E9 Find: Please help with the value (Pics Inside)

[dave v. in nc]

rogue from the hive...

I think the first thing to assess about buying any car, is what does the end-user want from the end product, right? Up until this last post, I think the usual assumption is that you want a car to "restore", rather than to "fix up"...Do not get this group wrong, there is nothing wrong with saving a stray dog; I always have and always will. The two prevailing thoughts are probably "fix it up to be a safe, technically good car, and drive it like you stole it, and aesthetics be damned", or "conserve, preserve, or restore to be a safe, technically good car, that is also an aesthetically beautiful vehicle" for the future to enjoy, (and still possibly drive it like you stole it)...Everything else falls in between.
I have a good one, a bad one, and an ugly one...The bad one will be my beater; the ugly one is a dry version of the red car (no insider water droplets or moss)...And believe me, the doors and trunk will still close like a vault until the day the rear subframe falls off...
I still think that you can find a drier, albeit somewhat rusty car for around $6-7K that will save you a huge lot of time and money. Time is money. There was one on Ebay in Toledo last week missing front and rear glass, etc that I think went for around $6500, so they are out there...patience, and good luck.
Dave V. in NC

 

[Markos]

This thread really turned around. Great group, thanks guys! If they are still available, I'd order new floor pans for $700 from Mike P. The rockers however would probably spark some debate. I own a 1999 XJ (visible in a pic). It's quite common in the XJ world to replace rusty or perfectly good rockers with box tube. With the E9, this work can be concealed by the fascia.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1047988&page=2

If this guy sells it to me fir $1K I will bite. If not, I will still attempt to help him sell it in an effort to save the poor thing from a very very rainy PNW winter.

 

[3nsahalee]

Where in the PNW is this car?
If you pass, I may be interested.
I'm Seattle area.

Thanks!
Steve

 

[dang]

Markos, I'm really glad you put on your flack jacket and posted here, there are some very knowledgeable folks on this forum. That said, you have to remember that some guys want everything perfect and others enjoy working on them and aren't as picky about every tiny detail. I'm in the "driver" group and this is how I'd go about assessing this car...

I've owned a car in similar condition before and drove it quite often, knowing that it would be taken off the road at times to "repair and rebuild" things. I'd value this car as a parts car because its fairly easy to justify in a negotiation for price. Once I owned it I'd get into it enough to decide if it really is a parts car or something I'd repair. Again, I would probably take on projects that others wouldn't because I enjoy the challenge and I can't afford to pay someone else to do it!

The bumpers and trim is worth $1k. The rest can be scrapped for $300. If you sold other parts you can get even more out of it... I don't see any risk at $1000 purchase price or more.

What will probably happen.... you'll buy this car, take it apart, fix some things, drive it some, then find another coupe that's a little better and move on to that one. Repeat!

Dan

 

[HB Chris]

Markos,

You passed one of the first tests of coupe ownership, a thick skin! The second test, a good sense of humor. The third, a big wallet.

:???:

 

[waynesie]

Sweet beater

Markos,
Do you really want an e9?
Or do you really want an e28?
You can get a really nice e28 for 3-5k.

Wow that spare tire well is really nice.
I have seen worse rust on much pricier cars..... Not that that makes it okay.

 

[e9john]

I'd say that if you think you can do it, go for it. I'm three and a half years into mine and have only just finished bodywork repairs and I'm now onto the painting, doing all the work myself. I couldn't have afforded to go and buy a restored or good original car and I enjoy doing the work, it's my hobby and I spend most weekends working on it. I think it's another two years away from being finished and it will be built to as high a standard as I can achieve given that I'm in the building trade, not auto.

During the time I have been working on mine I have seen the price of similar project cars rise from the £1000 I paid to around £4000 here in the UK.

I buy parts as and when I need them to keep things moving along and have rebuilt the front and rear suspension ready to go back in the car. I buy from ebay, Jaymic, W & N (try to wait for the deals if you can) local BMW main dealer, this forum and other specialists, one of the positive things of going slowly is eventually that much needed/rare part will come along but you might have to dig deep in your pocket to get it.

For me it doesn't matter so much what the end cost is as I have no intention of ever selling the car and renewing or refurbishing worn parts now will save time and money in the long term plus building in some reliability and safety, I have had one of my other classic cars for 33 years and that one was fully restored by me also.

Check out this forum so you know fully what you are up against, there are plenty of good people on here who will help with parts, advice and encouragement and look forward to driving one of the most iconic classic cars around knowing that you saved it, I know I am.

John.

 

[Markos]

Well this may be for naught...

