Just got my first E30!!
Moderator: martauto
Everytime I think about her I smile!
Last week I picked up an H reg E30 325i cab in black with mtech 2 kit and I couldn't be happier!
There's no rust anywhere and everything looks clean and tight. I drove her back from Northampton to Manchester and everything was perfect.
The only thing that is slightly concerning me though is the 'throb' when idling. Rather than being quiet and steady the engine seems to pulse a little. Is this or should I get it seen to? It's an auto if that makes any difference.
Last week I picked up an H reg E30 325i cab in black with mtech 2 kit and I couldn't be happier!
There's no rust anywhere and everything looks clean and tight. I drove her back from Northampton to Manchester and everything was perfect.
The only thing that is slightly concerning me though is the 'throb' when idling. Rather than being quiet and steady the engine seems to pulse a little. Is this or should I get it seen to? It's an auto if that makes any difference.
Welcome to the (nut house) zone mate, as already said get some piccies up
It would be worth spending a weekend taking the side pods/skirts off to check for rust underneath. My 2dr saloon had new rear arches and a complete lower half respray 4 years ago and now I'm scrapping the shell as tin worm had got in under the kit..
Don't want to sound all doom and gloom but I'd have rather known there was an issue so I could have sorted it rather than it getting to this stage
Welcome to the world of E30's
oh and switchable auto's suit a cab - they're made for cruising
Charlie
It would be worth spending a weekend taking the side pods/skirts off to check for rust underneath. My 2dr saloon had new rear arches and a complete lower half respray 4 years ago and now I'm scrapping the shell as tin worm had got in under the kit..
Don't want to sound all doom and gloom but I'd have rather known there was an issue so I could have sorted it rather than it getting to this stage
Welcome to the world of E30's
Charlie
BMW E30 344i track car 
BMW F31 335d xdrive
BMW F31 335d xdrive
Charlie,
How simple is it to take the door pods off? Would I have to fill and paint afterwards at all?
Thanks for the reassurance about the auto. I had weighed it all up before buying, I couldn't find a decent manual so since it's a summer cruiser an auto box is perfect. I've got a company car to rag the shit out of!
How simple is it to take the door pods off? Would I have to fill and paint afterwards at all?
Thanks for the reassurance about the auto. I had weighed it all up before buying, I couldn't find a decent manual so since it's a summer cruiser an auto box is perfect. I've got a company car to rag the shit out of!
Pods and skirts are faily easy to take off -
- Front wing pods will have either a couple of plastic fasteners or screws on the inner wheel arch, remove them and carefully pop the top of the pod away from the wing and then slide the lower part from the skirt.
- Door pods, look on the inside lip of the door (below latch mech) and you will see a plastic nut (8/10mm) undo this. Looking underneath the door you will see 6 fasterners, using a suitable screwdriver turn them 90deg and then pop them down. Same as the front wing pop carefully pop the top away from the door.
- Rear pops are the same as the wing pods locating in the lower skirt with fasterners on the inner arch part.
- lower skirt, remove the two bolts/screws attaching the front to the wings and one underneath that screws into the sill. Remove the two fasteners on the rear inner arch part. Underneath you will see 8 (off the top of my head) plastic clips, these can be levered off with a flat blade screwdriver and personally I'd refit new ones (available cheaply from BMW) the top part then pops off and up.
All clips are still available cheaply from BMW if needed.. and as long as it's all been fitted as designed and not bonded on it'll all fit back and you'd never know
HTH
Charlie
- Front wing pods will have either a couple of plastic fasteners or screws on the inner wheel arch, remove them and carefully pop the top of the pod away from the wing and then slide the lower part from the skirt.
- Door pods, look on the inside lip of the door (below latch mech) and you will see a plastic nut (8/10mm) undo this. Looking underneath the door you will see 6 fasterners, using a suitable screwdriver turn them 90deg and then pop them down. Same as the front wing pop carefully pop the top away from the door.
- Rear pops are the same as the wing pods locating in the lower skirt with fasterners on the inner arch part.
- lower skirt, remove the two bolts/screws attaching the front to the wings and one underneath that screws into the sill. Remove the two fasteners on the rear inner arch part. Underneath you will see 8 (off the top of my head) plastic clips, these can be levered off with a flat blade screwdriver and personally I'd refit new ones (available cheaply from BMW) the top part then pops off and up.
All clips are still available cheaply from BMW if needed.. and as long as it's all been fitted as designed and not bonded on it'll all fit back and you'd never know
HTH
Charlie
BMW E30 344i track car 
BMW F31 335d xdrive
BMW F31 335d xdrive
- BadMoonRising
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 283
- Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Bristol
Congrats! Great feeling isn't it? Still remember when I bought mine.
The idle may just be a crack in one of the hoses.
The idle may just be a crack in one of the hoses.
I also back the statement to check all the rubber hoses going in from your airbox to the throttle body. Any loose bits or cracks (from perished 20yo rubber) can mess up the air flow reading.
If all the hoses are good, maybe get hold of another idle control valve (ICV). Anyone can check, remove and replace these parts.
If all the hoses are good, maybe get hold of another idle control valve (ICV). Anyone can check, remove and replace these parts.

Uni is killing the project.
Charlie,
Unfortunately the front and rears have both been bonded and smoothed so there's no way of getting them off without wrecking the paintwork!
I guess I'll just have to get underneath with a torch and give it a good examination.!
Unfortunately the front and rears have both been bonded and smoothed so there's no way of getting them off without wrecking the paintwork!
I guess I'll just have to get underneath with a torch and give it a good examination.!
-
Topblag
- Old Skooler

- Posts: 7095
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Fife - You got a problem with that ?
Very nice and does the V5 describe it as a Motorsport ?
1990 325i Cab auto in Alpine White II
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k







