E30 Zone

..... rekindle the feeling for my Cab.
Many of you will know what it went through and as much
as i've tried , i just can't/don't feel the same about it.

Not 100 % sure what course i'm going to be taking with it, partly
because it's one of the first pre face lift Cabs registered in Britain,
and partly because it is also basically a very solid car still.

But..... what to replace it with ? Torn between a 2.8 Z3, or
maybe the 3.0 version, or do i go with a 328i Cab.
My gut feeling is the Z3 even though the 328I would
probably be more practical, but i still have the 316 Touring
that covers that base atm, and if i decide to break the E30, i could transfer all the running gear over to the Touring.
Whatever replacement i decide to go for, it has to be fun to drive
and it has to be a convertible.

So any of you that has owned, or driven for some time,
either versions of the Z3 or the 328i Cab, or better still
what are your verdicts on either.
Talking degrees of easiness to work on, Reliabilty, but
most of all Smileyfaceability.

seems a bit harsh

gooner1 wrote:and partly because it is also basically a very solid car still.and if i decide to break the E30, i could transfer all the running gear over to the Touring.

after all the coinage you've spent....

I'm not in the E36 hating crowd by any means, and I don't have a 328i, but I very much doubt that anything this side of an M3 will have the same Smileyfaceability as your car...

& surely breaking it isn't the way forward? Way too good for that.

magpie wrote:seems a bit harsh

gooner1 wrote:and partly because it is also basically a very solid car still.and if i decide to break the E30, i could transfer all the running gear over to the Touring.

after all the coinage you've spent....

Mick, the money don't come into it and breaking would be the absolute last resort. Mechanically it's spot on but there are
a couple of places , mainly in the Boot area that need cutting out,
rewelding and then respraying. As much as i love driving it,
there comes a point when enough's enough.
Plus whatever i've spent on it was never for the purpose of
making the car an investment Portfolio, it was to increase
my enjoyment of it. Which in the main it did.

Jon, both your posts are probably entirely true, just don,t
think i can face the prospect of having it all stripped down and having more
work carried out on it.

If anything I'd have thought you'd be more attatched to the e30 after all it's been through!?
Stick with the e30, get the work done on it and when it comes to summer you'll get that 'feeling' back.
Any of the cars youve listed as possible upgrades are going to be cars that you'll want to replace fairly soon anyway. The z3 is a great car to drive though imo. never owned one though (and never will unless it was a Mcoupe )

along similar lines as oakey^

since you got your car back the summer was over so i doubt a few runs out are as good as a full season in a cab to get your mojo back into it properly again.

As you see from my sig I had a Z3 coupe with the 3.0, it was a great car, fast and fun and apart from the e30 it really brought a smile to my face, they are quite good to live with with a decent boot but 2 seats are big issue, and if you are tall forget it! I'm 6.1 and was border uncomfortable. For me an e30 or Z3 coupe. My E39 540 is soul less!

Rob, I really appreciate the boat that you are in here, having thrown money at an E30 which came back to me with problems, having spent a fortune

Trouble is, as the guys above had said, we're not really having cabby weather at the moment, so you're not going to get any kind of buzz from this, or any other cabby.

My advice to you would be to hold tight, don't let yourself form some kind of resentment or annoyance with your E30 cabby till we get a decent day for blatting round country lanes next year. Then take her for a spin.

Then see how you feel.

Just don't turn into a Cliffybabe with an annual 'I've fallen out of love with my cabby and it must go' thread

I've owned my 328i cab for over 5 years now & it really has been the most reliable car I have owned. Apart from replacing tyres & regular servicing it hasn't given me much grief.
(Thats probably why I bought the e30).
Secret is to get a good one to start with.
Practicality will be like any 4 seater convertible.

Rob its your car mate. If its not doing it for you move on i reckon.
Saying that i think you would miss it. E30 cabs are a bit gay but Z3's are full on homo mate. Man up and get some nuts

Dude it's such a good looking cab and a real early one so would be a shame to say see-ya especially after all the grief you went through. However it is your car at the end of the day but seriously a Z3?

Just put a bigger engine in the cab and you'll love it again.

