1995 E36 M3 With 22k for Sale

March 13th, 2010

I have mentioned that I am passively looking for a car with a back seat that will compliment the 986.  I have looked at a 951, 968’s, a Mini Cooper or two, and the Audi TT.  This could take a few months or could go on for years, I am in no hurry and really want to find the right car.  Today, playing the role of “the right car” is this low mile E36 in San Diego.  Finding used examples of this vintage is not a difficult task, the market is flooded with worn out M3’s that have been owned by boy racers.  With incomplete maintenance history and unwanted modifications these cars are a shell of what they once were or could be.  It is this tragedy that make this particular M3 so appealing.  Not only does this vehicle have amazingly low mileage it is as stock as it was when it left the factory.

From the seller’s auction:

“Hello and thanks for viewing my ad. For sale is a 1995 BMW M3 3.0 liter with 22k original miles. The car is bostongrun-metallic with oyster leather interior. This M3 is 100% original and has never been raced, tracked, or modified in any way. It has never been painted on or in an accident, as confirmed by Carfax. The majority of the records are available along with the original manuals, BMW cassette and extra keys. The car was originally purchased in California and has since been driven here. The could be one of the lowest mileage E36 M3’s on the planet and due to it’s minimal use, it is in remarkable shape. 

Mechanically: The car only has 22,145 original miles on it and the low mileage really does speak for the mechanical condition of the car. The motor runs incredibly smooth and quiet. There are no odd noises or shakes and the VANOS (camshaft timing unit) engages and disengages without any of the typical ‘rattling’ noises. The car handles perfectly and the suspension is very tight and responsive. The automatic transmission shifts perfectly and each mode (sport, economy, and manual) function as they should. The car comes with a cover, all factory tools, and the original spare. The car has always been maintained properly. The oil was also recently changed as was the battery. The dash shows zero warning lights. The tires will need replacing as they are original.

Exterior: The paint on the car is completely original and in pristine condition. It looks great in both the shade and the sun and do to the fact that it’s metallic, it looks significantly different in both conditions. The car is very straight and without any dings, dents, or scratches. The paint is very healthy due to the fact that the car was always garaged. There is virtually no road rash at all on the front bumper cover, nose panel, and hood. The only two defects on the body are one very minor nick on the driver-side rear quarter panel (the size of half a pinhead) and a minor etch in the clear coat from a bird dropping on the roof (the size of a nickel). All of the plastic moldings are in perfect shape and without any parking lot encounters or fading. The corner indicators, fogs, taillights and headlights remain crystal clear and aren’t hazy. All of the plastic pieces beneath the front bumper cover are all intact (usually they have been ripped off by curbs or in parking lots). All of the seals are in great condition, very pliable and without any sun damage. The wheels are in fantastic shape and only two have very minor curb rash.

Interior: The interior was most likely a custom order and can best be described as ‘oyster’. The quality of the leather is what BMW calls ‘nappa’ and is the top of the line. The color really sets the car apart and minimizes the perceived age of the car. It is beautiful and unlike any other M3 I’ve owned. The leather is in remarkable shape and feels very soft. There are no cracks or scuff marks. The rear seat and passenger seat are virtually unused and in perfect condition. The driver side seat is in like condition with very, very little wear on the bolster (see photos). The carpets and mats are in phenomenal condition and without any stains or markings. All the electronic components on the dash function as they should including the radio, on-board computer, fans, lights, air conditioning, and heating. The seat’s also function perfectly in all directions. The headliner is in perfect shape as well. The interior in this car is in unbelievable condition and very unique.”

Additional photos:

Great car, with the right miles, and the green and oyster color combination is unique… in a good way.  The buy-it-now is $15.5k and will be sure to attract some interest from bidders.  I have seen low mileage examples such as this in the $14-$17.5k range so the seller is realistic in their pricing.  If you are in the market for a used E36 this may be the car you have been looking for. 

~Aaron.

Posted by Aaron in BMW | March 13, 2010 | No Comments »

1988 BMW E24 M6 with 62k for Sale

March 12th, 2010

I am a big E24 M6 fan but I do get a little tired of the standard red or black color schemes.  Over on eBay there is a beautiful 1988 M6 finished in a rare Royal Blue Metallic with 62k miles.  This car has recovered front seats, a common area of failure with these cars, and nearly new rubber on BBS wheels.  From the pictures you can see this car is straight as can be without any dings, scrapes, or rock chips.

