Description:

Liquid yellow/white exterior, black leather interior.

The #2 cylinder reads very low compression (30 psi cold, compared to 125-130psi on the other cylinders) and isn't firing. It might be a bad valve, a bad head gasket (but no signs of oil in coolant or vice versa), or a bad piston. Borescope inspection of the cylinder through the spark plug hole shows moderate carbon buildup, but no obvious piston damage. Starts and runs (badly, as you'd expect with only three cylinders).

Valve seems fairly likely—it's making a bad-valve kind of sound—but I don't have the time/money to fix it or have it fixed. My loss is your gain.

I'm hoping to sell it to someone who either wants to rebuild it, or use the parts to keep another R53 running. I'd prefer not to junk it if I don't have to.

Sorry for the dirt in the pictures. "Snowy winter in Pennsylvania" is a rough time to take photos of a car.

What You Get

• The car
• The Bentley manual
• Belt tensioner tool
• Off-brand BMW/Mini airbag code reader tool
• Stock head unit plus new JVC KD-R690S with steering wheel controls adapter (currently installed)
• A spare coil pack and set of spark plug wires
• Two keys
  • One purchased ~2 years ago, fully functional
  • One as old as the car, remote doesn't work, but still starts the car
• Any other R53-specific supplies I find in my garage or workshop

• Alternator (replaced ~1,500 miles ago).
• Tensioner, crank pulley, front crank seal, idler pulley (replaced ~1,500 miles ago).
• Driver's side door lock actuator (20,000 miles ago).
• Power steering pump (replaced about 25,000 miles ago).
• Steering shaft (replaced after power steering pump).
• Exhaust (Way Motor Works stainless steel catback: https://www.waymotorworks.com/stratm...3-hardtop.html, installed ~2015).
• Everything not listed below works, to the best of my knowledge.

• Dead cylinder (obviously).
• Light rust under the hatch handle (see picture for the representative area; I've been grinding it off and trying to stop it with Paint Over Rust the last two summers, but haven't had much luck).
• Driver's seat is in pretty rough shape.
• Airbag light on (battery cutoff switch).
• Some oil consumption (1 qt/3000 miles or so long term; less since I fixed the front crank seal).