,original owner etc..? the car has been sitting in the garage for 18 months.the car starts and seems to run fine...the problem is the automatic transmission is gutted...it will not go into any gear,and there is a whining ,sometimes light grinding sound......my ?...is this car worth fixing? or will the costs outweigh the benefits?

if the cars that nice and free it might be worth putting a 1000 in it have to remember its 18 years old

Don't Hurt the car ! Ask a motorhead or pay a mechanic to look at 'er.

fix it , what have you got to loose ? when you do get it back on the road put some injector cleaner in the tank and replace your fuel filter a few times , keep an eye on your fluids and go easy on the brakes , even if you end up putting $3000 into it over the next 2 years you are still ahead .

It's a bit tough saying junk a Beemer. I'd have the transmission checked by a really competent person first. It also depends where you are. In the US it may not be worth fixing, elsewhere cars are more expensive and it could be different.

Could be that the selector linkage is at fault and the trans. itself is OK tho the grinding sound makes that seem unlikely. Have you checked the fluid level?

Check the net for exchange transmissions, could be you'd get one for a low enough price. If you are handy with a wrench you could probably remove and install a transmission yourself, I've done it a few times tho not on a BMW and I'm no expert.

I'd keep the car a few years if I could get reasonable replacement trans. Fact is there are not too many better cars in the world than BMW, they are up there with Rolls-Royce in overall quality. I have an even older Benz and my friends say what a good car it is to drive.

The costs outweigh the benefits. You need to find a kind person to take it off of your hands. It will be a burden to you.