How Comfortable are you E30's

[ryan0143]

I have a 318is which i bought a few months ago as a project, its a very good solid car with so far as i can see no rust. Minor bits starting to come through on the arches but nothing major.

The previous owner wanted to go for the drift look, so all the interior has been totally stripped bare, its been lowered 60mm and has a very loud exhaust.

I am currently collecting up all the interior bits to put it back to standard, also will be removing al of the exhaust etc. i just wanted to know are the E30's a comfortable car and quiet? i have never experienced one in standard form so to speak, im used to a very loud exhaust and alot of road noise lol.

i must say i cannot wait to return the car back to standard

Also looking to purchase an mtech 1kit to set the exterior off

[e30-EVN]

Mine is lowered but just on springs for now so the ride isn't to harsh, interior is comfort cloth at the mo but I'm in the middle of sourcing sport cloth for it.
As a whole tho, all things considered as a 21 year old car I think she is really refined. I've put an m50 engine in now which will have a full stainless exhaust (quite loud) but I feel this will add to the rawness of the car.
That's what I love about these tbh, they feel so raw to drive yet remain refined at the same time
Ant

[baur320]

I have a 318is
Also looking to purchase an mtech 1kit to set the exterior off

you'll need a tech 2 - tech 1s don't fit a facelift body without a lot of faf

[ryan0143]

:O ohh no lol i didnt realise that, thanks for the advice, tech 2 it is then.

[jann]

Well mine is more comfy than my mum hyundai coupe. Not bad for a 20 year old IS
Its a bit jiggy over rough surfaces at low speed, but on the M-way and B roads its sooo smooth.

[ryan0143]

and what mileage is your E30 on? must say i cannot wait to have the comfort of an interior again even though im not driving the car until its finished

[polsta]

:O ohh no lol i didnt realise that, thanks for the advice, tech 2 it is then.

tech 2 would be a fail on an is

keep it standard with the is lip, and maybe just a tech 1 rear spoiler

my is is mint inside, drives veruy quiet and smooth, its a lovely ride and comfortable, love it

[bry]

Mine was a standard Cab - drove 3000miles over 2 weeks around Europe - not a twinge from the back and not overly draining after many hours at the wheel. So for a standard car i would say the refinement was spot on for it's age

[ryan0143]

hmm yes i was thinking about a tech 1 rear spoiler and some SE skirts as the side always looks really bare.

i was going to put a full mtech 2 kit on it but i think thats trying to tohard to be a genuine 325i sport lol

[jann]

mines done just over 125000 but i suspect recently (7000miles) its had new springs and shocks all round:)

[Felix79]

I find the e30 is one of the few cars I can drive with my back problems and at my height of 6.5

[320iAN]

mine has: fully polly bushed suspension, diff & rear beam.. riding on super sport shock's & -35mm Jamex springs with 17"/ 40 series tyres & my E30 feels tighter than our newer Corsa C & even my wife say's my E30 roll's comfier than the full eibach suspension fitted to the Corsa C

standard iS seat's & covered 133.500 miles, we toured northumberland in it at the summer and with us, 2 kid's & a boot full of gear .. not once did my E30 feel to harsh

[suchy]

They're 20-odd years old so don't expect to be cosseted like you would in an S-Class but you can drive all day in them without suffering ache wise but they do feel a heavy car to drive if driving around town all day. Feel very planted on a motorway all day long though

[polsta]

hmm yes i was thinking about a tech 1 rear spoiler and some SE skirts as the side always looks really bare.

i was going to put a full mtech 2 kit on it but i think thats trying to tohard to be a genuine 325i sport lol

a tech 2 kit on a 4 pot 318..just makes it look/sound cheap imo, youd also pay hundreds for the kit and paint to then de value the car, the is is a nice car in its own right

heres my 318 is, as standard bar the tech 1 rear spoiler

[ryan0143]

thats a very nice I.S

i have settled on just getting some SE side skirts which i have bought jus to add to the side to set it off a little more.

[powelly]

I think they are a really comfortable car, I would say ditch the UN- comfort seats though, possibly the worst seat ever produced for a car, sport seats are in a different league, so much more supportive.

[ryan0143]

yes i have bought some cloth sports seats in dark grey and im chuffed with them, just in the middle of putting new mechanisms in them so they are nice and tight.

[320iAN]

iS standard "Recaro type" seat's are probably the best wearing and one of the best all round seat available from BMW for a E30... IMO

[Cook318IS]

I think they are a really comfortable car, I would say ditch the UN- comfort seats though, possibly the worst seat ever produced for a car, sport seats are in a different league, so much more supportive.

I agree with Powelly. I'm only 22 and comfort seats were giving me a bad back Ive got genuine recaros (not the bmw sport seats) and they are by far the most comfortable seat i have ever tried in an e30!

[ryan0143]

how can you tell the genuine recaros from the BMW sports seats?? :S ie do they have the usual recaro logo on them?? were they an option from the factory or purely after-market? probably a silly question?

[Cook318IS]

The recaros were an optional extra. E30 recaros dont have recaro stitched into them like the ford ones as far as i know.
My leather recaros -


Bmw sport seats (also know as the recaro style seats)

[Jesus325iTouring]

My Touring has M535i Sports seats in it and I have to say they are very comfy,they have a nicer material finish to them than the original Sports seats it was fitted with.
And currently at 265,000 miles,(105,000 of them mine) it still drives lovely,smooth,lovely subtle exhaust tone,and rides nicely on its M tec suspension.
Standard E30,a joy to drive

[sarkie83]

i find the ride of my is is comfortable (189k, -40mm springs).

When i first got it, I had to get a mate to weld up the bracket that supports the seat back, as that had broken and it wasn't supportive.

the only thing it needs, is some more sound proofing in the doors, as on the motorway these seem to be the cause of a lot of road noise.

[polsta]

thats a very nice I.S

i have settled on just getting some SE side skirts which i have bought jus to add to the side to set it off a little more.

ive got some in the garage i picked up a while ago, and might go on in the spring

[agd931]

The overall refinement on these cars is excellent especially when bearing in mind the age of the overall design.

Especially on the motorway, the overall stability and that planted to the road feel on the M-Technic suspension is something I never tire of.

As for the sports seats, just the business, way more supportive that the sports seats of other German manufacturers of the same era, Porsche for example.

[e30-EVN]

yeah i agree totaly ^^
sport seats next on my parts hit list! comfort seats are not great at all, bmw should have called them ''un-comfort seats lol

[StuBeeDoo]

When I bought my touring it had the comfort seats in. TBH, for a stiff-jointed late forty-something, they weren't all that bad.
I binned them in favour of Sports seats and it was a mistake. On a long run they were bloody uncomfortable to say the least - and we do a lot of long runs. It got to the point where I seriously considered getting another pair of the comfort flavour seats. I punted them on when I finally made a pair of Recaros fit. In terms of seating, in any car, Recaros are the dogs danglies.
Apart from that, the car is quiet in the move - in spite of the Scorpion rear exhaust - and the MTechnic suspension is firm without being harsh.

For a 20 year old car, I'd say it's top notch.