Bite the bullet on a cheap E85?

[excessive]

Hello to everyone in this community.
Recently I've decided to get myself an convertible for the summer days, as my sportsbike is getting a bit more tiring (maybe I'm getting old? )

I've found a cheap E85 2.5i on our market here going for ~$4000 (here they usually got for like 7k with the 2.0l engine). The owner wants to get rid of it, as his daughter had some kind of accident and so on..
I had a quick look on the car and found some issues and I'm still wondering if they could be a deal breaker. I'm a bit of a DIYer as I enjoy doing what I can on my cars, so prices for parts are most important at this point.
Here's the list:
- the soft top won't auto-retract and lock. You can hear the bump buzzing, but nothing happens. I know that the pump itself is an expensive part. Wondering if it could be out of oil, but then again - how that oil went missing?
- some rust on the inside of the rear right wheel arch. This one worries me a lot, as I've no idea where else there'll be rust.
- missing engine undertray
- cracked windshield. I'm awaiting quote for a replacement one from a local shop.
- foggy headlights - this is quite a common issue on car that old, so I anticipate some sanding and polishing + better bulbs might improve the situation.

On the other hand the car sounds awesome. I'm genuinely impressed by the sound of the inline 6cyl. Seems to work very smoothly. I haven't spotted any oil leaks.
I'd love some of your honest opinions. THanks!

 

[Zedebee]

Hi and welcome to the forum. What is the age and mileage? Does it have a service history? Pre-facelift cars had the M54 engine, while later cars had the N52 engine. Each has their own foibles to “look out for” but both are capable of high mileage if properly looked after.

New undertray - maybe $100, assuming you mean the plastic undertray at the front.
Headlights - can be remedied with a fine sand and a polish (and sealant), but if the fogging is on the inside they are hard to fix and expensive to replace.
Windshield - it costs what it costs. Most windshield damage in the UK is covered by our motor insurance.
Roof issues are well rehearsed and mostly inexpensive to fix, but they can range from drowned motors to broken looms.

Generally speaking, if you are handy with the spanners (wrenches?) then it is a good car to work on and a great car to own.

Post a photo if you have the chance.

 

[excessive]

I regret that it didn't occur to me to take some pics, but generally the car looks neglected and like it's been just staying somewhere for some time - dusty body, minor scratches, old tires. 2004 year. I can tell for sure that it's not driven regularly as it was w/o active insurance as well.
94k miles with absolutely no provable service history for the recent years

 

[enuff_zed]

Welcome aboard.
Not sure what the spares market is like for you, but you'll probably be delving deeply into it at some point.
Do a little pricing up first.
Biggest issue for you is potentially the roof motor. If it's still tucked in front of the wheel-arch you will need to get it out for diagnosis. Can be done with the roof in place if you are triple jointed and have something that gets blood out of carpets.
The fact it still runs is encouraging. Could be a weak pump, or it could be that someone has previously pulled the red lever in the trunk to activate the bypass valve for manual operation. These then stick so resetting the red lever does nothing.
Worst case is you get it out and find no fluid in it. Then you potentially have an expensive pipe or union leaking. If you can lower the roof manually then get a bright torch and look down into the wells in front of the wheel-arches past the folded hinges. They could be full of water if the drain bungs are blocked. If you can see an oily sheen in there then start thinking about leaking hydraulic pipes.

The best way to start is to spend a day or so searching all the key words you can think of for roof motor issues on this forum. You will learn a lot.

On the plus side, your engine has just completed its run in mileage. 8)

 

[excessive]

The roof does retract by hand quite easy. As I did put it myself, then asked if the owner tried locking it up via the allen key mechanism. So I guess this is good.
Just got price for the windshield: ~$200

 

[MikeyH]

Welcome to the forum, I’ll keep quite re the work as there are others on here that know a darn site more than me.

 

[SonnyA85]

Vanos will need rebuilt with better seals.
Disa valve rebuilt with metal parts.
Roof motor relocated to boot once it's working.
Drains cleared of debris on both sides.

If it's not being driven and no recent service history it will need a full service and possibly a full refresh of the brakes and suspension.

The power steering is the biggest weak point on the car bar the location of the roof motor. The module will need remanufactured when it fails. Ecutesting does them here in the UK for £300-£400. I've had 2 fail. So I think it's just a matter of when not if they will fail on the early pre face lift models.

I believe however the offending part was actually recalled in America and replaced for free. Make sure that's been done on yours.

 

[excessive]

The power steering is the biggest weak point on the car bar the location of the roof motor.

This is something I've been wondering myself. The car uses electrical steering? No traditional hydraulic power steering pump driven by the engine, is that correct?

 

[SonnyA85]

The power steering is the biggest weak point on the car bar the location of the roof motor.

This is something I've been wondering myself. The car uses electrical steering? No traditional hydraulic power steering pump driven by the engine, is that correct?

Yes. There is a flaw in the power steering module. There was a recall in the USA but not elsewhere.

Make sure the recall was done. Otherwise it's unknown if BMW would fix it for you now. May be worth phoning BMW and giving them the VIN.

 

[excessive]

Got it!
Any advice about the fender corrosion? This worries me more than everything and is what actually could drop the deal for me.

 

[Zedebee]

Rust is not normally an issue on these cars, although a few do seem to suffer from rust coming through on the wheel arches. The bonnet (hood) is aluminium and the front and rear bumpers (fenders) are plastic so these do not rust. All the other panels are bolt on/bolt off so can be easily replaced, if you have a spare, although the rear quarter panels are quite difficult to get off due to the location of one of the fixings.

The price for a neglected 2.5l with no service history in the UK is probably £1200-£1800, so $4000 seems quite expensive, although it may be cheap by US standards. If it has the coveted M-sport seats or OEM “aero” body kit, these can push up the value considerably.

 

[SonnyA85]

Rust is not normally an issue on these cars, although a few do seem to suffer from rust coming through on the wheel arches. The bonnet (hood) is aluminium and the front and rear bumpers (fenders) are plastic so these do not rust. All the other panels are bolt on/bolt off so can be easily replaced, if you have a spare, although the rear quarter panels are quite difficult to get off due to the location of one of the fixings.

The price for a neglected 2.5l with no service history in the UK is probably £1200-£1800, so $4000 seems quite expensive, although it may be cheap by US standards. If it has the coveted M-sport seats or OEM “aero” body kit, these can push up the value considerably.

It does have service history but none recently. Looks like the most recent owner has neglected it some what whereas previous owners were okay. Not sure if that would impact the price as much as zero history. It does make it cheaper for sure but it would depend on what the service history looks like in total.

I suppose prices for these cars is higher because fuel is so much cheaper in the states. Last time I was there it was essentially half the price we pay in the UK.

 

[colb]

I think the others have covered most of the problems you are likely to find and need fixing. All doable as DIY projects.
Also bear in mind with that mileage the gaskets on the cam cover and the oil filter to engine block will by now be hard and brittle and likely to leak oil. Both easy to replace and not that expensive. If you do buy the car then start by giving it a good service change all the oils and filter, engine gearbox and Diff. Put a new set of plugs in then tackle the other issues one by one. Good video on Youtube on how to relocate the hood moytor/pump unit into the boot. To sort out a non working motor you have to get it out of the cavity it lives in so no point putting it back there, far better to relocate it to future proof it.

 

[enuff_zed]

I should add that I'm more than happy to relocate the roof motor for you and all I ask in return is my flight costs and a nice hotel for a week.

 

[MikeyH]

And a good quality bottle of wine

 

[Mr Tidy]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

That sounds like an interesting project - good luck if you decide to go for it.