My '88 320i

[Green]

I'd been eyeing up e30's for nearly a year now for a car after i turn 20 and was really planning on getting a 325i (as you do) but due to an unexpected drunken ebay sesh I came to later realizing i'd won a lovely dolphin gray e30.

I went and had a look as it were just down the road and purchased it with no t&t and no history apart from a previous MOT and tax disc from 2008 (when it was last on the road).

I checked VOSA online for it's previous MOT history and it would appear it has a genuine 105k miles on the clock, and will be needing 4 points of welding at all arches (Later verified when looking at it finding all the yellow chalk lines).
I've about a month until i can insure it as my current company won't insure cars over 20 years old so it's sitting on my driveway sad, until my mate finds some time to weld it for me.

Few pics of it at me home.






My dad had a rotten e30 estate sitting around and i'm nabbing the wheels off it before he goes to scrap it in, think they're much better then the bottletops or alpina lookalike things

needs a good clean lol

Also as i'm a newbie e30 owner could someone tell me how to sort out my bumper, appears someone went into a wall or something and knocked it out a little, will this clip back in somehow?

Also it appears the sunroof cable has snapped or came off, I remember trying to fix the one in my capri was a nightmare and i had to take the lining out and everything, so is this going to be the same sort of thing that would probs best have someone that'll leave it looking how it's supposed to after it's finished?

My plans for it are...
A good service! - it's been drowned with oil ;\
Ready it to pass MOT
Lower it a bit to take the landy look away a tad
Performance exhaust with twin tip
After market pannel filter
Clean the engine bay up
Sort out a few dings & scratches
Few personal (not tacky) touches

Help and advice always appriciated as well as your opinions thanks!!



Also thought i'd bung in a pic of my current daily as it's a good icebreaker haha, if anyone went to fast show might've seen me there.

[DaveyB]

rat ftw!

[Craig_C]

Hello, you're in my neck of the woods! BM looks good, and like yourself I'm in to Fords too, (got an RS Turbo in my garage).

Not in to 'rat' look unless the car's genuinely got like that over time but hey, it's your car!

[adit]

congratulations on your first E30 mate. nice colour, is it Dolphin Grey?
it will definitely look better with a set of nice clean 15" x-spokes on.
you would probably be better off taking the front bumper off (remove very stiff 2 x "upside down" Torx bolts at the front and slide forward and disconnect indicator connectors), then having a look at refitting it straight.

[Green]

Hello, you're in my neck of the woods! BM looks good, and like yourself I'm in to Fords too, (got an RS Turbo in my garage).

Not in to 'rat' look unless the car's genuinely got like that over time but hey, it's your car!

I would like to get an unmolestered FRST in the future for Ford shows, but that'll be a long time away ;(
My ratty shed started off life as a piss take on corsa boy racers.. but I somehow got carried away after a tin of nitromous Lol. Each to their own still.

congratulations on your first E30 mate. nice colour, is it Dolphin Grey?
it will definitely look better with a set of nice clean 15" x-spokes on.
you would probably be better off taking the front bumper off (remove very stiff 2 x "upside down" Torx bolts at the front and slide forward and disconnect indicator connectors), then having a look at refitting it straight.

Thanks, and yeah Dolphin Grey's the one. I tried to get some paint in halfords earlier today but it seems they don't do it all, so i'm Guessing i'm off to BMW for that!
X spoke's being the new wheels i've got right? I just noticed they're X's all the way around haha. Have trial fitted two on today and they definately look much better but a bit monster truckish since the 14's are on the other side.
And thanks for the bumper advice i shall look at that tomorrow if i have time before work.

Lovely e30's there, are they both yours?

[adit]

yes, cross-spokes/basket weaves are the 15" optional/standard OEM alloys.

the two under covers on the drive, the dolphin grey sport and the touring are mine, the Vulcan grey one is another zoner's, who was collecting some parts.

[Green]

Very nice collection you have there!!

Thought i'd add a couple of pics after putting the BBS on and giving them a good clean, you can see in the previous pic the condition of one, and they was all rather dull like that.
So a small cup of wonderwheels and an hour later in the cold and hail





Looks much better then the bottletop's!

My mate came around today and quoted me about £20 a plate for the welding so it should cost about £80 to have all 4 corners done for the MOT Pretty happy with that.

[Foe]

Yep agree those wheels look nicer

[Tedswagon]

Nice car - please don't rat it - or whatever you call it!

[e30shed]

Nice to see a few more people from MK/N'ton area on the zone.

I can occasionally be seen rattling up and down the A5 as my folks live in Stony & the missus' folks in delightful Bletchley.

Dolphin grey with 15" BBS - can't go wrong...

[Green]

Yep agree those wheels look nicer

Thanks! :]

Nice car - please don't rat it - or whatever you call it!

Oh God no! Haha, this one is staying a tidy motor, only 'mod' appearance wise instore for it is lowering really.
Depending if it works out cheaper getting a new bonnet resprayed or my current dings etc taken out it could possibly end up with a rusty bonnet but I very much doubt I'll want to still!

Nice to see a few more people from MK/N'ton area on the zone.

I can occasionally be seen rattling up and down the A5 as my folks live in Stony & the missus' folks in delightful Bletchley.

Dolphin grey with 15" BBS - can't go wrong...

Might see you one day rolling down it once in a blue moon

From the looks of a lot of e30's here, you can't really go wrong with 15" BBS at all haha.

[Green]

Has been a long month in terms of slow progress!

Sorted all the mot work out from the previous mot it failed on before i got it and Failed, so sorted that work out, took it to a different garage because i didn't like the garage i originally took it too (They seemed rather cowboyish) and it failed again on different stuff, so replaced both lower control arms and bushes and put it back in for a sheet of green.

Got tax sorted last monday and was out and about driving around loving it in the sunshine. Got to saturday and fuel pump gave out bah!

I've had a few bits and bobs come through for the car in the last week but not in a rush to fix them to it. I have sprayed the grills and bumpers etc for a fresh look and slapped some tinting film on the lights and that's about it.



I also attempted to adjust my valve clearances.. the tappy noise didn't change but it felt a bit more "UMPH" in it. Just waiting on my mate to find his spring compressors now..!

[Green]

Thought I might as well show a few updates as it's been a while, not much really changed though!

Had my rather ugly n/s corner sorted from



to this



My mate offered to make me an upswept single exhaust... sounds really nice but set my bumper on fire



And of course I did get around to getting some new springs put in it... which shall soon be revamped with some decent sport set up eventually



Currently she's off the road as i bent the rear arm, and thanks to Trev for sorting me out a pair and some new 51mm legs, and Thom for the subframe and new bumpers I'll be slowly replacing parts everyother week seeing as I'm back in full time work (hooray!)

Currently driving around in my corsa again.. already can't way to have the e30 back on the road

[Green]

Back on the road and happy to have it back!

Quick photo my mate took the other night to celebrate