Introduction & my 325 Sport

[zaust]

Leave it as it is. Sweet as fella...

[bss325i]

Yeah, I understand some would not want to put any milage on something so low, but I wanted a car to enjoy driving and not run into the ground at the same time which would have happened with a higher milage example. Sure the value would reduce but I really can't see myself selling nor the milage going up very much at all after this year.

Thanks for your kind comments

Cheers
Paul

I'm with you on this one. I bought my sport 18 months ago with 32000 on it but have used it near enough every day since and the milage has crept up to 47000 now and also lives outside for the forseable future.

I definately wont sell now after all the work i have put into it.

Once again lovely sport and hope to see it/you at some of the shows this summer.

[csl]

Excuse my ignorance but whats 'IIRC'?

Sorry mate,but yes, it is as stated above.........If i'm honest,i've only just found out myself and this is the first time i've used it !

Don't have to explain yourself on the mileage thou mate cos i know where your coming from,as i have a Sport too and it's just a great drive. I was more interested in the fact you found a Sport ,as recent as 5 years ago with such low mileage !

The price you have been quoted for that back panel is very good from BMW and for me that would be the decideing factor............it would be fitted

[Paul325Sport]

I definately wont sell now after all the work i have put into it.

Once again lovely sport and hope to see it/you at some of the shows this summer.

Sounds like you've got a real nice example there, what work have you put in if you don't mind me asking?

Yeah, really looking forward to visiting some show's this year and meeting some like minded people.

The price you have been quoted for that back panel is very good from BMW and for me that would be the decideing factor............it would be fitted

Cheers mate, you've helped me decide. The cars booked in for some work next Thursday so once done I will put my order in at BMW and hopefully get some sun to take a few updated pics. I may need to find a better location than the driveway though.

I'm really getting a feel for the community on the zone and hope to see many of you and your cars at some show's later in the year.

Cheers guy's
Paul.

[suchy]

Not usually a big fan of red cars but your Sport really looks the business- sits pretty, geni Alp's and deep shiney paintwork. Even looks ok with the eyebrows (which I'm also not a fan of!) but yeah agree without them would look even better. I've only owned mine for about 3yrs and have managed to keep the milage as low as possible as he's running big miles but still pulls like a train. You're very lucky to have found such a good, low milage example- keep it that way eh?

[Paul325Sport]

Cheers Suchy.

I was never a fan of red cars either as I was originally looking for a black one, but after being ordered by friends to travel the 100 miles to look at it, I feel for it pretty much straight away. It is a nightmare though as I had the rear spoiler re-painted when I bought it and it needs doing again now, damn porus plastic.

Paul

[suchy]

I think the 100 miles was worth it then! How about some engine and interior shots? That'll make you clean up under the bonnet

[bss325i]

I definately wont sell now after all the work i have put into it.

Once again lovely sport and hope to see it/you at some of the shows this summer.

Sounds like you've got a real nice example there, what work have you put in if you don't mind me asking?

Yeah, really looking forward to visiting some show's this year and meeting some like minded people.

The price you have been quoted for that back panel is very good from BMW and for me that would be the decideing factor............it would be fitted

Cheers mate, you've helped me decide. The cars booked in for some work next Thursday so once done I will put my order in at BMW and hopefully get some sun to take a few updated pics. I may need to find a better location than the driveway though.

I'm really getting a feel for the community on the zone and hope to see many of you and your cars at some show's later in the year.
Cheers guy's

Paul.

Despite the low milage of my car its paint wasn't mint. It was owned from new by an elderly guy who must not have been able to park as the were a few scuffs and car park dents so i decided on a complete respray. I also replaced the cloth interior with the best original bmw leather interior i could find. The suspension has be upgraded to eibach springs, bilstein B8 shock absorbers and H&R anti roll bars. Genuine alpinas, a stainless exhaust system and a BTB exhaust manifold have also been added. The direction im going with it now is to build it to alpina C2 2.7 spec as i have all the parts to do it. Other than this its had what ever it needs maitainence wise.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ly+painted

The e30zone comunity as a whole is great with a lot of friendly, helpful, like minded people and is always welcoming to new people. As said before it would be great to see you and your car at the shows and meets this year and there will be plenty due to the e30 25th aniversary this year.

