So I am looking seriously at my cousin's '98 BMW 328is. He's asking $4800 for a car in excellent condition with 104K miles on it. It seems to be an excellent deal (and I love the E36), but is there anything I should be on the lookout for? As I mentioned, I know and trust one of the previous owners (my cousin) who says that there have been no incidents with the car, ever. The only problem I see with the car is that it's green. Thanks

A prepurchase inspection by a mechanic's shop will let you know what's badly worn and will need replacing in the immediate future, not just what has already failed (which is what the owner knows). This will help you value the car better, and figure out if you're getting a great price or whether you're paying $4800 to acquire a money pit. However, if you're so close to your cousin that having a prepurchase inspection and negotiating over price would do more harm than good, then don't.

That's a steal! my dad has the 96 and he has been offered 8K for it... about the same mileage.

1998 is a good year to buy e36, because they have most of the bugs and glitches worked out, but be prepared to some work yourself on it or find a good BMW mechanic. You will find out quickly that BMW dealerships charge stupid prices, like $800 bucks for a brake job...