Too good to be true? (pics and info)

[littlerobinho]

Here is an update regarding a 1998 ti I'm looking at with 180,00 highway miles (supposedly). here is what the seller has said: (he has records of service too he says)

"I've had every service done and done on time. Never had an overheating problem. At the last service (at Schneider's on DeLaVina) the mechanic said he thought he saw some coolent so I should watch for a leak. As a precaution I've kept a gallon of coolant in the trunk and started watching the temp gauge closely but it's never gone over the middle mark where it has always been. That's been almost 10,000 miles ago and I've topped the coolant off once. It didn't really need it, probably about an inch below the max mark, but I topped it anyway. By the way, it's got about 800 miles to go before the next service is due. There is a series of lights on the dash that tells you when to get it serviced.
I'm not saying the car will never need any repairs but I can honestly say that right now I don't know of any and nothing has given me any problems. I had the catalytic converter replaced a few years ago and that was the only major dollar repair it's ever needed.
Again, not sure why I'm selling it but I think it's because I'm going to retire in a few months and once I'm not working it will be hard for me to get credit to buy a new car. So I'm thinking I need to buy a new one now and it's got to be one that will last me until they carry me off to the old age home."

He also said this:

"leather seats, alloy wheels, cruise control, air conditioning, electric two way (sliding and tilt) sun roof, heated seats, power windows and door locks, remote entry fob"

Hes asking 4500, but what should i Offer?








the only thing that worries me is the high mileage, ALSO this is a southern california car. Has never been subjected to intense cold, it gets up into the high 80s here but only during last months of summer

[dahamler]

This guy is a Marine, I would give him his asking price and thank him for his service.


Then ask permission to leave.

[littlerobinho]

fair enough. Any other opinions?

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by littlerobinho

Hes asking 4500, but what should i Offer?

Seems to be priced fairly @ 4500. Looks like it's been well taken care of. The engine compartment could use a detail, I'm sure living on a dirt road doesn't help. If maintained properly, these cars can give you 200-300k miles. Cooling systems are the weak link on these motors. With 180k miles, you should replace every cooling system component anyways as preventative maintenance. Only thing I see besides a little dirt in the engine compartment is a missing foglight cover. 15 bucks and a little paint should fix that. FWIW, I wouldn't lowball him. Unless he said "obo", I'd offer him 4500 and be thankful he's willing to let this baby go. Such a clean example of a non-molested and well mantained 318ti deserves a good home. It should go to someone who will care for it just like he did for the next 180k miles

[Ralliart10]

I hate dirty engine bays lol
But overall pretty clean car

[littlerobinho]

how much will a new cooling system cost? any more opinions would be great. thank you.

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by dahamler

This guy is a Marine, I would give him his asking price and thank him for his service.


Then ask permission to leave.

+1,000,000

This salty squid has utmost respect for his Marine Corps brethran

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by littlerobinho

how much will a new cooling system cost?

Less than $400

[Ralliart10]

Here's a thread about changing the cooling system with prices for the parts
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthrea...hlight=cooling

[dahamler]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

+1,000,000

This salty squid has utmost respect for his Marine Corps brethran

Back at you Jess and thank you for your service.

I would offer a soild $4000 for this car. Collant system, tires (which it needs), control arms and all fulids changed.

I bought my first Ti with 180K and its still ticking (current owner is a member here) around 250K.

[littlerobinho]

Right on guys, thanks for the input. Any more would be of great assistance.

[Canadian]

Here's my old ad if you want to compare:
http://autocatch.com/used-cars/1997~...318~449073.htm
The car looks clean, but we can only say so much from the photos alone. You could always toss in another engine down the road. He's a marine so i'm sure he appreciates everything x1000 so i wouldn't worry about hidden issues.

[littlerobinho]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. How much would another engine be?

[Canadian]

I'm guessing $1000-4000. Prices vary depending on what engine you would want to swap.

[jca]

The car presents very well in the pictures. It's a great color and interior combo. Call Bavarian Auto Recyclers in NoCal for a good estimate. I do know that salvage M44's are plentiful. Mileage is high, but change out all fluids, do the cooling system rebuilt, and you most likely won't need a new engine or rebuild for a long, long time. You're lucky to find a nice ti close to home. Considering that fact, $4500 is a fair price. Good luck.