E30 Top Tips

[polsta]

Post up your little e30 top tips

il kick it off with, the best interior vinyl/plastics/dash product ive found to keep in the glove box, is a car plan dash flash shine pad



£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

actualy car plan stuff ive found to be great, the spray can interior valet is good for seats and carpet, and car plan stuff is very cheap at asda, about a third of halfrauds price

[Morat]

Top tips?

Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes,Oil, Coolant, Tyres, Brakes.

[TPS]

Don't you mean Coolant, Brakes, Tyres, Oil?

[Blitz]

Every couple of weeks cleen out the inside of the arches, rear valance and bottom of wings.

[TouringTash]

If you think that at some point in your life money may be tight stay well clear of E30's.





Unless you are, like me blessed with a mental health problem

[e30mtec]

fuel?

[town325i]

A good job for when it breaks the bank with how much it drinks

[Morat]

Don't you mean Coolant, Brakes, Tyres, Oil?

Maybe. I guess it depends on how much oil your car burns/leaks/fritters-gaily-away As long as you stay on top of them all......

[TPS]

Oh yes, just replaced the pressure switch, small & annoying leak, getting that socket up there was a nightmare!

[e30mtec]

fit brembo brake covers..m badges on a 318i..ebay mtec kit sprayed in the garage..17 inch alloys..deck it 80 mm ...5000w sound system..powerflow exhaust..black out all the windows...this is how to get an instant chav ride!!!!!

[Simon13]

don't buy one?

[BEERBOY123]

Seems a shame to me after the OP's useful tip (that I intend to try) that this string has gone 'off topic'.

[TouringTash]

buy two or three and save someone else's sanity

[TouringTash]

remove mud flaps and side trims once a year, clean throughly and cover the area with waxoil, the bodywork not the plastics.

a lump of bluetac on the steering wheel nut along with a bit of rag can cut down on an annoying tapping sound.

use the oem bushes on the back, poly on the front.

keep it standard.

[325isporttech1]

Stick to the 15" BBS alloys and if you dont have them get them instead of those nasty 17" alpina burgerkings that add 2 tonne in weight and wreck the handling.

Also Tyre air pressure is important to keep an eye on as e30's seem to hate having uneven tyre pressure.

[bss325i]

£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

Interior plastics and vinyls are meant to be a matt finish not a shiny glossy finish that looks like you've just had a £10 mini valet by a dodgy hand car wash.

[bss325i]

don't buy one?

Unless you have deep pockets or know what your doing!

[d6dph]

£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

Interior plastics and vinyls are meant to be a matt finish not a shiny glossy finish that looks like you've just had a £10 mini valet by a dodgy hand car wash.

Ding ding ding ding, We have a winner!

Barry is 110% correct, Glossy dash = glare and attracts dust. OE finishes are the way forward here gents. Same goes for tyres. (Zaino z16 is awesome for a clean non glossy tyre)

[Ranchero]

Watch out, E30 gestapo about.


Und zo, vat have ve here?(runs gloved hand across dash). Eine scheinige dashenbord? Nicht gut.
knacken Sie seine Kugeln sofort.

[B15NAC]

i think waxoiling is a must every year i have also painted the black sills and rear sills with black stone chip then a coat of spray black gloss hammerite i find water and road grim doesnt stick to that. I think taking your bootlinning out and waxoil down in the wells and push out the old factory waxoil from the holes it the wells so any water that leeks in runs straight out again.I also think basic servicing like cleaning air filters an changing the engine oil is a must every six months depending on millage,if ive just bought a car i would do coolant brake fluid as first jobs to do. Polish a car every few months with a wax an you should be fine as a wax has no cut in so wont take your paint off a good polish first to get all the dirt that has built up over the the years is what i do also claying a car is very good in removing crap polish dont.

[bmw9818]

dont put your foot down when your coming off a roundabout in 2nd gear

[B15NAC]

yea that to !!!

[shonky]

£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

Interior plastics and vinyls are meant to be a matt finish not a shiny glossy finish that looks like you've just had a £10 mini valet by a dodgy hand car wash.

Hahahaha

Babywipes are great for cleaning the black plastic and dry to a matt finish too!

[polsta]

£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

Interior plastics and vinyls are meant to be a matt finish not a shiny glossy finish that looks like you've just had a £10 mini valet by a dodgy hand car wash.

try it and see how it comes out

[bss325i]

£2 at asda, ive tried all sorts of stuff, a lot of which doesnt really do a good job and can dull stuff or leave smears etc-particularly on the black vinyl parts of an is interior like the door cards, i use car plan spray cleaner once every now n then,and just use this little pad to shine it up,quick and easy to remove dust etc and shines it up brilliantly, and so cheap and small to keep in the door pod or glove box, give it a go

Interior plastics and vinyls are meant to be a matt finish not a shiny glossy finish that looks like you've just had a £10 mini valet by a dodgy hand car wash.

try it and see how it comes out

Well if your saying comes out shiney i dont need and dont want to try it.

[sweep]

These cars are now like old ladies and need treating like them,and need fettling every other weekend if you can do this buy a focus...

[Mungo1337]

These cars are now like old ladies and need treating like them,and need fettling every other weekend

Personally I don't go in for fettling old ladies, but each to his own ...

[Cotty]

Stick to the 15" BBS alloys

Or Hartge 15" if you can find them. Lot easier to clean.

[e30mtec]

i have had my 2nd e30 5 weeks now and already spent over 300 on parts and ive worked on it for at least 8 hours every weekend since ...not to mention the fuel costs....wouldnt have it any other way though....

[octanejunkie]

If you can afford it, don't go for the cheap bits in ECP/GSF, try and buy Lemforder bits.

Don't buy suspension kits from Hottuning.

Remove Mtec skirts and cladding once a year and plaster with Waxoyl.

Buy and keep a spare instrument cluster.

If you need to replace panels, especially the bonnet, buy good condition second hand OE ones. Pattern panels are much thinner, and the bonnets flex terribly. Wings are often a poor fit, costing you more in labour at the bodyshop.

Check and/or replace rear light seals before the rainy season.

Don't go lower than 60mm.

Buy and keep a spare headlight and fog light.

There are many more, but my dinner's ready.....

"Coming....!"

[e30mtec]

enjoy.... ha ha

[Felix79]

i have had my 2nd e30 5 weeks now and already spent over 300 on parts and ive worked on it for at least 8 hours every weekend since ...not to mention the fuel costs....wouldnt have it any other way though....

Ask Simon13 how much his black 2 door has cost him

[e30mtec]

im guessing mine aint got a spot on his ha ha...i wouldnt mind throwin every spare penny at it but its a moredoor...id be quite happy if i had a 325sport or something...i suppose once the 325 lumps in it all will be well....

[TouringTash]

wouldn't use baby wipes as they contain a chemical to balance the PH level out due to babys urine. Wouldn't want to get that near leather over any lengh of time.

[mrLEE30]

convertable drivers with the roof down and windows closed such as on cold or long drives, can lower the rear window on the side the wish the air to blow into the face, i.e. if driving alone i open my side rear window, the wind then blows in my face and not from the rear (i had long hair).

if yer missus has just done her hair then being a gentleman i lower her rear window so she gets the benefit of frontal air!!!

toppest cabby tip ever!