Newbie with my first E30. 325i SE 2 door content.

[mk1junkie]

Afternoon all, hope everyone is well.

Just thought i'd introduce myself. I'm Craig from Co. Durham and me and my girlfriend Lynne have just purchased an 88' E30 325i SE.

I've been into watercooled VW's for the last 15 years but after seeing a nice example on a recent trip abroad my girlfriend decided that we should own an E30.

Photo time:

Our MK1 golf Cabby



And our new purchase:














The car has 102,000 miles, loads of history and every MOT from new. I've only had a quick look at really since buying it but i drove it 130 miles home and it ran spot on. Its essentially mechanically sound but has bodywork issues. I probably would have preferred it the other way round but never mind. On quick inspection the floor seems really good but it'll need rear arch work, new wings and some sill work along with a new front bumper.

The interior is really good with only the drivers seat having an issue with the stiching coming away at the to of the back boalster. The dash is really good with no cracks.

Spec wise the car comes with 15" alloys, OBC, headlight washers and wipers, rear spoiler, rear arm rest, rear intergrated window blind, rear pop out quarter windows. I don't know whats standard and what was an extra so please feel free to shed some light on this for me. I'f anyone could tell me what spec seats the car has i'd appreciate it.

I know absolutely nothing about E30's but i'm looking forward to getting stuck into it. Bodywork restoration will be the priority then maybe a set of wheels and some suspension but nothing major.

It will certainly be a learning curve for me but i'm hoping E30zone will be a wealth of insparation and information.

Please feel free to give me any pointers/thoughts etc, they are all appreciated.

Many Thanks

Craig

PS. what is the button in front of the drivers side window switch for as mine is broke and i cant see what its for.

[svenga]

Good look Craig, judging by your Euro-style Dub the outcome of this should be interesting

There are plenty of people on here to help!

[bss325i]

Hi and welcome to the zone.

Standard '88 325iSE spec would have been 13 button OBC, Headlight WW, electric sunroof and windows, pop out rear windows, rear centre arm rest. Optional extras your car has are the 15" BBS, rear blind, Mtechnic 1 steering wheel and the BMW sport seats.

Looking at the ride height in the pictures it might even have Mtechnic suspension, another optional extra. Also worth checking to see if it has an LSD (another option), to check this there should still be a metal tag held on by one of the diff's back plate bolts. It should read S3.91 or S3.73 or S3.64. The S denotes that its and LSD so if its just 3.91, 3.73 etc then no LSD. The tag will be rusty so a wire brush will be needed.

Another thing worth doing is to go to your local BMW dealer and ask for a spec sheet print out. Give them you last seven digits of the cars chassis number for this. It will tell you all the equipment the car was fitted with when built including options ordered, the selling dealer and the build date of the car.

Check everywhere for rust!!

Oh and enjoy!

[brent007]

wow, the golf is mint mate, dont want another e30 for it do you mate, lol

[mk1junkie]

wow, the golf is mint mate, dont want another e30 for it do you mate, .

Thanks very much but i'll have my work cut out with 1 E30.

[Tedswagon]

Looks like an Honest car. Looks like the passenger door is wrong colour!

I have keep fit windows in mine, so no expert, but I think the button is to pop up if there is a fault in the window mechanism.

Is the car really pink or is it the photo? Red ones are notorious for fading. Many way discussed on here for colour restoration.

Most parts are available on here either thro Genuine stealers or in the parts section.

Rust in your wing and below the rear towing eye are common and not the worst things to find!

[mk1junkie]

The passenger door is actually the right colour, its the quarter and wing that are the wrong colour . I do detailing services from my garage so i'll machine detail the car as a temporay measure when I get a chance but really it wants a full shoot.

I've had a poke around the car and rust wise it doesn't look too bad:

Both front wings are shot, (i've already managed to get one good used wing in colour for £12)
Rear arches are shot from the 12 to 3 position and will need new sections welding in.
Both inner archs have some rot again from the top down to the sill.
Theres a hole in the spare wheel well
Front valance is well gone. (anyone any idea on price of a replacement)
Theres some corrosion in the bottom of the battery tray well.

