My 81 320i finally bit the bullet the other day. Apparently the thermostat was bad and I didnt know it. I ran it hot and now theres water in the oil and a fuel line melted where it runs into the intake. It doesnt run. Im looking to sell it and I dont know the best way to go about doing it. The transmission is solid. The breaks are good. The body is pretty straight and the seats are fine. Here are my questions:

1. I was offered $250 by a local mechanic. Can I get more for it?

2. If yes, where else should I advertise? Does ebay have a market for broken cars?

3. What are the desirable parts on it?

4. Im going to use the proceeds to put into my 68 cutlass. Is anyone interested in trading parts?


Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks bimmerforums.

Well first off I'd say if you want to unload it fast then take the $250. Next thing is you NEED to find out how far the damage is. Is the block cracked? is the head cracked? is the head gasket blown? Any or all three of these questions you should know the answer to if you want to sell it with a clean conscious. If you're really hell bent on cutting loose of it and going with a cutlass and if you have the time then you could certainly get more for it by parting it out to some of the people here. Maybe even triple what the mechanic is asking for it.

Ebay is not a good choice since it doesnt run....as for desirable parts well I guess any of the ancilliary parts associated with the head and block....the tranny....dash if it's in good shape.....glove box....rear lenses....radiator...starter....carpet if it's in good shape.... it's all up to you. You could also try your local Craigslist website and let it be known you're parting it out or selling it "as is"

HTH's

Good Luck!!

It depends on what options the car has. if it is an IS trim there will be more parts that you could sell. If it has factory recaro sport seats they alone could be worth more that what that tech offered you.

I recently sold an '83 with high mileage, missing parts from the engine (which didn't sound good last time it ran) and a questionable tranny. The body was straight and I threw in two complete low mileage front strut assemblies for $350. The guy needed it for body and suspension parts.

put it up on strictlyea.com

sometimes people on there are looking for parts and an e21 for 3 or 400 not running might get some attention. i would get it but the wife says no. i have another motor to put in it though so it wouldn't be anything for me to get it back on the road.

Either replace the engine yourself or take the $250.

Too bad you are so far away. I have a few motors that are in good working condition.

does it have a limited slip?? if so, whats the ratio, and do you want to sell it?

How do you tell if it is LSD? Anything stamped on it?

There's an "S" painted on the side in white if it isn't already weathered away. There's also another S stamped on the tag (along with the ratio) that is under one of the rear cover bolts. If thats gone too, you can jack up the wheels and test it manually.