E30 Zone

Sorry if I've posted this in the wrong section or missed a thread where this has been covered before

I'm at the 'hovering' stage of looking at cars.
Been racking my brains for about a week now, sieving through the net in search of the perfect car. I've landed on the E30 325i Sport.

If I can find one with no/little rust that has been properly looked after and cared for, would it be stupid to use it as my daily drive?
My commute to work is about 10 miles on the motorway and then about 7 miles on normal roads. Then the same back home again.

I do take good care of my cars and always make sure they are clean and if I've been out on a wet gritted road I'll spray the car down upon returning home etc.

Do many of you use yours as a daily or just have it for weekends/shows/special occasions?

Is it hard to find a 'minter' these days? Is an engine with over 100k on it going to tired or will it keep on going so long as it's cared for?

I hope these questions aren't too noobish and you don't think I'm being ignornant.

Thank you, Charlie

Charlie, its all about how well the car has been looked after. As many other will tell you buy on condition.

A good condition, well looked after sport commends good money so realistically you will be at approx 4K to 6K, although good ones occasionally come up for less money.

A 325i as a daily is thirsty as you will be a good few miles into your relativly short journey before well warmed up.

Personally I would not use mine as a daily as even though the 325 is generally nicer to drive than most modern day cars you will quickly miss the modern comforts of most cars.

Its a personal thing. If you can afford it have a modern car as your daily and an E30 as a toy.

Rtaylor2208 wrote: If you can afford it have a modern car as your daily and an E30 as a toy.

+1

youl struggle to find any genuine milage e30 under 100k more so sports, the odd example out there but expensive !, but most/all ive seen for sale under 100k dont come with every single mot from new and always have a chunk missing, where in a lot of cases it would of been lost and clocked back

a 325i as a daily.... they can be juicy, they are ok when warmed up and cruising on motorway, but around town, nipping 1 mile to a mates, then 2 miles to the shop etc, general nipping around localy...they guzzle fuel, so it all depends on your job/means and how much you like to spend or not on fuel, and also how you drive

also if you like fiddling around with cars, as a bit of a hobby, coz e30s to tend to need looking after and maintaining, a lot more than just an oil change and mot once a year, and when used as a daily old parts do wear and get niggles etc

the 6 pot engines are bomb proof reliable if looked after and serviced etc, one of the best engines bmw have ever produced

but be warned- a big percentage of sports out there for sale will have hidden rust issues and stuff, bulkhead behind dash,floor under carpets, and rust under body kit etc , cheaper ones on ebay might best be avoided and look for a nice one on a site like here to find a minter, thats got an owner whos cared for it and got lots of threads and pics on here, and can provide pics of all those areas etc

do a search on here theres shed loads of threads and information

^^Agreed.

It will cost you to run, with the price of fuel as it is these days. If it's not been looked after then reliability would also be a concern of mine, however, there are plenty of zoners that do use theirs daily, without any problems.

agree with the above, a modern car as a daily is more suited, i drove my 325i sport as a daily last year for a few months,and it is juicy for the nipping around, you can easily put £20 in a day and not really drive much before needing to again

If you're just going to commute, a standard 320i or even the 318is would be better than the Sport. A good sport is at least four grand, whereas a very clean 320i (a good motorway cruiser) will cost less than a thousand pounds, since they're so undesirable. If you want country-lane thrills without the fuel bills, get a 318iS.

The 325i Sport is considering the Ultimate Weapon on here (short of the M3), but for the sort of distances you're doing it's just not worth the money or hassle of maintaining it.

If in doubt, check the Buyers Guide:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ing_an_E30

I drive my 318iS as a daily... when it works

I dont notice the mod cons issue. I have a modern car that just doesnt compare to the smile on my face going to and from the office.

I also dont really notice a huge difference in fuel... but im not much for checking mpg or any of that mince.

In short if you have the 5k to considder buying something this old I'd advise having the resolve to deal with the fact old cars break and its likely to cost you every year... or every month in my case lol.... if your alright with that, go for it!! nothing beats a nice day nipping past moddern muck on the roads.

If you're going to spend money on a nice one, don't use it as a daily if you don't have to. There's fuel ££££ and there's also the scenario when you go to fix something simple, it shears off in your hand/spanner/ratchet and your daily car is laid up for days until you can source the replacement part/bolt etc.

