325 question

[bernard]

I'm hankering after and E30, want it to be a 325i and a 2dr.

However, they all seem to be autos and/or with the sport kit neither of which I like.

How common are 325i 2drs without the sport kit and how hard would it be to remove the sport kit and make it into "standard" e30.

Relative noob so be nice

[iDreamBeemer]

Buy the auto, the engine (as a general rule) will have been less thrashed.
Get it converted to manual which is not a major job. You can re-reg it with DVLA as manual so insurance is not viewed as modified. Mine is being done as we speak. I was looking for a manual for a while and people are hanging on to the good ones.

Job done.

[rebelcruiser]

for a start you dont buy a sport which cost a lot more than a standard e30 and then remove the kit

if you know what you want then be patient and wait for the right one to come up for sale

and theres plenty out there depends what colour etc your after.

[sweep]

i have a 325i 2 door non sport, with factory comfort leather seats, ,im sure good ones are getting thin on the ground now,what ive done is retro fit parts of various models like 325 sport limited slip diff,318is front bib spoiler,alpina wheels,sport map light interior mirror,se model side skirts,m3 steering wheel,it basically is a blank canvass to be modified to your own tastes mate,standard 325s are sometimes the under dog to the sport model..it all depends on your own taste.

[Nay]

If you want a standard 325i 2dr then it should be easy to find. With that as your base choice, then it depends on what your after. You can almost choose what E30 you want, which colour, interior lol.

325i's are pretty common, but in fairness rarish to find an unragged or mint one is getting harder. You really dont want to buy a sport if its not what your after as you'll be paying the premium for them.

My advise is keep your eyes peeled on pistonheads and the cars for sale threas in this site and you'll find what your after!

GL mate.

[pnd]

good ones are rare and so much nicer to drive than the ones that have had a hard life. cheaper to buy a good one than fix up a ropey one.

[leeparkes]

I had to travel over 100 miles for my 2 door 325i,
hold out for what you are looking for (i searched for about 3months for a good one)
good luck!

[BMJG]

My friend has one and might sell it as he is after a sport, very tidy 2 door facelift model with under 60,000 mls on the clock. would all come down in the end to what sort of money you had to send to get the car you are after

[capri_rob]

You should be able to get a usable 2 door Manual non-sport 325i for around £1k. Buy on the basis of bodywork condition and you won't go far wrong. Even if you get a basic model increasing the spec is easy and cheap thanks to parts availablility though the zone/ebay etc.

Good luck fella

[e301988325i]

I'm hankering after and E30, want it to be a 325i and a 2dr.

However, they all seem to be autos and/or with the sport kit neither of which I like.

How common are 325i 2drs without the sport kit and how hard would it be to remove the sport kit and make it into "standard" e30.

Relative noob so be nice

Wait to find a what you want it's woth it!

You sound like a man after my own heart. I wanted a manual 2dr sport without the kit (I like subtle and understated for descretion, but that's not how I drive it!). I found a good one for £1100 three years ago. I then set about maintaning and upgrading the important bits to make it handle, stop and go better than new!

It's important to find a good shell because you'll be buying a car that's nearly 20 yrs old, so every car you look at will need all or a combination of servicing, brakes, suspension and bushes.
Alex

[pnd]

!

It's important to find a good shell because you'll be buying a car that's nearly 20 yrs old, so every car you look at will need all or a combination of servicing, brakes, suspension and bushes.
Alex[/quote]
no they won't a genuine good one will have had lots of recent maintenance to it. believe me these are expensive cars to fix up you want one thats already had the money spent.

[Nay]

!

It's important to find a good shell because you'll be buying a car that's nearly 20 yrs old, so every car you look at will need all or a combination of servicing, brakes, suspension and bushes.
Alex

no they won't a genuine good one will have had lots of recent maintenance to it. believe me these are expensive cars to fix up you want one thats already had the money spent.[/quote] To ge a reasonable straight six running smooth is cheaper than most cars bud.

A good service and buy a timing belt (maybe even to hold onto till yours goes) and it'll be sound. Then, to make all the handling like new, sets of bushes for all your suspension and any other little part you feel.

If you avoid a rust trap, a previously crashed car, or one that has clearly had a very hard life then you should be fine.

