Good evening,
I would first like to thank the guys and girls that did an incredible job making this website, i have gained so much information regarding the E30s all in one place (as well as the awesome guys at E30.de website).
An introduction, i currently own an E82 125i. I got it due to it being a simple NA engine, reliable and fun. Some people call it "the modern E30", which is somewhat true in a sense. However, i also do a lot of track days (i logged 6 track days this summer) and the running costs of the car (brakes, tires, fuel, track day fees etc) have shown it is not cheap. Another big issue for me with the E8x 1 series is the lack of local support, when it comes to track days. I live in Bavaria, Germany, one would think that the E8x is a "popular" choice, but it is not (which i later found out). I had to gather information, parts and upgrades 80% of the time from EU or even from the US imported (more expensive). I have done things such as the RSFBs, M3 arms, track day wheels and tires, bigger 330i front discs and a software tune to bring the power up from the detuned 217hp to around 270-ish. While the car is fun, it lacks that....spark in a sense that reminded me of the E36 328i i grew up with. Make no mistake, it reminds me of the "old BMWs" but it is not really there, very close though.
So i started looking at some used car ads for a clean E30 325i, i saw cheap junkers for €500 to garage queens with less than 80,000 kms for €30K. I am a big DIY and i am fortunate to have a DIY workshop that i rent lifts, press machines, tools etc 30 minutes away from me. After some searching, i found a 1990 E30 325i 4 door with 205,000 kms 3rd owner in Stuttgart (6 hours away from me). I rang up the owner, an amazing guy and he explained everything to me. He owned the car for 4 years and clocked 30,000 kms (he is a busy guy) and drives in in winter and summer.
The car is technically flawless, the engine was rebuilt 3,000 kms ago, due to a cracked cylinder head (common issue). Brand new head, valves, cams, water pump, belts, pulleys, tensioners etc were all replaced. The bottom end got new bearings (crank and rods) but the pistons were never removed (it passed all leak and compression test, and it was done as a "while you are in there" when replacing the oil pan gasket).
All rust has been taken care of (new body panels here and there, sheet metal etc), paint has some minor scratches and one dent due to the neighbour bicycle "kissing" the passenger side door.
Interior is flawless, grey all leather, everything works. The only thing he did not address due to time was the rear subframe and control arm bushings. Which is something i am going to tackle IF the deal goes through.
The car has ABS and AC (i know, but it will be my daily and last thing i want is to sit in 40c+ traffic) as well as the nice factory LSD. Everything has been resealed, fluids changed, filters, plugs etc. The car sounds really good for what i am looking for (original OZ winter wheels from the 80s and BBS summer wheels OE from the 80s no damage, new winter and summer tires).
The only reason he is selling the car, is because the car took a lot of his time, and he wants to go for a Z3, Cayman or E36 M3 "Ring tool" project as a better "base".
The owner works at a Porsche workshop, so he knows how to work on cars, ´how to tackle issues etc (like myself except i am a DIYer). He is busy travelling, but on the 27th i will give him a call and if the weather is good, we shall meet on the 28th or 29th of December. If it snows/rains/bad weather, then early Jan we shall schedule something.
My goal is a reliable daily, that can be repaired/fixed easily and affordable spare parts and a tossable hoot on track days, i am more of a handling/grip fan than speed and i never cared for lap times. I am very excited to drive it and see how it feels and more importantly how it makes me feel. I do not like owning cars for a short time (my opinion) and i am not interested in investing into cars. But something i can keep for years and years and still be that special thing you have parked, that just makes you smile and have a blast is always something i admire.
I apologise for the long post, i will be reporting back on the 27th and report back what happens.
Thank you and enjoy your evening.
Potential new E30 325i new owner
Moderator: martauto
Hell....WOW....
Welcome to the zone mate
Such enthusiasm and your english diction is soooooo much better than most on here and the longer the post the better mate
Let us see some pictures , even before , and we hope you purchase this lovely sounding car.
Mart.
Welcome to the zone mate
Such enthusiasm and your english diction is soooooo much better than most on here and the longer the post the better mate
Let us see some pictures , even before , and we hope you purchase this lovely sounding car.
Mart.
Only the E46 cab left now.
Just got too old.
Just got too old.
Thank you martauto, here are some pictures from the ad:
There are more pictures, but i guess this would do. Not a fan of the stereo/head unit, will probably look for an "old school" one with bluetooth to connect my phone, but that would be it interior wise.
And thank you regarding my English, i am British and American educated after all. But honestly, after learning German i have a "clash of the titans" in my head from time to time ;)
There are more pictures, but i guess this would do. Not a fan of the stereo/head unit, will probably look for an "old school" one with bluetooth to connect my phone, but that would be it interior wise.
