Has anyone ever finished their car?

Sat May 28, 2011 7:38 am

This is a pretty general question open to everyone and inspired by a comment from Adi on another thread:

Does anyone own an E30 that they're confident to say doesn't need anything doing to it?

By this I mean you can wake up in a morning and think "I honestly have nothing left to do on the car..."

A mere indifference as to jobs that need doing is not an acceptable reason to say yes either!

Just curious...

Sat May 28, 2011 7:42 am

The day it doesn't need anything doing to it is the day it stops being fun!

Sat May 28, 2011 7:49 am

Don't think that day will every come for the majority of us.
There always seems to be something that needs doing.

Sat May 28, 2011 7:59 am

Unless you get it to that point and then never drive it again there will always be something to be fixed, cleaned, polished, refurbed, upgraded etc.....

Having said that there are some very complete cars on the Zone - DanThe's chromie, BSS325i and Kieran's Sports, BeardyMat's M3 for example

Sat May 28, 2011 8:27 am

capri_rob wrote:Having said that there are some very complete cars on the Zone - DanThe's chromie, BSS325i and Kieran's Sports, BeardyMat's M3 for example

Bah! Their all just lazy so they said they're finished instead.

I agree with Datourer, wouldn't be fun if I didnt have a list of things that needed doing... All I could do with it then would be drive it...

I need more than that from a car. Aha

Sat May 28, 2011 8:37 am

Ive just finished one tick list....and now have another as long as my arm

Sat May 28, 2011 9:12 am

No! I keep thinking Im getting to the end of the to do list and something else crops up.

Sat May 28, 2011 9:23 am

The more i learn, the more i find to do.

Sat May 28, 2011 9:31 am

I'd like to think that when every cherished E30 leaves our ownership (by 'us' I mean collectively the Zone)...it will have been 90-100% sorted.

These cars really are getting 'saved' by Zoners. We see it on here everyday.

BMW E30's really are lucky cars! (except those owned by certain 'butchers' of the machines)

Sat May 28, 2011 9:35 am

gooner1 wrote:The more i learn, the more i find to do.

This echoes my sentiments exactly !

Also we need to know what "doesn't need anything doing to it" means for each person.

For example, my car doesn't "need" the faded trim around the windscreen replacing according to my wife........

Sat May 28, 2011 9:59 am

No

It starts and drives and shifts reasonably well, but it will never be "finished", I'll get bored before it's finished

Sat May 28, 2011 10:14 am

Did E30' leave the factory finished....?:D
But seriously, when getting a e30, you also gain loads of new tools & mechanical skills.
My to-do-list never gets any shorter, complete a couple of jobs, another two crop up.

Sat May 28, 2011 10:42 am

capri_rob wrote:
Having said that there are some very complete cars on the Zone - DanThe's chromie, BSS325i and Kieran's Sports, BeardyMat's M3 for example

I can probably speak for kieran and mat but it goes for me too. The more work you do, the more work needs to be done. I only has this conversation with mat a couple of weeks ago and, as mentioned before, you'll always have a job list for your e30. It starts with major jobs in early years of owning, tweaking later on but then when OCD sets in you begin to seek perfection which is almost impossible.
At the moment I've got a tiny leak which loses, to quote Steve, 'a thimble full in two weeks'. I'm gonna get the head gasket changed and minty clear the engine! A touch extreme for a 21 year old car?

Sat May 28, 2011 10:57 am

gooner1 wrote:The more i learn, the more i find to do.

this !!!!

plus like mentioned- theres always servicing at least, but if you drive and enjoy the car being 20 years old..things will always wear and need replacing, and if you really wanted too- there could always be some bits that could be improved

Sat May 28, 2011 10:59 am

the day comes where you decide you cant be bothered doing it rather than theres nonthing left to do.

Sat May 28, 2011 10:59 am

its a horrible feeling thinking oh if i do this and that all the time. Its even harder to just drive/enjoy and never think about the next job as you see a saggy headline or a clunk over the next pot hole or a wobble from the wheel at 60 etc. As long as they are driven they are never perfect which is what we are all searching for?!

Sat May 28, 2011 11:19 am

fuzzy wrote:the day comes where you decide you cant be bothered doing it rather than theres nonthing left to do.

but you can get the hunger back after a break !

Sat May 28, 2011 11:27 am

I get a sad sense of satisfaction by accumulating all the old, broken tat that I remove/replace from the E30 in the shed.....

Just added an ancient ignition set, fuel pump, wiper blades and battery to this growing pile to dirty old shyyyyte....

