Want to buy! What's it worth. (PICS)

[viali8]

I have been lurking around on the forums the past few years and finally joined about a month ago. I do not own an 02 but would like to get into one. I started a thread a while back with questions regards to what this car was worth. I did not have any pics at the time and therefore was not able to receive accurate feedback in regards to what the car is worth. Here are the pics of the car.

Has solid rockers and floor boards. Shock towers have no rust. The car was painted at one point. It was red. Interior is in good shape. Looks like the seats my be out of a e36. Not sure.

I was able to see/hear the car run but not able to drive it.

http://img534.imageshack.us/g/bmw2002001.jpg/

[CutteRug]

Here are the pics of the car.

Pics didn't come through.

[viali8]

could you please move this thread to the "general discussion" section.

thanks

[kris]

About $500. I wouldn't take it on unless you are a professional bodyman or a sadist. There is going to be terrible things lurking under that paint

[viali8]

I was thinking about $500 as well. This is not a good sign i am not a professional body man or a sadist...lol On the parts of the car where the paint is pealing off and showing rust can't that be sanded down to bare metal and painted over?

[kris]

I was thinking about $500 as well. This is not a good sign i am not a professional body man or a sadist...lol On the parts of the car where the paint is pealing off and showing rust can't that be sanded down to bare metal and painted over?

Sure you could strip the whole body and replace the bad panels and bad sections and others here have done it with great sucess, best left to a professional bodyman though or take a course on welding etc and do it yourself.

If non-seamed sections of the car are showing that much rust then the seamed areas are going to be rotten.

If it has some good stuff, buy it as a parts car. Best advice is to buy the best bodied car you can afford and work on the mechanicals over time.

[TEAEYE]

Got the photos,

How did it sound when you heard it run?

Why did you not drive it? Even around the block or lot?

Did they tell you if it had any brakes?

The reason I ask is because to me atleast the rust the car displays gives me the impression it has been sitting a long time.

I see you have no pics from inside the trunk, though you state that the towers appear good, but did you look above/under the rear wheels from the wheel well side? There is a structural box (if you will) on the inside of the wheel well that can be in bad shape , eventhough looking in the trunk may at first glance give the impression that it is solid.!

To make it clear, the rear shock will pass thru what I call the box.

Is this seller open to best offer? I may have missed the asking price.

Did you check to see if it has a brake pedal at all?

[viali8]

Thanks for the help! I didn't even ask to drive it around the lot or the street. It has a flat tire.

I did open the trunk and from inside the shock towers look "solid" but you brought up a issue i wasn't aware. I should check inside the wheel well.

With regards to asking price the guy said $2500. I said that was too much and he then said "talk to me." I left the lot with out talking about price and decided to educate my self on the car and joined this forum.

The thing i am most concerned with is the body work. I dont know how to do body work. I am sure i could sand and paint put thats about it.

I am not afraid of the mechanical work. I have owned 4 e30's and an e39...i do all my own work.

[TEAEYE]

$2500???

The guy told you $2500 with a straight face?

Case closed!

[viali8]

Not defending him but the guy obviously has no idea what it is worth. That is why i have started doing research and asking questions about it. He is an older guy who doesn't work on german cars...just italian cars.

Do you think its worth $500?

[JohnW]

Do you think its worth $500?

Yes. It starts and runs and has some good parts on it. The car definitely has a lot of surface rust on it. It looks like a car that has been sitting for a long time or spent a lot of time near the beach. You need to get a good look at the underside -- ideally put it up on a lift. How are the front frame rails, the pedal box, the floors, the rear subframe mounts, the rocker panels and the rear shock towers? Get in there,wipe the dirt off, poke all over with something sharp. Rust in these areas hide, especially on dirty cars that have been sitting a long time. I guarantee you it will have a lot of rust in the front valence, spare tire well and next to the gas tank. Just make sure it hasn't gotten too out of control in those areas.

If these areas check out, then think about your goals for the car. Most people on this board will tell you to pass on cars like this because it will cost $10s of thousands to restore the body work only. But if you're like me and you like ugly, well-worn 02s and just need something with a solid platform don't necessarily rule this car out. Lord knows these things are getting hard to find in some parts of the country and many time their owners are just looking for ridiculous amounts of $$ when they put them up for sale.

[viali8]

Do you think its worth $500?

Yes. It starts and runs and has some good parts on it. The car definitely has a lot of surface rust on it. It looks like a car that has been sitting for a long time or spent a lot of time near the beach. You need to get a good look at the underside -- ideally put it up on a lift. How are the front frame rails, the pedal box, the floors, the rear subframe mounts, the rocker panels and the rear shock towers? Get in there,wipe the dirt off, poke all over with something sharp. Rust in these areas hide, especially on dirty cars that have been sitting a long time. I guarantee you it will have a lot of rust in the front valence, spare tire well and next to the gas tank. Just make sure it hasn't gotten too out of control in those areas.

If these areas check out, then think about your goals for the car. Most people on this board will tell you to pass on cars like this because it will cost $10s of thousands to restore the body work only. But if you're like me and you like ugly, well-worn 02s and just need something with a solid platform don't necessarily rule this car out. Lord knows these things are getting hard to find in some parts of the country and many time their owners are just looking for ridiculous amounts of $$ when they put them up for sale.

Thanks for the info. Honestly I am not looking to fully restore the car. I would like to have it as a daily driver during the summer. Once the summer is over i will daily drive my e30.

Like you said i should do more poking around. The frame rails are good, the floors are solid...still has the tar on it. Not sure about the rear subframe mounts and pedal box. The shock towers look solid from the trunk area but i was told i should check them from inside the wheel wells. For the most part the rocker panels are good. They do have some rust on both sides back towards the rear wheels...just like i showed you in the pic.

Thanks for the help!

[02Les]

It's a joke.....right?

I think that's a little more than "surface rust".

The front spoiler looks ok and the UK licence plate.

[viali8]

I might be able to locate a 4-speed tranny for $150. Is that a fair price?

[viali8]

It's a joke.....right?

I think that's a little more than "surface rust".

The front spoiler looks ok and the UK licence plate.

Yes there is rust but there are no holes on the body from the rust.