Overpriced?

[mobius]

First of all guys, I don't know if this is the appropriate place to post this or if at all but as an enthusiast that likes to be done right by and treat others the same I figured I'd post this.

http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/4868135183.html

There's a fellow in Augusta, ME selling this vehicle in the ad above this paragraph. I went and looked at this car last year when the previous owner had it for sale on the new england swap book / site Uncle Henrys. He was located in Gardiner Maine which isn't that far away. Last summer it started at 2k or best offer and late last year ended up at 1k. I went and looked at it. The interior was good, the paint was good, and the owner had done some mods to it, k&n short ram intake (which I know does nothing for these vehicles) and a few other things as mentioned in the ad. The front suspension badly needed work; both shocks had no gas left needing replacement and the ball joints and bushings in the front needed work. The posting says it needs brakes and from what I could tell that would include rotors / front calipers. The previous owner didn't have a detailed maintenance history either, so I assumed it would also need the cooling system overhauled, pcv valve (to be safe), valve cover as it was leaking some oil, look at the guibo for damage, and draining / replenishing the fluid in the diff and getrag 5 speed tranny among other stuff. The drivers side window motor was shot as well with the window stuck fully up. The car is lowered and quite low to the ground. There was rust as it's been in New England for a while from what I could tell carfax wise. It has low enough mileage for the year (and for one of a very few ever posted in Maine for sale) and some definite good points but if you were interested I'd definitely barter a bit.

Again I don't know if this is appropriate in here so go easy on me but I figured it was worthwhile to share.

[DerekNH]

Take a look at the 318ti I got for $1000 cheaper than what that seller is asking for his. I would say that is overpriced.

[BlackBMWs]

Originally Posted by DerekNH

Take a look at the 318ti I got for $1000 cheaper than what that seller is asking for his. I would say that is overpriced.

Actually, yours should have gone for $4000. So nice. I'm glad you got a great deal on it.

I have two Alpineweiss ti's, purchased one for $1300 (97 Sport) and one for $1400 (95 Active) Straight and clean, but not as shiny as yours.

[teetime4one]

Yes, it is over priced.

Disclaimer...my opinion is just that, an opinion.

[skimmer]

Plus the ad said the timing belt was replaced,anyone that knows this engine knows that it has a timing chain.

[DerekNH]

Originally Posted by BlackBMWs

Actually, yours should have gone for $4000. So nice. I'm glad you got a great deal on it.

I have two Alpineweiss ti's, purchased one for $1300 (97 Sport) and one for $1400 (95 Active) Straight and clean, but not as shiny as yours.

Well hey thanks man
But yeah back to the other car, that car is overpriced, keep looking and be patient. You'll find one.

[1996 328ti]

Aside that it needs breaks <g>, I probably would NEVER, EVER buy another car with a K&N filter. EVER.

[Platanos]

Looks like it may have an OEM upper hatch spoiler. I think its a bit much at $4k but I did pay $3200 for my son's 96 with a bit more mileage but the seller was a BMW Mechanic and had done a great job servicing it and provided receipts and such, so I felt comfortable at that price.

[BlackBMWs]

One of the two ti's I mention above had some minor clean up and repair to do, but was $1400. I personally would pass at that price, even if the interior was very clean. Is that a AC Schnitzer logo on the grill?

In any case, good luck to the seller if he can get his price. That would be great for him. Value is in the eye of the beholder.

[mobius]

A friend of mine went and looked. He said the following. "It's a resto job but would have to be at half or a third of the asking price. The strut towers have a deformation to them in the front. I would assume it's been driven hard with bad struts for a while to cause this and this I'm sure has caused other front suspension parts to wear at an accelerated rate. The side skirts have taken some damage underneath at the body rails. For being in Maine with our terrible roads (especially at this time of the year) the car is way too low to be driven. It's certainly something you can revert and fix but the damage to the car has already been done." So I'll be passing. I don't get the mentality some people have with vehicles. I mean yes each to their own, some see a vehicle as a->b tool that is meant to be thrown away and others (like myself) see cars as something beyond that but still I generally think there is this Toyota mentality that gets applied to every vehicle nowadays. You're supposed to beat the crud out of a car, truck, or suv, do no maintenance except for oil changes, go like the dickens, and also have a vehicle last for 200k miles no problem. Anyways before I go way off on a tangent

[S3thW]

Originally Posted by skimmer

Plus the ad said the timing belt was replaced,anyone that knows this engine knows that it has a timing chain.

This . Car is overpriced in my opinion. For future reference.