Inspection help for buying project E30 in Queens, NY?

[gate89dsb]

Hi all. I'm a dad trying to help my teen son, a new BMW enthusiast, to buy a project car from a private seller. It's a 1989 325i.

I've run the VIN through EpicVIN and the report didn't flag any obvious issues. The seller is responsive and seems honest in saying that "Car starts and runs. Unable to drive because rear brake line is leaking fluid. Car has been sitting for over three years. Car needs work and has some rust. Good project car." The seller also volunteered that the odometer stopped working approximately 25k miles ago at 145k miles.

Anyway, we need to find a mechanic (or a friendly BMW enthusiast?) who would visit the car onsite and provide us with an independent inspection. Can anyone recommend one in the Queens, NY area?

[shogun]

I will move you thread to the regional forums, maybe someone from NY can chime in

[gate89dsb]

Thank you!

[mbonder]

I'm willing to help, Queens isn't right next door to me, but I always like an adventure. I've owned plenty of BMWs over the last 20 years, over a dozen e30s specifically. I've taken them apart, rebuilt them, sold them. I can take some pictures, check for the usual trouble spots cosmetically and mechanically.

Most likely the rear brake line is rusted out, which would mean the car has probably been in the Northeast most of its life. Unless you want to get into a restoration with your son I'd stay away from Northeast cars with rust. Better to pay more upfront and get a southern car with no rust than to spend countless hours and money fighting cancer every time it pops up.

Email me at mabonder@optonline.net and we can continue the conversation in greater detail.

Matt

[gate89dsb]

Hey Matt. Thanks so much for your offer and great advice. We actually just took possession of the car. Had gone to Queens to look at it ourselves. The previous owner turned out to be a very caring BMW enthusiast and an airplane mechanic on top of that. Had only stopped using this one because he had 3 other cars (2 BMWs) he was preoccupied with. Definitely some rust and wear and tear, but we feel like we got a good project car at a decent price (<$3k). We will know more once the shop we just towed it to gives it the once over. Pretty sure my son will enjoy working on it and learn a lot from the experience. Again, thanks for the offer and guidance. Be well.

[mbonder]

Good luck with your project! Get a Bentley Manual from Amazon if your son plans on wrenching on it himself. It is a must for any DIY'er. The e30 section on this form is pretty lively, you can always reach out to me directly with questions if needed.