I stopped by this evening, reduced my offer and broke the news about the overall value of the car. The gentlemen's partner has been doing some interweb research for him and believes that the car is worth $8,0000. I've assured him several times that this is not the case. I told him he could sell it to someone who can make it roadworthy for $1,000, or sell it to an unsuspecting victim for $3,000, who will ultimately let it rust into the ground. He definitely has some sentimental attachment to the vehicle, as it belonged to his late brother. Also, he has a disability that affects his memory. It turns out that his brother passed 15 years ago. He says it's been parked outside for 15 years. He really did drive it over to my neighborhood last year though. My stopping by last week has motivated both he and his partner. Time will tell. I left things open ended today and will stop by when I see him. I drive by his house nearly every day.

Where in the PNW is this car?

Steve - I'm in Seattle. I told him that I'd hate to see the car sitting and would help him sell it to someone who can do something productive with it if he doesn't want to sell it to me for $1K.

Markos, I'm really glad you put on your flack jacket and posted here, there are some very knowledgeable folks on this forum...

The bumpers and trim is worth $1k. The rest can be scrapped for $300. If you sold other parts you can get even more out of it... I don't see any risk at $1000 purchase price or more.

Thanks Dan! BTW, now that I have a few more data points I retract my statement about the hive mentality. The ownership is a bit more diverse that I first assumed given the responses. I'd hate to part out such a rare car. I've followed arguments on the definition of rare. What I can say is that I've seen one operational E9 on the road in my life, and that was in Seattle (white one in Eastlake) in 2008. How many classic cars have we lost over the years because someone said it wasn't worth restoring. There are many retired gentlemen who are kicking themselves for abandoning projects due to perceived or temporary worthlessness.

If I did part it out, I would take a saw to the nose clip, the shock towers, the rear pan. I'd part out the seats and small interior bits. Given my assessment of the front fenders, even those are worth keeping. The doors are good, the glass is good. The bumpers have some pitting on the top, with visible surface rust. I'd just hit it with #0000 steel wool. Lastly, the vintage Enkei 92's are worth about $300. He has the original slotted wheels plus a full size spare which is another $150.

Markos,
Do you really want an e9?
Or do you really want an e28?
You can get a really nice e28 for 3-5k.

Wow that spare tire well is really nice.
I have seen worse rust on much pricier cars..... Not that that makes it okay.

I would love to own a $30K grade E9. Sadly, my next 30K+ goes to a Honda Odyssey I've been lusting over a euro-spec E28. A 'decent' e28 driver is $3,500. A 'good' e28 is $4K - $6K. A really nice e28 is $7K+. Still leagues away from an E9. BTW, an e28 M5 driver is around $8K-$10K. The nice ones are around $20K. EAG sells them for $50K. :roll eyes:

My e28 plan has been to find a meager '88 528e Super Eta on the cheap, and swap in a M30B35. The '88 has the most compatible wiring. Unlike the E9, I want an E28 with zero body work required and factory paint that hasn't shed the clear coat. The goal with this would be determine if I really like e28's before investing in a euro conversion, grey market car, or importing. '80's BMW diving board bumpers are so awful. Once you see a eurospec e28 you can't unsee it. You E9 guys are in the right era, even with the later 2.5mph bumper standards.

Regarding the rear well, the entire back half of the car is in really great shape. That is why I questioned the comments on the rear windshield frame. Clearly it isn't leaking. The tools had no oxidation on the plating from what I recall.



John - thanks for the advice. Much appreciated!

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Markos, NOT all for naught, you have probably picked up thousands of dollars worth of experience. The next e9 you are interested in will be approached very critically (as it should). To a new buyer this thread is priceless! Keep looking and let us all help.

Good luck!

 

[CSteve]

Markos, another coupe driver and I found a 75 CSi in a barn. Really. Rusty beyond salvation.
We paid $600. + $100. to deliver it. Bill took the chrome bumpers and the entire injection system. We still sold thousands, not sure to this day how many, in other parts. Some Romanians from Brooklyn took the body, stripped but all there for what was worth, and gave us $600. That was three + years ago and we are still selling little parts. The dome light, lens, bulb mount and chrome trim sold a couple of months ago.
The devil is in the small and big parts. If the shell goes to the boneyard, leave nothing for the vultures. Pick the carcas(sp) clean. To the bone.
Steve

 

[Stan]

I had the same experience with "the turkey carcass"
We sold a pile of parts and the remainder of the body to VSR

 

[Markos]

update:

I followed up with the owner. His research indicates that the car is worth $5k to $6k. He is willing to sell it to me for his original offer, which I am not interested in paying. I'm going to buy an e28 instead.

 

[dang]

update:

I followed up with the owner. His research indicates that the car is worth $5k to $6k. He is willing to sell it to me for his original offer, which I am not interested in paying. I'm going to buy an e28 instead.

Sounds smart. Don't be a stranger! ;-)

Dan

 

[wazza.csi]

Hi Markos, I have had 5 or 6 E28's they are a great car, I am still considering running complete E28 535 running gear in my E9, I sold my E28 M535I about 6 years ago for $10k NZ" just saw a similar car sold this year for $17k. Don't give up on E9 though!!
Good luck Warren