I've been looking for an 850 for several months now but anything in my area has been in pretty poor condition or it's way overpriced. I'm considering one of the 850s that are in poor condition as a winter project instead of buying one in already great condition and need some opinions on whether it's worth it and at what price.

Here is the car I'm looking at:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-BMW-91-BMW-850I-W0QQAdIdZ84646024

It's a Japan import with only 98,000KMs on it (quite a few of these in Canada). I've taken a look at it and it started fine and the body looks in good condition (no rust that I could see). The interior leather is in good condition as well.

Things that are wrong with it, that I noticed:

The computer pixels are almost completely dead but it seemed to have a lot of "alerts" (or whatever you want to call them) of things being wrong on it. The rear windows make a horrible noise when opening them and the rubber trim on them are falling off and one of the popup lights do not open. The sunroof also makes a horrible noise when opening and I think it might be slightly off the track.

Obviously the car needs work but so far the issues seem fairly minor. What should I look for that would make this a dealbreaker? I'm planning to get it inspected by a BMW mechanic as well.

He's asking $5,900 CAD (about $4,800US) which is more than I'd be willing to pay but he's been trying to sell this car since the summer (which is when I first looked at it) and I'm guessing he's pretty desperate by now. What do you think I should offer for this car, assuming I should even consider it?

I've been looking for an 850 for several months now but anything in my area has been in pretty poor condition or it's way overpriced. I'm considering one of the 850s that are in poor condition as a winter project instead of buying one in already great condition and need some opinions on whether it's worth it and at what price.

Here is the car I'm looking at:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-BMW-91-BMW-850I-W0QQAdIdZ84646024

It's a Japan import with only 98,000KMs on it (quite a few of these in Canada). I've taken a look at it and it started fine and the body looks in good condition (no rust that I could see). The interior leather is in good condition as well.

Things that are wrong with it, that I noticed:

The computer pixels are almost completely dead but it seemed to have a lot of "alerts" (or whatever you want to call them) of things being wrong on it. The rear windows make a horrible noise when opening them and the rubber trim on them are falling off and one of the popup lights do not open. The sunroof also makes a horrible noise when opening and I think it might be slightly off the track.

Obviously the car needs work but so far the issues seem fairly minor. What should I look for that would make this a dealbreaker? I'm planning to get it inspected by a BMW mechanic as well.

He's asking $5,900 CAD (about $4,800US) which is more than I'd be willing to pay but he's been trying to sell this car since the summer (which is when I first looked at it) and I'm guessing he's pretty desperate by now. What do you think I should offer for this car, assuming I should even consider it?


...sounds like he is asking about $5,800 too much.
Contact Wuffer (Tom Carter) about J-Spec cars and maybe he can tell you all the things that you are most likely up against (needing alot of money is definately one of them).

Good luck

Wuffer will no doubt chime in about this... may already even be aware of that car in fact... as he is quite knowledgeable about J-spec cars and is a Canuck himself. Where are the rear mufflers, I see no exhaust tips? You should be able to seach here for a link to the buyer's checklist for a general guide, and the mechanic's findings will determine further what's up. Make no mistake, and this is written in stone, these cars can be a money pit and will be if various criteria are in place. Are they a worthwhile endeavor? Absolutely. At any cost? No. 8ers a lot worse than that have been been brought back from the brink but only you can decide where your price point is. I think you can get that car for less right now and a low initial cost will at least stave off the inevitable.... that you'll be upside down with the car eventually. Steffen's little moving icon just above there is to be taken very seriously.

Wuffer will no doubt chime in about this... may already even be aware of that car in fact... as he is quite knowledgeable about J-spec cars and is a Canuck himself. Where are the rear mufflers, I see no exhaust tips? You should be able to seach here for a link to the buyer's checklist for a general guide, and the mechanic's findings will determine further what's up. Make no mistake, and this is written in stone, these cars can be a money pit and will be if various criteria are in place. Are they a worthwhile endeavor? Absolutely. At any cost? No. 8ers a lot worse than that have been been brought back from the brink but only you can decide where your price point is. I think you can get that car for less right now and a low initial cost will at least stave off the inevitable.... that you'll be upside down with the car eventually. Steffen's little moving icon just above there is to be taken very seriously.

And that is the spare wallet you see, since the main one has already been depleted...

What's interesting is that there is another 8 right next to it in the picture. Calypso from the looks of it. Use the one car to compare the other one with. You will be surprised to see what is broken/missing, etc....

Wuffer will no doubt chime in about this... may already even be aware of that car in fact... as he is quite knowledgeable about J-spec cars and is a Canuck himself. Where are the rear mufflers, I see no exhaust tips? You should be able to seach here for a link to the buyer's checklist for a general guide, and the mechanic's findings will determine further what's up. Make no mistake, and this is written in stone, these cars can be a money pit and will be if various criteria are in place. Are they a worthwhile endeavor? Absolutely. At any cost? No. 8ers a lot worse than that have been been brought back from the brink but only you can decide where your price point is. I think you can get that car for less right now and a low initial cost will at least stave off the inevitable.... that you'll be upside down with the car eventually. Steffen's little moving icon just above there is to be taken very seriously.