[corkie]

Thats SICK

[Paul325Sport]

I think the 100 miles was worth it then! How about some engine and interior shots? That'll make you clean up under the bonnet

Your a cruel man suchy, making me take pictures of the non clean area under the bonnet, but I took a couple for you on Sunday . Feel free to abuse me for not cleaning the big thing in the middle, err engine is it?





The interior was originally grey cloth as you can probably tell from the door cards, but a previous owner sourced a set of leather seats which was a result. I have no intention of trying to source the leather door cards as I think the cloth inserts set the look off quite well.

Despite the low milage of my car its paint wasn't mint. It was owned from new by an elderly guy who must not have been able to park as the were a few scuffs and car park dents so i decided on a complete respray. I also replaced the cloth interior with the best original bmw leather interior i could find. The suspension has be upgraded to eibach springs, bilstein B8 shock absorbers and H&R anti roll bars. Genuine alpinas, a stainless exhaust system and a BTB exhaust manifold have also been added. The direction im going with it now is to build it to alpina C2 2.7 spec as i have all the parts to do it. Other than this its had what ever it needs maitainence wise.

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ly+painted

The e30zone comunity as a whole is great with a lot of friendly, helpful, like minded people and is always welcoming to new people. As said before it would be great to see you and your car at the shows and meets this year and there will be plenty due to the e30 25th aniversary this year.

Yeah, I've had a good look through your post before and again today. The effort you've put in is fantastic and the car looks absolutely stunning, a real credit to the effort you've put in, and money my word that must have cost a few english pounds!!! Looking forward to reading about the engine upgrade

The suspension ugrades you have done are of real interest to me as I have been pondering the same upgrade. How have you found the suspension now that it's settled?

Hopefully see you soon.

Paul.

[Speedtouch]

What do the switches next to the handbrake lever do? Never seen them in that position before!

[Paul325Sport]

What do the switches next to the handbrake lever do? Never seen them in that position before!

When I bought the car it had an electric rear blind which was great when it worked, but it kept breaking so I removed it. I'm hoping to put it back in at a later date but need to replace the motor.

Cheers
Paul.

[Speedtouch]

Interesting, wonder if that was a factory-fit accessory?

[Paul325Sport]

Interesting, wonder if that was a factory-fit accessory?

It's not listed on the original sales spec sheet and I'm not even sure if it's an official BMW blind as the only one I know about is the manual rear blind.

[Speedtouch]

Yes, I've never heard of it before. Sounds rather swish!

[Simon]

It was an option on the E34's, never seen one on an E30 though.

I would suspect it's an aftermarket kit.

[suchy]

nice red paint under the bonnet (think you need to make the faded black engine parts black again though!!), nice bonnet liner and great interior- you lucky b*****d Think the door cards match the carpet so that's easy Gonna have to be underneath and in the arches next then?

[Paul325Sport]

nice red paint under the bonnet (think you need to make the faded black engine parts black again though!!), nice bonnet liner and great interior- you lucky b*****d Think the door cards match the carpet so that's easy Gonna have to be underneath and in the arches next then?

Cheers Suchy

Yeah, I suppose I should make a little more effort under the bonnet, maybe next time I give it a proper clean .

The underside and arches are awaiting some tlc hopefully in the summer as the rear arches and battery tray (in the boot) are starting to show those horrible signs . The country roads with no curbs have taken their toll on the daily drive to work so I'm getting a quote shortly and will get the spoiler sprayed at the same time .

Cleaning the car this weekend highlighted yet another expense as a small piece of laquer lifted from one of the spokes on my front off-side wheel, excuse to get a refurb then . Anybody know of a good company to use?

Cheers
Paul.

[shedrool83]

Motor is stunning.
I had a 325se the very same a good few years back.(man i miss it)

[suchy]

Anybody know of a good company to use?

