zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
1985 Baur 318i for a Top-Dropping $3,995
1985 Baur 318i for a Top-Dropping $3,995-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:17

E30s are a dime a dozen, and you probably wouldn't give an early 318i a second glance. But today, has one with a sassy top that's ready to give you a peek.

caught the bullet train to Crack Pipe with 55% of you getting fast and furious on the door number two option. Let's stay in that 1985 mind set, but instead of looking to the land of the rising sun, let's go to another of America's WWII rivals- Germany - for today's contender. It's also modded, and at a $3,995 asking, it's cheaper too!

Typically, Corolla and "fun" don't go hand in hand. But there was a time when that wasn't the case.

What we have here is a , which is a , as evidenced by its chrome bumpers and the fact that it has a Baur targa top. The Baur conversion on these cars is very well done, and BMW offered the conversions with full factory warranties.

The history of is as long as that of BMW's auto making endeavors. The company started engineering convertible top mechanisms back in the ‘20s, and has done development work on most every BMW drop-top ever since. In addition to adding head room to the rondel brand's coupes, Baur also built most of the M1 supercars when Lamborghini abandoned the project after seeing something shiny and getting distracted. The Baur/BMW relationship is an open one, and neither partner gets upset when the other brings home a conquest. For Baur, that includes Opel, for whom they built a number of similar targa-top modded Kadetts, and Porsche, for whom they built the 959. As you can imagine, quality is a hallmark of Baur's work.

The E30 underpinning the Baur top is also a pretty rock-solid piece of hardware, although the 101-bhp 318i is not quite as ultimate a driving machine as you might like. This black on black example sports the Getrag 260 5-speed, which should help make best use of those few ponies. The seller claims the top is new, as are the rims (meh) and the springs and shocks (yeah), although from the pictures it looks like the exterior is not so great, with chips on the nose (bleh) and the federalized side-marker lights that look a little tacky (feh!).

The car is described as driving like new, and that everything works, including the A/C, which as it's an '85, could conceivably still be freon. If the seller is to be believed - and when have you ever known a used-car salesman to lie? - then this may just be a pretty sweet deal for that $3,995 price. If you were wondering about comparison shopping, he has another one for sale for $10,995- and you can grab a taste of that right

So what do you think? Is the seller dropping the top on high prices here? Or, is this from a gray market that sells nothing but Crack?

You decide.

()

or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
For $9,000, Could This 2013 Locost 7 Really Be All That Super?
For $9,000, Could This 2013 Locost 7 Really Be All That Super?
Like the Shelby Cobra, there are more Lotus 7 replicas in the world than there are the real deal. Cars like today’s Triumph-based 7 give much the same visceral experience at a fraction of the cost. We’ll have to decide if that’s still too big a fraction. While their Pagoda-roofed...
Apr 5, 2026
2017 Lexus RC-F: The Jalopnik Review
2017 Lexus RC-F: The Jalopnik Review
I feel sorry for the Lexus RC-F. When Lexus released this oddly styled coupe in 2015, everyone immediately compared it to a BMW M4, and collectively pointed and laughed at the car for being heavier, softer, and slower than the Bavarian opposition. Here’s how you should see this Lexus instead:...
Apr 5, 2026
The 2017 Kia Soul! Makes You Realize How Good A Box Can Be
The 2017 Kia Soul! Makes You Realize How Good A Box Can Be
I’m not sure what it says about our world that the most objectively rational design for a small, useful car—a box on wheels—is considered weird by almost everyone. Kia sells such a car, the Soul. This version, the Soul ! with that stupid , adds a bit of punch to...
Apr 5, 2026
If You're Going To Buy A Mazda RX-8 Now Is Probably The Time
If You're Going To Buy A Mazda RX-8 Now Is Probably The Time
Don’t buy a , but if you’re going to anyway, now is probably the best time to do so. Have you looked up Mazda RX-8 listings lately? The consensus seems to be that running, decently-maintained examples are going for about $4,000—that’s for a genuinely fun sports car with a rotary...
Apr 5, 2026
For $4,900, Is This 1984 Mercedes 380SL Really Ready For Summer?
For $4,900, Is This 1984 Mercedes 380SL Really Ready For Summer?
Are you ready for summer? The seller of today’s 380SL says it certainly is. Let’s see if its priced to let someone have some fun in the sun, or to take you to the dark side. Unsurprisingly, yesterday’s didn’t make the grade. At thirty-grand it proved a little too over...
Apr 5, 2026
I've Saved Up To Buy An Exotic And It Needs To Be A V12! What Car Should I Buy?
I've Saved Up To Buy An Exotic And It Needs To Be A V12! What Car Should I Buy?
Dave is a physician who has been working and saving for a very long time to finally fulfill his dream of owning a legit supercar. He isn’t too picky except for one key feature: it’s got to have a V12 engine. What car should he buy? (Welcome back to ?...
Apr 5, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved