seen an e30 m3 thinking about buying???

[seanboy]

seen an e30 m3 for sale and saw a few problems?

the abs light is on? there would be a number of problems and was wondering if anyone new about little problems or big problems that it could be?

Secondly the steering pulls a bit too the left. could this simply be e46 wheels that are on it shoulnt be and arent balanced as well as the tracking being out? suppose it could be something serious as well?

Thirdly to the engine it runs wel but where the throttle adjustment is running along side are 4 which seem to be 6mm threads sticking out that should have nuts on or something similar on top but there covered in silicone.not explained to well. doesnt seem to be a major problem?

also what else should i be looking out for on a e30 m3

[Fushion_Julz]

You haven't said how old, how much or if the car is a standard or one of the limited edition models...nor if it is claiming to be a 200 or 215bhp car.

ABS? maybe the whell sensors, maybe the control unit or maybe the pump...individually, nothing too expensive, but all together (plus a diagnosis), well....

If it has non-standard wheels, then budget for getting some of the correct offset (ET27) at least...If you want the correct 16" BBS rims, they are hard to find s/h and expensive new...15" ones are (a bit) more reasonable and, if the suspension is standard, E28 non-metric rims will fit (just).
Get the tracking done and the wheels balanced so you can see how it drives (the current owner should do this anyway)...Probably tracking, but is there any evidence of any accident damage?

Remember that these cars were probably driven hard and are more likley to have had a bump than other E30s...

The engine may sound tappity and rattle a bit when cold, but it should rev well and sound sweet warm. They are generally strong, but a decent one will be obvious. It's not a cheap rebuild, so worth finding the best you can...

Other than that: rust....all the usual E30 places, also check for stress cracks around the front strut towers...maybe hidden by the fusebox...Scuttles rust and cos the screen is bonded, this is a more expensive fix than on other E30s...
Round the number plate lights is another favorite place for the tinworm...

The silicone may be covering some nasties...have you ant pictures? Can't really tell from your description what you're on about there....

If you have a look on the BMW-board M-power section there is a wealth of knowledge on these cars...also on S14.net

[maxfield]

I think this is the one on ebay at the moment ??

[Fushion_Julz]

If it's this one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bmw-e30-m3-evo_W0 ... dZViewItem

then it is certainly cheap @ £4500 buy it now...

The wheels look shite, though....
Other negative bits: non standard exhaust and missing the MTech steering wheel. Also seems to have grown an Evo 2 front spoiler and some extra power...238bhp? Yeah, right!! D reg (86/87) cars were all either 200bhp non-cat or 195bhp cat motors...Also has later type Bosch headlights fitted (probably when converted for use in UK). Also states it has an airbag....not on that wheel it doesn't!!

The seller knows little about the car...that sounds a bit suspicious to me...There were around 17000 E30 M3s made, not the 5000 he claims (5000 was the original homologation build that was lined up at the factory at some point end of 86 beginning of 87 for a group photo).

Plus points: as far as is possible to tell from the pics, the interior looks OK...has a 13btn OBC... The body/paint looks in reasonable nick, but there are no underbonnet pics...what is he hiding?

[SamG]

check out under the parcel shelf to see if the metal underneath has been butchered to fit those speakers in.if so its possible that the boot lifting mechanism has been taken out as well as it is directly underneath. which could leave you with a boot you have to hold up when you open it!unless m3 boot mechs are different to normal e30's

[doughboy]

What a coincidence...That M3 is parked up only a few minutes walk from where I work..

I've never seen it moving, it's always parked there....

Incidentally, we have another E30 M3 in the area now....A beautiful red J plate, which lives not too far from this for sale one...