Not local to you anyway!! Got a place just down the road from me that is pretty good but that's of no help to you!!

But yeah maybe you ought to give your car a treat and clean it properly next time
still gonna keep calling you a lucky b*****d though!!

[bss325i]

Yeah, I've had a good look through your post before and again today. The effort you've put in is fantastic and the car looks absolutely stunning, a real credit to the effort you've put in, and money my word that must have cost a few english pounds!!! Looking forward to reading about the engine upgrade

The suspension ugrades you have done are of real interest to me as I have been pondering the same upgrade. How have you found the suspension now that it's settled?

Hopefully see you soon.

Paul.

The prep and paint were done by a couple of guys at my work and the cost was very reasonable due to a big staff discount on the labour rate.
I cant recomend the suspension upgrade enough as it vastly improves the handeling but doesn't spoil the ride. M3 eccentric control arm bushes have now been fitted and this is also a must. I just need to find a suitable strut brace now.

[Paul325Sport]

But yeah maybe you ought to give your car a treat and clean it properly next time
still gonna keep calling you a lucky b*****d though!!

Cheers suchy, maybe you can pop round and show me how it's done . I will have to put the effort in under the bonnet when I remove the eyebrows hey.

Fortunately a mate from BMW called last night and offered to get the wheels refurb'd for me cash in hand through BMW which is a result.

I cant recomend the suspension upgrade enough as it vastly improves the handeling but doesn't spoil the ride. M3 eccentric control arm bushes have now been fitted and this is also a must. I just need to find a suitable strut brace now.

Excellent, I will add the control arms to the list, what do they cost?

Not sure if this will help but AC Schnitzer still make their strut brace to order even though it's around 2-3 times the price of others. I managed to get mine from ebay and it's made a huge difference/improvement to the handling of mine, although I doubt it would make a difference if it was an alternative brace!

Cheers
Paul.

[hubble]

Very nice clean looking sport you have there. I'd Loose the eye brows and don't paint the grille black.

As for the door cards I never liked the leather versions. They seemed to look quite cheap against the rest of the leather interior

Loving the Genuine Alpina's too.

[bss325i]

I cant recomend the suspension upgrade enough as it vastly improves the handeling but doesn't spoil the ride. M3 eccentric control arm bushes have now been fitted and this is also a must. I just need to find a suitable strut brace now.

Excellent, I will add the control arms to the list, what do they cost?

Not sure if this will help but AC Schnitzer still make their strut brace to order even though it's around 2-3 times the price of others. I managed to get mine from ebay and it's made a huge difference/improvement to the handling of mine, although I doubt it would make a difference if it was an alternative brace!

Cheers
Paul.

The eccentric control arm bushes were about £50 when i bought them but they have dropped in price to about £20 now. One thing to bear in mine before fitting them is that you will have to have the wheel alignment checked and adjusted as they alter the caster so in turn will throw the toe out but this is easily adjusted.
Funnily enough i did have an AC schnitzer strut brace exactly the same as yours which was attached to the green alpina C2 2.7 donor car i bought but i sold it on to another zoner as i didn't feel it went with the whole Alpina C2 thing but have to say its one of the best quality braces i have seen for an E30.



Unfortunately Alpina to my knowledege never did a strut brace of any kind so a suitable after market one is what i will need to source.

[Paul325Sport]

Very nice clean looking sport you have there. I'd Loose the eye brows and don't paint the grille black.

Cheers Hubble,

Don't worry, there was no chance I was going to start spraying the grilles black. I've added some new ones to a current parts quote with BMW which will be ordered as soon as I've organised the Alpina re-furb.

The eccentric control arm bushes were about £50 when i bought them but they have dropped in price to about £20 now. One thing to bear in mine before fitting them is that you will have to have the wheel alignment checked and adjusted as they alter the caster so in turn will throw the toe out but this is easily adjusted.

Cheers for the tips, I really appreciate it. Best of luck in finding a suitable strut brace and I will look forward to seeing the pics.

Cheers
Paul.