Jim Ferris wrote:

> Don't wanna trash the inside of my e38 with all the junk I haul
> around in my work, so.......
>
> For you high mileage BMW owners out there, is it reasonable to think a
> "beater" could be had that will last a couple winters, given
> reasonable maintenance/repair, for under $4000? Auctions? The local
> granny advertising in the paper?

All of the above, with preference for the granny, who kept her maintenance
records. Your best bet is "old money" neighborhoods, where people buy quality
cars like BMWs, keep them forever (garaged), and maintain them by the book.

I've been putting hundreds of thousands of miles on cars like that for the last
20 years, mostly trouble free. None were beaters -- all but one were pristine
except for high mileage. I frequently got compliments on how nice they looked.
Your best value bet are the "boring" BMWs -- 528e, 525i, 4-door E30, etc. The
sporty BMWs with "cool" appeal, like E30 coupes, tend to have inflated prices.
Stick to manual transmissions if you can, unless the mileage is low. Old
automatics are time bombs.

There's nothing like a reliable, cheap, nice old car for a work car. This is
the best write-off you'll ever get. The IRS will give you 36 cents a mile or
whatever, for a car that actually costs a third that much. ~$3000 is terminal
depreciation for a presentable-looking, good-running BMW. You can often buy one
of these and drive it for another 100k miles, practically for free -- as long as
you're handy with a wrench! It's not so much repairs but maintenance, like the
valve adjustments these old cars require, which are expensive to have done these
days.

Matt O.