97 328i coupe - £650. Money pit?
Discussion
lost in espace said:
Yes that's the one. Should be interesting to see what it's likeWell, you've bought it already...
Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
Edit:
Just read the ad over, at first glance that looks like a bargain. I hope it serves you well!
Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
Edit:
Just read the ad over, at first glance that looks like a bargain. I hope it serves you well!
Edited by WeirdNeville on Sunday 2nd January 18:36
WeirdNeville said:
Well, you've bought it already...
Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
Thanks for the info - getting to the next MOT is the plan, then I may have to get a car with easy access to rear seats.Things that go wrong:
Front suspension arms ball joints and rear location bushes- Wandering at speed, steering wheel wobble, clunking over bumps. £100 to replace (parts only) and relatively easy to DIY.
Rear suspension trailing arm bushes - Poor rear end control and clunking. £50 parts, bit of a pig to change apparently.
Rear suspension Shock absorber top mounts - £20 parts, 20 min fix. A joy to do.
Engine:
Water pump/Thermostat - Fails causing overheating/cracked head/head gasket failure. Many people change them for insurance, about £50 in parts.
Oil consumption - Drink a bit at high miles, any more than 1l every 1,000 miles and it points to a problem.
VANOS: Can fail leading to a gutless midrange but strong top end, and poorer fuel economy.
Lambda Sensor: Fails leaving you getting low 20's MPG.
Rust: Have a look over the body but no major rust traps (as far as I know!)
Brakes:
Not particularly impressive but should work. Easy to change and all four corners for less than £150.
Rear lines appear prone to corrosion and are a bit of a pig to replace as they loop over the fuel tank.
They're pretty bomb proof cars to be honest, my touring feels good as it approaches 170,000 miles. Check all fluids etc before you set off/ For £650 if it gets you to the next MOT you've had your moneys worth.
I was also looking at
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1997-AUDI-A4-2-8-QUATTRO-AVA...
or
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-MG-ZT-FAMILY-CAR-NOT-MO...
but these look like they'll get over 1k
edit to sort ebay links
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 2nd January 19:46
wsurfa said:
lost in espace said:
Yes that's the one. Should be interesting to see what it's like
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff