1988 BMW 325is Sedan Red RWD Manual IS

Description for BMW 325is 1988

I purchased this 1988 325is in the fall of 2016 after searching sometime for a rust-free original example. The car was purchased new by a doctor in Atlanta, Georgia and was owned by him until 2016 and then sold to the individual who I purchased from who only had it for a few months. The 2nd owner converted the bumpers to the +1989-plastic bumper style. He did supply me with some of the receipts from the original owner, but it is not a complete list. The miles appear to be accurate, but I have no way of proving that. A Carfax report shows a steady progression of mileage over the years, and I get the impression the car was driven very little in the last decade. I had a long-term ownership plan for this vehicle so over the past few years I have replaced a lot of the wear items mostly preventively that I discuss under the drivetrain section below.

Body:

It does have a replacement hood and passenger side fender as noted by BMW Dot R stickers on these parts indicating they were replaced with OEM BMW parts. I have no information on why they were replaced but there does not appear to be any evidence of frame work, so I assumed it to be a minor fender bender. A collision is not noted in a Carfax report. The car has been repainted in its original color once perhaps when the body work was done. I am guessing the paint has 15-20 years on it. All other panels have the VIN sticker except the driver door which is missing the VIN sticker. The body has a few minor small dents. The driver side rear bumper corner has a crack which is cosmetic. The paint presents well for its age and given it is single stage paint could really be brought to a nice shine with some buffing and waxing. Chips and scratches have been touched up. There is no rust anywhere on the body. This car spent its life in Georgina and Texas.

Interior:

All of the electronics work on the car, and it retains it’s a functioning factory stereo. No tears in the leather, but they would benefit from a thorough cleaning. Piping is coming off the driver seat. The dash is crack free. Sunroof opens and closes. Carpet has some minor staining in the back seat footwell. Trunk looks great and has all the factory accessories (tool kit, jack, lug wrench, center cap wrench, spare wheel)

Drivetrain:

Not having a comprehensive maintenance record for the vehicle when I purchased it, I decided to go through and replace as much as possible. I had a friend who no longer needed a rebuilt head for his E30 project, so I decided to purchase it from him and install it as well. The original head is available to the buyer if they want it. The motor runs strong but has a minor idling issue I haven’t fully diagnosed. The clutch and transmission shift normal. No grinding in any gears. I suspect it has its original clutch. The brakes were replaced, and it looks like some of the suspension bushings were as well. I suspect it rides on its original shocks but the car handles well. The AC does not function. The compressor works but it is not holding a charge. It probably needs new hose and o-rings. I did replace the condenser when I installed a new radiator in preparation for the AC work. The new condenser is the parallel style which is recommended for R134a conversion. The AC was towards the bottom of my ‘To Do’ list so I had not gotten to diagnosing it. The guibo does not visually show any signs of deterioration so I did not replace. I believe if you look at the list below you will see a large amount of work and parts that have gone into this car under my ownership. It’s not fully sorted, but the bulk of the work has been done. The car also includes a set of gold 14” BBS wheels if the buyer wants them that came on the car and probably were a dealer installed option at the time of original purchase. I mounted the silver basketweaves that are more common on a 325is.

My intent is to be as upfront and provide as much detail as possible to help a bidder evaluate the condition of the car. Please reach out to me on any questions you might have. I purchased a vintage BWM 2002 so I am moving on to another project. The original owner’s manual, previous owner receipts and current receipts included. Clear title in my name. I am not a dealer. This 1988 325is is a solid, rust-free car with lower than usual mileage that will only increase in value. Get it before they go up even more and have some fun with it.

Work completed under my ownership (87,226 to 88,123 miles)

- Replaced timing belt, tensioner pulley and water pump. OE parts

- Replaced (blue) coolant sensor, thermostat (80 deg C)

- Tires installed and balanced (Vredestein Sportracs 195/65 R 14 89H)

- Replaced clutch master cylinder (OE part). Replaced reservoir supply line and line to slave cylinder with stainless steel from ECS.

- Replaced throttle cable, pedal spring and bushings

- Install rebuilt head (Jim's Machine Shop, Redwood City, CA)

- Valves adjusted. Goetze head gasket with new BMW head bolts. Decarbon pistons (cross hatching still visible on cylinder bores).

- Replace valve cover gasket (OE part)

- New radiator installed (OE part)

- Radiator temperature sensor replaced

- All coolant hoses replaced with Rein (OE part) hoses and new hose clamps

- New timing belt installed (Continental)

- Coolant Rowe AN (blue) replaced. 50/50 distilled water.

- (6) fuel injectors rebuilt by Mr. Injector and flow tested. Installed with new seals

- Engine compartment fuel lines replaced and any accessible lines at the fuel tank

- Fuel filler hose to tank replaced (replaced due to leaking).

- Fuel filter replaced (Bosch)

- Oil and filter change (MANN oil filter/Castrol Synblend 10W-40)

- O2 sensor (Bosch) replaced

- Air filter replaced (MANN)

- Replaced o-ring and spring from crank case vent pipe (replaced due to leaking)

- Replaced oil level sensor o-ring and plug connection end (plug end had cracked)

- Replaced spark plugs, cap, rotor, coil and spark plug/coil wires (OE parts)

- Install intake manifold gasket, exhaust manifold gasket, throttle body gasket

- Replaced vacuum hose from fuel pressure regulator to intake manifold

- AC condenser replaced (parallel) for future R134a conversion

- Replace rear differential fluid with Redline 75W-140

- Replace manual transmission fluid with Redline MTL

- Replace driver side engine mount (OE part)

- Replace (2) transmission mounts (OE parts)

- Replace throttle body shaft bearings (2)

Note: All parts, gaskets, clamps, etc. used in the above service were OEM or OE and purchased from FCP Euro. New hardware was used when specified (ex. exhaust manifold fasteners)