Is this BMW worth it?

I agree with the above statement that OP might be in the wrong chassis for that budget. I would honestly look even earlier... maybe an E28

Originally Posted by MercForHire

That discriminating attitude is not gonna help you find real bargains.

Did that game with E36's a couple of times, I'm over that kind of "project" stuff at this point. My last car was a supercharged 318, bought it for $1500 with blown shocks/struts, horrible shifter bushings, a horrible DIY paint-job, an awful "custom" exhaust and mismatched interior. Even with all the problems, still a great bargain... technically.

After taking a year DDing it and fixing it up as I went along, I decided it would be more worth while to just pay more and get a nice car that I can daily and not have to worry about

It's worth paying the premium for a premium product.

BTW, ended up passing on my "bargain" to another enthusiast for the same price I bought it, only it had much less wrong with it when I sold it

Also:

Originally Posted by Hermes

I agree with the above statement that OP might be in the wrong chassis for that budget. I would honestly look even earlier... maybe an E28

E28's are going higher and higher in value... if you want one I'd suggest buying it now. My buddy just got one that's in fantastic condition for $4000. They're beautiful cars And as for what you were suggesting, a more serious option would be an E34 or an E36. You can find a really good E36 325i/is for under $5000

You all treat 323's like they're complete garbage... I eat 325's for breakfast!

Maintanance is high cost, if you have a tight budget i wouldnt recommend buying a car thats expensive to get it back great shape.

Originally Posted by 323i2011Y

You all treat 323's like they're complete garbage... I eat 325's for breakfast!

Hey hey hey my car ain't your cereal
Boy when my vanos kick in at 4k and that V-tech lights up my dash with that 3rd brake light JDM hook up to syle pro service my dude 323 I guess is good but 325 is just a pedo monster stalking M's around the corner waiting to attack with the vanos and 3rd brake lights in dash thing

Originally Posted by Russian172

Hey hey hey my car ain't your cereal
Boy when my vanos kick in at 4k and that V-tech lights up my dash with that 3rd brake light JDM hook up to syle pro service my dude 323 I guess is good but 325 is just a pedo monster stalking M's around the corner waiting to attack with the vanos and 3rd brake lights in dash thing

Haha, but in all seriousness, people really underestimate 323's. Granted they're no 330 but they more pretty quick for their displacement.

my 323 eat junked 325's parts for breakfast.

I'm in a market for a cheap 323 daily actually than I'll be installing a y8 swap head and the veettaakk solenoid and the JDM 3rd brake light and and ls69 trans to keep them power down in the foot well of my drive by wore throttle response in my throttle body of the ecu chip and a an an advance traction control uintaite to not to rip my subframe but it's 2002 so I'm good with my veettaakk

Originally Posted by EverydayGetaway

E28's are going higher and higher in value... if you want one I'd suggest buying it now. My buddy just got one that's in fantastic condition for $4000. They're beautiful cars And as for what you were suggesting, a more serious option would be an E34 or an E36. You can find a really good E36 325i/is for under $5000

Agreed, an E34/E36 is probably a better choice for OP but I think E28's can still be had for cheap. I saw a pretty good one recently for $1500 but I already have a project so no E28 for me right now

Ok where to begin??
First I would not rule out a 323Ci. I would take it over the early 325i any day and it's not that much different at all. Both have similar specs and size 2.5L engines. 325 gets much less standard and doesn't gain as much in bolt-on mods.
That 323Ci looks pretty neglected. Anyone who let the interior get like that and cant tidy up to sell it has likely neglected everything else you can't see too.

As someone said no Sport Package(ZSP), no Xenon headlights. But..looks like it got the Premium Package(ZPP).

PPI is "Pre Purchase Inspection". even if you go against everything we say still do this!! The amount of repairs can EASILY be more than the purchase price on the E46 BMW.

That year is prone to the rear subframe tearing(no matter when built in 2000)! Check to see if it was repaired by BMW during voluntary recall or is Clear of fractures.

Personally I would say that one appears Not worth over $4,000.

$5000 for this car is too much. it's not washed. there's no records advertised. the interior is trashed. it does not have xenon lights or sport package.
it seems to be a base model 323 that was not taken care of. just pass it's not worth it.
if you spend 6k you should be able to find a good condition 323/325 but nothing more. 6k for an e46 is essentially buying a project car. when spending 6k expect to put 2k more into it to make it a reliable daily driver.

bmw's are GREAT cars. but only if you keep up on maintenance. seriously. they will leave you stranded if they're not taken care of.

another tip:
when you get the PPI make a deal with the owner that if everything checks out and there's no major issues then you will pay for it ($150-$200)
if something major turns up like huge oil leak or something he was trying to hide he can eat the bill. get it in writing.
don't ever buy a car if something turns up not as advertised. then you can only guess what else they're trying to hide.

Originally Posted by Alex323Ci

Ok where to begin??
First I would not rule out a 323Ci. I would take it over the early 325i any day and it's not that much different at all. Both have similar specs and size 2.5L engines. 325 gets much less standard and doesn't gain as much in bolt-on mods.
That 323Ci looks pretty neglected. Anyone who let the interior get like that and cant tidy up to sell it has likely neglected everything else you can't see too.

As someone said no Sport Package(ZSP), no Xenon headlights. But..looks like it got the Premium Package(ZPP).

PPI is "Pre Purchase Inspection". even if you go against everything we say still do this!! The amount of repairs can EASILY be more than the purchase price on the E46 BMW.

That year is prone to the rear subframe tearing(no matter when built in 2000)! Check to see if it was repaired by BMW during voluntary recall or is Clear of fractures.

Personally I would say that one appears Not worth over $4,000.

+1
This!

Originally Posted by MercForHire

OMG my car can't move anymore. My seat is ripped! Check Seat Light is on!

You're funny.

Yikes. I thought my alcantara wheel was trashed ...

Usually I would say, get a PPI and if everything checks out negotiate down to 4k... but I gotta be honest I have never seen a 323 for sale that isnt complete trash. I have seen 323's that people own that are very nice, but the ones I see for sale are always piles of crap, and repair bills waiting to happen.

That's not to say a 325 is really that much different its just the 323's need the same level of maintenance and possibly more then the newer 325/330 and now the prices are so low that I think people who cant really afford it are buying them, and trashing them.

This car is a disgrace to all Topaz coupes

Like some of the others have said, the trashed interior concerns me. If they can't take care of the inside, even to take a measly 15 minutes to clean it out before posting pics to sell it, you know they didn't take the time to do maintenance. I've always felt that the inside of the car is a good indicator of what's under the hood.

If you are going to spend that much money I would agree with others and get a PPI. That's a sketchy add. I just haven't seen many e46's for 5000 (when I was looking for mine) that were not in need of additional work and money. My friends first car was an e36 and he picked it up for five thousand and it was in great shape compared to the e46s he could have purchased for a comparable price.
P.S. E36's are Badass!

Mfw mecanic