E30 Zone

I bought my sport about 3-4 months ago, it'd been standing for the best part of 4 years. 99000 miles on the clock. I knew then it needed work-jus didn't think it would be that much. The more i poked around the car, the more work i found, some cowboy has had hold of this and made a right meal of some things. I paid £500 for the car, £110 for new discs and pads, £50 for a rear trailing arm, fitted a new boot (the other 1 was rotten) so it currently owes me around £675. Here's some pics..



Then i cleaned it and fitted a boot.



Here's a list of what needs doing...
x4 tires 205-55-15
Clutch kit
Change rear arm (bearings and bushes might need doing to)
Welding (nothing to major, jus a patch by the bulkhead-drivers side)
Cambelt
Engine oil, filter, gear box oil, and diff oil?
Needs to go on diagnostics (doesn't run right 40% of the time, hits 3 grand then dies, then it'll come alive and run like a watch?)
Might need a new exhaust?
M.O.T
After all that, i'm planning on using it as my everyday car, but it'll still need..
Bodywork and paint
Sunroof seal
Alarm/immobilser
1 of these

Now to the point of this post.

Shall i cut my losses, try and sell it, put the money together and buy a half decent road going E30?

Or spend about £1500 getting the car fixed and roadworthy?

It'll have to go in a garage (i haven't got the time and with mates like mine (you know who you are) i'll still be waiting next xmas for help)
I know what this car is capable of, it fookin flies! I've wanted 1 since i was a teenager, but if i spend my cash on the car, I know i'll never make it back. Sorry to rant, but i need an opinion off somebody who knows what there talking about, Is it really worth what i'm going to have to spend? As always any feedback will be appreciated. Cheers zoners.

keep going at it mate they aren't major major jobs they are a joy to own daily especially a good sorted sport, are you sure the clutch has gone and it's not a master or slave cylinder or fluid?

unless it's a proper nail you can't go wrong with a tech 2 bought for £500

Have you checked for rust under the bodykit? that would be the deciding factor for me

Yep, Keep going, If you come to an end and the bill including the car is under 2-2ak then you have done well and will be able to enjoy it for year's....

So are your list of big tasks anything that you wouldn't have to do on any other car you purchased that had done 99k and was 20 years old?











No, get on with it man!

Bob_S wrote:keep going at it mate they aren't major major jobs they are a joy to own daily especially a good sorted sport, are you sure the clutch has gone and it's not a master or slave cylinder or fluid?

Last time i took it out, i went to pull off like a loon and the clutch slipped like a bitch, its nearly done 100,000, so i thought best get it done, i really do love this car, its sooo much fun, everytime i drive it i grin like a silly schoolboy with his 1st porn mag. Its just the issue i got with spending so much cash on it, when i'm looking around and i can see mint road going E30's for less than the expected garage bill. I know at the end of the day its my decision, i jus need to hear (or in this case) read the right words to help me make up my mind.

500quid for a tech 2 get on with it mate

you cant lose at all make it a proper motor

£500 for a genuine sport? if it is a genuine sport then itll be worth more than that when youve fixed it up. if its not a sport then itll be worth a grand fixed up.
thats not going to cost you £1500 to put right if your doing most of it yourself.

Simon13 wrote:unless it's a proper nail you can't go wrong with a tech 2 bought for £500

Have you checked for rust under the bodykit? that would be the deciding factor for me

Lol! It aint that bad, all the underneath has been undersealed, the only real rust issue is below the rear number plate and a few bubbly patches here and there.

spend the time and money to get it back on the road. The work you need to get it running is not that bad.

No i mean taking the bodkykit off especially the side pods and skirts. Can hide some real horrors

treat the rust NOW, once it starts they can rust quick.

Where are you anyway? We've good zone support for each other in surrey!

it aint bad round this way either si!
That car looks like it's worthwhile sorting from here it looks straight and solid as far as I can see get your hands dirty mate.

nice lookin motor matey. Ya gotta stick with it tho. Since when don t you lose money on these old girls? + rwd rules the roast

Keep going with it!! It looks well worth saving

Near Swansea, South Wales. There's not many E30's down this way, sports are even rarer. My minds made up now, its going in the garage next monday, its gotta be on the road within 2 weeks. It is a genuine sport, so going by the feedback i cant lose really. Cheers zoners, just what i needed to hear.

keep it and do the work, it will be more satisfying when its done, at least you know what needs doing

SAVE ANOTHER SPORT

Well all I can say is go and look at all 11 pages of "Beardymats" sport, on page 16 of the photo gallery forum.

A good service should eliminate the 3k hesitancy. No jobs there that look too scarey. Get the kit off and give the body work a real going over.

There's easily £1500 of parts if it comes to being broken.

its worth doing for a genuine sport. £500 was a very low price to buy it so youll still make a profit at the end

definatly a keeper mate..!!

i wish i found a genuine sport for £500 the body kit alone is worth that

town325i wrote:i wish i found a genuine sport for £500 the body kit alone is worth that

I'd frag it and find a better one with the money. Not being funny, the words "the only real rust issue is below the rear number plate and a few bubbly patches here and there" ring alarm bells especially on a genuine sport. How many "good" shells have we seen where the scuttles sound and the rear arches are good but strip the boot trims out and the inners arches are waiting for the welder and take the carpets out and the front jacking points are missing.

As Si says, take the kit off, it's a 5 minute job and a few quid for the clips to put it back on. Take the boot trims out and if it's all sound, happy days. I somehow think it'll be frilly looking at the photos.

Broken for parts you have £250 for the diff, £200 for the Tech 2 kit, the gearbox, what sounds like a strong 2.5, the interior, the headlining, the 5 bbs plus any other trinkets the sport or the car may have. Done right it should fetch good money.

S.O.S ( Save Our Sports ), keep it, do the work needed and get yourself a nice sport for under 2g. Happy days!

Keep us posted