Good service history is a big bonus. Its not milage that kills these cars, just bad servicing!

As far as i'm aware, my mk3 fiesta cost me soo much more to fix and maintain in the same period of time and deteriorated much quicker! Just got to pay a bit more for petrol.

Replacement or damaged parts can be had from this site or breakers for really cheap, BMW genuine parts (new) are very reasonably priced (go on, just try them, ask for a quote on some parts or look through the genuine stuff on here) and you'll see. The cars are also simple, so if your handy with a spanner, you can do pretty much everything yourself too, otherwise, it'll be nice and easy jobs for the mechanics!

[pnd]

I am not interested in getting in to an argument over cost but to give you one example a mate of mine who is a very competent mechanic bought a 325 sport a couple of years ago which needed work none of which involved welding so doing all the work himself this car has cost him £3k in parts alone to get right and it still needs a respray. Hence my point buy a good one pay a premium and save money.

[Returnof318i]

People say good 2 doors are about 1100 all the ones i ever forund are atleats 1700-2000 there becoming sort after, right now 325 2 doors, are the most sought after M3s

[Nay]

My 325i is a good un! Cost me £750 and just needs either new front wings and bonnet, or bit of filler and respray.

I am not interested in getting in to an argument over cost but to give you one example a mate of mine who is a very competent mechanic bought a 325 sport a couple of years ago which needed work none of which involved welding so doing all the work himself this car has cost him £3k in parts alone to get right and it still needs a respray. Hence my point buy a good one pay a premium and save money.

Dont worry mate, not arguing, but if you buy a car which is rusting... then yes, it can be a lot to sort. You rarely have to spend 3k on parts if it drives ok, and most things to make up that sort of money will be parts that you can replace in your own time (bushes, servicing parts, timing belts) and in general, things that come with owning these cars.

Fair enough the 325i is the most sort after (IMO, more people look for the 325i than for M3s) and finding a good price good un is getting harder. But for a 20 year old car trust me, they are cheap to maintain and parts are extremely easy to source. Go fo a low down spec one that some old people are finally getting rid of and you'll be sorted. I see plenty up for sale on pistonheads etc and a bunch of them are ones to aviod.

If you want the best of both worlds, buy a cheap 4 pot with as good'a body as possible, and then look into buying a rustwormed 325i for cheap. When you have the money/time, remove the engine, fix/replace things like clutches, oils, timing belts, etc and maybe even going down to new alternators and even engine mounts. Take it all out and bung it into your good bodied donor!

But that requires more time and space than money, as it can be done over a few years if need be.

But if you want just to go for a good 2dr 325i make yourself a budget of £1,500 and wait till the one you want pops up. A sport in similar nick will be nearing the £3,000 or you could get a nice tech 1 for cheaper, but will more than likely need some bodywork sorting (rust ), so depending on the amount of rust or bodywork needed debates whether or not you should go for it.

[fuzzy]

I am not interested in getting in to an argument over cost but to give you one example a mate of mine who is a very competent mechanic bought a 325 sport a couple of years ago which needed work none of which involved welding so doing all the work himself this car has cost him £3k in parts alone to get right and it still needs a respray. Hence my point buy a good one pay a premium and save money.

or have a closer look before buying and pay a price based on the condition and work needed.
id rather buy a car that needed work done for a cheap realistic price and do it myself then you know exactly how reliable and rust free its going to be .
if you pay over the odds in the first place then its not the best route to take.

[fuzzy]

People say good 2 doors are about 1100 all the ones i ever forund are atleats 1700-2000 there becoming sort after, right now 325 2 doors, are the most sought after M3s

the price asked can be totally different from the realistic selling value. sellers over value, buyers undervalue.make an offer , you never know how desperate the seller is.

[Nay]

People say good 2 doors are about 1100 all the ones i ever forund are atleats 1700-2000 there becoming sort after, right now 325 2 doors, are the most sought after M3s

the price asked can be totally different from the realistic selling value. sellers over value, buyers undervalue.make an offer , you never know how desperate the seller is.

So true. As the one i'm buying the dude was really hard to budge off 800, but got him down to 750 as a definate.

