Today’s Nice Price or No Dice E23 looks to be a solid base for a cool old car that can be wrenched on over the weekend and still driven during the week. Let’s decide what such a workhorse might be worth.
The 2007 Chevy Corvette Z51 we looked at yesterday is offered in Florida, which, it just so happens, is home to YouTuber and craptacular salvage title Corvette aficionado, Samcrac. While our car had a big wing and no mufflers, its $15,500 price and clean title don’t meet Sam’s budget and broken car kink. That price and presentation didn’t live up to our standards either, falling in a 62 percent No Dice loss to start off our week and the new year.
Hey, speaking of years, have you noticed that BMWs seem to get fuglier as the years go by? It’s almost as though the company has lately been hiring its designers out of the Braille Institute. Go back a few years, though, and you’ll find that BMW once designed cars to be timeless classics.
This 1982 BMW 735i is one of those classics. And while it’s a bit rough around the edges—and in the cabin and under the hood—the bones look solid and, overall, it appears to be in serviceable and driving condition.
What really makes this car special, however, is the drivetrain. That’s comprised of an 182 horsepower 3.4-liter M30 straight-six matched to a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox driving an independent rear end. You could probably count the number of manual-equipped E23s still left on the road in the U.S. without taking your shoes off, so that’s a pretty unique find.
According to the ad, the car has been sitting for a while and will require “a tune up” before being dependable again. Looking at the pictures, it will need more than just a tune. It will require some paintwork, upholstery, and deep cleaning, especially for the grimy engine bay.
On the plus side, save for the steering wheel, everything looks to be complete, and the basic car is analog enough that a lot of the systems should prove to be old-school reliable.
With 157,000 miles on the clock, all of those systems will require a thorough inspection and refreshment as needed. Still, nothing should prove especially daunting to do so. Michelin tires are mounted on the car, but the seller doesn’t say how old those are. The factory Style 2 alloys, though, look to be in fine shape.
While tired and obviously in need of some work, this big Bimmer does seem to be a strong candidate for keeping around. The question is, how much would it cost to do so? The seller asks $2,950 for the car, claiming that it is “PRICED TO SELL.”
What do you think? Is that a fair price to take on a project 735i from an era when BMWs were both engaging and handsome? Or does this car’s project nature make even $2,950 too big a bite?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Gary Bauer for the hookup!
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