should i buy one?

[get_man]

im 17 and have loved e30s all my life and im intresting in buying one but are they reliable enough for a 17 year old on a low budget to have .[/quote]

[Felix79]

Check your insurance 1st. E30's can be seriously expensive on th einsurance for young drivers.

[AlexBaur325]

17 year old on a low budget to have

...not wanting to put a downer on things but as Felix79 said, insurance can be pricey, and i expect for a 17 year old it WILL be. As for reliability you have to be aware that these cars are now geeting on, even the young ones ;) and you have to respect them and look after them.

If you want a box that goes from a to b and will never give you any trouble and needs minimal maintenance, oh and is cheap, maybe an E30 isn't best. However if you want a true drivers car with bags of style and a huge grin factor then an e30 is for you...just be prepared to have to spend a bit of $$$

[Andy325i]

E30's are great cars, just watch out for rusty nails and cars that have been neglected. Good luck!

Andy

[liquid-24]

Tooo young my friend 17 your wasting your time im only 20 but i have 3yrs no claims so far and a pass plus so save a lot but when i was your age 1.4 would cost a 1K plus a year however i know its not an e30 but i had a Volvo 460si on a 1.6 and was cheap to insure being a super safe volvo and quick plus much better extras than an E30 i.e. heated seats and all electric windows and sun roof, electirc seats etc etc

But if you have the ££££ then go for it but otherwise even petrol will punish you drving and E30

[dave318]

surely uf you go for a 4 door 316 it wont hit that hard. (its a starting point)
can you insure the car through your parents as with some companys now give named drivers no claims bonus.

dave

[Felix79]

Also buying a 316 will not really work out as a cheaper option either as you end up having the thrash the nutts of it to get any where. You really want to be looking at a 318 upwards.

For a 1st car an e30 can be a bit of a hand full espcally for the novice driver and you got true old school front engine rear wheel drive which makes them notuoirus in the wet. The biggest problem with any E30 will be the rust , espcally the rear arches.

Parts can be pricey as with any BMW and if you have to get a garage to look at it you really need to take it to a compitent place not some back street place.

It would also be worth reading the buyers guide that is stickied on here so you know what to look out for when buying one.

[secondtimelucky]

buy a touring, they seem to be alot cheaper to insure, at 21 with 2 years no claims a 318i touring was £200 a year cheaper than my old 1.1 fiesta now at 22 and im only paying £700 tpft

[Ya55lne]

When you get insurance on them go for a 316 then do it on one of your parents name and yourself as 2nd driver....i have been doing it ever since i was 17 lol. Some insurance companies such as direct line will also give the 2nd driver ncd so you can build up your own. Thats your only hope to getting a good deal on insurance mate.

As for the car....you will need to spend money on it....and more money...and more money!! There greats cars e30s but they do cost to run!! You have to remember its not a new car!!

[AlexBaur325]

You have to remember its not a new car!!

exactly, in every respect.

And respect then fact its rear wheel drive, if you get cocky it WILL scare the living dylights out of you....steep learning curve you could say ;)

[BMJG]

my mate was 18 and for some reason was cheeper to insure a 320i coupe than a 316i 4 door both white only difference was age 320i was E reg and 316i was H reg i belive (strange but true) he was well happy

[Bob_S]

buy a touring, they seem to be alot cheaper to insure, at 21 with 2 years no claims a 318i touring was £200 a year cheaper than my old 1.1 fiesta now at 22 and im only paying £700 tpft

at 20 with no no claims I insured a 2.7 with all mods declared for that

[12345kevin]

At 17 a lot of insurers will only insure on a 316, most use parents to insure etc.

A good 316 is cheap and far better value than corsa or similar at twice the price ! use the saved money for insurance and service

[E30BeemerLad]

Agreed, a 316 is a good starting point, plenty of later 316 lux models knocking about still that still have rear arches in them, tourings also seem to be in better nick, except tailgates which rot with the best of 'em.

You can get a nice late J or K plate 316 touring for about £600.

As for the insurance, if you can avoid it, forget all this business of having the car in a parent's name as it only leads to complications when (and you will) have an incident and the insurers do some digging around and find you are the main user.

All this business of insurers letting named drivers earn NCD is a farce, the accumulated NCD you earn is only valid if you then take out insurance in your own name WITH THE SAME INSURER. So a couple of years NCD as a driver on a Direct Line policy ain't worth squat to another insurer.

Best bet is get a policy in your name, add a parent or mature relative as a named driver (often brings it down a fair bit), leave the mods alone (don't be smart and not declare mods as you are just fooling yourself) take your pass plus. But bottom line is you are still going to get a good raping for any insurance premium on an E30.

