Hey guys, I live in Edmonton, Canada, and someone on the local car forum has been trying to sell a beautiful 850 for quite some time now. Initially it was far out of my price range, but now he has it reduced to 13000 OBO, and he seems quite desperate to get rid of it.

Now heres the deal. I am good with working on cars, and could repair any minor issues with it/do general maintanence. But I would be really disheartened if the engine/tranny ever went, or if something went really wrong with the car.

Anyways, I guess what I am asking is how good is the powertrain on these cars? I do not have that much knoweldge about BMW 12s. Is it just the same as the m60, but with 4 more cylenders?

How much money do you guys spend maintaining these cars every year?

Here is the link.
Tell me what you think.

http://forums.780tuners.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74769

Now I should point out that this is a JDM car, imported about 3 years ago.
Looks like its got alot of recent mainanence done.

nice radio :eyecrazy

pretty low mileage, it's quite pristine on the outside. I wonder if it's as mechanically sound as he's making it out to be.

if you can get it for 10k it would be a steal. just my honest opinion.

Cheers,
Thomas

The owner is also a member of this board: Darrenbt (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/member.php?u=121207)

850i Sale in Canada (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=958629) (03-14-2008)
F/S 1990 850i (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9854264) (06-19-2007)

Hey guys, I live in Edmonton, Canada, and someone on the local car forum has been trying to sell a beautiful 850 for quite some time now. Initially it was far out of my price range, but now he has it reduced to 13000 OBO, and he seems quite desperate to get rid of it. I bet I could get it for 10k.

Now heres the deal. I am good with working on cars, and could repair any minor issues with it/do general maintanence. But I would be really disheartened if the engine/tranny ever went, or if something went really wrong with the car.

Anyways, I guess what I am asking is how good is the powertrain on these cars? I do not have that much knoweldge about BMW 12s. Is it just the same as the m60, but with 4 more cylenders?

How much money do you guys spend maintaining these cars every year?

Here is the link.
Tell me what you think.

http://forums.780tuners.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74769

Now I should point out that this is a JDM car, imported about 3 years ago.
Looks like its got alot of recent mainanence done.

what would be the cost to replace an engine on a $2500 Dodge intrepid 2.7? $3000 or a starter on a cadi northstar ? almost a 1000.

you are within the same range , dont be scared of it. get it

these are nice cars but cant be compared to a camry in terms of reliability, ease of repair or even finding a shop that you can trust to work on them.

It would suck to have a 4000lb paper weight in your driveway if money is tight.

go for it if u honestly feel that u can take the hit if/when sumthing goes wrong.


good luck man!

-pb-

Whats the deal with that deck? Is it really good or something?
lol

I kinda want to go test drive it, but I have a feeling I wont be able to say no when I do. I have never driven in an 850 before.
Also, whats the performance like with the auto? What is the 0-60 with the auto as oppsosed to the six speed? I would take a standerd tranny over auto anyday of the week, but it seems prices are quite a bit steeper for them.

E31 is not a fast car, it is a high speed cruiser! If you want a rocket, forget it. If you want to jump from 75mph to 130mph in a blink of an eye, then E31 is for you. Auto or manual will not matter much if at all in 'speed'.

Yes, the owner is a member here :beer

Cheers

To be blunt, if you are worried about the cost of maintenance and/or the cost of gas etc, then this is not likely the car for you. They can be temperamental and can cost big $$ to repair. That being said, check out the following websites for more buying/maintenance advice.
www.wuffer.net (http://www.wuffer.net)
www.e31faq.com (http://www.e31faq.com)
Also, for what its worth, I am in Canada and have literally many thousands of $$ worth of tested good used E31 parts as well as access to another 5 dismantled E31's worth. I also ship immediately when I accept your money. No excuses.
For what it is worth, the J-spec cars are usually pretty decent (ask me how I know) and generally, based on mileage, only have the common expected problems.
Hope this helps.

