Do you ever see a car listed for sale and think, hey, that’s a good deal, I should go check that out? Then, life gets in the way and you don’t follow through. Sometimes, you even make it to the test drive, but then the thought of getting it home and debugging any previous owner issues seems overwhelming. And that’s what happened to the RustyButTrusty fleet manager (yours truly) this past weekend, with this 1973 BMW 2002 Automatic, which Was for sale for $1500 in Portland, OR.
While you can argue that the transition from E12 to E28 and E34 to E39 5-series BMWs were more evolutionary, the difference between the E28 and E34 models is quite significant – they went from being a relatively light-weight, luxury oriented sports sedan, to a more solidly built sedan where sport and luxury were at parity. As it happens, there’s an interesting example of each for sale right now, so let’s take a look – first up is this 1987 BMW 535i for sale for $2000 in Seattle, WA.
BMW’s E30 3-series, once yuppie standard, now cult icon, has a definite pecking order. The M3 is way up at the top, followed by the 325is, 325i, 318is or 325iX, and then much further down, the 325e and 318i. While the early 318i probably can’t get out of its own way, the 325e and 325es are worth a second glance as the favorites creep up in value. While you give up some power, it’s still worth considering this is a relatively light car at around 2500 lb., and you still get the joy of the BMW straight six and excellent shifter, along with the tall greenhouse that’s a classic BMW design trait. Check out this 1985 BMW 325e for sale for $3000 in Berkeley, CA.
Rusty But Trusty 