WTB: 318ti in Mid-Atlantic

[RWerksman]

Im about redy to turn my leased car in and I am pretty smitten with the idea of purchasing a 318ti. If you have, or know of someone who has, a ti for sale along the following lines, I would sure appriceate a heads up.

1. Manual Transmission (deal breaker)
2. Good condition overall with no mechanical problems.
3. Reasonable mileage. (Low mileage would be a big plus!)
4. Days traveling distance from Pittsburgh, PA to you.

Im pretty reasonable with color and equipment - cars with the sport package, cali roof, and heated seats would obviously command a higher price, but I would consider cars without. Also, I have financing lined up and could concievably take delivery tomorrow if needed.


PMs here and emails to werksman at msn dot com are both good. I really appriciate any help I get in finding a ti to live next to my K1 in the garage!


Rob

[318tiNC]

pm sent

[RWerksman]

Bump - Still looking!

[Tyler]

I moved this to the want to buy section.

[RWerksman]

Thanks!

[RWerksman]

Ok - still looking.

I've driven a few, I just cant seem to find one that wants to come home with me.

What's the deal about trying to sell a car with the check engine light on, and then telling the guy who wants to buy it that the dealer cant figure out why? Sheesh!


Money and insurance are all lined up - just need to find the right car in the next 2-3 weeks. Help me out here!

[nusstroy]

hahahahahahahahahaha
everyone i have met so far on here that has bought one recently gets it with the check engine light on... haha

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by nusstroy

gets it with the check engine light on... haha

Mine wasn't on when I bought it, but came on about halfway home. I was a little pissed off, but it turned out to just be a bad thermostat.

To get back on topic.... RWerksman... Now that you've driven a few cars, let us know what your preferences are on features and Base vs. Active vs. Sport packages. Also, where are you looking? There are several good online resources for car shopping.

[RWerksman]

boo on the hahahaha (although I did kinda find it somewhat sadistically funny - he didnt mention anything about it until after I returned from the test drive!)

My preferences are pretty simple. I want a TI with a manual transmission, and lowish mileage. Cars with the sport package, cali roof, and heated seats would be preferred, but I would consider cars without.

I've been all over here, bimmerforums, autotrader, cars.com, and even ebay.

I live in southwest Pennsylvania - near Pittsburgh. I've got no problem driving a bit to come see a car, I just need the owner to work with me a bit so that I know that I'm not making a trip for nothing. Pics and an honest description of what is broken or not working on the car would be great.


Am I asking too much here? I gave myself about 6 weeks to be able to round one up, and all I have to this point is horror stories about check engine lights, rebuilt titles, and people who like dog hair... and pretzels... and smahing both dog hair and pretzels into carpet... and then spilling pop on top... and never cleaning it up...

[roadrash]

Cars with the Sport package can be found... Cali tops seem to be a bit harder to find... and I think you can retrofit heated seats.

Looks like you've checked the sites I'd have suggested. I found mine at autotrader.com. OK, actually, 96cali found it and pointed me to the ad. :-)

6 weeks? LOL.... I didn't find mine until almost exactly a year after I started looking. I gave up a few times in there and decided to keep the Honda running. Keep in mind that the 318ti isn't as common as e.g., a Honda Civic or Accord, so it might take a while to find one. When I was shopping, I found a lot of ti's in the NE, so that should work in your favor.

In the end, I spent more money than I originally wanted and it took longer than I wanted to find it, but the car seems to be worth the money and wait. So, my advice is to not get discouraged and to keep looking. :-)

[PHL]

I have to agree with roadrash, you have to be patient, and a bit lucky. It took me over half a year before I got myself a 1995 Sport. Same simple preferences as you, standard and lowish miles. Nothing as bad as the ones you've seen, but nothing that I absolutely loved. It got to the point that I was considering a road trip out to Connecticut, and even flying down to Florida to check out a couple available for sale.

The thing that I noticed while I was searching was that availabilty seemed to come in waves. Weeks at a time, there was nothing except the ones you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Then suddenly, there were handful available in your area. And just like that, they'd be gone, sold in a matter of days.

In my case, I test drove a Club Sport, and we agreed on a price, on the condition that my mechanic would completely inspect the car before the sale would be final. I drove home, and the seller sold the car in the hour it took me to get home. Of course, it was a Club Sport, so that's to be expected. On the way home, I noticed a used car dealer with several BMWs. I went back the next day and picked up my Sport. Paid a little bit more than I wanted, but the car has been great. The previous owner really babied the car, pristine inside and out. Three months later, and all I had to replace was the hatchback shocks.

Anyways, sorry about the novel. Just be prepared to take your time, and get those service records. Good luck!