Earliest E30 Memory??

[KW355]

My first e30 memory of note was buying my first one from bca Measham. It was one of the last 323is REG c189 hoe iirc.
It was about 3 years old at the time. It had ew,esr and a dogleg box. Black with dark cloth sports seats.
It was leagues ahead of the fast ford's which I had up till then.

[Mitchen]

The walk home from Primary school, 1998 ish.

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

[Mr-Lachs]

My first e30 memory of note was buying my first one from bca Measham. It was one of the last 323is REG c189 hoe iirc.
It was about 3 years old at the time. It had ew,esr and a dogleg box. Black with dark cloth sports seats.
It was leagues ahead of the fast ford's which I had up till then.

Now that sounded like a gorgeous car!! Always wondered how the 323i performed in comparison to a 325i. I agree though I've had loads of period Fords and they just don't compare at all on any level.

[hennabm]

I remember seeing them in the local showroom when launched in 83. But my own was when I found my 323i at the dealer in 1987 when it was 4 years old.
It has been part of my life ever since.

[bab-91]

The walk home from Primary school, 1998 ish.

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

You're the second Zoner to say that! I'll assume it's a compliment because I'm wise and sensible beyond my years... not because I'm very life weary and bitter!


I'm 24.

[steve_k]

The walk home from Primary school, 1998 ish.

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

born on a leap year? & looks old for his age???

[KW355]

My first e30 memory of note was buying my first one from bca Measham. It was one of the last 323is REG c189 hoe iirc.
It was about 3 years old at the time. It had ew,esr and a dogleg box. Black with dark cloth sports seats.
It was leagues ahead of the fast ford's which I had up till then.

Now that sounded like a gorgeous car!! Always wondered how the 323i performed in comparison to a 325i. I agree though I've had loads of period Fords and they just don't compare at all on any level.

I think the 323i with the dogleg box was on par with a 325i for acceleration, I collected the 323i (my 1st BMW ) with my cousin, he drove my Escort RS turbo home, we had a drag race up the m42, the 323i was much quicker (up to 70 mph of course )
The build quality was so far ahead of any thing else I had drove up till then.
I have had 2 323i's a tech 1 325 sport, 2 Alpina C1 2.3's, an Alpina C2 2.5 (323i based ) and an Alpina C2 2.7
I must have owned about 40 Bmw's over the years, the e30's started a lifelong BMW addiction.
I have never owned a Mercedes or Audi and I probably never will !

[capri_rob]

When i was at school my mates step dad had a D plate 325i moredoor - this would have been about 1988 - it was garaged with a customer cover over it even then when it would only have been a year or two old.
Then my cousin had a G plate white 318i 2 door as a company car from brand new that was very nice at the time i think this was the first E30 i went in.
In 1994 i worked at a Ford dealer in the office of the bodyshop and drove a 320i that had been in a bump - i think this was the first one i actually drove, then in 1995 i changed jobs to a small comany where both the directors were BMW nuts, the owner had an '88 735i and the MD had a '90 535i Sport - they suggested i look at an E30 rather than the mainstream stuff id had up to then and shortly after i sold my Cavalier SRi and bought an '85 320i 2 door in white a˜Ža˜Ž

[BHadley]

Prob around early to mid nineties, Max power magazine did a project xs e30... Seemed cool at the time, and the East 17 blue wide body cabby at the time too...

Late nineties (I was in my teens) looking at e30s in decent car garages with my dad...

Remember the 318i lux almost gracing the driveway, but not so..... He got a rover 620, did know what he missed there!

I'm on my second e30 and nothing else drives better I reckon what ever engines in it

[Mr-Lachs]

I remember seeing them in the local showroom when launched in 83. But my own was when I found my 323i at the dealer in 1987 when it was 4 years old.
It has been part of my life ever since.

Absolutely superb!!! And I see you are just across the water in Edinburgh (Fife here) be great to catch up and see the car one day!!

[Mr-Lachs]

My first e30 memory of note was buying my first one from bca Measham. It was one of the last 323is REG c189 hoe iirc.
It was about 3 years old at the time. It had ew,esr and a dogleg box. Black with dark cloth sports seats.
It was leagues ahead of the fast ford's which I had up till then.

Now that sounded like a gorgeous car!! Always wondered how the 323i performed in comparison to a 325i. I agree though I've had loads of period Fords and they just don't compare at all on any level.

