I'm about ready to throw in the towel....

[jaistanley]

I'm sick of it.

I bought my car when I was an impoverished student. Back then it was exactly what I needed. I wanted a 325i sport but like many that couldn't afford the fuel/insurance I opted for the 318is. Excellent. I had to drive miles every week so the fuel savings made it worth the 'slight' drop in performance. I got a really nice condition one and paid a little bit too much (but not LOADS) and was happy.

Then I got a job and did the sensible thing.. Fitted M3 running gear and poly bushes, better springs and billy dampers. It then drove like a dream but the lack of power was noticable (cos of suspension mods).

Ho-hum. Being a grown up of sorts and having a job, plus loads of mates around who also love playing with cars I got carried away one day and bought an s50b32 from an MRoadster and loads of bits like brakes etc to fit at the same time. Think about a nice std looking 318is with the guts of an M3 evo. Nice eh?

Well first thing to piss on my parade was my good friend whomb I always work on cars with moved away. I knew he was going but all of a sudden he got REALLY sick of living in this arm-pit (Coventry) when he was car jacked. Suddenly I was left with no decent tools and someone with decent practicle skills to help me weild my spanner (ooh-err).


Then some fat ignorant bitch drove into me nigh on writing my car off. Just after I'd wet flat and polished it. People at Ace said it was really nice.

Then a bearing failed at the back making my car noisey, and a shit to drive (bearing plus wheel out of balance I think unless my prop has gone way out of balance somehow). It's still got the same bearing BTW. I'm lazy cos I have M Coupé arms to fit.

Now some scrote has stolen my lip spoiler and the car looks like it's been dragged round a scrap yard by its exhaust. It's not worth fitting a beautiful S50B32 into. I bought repair panels for the sill and the lower rear quarter but have no compressor or workshop now. I was going to do the engine swap on a drive which is feasible (just cold and wet) but not bodywork.

LAME!

I'm now at a cross roads. I paid about the right money for the engine (£2200) and it's low miles (48 000) so should be able to get money back there. My car isn't worth a w@nk, even with the SORTED suspension as buyers always buy with the eye (and the exhaust is shot, I didn't want to replace it before conversion).

Should I buy another car?

An E30 to replace wouldn't be too much I spose. Would have to swap all my good bits leaving me with 2 cars off the road.
An e36 M3 3.0 is a nice cheap car these days. I could sell everything and nearly be there (well more than half way)
I could search for an e30 M3 with a blown engine. How much are these worth?
I could buy an E36 with a blown engine.
I like the Porsche 944's.. Especially late ones and even more so with LS1's fitted (bit much though!)


HELP!!! I don't know what to do. I loved my E30 but hating it more and more these days. People are pulling bits off it, It rattles and shakes like a bitch, needs loads of repairs (door, lower rear q near b pillar and sill plus paint and a headlight thtas cracked) etc etc.

Another massive concern I have is what can I park in Coventry? The armpit of England. It's the kind of place you'll get stabbed by joy riders for your keys. Cars get keyed by jealous MORONS that don't realise that though it's a nice car, it costs less than the saxo turd they drive. I liked the E30 with 3.2 idea because it was a street sleeper. Buying an E30 M3 to re-engine, an E36 M3 or a Porsche is an open invite for these peckerless chavved up morons to hound you.

I'm miserable, nearly car-less, and jaded. Borrowing a bit and buying a car that works sounds nice but I know a few weeks of spanner weilding and mine would be OK (ish).

Any oppinions guys?

Jai

[NIX]

Alright Jai,

Don't give up mate. Look at me! You know how much NEEDS to be done to mine, and now just to be difficult until I can afford to get the conversion done, the clutch has gone!

In my case it really does make sense to bite the bullit and sell up but I said it was a project that I wanted to do so I'm going to do it! It something I've wanted to do for a while similarly with you. I'm doing it cheque-book modder style so its costing more but not as much as it would cost to get an entirely new car not to mention how gutting it would be to sell the car for peanuts knowing how much time, money and good intentions have gone into it.

Just need to knuckle down and do the work. The bodywork can wait just concentrate on getting that beast of an engine in there and running. Have you thought about getting Ryan to come down on a few wkends to help out. Might want some cash but you know he will get a lot done especially with you and Paul at hand. Paul should be quite good at making tea by now.

Beside you've got those tasty door cards now too

I dont know how much cash you are able to put aside towards the car each month but I think it might be worth paying some peeps to help so you can get things moving. You've still got a load of spare parts that you can put up for sale and put those funds towards the project. Put the rizzlas down and just do it.

Nick

[bmwe30mtech]

Hi Jai,

Well that wasnt a happy read sounds like you have been very unlucky with that crash.

If your car has a lot going wrong with it and bad crash damage then break it for parts?

Sounds like you have a good engine, but now means of using it.

