Advice: thinking about giving up on a project...

In high school, I bought an '85 BMW 528i, grey market with euro bumpers. I absolutely loved it - drove until 240k when I traded it for a 20v Audi and a pile of cash. My buddy who I traded with hit a deer with it, and gave the car back to me...

Long story short, it's still sitting. I ordered a core support assy, started cutting off the old one to mock up the new one, and pulled the motor/trans for some room to work, but that's all I've done. I thought I would have time to work on it this summer, but between my Alfa and an internship that blossomed into a sweet full time job, I haven't had the time and it is VERY unlikely that I will anytime in the near future. Even if I did, I would need to source the $$$ euro headlights and front bumper along with the stuff needed to freshen up a 240k engine, and the stuff that it needs anyways (rubber pieces, interior, etc)...

Usually the cut-and-run decision is easier for me; but I do love the car, I've had it so long. However, renting a work space for it is costing me $200 a month, and even if I just found a way to hold onto it until I DID have time, I plan on moving to another city upon graduation...obviously a car in many pieces is not very condusive to that plan. Not to mention that by parting the car out I could probably just go buy that E46 I really want...and farming the car out to somebody else for finishing would be prohibitively expensive.

What say ye, GRM? Should it stay or should It go?

Unless you could park the car somewhere for free, I would recommend letting it go (says the guy who has a 911 on a different continent because he has hard time finally getting it sold). Dragging a non-working car around on a move is a PITA and even though you are attached to it, if you don't have the time to work on it it's not getting any better.

Sold my DSM for the same reason. Needed a new engine, never had the time or the space to store it, ended up letting it go. Too hard to tote a broken car around.

I hear scrap steel is at $185 a ton.

mguar wrote: In reply to slefain: Chop out the wiring loam and it's worth at least $35.00 .(I've gotten more than $75 for Jaguar loams)

Really? How do they weight smoke?

Cut and run.

Especially if it's costing you $200/month in storage costs.

Put the savings in your IRA - or spend it on booze and loose women. :)

I've decided to take everyone's advice and part the car. I know what scrap is worth, and I will surely go that route with most of the car, but I would hope genuine M5 wheels, stainless B&B exhaust, etc are worth more as parts than scrap!

It will be sad to see it go but at least some of the euro parts will live on for others' projects, hopefully.

When was that again? I havent seen aluminum prices that high in like 4-5 years. Last few sets of wheels i sold brought ~60 TOTAL, and a friend and i were just making fun of a guy who stole a bunch of scrap radiators in full view and broad daylight since they are only worth ~$4 a piece..

part the car out on BMW specific forums, then scrap what's left.

at $200/mo. it doesn't take that many months of saving the equivalent amount to be able to buy an equivalent (or better) project in the future should you want to some year in the future.

$200 a month

I'd find cheaper storage

mtn wrote: $200 a month I'd find cheaper storage

It's a full on shop space where I keep all my tools, get electricity included, full air power from a central building compressor, etc...trust me, I'm not paying $200 for just parking!

slefain wrote:

mguar wrote: In reply to slefain: Chop out the wiring loam and it's worth at least $35.00 .(I've gotten more than $75 for Jaguar loams)

Really? How do they weight smoke?

A loom with the smoke still inside it is worth more than scrap.