Help! Think this is a good bimmer? How much $$ should I offer

DukeBoy27 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 03:07 PM

Hey all, need some help from seasoned bimmer people here. There is a 318ti with a 3.2L M roadster engine for sale on eBay... the link is http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6007

The seller says it is a 318ti csl... not sure what that is... but I dunno, looks interesting to me; light weight and lots of power. So what do you all think? What would be a fair price?

Oh, and finally... how would insurance figure into all this?? Would they have to charge me a super high rate since the engine is much bigger than it should have been? And if anyone actually knows the person selling the car, please let me know, I would like to have some other opinions on this person.

Thanks!!!

petar7408 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 03:14 PM

could be good... im not too sure. insurance will see it as a 318 and it will be cheap.. seems like he is playing the "lightweight" thing too much.. i'll bet the body has lots more miles, or the body says 37k miles but the engine he put in there has MANY MANY miles... hard to say, these ebay cars are risky

zcghost · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 03:41 PM

That car looks like A LOT of fun, regardless of how many miles....

If it were my money, I would have the current owner take it to a neutral mechanic who can fax a report on the car's condition. Is it possible to get a carfax on just the motor or just the chassis? Or does carfax list engine swaps as well? It would be interesting to see if the exact mileage was listed...

Newfie2 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 04:32 PM

i dont know man i take the grahpics off if i did get it...its not that great of a buy anyway...and as for the insurance i havent got a sweet clue

xmdfmk7x · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 05:28 PM

Hmm, I thought that the newest M's were all drive-by-wire? I wonder how that all worked out?

stevewashington · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 06:32 PM

Unless you are a BMW mechanic, I would pass. Fixing other peoples handy work can get expensive. Besides regular e36 have better suspensions. ti's use e30 rear suspensions.

mad-ass · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 07:46 PM

it looks..little too short too me...but light as civic

Coupe E36 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-30-2003, 07:57 PM

Car looks great.. as for insurance, from what I have heard from my ex. g/f aunt (who is a farmers insurance claim agent) she says, if you do any kind of engine swaps, you should let ur insurance company know of it. You mite pay more if engine is a faster engine in this case a M power engine ? you dont have to do this, but if you register it with insurance company as a regular ti, but if you get in accident, they wont pay you for the M power engine, only for a ti engine, so if you want the M powe rengine to be paid for if it gets in accident, you should let them know that its swapped.. Well thats all i know from wat she todl me..

DukeBoy27 · #9 (**permalink**) 07-01-2003, 06:48 AM

Just got back on and read all the messages, thanks a bunch for the info. What I am the most concerned about is the cost of maintaining the car... and from what I am hearing, seems like swapping a M engine into a ti is not as simple as putting a b-series engine in a civic. So I will probably pass (don't even do my own oil here), and lol on the graphics, yeh... if I buy, the seller GOTTA TAKE IT OFF first. Keep them opinions coming, and thanks again for all the input so far!!