I think the 323i with the dogleg box was on par with a 325i for acceleration, I collected the 323i (my 1st BMW ) with my cousin, he drove my Escort RS turbo home, we had a drag race up the m42, the 323i was much quicker (up to 70 mph of course )
The build quality was so far ahead of any thing else I had drove up till then.
I have had 2 323i's a tech 1 325 sport, 2 Alpina C1 2.3's, an Alpina C2 2.5 (323i based ) and an Alpina C2 2.7
I must have owned about 40 Bmw's over the years, the e30's started a lifelong BMW addiction.
I have never owned a Mercedes or Audi and I probably never will !

Fantastic! It sounds like BMW's are now certainly running right through your veins!! A fine selection there. I've had more Mercedes to BMW's I'd say about 12 vs 11, but the E30 will always be my favourite all time car.

[Mr-Lachs]

When i was at school my mates step dad had a D plate 325i moredoor - this would have been about 1988 - it was garaged with a customer cover over it even then when it would only have been a year or two old.
Then my cousin had a G plate white 318i 2 door as a company car from brand new that was very nice at the time i think this was the first E30 i went in.
In 1994 i worked at a Ford dealer in the office of the bodyshop and drove a 320i that had been in a bump - i think this was the first one i actually drove, then in 1995 i changed jobs to a small comany where both the directors were BMW nuts, the owner had an '88 735i and the MD had a '90 535i Sport - they suggested i look at an E30 rather than the mainstream stuff id had up to then and shortly after i sold my Cavalier SRi and bought an '85 320i 2 door in white a˜Ža˜Ž

Fantastic mate and you've never looked back since eh, some great memories there! I wonder what happened to them all be great to see if any still survive! I bet you noticed a quality jump from the Fords that you worked on!!

[Mr-Lachs]

Prob around early to mid nineties, Max power magazine did a project xs e30... Seemed cool at the time, and the East 17 blue wide body cabby at the time too...

Late nineties (I was in my teens) looking at e30s in decent car garages with my dad...

Remember the 318i lux almost gracing the driveway, but not so..... He got a rover 620, did know what he missed there!

I'm on my second e30 and nothing else drives better I reckon what ever engines in it

Superb! I think I can recall those in actual fact!!! You must have been gutted at the 620 arrival (as nice a car as they were) just not an E30 !!

[brettski]

My Dad's boss had a brand new 323i in Black reg A53KRE i was seven and i just loved it straight away. It was a screen printing company and the boss gave me a design of a picture of an Alpina which i still have.

[bab-91]

The walk home from Primary school, 1998 ish.

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

born on a leap year? & looks old for his age???

Bab aka Babyface, I think it's safe to say that I don't look aged.


I'm just an old grumpy coont beneath the surface.

[mark_i]

earliest e30 memory?
1989, cirrus blue 4-door 320i... Bowie and China Girl on radio...

[steve_k]

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

born on a leap year? & looks old for his age???

Bab aka Babyface, I think it's safe to say that I don't look aged.


I'm just an old grumpy coont beneath the surface.

"malc" in the making??

[Mr-Lachs]

My Dad's boss had a brand new 323i in Black reg A53KRE i was seven and i just loved it straight away. It was a screen printing company and the boss gave me a design of a picture of an Alpina which i still have.

Fantastic, that sounded a lovely car and thats awesome that you still have your design picture - a constant reminder of that time and that car Excellent

[Mr-Lachs]

Jaysus, how old are you babs? All this time I thought you were in your 30-40's

born on a leap year? & looks old for his age???

I'm just an old grumpy coont beneath the surface.

[Mr-Lachs]

earliest e30 memory?
1989, cirrus blue 4-door 320i... Bowie and China Girl on radio...

Now thats an awesome memory!! Was so sad to hear about David Bowie today, RIP

[m3dtm]

That was a long time ago and it actually started with the E21.

In the area I grew up in, there were two brothers who thought they were Bruce Lee. As I was a little younger I had nothing to fear and they were both driving a very nice E21 323i with lowered suspension (giving this excessive negative camber at the rear) and nice Alpina 15 inch wheels. Back then that was a very special and sporty looking wheel and 15 inch was rather large.

Whenever they left their home I quickly got out to listen to the lovey sound of the straight 6! Years later the older of the two brothers bought a very nice Diamant Black E30 M-tech1.

Anyway, I really loved BMWs. To me they were the car to have if you can't afford a Porsche or Ferrari.
So sometime in 1983/84 there was this Dutch car magazine that had a new bright red BMW E30 on the cover splashing through the water. Naturally, I bought the issue and this was the first car magazine I ever bought myself (nowadays I have over 7,000 car magazines with Evo being my favourite).

