e30 tech1...

[beautymeanswheels]

Looking to buy an e30 sport very soon (hopefully)

Example one -
1. Tech1 with 5 owners, 150k miles. leather interior, A/C (didn't know they came with factory fitted ac). Quite a bit of history including 14/15 older mots, all original handbooks etc. Had rust cut out and finished to quite a good standard a couple of years back. I have seen the car and there is no evidence of rot in the boot, footwells, under the bonnet and paint job is pretty good on close inspection.
The owner has changed the front bumper to a non factory unit. I know you may say that it's likely to have been abused but they are a mature couple who have different taste to me or the purists on this forum, each to their own! anyway...
The bumper will be changed back to normal IF I purchase.
Mechanically the car is spot on!

I am thinking of getting an e30 and this time keeping it. What are your thoughts on tech1s?
I have a rough idea of what a good tech 2 would cost knowing that almost all older cars need some work, some more than others.

The car will be driven every few days and on weekends. Long term, what would be a better option?
A tech2 sport or a tech1? (Assume both cars are in equally good condition requiring very little work- again most e30s, even those that have been cared for need constant love).



I spoke to someone recently who has a black Auto tech1 listed on ebay. Seller says he has spent many thousands on the car. When asked on how much he'd let the car go for, he said he is expecting 10k or will not sell. Now in my opinion, thats a very ambitious figure for a tech1 auto.

What is a good tech 1 worth? I know most threads I have read about what an e30 sport is worth have usually been based on the tech2s. Given that the earlier cars are rarer now, one would expect their values to be equal to if not more than the tech2s. There really isn't much to go by..

[beautymeanswheels]

The second car has similar miles, 7 keepers and like the tech1 is in very good condition. Common areas of rust checked - inner, outer arches, boot area, underhood, sunroof, jacking points and all in good condition. The motor is very good, gearbox is good health and so is clutch.

[Grrrmachine]

The only things that matter with these cars are provenance and rust. Many genuine sports are rusty, and many non-rusty ones aren't sports - they're just standard E30s with a 2.5 dropped in and a body kit glued on. Fortunately due to its limited production life and the rarety of the kit, it's a lot less likely that a Tec 1 is a fake compared to a Tec 2.

Mechanically there's no real difference and there's nothing critical between the bodyshells that makes one harder to repair than the other. The only "unique" thing to a sport is the gearbox which is generally bulletproof, and all the other motorsport additions (suspension, LSD, leather wheel) will be utterly shagged by now if it's the original part, so if you're spending strong money you really need paperwork proving that the shocks were replaced like-for-like, the diff has been rebuilt at some point and that the interior has been maintained.

For a long time Sport prices have been driven by nostalgia rather than product quality, so expect 10k asking prices to become the norm rather than the exception.

[bss325i]

For the record, the sport close ratio box is not unique to the 325i sport. It was available as an option on any 325i.

[pony]

Indeed. I have E30 325i Sport which is Tech1. I had the shocks replaced by Bilstein B6 Sport (New), springs replaced by New Genuine BMW M-Technic, LSD Fully Rebuilt SH 40% Lock 3.91 with Z3 M Coupe Diff Cover which was New Genuine BMW (diff cover) and steering wheel M3 Sport Evolution (New Genuine BMW) although I currently use Tech1 steering wheel to save wear and tear, plus radiator, fan, fan shroud, oil cooler, oil tubes, engine mounts, rear top mounts all the real deal New Genuine BMW

[jimbom30cab]

Tech1 looks a good buy

As with all old cars you can easy spend £5k on replacement bits

[pony]

Tech2s have generally always been worth a bit more than Tech1s assuming they are in same condition, owners, mileage, specification etc

[beautymeanswheels]

What would you guys say a good tech1 is worth?
For arguments sake if we assume that it has had rust treated and car has been "restored" to a good standard with very good interior and sound mechanics?

[pony]

35k mileage
1 Owner from New
FBMWSH
Tech1
Sport
Sold earlier in '14 for £10k so guess that's the bench mark

[pony]

Re your above question I don't know but anything up to that
See what others say

[Grrrmachine]

5k seems to be the middle ground for Sports at the moment, based on 25 years of usage. Cream puffs like pony's example are good for showing the upper limit, and even rusty turds still go for 2k based on the provenance of a genuine sport.

Without pictures, it's impossible to give you a better evaluation than that. A single rust blister on the roof will knock 5k off the price, for example.

[beautymeanswheels]

I'd have thought the one owner from new car would've been worth more than 10k!

[beautymeanswheels]

So come on guys.. anyone have a ROUGH idea of what a good tech 1 wold be worth? 3/4 owners, 140-150k miles, very clean bodywork thats had a full respray with rust cut out...

[polsta]

It all depends on the sort of job done and quality, look at babs he purchased a "re sprayed" tech 1 , but inner arches were horrific, as was the bulkhead behind dash

A quick bodge on outer rear arches and a blow over, could be described as no rust blah blah, but look at jimbos threads - getting the suspension off and removing all the inner arch sealant and a proper rust hunt, needs to be done on most e30s and especially sports that have had a lot of use, then there's the dash removal and floor

Then all fittings etc were they all renewed with lots if BMW reciepts, all the trim and seals and everything else ,light units refurbed ? All that sort of thing would also have an effect on what level of restoration was done and effect price

Respray - was it a top top banana job everything removed inc glass and everything and all kit re painted separately and oven job and properly put back together, or a cheap quick mask up and home made booth or garage paint job , to make look pretty and sell on , there's so many variables

With sports and tech 1s and prices - each car is pretty much unique in what was it needs to be done and its value

[Grrrmachine]

Considering this car is obviously invisible, it's worth three magic beans and a rub of my magic lamp.

[polsta]

The other day some guy posted respray pics, on Facebook saying look at my re spray feeling proud of himself

Well it was comical , hed masked up everything and removed nothing, even masked up the wiper blades , taking longer to mask than to undoo a single nut on each and remove them, and left on door mouldings again masking them up rather than undoing 2 little nuts and pulling them off

And re painted it in a dusty garage

That counts as a "re spray" in some books

Would you want to buy a car like that ? Or the value and quality would vastly differ to one that had had a better trim but no glass removed and a home made booth but no oven , which on turn could vastly differ to one that had had a top no expense or time spared pro job costing thousands in a very expensive oven booth set up

[beautymeanswheels]

My understanding is that the car was done properly. Outer and inner arches replaces. Has been about 5 years isnce the job and there arent any areas of rust reappearing etc.
No rust in floor area or inner/outer arches etc

[Gert_8]

It all depends on the sort of job done and quality, look at babs he purchased a "re sprayed" tech 1 , but inner arches were horrific, as was the bulkhead behind dash

Ah, poor Bab. The car mentioned, and purchased by bab, not only claimed to have had a paint job, but, if I recall, also had restoration work. It looked very nice in the pics, and I was tempted.

However, Bab bought it, and for that reason alone, I like him. Had I bought it, it would have been scrapped, but Bab is into his heroics, and is doing a major nuts and bolts restoration.

Attempted to join the army, you know...!