Service history

[viz007]

I seem to see more and more e30s (and other classics) being advertised with partial service history and have always avoided these assuming there is something to hide. What are your opinions on this? Is it unrealistic to expect a full history on a 25+ year old car? What about cars with no history at all present?

[shedrool83]

Most e30 now are owned by enthusiast who carry out servicing and repairs themselves, so finding one with full service history now is a bit of a challenge .

No doubt there will be a few still out there be it a collectors,enthusiast or owner that don't do their own spanner work.Personally service history has never came into it when i buy an e30 . Car condition and how well it drives after a good look is what i go on.

[Steve]

I agree, my E30 goes nowhere near a garage, the service book stamps stopped a long time ago when I pick up some spanners and started doing the work myself.

[Gert_8]

Having an E30 with full service history would be ideal, but as it has been mentioned, most may be missing history for these reasons. A car of this age should always be assessed on it's condition, how it drives, the number of previous owners and the state of its current location/owner.....

Cabriolets are the worst for history details as they tend to change hands more frequently and because they are not used as often as hard-tops, can miss annual services.

[viz007]

Thanks guys, what about cars that look good but have no history at all eg "restored in 2012 but history lost by previous owner". I know you can see the mot history back to 2006 or something but what if you know nothing from before that? MIleage might not be genuine etc.
I suppose it does go down to how it drives and looks, but the dilemma for me whether it is worth spending perhaps a couple of grand getting it up to scratch and whether I'll struggle to sell it in future

[alexdejonghe]

Thanks guys, what about cars that look good but have no history at all eg "restored in 2012 but history lost by previous owner". I know you can see the mot history back to 2006 or something but what if you know nothing from before that? MIleage might not be genuine etc.
I suppose it does go down to how it drives and looks, but the dilemma for me whether it is worth spending perhaps a couple of grand getting it up to scratch and whether I'll struggle to sell it in future

My opinion, if you buy a nice example (or a tatty one & tidy her up) you'll never struggle to attract a suitor and quite probably, at an inflated price owing to increasing scarcity. My E30 for instance, a '93 granite silver 320i cab cost me £1650 back in 2012 (a lot of dosh i thought at the time) and must be worth 6 or 7K now even though the 2-3K odd i've spent on her since has really just been repairing tired motors/gaskets & seals/suspension/clutch etc - i. e with nothing much upgraded. Don't buy an E30 with the mindset of flipping it in a few years, think of it as treating yourself, everytime you park up and walk away from her, only one in the car park. It costs what it costs but unless you invest awfully at the outset or fail to maintain the car properly your money is safe.

[ChrisHC]

I really do not think the service history is very important with a car of this age, what matters is the current condition, and of course the state of the body is more important than the mechanical stuff, so as long as it drives OK and the engine does not smoke or knock, just worry about the body, particularly hidden rust.

[Satan]

Service bools get lost along the way, especially convertibles because as the older they get they change hands every year or two.

[Brianmoooore]

Much more interested in MOT history than service history. You can get a good idea of the type of previous owner from this. E.g. Failed on blown bulb(s) or worn tyre = owner stupid. Same advisory repeated in successive years = Shoestring owner, or doesn't give a s**t, and so on.