There's also a load of bad drivers on the road and insurance companies write off E30s at a hint of a prang, it's rare for them to be repaired these days.

every car i've owned, i've found has more niggly problems and needs more looking after the less it's used, but kept in regular use theyve needed little more than routine servicing

no reason you can't use an e30 every day, but don't be so blinkered into thinking theyre the best car ever invented.

if you plan on using it regularly then i'd pretty much ignor the mileage.

no point paying a premium for a low miles car (also bear in mind how easy they are to clock and how chunks of history can easily go 'missing' over 20 years or so ) and then pile the miles on. The condition of the body and how it actually runs and drives are far more important than the numbers on the speedo dial.

Be quiet topblag I'm shiting myself reading that! I'l never get back what Ive put in if some bugger bangs it

pmk a 318is is a lot less juicy than a 325i when used as a daily, and a better/good choice for an e30 daily to the op

Get a nice spec'd up 325 SE

Kos wrote:

Rtaylor2208 wrote: If you can afford it have a modern car as your daily and an E30 as a toy.

+1

+2 without a doubt

Wow! Thank you for all the replies!

I'm not really a sucker for modern comforts. My current car (Twingo 133 Cup) doesn't have aircon and has about as much suspension travel as a gerbil!

Fuel isn't too much of an issue. This was my last car. I'd be lucky to see 18mpg!!


I just think the main problem, as many of you have pointed out, with E30's being old they are bound to have the odd niggle. This isn't really feasible if it's a daily.
Probably best having one as a Toy/Luxury that I can tinker with and take my time on??

I've just moved to the city for a year. Will no doubt be back out in the country side next year with less of a commute to work.

I'll probably buy a cheap run around and get an E30 as a project/Toy.

Thank you all so much for the kind advice.

I'll definitely stick around on here and keep an eye on things.
Lets hope that one day I'll be able to start a project thread of my own.

318isPMK wrote:Be quiet topblag I'm shiting myself reading that! I'l never get back what Ive put in if some bugger bangs it

Reality check!! You definitely will not. Sorry for the bad news.

There really is nothing good about owning these things... I seen a thread called return to damnation and ruin about a guy that bought an E30 after years of not owning one, everyday I appreciate that title that little bit more lol

I use my E30's every day.
I have a touring for the colder days and a cabbie for the sunny days.

I can buy the parts that are needed with no issues.

Only today I have run the cabbie over two hundred miles with no problems at all,at 31 mpg.!

I use my 325 semi-daily (when I'm not using the motorbike) for a 30 km commute.

I think the trick is to get it close to "spot on" then they're probably as reliable as most 5 year old cars.

Pertol, OK I only get about 27mpg on my commute whereas a 120d would probably get me 25% better figures, but it would cost me the thick end of 30K to buy it.....

As far as mod cons go, I've got air con, good heating, a bluetooth stereo and a phone with all my music and GPS. The only thing I do miss are one touch leccy windows, keeping your finger on the button while they go fully up is PITA.

Given your scenario a 325i Sport would be an expensive runaround.

You don't mention if you have owned older cars in your post, but older cars will be their very nature require some more tlc than a newer car.

That said, E30's are very well built and engineered cars and with a good set of tools and a manual a novice owner can undertake a good many repairs easily.

Personally i would start off with a good 316i they offer good MPG and a reasonable turn of speed.

clipper wrote: As far as mod cons go, I've got air con, good heating, a bluetooth stereo and a phone with all my music and GPS. The only thing I do miss are one touch leccy windows, keeping your finger on the button while they go fully up is PITA.

personly i think e30s are comfortable, quiet,smooth, and mod cons, retro fitting a whole host of things is easy and not too expensive and makes it even more so, compared to other 80s cars and older,which are more like baked bean cans on wheels compared, or even a lot of average joe type 90s and newer cars e30s are more comfortable and mod cons

I've used E30s as a daily ever since they were still being produced, and they are without doubt the most reliable car I have any contact with. Once sorted, I doubt if any of them have cost me more than £200 or so a year for all repairs and servicing, and not once has any one of them broken down to the extent that I couldn't drive it home or conclude my journey.
The rather high fuel cost is easily dealt with by the addition of cheap mixer type LPG system.

i use my 1 owner minty touring every day.

would not like to use a shagged out piece of shit e30 as a daily mind, ive had plenty of them too

I can't see a downside to using an e30 for a daily. I'm not sure what mod cons I'd be missing apart from maybe aircon.ok the fuel would cost but they're so much nicer to drive than modern cars. Of course that only matters if you commute somewhere without too much traffic.
As for reliability, you can either fix things when they break or maintain your e30 to schedule. They really do purr when looked after properly.
Having said all that, the sport would be my last choice. They rust relatively easily under the kit and they're becoming collectible so people notice the mileage more.

my tourings my daily, and i get 16-20mpg...but i dont care, i enjoy pootling about in it

I'd never drive a car I care about as a daily.

