What is it worth?

[bluebmw]

What's a Hennarot 1982 320is with 149k miles worth? Average paint with a few scuffs here and there and one lower trim piece missing, but nearly perfect black interior with recaros.

How do I know for sure it's an IS? I'll be going to check it out on sunday so what do you think? What's it worth?

[flyingjolly]

just one thing: What does it change whether it's a is or a normal i? In my opinion the only car where it matters if it's an 320is is the e30 and you'd see it's one, because it has a S14 in it.

[HarryPR]

The 320is came with a limited slip differential, front spoiler, Recaro seats, larger sway bars (IIRC), sports steering wheel and basketweave wheels. It also had no model badge in the trunk, like thhe one in the pic.

Your best bet to confirm that it's an "is" is to check for the LSD.

[Gordon]

From the pics you provided and the link I found, it is an S car, (recarro seats, sport steering wheel, 13" BBS/Mahle alloy wheels, LSD).

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/2381256147.html

For the amount of money the seller is asking ($3.5K), I would go for an E30 over an E21, E30's are better cars and more fun to drive. The seller is asking a lot of money for a car that the seller acknowledges has some rust issues. On the other hand, seller says make an offer. I would offer $2.5K and see what the seller says. On the plus side, the E21 looks unmolested an original and taken care of by the owner description.

There are only a few E21 S cars in the US I found for sale.

http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=cp&itm=bmw+1980s&loc=&fil=320iS&ys=1980&ye=1983&ps=&pe=&pgs=100&submit=++++go++++

US spec E21 have a 1.8L M10 motor and they are not really fast. If you really want an E21, I would recommend that you find a gray market Euro spec E21, they look so much better without diving board bumpers and with a M20 motor, they are much more fun to drive.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/ctd/2392848092.html

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/cto/2383760580.html

Just my .02 cents worth

G-Man

[flyingjolly]

Ah okay, thanks, Harry

I figured my answer above sounded harsher than i wanted it to, sorry for that it's mostly because i'm not a native speaker

[02Les]

Ah okay, thanks, Harry

I figured my answer above sounded harsher than i wanted it to, sorry for that it's mostly because i'm not a native speaker

No problems Joe.

I bought my first 2002 in Burghausen (no too far from you) in 1973.

I was working in the aluminium plant in Ranshofen, Austria.

Nice Touring by the way.

[bluebmw]

It's not the same car as the one you thought. The seller is asking 2.8k and doesn't know that it's an IS. He thinks it's just upgraded, but I'm pretty sure it's an IS.

What's a good price for it? I'm thinking I can steal it because he has no idea what it is. It has a brand new transmission too.

[Gordon]

If the seller has receipts for the gearbox and other maintenance receipts which will help verify the mileage. I would offer $2.3K. S cars traditionally go for more than a normal E21 and this car has low mileage. 149K breaks out to 5K miles a year, that's minimal miles so the car looks original by the Craigslist ad. http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/2383957046.html Good condition E21's are hard to find. Most E21's have been ridden hard and put away wet.You don't want to lowball the seller and insult him, that can turn the seller off.

Look at this way, drive it for a few years then you can always find use the parts in the E21 to upgrade your 02 in the future. S cars are getting much harder to find, you rarely see E21's in the pik-a-part yards anymore. Go price a E21 5 speed gearbox (and the gearbox is new), LSD, recaro seats, etc.. and you'll see what I'm talking about. Think of the E21 as an investment for your 02 in the future.

G-Man

[flyingjolly]

I bought my first 2002 in Burghausen (no too far from you) in 1973.

I was working in the aluminium plant in Ranshofen, Austria.

Nice Touring by the way.

Thanks

I know Ranshofen, too. I've been there quite a lot at Borbet.

[02Les]

I know Ranshofen, too. I've been there quite a lot at Borbet.

Wish Borbet had been there in the '70s; I would have put a set on the '02. I had to make do with Borranis!!!