ndfan

A while back, I posted about possibly replacing my S2000 with a BMW 1-Series convertible to accommodate my young son. My S2000 also is in such pristine shape that I'm paranoid about where I drive it, the weather, where I park it, etc. I hate that! So, I want my next car to have some warts, which leads me to my question.

Because 128i's with a manual transmission are so had to find and I'm open to flawed cars, I began looking at a 128i that earned a salvage title after the previous owner hit road debris that caused damage to the undercarriage. From what I gathered, the damage included a cut fuel (and possibly other) lines and a hole in the underside, though it's unclear if the hole was in one of the plastic removable panels or the floorpan itself. The current owner (a dealer) said these items were fixed and the car now has a rebuilt title.

Before paying $500+ for a PPI and chassis inspection at a local BMW body shop, I asked the dealer to have the car in for an alignment, as I've heard that a car cannot be aligned unless its chassis is sufficiently straight. The alignment shop produced a standard form I've seen before, but at the bottom it stated:
"one or more values are not within specification. tire wear, handling and safety problems may result."

I emailed the form to the BMW service writer who I planned to do the PPI, and he said the alignment didn't seem too far off, despite the disclaimer I pasted above. Should I run away from this car?

If it helps, I could post the alignment document though i probably should remove the identifying information first, which would be a pain. Maybe I could just type out the values. Thoughts?

Please let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

mosesbotbol

I would walk away real quick. Are you searching nationally?

ndfan

I'm searching nationally, and even then, it's actually hard to find a 128i with options I want (M/T, sport seats, and sport suspension). With a young child at home, I'm cognizant that there would be even more moving parts getting a car at a great distance. I might be willing to do that, but of course closer to home is better.

Probably for good reason, it seems many say to run from a rebuilt title. I would normally run, but I wonder if thorough inspections would compensate, at least somewhat.

vader1

I don't know that I'd say run....yet. Can you verify what was sighted as reason for the rebuilt title via Car Fax or anything like that?

The rebuilt title has obviously pushed the resale down considerably (I presume) and there is not a lot of depreciation you will suffer, but if you can take it to a BMW specialist who will give it a look-see and the car is a bargain that you really want it might be worth $100 to have somebody check it out. I live next to a Porsche specialty shop and was surprised they only charge $150 for a full inspection.

If it drives well, passes inspection and is a decent price on a rare car you really want and will keep for a while, it might be worth it.

Go Irish.

ndfan

Somehow the VIN was listed online as linked to the original owner. So it felt creepy but I reached out to the owner who similarly seemed to feel odd about me contacting him. Anyway, the previous (and only) owner seemed like a well-off professional who took the car in for service but didn't know much beyond that. As a result, he confirmed what the seller said about the hole in the floor and severed fuel line.

All earlier 128i's are well depreciated, which is why I like them, so I think this rebuilt title car is only $2-$3k below clean title value, but at $11k, it's still not a lot for a car with 50k miles.

I did drive it and it seemed to operate well. I thought going above and beyond by getting a body shop inspection would calm my nerves, but the alignment being a little out of spec ratcheted my fear back up.

I would plan on keeping it a long while, but would dread trying to sell it. I figured the paperwork from an inspection and documented use over a number of years would quell fears of some future buyers, but I know many will never consider a rebuilt title. In the end, it's still a relatively cheap car.

Finally, I appreciate the "Go Irish". We need that now more than ever!

Mr.E.G.

All due respect, but you're talking about buying a car that's not known for its reliability to begin with and you're shopping for one that's been ridden hard and put away wet. I would run the other direction.

mosesbotbol

Buying a car nationally, even sight unseen is not a daunting as it sounds. If you are doing a PPI, why do you need to see it per say? You are relying on the results; most sellers will deduct the PPI cost when you buy the car. Shipping is no big deal and hire a PDR tech after it's delivered. Insurance can be handled just as it is for a local car.

TheDonEffect

There's no way to check if the chassis was cut in half and stitched back together, bondo and paint covers it all up. I've seen Frankenstein cars look brand new and cars that look like crap from a paint job to repair scratches.
Also note you'll have an equally hard time selling the car.

ndfan

Thanks all for your sage advice.

Based on my research, it appears that the 1-series has been pretty reliable in 128i form. I think the MY-2010 and older 135i's (with the N54 with the HPFP and LPFP issues among others) gave the series a bad rap. I have read that the N52s in the 128i's are about as bulletproof as BMWs get (which I suppose still doesn't approach Honda reliability).

I'm not totally ignorant of cars, so I'd still prefer to look at any prospective car myself. I honestly had not given much thought to shipping a car, so I might look into that. Either way, even a national search for a 128i the way I'd like it spec'ed is still hard to find.

I have given the ability of body shops to cover-up damage some thought, but I figured they wouldn't go overboard on the underside of a car where nobody (other than a mechanic) would see it. So, I figured the repairs would be obvious, but I certainly could be wrong. And yes, reselling a car with a rebuilt title probably would be a nightmare!

vader1

My dad is a "domer". ND Law School class of 65. I go to a couple games a year with him. They will bounce back. Always do.

Offer $9500 for it if you want it and see what happens. *** edit**** wait, I was skimming and missed the alignment part. Yeah I would pass on the car.