1988 BMW M6 for Sale on eBay

From the sellers post:

“Beautiful 1988 BMW M6 In Royal Blue Metallic With Full Tan Leather Interior,

Original 62,000 Miles,

2 Owner Car,

Both Front Seats Redone In Leather,

Heated Seats (Rare Option),

Factory BBS Wheels With Almost New Tires,

Absolutely No Cracks In Dashboard,

Very Rare Automobile With Those Miles.”

While the ad is on the brief side the 40 pictures tell a very compelling story of a car that is great looking and in seemingly good shape.  Assuming both of those are accurate, what is this car worth?  The reserve auction is at $10k and change with a week left, common sense tells me this car is worth $17-19k.  But, the concept of common sense and fine German autos do not go hand in hand.

~Aaron.

Posted by Aaron in BMW | March 12, 2010 | 1 Comment »

1986 930 With Less Than 13k Miles

March 11th, 2010

Over on Pelican there is another exceptional 930 for sale.  A few weeks back I posted this 930, this car is the same color scheme, without the chrome Fuchs, and even lower miles.

1986 930 12,781 original miles for sale:

 

 

 

From the seller’s post:

“Very low mileage – 12,781 miles black on black 1986 930 for sale.

This car is in excellent condition both top side and bottom side. The car is equipped with L/R sports seats and limited slip. I had the Monterrey radio put back in the car however, it has not been wired yet. The previous owner installed a CD deck which looked horrible IMHO so I had it pulled out and put the Monterrey in where it belongs. I also added a K27 7200 turbo and a Rarlyl8 SS muffler thanks to Brian. The car has only been drive 500 miles since the install. I still have the original muffler and 3LDZ turbo which will go to the buyer.

The 930’s are sought after vehicles, especially those that are not molested and have low mileage. This car fits that bill perfectly. The black paint looks new. The interior looks fantastic. It’s hard to tell this car is 24 years old!

After talking it over with the wife we decided to let this one go to a home where it will be enjoyed and driven. We have a 350 Z roadster which suits are needs perfectly. The 930 was just something I always wanted to own. It’s a shame to have it sit in the garage and not be enjoyed by someone who can appreciate her.

With that said, I am offering this beauty for $50,000. It’s a fair asking price considering the extremely low mileage and condition.”

A couple of things strike me about this ad:

At a flexible $50k this seems like a lot if car for the money.  While this car does not have the G50 transmission it also does not come with the price tag of the G50 cars.

~Aaron.


Posted by Aaron in Porsche | March 11, 2010 | No Comments »

1988 BMW 325iX

March 10th, 2010

You don’t come across these very often, but every now and then they crop up. The all wheel drive 325iX was produced from 1988 through 1991 and was available initially as a two door model and available with four doors after 1989. The iX model had a viscous coupling to split torque to the front and rear wheels with a rear differential to provide limited slip to the rear wheels. Those who are astute with their BMWs can spot an iX instantly, as this model has flared wheel arches and, after 1989, 15″ BBS wheels. Amazingly, the iX only suffers about 1 mpg less in fuel consumption than the more popular iS model.

Description from the seller:

How is the interior?: Look at the pictures! The interior is indistinguishable from when it was new. That is a bold statement, but I will stand by it. The back seats have never been used. The front seats (super nice sport seats) have been covered for years with the sheepskin covers you see in the trunk picture. I have known this car for a very very long time and I have never actually seen the front seats until today, when I removed the sheepskins for the pictures. The seats literally look brand new! No cracking, no wear marks on side bolsters, and the leather is as soft and supple as the were in 1988. The dash is perfect…not a single crack or imperfection anywhere. The headliner is perfect–no sagging and no stains anywhere. The carpets are perfect–always protected by rubber mats, which are also in the trunk. Never ever smoked in. Still smells new–I swear. Look at the pictures. This is the nicest E30 interior you will ever see. Even the AC/Heat knobs look brand new. Interior is a 10/10.

Body: The body is also gorgeous–no rust anywhere on this E30. Denver does not use salt on our roads, and it’s previous home was WA, which also does not use salt, hence this very rare rust free example. The paint is thick and lustrous and shines even in direct sunlight. There are a few imperfections here and there, but you have to get very close to the car to pick them out. The rear quarter flares have some road rash from winter driving, but I imagine these plastic pieces could be resprayed very easily to make the car perfect.

Glass: No cracks or chips anywhere.

Tires: Winter snow tires are currently on the car and they are almost new–85% all around.

Electrical: Everything works perfectly. windows go up and down perfectly, signals work perfectly, etc etc

Heated seats: work!

