respond to
matthew.lown@gmail.com for quick response. Trades and offers entertained.
Hey guys, Up for sale is my 1988 325is. I bought the car with a snapped timing belt With intention of replacing the head and timing belt. Unfortunately the bottom end bit the dust as well. I then sourced a 94 M50B25 TU from a Automatic Wrecked E34. Engine was in great condition and made a great swap candidate.
The car has become a "hobby" car. Ive been putting parts here and there on it that ive been holding onto for a rainy day. This car is perfect for the person that wants a project car. It is far from perfect but a good foundation to build upon.
The car is going to need minor body work and paint. The drivers side door and rear quarter are the "worst". I was going to swap out the door and straighten out the quarter a bit but ive decided to leave that to the new owner. I will provide detailed and close-up pics of all the locations where there are imperfections.
This is a turn-key car. It runs and drives well, but it is not "perfect" So if you dont want to put in time to straighten out some of the existing problems please leave this one to the enthusiast.
I feel that the price reflects the amount of attention that is needed. And after seeing a eta listed for 4k. I feel that 4k is a fair price for this car.
PRICE $4000 (trades possibly entertained)
1988 325is
VIN:WBAAA1306J8254153
Chassis Mileage: 124,724(odo broken at unknown time)
2 Door
5 speed
Interior: Cardinal Red
The interior is in relativly good condition, It has your average wear and tear. It does have premium sound and lighted maplight mirror. As well as your usual IS package components. I will provide pics of the interior as soon as its cleaned out. There are a few parts im keeping in there at the moment
Exterior: Alpine White
The exterior is the main point that needs attention on this car. (Starting at the front and working back) The hood needs to be repainted with the rest of the car but its relativly clean and dent free. The front valance is tweaked slightly, Doesnt look like there was a wreck. Looks more like someone pulled up on a curb. There is no frame damage front or rear.
The front passenger side fender looks original and slightly tweaked because of the valance being attached, The drivers side fender looks to have been repainted, And the bolts look like its been removed.
The drivers side door needs to be replaced. Looks like there was some dents someone tried to pop out from the inside. Leaving golfball sized outward dents. I would replace it before the car is painted. The passenger side door looks fine. The drivers side rear quarter is pushed in slightly on the arch, But could be pulled back out without much effort.
The passenger side quarter is fine as is most of the passenger side. The rear of the car is in good condition. The battery box and valance below it are relativly rust free and do not have the typical rust holes. The car was originally a diving board car, But has had plastic bumpers installed that are SATIN black front and rear. The car does have very clean US ellipsoids.
Drivetrain: Approx 120k M50B25 TU(e34) Getrag 260
The drivetrain is a m50 coupled to the factory 260 that came in the car. I used a modified trans brace and shifter carrier to aleviate the 15 degree angle difference. I used a factory m20 Sachs clutch and pressure plate with the M20 flywheel. The shifter is a short throw from a z4. Trans mounts are factory rubber. Engine mounts are typical Green e28 mounts. The engine has S52 factory stainless headers on it, Leading back to a single inlet and outlet Magnaflow muffler. I retained the factory 3.73 LSD
Suspension: 5 lug (328 front, 318ti rear)
The suspension is another point for improvement. It has rear 318ti trailing arms with Ground control coilover adjusters and springs in the rear. Bilstein sport shocks on all four corners. The front suspension is from a 328is. I used the stock e30 control arms and treehouse racing lollipops. However i would have like to go with the correct e36 97-99 M3 lower control arms to get the caster perfectly centered. The front struts are modified to use E30 strut hats. When the car is lowered to the max the bilsteins sport shocks will bottom out. This seems to be a common problem and means the struts need to be shortened. I raised it up a bit to keep them from bottoming out. It also has a 328 rack with working power steering. It is currently sitting on a set of 330 wheels that i use for temp wheels to roll the car around.
So bottom line i would purchase M3 control arms and koni/bilstein struts made for the lower stance. The car functions fine as it is but i figured i would mention my future intentions if i were to keep it.
Extra Rambings.....
I retained the AC compressor on the M50 and have modified the e30 lines to work with it. The condensor that was in the car leaked. So i removed it and capped the lines coming from the evaporator and compressor.
I have a "new" e30 dash that is crack free. It was purchased new in the last few years and has the newer texture and softer feel. I will include or install in the car if the buyer is interested.
Central locking does work with key in door or trunk. I also have a VIPER alarm system i can install/include as part of the deal. I do not have a siren but it will/can be wired for lock/unlock function of the car.
Sorry about the long winded listing, Im more than willing to talk to someone online or via phone if they are truly interested. Im selling the car to fund a motor swap i have been wanting to do for a few years now. Id love to keep it for a daily or continue to plug away at it but ive already got my main e30 that sucks all my attention for now.
well, it was dark when i got home from work. So this is all i have for now.
Matt
88 325is 5 lug M50 
Linear Mode
