Where have they all gone!?

[Joshy]

Is it just me, or is there a distinct lack of e30s on the market?

Ebay brings up a grand total of 3 316i Tourings, all 125+ miles away and not a single one looks good enough for me to even justify the train fare to get there. I know that I'm being fairly selective with what I'm after, but even looking for other models the search results seem to be absolutely flooded with e36s.

Is this it? Has the e30 finally plateaued as a cheap run about to be used and abused, and will now move towards becoming a 'proper' classic for whatever cars are left?

I always thought that e30s were sold in high numbers, which leads me to wonder where have they all gone? Surely they can't have all been fragged, at least not yet!?

Discuss. (and if you don't feel like discussing, go find me a Touring instead ).

Josh

[ah]

Ill take it you've looked on the zones for sale forum,

[Simon13]

We hit this stage a while ago, the zone is responsible for a big preportion of cars fragged I've fragged 4 on my own in the past 3 years

Put it this way more have been broken than saved thats for sure. We need the numbers to half again and we might start to get somewhere for the cars value if demand for them stays at a good level.

I reckon most of the rusty sh!te hanging onto MOT's each year have gone. Good cars are being sold to each other now as thats easier than finding your own through other routes

Even 325i tourings have really thinned out, there we bloody loads on ebay 2 years ago

[325isporttech1]

A lot of e30's seem to be getting broken for bits at the mo as the rust gets uneconomical to repair and the fact a lot of people are skint at the minute

[nickso]

they seem to be getting less and less available.

my local scrappy used to have almost one new e30 a week come in. since november last year they have had one 318 touring in.

[oguz327]

There are still loads about, maybe people are just hanging on to them.

[Jon_Bmw]

Waiting till they have had the logbook for a year more like...

[EThreezero]

Waiting till they have had the logbook for a year more like...

I was thinking along the same lines as you, check the numbers this time next year...

[Nay]

I think the UKs scrappage scheme has claimed a fair amount. Also people who have good ones are probably realising these are becoming classics and may be holding onto them.

[Morat]

I think NayC may be a bit optimistic there. Apart from the M3... its just an old beemer.
I wonder if an FOI request would show up the numbers and types of cars being scrapped under the scrappage scheme?

[Joshy]

I think NayC may be a bit optimistic there. Apart from the M3... its just an old beemer.
I wonder if an FOI request would show up the numbers and types of cars being scrapped under the scrappage scheme?

I disagree with the 'Just an old beemer' part.

It is more than just another hasbeen, it is a enduring symbol of the 80s, and that's what makes me think that any e30 in good nick will be worth something in a few years. What exactly is an e21 a symbol of? Likewise can you see the e36 gathering such enthusiasm for the entire model range, not just the select few M-Badged Halo cars?

[Ollie_bwoii]

What are you talking about there is plenty of 316i tourings! You just can't be looking hard enough! Or you are rejecting the because of stupid things like they have rusty arches / are too far away / are not the right colour / Have a thread bare interior etc......... Even risty sills etc... Are not too difficult to fix!

Where are you looking?

[djk]

I had a general nose on ebay today for the first time in months - there seemed to be a lot less for sale in general than I'm used to - not just talking about e30s, or even cars. I wonder if ebay is reaping what it has sown in the continually stupid revisions they have made over the last few years. There are loads of e30s for sale at the moment though, just look in the section on here - it's been seriously busy in the last few months, and that's just tight-fisted zoners . The tide of one owner cars has dried up though I reckon, probably due to the rock bottom scrappage deals on 'old person' cars, korean stuff and the like.

[Simon13]

What are you talking about there is plenty of 316i tourings! You just can't be looking hard enough! Or you are rejecting the because of stupid things like they have rusty arches / are too far away / are not the right colour / Have a thread bare interior etc......... Even risty sills etc... Are not too difficult to fix!

Where are you looking?

