How about the other half?
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>> I'll take that as a compliment, Zero. Honest listing for an honest car with faults.
>> No point beating about the bush, we just want a fair price and no comebacks.
It was half meant as a compliment. but.
There is always a but.
You can be honest but you have to slap yourself in the face doing it.
For example. Your add, in the title description, in highlighted text, says, on the third line of the page
“Nearside rear anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive ” ... Read more
95% of people wont scroll down the page to see anything else. They wont ever see anything good, like nearly a years MOT.
Give them good bits, bad bits, good bits in that order.
Yours is bad bits, bad bits, bad bits, good bits, bad bits.
And those people emailing you have no intention buying.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 11 Aug 13 at 20:00
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Eh? Have another look. There's a paragraph of good before the bad starts. And the MOT length is given in the first line.
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>>Eh? Have another look.
Arguably that's exactly the point; What is important is not what you wrote, its what someone read.
Its just sad how different those things can be.
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>> Eh? Have another look. There's a paragraph of good before the bad starts. And the
>> MOT length is given in the first line.
Eh? look at the add.
As its displayed on the page
I have to scroll down through 11 lines of your stuff, a whole shed load of Ebay stuff, before I get to your reference to a long MOT.
It could be on line 3, right where i see, when I first look at the add, the price
At the moment I see when i get to the add
991 BMW 325I CABRIOLET AUTO WHITE E30
Item condition:Used
“Nearside rear anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive ” ... Read more
for which you want 500 quid.
Edit..... Ok i see you have picked it up.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 11 Aug 13 at 20:15
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Ah right, I see what you're saying. I didn't realise eBay put that "Seller's Notes" box so high up the page. I've changed that now. Thanks. Never listed a car on there before, so didn't spot that straight away.
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>> Ah right, I see what you're saying. I didn't realise eBay put that "Seller's Notes"
>> box so high up the page. I've changed that now. Thanks. Never listed a car
>> on there before, so didn't spot that straight away.
Tweak it a wee bit more.
We don't need the model, year, and colour again, we have that at the top of the page.
I would have it saying
MOT until July 2014, taxed until end of August 2013.
This car is a great runner and It has a full service history from new
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Since when did an MoT Test report on such noises?
"Fuel pump noisy in operation"
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It didn't. It's just a note from a thorough service and inspection which happened at the same time as the MOT.
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Long MoT, for 5 or 6 hundred well worth just running into the ground, great buy for a real FU hooligan like some I know. Course a coupe would be much better. But FU hooligans often have poor taste.
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8 requests for a "buy it now" price already. It's going to be a long week.
Time wasters.
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Might be worth seven or eight hundred to the right FU hooligan I suppose.
Doubtless there will be people hoping to do some quick cosmetics and double their money or better.
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So, 15 "wot u gonna take for it cash, bruv"s so far, and no bids. Ain't it a giggle.
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Just had a smashing chap come and test drive it - local bodywork repair chap. Might get him to sort out the damage on my Laguna!
Interestingly (to me), he drove the whole way two foot-style, left foot braking. I'd never actually seen someone doing it. Wouldn't dare myself. But let's not get in to that debate again!
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Was this ere geezer wearing a titfer by any chance?
:o)
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If I woz you, I would stick the goona on ebay and keep the beemer. Be less agro in the long run....
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If the BMW were a Tourer, you may have a point.
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Bidding's up to 1100 now. Get in there quick R.P. if you haven't already!
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Its going to be hot and sunny tomorrow, that should add a couple hundred quid to the bid price.
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>> Its going to be hot and sunny tomorrow
Not in the South East...
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>> >> Its going to be hot and sunny tomorrow
>>
>> Not in the South East...
Meant Sunday. Final bid day for his car.
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Excellent. Hadn't spotted the forecast.
Let's just hope the winning bidder ponies up............
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>> Excellent. Hadn't spotted the forecast.
>>
>> Let's just hope the winning bidder ponies up............
>>
I know some really nice men who are expert in persuading reluctant buyers to choose paying up rather than undergoing instant surgery of the kneecaps...
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Me too. Sadly, they're in Moldova. Perhaps they fancy a weekend away.....
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Assuming the buyer coughs up and collects you've done really well at £2101.... really really well. Very lucky too that zero feedback bidder pushed it up £800 in the last 30mins.
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The zero feedback bidder did actually come to view the car. Local chap about my age, reputable sort and left his business card with me to call him should he not win, and the winning bidder lets me down. I am very confident he'll take the car should that be the case. I think he was naive in his bidding, being an ebay newbie. To lose out by a pound is frustrating. I had hoped that he or one of the other two bidders who had actually viewed the car would win, but let's see if the winner does the necessary. No contact from him so far, how long do we think we should give him before offering it to others?
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2 grand? thats heavy money. Winning bidder would have been in touch by now, he was a none viewer? do you really bid 2 grand without viewing? 48 hours is sufficient time to wait in his case. I bet he's a no show.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 19 Aug 13 at 10:10
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I suspect you may be right. 48 hours seems reasonable.
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I'll put my bruising team on standby. They will be polishing their pickaxe handles...
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This evening would be a good time to give the winner a 24hr prompt through the Ebay message system along the lines that...
You are trying to plan your week so wondered when he was thinking of collecting and were there any vehicle details he needed to arrange insurance. Add that the underbidder viewed and is still wanting the car so if you hear nothing within a further 24hrs you will assume he has gone off it and you'll sell to the underbidder.
Of course you have the advantage over us that you can see details of the buyer... what sort of stuff has he been buying/selling?
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Car parts mainly, no full vehicles. Only a feedback score of 16, and quite a few negatives older than 12 months.
I think I'll be going down to the second bidder.
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>>>Car parts mainly, no full vehicles. Only a feedback score of 16, and quite a few negatives older than 12 months.
He could prove me wrong by calling round at teatime with the cash..... however that is the worse kind of feedback and I'd be looking to dump him.
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Yep, going to give him another 24 hours. I've got his number and will call this evening if I don't hear.
He's a couple of hundred miles away too. The second bidder (who came to view) is 5 miles away and texted me after the auction ended to say he was still interested. I expect the car will be staying local.
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No response to ebay messages, texts or a phone call. His phone is set not to accept incoming calls, and no voicemail. Conclusion made, timewaster, second chance offer sent to second place bidder. Unpaid item case to be opened shortly.
Why do people bother with pulling this crap.
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>>>second chance offer sent to second place bidder
Hope that goes well.
I've had very few non-payers but like you I just don't understand what motivates them to bid.
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>> >>>Car parts mainly, no full vehicles. Only a feedback score of 16, and quite a
>> few negatives older than 12 months.
Something I've noticed recently is that although feedback might be marked as positive, if you read the text it's actually (very) negative.
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There's one of those negative positives on this fella's feedback. From someone trying to sell a car. Trouble is, I can't stop him bidding and winning.
Now the second chance bidder is telling me he's chasing another car, and will let me know if he wants my one later today. This is getting quite boring.
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Bidder 2 has just called me, he's bringing me a deposit (200) tonight, and the balance on collection on Saturday.
Sorted. There are good people out there. I rounded it down to £2k for him. Still delighted with that.
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Well done.
Our consultancy fee at 10% is £200. Mine's a liter of Bombay Sapphire. Thanks in advance
:-)
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I could not have done it without you and your friends and their American sporting goods, madf.
Cheers.
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the original punta was on his way round win the dosh but madfs boys dun 'is knee caps in.
He's cost yer over a 'undred nicker guvner, H'es dun yer up like a kippa.
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BMW 3-Series E36 - Valuation - sherlock47