I would sell it all if you cant fit it, and buy a complete car, either an E30 M3 or E36 M3.

The last few days i have been reading reviews on the E36 and i have to say it sounds like a far superior car to the E30

Paul

[Pal318is]

Stick with it Buddy, you can soon get it back to it's former glory..And once you have, move away from Coventry.
I used to go there every other week, when I studied, to visit friends at the Uni, I've never been to a more dodgy place, stolen cars parked outside a mates, people giving you shit for no reason, fights, the whole lot, having said that, this is only my personal experience.

Get your car sorted and you'll feel better for it, once it's done...
On another note, if you did buy another car/shell, whatever! Then whats to not to say that the new one won't get bits half inched of it too?!

Pal

[cliffybabe]

The last few days i have been reading reviews on the E36 and i have to say it sounds like a far superior car to the E30

Paul

But it doesnt look as nice

[Globulator]

I think you should follow your mate and move where he went. There is nothing like having a like minded mate around.

In the meantime while you sell up in Cov. I'd sell off all the bits and just get a cheap, stock, no one will be jealous of a 318 and get the driving fun by thrashing the nuts off a nice light car.

The phrase Cheap and Cheerful is what I think you need right now.
Wait until you move somewhere decent before spending any time or money on something you'll get too attached to..

[stevetigger]

Just one word to say really!


MOVE

[stuartgallafant]

pick your chin up Jai! get it sorted and show us how its all done mate!

sorry to hear about your misfortune fella. but just think how good it will feel once all done! you'll be well proud mate...

[bigpimpin]

If your serious about the conversion you need to find the willpower to do it. I've always wanted to do an engine swap and I'm now almost finished which is an amazing feeling!
Proving everyone wrong and having a "unique" car at the end of it has kept me going though all the shit that I've had! The diff going and almost writing the car off and then the engine I spent 8 months getting into the car turning out to be buggered were the worst moments. It just made me more determined!

So, either pick yourself up and do it now or postpone it to a time that suits your circumstances better.

This conversion aint easy or cheap.

[Dan318-is]

Jai bro, ur half way there mate. dont throw it all away cos some council bastards keyed your motor. bodywork should be your last priority anyway dude unless its rusty

soldier on boy!

[jaistanley]

Cheers for the replies guys...

Guess I'm just stressed from moving and stuff.. Also been spoilt a bit recently. The guy I commute with (yea, I'll be driving 350 miles a week every other week to work in a 3.2... eek) has an e36 vanos 325i fitted with full M3 Evo running gear that came from a car with ac snitzer upgrade stuff on it. Also has vader seats and polly bushes all round plus is fitted with 225/45/17 pirelli p zero assymetrico tyres. He went crazy and put an e46 6 speed box on it too. That car has SOOOOO much grip and is still quiet and smooth. It's great to drive though feels a bit heavy. Poor thing is gutless in 6th though, unsurprisingly.

Nick: Never said thank you on the forum so here it is.. Thank you big guy for putting up with a crash damaged ZRoadster and millions of bits floating round the house!

Ryan will come down any time, as will Phill. Of course I'll pay expenses, drinks food etc and favours are always returned with us guys. I'm lucky to have petrol head mates but I guess that comes from doing an automotive degree! Trouble is they are now spread all over the country and have 'responsibilities'. Myeh. I'm not three bad with a spanner either remember, occasionally.

Having cars that look like crap but go like shit seems to be my trademark. I've never been concerned about cosmetics and living in Cov and driving boyracer cars has meant being tatty is a good line of defence. My last car was a little nutter Golf MK2. By the time I'd finished with it the only original parts were the shell, gearbox, rear beam and the headlining!! I re-wired it totally, fitted a corrado interior with re-trimmed door cards. The engine was built in the front room and fitted in a rainy gutter somewhere in Cov. It was a 2 litre 16v based on MK3 bits with a reworked (by myself with die grinders and verniers and gusto) head. It was rapid.

Normally I just soldier through but this lot of problems took the wind out of me E30 wise a bit. The lack of driveway stumped me. Nix helped out by donating a drive for a while but I didn't want to do the conversion there as it would have blocked the drive. At this new place I'm at the front garden has just been rotovated in prep for concrete slab drive way.. YES!

Car wise I'm still dreaming of getting an E30 M3 to re-engine. Would solve a few problems.. Manifold wouldn't be so much trouble to mod for a start, and I'd be the dogs danglies driving around in one.

More practically the idea of buying a really really clean 325i se to mod seems sound. I'll be swapping all the running gear anyway and quite fancy the idea of having saphire cosworth seats or proper beemer recaros like the red 325i turbo in PPC last month ( ant_turbo was it??). How much would I have to pay?? I was thinking £1000 or is that too low?

Come on guys, inspire me more. Tales of cheap and good e30's will do nicely.. Especially ones about cheap M3's/325i se's with blown engines (and bloody air-con).