My dad worked for a large company (like Sainsbury's) with their own workshop and one of the mechanics working there always had BMWs. I remember him visiting my farther in a Diamant Black 635 CSI, and at one time he showed up in a Diamant Black 325i with leather seats, sunroof, the whole lot.
Unfortunately, me being a student I couldn't afford a car like that, but I knew one day I would one either a Diamant Black 635 CSI or a Diamant Black 325i.

Some time later when I started my first job I simply ran to the local BMW dealer to buy an E30. They had a very nice 318is I could afford, but although I had nothing to trade in, they still didn't want to work out a deal. So I went to a BMW dealer in the next city and they had a very nice 2 door 320i for about the same price. They did make me a deal and I had my first E30. I wish I had never sold it when I got my first company car. But as I also had by then bought a Sierra Cosworth RS and a BMW M3, I just couldn't hold on to the 320i.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of my first E30 (I used it as a company car and the world was less digital back then), but I do have a picture of my Cossie.





John

PS. You might have guessed I particularly like Diamant Black. Funnily enough I never had a nice 2 door (something else I prefer for my E30) E30 in Diamant Black. Come to think of it I only had a 320i Touring in Diamant Black.

[m3dtm]

You might have seen my M3 from my newbie topic...



Loved that car and later sold the Cosworth as it simply wasn't as quick and good to drive as the M3.

Giving passenger rides as well at a local track.









John

[ross_jsy]

My first real memory of noticing e30's was 7 or 8 years ago. Walked into my friends workshop and there was his Sport and I fell in love.

Much hassling and a few months later I bought it

[csl]

" Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of my first E30 (I used it as a company car and the world was less digital back then), but I do have a picture of my Cossie. "


They are great pics of the Cosworth!

What year did you buy it m3dtm??

[87mtech27]

My earliest memory is of 2 E30s when I was 4-5 years old in around 93-94. One was a 323i which belonged to my uncle and was garaged at my house everyday.






They went on to buy another 323i in henna red then a '86 325i in zinno red which was written off in 2001.

The other which i remember from 93-94 was my neighbour's white preface lift with full tech 1 kit and MK motorsport looking wheels with full red leather interior. It had 3.5 M30 engine swap done by some firm in Birmingham.

This pretty much sums up The neighbours car and maybe why I hanker over M30 conversions.

In the area I grew up in, there were two brothers who thought they were Bruce Lee. Back then that was a very special and sporty looking wheel and 15 inch was rather large.

Whenever they left their home I quickly got out to listen to the lovey sound of the straight 6!

This car known as 335i, is a block legend to this day despite being written off around 1999-2000, older folks in my town still have many tales to tell of this particular car and just how fast it was even compared to other E30s although the owner's brother has mentioned his 2.7 was faster without the weight and braking issues. These neighbours had many E30s and other BMWs to include E24s and E28s.

E30 was very common and popular car in my town right until 2000s by which time the older folks finally moved onto new cars but by then the youngsters had caught the E30 bug and it is a very common and guaranteed daily sighting.

[Mr-Lachs]

M3dtm: thank you for sharing that and for the great photos! I can see why you love e30s with memories like that, great that you got your 320i back then in the end. Your Cossie looked a cracker but your current M3 looks outstanding !!!

[Mr-Lachs]

My earliest memory is of 2 E30s when I was 4-5 years old in around 93-94. One was a 323i which belonged to my uncle and was garaged at my house everyday.






They went on to buy another 323i in henna red then a '86 325i in zinno red which was written off in 2001.

The other which i remember from 93-94 was my neighbour's white preface lift with full tech 1 kit and MK motorsport looking wheels with full red leather interior. It had 3.5 M30 engine swap done by some firm in Birmingham.

This pretty much sums up The neighbours car and maybe why I hanker over M30 conversions.

In the area I grew up in, there were two brothers who thought they were Bruce Lee. Back then that was a very special and sporty looking wheel and 15 inch was rather large.

Whenever they left their home I quickly got out to listen to the lovey sound of the straight 6!

This car known as 335i, is a block legend to this day despite being written off around 1999-2000, older folks in my town still have many tales to tell of this particular car and just how fast it was even compared to other E30s although the owner's brother has mentioned his 2.7 was faster without the weight and braking issues. These neighbours had many E30s and other BMWs to include E24s and E28s.

E30 was very common and popular car in my town right until 2000s by which time the older folks finally moved onto new cars but by then the youngsters had caught the E30 bug and it is a very common and guaranteed daily sighting.

Superb! Much appreciated for that ! It's no wonder your into your e30s!! The car in the photos was gorgeous the block legend. 335i sounded like some epic machine, I've had a 535i E34 and it was an excellent machine !!!

