Car is Donezo... Looking at This affordable 325i

[hypethiz]

Hey guys,

I had a 2004 330i with 130k miles that i had bought for $6,000.
Well about two years later and a lot of abuse, the car over heated and the head gasket is blown. I was quoted by a CHEAP mechanic to repair the head gasket at $1,200.. however I'm not sure this would really fix my problem since i suspect the entire engine is fried.

Currently looking at a 2002 325i.
140k miles clean title
Very messed up paint on the hood (Probably just buy a new hood, don't care about repainting it either)
Owner is asking for only $2,500 (red flag?)

I test drove the car,
The engine feels very strong, there doesn't appear to be any leaks.
The interior is in great shape for the most part.

Now what should I do in this case?
Repair my head gasket/get an engine swap and cross my fingers? Or really consider getting this 325i?

In reality, I'm really just looking for a bimmer that is going to last me about another 2 years. (i drive 50k miles a year)
Meanwhile I'm going to be saving a lot of cash to get myself a e36 m3.

And YES I'm fully aware that a BMW is out of my range with what I've got but its the only kind of car that really enjoy driving and am proud to own. So please spare the "get a toyota corolla" comments.!

Thanks
-Navin

[Pelican Parts]

Make sure to get a full PPI report - $2,500 does sound a bit low, but perhaps the owner just wants to get rid of it and is aware of the imperfections. Best of luck!


-Dmitry

[hypethiz]

the owner said he has only had the car for about a month.. did not ask where he bought it or about previous or anything like. I probably should have

Does anyone know if an engine swap/rebuild would be viable in my case? I really do like my car but i don't want to dig myself a deeper hole than I need to

[hypethiz]

been looking around for m54b30 engines and it looks like it comes out to about 1,500-1,700 bucks for one with about 140k+ miles.

however i did see a whole engine for sale at 900 on craigslist.. no warranty of course. is this a risk that should ever be taken?

How much would an engine swap be in labor?

[BigC986]

ebay seems to have m54's for a lot cheaper than $1500-1700. You can take the risk from the one on craiglist but just do a compression check on it. I'd also check the oil cap to make sure theres no milky residue which could mean headgasket problems. I've bought motors from craigslist in the past including a s52 from a 99 m3 and have had no issues any times. As far as pricing goes, call around to local shops in your area and get an estimate. Use the $2500 and just get your current car fixed.

[hypethiz]

that's really what i'd rather do. i like my car a lot since i believe it's a ZHP M Sport. And i should be looking for the entire engine block correct?
Do you think the entire repair can be done under a 3k budget?

[hypethiz]

I'm a bit confused on what kind of engine i should be looking for.. will ANY m54b30 fit in my 330i??

is there another engine i should consider? possible get some more power out of if it's the same price range?

[alexxjimm99]

Hi,
Welcome to in this forum site. Here u can find lots of thinks, I suggest u for your problem, Have you to contact your friends. I an not able to give your answer, right now,sorry for that.

[alexxjimm99]

Hi,
Welcome to in this forum site. Here u can find lots of thinks, I suggest u for your problem, Have you to contact your friends. I an not able to give your answer, right now,sorry for that.
..................................

[hypethiz]

got a quote for an engine + labor for about $4500.

engine is 70k miles
they would replace a lot of part such as water pump tempeture sensors hoses and gaskets

does this seem like a good price?

is this a viable option? i'd basically be getting a brand new car.

Or is it more cost effective to look for another car altogether ?

[XAlt]

I'd just get a new head and refresh the cooling system. Worst you could've done is warped it.

Remember that the temp gauge is an idiot light on modern BMWs, sadly enough.

[BigC986]

I'm a bit confused on what kind of engine i should be looking for.. will ANY m54b30 fit in my 330i??

is there another engine i should consider? possible get some more power out of if it's the same price range?

Yup. They were used in a variety of models(3 series, 5 series, x5 etc). If you do have a true zhp i'd read up on the exact differences between the motors. They use the same motor but its slightly upgraded with better cams and i'm not sure what else if anything. Also if you find a complete engine for lets say 1000-1500, it shouldn't cost $4k to get it swapped. I'd find a shop that could do it for under $2k since its only labor you'll be paying for.

Also as stated, I agree that your block is probably fine but the heads do warp pretty easy. Instead of speculating whats wrong, get a diagnostic/compression check and find out exactly whats wrong and then go about replacing parts. I'd look into getting a new head and all the top half refreshed(vanos, gaskets, water pump etc) before buying a completely new motor. Even with just the top half replaced, the motor should be pretty fresh and reliable.


At the end of the day it depends on your budget and plans. You could buy a new car for $2-4k but face running into the same problems, considering it will most likely be higher mileage. Atleast if you get your current car fixed you'll know exactly whats been done to it maintenance wise. Just my humble opinion.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Complete-Eng...%20Base%203.0L

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/pta?query=m54

[hypethiz]

how many hours of labor should i expect for a swap?

[pizzaman09]

I'd just get a new head and refresh the cooling system. Worst you could've done is warped it.

Remember that the temp gauge is an idiot light on modern BMWs, sadly enough.

It depends on how badly the vehicle was over heated, a lot more can happen than just warping a head. I just recently over heated my 2013 Mini JCW to an absolutely extreme condition. So hot the the valves started to seize and some of them crashed and got bent. The head gasket was fine but the compression measured in any of the 4 cylinders was 55 psi. Luckily it was completely covered under warranty. The next car I buy will have a a real temp gauge on the dash.