Thanks guys, you have been a big help. I just spent the last hour looking over everyone of Darrens posts to try to judge the overall shape of the car. It seems like he has put alot of money into maintaining it. But I upon looking at some of these threads, it looks like you guys are putting in tens of thousands of dollars to keep these things in tip-top shape.

I think I will go for a test drive, and see the car, and make my move from there.

Ps. Wuffer, how do you know j-specs are pretty decent?
My guess is you run an import company?

EDIT
Nm, Wuffer, I just read your website :D

I've been away from the board for a while but I may have a few things to add to this thread.

Yes, I am desperate to sell. My new car should be arriving today or tomorrow. I have no space to store this and really don't want to start parking it on the street, the car has to go. That said, I highly doubt you would get it for $10k...:)

If you'd like to look at the car let me know. darrenbt@hotmail.com

I have a file folder full of receipts, so look around the links the guys gave you and get an idea what repairs you want to look out for. You may find I've done most of them....

I'll know by Tuesday night (15th) if the last person who looked at the car will buy it, so probably wait till after that to email me... (Just so you know he was going to get it for $12K)

Darren

Whats the deal with that deck? Is it really good or something?


I like it, but isn't the newest deck... I could take it out and sell separately if you'd like.

It sounds quite nice and has a clean, near-factory look...

Cool Darren, I will keep in touch if the other deal falls through.

I have a lovely Laguna with 111K kms available and a Mauritius Blue en route from Japan if you are interested in any of those. Laguna/Black is pictured on my website in the E31's for sale section.

Wuffer, I wish that we were allowed to import those JSpecs here in the USA.

Wuffer, I wish that we were allowed to import those JSpecs here in the USA.
/bump.

Wish not granted. No can't do, sorry :-) Trust me, I've looked into this many times.....

Wuffer, I wish that we were allowed to import those JSpecs here in the USA.

dwarfy123... If you're serious about an 850 my first advice to you is, take your time, educate yourself and don't get emotional.... Think money...Japan is a good source for you Canadians and so is Europe... To give credit where credit is due, Wuffer is a great source in helping folks secure a decent deal..But not the only source for that matter..I can point you in few directions directly to Japan in order to secure your deal.. Just like everything else in life, nothing is free. I do offer free advice and that's where I stop... I don't do deals and sale cars like some other folks :-) So if you read between the lines, take your time, educate yourself, and get the best deal you can with the help from various people on this board including Wuffer... Pay someone for inspection, someone who knows those cars very well, and make educated decisions.... I hope this helps mate....


Hey guys, I live in Edmonton, Canada, and someone on the local car forum has been trying to sell a beautiful 850 for quite some time now. Initially it was far out of my price range, but now he has it reduced to 13000 OBO, and he seems quite desperate to get rid of it.

Now heres the deal. I am good with working on cars, and could repair any minor issues with it/do general maintanence. But I would be really disheartened if the engine/tranny ever went, or if something went really wrong with the car.

Anyways, I guess what I am asking is how good is the powertrain on these cars? I do not have that much knoweldge about BMW 12s. Is it just the same as the m60, but with 4 more cylenders?

How much money do you guys spend maintaining these cars every year?

Here is the link.
Tell me what you think.

http://forums.780tuners.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74769

Now I should point out that this is a JDM car, imported about 3 years ago.
Looks like its got alot of recent mainanence done.

Never said I was the only source, nor did I suggest he only deal with me. Was providing info on a J-spec that I have available. If he or anyone else doesnt want it - no probs. Do I make money on a J-spec I am advertising for sale? Of course. I never professed to be a non-profit organization.
I too offer free advice and support some of that advice with parts availability including direction to other reliable sources who may have a needed item if I do not. I agree, research and ask questions until you find the "right" car whatever that may be. If its out here in BC, chances are I already know the car or I can go have a look at it for anyone seriously interested. There are 7 such E31's currently for sale in the local Autotrader. most, if not all of which are J-specs. I can also arrange for a comprehensive inspection by a qualified shop. I also have connections in Calgary who can provide the same service. If you aren't interested in my help and advice, no worries - I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.
Cheers!