Taking the E30 around Europe

[JBentley95]

Hello zone,

I have an E30 318is 1991 that I have been working over the last year. It has 115k approx on the clock, passed its last MOT no problem (due again next month) and seems to run fine. By the time I take it I will have replaced bushes, suspension, brake lines and front calipers. Im also putting an E46 rack in and have had almost everything apart to do some minor rust repair.

If things go to plan I will have it on the road around early June and will be taking it around Europe starting 22nd August. Its going to be covering 2600 miles in roughly a month. This is my first E30 so I don't know how reliable they are on long journeys. Is there anything specific I should sort out/check over before hand ?

Has anyone done something like this with a similar condition E30 or am I just mad ?? haha
I would really appreciate some advise !
Cheers

[aimlessrock]

not mad at all, sounds like a great idea.

save for the usual remarks about what tools and precaution to take etc, I would invest in a good European breakdown recovery service - AA/RAC etc.

you must to a write up and post lots of pics for us all.

[BenHar]

Take a spare fuel pump.

Ben

[JungleGus]

I took mine to the South of France last year - was an amazing trip. Luckily made it without issue - I would do a few long drives in the UK first as a test run though!

[Brianmoooore]

Done it loads of times, all over Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, with a couple of excursions into Italy and Spain.
Only serious problem ever encountered was a failing fuel pump, which needed the occasional thump to get it going. Take a fuel pump and a crank position sensor and you won't need breakdown insurance.
I was a lot more confident in the reliability of the E30 than the E39 I use for the same purpose now.

[darkchild]

Never done a European jaunt in an E30 but took mine up to Scotland twice in 2013 for an approx 1200 mile round trip. No problem whatsoever for a well maintained one.

George done a good write up on here when he took his 325i round Europe.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=228127

[JBentley95]

Thanks for the responses ! Ill sort out a spare fuel pump and crank position sensor for sure. Ill also get a load of pictures and try keep a little blog. Heres the latest picture of the car to start things off.

Its currently on jack stands now with the rack and struts off...[/img]

[dave525]

Check rubber fuel lines and exhaust hangers etc.They can strand you and are easy to check before you go

[jimbom30cab]

Take a little bit of 22mm copper pipe about 2 inches incase your heater valve blows. You can bypass it then and still keep moving,

[bss325i]

A well maintained unmolested E30 is one of the most reliable cars you can own.

I would have no hesitation driving across Europe in Either of mine.

As said, a spare fuel pump and crank sensor is good insurance plus a spare DME relay although with a couple of spilt pins or suitable wire a faulty one can be bridged.

[Brianmoooore]

Take a little bit of 22mm copper pipe about 2 inches incase your heater valve blows. You can bypass it then and still keep moving,

You'd be better off taking 15mm! 15 mm is slightly too small, but a hose clip will tighten the hose onto it. 22mm is far too big.
Better still is a short length of 15mm tube with a 'Yorkshire' straight coupling soldered to each end, which will be a perfect fit on the hose, and have the raised rings for the clips to sit between.

[maxfield]

I'd happily travel anywhere in an E30, I've to an from Spain in an M3 aswell as a 850i.

Some basic tools, a fuel pump and a crank sensor as said and you won't struggle if the worst was to happen.

Brian, how come you haven't got as much confidence in the E39?

[Brianmoooore]

Brian, how come you haven't got as much confidence in the E39?

A 270k mile auto gearbox, air suspension, nasty black plastic bits in the cooling system, lots more oily and electronic bits to potentially go wrong, and the sheer inaccessibility af most bits without wholesale dismantling.

[maxfield]

Brian, how come you haven't got as much confidence in the E39?

A 270k mile auto gearbox, air suspension, nasty black plastic bits in the cooling system, lots more oily and electronic bits to potentially go wrong, and the sheer inaccessibility af most bits without wholesale dismantling.

Admitted there is more to go wrong but when you look around the E39 it's very well put together.

I'd feel confident in most older BMWs, anything newer and diesel I'd be sceptical, especially with all the dramas I'm having with an E61 530d at the minute.

[ChrisHC]

I read this with interest as I shall be using mine on European events. Is there any difference with pre-Sept 87 models, which I believe used an external fuel pump? Is it worthwhile replacing any of these items in advance of failure?

[Brianmoooore]

The earlier 325i used two crank position sensors mounted in the bell housing, and a pin pressed into the circumference of the flywheel to trigger them.
Sensors can fail, the same as the later crank pulley sensor can, but at least are safe from having their leads savaged by the water pump pulley. The worst failure, unique to these, is that the pin has been known to come adrift at high revs, and after that you aren't going anywhere.

[ChrisHC]

Thanks Brian, what about the fuel pump? And is it worth replacing the pump or heater valve in advance of any failure?

[JBentley95]

The car is getting there, just fitted e46 clubsport steering rack, new control arms and M3 offset bushes. I've refurbed my struts and fitted the bilstein prokit, also testing custom brackets and disks for RX7 caliper conversion...
Next thing I need to do is get it on some wheels and down to the body shop to sort a couple of little rust spots.

[JBentley95]

Trip postponed until next year due to a few issues (Chain tensioner boss blew of the head!! & found some more rust). Don't want to rush getting it on the road...

[steve_k]

Take a little bit of 22mm copper pipe about 2 inches incase your heater valve blows. You can bypass it then and still keep moving,

call me dumb but you explain please jim?? thanks.

[ah]

Have replaced the cam belt.

[Brianmoooore]

Take a little bit of 22mm copper pipe about 2 inches incase your heater valve blows. You can bypass it then and still keep moving,

call me dumb but you explain please jim?? thanks.

There are two rubber hoses to the heater stub pipes on the bulkhead under the bonnet. If the heater assembly springs a leak, then the two hoses can be removed, and joined together with a couple of inches of copper pipe.
You'll struggle with a bit of 22mm copper pipe though, as it's too big. The outside of a 15mm pipe coupler is a perfect size, but too short, so the ideal kit is two 'Yorkshire' solder ring type couplers soldered onto a very short piece of 15mm copper pipe, so that the two couplers are just about touching end to end. The external profile of the ring were the solder was housed provides a perfect grip ring for the hose.

[Brianmoooore]

Have replaced the cam belt.

On an iS ???

[ah]

O yes,didn't read the post propley.