[Motorsport_325i]

my first car was a 325i cab at 17???????????????

[Felix79]

Mine was a 318i when I was 22. Insruance was £800 TPFT

[bss325i]

Maxfield on here is 17 and has a 318i touring, pm him for an idea of what he paid.

[GrindCulture]

I don't understand how people keep coming up with such mentally high premiums? Granted no insurance for any car will be cheap for us youngens, but I pay less to insure my iS than friends who drive Fiestas and Corsas.

[uzdubmwe30]

When I was 17 I got my 316i lux, paid £400 for the car, cheapest insurance I could find on my own policy with pass plus too was £2500 I paid the b*stard too, worked out at £140 a month ish. Now all my wages go on resurrecting it from the dead when something goes wrong or rots away, which they do alot. This year I paid £1200 with 1 years ncb.

And You know what, I wouldnt change it for the world, well maybe the engine which is gonna be upgraded to an m42 lpg'd lump soon.

[rubber_duck89]

im 19 and ive got a 316i my insurance quote was £735 tpft for the year off quinn direct (on a provis with no NCB) i reccomend a 316 they look the part and mine has never failed to start and as far as crashing it is concerned you ar rarely going fast enough to do any damage an way

[GrindCulture]

This year I paid £1200 with 1 years ncb.

This is what I pay on my iS, only been driving 8 months with a pass plus. See what I mean...

[Ya55lne]

Agreed, a 316 is a good starting point, plenty of later 316 lux models knocking about still that still have rear arches in them, tourings also seem to be in better nick, except tailgates which rot with the best of 'em.

You can get a nice late J or K plate 316 touring for about £600.

As for the insurance, if you can avoid it, forget all this business of having the car in a parent's name as it only leads to complications when (and you will) have an incident and the insurers do some digging around and find you are the main user.

All this business of insurers letting named drivers earn NCD is a farce, the accumulated NCD you earn is only valid if you then take out insurance in your own name WITH THE SAME INSURER. So a couple of years NCD as a driver on a Direct Line policy ain't worth squat to another insurer.

Best bet is get a policy in your name, add a parent or mature relative as a named driver (often brings it down a fair bit), leave the mods alone (don't be smart and not declare mods as you are just fooling yourself) take your pass plus. But bottom line is you are still going to get a good raping for any insurance premium on an E30.

Yes true mate your right about moving your ncd ou can only use it with the same insurer....whats the problem with that? And all the cars i have had have been in my own name and under my dads insurance...thats 11 cars in 5 years....and 7 accidents lol (only 3 at fault due to old granny drivers!!!) and the insurance company never had a problem with the car being in my name!!

I agree with the mods...either dont have any or tell your insurance you have them...they done me clean last time for my alloys and bumpers....dumbarse never noticed the exhaust lol!!

But putting it under your own name will cost alot more then your parents, best bet is to just shop around...and dont use them stupid compare website...i found the cheapest insurance is the ones you deal with direct...direct line, churchill etc....when theres a middle man involved thers an extra price for that man!!

[Cotty]

Also buying a 316 will not really work out as a cheaper option either as you end up having the thrash the nutts of it to get any where. You really want to be looking at a 318 upwards.

I don't actually think they made a 318. I had a 316 which had an 1800cc engine and my brother had a 316i which was a 1600cc injection.

I stand to be corrected if this is not the case.

[uzdubmwe30]

This year I paid £1200 with 1 years ncb.

This is what I pay on my iS, only been driving 8 months with a pass plus. See what I mean...

Totally depends on where you live, crime rates in the area, how many unicorns are in the fields where you live, Tanks driving on the streets, people getting shot.

It's a load of bullsh*t where they get the price ranges from, same system to how they work out your council tax band, 3 blokes in the 60's driving round in a van saying "yeah that ones a higher band than the last" and their still using the same system now!. i've found that the further your insurance company is away the cheaper it'll be to insure (i.e quinn direct being in Ireland)

Was talkin to a lad that came in work yesterday, he's insured as a named driver on his mothers classic policy on a porsche 944 kitted up to the eyes, and a triumph spitfire, £200 is what he's paying and hes only 20!

[Felix79]

Also buying a 316 will not really work out as a cheaper option either as you end up having the thrash the nutts of it to get any where. You really want to be looking at a 318 upwards.

I don't actually think they made a 318. I had a 316 which had an 1800cc engine and my brother had a 316i which was a 1600cc injection.

I stand to be corrected if this is not the case.

I was typing lazy I was meaning 316i and 318i

[Alex]

im 17 and have loved e30s all my life and im intresting in buying one but are they reliable enough for a 17 year old on a low budget to have .

