E30 Zone

Hi everyone...I've been checking out E30 convertible prices and am getting confused so please can someone help me understand?
I see some 325i convertibles for over 4k and will look plain some under 4k and kitted up nicely. I understand some are m sport but some are not can some one tell me how the pricing works? How can i find out what my car is worth?

Please
thanka

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It's all about condition (and mileage, but that's less important).

Post as much info as you can about your car, and a few pics.

Basically, you pull a number out of your arse that you want for the car, and the prospective buyer haggles you down to a price he's prepared to pay. Some absolute sh!tters go for more than they're worth, and some clean examples sell for a song.

I was working on a Value Guide for these, but gave up half way through lack of help:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... s_it_worth

bhaza wrote:Hi everyone...I've been checking out E30 convertible prices and am getting confused so please can someone help me understand?
I see some 325i convertibles for over 4k and will look plain some under 4k and kitted up nicely. I understand some are m sport but some are not can some one tell me how the pricing works? How can i find out what my car is worth?

Please
thanka

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Interesting wording which explains in a nutshell the difficulty with giving a value without seeing the car.

You say, "will look plain"; I think, "nice, original unmolested". You say "kitted up nicely"; I think, "Brum spec 'Motorsport with fibreglass tech 2 kit nailed on to pre facelift shed".

You'd pay more for a kitted up nicely car, I'd pay more for a plain one.

A nice original unmolested car in the same fundamental condition as a Brum spec Motorsport will be worth more, but that's about the only fixed rule.

Hi I dont wanna upset people so asking first would it be ok to post some picks and info about my car on this thread and maybe you guys can give me an idea of how much my car woukd be worth also if anyone else would like to know about their car as well?

Thanks

yeah go for it.

bhaza wrote:Hi I dont wanna upset people so asking first would it be ok to post some picks and info about my car on this thread and maybe you guys can give me an idea of how much my car woukd be worth also if anyone else would like to know about their car as well?

Thanks

is a very good idea, however be prepared to get a whole range of values and opinions.

Try to include pictures of the common problem areas (available in the wiki).

Bare in mind, the zone is full of tight arses and try not to take their tightness to heart!

Ok here goes lol first of all its a 1989 325i convertible came with a tech 1 kit but changed to a tech 2. Was Atlantic Blue but also needed a respray, so done a complete respray leaving out engine bay and boot but all else resprayed in a similar colour to Macua Blue with some glitter.
Black Leather interior with blue stitching re-padded and re-leathered.
4 Headrest
Brakes and disc changed
Timing belt and water pump changed
New battery
Clifford alarm fitted
passenger side lock removed
Shocks and springs fitted
Full Service History and all MOTs
Mirror Tweeter pods and rear inserts with tweeter pods
Manual Roof
16" Borbet A alloys with 9J rears and good tyres
Colour coded front grill
Full re-wired stereo system
Engine Chipped from previous owner not sure what kind of chip
No rust at all anywhere
mot and taxed
Check Control and 13 button computer
central locking and dead locks
HID Kit 4300k, tech 2 fogs, smoked indicators and rear light tinted red.
No bad points yet
Have a hard top but waiting for it to get sprayed same colour as car
Heres some pics



















I still have a few things to change and fit like a tech 2 steering wheel, seat clips and back panels etc
What you think?

That does look like a very clean car, and if the paint job is a good enough quality then it should command a decent price.

Be very careful of putting "no rust" though; all the common E30 rust is hidden under the body kit and carpets, as well as in the boot and bulkhead, so if you state "no rust ANYWHERE" and the buyer finds out the front corners of the floor are rotten (like 99% of E30s) then you'll be in the sh!t.

It's certainly a tastefully modified car though.

Going on the pictures I would say up to 2.5K but that is only my opinion. Its not a terrible looking car but. Things that detract from the value of the car:

1. Wheels (Sorry I know alot of people love the Borbets but standard 15" BBS sell a car better)
2. Steering Wheel is non BMW
3. Tacky Car Matts
4. Airhorn
5. Looks like you have a problem with the window guides for the rear drivers side window.
6. And probably the biggest issue of all the removal of the tech1 kit and painted in non standard color.
7. Butchered front and rear cards for the speakers, plus missing trim around the handles.

Thanks mate, luckily when I got it, it was garaged by previous owner for over 3 years and he bit by bit worked on it. I took ot straight for MOT and was then told theres no signs of rust anywhere, the previous owner had it rubbed down ready for painting and must of had the rust areas treated and fixed. When I purchased it, it was in paint shop for over 6 months taking time in getting it done, floor pans under the arches are still rust free, recently had MOT done checked under body and still no signs so fingers crossed.
Still got a few things to do, trying to get it done before Ace Cafe meet in may. What do you reckon it would be worth once the hardtop is sprayed as well?

