Is it worth it?

[BimmerWagon123]

I have always heard the stigma that BMW are a waste of time to buy and that they will run your money out dry. This would be my first European car and I'm really interested in buying a used 1999 528i wagon. Here is the link right now if you guys want to check it out

https://www.carr-automotives.com/199...0nDUa%5bIls%3d

It has 155,942 miles on it and the owner who had it before did regular maintenance checks and also drove it from my location to Albany 4 to 5 different times. The problems the car has now is that both the front driver and front passenger mirrors do not work and will need to be fixed. And the abs light is on for some reason I will ask whats wrong with it when I go to the dealership on monday. After that though the car runs and sounds pretty good. Drove it around the neighborhood where the dealership is and nothing seems to be faulty or have a problem with it. Also my mechanic friend said for a car worth that price and sounds decent and drives alright isn't a bad car to fix up on. I just always hear the same things with BMW is that is a maintenance nightmare and will take out all your money on things regular cars don't have to worry about. However this is first car I actually want to bring back to it glory and for that price that is able to both run and drive I feel like is a wise investment especially now that I have a good job to pour the money into. I just wanted to know if it worth the buy to fix up or should I go look for something else. I am also a 24 year in my last year in college however is working an athletic training job that pays me pretty good enough that I do not have to worry about money problems. Also I started to learn how to invest so I can continue to gain bigger sums of money.

[wagons ho]

There's a reason people have the opinion that BMW'S are money pits. They buy cars like this.
Dealer probably has it right to drop from $1995 to $800, just to move it.
Not saying it couldn't be an ok car for someone who knows tgese well to nurse along for a while, but i see many ways to spend money.
Lowest value, year ,model and color combo of all wagons.

[CPHES]

+1 - that’s going to be a very needy car. It’s at the point where it will need large infusions of $$ and time to make it reliable.

[R Shaffner]

Everyone here will agree that an e39 wagon can be a fun and practical car, when it's in good shape and well-maintained.

If you get a car that has just minor problems for real cheap, and you're lucky in that it won't cost too much to keep it running well, then it might turn into a good car for you for a while. But cars are generally poor investments, in the sense that they'll cost more than you can make when you sell them. This isn't the kind of car that you can fix up and then make money selling.

But if you're careful and not unlucky, it's possible to get a BMW like this and get some good years and many miles from it. The keys are to get a worthwhile car, pay a good (low) price for it, and NOT have to pay someone else to fix all the little and big things that need fixing. For most of us here, that means we're doing most if not all the repairs ourselves.

For example, if I got a car like this, I'd be replacing the mirrors with used ones (maybe found on eBay). And I'd look into the brake issues myself. Those wouldn't be too hard because I have some general experience, plenty of tools, a good safe place to keep the car and work on it, and another car I can drive while this one waits for me to fix it, to find and install parts, etc.

If you don't have those, then a car like this can be a real PITA. And one that you'd have a hard time selling if you changed your mind part way through. You might be taking it to the shop a lot. Paying your mechanic friend way more than you want to, too often. And needing to find a way to get around, perhaps for weeks at a time, while this car gets worked on. You could easily end up with a car that just costs money, doesn't give you the enjoyment and utility you want, and that you can't get your money out of.

Next steps: Making sure a project like this makes sense for you. If so, then you want to check out this car thoroughly before making the plunge. Get a mechanic to go over it thoroughly. Find our what he would charge to fix everything important. Decide what you can wait on, and what you might try to fix yourself. Maybe pass on this one and look for another. Good luck.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

$750 purchase price, with a downpayment of a $1000? The big plus for me, its green! But the rust on the quarter looks pretty bad. Interior looks clean in the pictures, but it sure isn’t grey like they say in the listing. I never trust used car dealerships, that one being in NJ... I’d run away. Don’t remember the rules in NJ, over here, the car has to pass inspection before they can sell it, that lit up brake light, most probably a worn brake pad If its red, if its orange, a bad wheel speed sensor wire. But there’s no way in hell that car could pass inspection like it is. The rust would fail it also. If everything else is good, that would have been a good deal, but for the rust. Skip that, find a better one.

[jclausen]

If you had say Japanese cars before and loved there reliability and low cost stick with them, no matter how great we think the BMW is it seems to always require something, I my self am thinking and looking for the next great low mileage freaking Camry to roll thru my shop, one owner car for cheap and I'm going to buy it. My wife's stupid Prius has had very few problems ya it's ugly but after a while your like oh what do I have to fix on my car today and I get my parts at cost

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Screw that, I’d rather have to keep fixing things on my BMW’s, rather than park my ass into a Prius.

[rickadootrd]

Sadly, That THULE Rack is worth almost as much as the car...

[BimmerWagon123]

$750 purchase price, with a downpayment of a $1000? The big plus for me, its green! But the rust on the quarter looks pretty bad. Interior looks clean in the pictures, but it sure isn’t grey like they say in the listing. I never trust used car dealerships, that one being in NJ... I’d run away. Don’t remember the rules in NJ, over here, the car has to pass inspection before they can sell it, that lit up brake light, most probably a worn brake pad If its red, if its orange, a bad wheel speed sensor wire. But there’s no way in hell that car could pass inspection like it is. The rust would fail it also. If everything else is good, that would have been a good deal, but for the rust. Skip that, find a better one.

In NJ any car that is 20 years old does not need inspection they passed that in 2015 and it continues to go up by what year it is. With the abs light I think it was red in color but I will see it again tomorrow just to be sure. But I do understand the rust parts and the mirror and with that I feel like I can fix it up with the tools I have and me and my dad can do that ourselves. Also its 795 right out the gate no downpayment.

[R Shaffner]

Good luck. This forum is a GREAT resource -- best I've seen. It's a great place to do research and get help/guidance.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

In NJ any car that is 20 years old does not need inspection they passed that in 2015 and it continues to go up by what year it is. With the abs light I think it was red in color but I will see it again tomorrow just to be sure. But I do understand the rust parts and the mirror and with that I feel like I can fix it up with the tools I have and me and my dad can do that ourselves. Also its 795 right out the gate no downpayment.

If the car is driving well, but for those few issues, you guys are not scared of tackling the rust on the quarter, the brake light on the dash is easy, bushings on the suspension arms, ball joints, the wagons are known to eat subframe bushings at this part of their lives, your cooling system, that is what you should worry about. Pull some hoses, check the build dates, that outta give you an idea of the previous owners records, wether you can trust them or not. If you go through everything and correct what needs to be corrected, these cars are not as bad as lots of people say they are. You have to realize, these cars are old. They need tlc, if properly done, they can be totally enjoyable. Check the rockers, where the jack pads are. If you see excessive rust there, find another one.