02 WRX or 99 323 ?

[Pink_Floyd]

well i asked my dad if i could restore my 325 into new condition, but thats when he told me that i sholdnt have an old car. esp since im gonna go college next year and he dun want me to be troubled by an old car. he said not to spend money into it bc we already spent like 5k this year and after the next big problem that we will get rid of it.

If you dump 17K into your 325i I seriously doubt you would have to worry about ANYTHING going wrong on it. With that ammount of money you could have all the major components repaired or rebuilt and add plenty of aftermarket performance parts.

After spending that ammount on it I think it would be pretty much as reliable as it could get. Plus it would look great and be a blast to drive!

 

[mclarensmps]

thats actually a pretty good point! that would, infact, its a great idea if you can convince youre father!

 

[Section_8]

No doubt 17k spent on your bimmer, and you're talking just about everything new minus the engine, and probably some good performance parts added to the mix instead of OEM (If you wanted to).

But still that WRX would be new w/ a warranty. Believe me I've turned into a BMW nut these past few months, but always think further down the road - If your 325i is in decent condition then spending that 17k on it is a good way to go, I doubt you'd have any serious issues for years. If not, then 17k spent on a new WRX isn't to shabby either.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

Just think about 17K spent on an e36! That to me would be a dream. If you spend all your money on a new car it will be just the same as everyone elses. But if you spend 17K on an e36 it will be extremely unique. With that kind of money you will not only have a fast, reliable car; but you will also be able to customize the interior and exterior exactly how you want it. Maybe you can run that by your dad and see how it goes.

I'm 16 and also have a '92 325i. Mine is an automatic, though I wish it were a manual. I am pouring a LOT of money into my car to slowly restore it, though I wish I had 17K to just do it all at once. My goal is to have that as my daily driver for many many years to come. I plan to buy an e30 M3 later on to have a nice fun manual car to drive when I feel like it.

Good luck talking to your father

 

[frolf]

dude get your dad on this board. show him what we've all said. and everyone is right, if you spent even 3k on your car it would be brand new. 17k would get you a young M52 motor, a mondo custom fabbed turbo/exhuast. some huge brakes and a sick suspension.

 

[slats]

I know this is out of your price range and slightly off topic, but if youre looking for the luxury of a bmw and the performance of a subaru check out the new 2004 saab 9-2x. Theyre coming out in april, basically an impreza engine with saab's interior. expected mrsp is 24-26.

 

[MrElussive]

No, don't put money into your current car !! Why throw money into an old car on things that won't give you any return when it's time to sell the car !! Your dad is so right, why spend money on an old car (and its problems), when you can just get a brand new car. Sell your current car, then lease or purchase the Subaru WRX or used BMW 323i and just put the "maintenance money" for your just-sold car into tastefully modding the new car. You have $17K available...don't waste it all on your current car, just get a brand new car, you will be much happier !!

 

[carcus]

No, don't put money into your current car !! Why throw money into an old car on things that won't give you any return when it's time to sell the car !! Your dad is so right, why spend money on an old car (and its problems), when you can just get a brand new car. Sell your current car, then lease or purchase the Subaru WRX or used BMW 323i and just put the "maintenance money" for your just-sold car into tastefully modding the new car. You have $17K available...don't waste it all on your current car, just get a brand new car, you will be much happier !!

I agree, BMW, bit higher maintenance, SUBU....nice choice also. Either way, I grew up in Orange County, alot of traffic and not like you can do much there with the WRX. Just go with what makes you happy. With your age, I think you will be happy with either, but at that age, I would take a nice used E46 over the WRX any day. Chicks love the BMW. And a nice, used M3 would be even nicer.

 

[gbf1lm]

ok the thing with restoring is that its not like we have 17k in the bank or sumthin. my dad can SPEND upto 17 in financing a car. i know we can take a 17k loan but . . . as of right now though the things with my car wrong.

1. paint faded unevenly
2. seats torn up really bad
3. lots of dings aorund
4. sunroof not working (paid $$ to fix, broke again in few months)
5. all the vinyl trim broken/lose (interior/exterior), shakes when i close the door.

its not that much, but who knows, a few months ago i couldve had: cluctch, compressor, a/c on that list.

 

[donmbmw]

Totally O/T
I just want to say that I think your Dad is a hell of nice guy. He's willing to go into debt to finance a car for you so you can go to college, and he's wise enough to want you to have something that you think is cool but he thinks is reliable. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide. Your luckier than you know.

 

[Militant-Grunt]

Im torn aswell between these two cars. The Bimmers have beauty, their own special agressiveness, their own OOoo- Ahhh.. The WRX has that teenage, youngin type attitude, affordable and stylish, "hip and cool". I myself would be torn between a WRX a 330Ci and a Lancer Evo VII. But in the end the bimmer would prolly win. if u can slightly dish out more cash id go with a 96, 97 m3 maybe newer, they are pretty cheap on ebaymotors..