[Mr-Lachs]

My first real memory of noticing e30's was 7 or 8 years ago. Walked into my friends workshop and there was his Sport and I fell in love.

Much hassling and a few months later I bought it

Excellent !!! It's always nice to own the actual example you fell in love with !!

[m3dtm]

" ... but I do have a picture of my Cossie. "

They are great pics of the Cosworth!

What year did you buy it m3dtm??

That was in the 90's, 95-96 till 97-98. Had a lot of fun with that car and had it returned to "fase 0" as originally intended by Cosworth. So 250 hp and 365 Nm up from 204 hp and 276 Nm.

Picture was taken at Mas du Clos, a private circuit in France from Pierre Bardinon, with me being the only no Ferrari at a FOC UK day. On the straights I could keep up with everything up to a Ferrari 355, only the F40 was too quick.

Happy memories.

John

[Mr-Lachs]

[/quote] On the straights I could keep up with everything up to a Ferrari 355, only the F40 was too quick. [/quote]

Superb!!!!

[csl]

" ... but I do have a picture of my Cossie. "

They are great pics of the Cosworth!

What year did you buy it m3dtm??

That was in the 90's, 95-96 till 97-98. Had a lot of fun with that car and had it returned to "fase 0" as originally intended by Cosworth. So 250 hp and 365 Nm up from 204 hp and 276 Nm.

Picture was taken at Mas du Clos, a private circuit in France from Pierre Bardinon, with me being the only no Ferrari at a FOC UK day. On the straights I could keep up with everything up to a Ferrari 355, only the F40 was too quick.

Happy memories.

John

I have a soft spot for them. Nice cars John.

[darkchild]

I can't say I paid them much attention to them in my youth. Back then my Dad always had Fords so I spent many happy hours speccing XR3i's and Granada Scorpios from the Ford brochure.

The first time I remember really noticing them was when on holiday in Negril, Jamaica. The hotel owner had a Laguna Green 325i. Pointless as the roads over there back them mean't you could barely drive quicker than 30mph. Potholes galore. It was a Laguna Green 325i and sounded epic.

Bought my first one back in 2001, an Alpine Weiss 316i. Poverty spec, steels, no sunroof but felt like a Rolls Royce after driving a Peugeot 205. Only done 6000 miles in it but it was probably my favourite ever car. Traded it in for an E36 a year later. That was a better car in every way but I loved the E30. Sadly its long been scrapped now.

[jonathanyeah]

1998, I was 19, my third car after two 1.3 Astras (1st one went into a tree, 2nd one engine blew up).

1986 D-reg, 318, lowered on springs, 17 inch TSW Hockenheims and a big sub in the boot, I think paid 900 quid for it. The insurance on it was about a grand TPFT.

I had it about a year before I decided to go to uni. It had a very hard life in that year and wasnt in a great state when I sold it on.

Got into motorbikes after uni and didn't actually own another car until I bought my 325i earlier this year, dream come true!

[Mr-Lachs]

I can't say I paid them much attention to them in my youth. Back then my Dad always had Fords so I spent many happy hours speccing XR3i's and Granada Scorpios from the Ford brochure.

The first time I remember really noticing them was when on holiday in Negril, Jamaica. The hotel owner had a Laguna Green 325i. Pointless as the roads over there back them mean't you could barely drive quicker than 30mph. Potholes galore. It was a Laguna Green 325i and sounded epic.

Bought my first one back in 2001, an Alpine Weiss 316i. Poverty spec, steels, no sunroof but felt like a Rolls Royce after driving a Peugeot 205. Only done 6000 miles in it but it was probably my favourite ever car. Traded it in for an E36 a year later. That was a better car in every way but I loved the E30. Sadly its long been scrapped now.

Superb!! Know what you mean about the roads in Jamaica, we were there in 91 and they were like craters!! Dad sold his e30 to buy a brand new e36, and even after about 10 miles like you while acknowledged it was a better car he didn't like it half as much really!!!

[Mr-Lachs]

1998, I was 19, my third car after two 1.3 Astras (1st one went into a tree, 2nd one engine blew up).

1986 D-reg, 318, lowered on springs, 17 inch TSW Hockenheims and a big sub in the boot, I think paid 900 quid for it. The insurance on it was about a grand TPFT.

I had it about a year before I decided to go to uni. It had a very hard life in that year and wasnt in a great state when I sold it on.

Got into motorbikes after uni and didn't actually own another car until I bought my 325i earlier this year, dream come true!

Superb, many thanks for sharing the photo the car looked great and you look a proud man beside it!! You like me realised the dream and bought a 325i this year- it was worth the wait!! hope you enjoy yours.