Rob you fackin tart,

keep it, I know you won't like a dirty six soft top they really are pants mate, and the z3 ? not really practical at all ,

your turd is a lovely old thing in a great colour, Take advantage of the horrid winter and get it off the road to have the bits done/finished,
I think you bought the Zender kit from me nearly 3 years ago ? and still haven't nailed it in place, the finishing touches will make it a great pre-face cabby

if you were closer I would love to help out

That is a lovely car! im sure you'll be able to rekindle your love for it! If not, im hoping to buy a 325i chromie cab next year before the summer ;).

Don't break it Rob

Just need the weather to get better, hood down, wind blowing in your hair, you will love it again

Did you manage to get the bits sorted in the boot?

Ziggy wrote:Just put a bigger engine in the cab and you'll love it again.

Yes! Stick an M30 in there and cruise around at 1200rpm in fifth

Morat wrote:

Ziggy wrote:Just put a bigger engine in the cab and you'll love it again.

Yes! Stick an M30 in there and cruise around at 1200rpm in fifth

Yup! Might as well make a complete replica of mine Rob

I had barely driven mine since Le Mans this year & I too was wondering whether I should get rid... until the HG went on my daily - I've had an interesting couple of weeks driving it around in the hideous weather recently, but I've $odding loved it!

Rob, with the history you have with this car, when it comes down to it I don't think you could really part with it. Maybe take it off the road for a while wrap it up and get another toy. Soon as you start missing her she will be right where you left her.

Rob, I think you should follow through with the cab restoration. It would be a shame if the bad luck with the bodywork guy disappearing and leaving it a mess has left a bitter taste, which I assume it must have done. The goal was to make it really mint but the plan stalled. What happened next?

I agree with oakey and magpie that the car hasn't been out in the sunshine much since you got it back. Therefore it hasn't been fun. I also would have thought that you would more attached to it after rescuing it.

Has it had new paint and the trim put back in and everything? Forgive me if I'm not up to speed with the car as I'm not on the zone much these days.

Regards
Toby

Give it some time Rob, Any E30 is realy a fair weather car by todays standards and by that i mean they are best suited to dry conditions especially when you have stumped up a load of cash to get the thing looking good as you get into the "its all downhill from here" mindset. My sport was sat on my driveway mostly unused whilst Nat was pregnant so i decided to sell, even though i replaced it with another E30 which is immense i dearly miss the sport.

I have this theory about "the list".

You cant beat the list
The list is better than you
if an item is removed from the list it is immediately replaced by an item of equal or greater value.

The above applies to everything in life.

First rule of the list, Nobody talks about the list.

Not ignoring anyone, taking all advice onboard and mulling it over.
Nothing set in stone, yet.
Must say though, my reasoning behind all this has nothing to do with the Summer, or
engine capabilities. It gets driven all year round and it's a very well looked after 10300 mile
lump.

Dezzy wrote:First rule of the list, Nobody talks about the list.

same as that...

ive gotta be honest rob i'd be pretty gutted for you if you choose to get rid of it just wish i could of helped you out more with it

Shaun, you went out of you way to help mate, absolutely nothing more you could
have done, and as somebody will discover, i have a very long memory and bear a grudge
like a Corsican.

i'd go for a 328i cab over the 2.8 Z3 personally. i've not got a 328i cab but i have a 2.8 Z3 on our drive its nice but i'm not a huge lover of the snappy handling. Its a 100% bombproof car with no rusty panels or mechanical issues. Worse than an E30 and they will put the unwary in a hedge. Fast though they get a move on, good car but not my cup of tea

I'd take the 328i cab, bit of Z axle ride comfort, 4 seats and they're a nice looking rag top also with e36 reliability

Z3s, man bags! whats up with you mate, come down here for a pint and i will put you right

Cheers Si, finding a decent low mileage 328i Cab might be difficult.

spook, you forgot the Womens tights in winter.
I ain't no Eddie Izzard though.

Z3's are old also, ours needs a new roof really as the rear screen is cracked also. Needs some new alloys as the tyres are shot and rims need refurb.

It drives spot on with sweet engine though! Good Z3's are getting hard to find.

I had a very nice 323i convertible, one of the last a 99 V. Was a very nice car. A 328 would be even nicer.