Auction Find

[m3f_e36bmw96]

Hey all - long time member here and owner of my pride possession. Recently looking to possibly acquire a second one, found this near me and am hoping to win it.



In short - Owner donated it to National Veterans after being the second owner since 2006. It is listed as having "Mechanical Failures left/right" however I am having trouble determinig what those are. Basically would you pay $4000 for a car that you don't know the issues.



https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...3/1986812.html



There is the auction pictures, my gut is telling me tie rods and/or bushings are blown and owner doesn't want to start doing the repairs or cost. Water pump was replaced 4,000 miles ago so I feel safe on the engine block.



Why not, eh? Adds part of the fun to it? If you see a fatal flaw let me know quick, otherwise will let you know if I grab my second hellrot!

[m3f_pbonsalb]

Could be something minor. Could also be money shift, blown headgasket or cracked head. As long as you are prepared for the possibility of a drivetrain swap, consider it. You can get an M52 with transmission for under $1000 if you shop carefully.

[m3f_Nate047]

lol. Those photos are so bad it's hard to tell much of anything. Can you go look at the car in person? If you end up around 4k, **** it, may as well go for it. Good color combo if nothing else.

[m3f_abcurran]

They gave you the VIN. Here's the options list:


https://www.etkbmw.com/bmw/decode_vi...EY79204_EN.pdf


Pluses that I see: Hellrot/Modena, LTWs, 5 speed, 133K miles. VIN tag on the trunk. Driver's thigh bolster looks in good shape. Clean(ish) engine bay/stock intake. What looks to be a stock exhaust tips.


Negatives: A lot of sun damage: hood roundel peeled/faded; clear coat failed on the spoiler; red ///M stripe on cluster is faded; passenger rear door card delaminated from vinyl; passenger seat belt upper anchor plastic is cracked; passenger lower seat belt anchor is faded/pink; mouldings look decent, but there's evidence of fading/greying. Missing floor mats. Missing rear valance. Faded/yellowed headlights. Clear corners and sides, but amber tails. Missing lower seal on passenger window (I think). Passenger door window not all the way up? Missing glove box cover. Tint on windows (negative for me, but not necessarily so for others).


That's just what I can see. Looks like this car sat outside in the sun for a long time. You can bet you'll also find rotted door and window seals. The leather looks like its in decent shape from the pics, but I'm betting it's dry and brittle. Rear parcel shelf is probably faded, although the tint might have helped.


If this was well sorted with a clear title, it's a $12k-$13K car easily. The right buyer could pay over $15K.


A $4K entry point isn't exactly cheap. Some of the negatives I listed warrant addressing immediately (valance, clear coat, rear seat card, glove box, passenger window seal) and some don't (mouldings, window trim and seals, roundel). As I'm sure you know, fixing the paint correctly won't be cheap, but so long as it's limited to one or two panels might not be that bad. I think if you could get into and address the cosmetic issues for $6K, you'll be well positioned to then address mechanical issues.


I'm guessing money shift, but the left right damage description worries me.