Gregmeister
Member
Hey gents!
I have recently started looking into getting a banger to rip around the street track days with, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a car that I might just bin anyway around the 1st corner. After some thought, I decided on the E36 325i/ 328i option. I have always fancied one and I also want something thats street legal.
So today I come across a car on the gum. It's a 1992 325i 239000 on the clock and the price seems interesting, @ 25K neg, BUT there is a catch....it's code 3.
Now before everyone has a crisis, a few details, and this is where I need help.
The guy claims the car was written off by the previous owners insurance company, as the repair bill was going to be higher than whatever their policy dictates they can spend on repairs...bla bla. So he bought the car and had it fixed @ Bruces BMW for around 7K. Apparently the car mounted a curb and there was some undercarriage damage. (Difficult to spot this sort of damage). His wife has been driving/ using the car for any number of years, it needs a service and the allignment needs to be done. He has pictures of the damage, and the cars paperwork is in order, implying that it had passed a valid roadworthy after the repair. He sounds pretty legit, IOW he does not sound like a bullshitter...yet. He claims no chassis damage.
I have gone to look at the car, without his presence, just where it's parked, and besides a few spots of less than perfect body panel repair, the panel gaps all look good, the windscreen and other glass is good and overall does not look too bad. (I have seen many worse) The interior I have to say looks very neat indeed! Tyres are in good nick and look evenly worn (not brand new). Just a bit of rust on the bootlid, where the spoiler meets the lid. Exhaust system fine.
I am not really worried about cosmetics here. As long as the thing does not look like a chop-job from the flats, i'm happy. In fact I like the condition. I don't WANT a car that is going to make me want to park on the other side of the carpark, or make me want to polish it every week-end. I have that already. I want a banger, but I want it cheap!
I realise however that selling a Code 3 car on later, can and will probably be a pain. I will have to get my mech to check it over, especially the suspension, as i am not sure about how well Bruce's BMW would have fixed it. No offence. I am going to have a look tomorrow and give it a closer look and a drive. I still need to check insurance and values on these cars.
Tell me what u guys recon. Remember, i am wanting this car to do some track days, so i would be looking at suspension bits anyway. Just need clarity on this code 3 issue. I am definatly going to offer a low amount to see what happens, if I am keen.
SHOT as always. Some pics:
I have recently started looking into getting a banger to rip around the street track days with, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a car that I might just bin anyway around the 1st corner. After some thought, I decided on the E36 325i/ 328i option. I have always fancied one and I also want something thats street legal.
So today I come across a car on the gum. It's a 1992 325i 239000 on the clock and the price seems interesting, @ 25K neg, BUT there is a catch....it's code 3.
Now before everyone has a crisis, a few details, and this is where I need help.
The guy claims the car was written off by the previous owners insurance company, as the repair bill was going to be higher than whatever their policy dictates they can spend on repairs...bla bla. So he bought the car and had it fixed @ Bruces BMW for around 7K. Apparently the car mounted a curb and there was some undercarriage damage. (Difficult to spot this sort of damage). His wife has been driving/ using the car for any number of years, it needs a service and the allignment needs to be done. He has pictures of the damage, and the cars paperwork is in order, implying that it had passed a valid roadworthy after the repair. He sounds pretty legit, IOW he does not sound like a bullshitter...yet. He claims no chassis damage.
I have gone to look at the car, without his presence, just where it's parked, and besides a few spots of less than perfect body panel repair, the panel gaps all look good, the windscreen and other glass is good and overall does not look too bad. (I have seen many worse) The interior I have to say looks very neat indeed! Tyres are in good nick and look evenly worn (not brand new). Just a bit of rust on the bootlid, where the spoiler meets the lid. Exhaust system fine.
I am not really worried about cosmetics here. As long as the thing does not look like a chop-job from the flats, i'm happy. In fact I like the condition. I don't WANT a car that is going to make me want to park on the other side of the carpark, or make me want to polish it every week-end. I have that already. I want a banger, but I want it cheap!
I realise however that selling a Code 3 car on later, can and will probably be a pain. I will have to get my mech to check it over, especially the suspension, as i am not sure about how well Bruce's BMW would have fixed it. No offence. I am going to have a look tomorrow and give it a closer look and a drive. I still need to check insurance and values on these cars.
Tell me what u guys recon. Remember, i am wanting this car to do some track days, so i would be looking at suspension bits anyway. Just need clarity on this code 3 issue. I am definatly going to offer a low amount to see what happens, if I am keen.
SHOT as always. Some pics:
