Meet Truman.

Truman has been a very, very good car. Truman likes windy roads, going from 3rd to 4th gear, and running. Truman isn't a huge fan of cold weather. Truman has a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, an insane skid pad rating, a fantastic, naturally-aspirated inline-six engine, and won't have the turbo scroll or high-pressure fuel pump problems of his cocky cousin, the 135i .

The Good Stuff

• The celebrated N52 engine

• Low miles

• Leather Seats

• Heated front seats

• Great exhaust note

• New ish tires that are probably worth $1k on their own

• Cloth top in excellent shape - no leaks or tears

• Oil change last week

• An indomitable spirit

Summary: this has been my daily driver for over a decade and has never given me any problems besides needing to clean a dirty spark plug.

To Be Expected Stuff

• Is 16 years old

• A few dings (see pictures)

• Mystery drips

Summary: If you're not handy or are afraid of maintenance, then stop looking at this old BMW immediately and go buy the newest Corolla your budget can afford. This car only really makes sense if you like taking care of cars. The most recent report from my mechanic tells me there are some drips from old seals, but it's not so much that any of my fluid levels have ever dropped out of range over the years.

The Bad Stuff

• Patch where seat leather was wearing thin

• The convertible top won't open

• Has trouble with manual shifting

Summary: Not sure what happened to the driver's side seat. It was that way when I bought it. Lame.

The manual shifting doesn't really bother me because I don't spend too much time pretending I'm driving a manual.

However, I'm so, so bummed the top isn't opening. My mechanic THINKS it's the hydraulic motor. I've taken it to him to get it fixed twice, and really wanted to get it fixed before listing, but my mechanic is WAY too optimistic about when he'll be able to get around to things. Both times the car sat at his shop for 10 hours, and I ended up taking it home before he even got around to looking at it.

If it is the pump, it seems like you can pick up the whole assembly for $750. It's pretty easy to get to. (I check it just to make sure the hydraulic fluid didn't need to be topped off.) If you're handy at all, I think you could do the job in a couple of hours. (And if you're not handy at all, I would reiterate: go buy a Corolla. They're great!)

If the top was working, I'm confident I could get $7.5k pretty easily. As-is, I'll take $6.5k. If you're into it, this is a chance to get a great little car with surprisingly low miles.