316 tourings only came about in 92, they stopped production in early 94, so in fairness there weren't many built, and these dates mean E36 production was in full swing

[Ollie_bwoii]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-316-I_W0QQite ... 286.c0.m14

That seems alright!

[Simon13]

go and buy it then

[Ollie_bwoii]

I meant for Joshy, since he was looking for one!

I see what you mean Simon that they had a short production run!

[Joshy]

What are you talking about there is plenty of 316i tourings! You just can't be looking hard enough! Or you are rejecting the because of stupid things like they have rusty arches / are too far away / are not the right colour / Have a thread bare interior etc......... Even risty sills etc... Are not too difficult to fix!

Where are you looking?

Ebay
Auto Trader
Pistonheads
Car and classic
GumTree (shudder)
Here (obviously)
And a few other forums where they could possibly turn up, still nothing that interests me even slightly.

I am being a little picky, but I do understand that they aren't exactly on every street corner, so I'm perfectly willing to compromise for the right car.

Problem is, some take it a bit too far. There one of Auto trader, local, but it's white, bog standard spec (Bottlecaps, shudder), has a roofrack + he is selling it to get a Van, so I bet my left bollock it's been used for hauling heavy shite. On top of it, it is a grand. If the car was Black/Green/Laser blue, I'd consider it, if it had some interesting toys, I'd consider it, if it was in exactly the same condition, but £500 cheaper, I'd consider it.

[Ollie_bwoii]

Do you have a local car auctions? Local paper? Sometime E30's show up here and there!

And that work horse touring you mentioned is seriously overpriced imo if its tatty!

[djk]

No 316i touring is worth a grand at the moment, regardless of spec, unless it's one of those holy grail, 1-owner, fsh, no rust ones, and even then it has to be a lux in lazurblau or sterlingsilber. Most of the ones I've seen have been dogs - they've been cheap, practical transport for too long.

[jamie325isport]

So true good ones are hard to find but this was the case a couple of years and maybe even longer than that. There was alot of 'at first glance and in photos' cars kicking about. Between me and a friend of mine we have 9 E30's but 6 of them are merely just for parts for the good 3. I suppose most of them have gone because there unecconomical to repair for most of the everyday Joes. The E30's need more Heros!!

It all seems a bit MK1, MK2 escort all over again............

[djk]

So true good ones are hard to find but this was the case a couple of years and maybe even longer than that. There was alot of 'at first glance and in photos' cars kicking about. Between me and a friend of mine we have 9 E30's but 6 of them are merely just for parts for the good 3. I suppose most of them have gone because there unecconomical to repair for most of the everyday Joes. The E30's need more Heros!!

It all seems a bit MK1, MK2 escort all over again............

Yup, and no bad thing IMO.

[jamie325isport]

So true good ones are hard to find but this was the case a couple of years and maybe even longer than that. There was alot of 'at first glance and in photos' cars kicking about. Between me and a friend of mine we have 9 E30's but 6 of them are merely just for parts for the good 3. I suppose most of them have gone because there unecconomical to repair for most of the everyday Joes. The E30's need more Heros!!

It all seems a bit MK1, MK2 escort all over again............

Yup, and no bad thing IMO.

Im not complaining

[Joshy]

Do you have a local car auctions? Local paper? Sometime E30's show up here and there!

And that work horse touring you mentioned is seriously overpriced imo if its tatty!

The quality of cars going through my local auctions are dire! I have been checking, but nothing remotely interesting of any make (unless I decide I want an automatic Subaru Legacy!)

Thanks for the previous ebay link, although at £650 with no reserve met, I fear that they are after silly money too!

Here's the workhorse one:

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/ww ... egLetter=L

It's nice in an unmolested way, but I can't justify paying over the odds for something that I'm going to ruin with council tat and an engine that doesn't belong!

Seriously considering biting the bullet, changing insurance companies and getting an MX5 I've got my eye on. The weird thing is that I think I'd actually prefer the Touring though...

Why oh why didn't I keep my £140 touring!!!