Rtaylor2208 wrote:Going on the pictures I would say up to 2.5K but that is only my opinion. Its not a terrible looking car but. Things that detract from the value of the car:

1. Wheels (Sorry I know alot of people love the Borbets but standard 15" BBS sell a car better)
2. Steering Wheel is non BMW
3. Tacky Car Matts
4. Airhorn
5. Looks like you have a problem with the window guides for the rear drivers side window.
6. And probably the biggest issue of all the removal of the tech1 kit and painted in non standard color.
7. Butchered front and rear cards for the speakers, plus missing trim around the handles.

Hi mate thanks for your opinion,
a few things just to clarify, steering wheel will be changed to mtech 2 wheel, small trim still to be fitted as still completing car, doors and windows do still need to be adjusted but guides are lined and working fine now and finally I have new front door cards without the butchering, the rear door cards have not been butchered but has the inserts with the tweeter pods in them.
Car mats I agree are tacky but Ive ordered original Black mats
and the air horns are connected to my clifford alarm, still have original bmw car horn. I have not fitted BMW emblems as I am still trying to decide whether to get carbon blue black or original. Hopefully I will have it finished in a few weeks. The pictures above where taken over a month ago. Too cold and wet to work at the moment lol.

Thanks Again

You'd be better off selling it on Pistonheads, Bhaza. My personal impression, from the various responses I've read, seems to be that zoners don't want to pay much for cars being sold on here - unless they are very good indeed, but will then debate and insist car prices are on the up.....

We can't have it both ways. Pistonheads for me

PS. From the pics - £3995.00 starting price, but do consider the comments about original features.

Agree with above, there is a bigger market for a completly OEM car on here than a modified car. You should be able to get a good price on PH, autotrader etc etc.

Plenty of people like the modified look so I wouldn't think you would have an issue selling it.

A good solid body with new paint is a big plus and everything I mentioned other than the tech 2 kit can be rectified fairly cheaply.

Cars that commend the best money are complete with no issues no matter how small needing done.

must say I havnt seen many completely OEM e30s around well in london atleast.... I have a 1990 325i cab recently bought, needs alot of work done to restore. it looks to be all original m tech 1 kit with crome bumpers and trim, it would be nice to see a few pics if anyone owns a completely OEM e30

There are loads of threads in the pictures section: This one has a couple of OEM cars:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=217704

If u leave the car as it is pretty much with the non-original features u would have a better chance of selling it on Autotrader/Pistonheads/Loot (does anyone use these nowdays) /Exchange and Mart (does anyone use these nowdays)

In general i get the impression on this zone people prefer original E30s and are a bit tight.

For example, for me i personally do not like/prefer the non-original features on ur example. However, there will be someone out there that likes it as it is.

Lol thanks for the feedback and comments, at the moment im not going to sell I really just wanted to see what some of your opinions are and also I have invested a bit of money into this car just wanted to see if im at a loss. I do have some things to sort out on the car and will be doing so after the rain stops. Again any recommendations and comments whether positive or negative please feel free to pass your judgement lol
and thanks.

Rtaylor2208 wrote:Going on the pictures I would say up to 2.5K but that is only my opinion. Its not a terrible looking car but. Things that detract from the value of the car:

1. Wheels (Sorry I know alot of people love the Borbets but standard 15" BBS sell a car better)
2. Steering Wheel is non BMW
3. Tacky Car Matts
4. Airhorn
5. Looks like you have a problem with the window guides for the rear drivers side window.
6. And probably the biggest issue of all the removal of the tech1 kit and painted in non standard color.
7. Butchered front and rear cards for the speakers, plus missing trim around the handles.

+1

This is all pretty much spot on.

Do you not have to do a fair bit of butchery to make a Tech II kit fit a Tech I car? Non-standard paint is not easily reversible. The wheels can be changed easily. The retrim doesn't look that great either.

Otherwise, it looks ok. But given those things, I'd expect low to middle money for it. About £4-5k is what you pay for very clean, original unmolested cars. This is none of those things. See Cecotto's post above..

I keep reading that to change from a tech 1 to tech 2 requires alot of butchering, personally I disagree. I will briefly explain, starting at front change valance to plastic bumper style, change lighting connectors, fit bumper shocks. Line and mark side skirts drill holes for brackets and clips to hold kit in place then fit side skirts followed by door mouldings. Install rear bumper brackets and fit tech 2 bumper, cut patterns out of body panel to fillgap between rear arch and bumper. Thats it in a nutshell, I have missed details out but basically that was it. I purchased brand new clips and fittings of kit from bmw directly. Car has been booked in with a E30 expert to gove it a once over to finish the nitty gritty tidying up and tuning of car.

Will post pics once completed thanks for all your comments, hope to meet and greet you all at future meets starting with Ace Cafe May 2012

Cheers