The stock exhaust tips are there, just hidden by a somewhat ugly rear bumper if you look close enough.
No doubt I would have to dump a fair bit of money into this car to get it where I want it but the advantage being I don't have to do it all at once and I can take my time. The only thing I want to avoid is something like major engine issues.

You keep mentioning J-spec as if they are different. Anything significant I should be aware of?

...everything on this car can become a "major issue", not just the engine....

What's interesting is that there is another 8 right next to it in the picture. Calypso from the looks of it. Use the one car to compare the other one with. You will be surprised to see what is broken/missing, etc....

I think the pictures are from the loading dock in Japan. When I went to see it here, there were no other 850s. This guy imports cars from Japan but is getting out of the business. He just has this 850 and a Mitsu 3000GT left.

judging from the Oldsmobile Alero in the first pic, I would say it is in Canada somewhere (see the license plate?)

You'll need a fat wallet, patience & a large steady supply of beer when it comes to ressurecting an 8 from the dead. Honestly it's best to start with an 8 in the best condition that u can find... And you'll still have to dump lots of $$$ into it.

There's nothing like an 8! Pick one up & join our esoteric world of E31 madness!

Cheers

You'll need a fat wallet, patience & a large steady supply of beer when it comes to ressurecting an 8 from the dead. Honestly it's best to start with an 8 in the best condition that u can find... And you'll still have to dump lots of $$$ into it.

There's nothing like an 8! Pick one up & join our esoteric world of E31 madness!

Cheers

Guess you´re an 8-Series-Philosopher!


http://www.cafeamwehrgang.de/fbilder/11.gif

Based on the 2 poor quality pics, This is a very early J-spec import and these cars are very common now in Canada - approx 50 here on the wet coast. Get the last 7 digits of the vehicle VIN# and I will see what else I can find out for you. Has it been Provincially inspected and ready to license? It will likely need at a very minimum, upper control arms, expansion tank, gas door hinge and a bunch of cosmetic items. As well, the prudent purchaser would also be well advised to flush every fluid and filter (coolant, oil, tranny, Pentosin, brake and diff) upon purchase. Next will most certainly be belts, tensioners, caps, rotors, plugs and possibly wires and most likely DK motor refurb. If the original radio head unit is still in the car (or an aftermarket unit installed in Japan) they will not work here on FM as the frequencies are different and they are not switchable. Finally, if the tires are not DOT approved, they will need to be replaced especially if more than 5 years old. Cant see what wheels are on the car from the crummy pics but based on the description I expect they are stock 16". If you buy it, plan on filling the tank with Chevron 94 octane and taking it on a good long highway run to clean it out. Make sure that you have a support network in place in case of breakdown during this run. As mentioned by other experienced owners here you would be far better off spending more $$ up front on a better car. Purchasing a non-service documented J-spec from a Dealer who doesnt have a clue is a crap shoot. For some known good cars, check out the E31's for sale out here on my website here: http://www.wuffer.net/_mgxroot/page_for_sale.html
Be happy to store any purchase made on the west coast til spring for you. Feel free to contact me at: wuffer(at)shaw.ca if you have questions.

I realize that most people don't listen to this advice, but please do listen to what folks are saying. The ONLY reason to restore/rebuld/resuscitate an old 8 is because you really (really) enjoy doing the work yourself and are willing to pay for the privilege. Even if the car were given to you free and clear you would most likely lose your shirt (financelly-speaking) on this car. You could buy a well-cared for one and still drop $10k finishing up the little things.
The e31 is really a labor of love and you might be floored if you saw what folks have spent on their rides with 0 chance of even breaking even.

Sounds like I can't really afford this car, yet anyway. I'm going to go with my second option which is an e39 540i/6 and get an e31 later. I know they're completely different cars but does anyone who has driven both want to give some comparison in terms of power and how they drive?

Jave, if you have no wrench skills or lack patience, get an e39 (not really a BMW entry vehicle) or an e46. These cars are reliable, easy to work on at least with the amount of parts and online resources available so you can ready yourself for the e31 plunge. It took me more than a year to find a well maintained one. And even so, it isnt perfect. I was lucky the owner is a reputable BMW mechanic so I didnt mind paying a bit more for it. I have know him for years and he sells nothing but well documented BMW's.

Be patient and take a detour for a least a year or two and look for the right well documented one. As most have said, the 8er isnt for the faint at heart.

If you are in the Toronto area, mine is in storage and I can show it to you to see what you ought to be looking for in these cars. If the roads are nice and clean of snow, I can even have you test drive it.