AC/Heat: blows ice cold and heat is very hot

Mechanical: best part of the car. over-maintained if anything. car needs absolutely nothing, not even an oil change. doesnt leak one drop of anything–could park it on your kitchen floor and wouldnt leave a drop of anything.

Suspension: very tight–not a single rattle or squeak anwhere on the car.

Brakes: 75% all around

These iX models do not come up for sale that often, which makes placing a value on them difficult. Given the rarity, I would think close to $10,000 would be a reasonable guess for such a fun and capable machine. My first car was a 1988 325is and seeing an E30 this mint brings back fond memories. As good as the new 3 series is, the E30 is my favorite, due to their simplicity and fun to drive factor. For the iX, reliability is pretty decent, as I would regularly see a few of these chugging along the streets of Boston when I lived there a few years ago.

Source: BMW325iX Registry FAQs

-Paul

Posted by paul in BMW | March 10, 2010 | No Comments »

1970 VW Mule for Sale

March 10th, 2010

Have to say, this is a VeeDub I hadn’t seen before.  Kind of like a Type 181 Thing, but way more badass.  The seller’s description sums it up nicely:

All metal body, fiberglass top (not easily removable). Rear torsion housing on back, is mechanically a ‘70 Bus. Pans (shortened) on forward is a ‘70 Bug. As far as I can tell, stock 1600 DP engine. Bus tranny has ridiculous gears, top speed 50 mph. Has built in tow bar and front mounted winch that operates from inside the cab. Windows go fully up or fully down. No back seat, the whole area is taken up by an aluminum 25 gal. gas tank. New tires and wheels. Includes spare tire, large skid plate (removed) and a mostly fabbed trailer hitch for the rear. Everything works except the horn. Starts, runs and drives well. Needs new ignition switch (part included with vehicle).

1970 VW Mule for Sale on the Samba

Starts and runs well, which is enough for me for a little VW mud gremlin under $3k.  And I had this idea… it’s all VW Bus in the rear, and Subaru engines fit in Buses…

Maybe a little sacrilegious in a nice original like this, but it looks like it could be lots of fun in the right environment.

-NR

Posted by Nate in Volkswagen | March 10, 2010 | No Comments »

Rare BMW Alpina B8 Touring Wagon E36

March 9th, 2010

Alpina’s are rare cars, this one, according to the Alpina register, is 1 of 27 wagon B8s produced in the late 1990s. Around 250 of the B8s were produced in all forms form. The Alpina register has a PDF copy of the whole parts catalog for the B8 so you can see what you are getting.
With 333 horsepower from a custom crafted Alpina 4.6 liter V8 stuffed under the hood of a 3 series, matched to a six speed manual, these have to be fun cars. The touring just adds to the unique and wow factor. Subtle changes like the standard Alpina look wheels and badging are all that give the car away. That is, of course, besides the throaty V8 burble coming from the tailpipes.
I love the fact that one of the previous owners of this particular car has badged it as a 316i. Just image the look of an unsuspecting Mustang owner on the highway as an apparent 4 cylinder station wagon disappears into the horizon.
This particular vehicle looks like it has been enjoyed year round, it has 84,000 miles, sports winter tires. and you can see snow on it in the pictures. Its good to see that the car is being enjoyed.
The owner says the car is on its way over from Bremerhafen Germany. The price is $34,000 or $40,000 if you want the current owner to take care of getting the car registered since it will come in as a grey market vehicle.

BMW Alpina B8 Touring on Craigslist

~Evan

Posted by Evan in Alpina, BMW | March 9, 2010 | 4 Comments »

1990 Audi V8 Quattro for Sale

March 8th, 2010

A very low-mileage Audi V8 Quattro is up on eBay with 20 days left at a Buy-It-Now or Best Offer price of $6500.  This was the predecessor to the A8, offering a 3.6L 247hp V8.  Weak by today’s standards, but not too shabby in 1990.  It was also the only full-size sedan with AWD at time and came with a galvanized body, so rust shouldn’t be a problem.

I think the big selling point here is the extremely low 41k miles.   It’s no Ur-S4 or S6, but $6500 for a fun, big AWD sedan is not too bad at all.

-NR

Posted by Nate in Audi | March 8, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Steve Dinan’s 2006 M5 S3

March 7th, 2010

Just our luck, the last post’s M3 has a big brother that’s for sale as well.

This is Steve Dinan’s personal M5 that put down 627 horsepower and 480 lb-ft torque as compared to a stock M5’s “measly” 500 horsepower and 383 lb-ft torque.

Here’s a great write-up and video for one of the other Dinan E60 M5 S3’s that Dan found back in the beginning of 2010 – 2008 Dinan M5 S3.