 

[gbf1lm]

well yes i am a very lucky person, and i think if i really want to, i can push my dad into keeping the car, but not now. i have quite a while before i NEED to make decisions, im jsut askin now bc we were talkin, and dad was sayin we spent like 5-6k this past year, and the next big thing, the car is gone . . . but im sure when that happens, if i really want to which im not sure, i think i can convince my dad bc its been his daily driver for 8 years since he bought it used in 96, he loves it as much as i do and would hate to see it go.

well it could be months it could be years, my only problem is i dont know whether to spend $$ on this in the meantime

1. paint faded unevenly, hood/roof is orangish, rest is perfect.
2. seats torn up really bad
3. lots of dings aorund
4. sunroof not working (paid $$ to fix, broke again in few months)
5. all the vinyl trim broken/lose (interior/exterior), shakes when i close the door/vibrates when drivin.

dad just doesnt want me to spend on performance, or customizing it.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

well yes i am a very lucky person, and i think if i really want to, i can push my dad into keeping the car, but not now. i have quite a while before i NEED to make decisions, im jsut askin now bc we were talkin, and dad was sayin we spent like 5-6k this past year, and the next big thing, the car is gone . . . but im sure when that happens, if i really want to which im not sure, i think i can convince my dad bc its been his daily driver for 8 years since he bought it used in 96, he loves it as much as i do and would hate to see it go.

well it could be months it could be years, my only problem is i dont know whether to spend $$ on this in the meantime

1. paint faded unevenly, hood/roof is orangish, rest is perfect.
2. seats torn up really bad
3. lots of dings aorund
4. sunroof not working (paid $$ to fix, broke again in few months)
5. all the vinyl trim broken/lose (interior/exterior), shakes when i close the door/vibrates when drivin.

dad just doesnt want me to spend on performance, or customizing it.

Again, I have a '92 325i so I had all the same problems you had. However, since I bought mine the sunroof has been perfectly fine. My seats are really faded, but not torn. For those I would just check eBay every other day till you find exactly what you want. Don't settle for another color or something else you won't like. My door panels were falling off for 4 months before I found a perfect set of tan e36 door panels on eBay. It was well worth the wait.

One really great thing you can do is call up Bavarian Autosport and just order a shitload of door clips, trim clips, mouldings, trim, etc. The stuff is pretty cheap and getting all new fasteners makes everything so much better.

As for the paint and dings? Well I took my car to Maaco. Yes, Maaco. I got the entire thing done there. I had a rust spot in the back, dents all over, and an antena mounted to the roof I wanted gone. Bottem line is I got all the body work done and the car painted inside and out for $1,500. People say Maaco sucks, and maybe some do, but the metal work and paint work these guys did on my car was outstanding. Also, I got a chip on the paint a few months later and they fixed it for free even though it was my fault.

I'm not sure how well the paint will hold up throughout the years, but it looks absolutely awesome now. They took off all the moulding, trim, weatherstripping, evertyhing. Even the door panels to get a complete paint job done. Go to your local shop and talk to them and see if they seem any good.

Every time I tell people its a 1992 they say it looks brand new and never believe me.

 

[gbf1lm]

getting a bit off topic but o well.

well what i want to do right now, is replace the seats, i frikin lost an auction last night, in the last 10 seconds, but i dont think i would won if i were fast enuff neways. they were goin for pretty cheap, o well ill have to look agian.

also i dont know what to do with my sunroof, the motor is fine, its jsut the panel that slides back a lil when u tilt and alongside the sunrof when goes back is deaatached to stuff. one time i open sun roof and wehen i close that damn piece stayed abck and was stuck, had it fixed, hapened agian, havnt gotten it fixed, i just unstuck it form the backa nd dont open sunroof.

then i forgot to mention, teh cieling panels is al lcoming off its like almost touckin my head that needs replacing.

paint is still good, ppl go holy shit a 92, untill they see the orangish hood and roof. i dont knwo why only whose two, also the mirrors and side skirts but thats bc they were painted by previous owner since they come black. also ive heard bmw paint lasts long bc the use layers and they remove each piece and bake the paint on and apply a clear coat. thers a bodyshop called high tech nearby, which is the best place around, charges 3k for original bmw paint, and individual parts painting.

so basicaly fix sunroof and seats, and cielign and im good for a while, also these will help to sell the car in the event i need to.

but ur right about ebay its just waiting for the right thing and right price. my gear knob has been spinning around for months, before i got this car and they were like 100 but finally i got on ebay an ACS for 35, it came today, makes shifting feel much more precise bc of its balance and weight. only got to drive round the neighborhood since ididnt check mail til a lil while ago. btw bavauto sells it for ridiculous $269. wtf are tehy thinking, just bc its says acs on it?