The Official Bring A Trailer (BaT) Thread

[maw1124]

Quite the revenue for BaT. $99 listing fee for sellers and a 5% fee for buyers on top of the sale price (min of $250 and max of $5,000).

Add to it Alumni re-auctions and high reserves and you get what you got — a used car dealer’s paradise. Not so nice for us buyers, but what goes up will generally come down.

maw

[bimmerfan08]

Classic car auction site Bring a Trailer’s sales hit record $1.4 billion even as prices drop

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/clas...4-billion.html

The TLDR here seems to be volume up 19%, prices down 10%, with most of the added volume coming in below the average price (around $50k)... Should be good news to everyone here who's not looking for the most coveted cars (which are still going through the roof).

Mecum just had its highest selling weekend ever, powered by a half dozen Ferrari models that went for crazy money. $16.25M for a '63 250 GT SWB California Spyder.

maw

Quite the revenue for BaT. $99 listing fee for sellers and a 5% fee for buyers on top of the sale price (min of $250 and max of $5,000).

[maw1124]

Nice car… Dinan’s car… I don’t think the wheels fit the aesthetic…

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3q1..._campaign=hero

maw

[maw1124]

Classic car auction site Bring a Trailer’s sales hit record $1.4 billion even as prices drop

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/clas...4-billion.html

The TLDR here seems to be volume up 19%, prices down 10%, with most of the added volume coming in below the average price (around $50k)... Should be good news to everyone here who's not looking for the most coveted cars (which are still going through the roof).

Mecum just had its highest selling weekend ever, powered by a half dozen Ferrari models that went for crazy money. $16.25M for a '63 250 GT SWB California Spyder.

maw

[maw1124]

Okay... I actually read through it now and there is an odometer rollback.... so we speculate around 162K Miles with some loose math."

Yeah it all makes sense, including the paint job, as a 160k -- 180k mile car. And at that, the interior looks way better than most, as does the paint. I wonder what it goes for, but for $15k or so I think it can make sense. Personally, I'd take an E46 SMG Cabrio for that same money, but as it was so eloquently put "the duality of man."

maw

[WestBankM4]

Ahhh the duality of man

I'm probably being partially biased but the OBD1 was super easy to play around with. At one point I think I cracked the ECU open, slapped in a Dinan copied EPROM and off she went.

I had an Alpine White and I always had a love for the LTW so if I come across one of those, I just might pull the trigger. Good observations and unfortunately all too common with the E36 chassis. The mileage doesn't match with what is being shown though, so I gotta assume it's got a lot more miles than stated.

[Nate047]

Okay... I actually read through it now and there is an odometer rollback. That's stupid. They should list that right at the top of the auction. Listing 32k miles TMU is misleading

"garagecollective267Seller4mo
Re: Kman100
Hey! Thanks for the awesome questions!
The last mileage input prior to the odometer replacement was 130K, and car currently shows ~32K, so we speculate around 162K Miles with some loose math."

[Nate047]

its a 1995, the best year for the E36 M3.

Ahhh the duality of man

[Nate047]

This is the nicest one of these I've seen in a while... Nate047

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3v1..._campaign=hero

maw

That one is pretty nice! Very nice as a driver at least. Nicer than 95% of the cars out there that's for sure LOL. Just in the interest of nitpicking, here's what I see. Last time it sold for $23k which is not bad IMO

1995 cars are OBDI so unless it's a 95 only color (Daytona or Avus) or a lightweight, you really don't want a 95 in general
DEPO lights and smoked corners, not original, not top level mods
Spoiler is not orignal
Seats look pretty worn for that mileage, curious about that. Seatbelt buckle is very faded. Back seats too. They look like they can't be original seats for a car with that mileage. No one uses the back seat in these cars so why is that one messed up
A pillars look redone, fitment is bad and material is creeping out of corners. They probably used the same padded material as for the headliner which is incorrect
Headliner poorly redone
Obligatory glovebox fitment issue
Cracked speaker surrounds, door card material coming up in the lower pocket. Door card material bubbling up
Cracked trim around the glovebox air vents, that trim is also not sitting flat
Continental stereo is hit or miss, I don't like it. USB charging and what looks like a wireless charging spot for phones is kind of cool but out of place on these cars IMO
Wheels need refinishing. The M double spoke is listed as original, but these appear to be a 7.5"/8.5" staggered setup which is actually better. But the condition is not very good.
Battery terminal covering missing, wiper blade bolt cover missing
Trim is like, oddly polished. early cars have different trim but it looks like they just went to a drive through car wash and got the "GOLD" detailing package with armorall or something. Presentation could be way better overall. Why would you not get professional photos for $500-$1000 if you can stand to make $5k more on the sale?
Underside looks nice and clean TBH
A big one, "the seller notes that this M3 was repainted by a previous owner." at that low mileage, makes me want to know why.

BUT, again for around $23k I think, not bad at all

[maw1124]

Miles may have been played with but it looks like a super clean example and its a 1995, the best year for the E36 M3.

Right, I wonder if it's a 180k mile car or a new engine or just new cluster. As you point out, the interiors are the pieces of these that provide headaches. The running gear is ox strong.

maw

[WestBankM4]

This is the nicest one of these I've seen in a while... Nate047

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3v1PexB9/1995-bmw-m3-coupe?utm_source=listing_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hero

maw

Miles may have been played with but it looks like a super clean example and its a 1995, the best year for the E36 M3. I had a blown head gasket on my 1995 at one point and I drove it from Northern California to Bakersfield for a trackday and drove it all the way back home. Was drinking coolant but she completed the day and I was driving her hard at Buttonwillow. This one looks great and it's Hellrot.

[maw1124]

This is the nicest one of these I've seen in a while... Nate047

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3v1PexB9/1995-bmw-m3-coupe?utm_source=listing_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hero

maw

[Nate047]

E46 grey interiors look like CGI models before you apply color and texture to them

[discoelk]

I guess coping liars have deep pockets. 😄

The topaz car looks like it was driven in salt/snow at some point then dry iced. Not sure if that matters at that mileage and condition though.

[BlueBimmers]

That was surprising LSB result in this market. The Topaz was the better deal all day, if you wanted a car vs. investment. To each his own.