E30 Zone

For me it was the car I always wanted as a kid. I spoke to someone on here a week or two ago who answered this question with, 'I liked BBS alloys' !! - That made me laugh.

So I was just wondering what drew you lot to like/drive E30's?

a free one

;)

A curse.
Possibly a broken mirrior.

When i was a nipper a 325 sport was one of the first quick cars i went in, others were the Astra GTE 16v and a 1.9 205 GTi got a soft spot for them as well.

pac1982 wrote:When i was a nipper a 325 sport was one of the first quick cars i went in, others were the Astra GTE 16v and a 1.9 205 GTi got a soft spot for them as well.

Im with you on that, had many GTE 16v's not as keen on the pugs though.
GTE 16v was deffo the quickest 80s hot hatch.( yes quicker than a 325 )

4 year bmw apprenticeship

the increased cost of mk1 and mk2 escorts drove me out of them and into the next cheap RWD plaything
i used to buy 2 door mk2 escorts for £50 from the breakers just for parts, then scrap what i didn't need... if only i had them all kicking about still.
i guess when E30's reach 'proper' classic status, i'll move on again but there's not a lot out there to replace them for light RWD cheap and practical fun

Dad had a C reg 316 from brand new, black 2dr. It was the only car he ever owned that I thought was cool. Wanted one ever since.

I couldn't find a decent E34 touring.

Saw a black tech1 sport when i was a youngster and thought "thats the car i want!".

The way they look still doesnt dissapoint and neither does the way they drive!!

My dad.

Had an E30 Convertible when I was young. Gorgeous car.

Then bought the M3 a few years later.

i repaired mine as a job for someone, it came into work with a smashed sump, bent valence and smashed fog light. after repairing it i went for a test drive as i wasnt sure about the enging as it had dumped its oil from the crash but the engine wasnt turned off straight away. on the test run i fell i love with it big time. told the own when he came in to collect and he said i can buy her so i went bank straight away and settled up there and then

my granny got one when i was about 10, evrytime i saw her i asked if i could have it when shes sells it. 12 years later i bought it for a bunch of flowers and fish and chips dinner

dey were wel gansta bak in da day init blood!

SUMPCRACKER wrote:

pac1982 wrote:When i was a nipper a 325 sport was one of the first quick cars i went in, others were the Astra GTE 16v and a 1.9 205 GTi got a soft spot for them as well.

Im with you on that, had many GTE 16v's not as keen on the pugs though.
GTE 16v was deffo the quickest 80s hot hatch.( yes quicker than a 325 )

I had a 16v GTE - point to point is was the quickest car I have owned. It torque steered like a pig and would wheelspin in 3rd gear in the dry. It was also horrible to drive and the ride was terrible thanks to a Spax kit. I only had it a few months before I was sick of it.

Back on topic - My cousin had a G reg 318i as a company car when they were new which I really liked.
A few years later a company I went to work for had an E34 535i sport and 735i as directors cars - both of which I was lucky enough to drive - and the directors suggested that if I like BMW's I should try a 6 cylinder E30.

They commented that if I was going to buy a 4 pot I may as well save my money and buy a Sierra or a Cavalier instead - but a 320i or a 325i were the ones to have.
I agree with this to this day. Sorry 4-pot guys

I bought an '85 320i 2 door in Alpine white with a lowered suspension and 15" BBS and haven't looked back since

My dad had a 1987 325i Chromie for quite a few years, loved it! Very

SUMPCRACKER wrote: GTE 16v was deffo the quickest 80s hot hatch.( yes quicker than a 325 )

Nope,, Renault 5 GT turbo...... a pcs of shit in quality,, but blinding straight performance,,, extremly light and smoked any car i know of

this car was not good after 200 km ...... dangerous imo

Honda prelude 2.0 16 ((85-87 or so )) they were also very quick of the line but on higher speed the 325 took them all ,, yes

all the hot small car who very quick ,, they lost on higher speed

Ive alway had a BMW ever since I was 21 I was looking to replace my E21 and I just happened upon a good one at the right price. It is my first E30 and I intend to keep as long as possible.

A 16v gte is quicker than all of the the above. A R5 only keeps with a valver to about 50mph and pisses a 325 above 100mph, played with all of thease cars when i was a trader - tried and tested the GTE is king.

SUMPCRACKER wrote:A 16v gte is quicker than all of the the above. A R5 only keeps with a valver to about 50mph and pisses a 325 above 100mph, played with all of thease cars when i was a trader - tried and tested the GTE is king.

I was gonna say that myself although a 5 turbo would take a GTE in a short traffic light race

No one had a 309 16v then? Au revior GTE.

Bad times,
Ford had the YB
Vauxhall had the XE and LET.

All othe car makers sh1t themselves.

pac1982 wrote:

SUMPCRACKER wrote:A 16v gte is quicker than all of the the above. A R5 only keeps with a valver to about 50mph and pisses a 325 above 100mph, played with all of thease cars when i was a trader - tried and tested the GTE is king.

I was gonna say that myself although a 5 turbo would take a GTE in a short traffic light race

Only because of the savage wheel spin!!

Jon- I had a 309 gti 8v- i thought it was a better car than the 205

The best MK2 astra was the turbo version they got in Africa think it was called the Opel Kadet GSI Super Boss

12 years ago the sound of the boss's 325i backing up to the roller shutter door at work
Two years later I bought said car off him

Quite possibly in road trim, it was a better car. For track work, you can make the 205 handle as well, but you can never lose that 'extra' weight the 309 carries. I had a 309 1.6 'gti' that is actually badged a gri and that was spritely for what it was.

Sadly the 309 1.9 16v was a frog turd only, but a few came over.

My mistake the turbo version was called the Opel Kadett 200 TS but was a MK3 which had over 200BHP the super boss was just a red top with some hot cams and a bit of fettling

Super boss was a normally asparated 16v tuned with cams and managment ect , it was a homog special to allow them certain mods in racing (like an rs500)
South africa also got a turbo mk3 astra though which was in a saloon shell with 4x4.

The super boss raced against some other special cars we didnt get like the 333i e30

I still rate the 309 gti's over the 205's all good fun though.
While were on french wrongness I must admit I'm quite fond of Renault's williams clio.

for me it was just a natural progression from e21s onto e30s

had my first e21 at 14 and never looked back the love affair with the e30 will never end

As a youth I had a modified mk 2 Escort 1600 and used to get outrun by 6pot e30s. Magazine articles used to rave about e30s and I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd have one, especially as I prefer rwd to fwd.

Saw a black M3 racing down the Addlestone to Weybridge dual carriageway as an impressionable 17 year old in 1988, at the time driving a poxy Fiat 126

As my Triumph Vitesse was heading for imminent awkward repairs, I p/ex'd it for my first E30, a 1984 chromey 320i 4-door in Henna Red, and thought it was the absolute dogs cruising the mean streets of Essex back in the early '90s

I find it interesting the common connection between rwd escorts and E30s, i hope the value follows as well.

I never had a BMW until this one, I bought it with loads of tax and test and then the love affair started.

Im 50 soon ,but could never afford one with the kids, etc but never looked as they were allways too pricey.

Not going back !!! £2000 or what !!!


Mart.