I've been trying to buy a older BMW z3 as of late, I'm just about out of patience with the whole deal trying to work with ignorant idiots, pardon my rant! The price is right but the seller has no clue how to sell anything and knows nothing about cars or what it takes to get one sold or what DMV requires and the paper trail needed to transfer a title. This is a impounded car(towed and impounded by the cops) with out of date plates, actually a lost front plate, rear is still there and by the way it needs to be smoged . For some reason because it's shiny and in pretty good shape she thinks all this should go away and I need to worry about it rather than her. Oh yea she lost the key and the lock smith won't re key the car because the title she has isn't in her name.

I've heard it run and done a quick check on the car before she lost the key. Did what I thought were the important questions, like "you have a pink don't you"? There is no lean on it is there?, all for not. If it doesn't happen in a few days there will be something else that will make my neck swell and put me into rut and this will just be a bad dream. Sure is shiny though..... Tedd

 

Tedd, those cars are trouble enough (ALL BMWs are) without all that added in. Run away, quick.

 

My money is on a scam listing. Likely priced way under market and waiting on you to wire money and then they will disappear.

 

BMW
Bring
Money
With you
sometimes the juice isn't worth the squeeze
Hope it works out

 

That is not entirely true. And mostly just an internet myth. I own 3 BMWs right now. I have raced dozens of them. I have owned 30 or so. Not a single one has had any major engine, trans or driveline problems. Sure random stuff like window regulators failing pop up. The V8s like to leak oil. Some of the BMW M Cars have some random issues. However a BMW Z3 is maintained well should be a reliable and fun vehicle. This includes some random one with a LOT of miles. Last year sold my 2002 325i Wagon that had 240,000 miles. I had a 1990 735i that was pushing 300K. All were driven away by new owners when sold.

Plus they make some of the coolest cars around. My current 2 favorites are my 2015 328 diesel wagon that gets 50mpg on the highway. And my 2011 BMW M3 sedan. V8 power, DCT trans and it rips!

 

Sounds like a can of worms. I would start dealing with the person whose name is on the title. Some"good deals" really aren't that good. When does the car go up for auction at the impound lot ?

 

I see you live in Cal. Don't mess with it if you do not have all the correct paper work. I have learned this the hard way. Cal DMV, think they are the DMV gods and mark all the rules.There are to many cars out there , with all the paper work

 

All that hassle needs to come off the bottom line to be worth it.

 

Why was this car impounded and was it a repo, police impound, theft recovery, what? There are too many red flags to even consider this car. No point buying it only to find out you can't get paperwork straightened out. Then the notorious $$$ BMW maintenance issues- there's a reason no one but a franchised BMW dealer will warrant a used BMW, and if the factory warranty is out or close to out even they wholesale it and move it on.

Maybe having a cousin who's a BMW tech, and having VIR a mile down the road have influenced my thoughts on these cars. A car at BMW price point should be faultless and they're not. When the factory says 750 miles/quart is acceptable oil consumption on a low mileage engine... I have a 93 F150 with 265k miles that does better than that. The gentleman above with all the Bimmers: enjoy them. You may have my share of them. They're not good value for what they cost IMO. Especially if the paperwork is not in order.

 

Car is parked on my dads and my rental property so it exists, it's a touchy feely car. They bought it from the tow company and somehow got it released out of impound but I haven't seen that paperwork or any pink with anyone's name on it so far. This isn't my first rodeo and I know the dance but I feel the issue is ignorance and lack of ambition that's causing all the problems, "I think". This is a project car, clean better than average paint, no rust undented but vandalized with broken glass , front windshield and side wing with some plastic parts on the steering column messed up other wise pretty good for a 1997 car. Shiny is the good points, paperwork is the con in this deal and may be the deal breaker. Well see what happens, there are lots of cars out there....... Tedd

 

Tedd, I realize this isn't your first rodeo. Good luck with this car and I hope it works out.

 

Tedd, So of the best deals I've ever made were the ones that didn't happen