should i buy this bmw 328i

[angel61939]

im sorry if this is not the right place to put this thread at. But i have some questions. I saw this ad on craigslist for a bmw 328i, 1997 and it has a convertible top (http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/#). The mileage for the car is 156,000.So I called the owner and had a quick and brief talk about the car and when I can setup a date to meet up to see the car in person. So as we talk he tells me some details and I also am looking at the photos on the ad he posted. In a summary here is what I gathered from the owner and the ad he posted:
. Car has no problems with the tranny or engine
.The convertible top does not work.
. The seats are not torn apart but are cracking
. The door panels are also cracking
.Interior is tan so the cracking is noticeable
. The back plastic window is torn.
So the asking price????? 1500 is what he is asking. I think its a good deal especially for what he said about the mechanical aspect of the car, im not worried about the top since I can replace and buy a new one. My main concern is what should I look for in this car as far as problems and common issues. I am going to be buying this as my first car if everything goes well. But obviously I want to know what common problems to check for. I read that the cooling for e36 or the m52 engine which this model has , has had plenty of issues mainly with the cooling system that has many plastic parts. So whats some preventative measures I can take to prevent those issues from getting worse with the car? Thanks for your advice. Oh and I do plan on getting a pre purchase inspection and try and see if I can even get the price lower. So any advice is helpful thanks.

**Little bonus question: this is my first car and I have limited knowledge when it comes to cars but I am more than willing to learn how to do my own maintenance and look up some guides you guys have on here. Do you think that this car can be worked on by a newbie.

[ChinoBMW]

I have the same exact car. Mine is a 4 door tho. I will let you in on some things I found with my car.

-check the oil: it never hurts. If you don't know what good oil is supposed to look,smell, feel, and taste like (kidding) then bring someone along who does. Oil can sometimes tell a lot.
-pop open the oil fill cap: never a bad idea. Check for obvious signs or corrosion or build up.
-check the coolant
- roll down all of the Windows a bunch of times. I bought mine with messed up regulators on a 7 degree day. The first warm day I went to roll down my windows and nearly made brown in my pants because the glass was hanging out
-if it's a manual transmission car make sure that you can shift into and downshift into all of the gears
-check odometer to make sure it works.
-check the shock towers
-if it has a check engine light, read the codes. Take it to any auto part store and have them read them for FREE with the owner. If they don't want to, then get back in the car and go home. Not with it
- check the exterior door handles. They go out. I have a 4 door so I can get around it. You have a 2 door convertible so you'd have to walk around the car constantly. It's very very very annoying.

- make sure the heat and ac work!!!!!! Blower motors, and FSU's go out all of the time. Both were out in my car. Make sure the blower not only turns on but works at ALL speed settings!!!!!!

Tail lights - check them. Make sure they all work and that the blinkers come on.

Drive the absolute snot out of it when you get it. I do this literally every single time I look at a car and it has saved me more than once. From a leaking Jetta to a torque converter that was about to fall out on a stroked 383 H/C/I LT1 trans am.

Make sure the seat goes back and forth if it's power seats
Check the power outlet.

CHECK FOR RUST EVERYWHERE. UNDERNEATH IT, inside, and in the trunk area!!!!!

Pop open the hood. You may have no idea what you're looking at but look for obvious things like wet spots from leaking oil or power steering fluid. Leaky PSF is common on E36 cars.

Inspect the brakes. A quick visual look and drive will give you an idea of the shape they might be in. Mine were perfectly fine when I bought the car but quickly faded because they were $20.00 Autozone pads.

And lastly, start the car. Let it warm. Drive it like you stole it. And then park it. And let it run and sit. Talk with the guy. after about 10 minutes pop the hood again and look for leaks and then again underneath the car to see if you can see coolant dripping down.

Feel free to PM any questions. I'm sort of new to E36's and BMW's in general but I've learned a lot about these cars in 6 short months.

Best of luck, Chino.