My e30 Build, from California!

[KIRIEIW]

How's it going guys? Besides the fact that almost everyone on this fourm is from a different country then me, Ive been enjoying browsing! You guys always post all the cool parts I need but shipping is killer I'll prob be posting some tweeters and rear premium sound speakers up for sale as I have a few laying around, hard to sell in the USA lol


Anyways, the story about the car in the picture is during a smog test the smog tester didn't put a fan in front of the car”¦ slowly over heated with out the tester knowing and ended up blowing the head so heres were i found it, sitting for 15 years in my dads friends backyard because his kids, nor him wanted to fix it all in all, can't go wrong with a free e30 ;) Plus 100% rust free

IMG_0240 by kirieiw, on Flickr
Then while browsing my local craigslist.org I found a totaled e30. So now I had a parts e30! It had lots of goodies, a 86k: transmission, driveshaft, LSD, M20b25, along with rip free interior (sport), crack free dash and a Mtech 1 steering wheel! Best $900 i spent


IMG_0270 by kirieiw, on Flickr

As you can see that car was completely totaled, even though it had a clear title. My dad had no interest in leaving 2 e30s in his driveway at once so we had to dissemble the totaled one then pick up the other e30 sitting for 15 years after, no worries its not like its going anywhere anyway! Heres a pic i snapped of my dad shaking hands with the guy who totaled the car, Oh story why its totaled is it hydroplaned on the freeway during heavy rain, defentyly was a clean e30 till that happened.


IMG_0298 by kirieiw, on Flickr

And the interior in it

IMG_0272 by kirieiw, on Flickr

And the work place were all this will take place, Car covered in the garage is my dads 65' fastback, and the blue e46 is the car I sold last year cause all i need is my e30

IMG_0403 by kirieiw, on Flickr

[KIRIEIW]

Forgot to post some pics of pulling the engine out, we took it out with the tranny still attached

IMG_0344 by kirieiw, on Flickr
IMG_0345 by kirieiw, on Flickr

And heres a pic of when we picked up the other car to get it towed to my dads. Yes, it came already lowered
edit: I ended up installing the b12 kit which you see in the pics farther down with the new wheels


IMG_0478 by kirieiw, on Flickr

And the only time the dog will be aloud in the car, because the interior is being trashed. Posted a ad oncraigslist for a week of the price of FREE and not one call! Tossed it all in a dumpster, including carpets, seats ect.
IMG_0481 by kirieiw, on Flickr

Heres the car next the the e46
IMG_0505 by kirieiw, on Flickr

[KIRIEIW]

Paint cleaned up alright”¦ (right vs left side on trunk)
IMG_0502 by kirieiw, on Flickr

And a extreme fast forward, the new i motor dropped in. Still have the old e in the backyard to this day
IMG_0651 by kirieiw, on Flickr

also a pic i found of laying in the gray carpet after trashing the old blue
IMG_0650 by kirieiw, on Flickr

I think i can eat off of this
IMG_0654 by kirieiw, on Flickr

[KIRIEIW]

DSC_0320 by kirieiw, on Flickr
DSC_0322 by kirieiw, on Flickr
DSC_0337 by kirieiw, on Flickr


Then I got some beautiful euroweaves (actually extremely rare in the USA lol) and I'm loving them! Also tinted the windows 20% rear and 50% up front but no pics, along with e30 floor mats i got at the junkyard for 6 bucks

E30 alpine white 325 by kirieiw, on Flickr
E30 alpine white 325 by kirieiw, on Flickr
E30 alpine white 325 by kirieiw, on Flickr
E30 alpine white 325 by kirieiw, on Flickr

[KIRIEIW]

And how it is currently (as of Jul 16th )


Did a oil Change last month, I'm 300 miles till the tranny and engine hit 100k! Along with the odometer of course!
I'm starting to get board of my current wheels so I'm trying to figure out what to get next.
Some more pics. Looks like I haven't updated in a while so the
new parts are:,
-Smileys (traded my extra transmission and the guy gave me $100 bucks)
-Awesome hounds tooth door cards
-Got a better shape Black iS spoiler (off a schwartz car; no more plasti-dip)
-Replaced CPS
-55L fuel gauge (euro) edit: actually i guess the word is "stock" around here
-Tints; 50% Front 20% Rear
-Tucked bumpers by using rear diving board vert shocks and plastic bumper front shocks; no half ass drilling to tuck bumpers
-Got new M-Stripes for the steering wheel from the dealer

Plans still:
-Get a new driveshaft (U-Joints are slowly failing)
-Go Ground Control; and lower by an inch all around
-BBS RZ's if I can find a set for a good price
-Rust free euro bumpers from one of you guys









And these are one the way to Bimmerfest (big fest-able in Los Angles, CA over 3000+ cars!






