98, 122,000miles need help...

[black_obelisk]

Hello!

Im new here and i was looking at a couple ti's online because here in Omaha, NE theres little chance of getting anything nice..
But anyways today i was driving from school and saw a ti at a local dealership here..

So far all i know about it:
1998 Black exterior (perfect condition)
auto, didnt get to c the inside very well it was foggy and dark here but it looks like gray leather..
122,000 miles...the dealership is asking 6,950...
Id prefer a 5spd w. black interior but this one is local which is a big advantage because i can trade in my 03 galant (salvaged) for probably almost the same price..
My main concern is the mileage...122 seems a little too much for a 4 cylinder...
But the car looks completely stock and never modified so im guessing it was never really driven hard and mustve been owned by an older person...well thats all the info i got so far because they would let me drive it or anything because im only 18..here you have to be 19...
so whenever i get a chance i'll try to go and talk to them w. my step dad..
Anyways what do you guys think? good/bad deal?

[snwbrdrbum10]

it all depends on how it was taken care of. Cali-Ti has his over 200,000+ and still goin. there are alot of em that are near 200 as well.

[black_obelisk]

yeah i understand that...see like i said i dont know much of that stuff yet...i looked at the car from the outside...btw i checked ur myspace and it looks just like the one you have...i'll go and find out more bout the car...i just wanna kno if the cost/mileage ratio is any good or no...i'll post more info hopefully this weekend..

[pnosker]

122k isn't that much. My dad's old 318i (1991) had over 250k before it went (the new owner let it go... timing chain failure). You can probably bargain the price down to $6300 or so, maybe lower. I have black exterior with grey interior too. I'm also 18. I have a 5 speed though with 97k miles (bought last summer with 92k). It's a great car, and I hit .98g's on the skidpad with it, 0-60 in 7.85 secs... it's not a rocket, but it gets me from A-B with 35+ mpg and the comfort of German Luxury at a reasonable speed.

[black_obelisk]

yeah thats exactly what im looking for =) i was born and lived in Moscow, Russia and only moved to the u.s. 3 years ago...im so used to german cars that i cant stand my galant....i wish this 318 was a 5spd tho..but maybe i could eventually swap the tranny or something...and i kno i'll try talking them down in price a little bit...to be honest i would give them my galant and maybe 500$ or something and i would call it a fair trade..

[marleymon]

hey bud- $7k is way high imo...especially for an autotragic and the miles.
Try to hold out for a 5-speed.
Also- offer them to hold your license...if they want to sell it- they should let you test drive it.
They also might not like the salvage title to trade for.
Also- is it a BMW dealship? Or a ma & pa joint?

joshua

[black_obelisk]

yeah youre right...c the only thing that got my attention was that its local..but at the same time i know that it's not exactly what i want...so maybe i shouldnt even worry bout it...cuz even if i do get this one all i'll be able to think of is changing the interior and swaping tranny which would be hard for me right now...and i also drive a lot..so 122k really has no chance...
and no its not a bmw dealership...even tho they do have a couple other bimmers and audis...

[az95318ti]

I got my TI a few months ago, its a 95 and it had 118,00 on it when i got it, i paid $5900 (****ty credit) but it runs perfectly, passed emissions and my brother is a mercedes tech, and he took at look at it and the engine is perfect, compression and everything tested good. so i wouldnt worry about the mileage too much, german cars will last forever if you take care of them. I had a 86 jetta that had like 250k on it and still ran like a cham when i sold it!

[BobbyDigital]

Mine has 260,000 now. Still runs like a champ, and drive the hell out of it. Although, I wouldnt pay more than 5k for that one.

[rhombus]

Hey black_obelisk, where did you find it in Omaha? I'm in Lincoln and also looking for a 318ti. Don't worry, I won't buy it out from under you, I'm trying to find a 5-speed, but I'd love to take one for a test drive.

[momorugger]

yea, if it was even only decently maintained, it should be pretty good. I just bought mine at 150,000 miles and mechanically it is fine. You might have minor defects like a missing seat belt mount cover, a paint chip, etc., but nothing too serious. if it is serious, you'd be able to tell

[cooljess76]

Definately wait for the 5 speed. See what you can get for your Gallant and use that to finance a 318ti with a manual transmission. You'll be much happier in the long run. If you think you can just throw in a manual later down the road, think again. There's a ton of things that people overlook before doing this conversion. Reverse lights need rewired, differentials need to be changed since the gear ratio's are different, installation of a clutch and pedal and a bunch of other things. I bought my '97 ti Sport on eBAY a couple of months ago for $4150. I had to fly from California to Michigan to pick it up, but it was worth it. Mine had 130k, but had a new motor with only 20k on it. Not to mention I bought it from the Original Owner who was a non-smoker and took really good care of it. He even threw in a bunch of extra goodies for me. He handed over all of the vehicle's service records and receipts, manuals and all of the paperwork from the engine swap which was performed by his BMW dealer. Before I flew out there I purchased the Carfax Vehicle History Report and it came back spotless. I can't emphasize how important that is. Before you buy any vehicle, spend the seven bucks and find out the history!!! Don't be affraid to travel in order to find the right car. Road trips are always a blast, even if you have to drive 2000 miles on icy roads with no heater. Check out this thread if you need help buying a car:
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14169

[zboot]

there is a difference between 200k miles over 10-12 years and 200k miles over 6-8 years.

[Mothman]

My 318ti is a 1997 and has over 202k and she still flys. I got her at 40k for $8K so I would not pay more than 5k for yours. If it is not from a BMW dealer I would seriously check out the engine for any cracked hoses, check to see if the PVC value is new or old, they the hood cover above the engine for leaks that flew up. Hummm... open the oil cover on the engine block and check to see if the ring around the block is a lite brown or dark brown. Lite brown means the oil was changed on time, dark brown means the owner didn't take care of the car (B*$&$*) anywhoo, good luck get the vin number and go to Kelly Blue Book for the true vaule of the car.

Outie,
Mothman