`85 325e Orig Owner in SoCal - Towing Info & Parts?

[TomT]

Hello from Orange CA SoCal -

My intro:

I'm the original owner of my USA 1985 325e E30 Coupe purchased new on 5/7/85 in OC, in Cosmos Blue with Pearl Beige interior, still all stock but repainted in original color in 2006, & will repaint again soon due to prior shop's paintwork problems.

Other classics of interest are our 1973 914-2.0 "914S" ( 2nd owner since 1975 - known as the 914SC in the UK), 1988 VW Vanagon CamperGL Westfalia (original owner since 4/16/88, known as the T25 in the UK), 1970 Eriba Puck (USA Export Model - currently towing with the Westfalia), & 1960 Avion T20 (#2 T20 off the line & looks like an Airstream - but better, currently towing with rented pick-up trucks, but we're looking for a 2008-14 V8 Cayenne S or something to buy).

I've attached some pix of them FYI - sorry for the sideways one, as it's correctly shown upright in my file - the 914 is as current pre-resto/in progress - & NO, we don't tow the big Avion with our Westy, as it's +/- 3000 lbs & 542 lbs TW/HW!

We daily drive the 325e & Westy, my 914S was whacked in May 1985 after a full rolling resto, garaged since then & now getting a full resto/repair. These are the 3rd, 4th & 5th cars ever which I've/we've owned since my 1st car in Fall 1969 - when I got a 1968 Opel Kadette 2dr Notchback Coupe 1.1L (base model, 2nd owner as #1, & #2 was a 1969 Pontiac Ventura 4dr Hardtop (no B-pillar) with a 400 cu in V8 that I took over from my Dad in Summer 1971 when my Opel died. I sold the huge Pontiac 5-10 mpg in early 1976, after I got my 914S due to the Oil Crisis rationing & price increases - & because the 914 is a fun sports car. Other than those first 2, I keep & drive my cars, or will again soon in the case of my 914S!

In my younger days, I'd played Soccer in high school & college, American Football from age 7 to high school, & Rugby Union for 26 years in high school, college, grad school, SoCal Div I Club & Old Boys 1970-96 - & our club toured the UK in 1978 & Australia in 1980. My wife & I also honeymooned in the UK & Ireland in Aug/Sept 1985. So we're familiar with your lovely Isles!


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Info & Parts Needed:

I am looking for the towing specs on my USA Spec 325e 2dr, which BMW chose NOT to put in my owner's manual, & trying to locate a BMW Factory Tow Hitch for my 325e, which is a big bumper/diving board USA car. For the factory towing ratings for my 85 325e, I'm looking for braked & unbraked weight bearing, & same for weight distributing, and same for the hitch weight/tongue weight. I've seen some online forums' quote specs of 500 kg unbraked & 1200 kg braked for load bearing.

You may not get weight distributing hitch towing specs in the UK/Europe due to the governments there outlawing WD hitches since the 1960's (yes I'm that old!), contrary to the safety which they provide for larger trailers, but they wanted to protect your trailer/caravan makers from the evil USA manufacturers!

If you have them in a document, can you please email the spec page(s) with those numbers, else give me the link(s).

We're looking to tow our "new to us" vintage 1970 Eriba Puck, which probably won't touch those limits at its 660 lbs dry/empty & 1000+/- lbs. wet/loaded & 70-100 lbs HW/TW weights - but I want to know the BMW factory parameters, which do not appear in my owner's manual.


I am looking for the following new/NOS or nice condition used Factory Parts:

1. BMW/OEM Full Assembly or Partial/Parts for 1985 E30 Hitch Option for either USA or UK/Euro Gooseneck type Ball - for my big "diving board" bumper 1985 325e 2dr Coupe (so we can tow the Puck with it too).

2. BMW/OEM 2dr Right Side (our US/LHD passenger side) Power Window Motor for my 1985 325e 2dr Coupe - either just the motor, or motor with the regulator.

3. 1985 USA Spec or Equal Left & Right Taillight Assemblies - Lenses, Housings & Gaskets - as either assemblies or individual parts, for my 1985 325e 2dr Coupe.


Any info & leads on parts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx in Advance!