And the only pic of my Dad's and my car together (other then the driveway) He sold it, currently looking for a hard top coupe. Crazy how much prices have gone up one these cars since I acquired mine (crazy prices in the United States!).

05 - X6paBpV by kirieiw, on Flickr

[jmc330i]

Good work That looks very tidy, especially after being sat for so long!

You guys always post all the cool parts I need but shipping is killer

I'd happily swap our parts for one of your 'sat for 15yrs, rust free shell' (but you can keep the US spec bumpers )

[aimlessrock]

Beautiful car, It's such a shame about the diving boards..
they really do kill the lines on an e30.

Good thread mate.

[KIRIEIW]

Oh comon no one wants to trade my bumpers for yours?? No but I probably hate them as much as you guys. Thanks for the comments guys!

[h2ggv]

very nice top work

[DanThe]

Nice rust free E30

Is the cooked lump an eta? Easy to build a higher comp engine with the parts you already have

What year is the car by the way?

[KIRIEIW]

Nice rust free E30

Is the cooked lump an eta? Easy to build a higher comp engine with the parts you already have

What year is the car by the way?

Thank you! Well when I got the car it had a blown head gasket with 220k miles, found a parts car with 85k (325i; m20b25) and I swapped that in after regasket'ing the whole engine. So the car was originally a eta. The car is about to got on 100k miles now (250 miles) and the chassis will have 235k. I thought of going 2.7i but didn't because California smog regulations are the WORST! If I would bring a 323i touring here, I would need to swap in a 325i engine in, they won't pass it.

Edit: Cars a 87'

[KIRIEIW]

So is anyone wondering what happened to my parts car? Well the metal man took it... literally, when I chopped it into pieces he took all the scrap with out asking me. It was gone when I woke up.

First I made it a convertible
IMG_0399 by kirieiw, on Flickr

Little more cut up
IMG_0434 by kirieiw, on Flickr

and that's a full scrap pile of a e30 in the right corner...Click the pic!!

IMG_0443 by kirieiw, on Flickr

[G-Bear]

Excellent work and lovely looking car as a result. Those last few pictures is like watching an episode of Dexter..

[Mitchen]

Nice read! Great looking car!

[Fastroad]

Great work, nice car and loved the pictures.

Especially this one, nice M3 captured too

[E30Kop]

Wow nice car your have there.

Sorry if I missed it but did you fit the 'plastic bumper' valance to a chromie?

Those bumpers GOT to go hey.

Also, your bonnet insulation, is that a stock BMW item as ours in South Africa is a 3 piece foam item.

[DanThe]

Yes it looks like its had a facelift valance fitted, would look better with the early valance and 'euro' chrome bumpers IMO

The sound deadening is an eta thing, same part was fitted to the diesel cars, different to the M3 part

[Automaton]

Hey great going so far.

You forgot to edit out this:

"Anyways, thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed the progress of the car. Its currently my prized possession and I'm really happy i made the switch from e46fanatics to r3vlimited!"

No offence meant

[KIRIEIW]

Hey great going so far.

You forgot to edit out this:

"Anyways, thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed the progress of the car. Its currently my prized possession and I'm really happy i made the switch from e46fanatics to r3vlimited!"

No offence meant

uhh oh. Gotta edit that quick! I wrote the build thread about a year ago and just decided to post it on here as well.

[KIRIEIW]

Wow nice car your have there.

Sorry if I missed it but did you fit the 'plastic bumper' valance to a chromie?

Those bumpers GOT to go hey.

Also, your bonnet insulation, is that a stock BMW item as ours in South Africa is a 3 piece foam item.

Hey, so you are right, I did put on a plastic bumper car valance onto my car. I don't have any before or after pics but you can see what was on the car when I got it (first pic). Someone send me some bumpers and a valance

Also by "bonnet" do you mean the hood liner/ material on the under side? If that's what you mean, all cars had the style mine has until about 1990 (I'm not exactly sure of when they switched) but I personally like mine better.

[E30Kop]

Yes yes spot on Bonnet = hood & boot = trunk

That is SOOOOO much better than that foam crap. It looks more like what on the E36/46 models

I kinda like the PB valance on your car I must say, although I am a PB kinda guy

[KIRIEIW]

Hey thanks guys, I'm looking into wheels now. I can't seem to have the heart to put new tires on these wheels. What would you put on this car for under $1100USD? (price not including tires)