Buying a car interstate

[Blitz_]

Yay or nay?

Quite a predicament for me, as I am playing the waiting game whilst looking for (hopefully) a 325i or is E30. I haven't see any for sale in WA for a long time so I've decided to branch out my search to other states.

Have any of you had experiences with purchasing a car interstate? The pro's and con's? Costs, heartaches and frustrations? I'm weighing up my options at the moment, it seems like a good idea - but I don't get to test drive a car if it's interstate and would I be able to get an honest third party opinion on the car over there, i.e mobile mechanic, rac.

Cheers for any feedback you can provide

Blitz_

[Cyco]

Don't buy a car that old without seeing it 1st, and to get it back use a truck or train and don't try and drive the Nullarbor if at all possible

[pimento]

There was a nice looking E30 323i in last saturday's West...

We just sold a mini (not my old van) interstate, seemed easy enough. You need to accept the risk that you may be getting rorted though. Try and get a copy of a vehicle check by the local RAC or something. Unfortunatly, you'll probably be paying a premium on the sale price, a seller would probably rather lose a few hundred to sell to a local who'll just take it rather than get the check done. What you really need is a local contact...

[clutch-monkey]

i bought the mini from sydney. just had it sent up for $300. can't register it here yet though.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Buy my car - $1500 ONO


E30 318i - some work required.

[Blitz_]

Originally Posted by pimento

There was a nice looking E30 323i in last saturday's West...

We just sold a mini (not my old van) interstate, seemed easy enough. You need to accept the risk that you may be getting rorted though. Try and get a copy of a vehicle check by the local RAC or something. Unfortunatly, you'll probably be paying a premium on the sale price, a seller would probably rather lose a few hundred to sell to a local who'll just take it rather than get the check done. What you really need is a local contact...

I had a look at it, twas fabulous, but someone outbidded me (the bastards)

I'll keep you up to date and post any adverts I see. If any of you happen to live near these cars I wouldn't mind sending some funding to take pictures and have a quick inspection

I'll be looking for a E30 definitely, more so the two door. 318i, is, 325i, is 323 they're all good, im not setting out to be a boy racer, just a mint* condition one


*lol

[Blitz_]

Originally Posted by IBrake4Rainbows

Buy my car - $1500 ONO


E30 318i - some work required.

what car do you have?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Originally Posted by IBrake4Rainbows

Buy my car - $1500 ONO


E30 318i - some work required.

.....

[Blitz_]

Originally Posted by IBrake4Rainbows

.....

o0o0o i really am the dumb one

so not mint condition? damn

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by Blitz_

o0o0o i really am the dumb one

so not mint condition? damn

it was mint condition when he got it...he's a little destructive.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Lyez. i bought a sh*t box. i just made it worse

It's definately one for the mechanically minded though

[nota]

Originally Posted by Blitz_

Have any of you had experiences with purchasing a car interstate? The pro's and con's? Costs, heartaches and frustrations? I'm weighing up my options at the moment, it seems like a good idea - but I don't get to test drive a car if it's interstate and would I be able to get an honest third party opinion on the car over there, i.e mobile mechanic, rac.

Cheers for any feedback you can provide

Blitz_

The interstate border is less than 2km from my front door and yeah I have had quite a bit of experience in buying & selling interstate

Here are some of the potential advantages:

Prices - within Oz the 2nd hand market prices for an hypothetical exact same year/spec/condition vehicle do vary between areas, sometimes to a large enough degree to make it economic (or profitable enough) to buy interstate. Particular types of vehicles can enjoy strong buyer demand and thus high prices in some areas, yet be ignored in others (buyer's market vs seller's market) and fwiw I once made a reasonably modest income in years past from shunting buy/sell between states

Availability - examples of the vehicle you want may not exist in great number within your area

Condition - some places in Oz are a lot harder on cars than others. There are environmental variables, like rust and weathering as is typical from coastal or humid areas, hence it can often be far easier to find a good condition vehicles 'there' than 'here'. Also usage variables, eg if there is a local preponderance of rough roads. And odd though it seems there can be social considerations too, as in the general wealth of the district and buying population having an ongoing influence over the standard of maintainance and condition of said district's vehicle fleet

Disadvantages:

Risks - These include the risk of being removed from the sale point and/or having to buying sight unseen. As they say, a look is worth a thousand words in this game because cars can and often do present themselves a lot better in pics than in the real. The risk of being far removed from the vendor if recourse is required from a bodgy deal. The risk of dealing through an intermediary, who's honesty or even judgement or interpretation of condition may differ from yours. The risk of inconvenience, eg lots of communication between all parties, arranging to bring it home and the risks involved therein, plus getting it inspected and re-registered in your state etc. Cyco's advice of NOT attempting to drive any new purchase over from the East is wise counsel, to be heeded imo

And finally the risk of going to all this bother, only to have the exact vehicle of your dreams pop up for sale in your local area for a bargain price, inevitably in the very week after you slogged through buying another example from interstate

I'll keep you up to date and post any adverts I see. If any of you happen to live near these cars I wouldn't mind sending some funding to take pictures and have a quick inspection

I'll be looking for a E30 definitely, more so the two door. 318i, is, 325i, is 323 they're all good, im not setting out to be a boy racer, just a mint* condition one

Obviously you'd want to spell out in the clearest terms possible re your requirements and aspirations of model specification, price, mileage, year and condition. For renumerating others into your search you'd also want to consider the 'time is money' aspect, ie how much of your money for how much of their time

Here are two Canberra ads for E30s, not 'submissions' or recomendations but merely randomly provided higher-km units for your wider info as they have pics

http://allclassifieds.com.au/c/ac?a=vc&i=117846563
http://allclassifieds.com.au/c/ac?a=vc&i=128587791

Small BMWs in outstanding condition and with low kms usually enjoy solid resale throughout much of Oz, are not cheap to my observation. Btw have you looked or asked through various BMW car clubs? Sometimes the very best examples sold don't reach the advertising stage, but are found and traded quietly between members

[SlickHolden]

My mums VB commodore was from Sydney but before she bought it.