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2003 325I value car needs some work

703 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  frvega 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all,

My stepson was owed some money by a room mate and instead of cash the room mate gave him his 2003 325I that needs some work. I was hoping to get an approximate value on the car and what better place to come than this site. Its a 2003 325I with 146K on the clock. Its a 5 speed and the interior is in ok shape. It needs a driver seat cover and a shifter boot otherwise the interior is good. The front of the car needs some straightening after a minor front end tap which took out the hood. The upper radiator support will need to be replaced also and some plastic parts on the front of the car. The engine is running on 3 cylinders. We did a compression test and determined that the head will need some work. Cylinder 1 has 0 compression, cylinder 2 has 50 lbs and cylinder 6 has 0. It runs, but not well. Also, before the hood was damaged, the car ran and drove and then the compression issue/ burned valves developed afterwards. What is a car like this worth? He is not in love with the car so I'm wondering what its worth so we can make some decisions. Attached are a few pics of the car.

Thanks
Bob
 

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#3 ·
I concur with Tim....Just one episode of overheating (which is probably about 99.9 % likely in your case) can destroy the engine, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. Wrecking yard engines are normally the most practical choice in cases like yours. Cost is typically around $2500-$3000 if you have an indy shop do all the work, maybe half that amount if you can DIY everything yourself.

Read the E46 Wiki !
 
#6 · (Edited)
The car looks like it was nice. It is a shame it is now in such poor condition.

Based on NADA values, I would guess the car would be worth around $3500 to $4500. This is with a good engine, and without the body damage.

Unfortunately, this project doesn't work very well economically. By the time you replace the engine, replace the hood and radiator support (and related body work), repair the interior, and address other unknown problems, you have probably exceeded the value of the car. :(

I wish you good luck on this endeavor.

:drive:
 
#7 ·
After looking closely on the pictures, I can't see how the descried damaged could have happen to the engine.
Both sides of the front of the car looks fine to me, other than he rear end an SUV or something like that.
 
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