WTB: 318ti

[roadrash]

Greetings!

I'm looking for a car to replace my '89 Civic Si (broken timing belt... RIP) and have a friend with a 318ti that I like. Heck, I still like the Civic, so if I can't find a 318ti soon enough, I may "invest" the money in the Civic. Though I question the sanity of investing $2K in a car with a blue book value of $2K.

Here's what I'm looking for....

1995-1998 BMW 318ti
Prefer '96-'98
Color Preference: Silver, Black, Blue, White, Red
Under $10,000 [will trade the Honda... free is even better ]

Desired features:
5-speed
Sunroof
I like the 5-spoke alloy wheels, but that's not a strict requirement.
Prefer non-modded car, and I don't intend to do any modifications.

I'm in Nashville, TN, but am searching nationwide. There don't seem to be many of these cars in this area... at least not many that are for sale.

Any leads or tips on where to find such a car will be greatly appreciated. I'm looking at autotrader, ebay, dealsonwheels, carmax, autobytel, and several local dealers and sites.

Thanks,

JMJ
roadrash@mindspring.com

[cvacc411]

I am selling my silver 318ti. My email is cvacc411@hotmail.com.

[roadrash]

um... bump.

I'm still lookin' for a 318ti... are there any for sale out there?

::Sunroof and 5-speed are requirements
::color choices have shifted to Black, Blue, Red, Silver
::I had the Honda repaired (wasn't a broken timing belt, but a broken cam shaft) so it's available for trade.

heh heh heh... why is it that when I know what I want, I can never find it? ;}

Feel free to contact me at roadrash@mindspring.com

[bmwracerchick]

well Ti's are actually kind of hard to find to specific requirements. Most if not all Ti's have a sunroof, I havent seen one without one yet. Some even have that cali roof that is cloth. If you get a ti, look for a color that isnt what you usually see on the road everyday. Like my color is extremely rare, havent seen another like it yet on a BMW. Look on ebay, they usually have good ones for sale, try looking on www.bimmerforums.com also, maybe you would like the sedan 318 model, that way you can widen your choices. Thats just my suggestion. Good luck with your search!

[roadrash]

heh heh... the very first one I found online met every one of my specs, except it didn't have a sunroof. And if I limited my color choices, I'd NEVER find one. LOL

and I do know I want a hatchback rather than a sedan/coupe... I've had one for 16 years and I'm a bit accustomed to it. Same thing with the 5-speed/sunroof.

I'll check bimmerforums again... thanks for the reminder!

[roadrash]

Still looking for that elusive "just right" 318ti.

Finders fee to anyone who hooks me up with info leading to a purchase, or anyone who sells me their car: 1-year subscription to this site.

Does anyone here know anything about these two cars, or have any comments....
1996 Sport (black)
1995 Club Sport (red)

The first one is basically what I'm looking for but I can't get a reply from the owner, and he doesn't have any pix posted.

Grazie!!

JMJ

[jflip2002]

My TI doesnt have a sunroof. My E30 did, and I hated the sunroof. Now I hate the fact that my TI doesnt have a sunroof lol. It'll probably cost a cool grand or so to put a sunroof in, and I just dont really think its worth it... yet. I have other mods coming before a sunroof. Id look for a cali top, they have them all the time on ebay, I love them.

[1996 328ti]

If I was buying a ti I'd want a Club Sport just because they were a limited edition. Sagging headliner is pretty normal, not only for the ti. I don't know either of the cars. I also prefer the look of the sport over the non-sports.

[jflip2002]

I agree, the sports look way nicer than non sports...... whats the difference between sports and club sports? Mine has the M body, and M badges all over it.... Thats just a plain ol' sport, right?

[roadrash]

Yeah a Club Sport would be nice, but a reliable source (who until recently owned a Club Sport) told me that particular car was worth maybe $5800.

If the owner of the black one doesn't call me back by tomorrow, I'm going to give up on it.

I also found a '98 Sport, blue, ~135K miles, for $6500. BUT it's 900+ miles away and has a couple of issues. 1) the sunroof won't open, and 2) it overheats after being driven for 15 minutes. If it were a local car and I could have a trusted mechanic check it out and tell me what it would take to fix it, I'd consider that car. But, my gut it telling me "Run away! Run away!!" (Yes, that's a Holy Grail reference for all you Monty Python fans out there.)

[sigh] The more I deal with car repair and car shopping, the more I love my bicycle. heh heh

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by jflip2002

I agree, the sports look way nicer than non sports...... whats the difference between sports and club sports? Mine has the M body, and M badges all over it.... Thats just a plain ol' sport, right?

Basically a 95 Sport did not have the M-Technic trim and mirrors although I believe it had the same suspension and maybe sport seats.
The +96 Sport was the 95 CS sans the mirrors and of course the M42 motor.

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by roadrash

I also found a '98 Sport, blue, ~135K miles, for $6500. BUT it's 900+ miles away and has a couple of issues.

900 miles is not far for the right car. I would stay away with one that has overheating issues. Who knows what the block looks like. I flew from DC to FL to pick up my car, pretty much sight unseen. But I did know the PO for a couple years.

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by 1996 328ti

900 miles is not far for the right car.

Oh, I agree with that. But, if I already know it has issues, and it would be a hassle to get the issues diagnosed/fixed... Is that really the "right" car?

Heck, if the guy in KS would call me back and maybe send some photos, I'd book a flight today, be there on the 18th and drive it back here. But, no return call means that's probably not the "right" car either, eh?

So, the search continues.

[96cali]

Roadrash- where are you? Would you consider a non-sport with cali roof and low miles?

[roadrash]

I'm in lovely Nashville, TN... aka Music City, USA.

I don't know if I'd be happy with a non-sport at this point. I know that I really like the look of the Sport more than the base/active. The amenities of the Active aren't important enough to me to get a higher rating over a similar Sport. The CA top is cool but doesn't sway me either way... a normal sun roof puts enough sun on my bare head to keep me happy. I suppose mileage only really comes into play as a comparison to another similar car.

But... whatcha got in mind?

I suppose I could/should update my shopping list to reflect how important the various factors are to me. I'll get to work on that.