Its also had a plate welded in the back panel and under the fuse box in the engine bay. (Is the latter a common place)

Footwells and floor are all solid thankfully.

Thanks for the info on the switch, i'll have to get a new one.

I'll get some photo's up of problem areas and the like this evening.

[mk1junkie]

Oh yeah..... it obviously doesn't like the rain.

It had been p'ing it down all last night and this morning and driving to work it was running like crap missing and running on 4 etc.

Anyone had similar issues. I'm assuming it'll just be moisture getting into the ignition system but havne'nt really had time to look at it today.

[bigredbmw]

welcome to the zone m8

[iceox]

yeh the battery tray is pretty common mines had it done (better to have it done than need it done)
not to shore on the damp thing but i'm shore someone will tell ya

welcome to the zone

[scottidog]

Probably just damp mate. Welcome to the zone.

[mk1junkie]

Ok so some pictures of the problem areas:

OSR arch


Spare wheel well


Top of OSR inner arch (a common place i've been told)


Underneath battery tray (someones had a go at tiding it up before)


NSR Arch


Front valance (completley shagged)


And a pic of the engine bay, needs a good scrub.

[mk1junkie]

Well that was short lived.





After only 20 days of ownership Lynne had an altercation with a signpost last night. It was pissing down with rain and the rear stepped out on her as she exited a roundabout.

The main thing is she's ok though.

Car is not worth repairing as complete inner wing looks to be away. Engine turns fine but will not start. Do these have a fuel cut-off switch? If so can anyone point me in its direction.

Car will now be getting broken for parts so please give me a shout if theres anything you require. I'll get a post up in the classifieds once i start breaking it.

Don't know if we'll be getting another one straight away as Lynne is now vary of the rear wheel drive without traction control and she is the one who use's it the most.

I'm gutted about the car as I loved driving it but like I said I'm just pleased she's ok.

RIP E30.

[aj_mckay]

Ouch!! I was about to say you've got your work cut out with all that rust but it looks like you've been saved a job now! Glad everyone's ok though.

[bigwinn]

shame- just glad everyone got out ok... you going to get another one?

Also, has the insurance man got the old one, or any chance of grabbing the headlamp wash off it before it goes....

[Tedswagon]

Jezus, thats bad luck, glad no one was hurt. If and when you are breaking it find out what everything is worth.

Looks like a clean sport interior, BBS look good too, Centre caps worth almost as much as the wheels, tech 1 steering wheel, on board computer, headlight washers, rust free sunroof panel etc etc.

Like most of us your life will not be the same until you get another one! I would keep all the parts and find a poverty spec for cheap and get em swapped over.

[Tedswagon]

Have you seen this one? http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=180839 You have all the parts you need to do a swap and its not that far away!

[Brianmoooore]

Try to get the wreck under your control. It's worth many times more in pieces than any insurance company is likely to pay out. It will probably be classified as a Cat B, so you will be unable to buy it back.
Much simpler to keep hold of it from the start!

[mk1junkie]

Thanks for the comments guys. The car is back at my garage. I'm not gonna put it through the insurance company although the Police said that the council are likely to claim of my insurance for the signpost.

I don't think we'll be getting another one straight away. Lynne needs to use the car everyday for work as we use the MK1 Cabby as a summer toy and I think she'll be put off the RWD after this.

I kind of feel responseble(sp) as she wanted an E30 but I insisted we buy a 2.5. It never occured to me that she might have problems with the RWD.

Did any E30's ever come with traction control?

[Felix79]

I don't think they did. Closest thing to it would have been an LSD.

Ask almost anyone who has owned e30's for a length of time and we can all tell you tales of the back stepping out on a wet roundabout. Unfortiantly when you been in FWD cars or more modern RWD like your e39 you get bad habbits which can get you facing the direction you just came from.

I wouldn't feel guilty about getting the 2.5 because she could have done it just as easily in an 1.8 .

[Alex]

Woops

on a more positive note it looked quite a rotten car so plenty money to make in breaking it to put towards another car

ps: where in Co. Durham are you ?

[mk1junkie]

Hi Alex. I'm in East Durham. I live in Murton but i have my own garage in Easington Lane.

[mk1junkie]

Car now breaking for spares.

See here:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 06#2006906