I'm kinda shopping for my son's first car and stumbled on to this:
Cars seem to be pretty expensive around here compared to what I'm used to, but not enough to make me want to transport something from the east coast.
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March 1, 2011 9:22 p.m. psychic_mechanic Dork
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March 1, 2011 9:50 p.m. amg_rx7 HalfDork
Here's another e30 that sounds like it needs less work: http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/2178237625.html
This 318ti, needs a motor and trans swap: :) http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/2194594156.html
An old bmw like that will need a decent amount of going through to fix age related issues - suspension bushings, brake calipers, ratty interiors, engine maint (valves etc) so it depends how much time you have and how willing you are to wrench on the car.
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March 1, 2011 9:59 p.m. unevolved Dork
amg_rx7 wrote:
This 318ti, needs a motor and trans swap: :) http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/2194594156.html
CL Ad:
the radiator overheated and cause the head to warp and that let the compression out of the pistons.
Man, I hate when all the compression runs out of my pistons. Recharging pistons is one of my least favorite jobs.
(Sorry, I really don't have anything constructive to add.)
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March 2, 2011 12:16 a.m. fastbmw New Reader
e30 is good for a first car, 2nd car, 3rd car....and so on.
If you're not worried about your son killing himself, get a 325i, the early 318i's are dogs. A 90/91 318i is a fantastic choice for a first car.
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March 2, 2011 1:57 a.m. speedblind Reader
Another vote for an E30 as a great car, BUT consider spending a bit more for a car that's been maintained. BMWs do nasty things when they aren't taken care of.
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March 2, 2011 2:02 a.m. mtn SuperDork
fastbmw wrote:
A 90/91 318i is a fantastic choice for a first car.
I'll second this motion.
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March 2, 2011 5:01 a.m. mr2peak Reader
If he want's one, yes. Get him a car he wants, he will be less likely to wreck it.
Within reason
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March 2, 2011 10:09 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork
I second doing a Ti. It IS a better car than the E30 with more aftermarket because of it's other E36 siblings.. but slow enough to be safe. The airbags are a big help here too.. along with working ABS.
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March 2, 2011 11:19 a.m. z31maniac SuperDork
Go slightly nicer, but one that he is still going to have to do some wrenching on. He will get to know the machine and have much greater respect since he helped build it.
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March 2, 2011 7:17 p.m. mr2peak Reader
Then he can S52 the Ti when the time comes...
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March 2, 2011 10:17 p.m. SolarYellow510 New Reader
If you're shopping E30s, there isn't a ton of extra cash floating around to pay other people to fix what will inevitably go wrong. As someone who's spent my share of time under the hoods of BMWs and Japanese cars, I say get the kid something Japanese. He'll learn to like working on cars, instead of dreading it, and he'll have time left over for school, sports and social life, which are a much better use of the next few years of his life.
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March 2, 2011 10:48 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
Well, if you want tot pamper him, sure. My first car (not owned but driven) was 61 buick with a 3 on the tree and and brakes that were more of a suggestion than any sort of order. I would suggest that putting him at a disadvantage to everyone else will teach him more about driving in the real world than a pile of new car doodads.... and an E30 is a fine car. It is a sublime driver - with no aids at all (excepting ABS). If you can drive one in hte snow you can drive one on a racetrack. If you hate him - a mid-70s GM car is what you are looking for.
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March 2, 2011 10:52 p.m. NickF40 HalfDork
or a Miata
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March 3, 2011 10:06 a.m. DukeOfUndersteer SuperDork
I'd say that would be a good car for your son. The older 318's dont have that much power, which is good for a newbie on the road. All the problems that are listed are the typical problems you will get with an E30. I dont think ive ever seen a clean dash without cracks or an functioning odo. But if that car were close to me, I'd be heading out to buy that now!
