As the market continues to price out many of our favorite classics, it is prudent to consider the next “Big Thing” and see if you can get your hands on one before the price reaches the dreaded unobtanium level. One of these cars that may attain this level in a few years is up for sale in Seattle, Washington: a manual 1980 BWM 320i. The most attractive aspect of this car is the price, as it is listed for only $2500 here on Craigslist. Are we starting to see the cost of vintage drivers come down?
Not many OEMs follow up their breakout cars with even better models, but the argument can be made that BWM did this when they released the E21 series in 1975 following the vaunted 02 series. Sporting new bodywork and updated mechanical systems, these cars still have a fresh look (dig that Hofmeister kink) and are mechanically reliable. These cars can also be easily modded into the racer or cruiser of your choice, with many different aftermarket parts and styles available.
The ad for this BMW isn’t terribly descriptive, but based on the few pictures provided, we can see this could be an absolute deal for someone. The seller discloses that there are over 230k miles on this car but that it runs and drives “good.” The mileage is not too concerning if this BMW has been regularly serviced, but there is no mention or proof of this provided in the ad. This model appears to have the 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, backed by a manual 5-speed transmission. The interior, with the Recaro seats, looks to need a good cleaning, but everything looks to be in decent condition besides the tear on the driver’s seat. The black paint and bodywork show some battle scars, and the wheels need a good polish. The caged fog lights are a nice nod to this sedan’s touring car soul.
Seeing a car like this at this price gives me hope that there are still good deals out there. For less than the cost of a month’s rent in a big city, you can have one of the best touring cars Germany has produced. This would make a great first car for any fledgling gearhead, as they are relatively easy and forgiving to work on (the fuel injection system can be tricky, however). Or turn it into a weekend club racer with your local chapter. Or make it your daily driver. For this price, you can’t go wrong! Check out this BWM here on Craigslist.
Nice one, Dusty! I had a black, two-door, five-speed E30 318i back in the late 1980s. It was a great car, once the intermittent idle-surge issue was finally cured. It was fun to drive even with a four-cylinder, and I loved the manual sliding controls for the heating system rather than a push-button all-or-nothing one as most vehicles have today. You could set it to any level of feet / vent / defroster and that was a nice feature. Sometimes, analog cars are the best. It’s fun to see the differences between the two designs, although, I have to admit I was never a huge fan of the 320’s backward-sloping grille and huge U.S. bumper combo.
(P.S., yes, those are worthless “deer alerts” on my front bumper, ha.)
Great deal, worth more in parts, but I would buy and start a company to teach people how to drive stick with it.
Now we’re talking, at first glance, a better choice than yesterday’s auto. High miles are something to consider
Ummmm, looks to me that the front tire is bigger than the back one…or maybe it’s my new glasses…
Gone! And not surprising
If I had opened Barn Finda earlier maybe it would have been mine.