I have no idea why I keep it, but I KNOW I love adding to it.

Il be in rehab soon. Potless.

Sat May 28, 2011 11:28 am

polsta wrote:
fuzzy wrote:the day comes where you decide you cant be bothered doing it rather than theres nonthing left to do.
but you can get the hunger back after a break !

for some sure,its been about 2 years since i stopped with mine and i dont feel a hunger for going back to it. my days of crawling under rusty old cars in the wet are over.
i potter about in a new 60 plate merc nowadays. much more civilised,with no sign of any rust flakes in the corner of my eyes.

Sat May 28, 2011 12:28 pm

Depends on how you define 'finished'....both of my E30's are finished,to the point where they just need routine maintainance,but 20 odd year old cars do require more maintainance than two year old cars do,so therefore there is always a 'little job' to do on one or the other.

Pleasant as it must be for Fuzzy to waft about in a 60 plate Merc,it would not be for me as I enjoy the fiddling about with the older cars, along with the cash that I save!

Sat May 28, 2011 12:37 pm

I could do with some new speakers, sort out some stone chips and get the rust on the rear valance sorted but thats it.

Sat May 28, 2011 1:32 pm

If I had more money the damn thing would get anywhere near finished alot quicker!

Sat May 28, 2011 1:53 pm

Not just with the e30. I've been unable to leave any car i've owned alone

Sat May 28, 2011 2:18 pm

There's always something to put right/fix how ever small..I've got a fog light to do,dash interior bulb and a small leak on the roof needs sorting,that's for starters,was hopping to do some work on the cab today but the weather is s--t

Sat May 28, 2011 2:20 pm

daimlerman wrote:Depends on how you define 'finished'....both of my E30's are finished,to the point where they just need routine maintainance,but 20 odd year old cars do require more maintainance than two year old cars do,so therefore there is always a 'little job' to do on one or the other.

Pleasant as it must be for Fuzzy to waft about in a 60 plate Merc,it would not be for me as I enjoy the fiddling about with the older cars, along with the cash that I save!

have you no plans of painting the car properly or is the dulux enough ?

and like fuzzy , i knock about in a newer car, 51 reg e39. i dont miss the rusty bolts or the prehistoric feel of the e30, and i certainly do not miss it as daily driver.

my e39 is reliable, economical, smooth, powerful, refined etc e30's are nice but not up to the job a a daily any more. and i have more important things to worry about than changing bits and pieces every week end

Sat May 28, 2011 2:36 pm

having only just back in an E30, my list is increasing at the moment... you gotta love it, or you'll cry!

Sat May 28, 2011 3:41 pm

Its only finished when you sell it

Sat May 28, 2011 6:30 pm

I finished my sport, it's complete and doesn't want for nothing and it's sat in the garage wrapped up because I'm bored.

Same as the M3, I've lost complete interest in them both at the minute.

I went in the garage the other day and I looked at the sport, fully taxed, MOT'd,insured, full tank of juice and I couldn't be bothered to take it out.

It seems the love affair is over and I'm more than happy to let them sit for years to come.

Sat May 28, 2011 6:36 pm

kieran325 wrote:I finished my sport, it's complete and doesn't want for nothing and it's sat in the garage wrapped up because I'm bored.

Same as the M3, I've lost complete interest in them both at the minute.

I went in the garage the other day and I looked at the sport, fully taxed, MOT'd,insured, full tank of juice and I couldn't be bothered to take it out.

It seems the love affair is over and I'm more than happy to let them sit for years to come.

Can I have your garage?

Sat May 28, 2011 6:50 pm

I don't think I'll ever be finished, as with most people. I'm giving a full proper make over at the min and that stage should hopefully be finished by the end of the summer. She will be good as new but I already have a list of parts I want (funds permitting) and things I want to do at a later stage.

Sat May 28, 2011 8:03 pm

Philosophically speaking, the mere fact that you/we own an E30 suggests that it will never be finished.

By definition, to be an owner of an elderly car with a cult cache means that you care about the motor that you drive more than just expecting it to start every morning for the trip to work. This enthusiasm is driven by the desire to own something that means more than mere transportation from A to B. You are making a statement. That statement however is more easily made if the car is viewed by the bystander in as close to pristine condition as possible. If the vehicle is seen in poor fettle, rusting in places, dirty, primed in places and tatty then it simply looks like a council estate dodgem evading the scrappage scheme. Regardless of our social standing or where we live none of us are trying to achieve that look. That is proven by the amount of money that is spent on our cherished E30's and the fact that there is a healthy, active forum for the vehicle, with engaged owners sharing tips, parts and experiences.