And thank you regarding my English, i am British and American educated after all. But honestly, after learning German i have a "clash of the titans" in my head from time to time ;)
Just came back from Stuttgart after seeing the car in person and taking it for a long test drive.
I will be rating the car from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being perfect/like new and 1 being poor.
Exterior: It is a 28 year old car with original paint, one dent on the passenger side door, some minor chips here. Drivers side door has some slight clear coat peeling, i believe some wet sanding and careful fresh clear coat can fix this. All rubber seals have been replaced a couple of years ago. I'd give it over all 8/10 for exterior condition.
Interior: Original grey leather, 28 years old, never re-done/upholstered. Lots of small scratches on the leather, again a leather touch up kit can do wonders. Driver side bolster has the most wear, as expected from entering and exiting the vehicle. Headliner and door panels are good, some light rattle from center console, could be a screw missing or a plastic clip missing. Id give the interior 8/10.
Chassis: I checked all the drain lines, fenders, spare tire etc for any signs of rust. Surprisingly clean and bone dry. The original tool kit has a very light breath of rust finish, indicating that maybe some water seeped from the trunk spoiler. Battery is dry, panels are clean.
Under the car, we went to a garage and i rented a lift for 30 minutes. Rust on the common areas such as most bolts and nuts, brake lines are clean, one thick metal fuel line is rusted (looks cosmetic) needs to be replaced. Light cracking (hairline) around the spring seats on the chassis (it looks like the steam sealer cracked and not rusted through, only grinding it will show the extent). All mounting points are NOT rusted (sway bar on chassis, front and rear subframe etc). Usual rust areas on the front and rear subframe, sway bars etc. Springs show some cosmetic rust (i plan to change them anyways). Clutch pedal felt stiff and heavy, more than normal. The top of the transmission is leaking, the selector seal is probably busted as well as the rear housing seal is wet. Car would need a clutch change, given it is the original and to make it a reliable daily, this needs to be fixed. There is an oil stain on the block, either someone spilled oil when filling the car, or the oil filter is not on properly, or the housing gasket. This area (under the headers) needs to be cleaned and inspected. Rear lower bumper is a nice rusty spot, looks like the only place that needs to be cut and a plat welded, it is small, but should be dealt with asap to prevent it from spreading to the trunk floor. All in all, it is a 7-8/10, it is mostly elbow grease work that will be the key here.
The drive: All electrics work, no issues, slight squeak from center console, as i mentioned. No clunking or noises from the suspension, the clutch however is heavy-ish as i said. Brakes are firm and very strong, steering is heavy and slow, now i see why the Z3 rack is a popular upgrade, something i plan on doing in the future as well.
Car overall is almost a solid 8/10, i calculated €1,000-€1,500 in parts. I plan on replacing all wheel bearings as well, they are the original (all bushings were replaced 2 years ago including RSF). The rest i can do at a DIY, including some light welding. I managed to know €1K off the asking price down to €12,500. Does not sound by much, but promised a full tank of Aral 102 premium fuel (i know, the current owner only tanks with that), as well as getting a 50% used Toyo R88 205/50/15 track tires and original OZ Racing 15x7 ET light wheels that came with the car.
My plan for upgrades, AFTER making it reliable (clutch, leaks, rust etc) is to change the suspension. I am planning on B8 Sprint shocks all round with H&R sport springs with H&R 22 front and 18 rear bars (they are adjustable). Not sure which track wheels i will get, Team Dynamics has nice 15x7 ET20 wheels, but i'd like to run 225/45/15 track tires and a local company (Pro Max) makes some 6.6kgs 15x8 ET 20 wheels (needs eccentric rings to fit 57mm hubs). I also plan on getting rear toe and camber kit, as well as either offset front shock mounts or E36 m3 mounts for more camber. Seats are....well undecided which way to go, need some support on track. Maybe a chip to help run higher octane fuel for a bit more oomph in the engine, undecided as well here. Is it worth getting a mildly lighter flywheel? not too much, just a tad to get some "free revving" response on sports street and track?
Sorry for the long post, but it seems for the price, i ´will not find anything better in this spec, especially with ABS, A/C and a factory LSD (was amazing to see both wheels turning in the same direction on a lift)
Any comments or suggestions would be great. If all goes well, i may pick up the car next week.
I will be rating the car from a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being perfect/like new and 1 being poor.
Exterior: It is a 28 year old car with original paint, one dent on the passenger side door, some minor chips here. Drivers side door has some slight clear coat peeling, i believe some wet sanding and careful fresh clear coat can fix this. All rubber seals have been replaced a couple of years ago. I'd give it over all 8/10 for exterior condition.
Interior: Original grey leather, 28 years old, never re-done/upholstered. Lots of small scratches on the leather, again a leather touch up kit can do wonders. Driver side bolster has the most wear, as expected from entering and exiting the vehicle. Headliner and door panels are good, some light rattle from center console, could be a screw missing or a plastic clip missing. Id give the interior 8/10.