[/quote]

im 17 and have had an e30 and found when i passed my test the insurance hammerd me and had to sell and get a corsa but i will be getting another e30 when i get my 1st yrs no claims around jan time wooooo

your best bet it to get something cheap to run about in and go with an insurance company that does a 10 month bonus accelarator and when you have 1yr no claims then look at getting one ive allready had three and one never made it on the road and the other 2 were only on the road a week each i had a 1.8 and sold it because it was going to cost too much so baught a 1.6 which was cheaper to insure but when i passed my test as said they just hammerd me

regards reliability they are more reliable than the usuall 17 year old car corsa's saxos, clios etc.

[djk]

But putting it under your own name will cost alot more then your parents, best bet is to just shop around...and dont use them stupid compare website...i found the cheapest insurance is the ones you deal with direct...direct line, churchill etc....when theres a middle man involved thers an extra price for that man!!

I'd say use the compare sites as well as direct line etc - you can't get too many prices. I agree in principle about avoiding laying on another layer of profit to a middle man,, but I check everything when getting new insurance and the last 2 years it's been cheaper through a comparison site - its the £££s in my pocket that are my no.1 priority!!!

I would advise against getting insurance in a parent's name. Insurance companies are bastards, their biggest vested interest is in avoiding paying out on claims - don't tempt fate as they will most royally fuck you. This is basically the reason Direct line etc are offering no claims to named drivers - they encourage you to take out a policy they will likely never have to pay out on - totally risk free from their end, money for nothing.

[suchy]

I was gonna suggest a Touring but that's already been stated. You gotta weigh up enjoyment value for your money spent. A corsa may be slightly cheaper (I'm out of touch with cheap cars!) but it's got to totally suck to drive compared with a few quid extra spent on a 318 or something? I could drive a diesel if I was worried about spunking money but I don't!! I drive a hideously costly Sport but it's worth every penny. You gotta ask yourself do I put up with a crap cheap car for a year to get a years NCB or say f**k it and have a car with character and driveability (and c'mon it goes sideways, that's gotta be worth it!!)

[suchy]

oh yeah get it in your own name otherwise you do risk getting f**ked- insurance companies are harsh!!

[AlexBaur325]

Suchy has a point, you only live once, if youve got the dollar than go for it. If youre going to be stretching yourself financially id personally save like made for a couple of years, build up some NCB then get a nice 325

but im a boring old bast*rd (and only 23 )

[Morat]

Apart from insurance, which is going to be a serious factor of course, you really do need to put some cash aside for maintenance. Check out things like shocks, shock mounts, wishbone bushes and even springs.

Another big one is tyres. These cars are demanding, this is well known. They were never designed to be someone's first car, and they were designed in an age when if you crashed a car it was your fault, you wouldn't be able to sue the manufacturer for building something that was too much fun. The way to offset this is to take advantage of the last 20 years improvement in tyres which has been phenomenal. Whatever wheels you run, get the right size tyres and try to get a good brand. Half worn budget tyres are a recipe for disaster as I've found out for myself. The stretch look is very cool from the outside, not so great through the wheel

So, when you're looking for an E30, I'd say you should keep at least £500 back so you can get it properly serviced in the first week of ownership. That should get you a cambelt and some decent tyres. Change all the fluids (and the front disks and pads - £70ish from Motormec) yourself. It won't get you a new fuel tank or rear beam bushes so look out for those when you're buying.

Running an E30 is fun, its a lot more fun when you know that the car is safe. Getting a car up to really shiny condition is very expensive but you can run a clean safe E30 for not that much. The most expensive time is usually just after you buy it so it all depends on how good the car is to start with. Its definitely worth getting the thing up on a ramp with a good mechanic to give you the real truth. It might not be what you want to hear, but its best to hear it before something big drops off!

[Felix79]

good point there , in the 1st week I had mine I had a £1641 bill from the garage to fix the engine!

[beemer_twins]

Me and my bro are 19 we got a 316i 4 door with mods declared, and mum as main driver we pay £976 Full comprehensive only has 1 year ncd on the cover but with mods and stuff it aint to bad, shop around and bargain with insurance companys, you will get a deal!

[Ya55lne]

Mate i think you can all agree on one thing here.......get a small car to start off with, save up your money for a year or two, then get yourself a nice E30 as said above. The way things are going now mate i wouldnt spend the money because when you get stuck you will get stuck hard, its not the same as this time last year when life was abit easier for us all.

Save your money, an E30 will cost you!!

[AlexBaur325]

its not the same as this time last year when life was abit easier for us all

thats sooo true, just thinking back to this time last year...

oh and guess who was invested as PM this week a year ago...