E30 Zone

i like my E30 as it's a fun compromise between performance, style, retro cool, reliability, cheap running costs etc but as they're fast becoming a classic i notice more and more are being tucked up in garages and only taken out on a sunny sunday.

this is in my eyes a waste of a perfectly good practical car, but the only realistic way the realy good examples will still be around in another 20+ years.

so, who still uses their E30 as a daily driver? place your bets....!

yes.

why own something nice then hardly ever use it? seems like a waste to me.

funny how so many people suggest theyre too old / unrefined / uncomfortable for daily use, yet when new were the total opposite. have people really gone that soft in the past 20 years?

no, car comfort has improved. its called development

I would run a E39 auto if it wasn't insurance. And use a E30 for leisure.

Its all about money for me.

Ide have a 330i diesel E46 or something as a daily but cant afford both so the E30 wins.

i dont need a daily and the g/f wouldt have one.

edit, just noticed my sig says the iS is my daily, its the g/f's daily as i drive a van.

Ive run both of mine on a daily basis with no issues atall. The current 325i touring gets used in all weather everyday, even the arctic weather didnt bother it

My old 325i tech1 got used prety much all of last year with no issues either, this was the main reason for selling it as i felt it wasnt fair to carry on using it as a daily especialy through the winter..good hindsite i think but i do miss it plenty

Its also prety easy to get a good 325i to do 30mpg all day long aswell

Mine's an all-weather hack, being my only car, though i've not driven it much recently

If money were no object, i'd like three E30's...a cab, a more door and a tourer. All done up, you understand

Yep mine is my daily driver. I did have it parked up for a few months but that seemed to be doing more harm than good so I'm back in it. Besides public transport sucks at times..

mine is a damn site more uncomfortable that when it was new, but then i did fit coilovers

if i had the money, i'd have a focused E30 track car then maybe a cheap diesel daily, purely to save trackday funds. that may be something odd like a E30 325ix with a diesel lump in though

sihooker wrote:Mine's an all-weather hack

unless it's snowing

S50'd e30 is my daily chariot.. She's filthy atm..

Jhonno wrote:S50'd e30 is my daily chariot.. She's filthy atm..

mine too it should be alpine white but its now 80's beige lol

Jhonno wrote:S50'd e30 is my daily chariot.. She's filthy atm..

good man!

325isporttech1 wrote: Its also prety easy to get a good 325i to do 30mpg all day long aswell

Shame im only getting 18/20mpg in my 320i touring.

Use mine everyday, even in all the heavy snow we had. Of all the cars I have driven over the years (from mini to Countach), this one gives me the most pleasure as an all round package.

Yes I do use my E30 daily, But the winter has taken its toll.
My front valance is really showing its age, and a few of the panels need tidying in areas. Still I am not going to do this whilst the winter is still in full swing.

Mine was when I had it. Now its replacement E34 is the daily to.

Jhonno wrote:S50'd e30 is my daily chariot.. She's filthy atm..

is your e30 ever clean though?

Sanchez wrote:

325isporttech1 wrote: Its also prety easy to get a good 325i to do 30mpg all day long aswell

Shame im only getting 18/20mpg in my 320i touring.

Get a 325i then you dont have to work them as hard to get em going i end up rolling in 4th or 5th most of the time in mine to be fair thow or i just cruise around. if i give it plenty of stick its around what youre getting

gareth wrote:

sihooker wrote:Mine's an all-weather hack

unless it's snowing

Ok, as long as it's not snowing...

My touring is in daily use,doing about 200 miles a week at the moment.
Cabbie is still not yet MoT'ed,but will go into daily use no later than March 1st all being well,as the touring needs work.
Bought the wife a '85 Toyota Starlet last November,saves 'er causing more damage to the proper cars!

I voted yes, but over the year I probably use the motorbike more than the E30, but because its been winter recently the E30 has been the daily driver, especially in the snow.

Come spring/summer I only really intend to use the E30 to tow the bike to circuits and back, or maybe on the odd day that I can't face wearing bike kit in the blazing sun....

The real daily is the E39 as my wife uses that every day all year round.

Nope sorry - my turd did just over 1000 miles between MOT's last Year

E36 Touring is my daily. E30 gets used mainly in the summer usually if the E36 has no fuel in or if I'm going somehwere I havent got to take the mutt with me

Yes, use mine in all weather, admittedly only about 110 miles a week.


She is going into the body shop within the next couple of months ready for a spruce up. And ready for my first lot of E30 gatherings/shows I hope..

yes and no...in the winter i have an old ford cougar but come April 1st the cab is my daily driver for 6 months

town325i wrote:

Jhonno wrote:S50'd e30 is my daily chariot.. She's filthy atm..

is your e30 ever clean though?

Erm.. Very rarely.. It's there to be used, not sponge bathed and tucked back up again..

Mine is my daily. Although I try not to get out every day.. Aha... The only comfort issue I have is I like to rest my right arm when driving on something, the arm/door rest is slightly too low and the window ledge is a little too high... I need that inbetween.

Simple yes ! Cars should be driven !

big yes, drop the mrs to the station, school run shopping full works, then to the shows when season starts.

My Sport was my daily in the 10 months that i owned it - 250+ miles/week
now doing 600+miles so forever dreaming in my 02 306 Van

Before restore yes. Not now as ollie says the winter knocks the shit out of them. I would have nightmares about inner arches and front valances if I took it out in the winter. E46 daily driver.

That's a small avatar, kam325itouring

up until 2 days ago, my moredoor was my daily. I now have an Audi A4 Avant Quattro (TDi) for throwing my bike into and pasting it up and down motorways. I dont worry about warming the audi up like i did with the e30. just jump in and drive.

dont get me wrong, i love my e30s but evolution of cars makes us safer and more efficient

Yep, every day with the roof down if possible

(My dad has stolen my E36 ever since he sold the 5er - git!)