Possible purchase

[astirling]

I'm looking to pick up something pretty cheap, reliable, but a little bit special to drive for the couple of years I'm here. Was having a look today and this caught my eye...

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/detail...Nne=15&PriceTo=442&postcode=2060&__No=15&silo=1011&seot=1&__sid=13124453BBE8&__N=1216%201247%201252%20442%201282%204294967079&Ns=pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|0||pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&__Qpb=1&Cr=4&distance=25

Now before one of you goes and buys it from under my nose...

Being new here I have no idea how to judge what this is really worth. Do you guys think the price looks reasonable? Thinking about taking a look next week, and if I do I'll definitely get in touch with the mechanic mentioned in the ad.

Anyone run something similar before?

[Bibbs]

Would love to help but the car fails for me on so many levels.

Mega miles
BMW
Convertable
Small
Tiny engine

None of which I'd touch if I could get away with it.

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can help though.

[astirling]

Bibbs said:

Would love to help but the car fails for me on so many levels.

Mega miles
BMW
Convertable
Small
Tiny engine

None of which I'd touch if I could get away with it.

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can help though.

I'd usually agree with you on all counts - except for it being a BMW, I've had two and loved them. I just want something a little interesting to run around in for the next 18 months! What would you recommend instead - max $4k, cheap to run and interesting?

A 135i is on the shopping list when I move back to Edinburgh.

[Panayiotis]

a tc baur!...you dont see those very often. The roof is quite cool as you can tilt open the hardtop part or just lower the rear part. Its an old 318, what is there to know. For the money you can get better cars, but if your heart is set on an E30, Id at least look for a 325, but watch out, in that vintage the 325 may be an 'e' not an 'i'.

[Panayiotis]

If you can deal with the 2 seats, just get an early mx5, it will probably be much more exciting than the bmw and also if anything goes wrong the parts are incredly cheap as the car shares quite a few spare part items with the local ford laser.

[deviant]

Owned by "an executive female driver"....you cant go wrong

You are here for a couple of years so I assume you are going to be doing some travelling around. If so do the sensible thing and buy a Camry, Magna, Commodore or Falcon...cheap to buy, cheap to run, suited to our conditions and anyone can fix them.

To make things a little bit interesting there are a ton of V8 Fords and Holdens in the sub $5K bracket. Not at all quick or dynamically good but they offer big barge cruising and generally have lots of toys that usually still work. Chuck an el-cheapo muffler on the exhaust and amuse yourself with v8 gurgle and arcing up a single wheel at every opportunity.

Personally I could not think of anything worse than that 318 to live with

[Colonial]

Get something you can't get in the UK.

Something like the abysmal but quick-ish Ford Capri turbo convertible.

But, if your keen, that is in my neighbourhood and happy to look at it with a second set of eyes etc

[Bibbs]

astirling said:

I'd usually agree with you on all counts - except for it being a BMW, I've had two and loved them. I just want something a little interesting to run around in for the next 18 months! What would you recommend instead - max $4k, cheap to run and interesting?

A 135i is on the shopping list when I move back to Edinburgh.

You are in the land of the V8 and the UTE.
If I was here for a short time, I'd go bogan and get something Falcon/Commodore.
You'll not get them anywhere else, where a E30 would be cheaper in the UK and more ubundant to get a good one.

Or if you are doing a lot of travelling, something Toyota and 4x4 (Surf, 4Runner, LandCruiser).

[astirling]

Colonial said:

Get something you can't get in the UK.

Something like the abysmal but quick-ish Ford Capri turbo convertible.

But, if your keen, that is in my neighbourhood and happy to look at it with a second set of eyes etc

I may well take you up on that this week, I'll drop you a note.

Thanks for all the input above. I'm struggling to find anything with a V8, under $5k that doesn't look like a total shed. Where should I be looking...? Although I have just seen this...

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/detail...Nne=15&PriceTo=442&postcode=2060&silo=1011&seot=1&__sid=13124453BBE8&__N=1216%201247%201252%201282%20442%20246&Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&Cr=0&distance=50&__Qpb=1

I was planning on an MX-5 before I came out, but doesn't look likely on my budget.

[Colonial]

You may be lucky through an MX5 forum.

http://mx5cartalk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=73&amp...

[astirling]

Well, I bought the Baur! Massive thanks to Andrew/Colonial for looking at it twice with me, and looking out for all the things I should have been.

Hoping it'll be a cheap to run but interesting runaround for the next 18 months. Roof down and iPod on was good fun this afternoon!