Been looking around for the past few months for a project for over the winter. Prices seemed high or cars were thrashed or automatic
Had to drive a few hours to central Oregon to get this one but I am pretty excited about it. Did a quick detail yesterday morning and it cleaned up nicely. 1996 Mtech 5 speed. 165K, 10 (8 working) speaker sound, sunroof, I don't think it has LSD but haven't done a proper check.
No Vehicle history with this one which is too bad. I took my ramps and jacks with me to look at it and spend about an hour looking it over. Front Right Strut is shot and has leaked oil all over itself. The rest of the suspension seems to be in good shape. Rubber parts look good and car handles well on smooth roads. The bumps are a different story with some wheel hop and shuttering. New struts and shocks are on the top of the list. I did the Bilstein HD and springs on my last TI and will probably do the same. Will have to think about it.
Seeping some oil. Got 2 drops after about 12 hours so not too bad, right?
I need to investigate further but looks like oil filter housing gasket or possibly oil pan gasket. The transmission seems to be seeping a bit as well which worries me a little. Need to clean it all up and figure out where it is coming from.
Needs a few other small things. Cracked fogs light. Antenna grommet. Rubber window trim. Everything else seems to work well and in decent shape. Windows go up and down smoothly and the sunroof. Cold A/C. Leather in good shape. Cloth could use a shampoo. Paint on the car is in great shape with just a few rock chips. lower front bumper has some cracks in the paint from flexing but not to noticeable from 5-10 feet. Not sure I can do much to fix that without repainting.
Not sure if I am going to just fix this one up and sell it on or keep it longer and make it my own. I'm excited to get at it. I miss working on a BMW. The other cars in the garage are Japanese and working on them just isn't the same.