Steve Dinan’s 2006 E60 M5 S3


Dinan Upgrades included in the S3 package:

Dinan bored and stroked V-10 engine with Engine Management Software

(Only 4,100 miles on this engine)

Dinan High Flow Air Mass Meter/Intake Assemblies

Dinan High Flow Throttle Bodies

Dinan Middle Racing Exhaust

Dinan Free Flow Rear Muffler with Black Tips

Dinan Under-Drive Crank Pulley 16%

Dinan Stage 3 Suspension

Dinan Front and Rear Carbon Fiber Strut/Shock Tower Braces

Dinan 19” Lightweight Forged Wheel (with brand new PS2 Tires and New Black Chrome Wheels)

Dinan Performance Brakes by Brembo 4-Wheel Conversion (Black Calipers with Slotted Rotors: New Pads & Rotors installed 1/5/10)

Dinan Pedal Pads

Dinan Signature Floor Mats

Dinan Badge with Serial Numbered S3 Plaque

Total price of the above parts installed $70,000

I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’d rather own Steve’s M3.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the M5…just not the E60 so much.  It’s too bangle-ized and SMG’d for me.

If i had the $80K to spend on this M5 I’d much rather buy Steve’s track focused, low miles, 6-speed M3 and spend the remaining 30K on a mint E39 M5.

-Ben

Posted by Ben in BMW, Dinan | March 7, 2010 | No Comments »

Steve Dinan’s Personal 462hp Supercharged E46 M3

March 7th, 2010

Steve Dinan and I would definitely get along.  I’m the kind of guy who thinks a great thing can always be better and it’s clear to see through Steve’s work that he shares that same sentiment.

What he’s done here is take the already amazing E46 M3 and made it faster (much faster) and given it better handling.  His S3-R package adds a huge boost over the already stellar stock performance of Bimmer’s most popular M-car.  What makes this Dinan so special is the custom intercooled supercharger system that blows 5.5 psi into the rev-happy straight-6.  Horsepower jumps up to a staggering 462 while torque flattens out at 328 lb-ft.  To make sure all this new found power can translate into an improved driving experience; the M3 receives a stage 3 JRZ suspension set up and some lightweight Forged 19s.

Steve Dinan’s Personal 462hp Supercharged E46 M3 S3-R

I love the “Oreo” color combo and the red interior that Steve has choosen.  With only 14K miles and a warranty that’s good for a few more months, I think this super-M3 warrants the $50K asking price.

-Ben

Posted by Ben in BMW, Dinan | March 7, 2010 | No Comments »

1972 Volkswagen K70 sedan

March 7th, 2010

With regards to water cooled Volkswagens, the K70 is where it all began. This is also the first front engined, front wheel drive Volkswagen. Designed by NSU, the K70 was intended to be a smaller sibling to the revolutionary R080 rotary engined sedan. After Volkswagen assumed control of NSU, the K70 filled a niche in Volkswagen’s lineup and was marketed as a successor to the Type 4. The K70 continued on until 1973 with the introduction of the Passat. In addition to a water cooled engine, some other interesting features were inboard front brakes, rack and pinion steering and MacPherson Strut front suspension.

Here’s an excerpt from the seller’s comprehensive ad:

There are close to 500 examples in the world and only 3 in the USA. This is an exellent example of a running orginal car and the best car I have ever found. It is the ONLY running K70 in the USA. It’s my great barn find, trailer queen. I purchased it from the original owner out of New York State several years ago so this makes me the second owner. It was brought over from Belgium where it was originally purchased and converted for US import. It has a MPH speedo!

I have pored over 15 grand into this car lovingly. I didn’t skimp on anything. I would consider this car “lightly restored”. My goal was to keep it as original as possible. It has about 90% original paint and 90% original or period correct pieces.

YOU GET:
The first water cooled VW.
1 Bavarian folk music tape
1 medium box or original used parts
1 spare windshield (just in case)
Owners manual
technical support from myself and or the K70 club after joining

This car represents a unique opportunity to own what could be considered the bridge between the air-coooled and water-cooled Volkswagen eras. Of, you could view this vehicle as a more reliable alternative to the NSU Ro80. In all of my travels to Germany, I have not come across a K70 in person. Even 40 years on, this car still looks rather contemporary. After years of seeing Beetles roam the German countryside, one could imagine how advanced this car must have seemed at the time.

Also, I’m not sure what everyone’s thoughts are on the car for sale itself, but the Bavarian folk music tape sold it for me.

-Paul

Posted by paul in Volkswagen | March 7, 2010 | No Comments »