When I say bystanders I mean people who know a little about cars and their individual reputations. People who can tell the difference between a Lotus Cortina and a std model, a Fiesta supersport from an XR2, a 145 cloverleaf, from a 1.6 twinspark, a 300Tdi from a TD5 and so on and so on. That is where the true value of ownership of a classic comes from. An Admiration if you like.

Which leads me on to my next point. That admiration comes in part from the fact that a car enthusiast understands that ownership of any of the above comes with compromises. All mentioned in the previous posts. Such as, the constant need to fix, replace, fettle, source, and polish. Many things that only the really committed can live with daily. Freud would suggest here that there is an element of 'Preservation' going on here. Preserving the vehicle to ensure it is remembered as it was in its hayday. If this appeals to you as a theory then you may have issues about your own age and past glories behind you

So. When you look at the car and say it's finished, and then you enjoy it for a few months, don't be surprised when you become fixated on the next improvement!! The majority of the pleasure of E30 ownership comes from working on it. It is likely it will never be finished.

I am not new to old/cult car ownership but am new to E30 ownership, but I am already more gripped than I have been for some time.

That said, I cant wait to get to a stage where I can drive it around as close to being finished that I can kid myself it is!

Sat May 28, 2011 8:19 pm

i nearly finished it once but i had more ideas

it needs map light mirror fitting,tweeter pods fitting and smoked/ x hairs fitted with hid's

then it's almost there

Sat May 28, 2011 8:24 pm

Davies31 wrote:Philosophically speaking, the mere fact that you/we own an E30 suggests that it will never be finished.

By definition, to be an owner of an elderly car with a cult cache means that you care about the motor that you drive more than just expecting it to start every morning for the trip to work. This enthusiasm is driven by the desire to own something that means more than mere transportation from A to B. You are making a statement. That statement however is more easily made if the car is viewed by the bystander in as close to pristine condition as possible. If the vehicle is seen in poor fettle, rusting in places, dirty, primed in places and tatty then it simply looks like a council estate dodgem evading the scrappage scheme. Regardless of our social standing or where we live none of us are trying to achieve that look. That is proven by the amount of money that is spent on our cherished E30's and the fact that there is a healthy, active forum for the vehicle, with engaged owners sharing tips, parts and experiences.

When I say bystanders I mean people who know a little about cars and their individual reputations. People who can tell the difference between a Lotus Cortina and a std model, a Fiesta supersport from an XR2, a 145 cloverleaf, from a 1.6 twinspark, a 300Tdi from a TD5 and so on and so on. That is where the true value of ownership of a classic comes from. An Admiration if you like.

Which leads me on to my next point. That admiration comes in part from the fact that a car enthusiast understands that ownership of any of the above comes with compromises. All mentioned in the previous posts. Such as, the constant need to fix, replace, fettle, source, and polish. Many things that only the really committed can live with daily. Freud would suggest here that there is an element of 'Preservation' going on here. Preserving the vehicle to ensure it is remembered as it was in its hayday. If this appeals to you as a theory then you may have issues about your own age and past glories behind you

So. When you look at the car and say it's finished, and then you enjoy it for a few months, don't be surprised when you become fixated on the next improvement!! The majority of the pleasure of E30 ownership comes from working on it. It is likely it will never be finished.

I am not new to old/cult car ownership but am new to E30 ownership, but I am already more gripped than I have been for some time.

That said, I cant wait to get to a stage where I can drive it around as close to being finished that I can kid myself it is!

This pretty much sums us zoner's up,I feel!

Sat May 28, 2011 11:03 pm

kieran325 wrote:I finished my sport, it's complete and doesn't want for nothing and it's sat in the garage wrapped up because I'm bored.

Same as the M3, I've lost complete interest in them both at the minute.

I went in the garage the other day and I looked at the sport, fully taxed, MOT'd,insured, full tank of juice and I couldn't be bothered to take it out.

It seems the love affair is over and I'm more than happy to let them sit for years to come.

that's apathy you mardy get!!

Sat May 28, 2011 11:25 pm

Kieran, your cars are only finished because they are standard, start modding and you are on a long path

My chromie is far from finished in my eyes, the bug has well and truly bit...
With the big mods there seems to be an improvement and then a refinement to be had.
My old 4 door was finished more than any car ive had, it was a simple M50 conversion with a few other mods that worked very well, a daily car that I did over 60k enjoyable miles in, completely reliable and sorely missed in many ways