1988 BMW 3 Series

2.5L Straight 6 Cylinder Gasoline Fuel

Manual

WBABB1304J8272135

This Excellent piece of BMW heritage takes you back to what BMW actually means when they say "Ultimate Driving Machine." This excellent condition, low mileage car has been garage kept and covered for most of its life. This treatment shows on its spectacular factory paint job and nearly flawless interior. This is one of the last models that BMW engineers designed by hand before the entire company moved toward Computer Aided Design. The manual top on this vehicle functions perfectly and operates smooth. Fortunately in 1988, BMW still used manual tops so this convertible is an actual convertible. Not like some of the 1990's models that cannot take the top down due to a broken motor. I bought this car in 2008 as a pleasure vehicle and weekend roadster. Now that I am starting a family and have two other vehicles, it is time to sell the fun car and consolidate down to the family sedans. Overall the car runs great mechanically. She has no leaks and sounds smooth at idle. At high speeds she doesn't rattle or shake aggressively. This is due to proper tire maintenance and engine mount inspection. When I got her, the head had just been reworked by the previous owner. For the past thirty-thousand miles Ive owned her, the engine has always been reliable. I have taken her on many long road trips from Vegas to NYC to Fort Lauderdale. Never any issues on the road. I have been certain to keep up with any preventative maintenance in order to avoid costly repairs or any damage to internal components. A list of repairs and new parts: Tires (15k miles of tread wear.) Radiator and hosesSerpentine beltsSpark plugsFactory clutchStarterReplaced oil inlet valve for cylinders due to leak by outside of gaskets. Valve cover gasket The top is four years old and manufactured in Germany. The rear window is clear and the top functions beautifully. Manual Top. I have religiously used Mobil One for all the oil changes every 5000 miles. As noted above, she did have an oil leak through the gasket of an inlet valve. The entire assembly was replaced. Thus there is some oil residue on the underside of the car. But my mechanic has assured me that the car has no other leaks or pieces to be concerned with. Naturally this is the case with any vintage vehicle, and if you've ever tried to get oil and grit off the bottom of a twenty-five year old european roadster, you know you'll never get it all. I have kept her parked over paper for the past several months so that I could quickly detect a new leak or issue. I've had no problems and no residual fluids on the paper. It is my understanding that the previous owner did some head work on the car, and while the head was removed, he painted the valve cover and head cover black. The paint he used is starting to chip off but won't come off completely and I don't want to scratch the covers by scraping it off. So if that caught your attention in the photo, that is the answer. The timing belt is still good for another 15k miles. It was replaced at 55k miles just before I bought the car. Aesthetically the vehicle is in great condition for her age. She has the occasional dings resultant from people being careless in parking lots. No significant scrapes or dents. The clear coat on the paint is in excellent condition as well. For a red paint job that is twenty five years old, the vehicle looks remarkable. I have been really aggressive with waxing her in order to maintain the wonderful deep red color. I have included a couple of photos to show the few blemishes around the body. The interior of the car is also in great condition. Real, original leather seats. Aside from the bottom left side of the driver's seat, there is no cracking in the leather. The passenger and rear seats look like they did in the showroom. The air conditioning runs cold and works very well. Heated seats work very well, sometimes a little too well, fortunately there is a lower setting. Power windows all work. Car comes with a custom made cover for storage. No visible rust on the body of the car. Original Factory Radio has a tape retained in the head, I have not been able to remove the tape. In 1988 this was the creme de la creme of european roadsters. Also, this car is a manual transmission and has a center console arm rest with a cup holder. These two things are highly desirable and very rare in this era BMW. I believe I have answered most of the possible questions in the above text. However, feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have. Good luck bidding. I have left the vehicle with no reserve as I need to sell this car before I move. I am very confident that you will be able to fly in and drive this vehicle home. She has recently been to the mechanic for a valve adjustment, a freon leak repair, AC recharge and tune-up. I would hop in this car right now and take her on a cross country road trip. Also, I am completely flexible with coordinating to deliver the vehicle to a shipping service. I only expect serious bidders who are aware of what they are bidding on. The car comes with no implied or written warranty. I have a clear title in hand and the car fax is clean. If you are near the Jacksonville, FL area and would like to arrange to see the car before the end of the auction, please let me know. Due to my tenuous schedule with my government job I may not be available for at most a week following the end of the auction. Eitherway, it is my intention to ensure that the winning bidder can pick up the car, or it can be delivered to a shipping facility as soon as possible. From listing through delivery, the vehicle will be kept covered in a garage. I am comfortable with mailing the title upon full receipt of funds. Winning Bidder must provide at least $500 within 24 hours of auction close, and full payment within 7 days of auction close. Good Luck Bidding. On Jun-16-12 at 05:39:43 PDT, seller added the following information: As of 8:40 AM 16 June 12 there are 87 people watching this auction. Good luck bidding tomorrow.