Its "tristanE30" i think on here whos selling it and his mate on here "martinpallot" have got an E30 rally car each and know these cars very well. He pointed out all the parts hes fixed and namely rust issues underneath to be precise. I'm gonna make him put the car up onto the ramp he has so i can walk under it and investigate before buying. If he has the things to do that, then i may as well use them and check rather than take his word. But i could tell he has been a very honest chap about this car and would rather keep it as a spare shell than budge down under his asking price. The car essentially has been made from the best of a bunch of 325i's so looking forward to it. If i pick it up tomorrow or tuesday, i'll take plenty of snaps to show you want to expect for this sort of price range.

[fuzzy]

there was someone selling on here recently that went in a huff because a buyer wanted to ramp his e30 before commiting to buying it. and that was on a £5000 top end priced sport.
id never take a sellers word on anything. if you check and prove them to be honest and truthfull then everyones happy. only someone with something to hide gets nervous...

[Nay]

there was someone selling on here recently that went in a huff because a buyer wanted to ramp his e30 before commiting to buying it. and that was on a £5000 top end priced sport.
id never take a sellers word on anything. if you check and prove them to be honest and truthfull then everyones happy. only someone with something to hide gets nervous...

Exactly! I mean i trust the guy i'm buying off, but as you say, there could always be something wrong, or a potential problem thats unoticable to the buyer. Tristan has a ramp so gonna ask him to whack it up, unless the wheels are off the car and its a real no-no at the time.

Aslo, working with E30s for the rally and hes got quite a few, he knows what hes on about. He said if anything goes wrong with the one I buy, he'll have a good look at it! I only hope he'll keep his word!

But yes, check, check, and check again with these cars, as some are genuine and some are going because theres tin worm in a nasty place. Such as inner arches (which is one of the things i'm gonna check!) under the floor, and in all the places that aren't visible when the cars on the floor! Tristan told me the places he has welded, so i want to check his handywork first to make sure it aint a serious botch, and make sure theres nothing he didn't tell me about! Then, and only then will the car be mine!

[e301988325i]

It's important to find a good shell because you'll be buying a car that's nearly 20 yrs old, so every car you look at will need all, or a combination of servicing, brakes, suspension and bushes.
Alex

no they won't a genuine good one will have had lots of recent maintenance to it. believe me these are expensive cars to fix up you want one thats already had the money spent.

Best of luck with finding a 2dr 325i with a perfect shell and needs no maintenance. And then spend another 10 f****** years finding one for sale! My opinion still stands, brakes, suspension and bushes wear out at regular intervals that's life. Body shells weren't replaceable items the last time I looked.

Sounds like your 'very competent mechanic' friend agrees with me. He bought a good shell which needed no work and then tidied up everything else. Kinda f***** your own argument in the a*** there m8.

I saw an H-reg 325i Sport 2yrs ago at the River Dart Adventure Park BMW/Porsche club meet. It had 5000 miles, and had been in a MUSEUM in Northern Ireland for it's entire life having bi-yearly oil changes. He refused to entertain selling it. Unsurprisingly.
Alex

[bernard]

Cheers for the responses, i think the buying a sport and removing stuff is not the way to go as i may well get hunted down (understandably) by some owners on here

Is there a buying guide on here somewhere? I own a couple of dubs (Ok 5) so prefer the understated look and always wanted an E30. Think prices will only climb so now is the time to buy.

Will keep my eyes peeld, the converting an auto idea sounds like a plan for sure.

BMJG - I've sent you a note.

[Nay]

Cheers for the responses, i think the buying a sport and removing stuff is not the way to go as i may well get hunted down (understandably) by some owners on here

Is there a buying guide on here somewhere? I own a couple of dubs (Ok 5) so prefer the understated look and always wanted an E30. Think prices will only climb so now is the time to buy.

Will keep my eyes peeld, the converting an auto idea sounds like a plan for sure.

BMJG - I've sent you a note.

Well, if you did want to buy a sport, and take off the kit, someone on here will pay good money for it (like me when i get the fundings...). But you would need to find new bumbers and valances and then little trimmings to sort out the de-kitting process. Would technically make you a fair amount back when buying sports... But would nail its value. Personally, i reckon if you go look at a sport, the kits will grow on you anyway!