I'd be scared to park it anywhere, or a retard driving into me, or me being a retard and driving into someone else.

If its a cheap turd to drive about while it clings to its last MOT, Perfect!

I have driven mine every day since last september on similar daily drives as the OP describes.

Only mechanical problem i have had was when a perished fan belt snapped, but this is purely down to the car being in storage for so long before i got my hands on it.

A fair few electrical issues and the usual rust are the only things to fix, but these are not things that have stopped me driving it.

I dont find it too bad on fuel either. I used to have a citreon C2 1.6 16v (code) that would drink more to give the same performance. 27mpg is more than acceptable for a 2.5l.

All in, if i had a straight car to begin with, or if i had the money to have all the issues sorted properly before i put it on the road, i have no doubt in my mind this would have been one of the most reliable cars i have ever driven.

The sport model is a stunner, but i still prefer the pre-facelift cars, they are so much more discreet and (dare i say it) more "classy". An SE will give similar performance to a sport and easily just as big a smile on your face.


Would i reccomend one as a daily?

Only if you make sure you buy a full on 100% sorted one. Mine is not and the constant electrical problems, rust and now due to this torrential rain we have had for weeks the wet drivers footwell are really starting to test my patience.

As for the engine over 100k, no worries, they are strong as oxes:



180k and still pulls hard. forgive the shite photo, its hard to take pictures on a packed motorway.

I use my cab as a daily and its fine. People have mentioned them being juicy but in my case the high fuel costs are far cheaper than running two cars!

i use my 320i touring every day doin about 800 miles a month gettin about 310 miles to a full tank 280 if im ragging it all week.Ive had a power steering belt sanp, blows a odd fuse for the windows now and again and the rear window wiper wont turn off apart from that no REAL PROBS for under £600 quid beats driving ANY of the new family wagons around 16 grand i know cause i drive hire cars all the time! Unless you gonna buy a minter pay less than a grand for a reasonable 1 with no rust if u can find 1 and enjoy ! if it dies break it or keep it for spares as you will defo get another ! happy driving/drifting

My £500 touring is my daily driver, and I love it. I was going to say I take the cabby out at weekends, but the touring is great for lugging bikes and camping gear, so gets used just as much at weekends and days off! Maybe I'll just leave the cabby tucked up in the garage.............

I have driven an e30 as a daily for years, 2.5 an all!

I enjoy it so fook the fuel price.

It's been said so long as its maintained they are awesome, even a shitty 320 i pottered around in a few years back served me well for couple years until someone hit into it whilst parked.

e30 as a daily is no problem.

My 325i has only left me down once in the last 6 years and 70k. Fuel pump failed after running the tank dry.
Bought a new bosch pump so should be good for another 21 years.

Mileage isn't an issue either (that 70k was from 170k to 240k+) on the m20 as long as oil changes are regular and you treat them with respect when they are cold.

They can take a lot of abuse when warmed up, mine gets driven hard most of the time and does a lot of towing my race car, boot loaded with tools and spares.

You do need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on preventative maintaince though, rust is an issue and dont expect a mint car to stay that way.

The rewards are worth it though.
Sean

I drive mine as much as I can if not I'm in the van.I fine the more I drive my car the better and just seems to run much smoother so daily e30 is great for anyone.

e30 as a daily is no problem.

My 325i has only left me down once in the last 6 years and 70k. Fuel pump failed after running the tank dry.
Bought a new bosch pump so should be good for another 21 years.

Mileage isn't an issue either (that 70k was from 170k to 240k+) on the m20 as long as oil changes are regular and you treat them with respect when they are cold.

They can take a lot of abuse when warmed up, mine gets driven hard most of the time and does a lot of towing my race car, boot loaded with tools and spares.

You do need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on preventative maintaince though, rust is an issue and dont expect a mint car to stay that way.

The rewards are worth it though.
Sean

Dezzy wrote:I'd never drive a car I care about as a daily.

I'd be scared to park it anywhere, or a retard driving into me, or me being a retard and driving into someone else.

If its a cheap turd to drive about while it clings to its last MOT, Perfect!

And very much this!!!