Jave, if you have no wrench skills or lack patience, get an e39 (not really a BMW entry vehicle) or an e46. These cars are reliable, easy to work on at least with the amount of parts and online resources available so you can ready yourself for the e31 plunge. It took me more than a year to find a well maintained one. And even so, it isnt perfect. I was lucky the owner is a reputable BMW mechanic so I didnt mind paying a bit more for it. I have know him for years and he sells nothing but well documented BMW's.

Be patient and take a detour for a least a year or two and look for the right well documented one. As most have said, the 8er isnt for the faint at heart.

If you are in the Toronto area, mine is in storage and I can show it to you to see what you ought to be looking for in these cars. If the roads are nice and clean of snow, I can even have you test drive it.

I appreciate the offer and I'll take your advice. I have some wrenching skills but probably not enough $$$ to dump into an e31 at the moment. I've testdriven a few e31s over the past few months and I know I want one but it'll have to wait unless I come across a great deal.

I have a J-spec and it's been hell for me and previous owner, you really gotta love the car to keep it believe me.

As for how much he is asking I think it's fair based on some other cars I see in Canada for that much. If you really like these cars, you can handle it - believe me!

I just think this might take longer then a winter, these kind of projects seem to never end, unless you got two really fat wallets.

Am I reading the title correctly???? Does it not say Tranny Problem?????????????

And no-one has mentioned this yet?

Am I reading the title correctly???? Does it not say Tranny Problem?????????????

And no-one has mentioned this yet?

lol, the ad was just updated I guess. It didn't mention any tranny problems before. That's a definite no for me then.

Prob the "Trans Fail Safe Prog" message meaning its in LHM... a veritable diamond in the rough with a dealer who doesnt know what the problem is...

Prob the "Trans Fail Safe Prog" message meaning its in LHM... a veritable dioamond in the rough with a dealer who doesnt know what the problem is...

What do you mean?

TRANS FAIL SAFE is a program that basically safegards the engine/tranny from damage when the caar is in Limp Home Mode. Most dealers do not know what this is, and can be as simple as a disconnected wire, but also could be (not likely ) more complicated. This is a great bargaineing chip in havibng the price drastically reduced.
..."But sir, the transmission does not work, I'll give you $1200 for it"...

TRANS FAIL SAFE is a program that basically safegards the engine/tranny from damage when the caar is in Limp Home Mode. Most dealers do not know what this is, and can be as simple as a disconnected wire, but also could be (not likely ) more complicated. This is a great bargaineing chip in havibng the price drastically reduced.
..."But sir, the transmission does not work, I'll give you $1200 for it"...

So does that mean there may be some potential in this car still or should I just forget it?

I would be careful to not get too excited about this particular car. As Wuffer said, there are lots of J-spec cars in Canada, and more coming in all the time. I bought one a few months back w/84,000 kms. The previous Canadian owner had spent over $20k on it in 2 years.

I am pretty handy, and have so far not spent any money on labour, but have dropped another $5k. As the others said, they can be a huge money pit. Bide your time, and keep looking - you may find a nicer one for a surprisingly affordable price. $8-9k may find you a pretty decent one, and as has already been pointed out, you will still go far north from there in your investment (but don't think of it as an investment - it's a mistress - fun to have, but expensive to maintain).

I think you should look on ,the seller should be throwing that car at you ....did i see a flat tire?
I say haul ass from that car there will be better
even if it cost a lil more to get one with out so many issues at least you wont be over welmed by the problems

Best advice - buy the best you can afford. I bought mine for about 12k $, another 6k $ went in parts(2 years). Still my car has needs, so i bought another one with broken transmition, i will use her for parts. Don't buy cheap ones, because getting them back to good condition is real nightmare.

the story on mine is purchased in germany than imported to japan.the radio is jap.but all the emissions decals and obvious functioning of the car seem german.even the climate control is in farenheight.

there are some rare cars worth saving no matter the cost. if thers nothing special about it I'D run from any car that you can't test drive.but if you realy want it make them a offer and then deduct delivery charges.
or try digging a hole in a lake and burying your wallet. same results.

the story on mine is purchased in germany than imported to japan.the radio is jap.but all the emissions decals and obvious functioning of the car seem german.even the climate control is in farenheight.


German spec use centigrade/celsius wheels, not fahrenheit

Would he be better off buying one from the states???
NON salted from roads?
http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850i&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850i&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)

http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850ci&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850ci&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)

http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)
Look a little harder

Would he be better off buying one from the states???
NON salted from roads?
http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850i&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850i&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)

http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850ci&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850ci&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)

http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en (http://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+850&btnGNS=Search+craigslist.org&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=craigslist.org&hl=en)
Look a little harder

I would not have a problem buying one from the states (importing into canada from the states isn't very hard) except that I'm worried I won't be able to get it fully inspected by someone I trust first and if I make the trip down to get it, I'd almost feel obligated to buy it since I came all that way.

If you are going to search Craigslist use this http://crazedlist.org/