Cheers!
Tom T
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[Brianmoooore]

Welcome to the zone! Nice collection of vehicles there.
Don't have anything specific for the 325e, because it wasn't a UK model, but all the others are rated at a 50Kg downwards load on the towbar, and a maximum weight of a trailer with over run brakes of 1200Kg.
The heaviest load I've towed with a 325i touring was an E34 on a trailer, which did begin to feel like pushing things a little, but I've towed a 1400Kg caravan many 1000s of miles all over Europe, mostly at illegal speeds, with no problem at all.

[TomT]

Thanx Brian.

While not a high revving high HP 6 - the USA 325e at 170 lb/ft of torque SAE (121 HP SAE) - would be the same towing power as any other 325i or other M20 I-6 powered E30 over there, because it has more torque than all of the 6's except the 325is/325is-EHP & 333i, & maybe the diesels.

I've seen some Euro/UK specs online for the E30 - apparently with all engines - at 500 kg / 1102 lbs unbraked & at 1200 kg / 2646 lbs with brakes - so that would require & imply that they would then be TUV rated for a 10% to 15% normal hitch/tongue wt. (HW/TW) required of at least 120 kg / 265 lbs for 10%. At least 10% of HW/TW is required to keep the trailer from swaying/snaking due to lack of hitch/tongue wt.

So if you have the towing specs for your 325i Touring - or for any 323, 325 or even a 320 M20 I-6 - then that would give me what BMW would've rated it for under their German TUV process, which is/was very similar to (or back then better than) our USA DOT rating & testing process.

As for your towing a 1400 kg Caravan (3086 lbs) with your 325i Touring - I wouldn't want to try that with my 325e just due to braking & tongue/hitch wt. concerns, plus the longer distances & many steep grades here in the USA. We have over the years easily done 2000 - 6000 mi XC trips here in the States, with many tall mountain ranges to cross - so I'd need both power & braking to do that, & now that we're retired, we plan to travel more per year than just one trip - including many long weekends towing to vintage trailer rallies.

But you are brave to do so with your 325i Touring + 1400 kg Caravan, since it's about the same weight as our Avion!

So maybe I'll give it a try if I can get a proper hitch & strengthening set-up - vs. a factory Euro style one, but set-up to attach at the same points as the factory hitches. It also gives me some ideas for looking for a 1990s - early 2000s V8 540i or ix Touring as a realistic option too! I really prefer a lower Touring body over a tall SUV. You've got me thinking!

Our 1960 Avion T20 brochure from back-in-the-day is factory spec'd at 2680 lbs & 285 lbs hitch/tongue wt. dry & excluding options - & she's about 3000+/- lbs or 1365+/- kg wet & loaded as we are now, with 542 lbs HW/TW due to the Hensley hitch & 2x 30 lbs Propane tanks on the A-frame. I can offset that HW/TW with different loading of the Avion to better balance it over the single axle - down to 10% or +/- 300 lbs.

I do have an excellent Hensley Cub WD & AS hitch on our Avion, but it adds 160 lbs to the tongue wt. & added WD stresses which would need to be carried forward on the 540i/ix's or 325e's unibody up to or forward of the rear suspension sub-assembly. However, the Avion tracks dead straight even with crosswinds, 18-wheeler semi-trucks, etc. trying to push & upset it with that Hensley WD/AS hitch.

A couple of years ago I'd looked at the V8 Porsche 928S/S4 before for potentially towing our Avion - & the 928 had a TUV braked rating for about 4800 lbs / 2200 kg trailer wt. & 485 lbs / 220 kg hitch wt. IIRC - but my wife wanted a "real back seat" & more cargo room (dang!! ). So I never got to try a 928 out towing our Avion, but did test drive a few candidates unhitched!

Also, we've actually towed the Avion with rented 2012-13 4.0L V6 Nissan Pathfinders which was a tad sluggish & it's auto-trans was constantly searching for the right gear - even on the flats at freeway speeds (+/- 65 mph). So that's why I was looking at something mid-sized with a V8.

Cheers!
Tom
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[martauto]

Welcome to the zone Tom, I hope you find it a wealth of information


Mart.