Chassis: I checked all the drain lines, fenders, spare tire etc for any signs of rust. Surprisingly clean and bone dry. The original tool kit has a very light breath of rust finish, indicating that maybe some water seeped from the trunk spoiler. Battery is dry, panels are clean.
Under the car, we went to a garage and i rented a lift for 30 minutes. Rust on the common areas such as most bolts and nuts, brake lines are clean, one thick metal fuel line is rusted (looks cosmetic) needs to be replaced. Light cracking (hairline) around the spring seats on the chassis (it looks like the steam sealer cracked and not rusted through, only grinding it will show the extent). All mounting points are NOT rusted (sway bar on chassis, front and rear subframe etc). Usual rust areas on the front and rear subframe, sway bars etc. Springs show some cosmetic rust (i plan to change them anyways). Clutch pedal felt stiff and heavy, more than normal. The top of the transmission is leaking, the selector seal is probably busted as well as the rear housing seal is wet. Car would need a clutch change, given it is the original and to make it a reliable daily, this needs to be fixed. There is an oil stain on the block, either someone spilled oil when filling the car, or the oil filter is not on properly, or the housing gasket. This area (under the headers) needs to be cleaned and inspected. Rear lower bumper is a nice rusty spot, looks like the only place that needs to be cut and a plat welded, it is small, but should be dealt with asap to prevent it from spreading to the trunk floor. All in all, it is a 7-8/10, it is mostly elbow grease work that will be the key here.
The drive: All electrics work, no issues, slight squeak from center console, as i mentioned. No clunking or noises from the suspension, the clutch however is heavy-ish as i said. Brakes are firm and very strong, steering is heavy and slow, now i see why the Z3 rack is a popular upgrade, something i plan on doing in the future as well.
Car overall is almost a solid 8/10, i calculated €1,000-€1,500 in parts. I plan on replacing all wheel bearings as well, they are the original (all bushings were replaced 2 years ago including RSF). The rest i can do at a DIY, including some light welding. I managed to know €1K off the asking price down to €12,500. Does not sound by much, but promised a full tank of Aral 102 premium fuel (i know, the current owner only tanks with that), as well as getting a 50% used Toyo R88 205/50/15 track tires and original OZ Racing 15x7 ET light wheels that came with the car.
My plan for upgrades, AFTER making it reliable (clutch, leaks, rust etc) is to change the suspension. I am planning on B8 Sprint shocks all round with H&R sport springs with H&R 22 front and 18 rear bars (they are adjustable). Not sure which track wheels i will get, Team Dynamics has nice 15x7 ET20 wheels, but i'd like to run 225/45/15 track tires and a local company (Pro Max) makes some 6.6kgs 15x8 ET 20 wheels (needs eccentric rings to fit 57mm hubs). I also plan on getting rear toe and camber kit, as well as either offset front shock mounts or E36 m3 mounts for more camber. Seats are....well undecided which way to go, need some support on track. Maybe a chip to help run higher octane fuel for a bit more oomph in the engine, undecided as well here. Is it worth getting a mildly lighter flywheel? not too much, just a tad to get some "free revving" response on sports street and track?
Sorry for the long post, but it seems for the price, i ´will not find anything better in this spec, especially with ABS, A/C and a factory LSD (was amazing to see both wheels turning in the same direction on a lift)
Any comments or suggestions would be great. If all goes well, i may pick up the car next week.
Thank you, im just having some issues finding a Sachs clutch kit. LUK is available, but Sachs is out of stock for some reason. From what i gathered, both are OE and some have LUK without issues, while some do, so im deciding which one to go for.
I am also still debating what suspension setup i should go for. I am leaning towards Koni yellows with H&R sport springs and 22mm front bars with 18mm rears. That should be a capable daily and track setup?
Other than those two, lots of work ahead of me.
Sure, i will be starting a new thread under projects section.
Just ordered all new wheel bearings, clutch kit, light steel flywheel, slave cylinder + hose, complete tie rods, rear seal, rear gasket + pilot bearing, transmission rear seal, transmission selector shaft seal, transmission front seal (inside the housing) and some exhaust seals/gaskets/mounts etc.
Next week, i will tackle the bearings + clutch, if i am lucky i will get new B8 Bilsteins + H&R sport springs and H&R sway bars.
However, it is snowing a lot here, the winter tires are 50/50 and i am unsure if i should get new tires or not. I will not be travelling outside the city so i'm not sure.
My first priority is to make is a reliable daily, all other "upgrades" one can do for track days can be tackled later. Unless things are badly worn and makes no sense to go back to OE/OEM (in my case, the damper are shot completely and the rear springs are slightly collapsed, might as well upgrade them to B8s and H&R springs than go to OEM/Stock).