318i - Would You Buy this Car?

[Rot 911]

Hope you don't mind my excursion over from the 911 board. Although looking at the list of posters, I recognise a few names. Anyway guy here in town is selling his college daughter's 1992 318i, 150,000, no rust, vinyl interior, new clutch 40,000 miles ago, mostly highway driving back and forth to college (200 miles one way), has working air, 5 speed, cd, usual power equipment. I'm just looking for a daily driver when it is too hot to drive the non-ac 911. It is the four cylinder engine. He wants $3700 or best offer. The car drives well, no smoke, hesitation or rattles. Uses a quart of oil every 800 miles. Too cheap for me to really care to do a PPI, but based on what I know it appears to be a sound car. My question is, should I buy it? Is it a good deal? What life can I expect out of the engine?

[stupenal]

Whoa, for 3700, that'd be a STEAL. Hurry, call the cops, we've got a theif! But seriously, even thought its a FANTASTIC price, you should get a ppi. Whats a hundered which could save you thousands? As for the engine, the 4 bangers are really reliable, more so than the m50 2.5l. I'm not too sure of the life, but I think 200k can be easily done. I'm assuming waterpump, radiator are in good condition. Otherwise, sounds like a great deal. Out here in Southern California, 318s go for around $6k.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Let me preface this by saying that I don't know much at all about the BMW four-cylinder motors.

But I'd be quite concerned about any motor that used a quart of oil in 800 miles! Heck, that's getting near to the limit that Porsche sets for their air-cooled cars--which I think is too much oil consumption for them! (I think it's 1 l./1000 km.; ~1 qt/~600 mi.)

At a minimum, I'd get a compression check and probably a leakdown test. The compression to tell you the overall health of the top end, the leakdown to tell you where the oil is going. (Listen for the air escaping; tailpipe or intake snorkel or oil filler.) Check with people who know more about these motors to see what usually causes whatever to leak, then judge how likely it may be that the engine will need major work soon. Balance that with the cost and with the time and money it would take to do the work (if any).

I'd say a PPI is a good investment in this case! Your "too cheap to check" car could easily turn into a money-pit, and it's good to have a heads-up on the possibility first.

--DD

[Blackfoot]

Originally posted by stupenal
[B]As for the engine, the 4 bangers are really reliable, more so than the m50 2.5l.B]

if true, that's saying quite a bit, as many bmw people regard the m50/m52 6-cyl engines as perhaps the most reliable and longest-running powerplants bmw has produced. 300k is not uncommon. my '92 has 180k and it keeps on running and running.