UT My 1998 318ti just kicked the bucket - sell for parts? Salt Lake City

[operaflute]

I was moving from my summer job in northern UT back to Tucson yesterday, my 318ti overheated (without telling me) and consequently now needs a new engine. My car and I are currently stranded in Salt Lake City, and although I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, if there is someone interested in this car for parts, let me know!
New clutch put in about a year ago, brand new final drive the May. (Go figure.)

OTOH - if someone has brilliant ideas about getting a new engine in there let me know THAT too. I have about $5000 to my name to either fix this car or get a reliable new one - car loan out of the question. (HAHAHAHAHA!!!)

[boss23]

If you do part it out, and it's a sport, I'll tech your mtech rear bumper. Let me know what you want for it. Shipping to 95076. PM me or email me directly eboss0523@gmail.com. Thanks.

[jiggerjosh]

ill give you a grand for the shell shipped.

[barische]

same thing happened to mine but i did not toast the engine, lol good luck selling mine has been sitting at my mechanic's lot.. Im considering just leaving it there forever..... lol

[operaflute]

Just put it up on Craig's List while I continue to examine my options. It's a pretty full disclosure ad!

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/cto/2543781680.html

[hotmilk400]

wow.. 7k for a motor.

you can pick up a motor on here for under $800 without a problem (i sold mine for $600 with working tranny and it only had 60k miles)

you can probably find someone that is laid off from an auto store, and probably pay him like $200 - $600 and they would swap it. heck, even my mechanic would do a motor swap for under 1k. also, the person selling the motor privately might do the swap, since they clearly know how to pull motors. sometimes you can work out a good deal if you do not tell them your situation and just tell them you want to swap.

i have no idea how they figured 7k for a motor swap. sounds like a serious scam. try going to a smaller mechanic. since i have a regular mechanic, he would never quote me jokes like that, but maybe a smaller mechanic would say 1k + motor

if you are out of options or time, you can probably get 1k for it without a problem depending on what the insides looks like. i typically pay $1500 for one with leather insides and either run or have perfect shells. 1k should be fair for yours since the shell is okay. if your shell is alittle messed up, take what you can get.. haha. best of luck. if you were close, i would buy it from you.

[operaflute]

$7K is the dealer, so yeah, too much $$. Local independent place is asking $3500 for the parts and the job.

[Bluebimma]

Theyre pulling your leg, our dealership wouldnt even charge 3k for a swap. My shop does engine swaps for around 1500 usually.

[operaflute]

My shop does engine swaps for around 1500 usually.

Including the cost of the engine itself?

[318ti-redu]

Did you drive too far after it was on it's lasts few breaths? Did any pistons blow through the block? Have they drained the block? If draining both the oil pan and engine block gives you a mixture of oil and coolant, then it's a blown gasket with possible cracked/warped head. I've had to deal with that so I have a small idea of what might be going on.

Best case scenario, only a blown head gasket. Just need the gasket and new head bolts, some liquids and good to go. Total cost should be around $100 even with dealer prices.

Anything else requires time and work, but could be had for under your $5000 limit (heck you might be able to find a used one out there for that price).

Good luck!

[mahouser]

Greetings all - newbie here.

Sorry to hear about your blown motor.
I just completed an M3 S52 swap into my 96 318ti.

I have the stock 1.9 motor avail, 176,000.
Would sell for $400 plus you pay shipping.
Will pallet/crate & deliver to freight terminal no extra charge.

This motor was paired w/ AT so make sure that's not an issue.
Just a thought.
mark

[operaflute]

Yeah, I drove 'til it was dead, which was not for long - juuust long enough to get me out of the one lane construction zone. Dealer said compression test read zero. Coolant and oil was leaking out all over underneath the car.
M44 engine, FWIW.

[operaflute]

Final disposition: just sold it to some kid at the dealer for $300.
Don't have the tools, space or time while stuck here in SLC to part it out myself. Total drag.

[pdxmotorhead]

When all else fails, a U-haul is $19.99 a day that will haul a ti. Too bad you got stuck there.

Dealer motor pricing is unrelated to any reality if you can find a good privateer...

$300? dang and I needed new front seats.. I'da almost come and got it...

Good luck on the next ride!

Dave

[operaflute]

Thanks for the kinds words of luck. Fingers crossed our one remaining rickety vehicle (filled with two person's junk, towing two motorcycles, holding 2 ppl and one aged Dalmatian, no A/C, only one window that rolls down) gets us home!
Onward ho!